A few days through the beautiful Blue Mountains, and inland to Byron Bay (on the western side of the mountains) exploring mountains, gorges, caves and forests and experiencing some of the ‘real’ Australia.  

Day 5 cont. The road trip across Australia starts

The drive took us through the extensive suburbs of Sydney, on busy roads until we started to climb and traffic filtered away.  As we approached Katoomba, we pulled into Wentworth Falls and took a quick detour down their trails to the falls.  Great paths following the edge of an escarpment and then down to the top of the falls.  An excellent introduction to the Blue Mountains even though it was very cold and cloudy – about 5 degrees!  They really are quite spectacular with sheer yellow sandstone cliffs dropping down to the forest below, accompanied by lots of waterfalls.  We spent an hour walking the trails that we could before it got dark.  We’re really excited to get out and walk properly tomorrow – the weather’s meant to be good 😊.

We also met some of our first Cockatoos.  Wow they are loud! 

Another few minutes up the road and we arrived at Blue Mountains Backpackers Hostel.  After a quick check in we headed out into Katoomba town to look for a really cheap place to eat.  With the chill in the air and the steep streets it really felt like we were in some sort of ski resort – very odd.  We had no luck with the cheap dinner – nowhere to eat for less than $40 after 6.  Instead we shopped at Aldi and went back to cook in the near empty and well equipped kitchen.  Our pasta bolognese turned out to be pretty good and we were all happy that we hadn’t found anywhere to eat out. 

Bird species seen: 11

Points: Aiden 1 (possum)

Day 6 – The Blue Mountains

Not a good night again.  An annoying alarm was going off from about 11.30pm which was causing us all trouble (except Aiden of course!).  In the morning we discovered that it was Evie’s kindle.  She thought she’d set Australian time on it but had in fact set an alarm.  Thanks Evie! 

We really liked this hostel.  Possibly partly because it was mostly empty, but it was also a lot cleaner and there was a big social area with table tennis, table football and pool with a fire.  We were worried that we would be very odd to be seen in hostels as a family, but there were at least 4 families there (about half of the guests) and the kids made friends with a boy 6 days older than Evie.  They loved it here.  It had a good vibe generally.

The weather was not as glorious as had been forecast (although apparently that’s pretty normal up here) and we woke to thick fog – couldn’t even see across the road.   It was already burning off after breakfast so we hung around with others (the kids played with their new friend all morning) until midday when it looked clear but cloudy. 

Echo point and the Three Sisters are in Katoomba on the southern edge.  That classic shot of the Blue Mountains and the three sticking up rocks is from here.   We parked for free a bit down the road (otherwise it’s $4.40 per hour to park near the point!!) near the Silver Mist Reserve and joined the Prince Henry Cliff Trail.  This part is pretty touristy and there are many well signposted and maintained trails along the edge of the escarpment, sets of steps down to the bottom and paths through the forest below. If you’re not really cheap like us there’s also a cable car and railway which can take you up and down. 

Our initial, slightly ambitious plan, was to head along to Fern Dower, down the steps there and round the base of the Three Sisters to the Furber Steps (996 steps back up), with the option to take the cable car or train up instead.  The late start due to fog had put this into question though as the last cable car is at about 4.30pm… 

The initial path along the top was pleasant.  We spotted some Crimson Rosellas which are beautiful birds, ate our sandwiches and stopped to peek off every cliff edge viewpoint we came to (don’t worry family – there are railings everywhere as it’s a big drop!).

The path down through Fern Dower to the Leura Forest started off like we were walking through a fern lined hidden valley from some sort of magical fantasy film.  Or from some dinosaur film.  There were bits to walk as well as steps and it winds down under and over rocks. 

About 900 steps down (Chris counted!) the thrill wore off though and we were done.  At 1000 steps we encountered a group of girls on the way up.  They helpfully told us about another waterfall you could scramble to, Chris helpfully told them how many steps they had left.  He’s so nice.  They didn’t seem to agree…

Another 300 steps later we reached the bottom and the mossy forest.  Although this should be a busy route we saw very few people down here on the floor or coming up or down the steps which is good.  Heavy crowds would mean queueing on the steps.

Our late departure meant we were pushing it for time (no one wants to be walking through the bush in the dark) and Evie and I were flagging due to lack of sleep so we decided to cut the original route short.  There was no way we were going to make the last cable car anyway so we had to climb the steps back up one of the staircases.  The shorter route meant heading up ‘The Grand Staircase’ – this is 997 steps which go straight up the cliff face with no breaks or flat bits for a rest.  We’d been told that it would take about 45 minutes of stairclimbing and it was not billed as being particularly fun.  Well we actually loved this part!  We spotted a Pied Currawong at the base of the stairs who seemed interested in us and he followed us up the stairs, always about 10 metres behind or alongside.  We named him Shadow and he entertained us up the steps which are windy and offer great views down.  One part doesn’t even have a floor so if you have a fear of heights these may not be the route for you! 

The top came remarkably soon (up seemed easier than down!) and we arrived at the Three Sisters and found everyone else just as the sun came out 10 minutes before sunset.  What timing!  Shadow checked in on us one last time and headed off to the top of one of the sisters where his buddies seemed to be waiting.

Some beautiful golden shots and a speedy visit to the crowded Echo Point later we headed back to the hostel for dinner. 

Man Utd were playing so Chris tried the local sports pub hoping they were showing the game.  No luck. Luckily with wifi he could watch it on his phone. 

Worldschooling:

Decided to record what the kids have learned today mainly to hold ourselves to account as we’re not very in the swing of anything concrete yet.  

I guess it was P.E. today, with walking and table tennis practice.

Bird species seen: 15

Points: Aiden 1 (possum)

Day 7 – Putta Bucca Wetlands and Drip Gorge

I slept!  Most the night anyway – yay!  Unfortunately Chris’s was still pretty broken by people chatting outside the hostel and the huge freight trains which go past just across the street.  Not good when we had a long drive ahead of us today. 

Despite getting up before 8 we’re still pretty slow at repacking (I’m blaming the jetlag making us inefficient) and it was 10am by the time we left in glorious sunshine.  This meant we had to decide to skip our first stop at the Newnes Gloworm tunnels as it adds an hour and a half to the drive.  A hard decision to make as it could have been amazing.

Two hours driving saw us arriving in Mudgee where the Putta Bucca Wetlands are located just off the main road.  The drive here was excellent with the sun shining all the way.  The initial drop out of the mountains meant the trees soon gave way to brown grasslands dotted with trees.  Finally felt like we were in the Australian bush!  We’d been warned that the drought meant that the Kangaroos would be closer to the roads than normal and that hitting them is very bad news for your car so we spent the journey looking for Kangaroos (and wallabies, echidnas, koalas and wombats).  Unfortunately, hitting a car also seems to be bad news for Kangaroos and we saw lots of Kangaroos on the road – we saw over 20 dead wallabies, kangaroos and wombats in just this two hour drive ☹   Not many cars on the road though which did make us worry that there was a high hit rate!  We did see a few distant Kangaroos/Wallabies on the drive along with a Kookaburra.  Well, most of us did – Evie kept missing them and was getting frustrated!  We’d started a points scoring game for the main Aussie animals.  The kangeroo point went to Chris, and I got one for a Kookaburra 🙂

Putta Bucca Wetlands is a pretty tiny place which makes a great lunchtime stop on a road trip.  There are about 3km of interlocking trails in total around a lake and along a river.  They’re called wetlands, and they are a little wetter than the surrounding areas; but look nothing like the wetlands in England.  So many birds though – mainly in the trees rather than in the water.  Added 13 species to my list 😊.

Next stop was the Drip Gorge in the Goulburn RIver National Park.  This is a water carved gorge with a maintained path about 1.4km to an area overhanging cliff which literally drips.  The path meanders along the base of the cliffs on one side and the gorge acts like an oasis so there are plenty of trees and plants inside.  We saw lots of evidence of Wallabies, but no live ones.  You can continue on further down the 90km gorge if you have more time and are a more experienced walker (some scrambling is involved).  We didn’t have time unfortunately but did enjoy our wander through this shady gorge.  Normally we’d be climbing all the rocks around the stream, but we’re still a little unsure about spiders and snakes so stuck to the path!

More driving on through the hills past Coolabra really started to give us an idea of the size of Australia and the lack of people.  You can drive for 30 minutes in what is a fairly populated area and not see any towns, perhaps the odd farmhouse and the odd car.  Very different to England!  Even in the towns the houses are all single story and spread out with wide empty streets – where was everyone?  

The classic house design seems to be wooden, built up high on stilts to allow for airflow under the house and through the floorboards in the hot temperatures.  The under space is used for storage and as a shady place to sit.  

Our main activity on the drive was of course looking for animals.  We had to stop the car to wait for an Echidna to cross the road so that was hard to miss (point to me).  We also managed to show Evie a Kangaroo so she’s happy now (thank goodness as I’d promised we wouldn’t leave Australia without her seeing one!).  The empty roads meant that Chris could stop (or even reverse) the car every time we drove past a new bird so we added a couple of sightings. 

Our place for the night was a little cabin on the Getaway Holiday Park in Coonbarabran. The kids were really excited by it – they seem to have settled into the travelling lifestyle really easily and look forward to moving onto somewhere else to stay.  We’re excited by separate rooms, no noisy roads outside, no neighbours.  Perhaps some decent sleep tonight?

After the long drive Chris fancied his first beer so headed out to the supermarket after dinner to pick up some more supplies and a beer.  He was rather disappointed to find out they stop selling alcohol at 7pm.   Seemingly alcohol has to be brought in certain liquor shops and these do not open late.  

Part of the reason for our stop in Coonbarabran is that it is a low light area for the observatories located there so the stars are meant to be amazing.  Our budget didn’t allow a visit to one of the observatories but simply heading out at 9pm and wandering beyond the lights gave us a pretty star filled sky – mostly sure we could see a galaxy too (or was it a passing cloud?). 

Worldschooling:

Learnt about ‘drip gorges’ and how the water that falls as rain can flow through rocks differently.  As we are on the road so much at the moment it’s hard to find the time to get the kids to write their journals (I’m also very behind with mine!).   

Bird species seen: 33

Points:  Sarah 2 (Echidna, Kookaburra), Chris 1 (Kangaroo), Aiden 1 (Possum)

Day 8 – Piliga Sandstone Caves, Mount Kaputar and the Sawn Rocks

Why are we so bad at packing?  We wanted to be out and on the road for 9am this morning but only managed to get out somewhere near 10.  Not helpful when we had a number of places to visit and a lot of driving to do.  Stop one was a late addition after talking to a lovely couple on a road trip who were heading to the sandstone caves in Piliga Forest just up the road.  They sounded good so we pulled in along the way.

The heat wave meant that the temperatures were high twenties in the morning and it was hot walking out to the sandstone outcrop which was a special place for aboriginals.  There are a number of natural caves worn into the soft rock, some of which still have the carvings made by aboriginals.  For some reason some thoughtless imbeciles destroyed most of it so the few remaining ones now have to be viewed from behind bars.  Why they did this is beyond me.  Guess we should just be glad they left a couple.

This place was amazing, particularly for the kids.  The caves flow into each other through holes so we climbed and scrambled through and around them.  There was no one else here which made it extra special. 

From here we drove along a super straight road for an hour with no turns and no change in the scenery – blackwood forest for miles.  After the hills up to Coonbarabran it became a little boring.  After Narrabri we drove up the windy mountain roads of the Mount Kaputar National Park almost to the top.  A much more exciting road with steep drops to the side and glimpses of views across the forested hills. 

A 3km round trip trail takes you up to the summit.  Apart from one other man camping we were alone up there so we saw a number of birds and a wallaby just off the path (that’s another point to me!).  From the top you get a 360 view of the surroundings and can supposedly see most of New South Wales from the top.  I can’t tell if that was true, but we could certainly see a long way! 

Our final stop was also in the Kaputar National Park, but required a 45 minute drive back down off the mountain to the Sawn Rocks.  We were hot and thirsty so decided to buy a drink from a local shop on the way through Narrabri to help support them.  We tried anyway, after driving past many shops in the centre we left emptyhanded – nothing looked like a newsagent.  Hard to believe when in England there are newsagents and corner shops flogging you snacks and drinks all over the place. 

