Amity...mmmmm.... what a delicious place..... the water is so many shades of blue/azure/etc...... we are staying for a week in a lovely spot with water views from our bedroom in the big tent! A short walk from our site is a camp kitchen with electricity outlets - which we are using lots. I cannot believe how much time it takes me to do the blog, organize the photos, etc..... Thank goodness today it very windy so we are lying low. Perhaps we will drive over to the Point Lookout for a fish and chip lunch!
On Monday paddled over to Peel Island in Noodle - we did get some help over in a very light SE wind so we could sail but returning was quite hard, even in the light wind because one just had to keep paddling, nowhere to hide in a lee, but it was a great thing to do - only a couple of kilometres but it seemed like a long way.
We also went for a walk through an area where one can see the vegetation of the island - really good to see the variety of plants and lots of mushrooms growing.
Yesterday Christian was fishing and caught a squid for lunch and had a cormorant steal his fish! and then a dolphin stole another. Last night because of the lights on the jetty one could see the dolphins coming in and chasing and steeling the fish off the lines! The water was so clear, a large stingray came by also. There a koalas in the trees here in the park and lots of birds, including curlews, like a very small emu, that have an extremely loud call during the night! One can complain about people keeping one awake but not birds.
Also we have many french (according to Christian, because they have a black top head) birds come by wearing their berets! They are some sort of wader with white body, grey wings and long yellow legs. We have been seeing them on the beaches all the way.
More soon, having trouble changing some of the photos but I will keep trying........
Tuesday, February 23, 2010
canoyng
Hier nous nous sommes bien ...defonce...avec NOODLE notre canoe indien nous avons decide de traverser la bais de brisbane pour joindre une ile avec des coraux pour une petite plongee digne de la barriere de corail...5 miles nautiques avec du vent de 10 noeuds et des vagues de +de 2 metres qu elle torture surtout que le canoe transportait nos cameras pique nique etc....avons ete recompenses par la merveille des oceans...frontiere pacifique sud et corail...la baie est reputee tres poissonneuses aussi j avais emmene une ligne et les deux squids attrappes ont fait les frais de notre lunch....de retour a notre campement avec de plus en plus de gros muscles des pecheurs sur une jetee nourissaient 2 dauphins feneants mais trears amicaux...nous avons joint le mouvement pour un moment puis rejoint notre campement sous 2 gros eucalptus ou la une autre surprise nous attendait 2 koalas satures d eucalyptus dormais a deus metres de notre tente....sans etre deranger par les nombreux oiseaux de ce parc....ibis...canards tres copins venant manger dans la main...perroquets de toutes sortes et plein d autres sortes dont je vous fait grace des noms....encore une bonne journee....a ce rytme nous aurons boucle ce voyage dans 5 ans car en un mois de trajet na vons ..boucle que 2000km en hors piste pour n arriver que dans le queensland Brisbane900 km par la route il y .. a encore un morceau a faire..........WHO CAIRE?.....
le temps passe
Desole je n ai pas vu le temps passe tant les evenements se precipite un jour ici le lendemain ailleur avec son lot QUOTIDIENT de bizareries...3 ou 4 jours avnt ce jour.nous decidons d aller en un village ou notre navigateur nous indique qu il ny a pas de route. pour raillier ce village notre autre satellite engin avec un ordi plus puissant nous dit....si..si il y a une route....nous croyons ce dernier et apres une belle randonnee dans la foret et heureux d avoir un 4x4 nous debouchons en haut dune crete sur une descente endiablee et...sur une PLAGE...pourquoi pas si cela est ..la route pour ce village.....apres 20 km de galere nous nous decidons de tomber la pression des pneus de 4kg a 2 ,4kg et d engager la 4 w4 a fond ..ouf cela va mieux..et...nnous arrivons a ce village...malheureusement ce que nous venions y chercher es notre canoet de l autres cote de la baieavec un bon 30 metres de profondeur entre les deux.....retour par la plage et grand detour pour retourner de l autre cote...en discutant avec un autoctone il nous apprends qu il ny a pas d autre solution dans le village...ne pa oublier son sel ou son lait 40 km de sable et de maree vous attendent...incroyable ..non 2400 personnes habitent ce neammoins charmant village
le facteur nous apprends quil fait une partie de sa tournee en 4w4 et l autrre en bateau....tous les jours nous vivons ce genre d evenement
Il y a 3 jours nous visitons une petite ville qui a eut la reputation d heberger les 1er hyppies australiens dans les annees 50 RIEN N A CHANGE les enfants ressemble a n importe qui de la communaute....tout le monde sa cigarette d herbes aux levres...bon pretexe pour ne rien faire d autre..que de vendre cette herbe aux touristes venus visiter...ce passe de l ile......woodstock les differentes generations vivent la du plus vieux originaire du mouvement jusqua la 3eme ou 4eme generation toujours habillees de fleurs et de couleurs arc en ciel.....le temps c est fige la..
le facteur nous apprends quil fait une partie de sa tournee en 4w4 et l autrre en bateau....tous les jours nous vivons ce genre d evenement
Il y a 3 jours nous visitons une petite ville qui a eut la reputation d heberger les 1er hyppies australiens dans les annees 50 RIEN N A CHANGE les enfants ressemble a n importe qui de la communaute....tout le monde sa cigarette d herbes aux levres...bon pretexe pour ne rien faire d autre..que de vendre cette herbe aux touristes venus visiter...ce passe de l ile......woodstock les differentes generations vivent la du plus vieux originaire du mouvement jusqua la 3eme ou 4eme generation toujours habillees de fleurs et de couleurs arc en ciel.....le temps c est fige la..
Sunday, February 21, 2010
We were in Jacobs Well, sorry about the typo! Now in Amity!
Had a great day, no rain, well during the day, noodling around the mangroves. We went up the creek in the photo and saw masses of little black and white crabs with one big, orange claw. There were also masses of little blue crabs and a few other varieties. Tried to take a photo but they would disappear as soon as we came near the shore, I have put up the best one. That area is a..mazing... and so large, from the map it looks smaller than it actually is.
We packed up and set Kate, the navigator, for Cleveland and came over to North Stradbroke Island in the vehicular ferry. We are at Amity... dou dou, dou dou, dou dou, (hope you realise I am trying to sound like Jaws, they do have a reputation for bull sharks, but I know why, sharks know a good place when they see it) WHAT A MAGNIFICENT PLACE...... and with the sun setting over the water..... beautiful azure water, calm seas, different from the NSW coast, we have decided to stay for a week. The wx is looking calm for a few days so we hope to head out to Peel Island tomorrow. We have the large(r) tent out and our bed now looks out over the calm waters of Morton Bay, at night all the markers are flashing and the airport beacon is visible, really beautifull. Yesterday the dolphins were stealing the fish from the lines of the guys on the jetty. Apparently this is a common event.
Hard to imagine that life could be better............
We packed up and set Kate, the navigator, for Cleveland and came over to North Stradbroke Island in the vehicular ferry. We are at Amity... dou dou, dou dou, dou dou, (hope you realise I am trying to sound like Jaws, they do have a reputation for bull sharks, but I know why, sharks know a good place when they see it) WHAT A MAGNIFICENT PLACE...... and with the sun setting over the water..... beautiful azure water, calm seas, different from the NSW coast, we have decided to stay for a week. The wx is looking calm for a few days so we hope to head out to Peel Island tomorrow. We have the large(r) tent out and our bed now looks out over the calm waters of Morton Bay, at night all the markers are flashing and the airport beacon is visible, really beautifull. Yesterday the dolphins were stealing the fish from the lines of the guys on the jetty. Apparently this is a common event.
Hard to imagine that life could be better............
Thursday, February 18, 2010
Where else but QUEENSLAND
So finally after leaving Sydney 3 weeks ago we have crossed the border into Queensland - we were going to paddle, firstly at Lake Ainsworth, Lennox Head but of course, the weather, once again, this time it was not just the rain but the 30knot SE wind! Have you tried to set up a tarp in 20-30Knots!
This morning with yet more rain we headed to Brunswick Heads, also thinking of paddling there, but wind and rain put a stop to that, after having coffee with Louise and Beth. How is technology - last night I was on Facebook updating photos and noticed my nephew in the USA on also so I had a chat with him. He asked where were we and when I told him Lennox Head he said, Louise if there! (his partner is in Oz for a few weeks) what is her phone number? I called and gave Louise a surprise - she was staying just around the corner - so we all met this morning......Amazing.....!
We are not in Jacobs Well and tomorrow we plan to paddle around the mangroves. For non CCC members it is in the area between Southport and the south end of Morton Bay, a maze of winding channels through the mangroves. By boat one can go from Southport to Morton Bay either via Jacobs Well or up the Caniapa Passage - I went up the Caniapa when I was on Flamingo in 2001.
I am always amazed when coming around the corner at Coollongatta one can see Surfers across the water - driving through Surfers I am sure that the buildings are even taller than a few years ago. Still many cranes on top of half completed buildings to add to the view over the water.
Just realized that we are an hour behind so I need to go and get dinner..... more later
This morning with yet more rain we headed to Brunswick Heads, also thinking of paddling there, but wind and rain put a stop to that, after having coffee with Louise and Beth. How is technology - last night I was on Facebook updating photos and noticed my nephew in the USA on also so I had a chat with him. He asked where were we and when I told him Lennox Head he said, Louise if there! (his partner is in Oz for a few weeks) what is her phone number? I called and gave Louise a surprise - she was staying just around the corner - so we all met this morning......Amazing.....!
We are not in Jacobs Well and tomorrow we plan to paddle around the mangroves. For non CCC members it is in the area between Southport and the south end of Morton Bay, a maze of winding channels through the mangroves. By boat one can go from Southport to Morton Bay either via Jacobs Well or up the Caniapa Passage - I went up the Caniapa when I was on Flamingo in 2001.
I am always amazed when coming around the corner at Coollongatta one can see Surfers across the water - driving through Surfers I am sure that the buildings are even taller than a few years ago. Still many cranes on top of half completed buildings to add to the view over the water.
Just realized that we are an hour behind so I need to go and get dinner..... more later
Tuesday, February 16, 2010
Return to the 70's
Today, because of the wind and rain we decided to "return to the 70's" and drove up the
to Nimbin, the home of the hippies and it was like stepping back in time. Even the twenty somethings looked like they did in the 70's along with lots of older hippies looking exactly the same... perhaps wearing the same clothes... the shops seemed to sell exactly the same things that one would have found in the 70's... though I did buy a very nice porcelain (thrown) bowl made by a local ceramist.
Had to leave the Nimbin Museum, which was very interesting, because out the back there were a couple of youngsters smoking those funny cigarettes! I don't think I have smelt that since the 70's!
But, the countryside is really beautiful with the rolling GREEN hills and dramatic mountains, which today had their tops covered in cloud. The Nimbin Rocks just out of town, are spectaclar, the remains of something, probably a volcano plug that just stick straight up out of the surrounding slope of the mountain. They are quite high with lots of holes where the softer rock has weathered.
All the countryside is just so GREEN, all the way along the coast the paddocks are so lush and the green is so bright, lovely to see and we are not complaining about the rain, just learning to live with it! - but the locals tell us that they have had 6 months without rain before all this rain arrived.
Staying in a caravan park with good facilities just south of Ballina. Tomorrow we will go to Lennox Head and hope to paddle in a fresh water lake there.
to Nimbin, the home of the hippies and it was like stepping back in time. Even the twenty somethings looked like they did in the 70's along with lots of older hippies looking exactly the same... perhaps wearing the same clothes... the shops seemed to sell exactly the same things that one would have found in the 70's... though I did buy a very nice porcelain (thrown) bowl made by a local ceramist.
