When you start seeing Sydney on the road signs, you know the end is near. It's a sad moment and unsettling at the same time. A trip of a lifetime though and one that I won't soon forget. We've been reviewing the camps that we liked the best (Robinson River Crossing, Litchfield waterfalls, & Mayfield Beach) and what we'll miss the most off the road (campfires, open night sky & singing as loud as you want). But something tells me we won't lead a 'normal' life after this if we can help it. You certainly start to realise what's important and what's not.
But before it's all done, we're trying to make the most of the road still ahead. Since getting off the ferry from Tasmania, we spent a lazy couple days with Matt's friend, Amanda, in the Melbourne suburb of Cheltenham. The next stop was meant to be Wilson's Promontory but we stopped at a bush camp across the water from the Prom at Bear Gully in Cape Liptrap Coastal Reserve.
One of the campers at Bear Gully was escaping the coal fires in Morwell VIC and told us we should check out a free festival in Boolarra just a couple hours
drive from the coast so we drove the back roads through mountains and rainforest to get there. Luckily it was the weekend as the logging trucks would have been an unwelcome sight on these small windy dirt roads.
The Boolarra Folk Festival was a good day and we tracked some slightly less scenic roads back to the coast and into the Prom. Beautiful views and a good hike around Lilly Pilly Gully and Mt Bishop. From the mountains to the sand where Squeaky Beach was well named with white sands that squeaked beneath your feet. The 450+ campsite was more than we could handle so backtracked off the peninsula to a recommended bush camp at Shallow Inlet.
Just before the border from Victoria to New South Wales, we camped at a peaceful spot on Wallagaraugh River. The retreat had a protected reserve where the mob of kangaroos enjoyed the afternoon sunset along with the rest of us and even emu strolled through camp for a hello.
Once over the border, reality was setting in and we put on the brakes to enjoy a couple days at Mystery Bay bush camp. It's a beautiful spot just south of Narooma. Tomorrow is another day closer to the end, but for now, ahhh to the salty air and sunshine coast. Matt's fishing on the cliffs and I'll walk around for a beach swim this afternoon. You can't rush these things!
Some hums and ha's over whether to go to Mt Kosiousko or not but we opted for the more direct route to Sydney along the coast with a planned stop at my favourite farmstay in Wandandian at my friend's Margot's place. Then maybe another lap is Oz?