A 700m easy track leads through fairly open forest to the face of the Sawn Rocks.  It’s definitely worth coming here in the afternoon as the sun shines off the face making it glow.  The sawn rocks are an excellent example of ‘organ’piping’ -you can really see the hexagonal pipes.  On the ground below are those which have been eroded away and fallen.  It looks in places like an old Roman ruin with fallen columns and the kids climbed one part and thought they were made made stairs.  It’s hard to believe that the shapes are not manmade. 

We had a fair drive across to our home for the night and were well after the 3pm curfew we kept being told about with the kangaroos.  We had little choice though so we drove on with our eyes peeled.  Lots of kangaroo sightings but none wanted to cross the road.  As darkness fell Chris was tired and dinner was still hours away so we decided to stop and eat in the next town – Invergill.  Again we drove through the main town area, past about 100 shop fronts and found a pub/hotel which was closed even though the opening times said it should be open, a Chinese takeout, an Indian restaurant and a place which sold steaks for $50.  Definitely not in our budget.  We arrived at the end where McDonalds is.  And that’s where we ended up.  A family box for about £15 was at least budget friendly.  

We continued the journey and arrived at Fossiker Caraven Park at about 8.30.  A small park with some brick bungalows and a handful of camping hook up spots. 

Worldschooling:

Learnt about the aboriginal use of caves and saw some of their markings.  Also learnt about organ-piping in basalt volcanic eruptions.  

Bird species seen: 40

Points: Sarah 3 (Echidna, Kookaburra, Wallaby), Chris 1 (Kangaroo), Aiden 1 (Possum)

Day 9 – Beardies Museum and Gibraltar National Park

We woke up in the morning and considered our options for the day.  Another 4 hours of driving was not exciting.  We’d rushed this bit in the planning thinking that we’d rather spend our time along the coast, but we all wished we could have spent a bit more time in these quiet towns and forests.  The constant driving was also getting a little old. 

The drive had to happen, but the options for things to break it up were mainly walks in forests and we’d all done a little too much of this lately.  Time for a change. 

Glen Innes is in a celtic area, with lots of Scottish and Irish settlers and some have set up a little local museum which houses a collection of old items collected from the town.  The costs were pretty low and include free tea, coffee and biscuits as you go around.  Ours also came with a chat to a nice man from New Zealand who volunteers there.  It was interesting to see old butter churns, switchboards, fridges, washing machines, a printing press and a host of old tools and try to explain how they work and what they’re for to the kids. 

Near the end there’s a small area with old mobile phones, floppy disks and walkmans for a blast of nostalgia.   Makes us feel old when the kids are like ‘what’s a floppy disc?’

After this we stopped in at the Australian Standing Stones, but whilst they are quite tall stones, knowing that they were put in place in 1992 with machinery so that the Celtic traditions could be celebrated took rather a lot of the mystery and impressiveness away.  The kids were more interested in the playground. 

The drive took us up and through the Gibraltar National Park and through the mountains.  Effectively crossing over the mountain range that runs north to south and separates the coastal areas from the hinterland.  We paused only for a leisurely picnic area at the Dandahra picnic area, a lovely peaceful spot (except when the odd lorry passes) with the standard covered picnic benches and toilet block.  We wandered slightly up the trail that departs from there before hitting the road again.

By the time we’d stopped to pick up some food at Coles in Lismore we pulled up at our next Airbnb at nearly 6pm, a cabin in Uralba.  Bel, the owner, came out to meet us with her dog Charli.  She has  a lovely house in a really rural setting with a big garden with hoop pines which the Kookaburra love.  At about 5.45pm and 5.15am they all start their manical laughing call together.  It’s pretty loud, something between a monkey and a hyena?  Quite cheerful though.  An interesting greeting!

We had more space in Bel’s than we were used to and she has loads of board games so the kids were happy.  We are here for 3 nights too which will make a welcome change. 

Worldschooling:

Learning how things used to be done by hand, with manmade shoes, butter churns, original printing press and switchboards.  

Bird species seen: 41

Points: Sarah 3 (Echidna, Kookaburra, Wallaby), Chris 1 (Kangaroo), Aiden 1 (Possum)

Continue the adventure in Byron Bay and up to Brisbane – looking for dolphins and whales and enjoying beaches.  

Or head back to our days in Sydney…