Had to leave the Nimbin Museum, which was very interesting, because out the back there were a couple of youngsters smoking those funny cigarettes! I don't think I have smelt that since the 70's!
But, the countryside is really beautiful with the rolling GREEN hills and dramatic mountains, which today had their tops covered in cloud. The Nimbin Rocks just out of town, are spectaclar, the remains of something, probably a volcano plug that just stick straight up out of the surrounding slope of the mountain. They are quite high with lots of holes where the softer rock has weathered.
All the countryside is just so GREEN, all the way along the coast the paddocks are so lush and the green is so bright, lovely to see and we are not complaining about the rain, just learning to live with it! - but the locals tell us that they have had 6 months without rain before all this rain arrived.
Staying in a caravan park with good facilities just south of Ballina. Tomorrow we will go to Lennox Head and hope to paddle in a fresh water lake there.
Sunday, February 14, 2010
Hat Head, Woolgoolga,Yuraygir NP and Iluka
Funny how one cannot remember where one has been in the last week.........need to look at the map - we have had lots of rain up to Woolgoolga so kept missing places that we thought would be good for Noodling. Hat Head was great a lovely clear afternoon, a lovely swim in warm water and a walk around the head - the bay would be good for an overnight if sailing, in S or SW winds.
Our next stop was a stay in a caravan park on the banks of Woolgoolga Lake for 2 nights so we could go for a paddle, the morning was clear and looked good BUT not far out down came to rain we tried to ignore it but Huey won in the end and we returned wet, very wet but it was good.
The bikes have been great for riding to the shops or the best is riding along the beaches.... what fun.... what with riding and paddling I will return with rippling (more than usual) muscles.......
Our next stop was Yuraygir NP, near Minnie Waters for more beach riding and finally a great day and a terrific paddle along the Wooli River. Had always wondered about Wooli as it is a section mentioned in the weather areas for NSW coastal waters. Very beautiful - nice little coastal village - we wandered along the sand spit in the middle of the river and saw lots of sting rays. Noodling is a great thing to do.
After a couple of days in Yaraygir we decided to follow a road, marked in the park BUT not on any maps to Sandon Bluffs to paddle in the Sandon River - we found a NSW beach road to Sandon so we set off along the beach, I have always thought that cars should not be on beaches but like bikes, it is a lot of fun. Well we did get stuck in the soft sand at the exit BUT, with our 4WD training we learnt that one lets air out of the tyres and engages low range and one just drives out!!! Well we powered up the sandy hill and out along a very rough track to Sandon but found that there is only a few houses there and no where to camp and no way accross the river so we returned along the beach, and then pumped up the tyres with the compressor that Christian installed under the hood.
Planned to go to Maclean and stay there and paddle that part of the Clarence but there is no where to camp there so we came down to Iluka and amnow staying in a caravan park on the banks of the Clarence. Today we paddled up the river - scratched our way over the training wall at Iluka - then had a great sail back. Tomorrow we will go to Yamba on the ferry and Tuesday check out Evans Head. The Clarence River is so big, think that it is nicer paddling on the smaller more picturesque rivers.
More when we are next on power..............
Our next stop was a stay in a caravan park on the banks of Woolgoolga Lake for 2 nights so we could go for a paddle, the morning was clear and looked good BUT not far out down came to rain we tried to ignore it but Huey won in the end and we returned wet, very wet but it was good.
The bikes have been great for riding to the shops or the best is riding along the beaches.... what fun.... what with riding and paddling I will return with rippling (more than usual) muscles.......
Our next stop was Yuraygir NP, near Minnie Waters for more beach riding and finally a great day and a terrific paddle along the Wooli River. Had always wondered about Wooli as it is a section mentioned in the weather areas for NSW coastal waters. Very beautiful - nice little coastal village - we wandered along the sand spit in the middle of the river and saw lots of sting rays. Noodling is a great thing to do.
After a couple of days in Yaraygir we decided to follow a road, marked in the park BUT not on any maps to Sandon Bluffs to paddle in the Sandon River - we found a NSW beach road to Sandon so we set off along the beach, I have always thought that cars should not be on beaches but like bikes, it is a lot of fun. Well we did get stuck in the soft sand at the exit BUT, with our 4WD training we learnt that one lets air out of the tyres and engages low range and one just drives out!!! Well we powered up the sandy hill and out along a very rough track to Sandon but found that there is only a few houses there and no where to camp and no way accross the river so we returned along the beach, and then pumped up the tyres with the compressor that Christian installed under the hood.
Planned to go to Maclean and stay there and paddle that part of the Clarence but there is no where to camp there so we came down to Iluka and amnow staying in a caravan park on the banks of the Clarence. Today we paddled up the river - scratched our way over the training wall at Iluka - then had a great sail back. Tomorrow we will go to Yamba on the ferry and Tuesday check out Evans Head. The Clarence River is so big, think that it is nicer paddling on the smaller more picturesque rivers.
More when we are next on power..............
Monday, February 8, 2010
mon tour....
Apres avoir laisser parler l autre membre de l equipe je m exprime a mon tour en effet je m inscrit en entier sur le blog de l equipe
Nous sommes deja a plus de 15 jours du depart pour le ..grand tour...et ne sommes qu environ 300km de Sydney....le tour risque d etre tres long trop de choses fabuleuses recontrees ca et la l auto bien preparee se porte tres bien et les embuches 4x4 n ont aucune prise sur elle...ce matin nous nous sommes mis a la tache tres tot car la mer tant en maree haute le lac qui en depends etait a peu pres navigable
donc mise a l eau de Noodle notre canoe indien ecarte de 100metrs du bord la pluie tropicale tres drue s est mise de la partie apres 1/2heure nous nous sommes decides de revenir...au campement.....bien sur....des que noodle a ete a l abri...la pluie s est aretee....murphys law qu il appelle cela ici...la loie de l emmerdement maximum demain partons..plus loin pour se rapprocher de l ile qui nous avais contraint a rebrousser chemin il y a 1ans lors de notre precedente balade en voilier....il parait que les plongees sont fabuleuses ausssi impretionnante que la mer de corail...je reviendrais donc demain apres l experience des coraux de la mid coast...
Ce soir des amis marins viennent nous rendre visite a notre campement depuis leur bateau
Nous sommes deja a plus de 15 jours du depart pour le ..grand tour...et ne sommes qu environ 300km de Sydney....le tour risque d etre tres long trop de choses fabuleuses recontrees ca et la l auto bien preparee se porte tres bien et les embuches 4x4 n ont aucune prise sur elle...ce matin nous nous sommes mis a la tache tres tot car la mer tant en maree haute le lac qui en depends etait a peu pres navigable
donc mise a l eau de Noodle notre canoe indien ecarte de 100metrs du bord la pluie tropicale tres drue s est mise de la partie apres 1/2heure nous nous sommes decides de revenir...au campement.....bien sur....des que noodle a ete a l abri...la pluie s est aretee....murphys law qu il appelle cela ici...la loie de l emmerdement maximum demain partons..plus loin pour se rapprocher de l ile qui nous avais contraint a rebrousser chemin il y a 1ans lors de notre precedente balade en voilier....il parait que les plongees sont fabuleuses ausssi impretionnante que la mer de corail...je reviendrais donc demain apres l experience des coraux de la mid coast...
