Day 6 – Cowra

On our last night in Blackheath and with the 80s Trivia Challenge honours currently sitting with me, the others foolishly decided to give it another crack. Needless to say, after much hilarity I was able to advance my 2-0-0-0 score to 4-1-0-0 (me, Gaz, Maz, Kev). Thank you, Smurfs, Gary Coleman and John Lennon, – who knew the 80s would ever bring me so much joy? Lol. I won’t talk so much about the euchre where Gaz & Kev perhaps broke all records by beating us in the first game of the evening in only three hands! We did manage to win one game to get us off the board. Not sure of the count, but it’s lots to them and one to us.

We packed the car and headed off shortly after 9am today, arranging to rendezvous with Kev & Maz in Cowra. Besides a short stop for a leg stretch at Blayney where I left a few painted rocks in the Heritage Park, we had an uneventful trip and arrived about the same time as the Priests.

The Tourist Information Centre has a great 9-minute hologram presentation about the Cowra POW Breakout – it was quite fascinating, and we decided to visit the site of the camp. Gaz & I had stopped and grabbed some groceries to add to our picnic staples, and we shared a lovely picnic in the park with Kev & Maz before we set off in search of the POW Camp. It was quite an impressive display with an automatic narration that was also good.

Aware that the minutes were ticking away, we then headed off to the Japanese Gardens where we started with coffee and cake and then spent an hour or so wandering around the spectacular garden. Lots of photos later and a few more painted rocks dropped, and we were in the car by 3pm to head off for Wagga.

We enjoyed the trip from Cowra to Wagga and would have loved to have had more time to stop and explore. Travelling through Young, Cootamundra and Junee, we thought all looked interesting. Cootamundra in particular lured me with Bradman’s Birthplace Museum, and something called a Cricket Captain’s Walk, but alas, no time! We also saw a few cricket games being played on beautiful looking grounds – lots of white picket fences. It was Saturday afternoon.

Arriving in Wagga about 5:30pm we checked in to the caravan park, quickly unpacked, and then headed over to Wayne & Vicki’s place for dinner. Wayne and Vicki are Kev and Maz’s friends and have offered to show us around tomorrow. We had a lovely evening – fabulous roast dinner cooked by Vicki – and then it was back to settle in and get ready for tomorrow’s adventure.

Amazingly, I saw a post on Facebook tonight that a lady from the USA found the daisy rock I dropped at Katoomba yesterday and is taking it back to the US tomorrow to give to her grandchildren in Ohio to re-drop! Wow, a travelling rock lol.

Day 5 – Scenic World Katoomba – Railway, Skyway, Cableway, Walkway

Yay – the rain and mist had finally decided to give us a break, and on our last day here. Maz and I had been really keen to do Scenic World – you know, the Scenic Railway, Scenic Skyway, Scenic Cableway & Scenic Walkway. And boy, we did them all!

Leaving Gaz at the cabin to do the laundry (hey, he offered!), and Kev to mind Buddy, Maz and I set off about 9:30 am to head to Katoomba. We had an awesome Italian meal last night and needed to walk it off. The helpful staff at Scenic World gave us a suggested itinerary which we followed. We started with a trip on the Scenic Skyway – a large cable car that travels across from one cliff to another, over the Jamison Valley, near Katoomba Falls. The scenery was spectacular and there is even a portion of the floor that is glass so you can see straight down. As we were pretty early it wasn’t very crowded, and we had awesome views.

After alighting from the Scenic Skyway we walked for about 20-30 minutes – to the top of the Katoomba Falls, down a bit to where you can cross over the falls, then around the cliff to a couple of lookouts and up some steps and back around the loop to where we got off. The walk was great – concrete paths, wooden or concrete steps etc. Very civilised! This is the way to bushwalk! It was then back on the Scenic Skyway and back across to where we started so we could get on the Scenic Railway.

I wasn’t sure what to expect with this part of the adventure – cable cars I knew, but this was something else. Yes, I had seen the photos, but nothing quite prepared me for the sheer angle of the drop. It wasn’t scary as it’s not really looking out at anything, but it went a bit faster than I had anticipated and I did wonder for a second if I may just fall through all the other people to the front of the train. It was very quick – all over in a minute or so and we were halfway down the mountain.

We had decided to do the longer walk to get to the next sector, the Scenic Cableway to get us back up the mountain and set off on the fabulous wooden elevated boardwalks constructed for optimum viewing of the fantastic bush. These extend for 2.4km and are apparently the longest elevated boardwalks in Australia. We were really lucky to come across four lyrebirds, being drawn to them by their mimicking sounds. One did a great kookaburra call, and another made a sound like a gun on video game – amazing birds. We watched them for ages, hushing other walkers who came along the boardwalk and alerting them to the show being put on – it was all only metres from where we were standing – very special. A male was trying to impress a female and she was having no part of him – so funny. I left a few painted rocks along the way too.

I have to admit I was pretty tired and my ankle had started to complain by the time we arrived at the Cableway, ready to make our way back up the mountain. Maz and I were so lucky – every sector we seemed to arrive just as the car, train, whatever was about to leave. We had no waiting, no lining up, and the crowds were non-existent. Sad that tourism is down, but I guess that was a plus for us. I must admit it did seem to be building up as we left, a bit after midday. All in all, a fabulous experience, thoroughly enjoyed by both of us.

Back to Blackheath and we found an empty cabin/caravan on our arrival as the boys and Buddy had headed out for coffee. I found the laundry washed & folded (gee, I train ‘em well) and I was certainly ready for a rest. After a bread roll for lunch … OK, and a scorched peanut bar … I was looking forward to a quiet afternoon of reading and resting up, which is just what I did. I have to remind myself, it’s a holiday, it’s OK to just sit around as well as be active.

It looks like pizza is on the cards tonight … oh, and I think cards may also be on the cards too. After the very nice meal last night we had another round of euchre and, although it came down to the wire, the boys were once again victorious. Maz and I could be up for revenge! We might also try to somehow watch the Matildas who play tonight – I still haven’t quite recovered from watching the Australian Women’s T20 nail-biting World Cup semi-final on TV last night which we thankfully won.

It’s our last night here in Blackheath tonight and then it’s on the road tomorrow, heading for Wagga. It’s been great and we’ll be back for some golf lol.

Day 4 – A bit of culture, Carrington Hotel, Evans Lookout, