EDEN TO HOME
30th August, 2011
31st August, 2011
1st September, 2011
Tuesday, 30th August, 2011
South Coast Lake
ff and away towards Bateman's Bay. We drove through tall timbered forests chiming with bellbirds and beside shining still lakes, reflecting the hills behind. Surf beaches lined the other side of the highway and cows and sheep dotted the green pastures. Yes, alright, I am going for a travel writer's prize!
Baragoot Lake, South Coast, NSW
t about 11:30 we came into Central Tilba, an historic village in the care of the National Trust. All the little timber houses and shops were painted heritage colours and many housed craft shops, new age candleries and cafes, cheesemakers (bless them) and fudgemakers. We wandered through the village street, in and out of the shops, and decided to have lunch there. Lunch wasn't great, unfortunately, and both Geoff and I felt off afterwards. But we continued on towards Batemans Bay, dropping in enroute to Mogo Zoo, just to see where it was and how much etc. We plan to go there tomorrow.
Central Tilba, South Coast, NSW
e found a motel room at the second one we tried, the Best Western Reef motel, and settled in there for a couple of nights. We walked around the shopping centre to look for dinner but many of the cafes were closed so we settled happily for Hogsbreath (not really a Weight Watchers choice!)
We ate an enormous meal and waddled home again.
Wednesday 31st August, 2011
African Plains at Mogo Zoo
glorious sunny day for the last of winter. We headed off earlyish for Mogo Zoo. This is an excellent small private zoo dedicated to breeding programs for endangered species. They have a breeding pair of snow leopards, a very successful white lion pride, Sumatran tigers, red pandas, tapirs, lemurs, chimps and some interesting small primates like tamarins.
Tapir at Mogo Zoo
e had talks from some of the keepers as they fed the animals with obvious mutual affection (although if they weren't offering food tidbits it might be different). The keeper of the silver gibbons told us that keepers don't go into the cage with them because they carry Hepatitis and only keepers who have been inoculated work with them. The keeper of the White Lions told us the females have contraceptives because the male is too good at his job. He has been the father of ten offspring and he is only fairly young still. Very handsome with the pale colouring (they are not really white but a pale fawn). They are not albinos but carry a double recessive gene that ensures the pale colour.
Tiger Feeding at Mogo Zoo
nyway it was a warm sunny day and we walked for hours. After we left we walked to Mogo Township where we got lunch and wandered through some of the specialty shops - some nice art and imported artefacts - then came home to have a nap.
Later we walked back into town to have a look at the shops and the restaurants. Tomorrow we head towards home, possibly overnighting at Bowral.
Later:
e had a very enjoyable Chinese meal at Raymonds Restaurant this evening. Probably the best Chinese of the trip. So that's good too.
Thursday, 1st September, 2011
rom Batemans Bay we headed up the coast to Nowra, then turned off on the road to Kangaroo Valley and Macquarie Pass. There were roadworks which slowed us down and Bridgeworks on the historic Hampden Suspension Bridge. Even so we reached Bowral by midday and decided to make a push for home, rather than spend another night away. We picked up some lunch at Mittagong and drove our well-remembered route home through Colo Vale, Hilltop and Thirlmere where we ate our lunch in the park. Then on through The Oaks, Silverdale, Wallacia, Mulgoa and back up to Blaxland.
We are home. No problems, no breakins, no damage, all was well.
Our Verandah at Karri Valley Resort
t was an interesting trip, we saw many lovely places, some more interesting than others. But we took it fairly easily, no really long and tiring legs. Although I feel it was about a week too long, (I get tired) I would not have wanted to miss the last week, it was great.
Our Spacious Unit at Modras Apartments, Tumby Bay
e had some lovely accommodation options, with the picks being Karri Valley Resort in WA, Modras Apartments in Tumby Bay SA, and Apollo Bay Colonial Cottages on the Great Ocean Road in Victoria. There were also some very basic units, like Cocklebiddy on the Nullarbor. But we always found a bed to lay our heads on.
Fireplace in Rainbow Cottage, Apollo Bay
he most noticeable thing was the general dearth of wildlife. We saw a few kangaroos and emus but not all that many, one camel (from the train), some seals and whales and lots of birds, oh and one tortoise!
till, an interesting trip, we have lots of good memories. And, at our Weight Watchers meeting a few days later we found we had both lost weight, not put it on, Hogsbreath and Tex-Mex notwithstanding!)