Ce soir des amis marins viennent nous rendre visite a notre campement depuis leur bateau
Friday, February 5, 2010
Housing in Port Macquarie
Whilst waiting for the rain to clear on Sunday in Shoal Bay we realised that Christian's laptop had some sort of virus and my phone was not working at all, so on Monday after packing up, a 2 hour job, we headed for the shopping centre - the phone was fixed very quickly but the computer required more expert help so we took over a corner in Maccas, set up the inverter and quickstart battery pack, logged on and the technician back in Sydney took over the computer and cleaned it. Well sort of helped but today it has gone into a technician here in Port for more help. Too much technology....
Because of the wind rain we missed our planned trip over the Myall Lakes.... we went to Elizabeth beach, south of Forster, for a night at the beach. Just slept in the back of the Landcruiser and the next day after early morning swim headed for Crowdy Bay National Park.
We spent a couple of days there with lots of rain in the mornings but managed to swim, ride the bike pretending to be a 4WD, along the beach and rode back to the fish co-op at Crowdy Head to buy prawns and fish for lunch on the barbie and a fantastic, icecream on a stick called a Heaven.... highly recommended but filthy. Perhaps we should do a tour de ice cream......
We camped in Crowdy Gap in a great set up with new barbies and we were alone... except at night cars would arrive and leave early the next morning. During the day it was very quite. Christian used the prawn heads to try beach fishing but the fish won in the end! After packing up we continued past Diamond Head to Laurieton where we planned to have fish and chips at the Tour de pomme fritte #1 fish shop along the coast BUT they have moved to Port. Laurieton fish co-op was not as good but Christian enjoyed his fishermans basket.
Robyn and Ian came down to the bridge to meet us and Robyn joined us in Noodle for a paddle on the Camden Haven up to Watson Taylors Lake. We spent a few hours initially sailing at great speed and paddling along the shore line. A few new scratchs on the bottom from running into an oystyer covered rock just under the surface.
We are now in Port for a couple of days washing, charging up all the techo stuff and slightly changing a couple of thinks on the Landcruiser. Trying to fit everything one needs and wants in such a small space is a little difficult but the way we are going we will be replacing many things along the way - so far we have left = 2 life jackets in ShoalBay! 1 taupaulin in Crowdy Gap! 1 hairbrush in Crowdy Gap! .... wonder what we will leave at Rob and Ians........
Because of the wind rain we missed our planned trip over the Myall Lakes.... we went to Elizabeth beach, south of Forster, for a night at the beach. Just slept in the back of the Landcruiser and the next day after early morning swim headed for Crowdy Bay National Park.
We spent a couple of days there with lots of rain in the mornings but managed to swim, ride the bike pretending to be a 4WD, along the beach and rode back to the fish co-op at Crowdy Head to buy prawns and fish for lunch on the barbie and a fantastic, icecream on a stick called a Heaven.... highly recommended but filthy. Perhaps we should do a tour de ice cream......
We camped in Crowdy Gap in a great set up with new barbies and we were alone... except at night cars would arrive and leave early the next morning. During the day it was very quite. Christian used the prawn heads to try beach fishing but the fish won in the end! After packing up we continued past Diamond Head to Laurieton where we planned to have fish and chips at the Tour de pomme fritte #1 fish shop along the coast BUT they have moved to Port. Laurieton fish co-op was not as good but Christian enjoyed his fishermans basket.
Robyn and Ian came down to the bridge to meet us and Robyn joined us in Noodle for a paddle on the Camden Haven up to Watson Taylors Lake. We spent a few hours initially sailing at great speed and paddling along the shore line. A few new scratchs on the bottom from running into an oystyer covered rock just under the surface.
We are now in Port for a couple of days washing, charging up all the techo stuff and slightly changing a couple of thinks on the Landcruiser. Trying to fit everything one needs and wants in such a small space is a little difficult but the way we are going we will be replacing many things along the way - so far we have left = 2 life jackets in ShoalBay! 1 taupaulin in Crowdy Gap! 1 hairbrush in Crowdy Gap! .... wonder what we will leave at Rob and Ians........
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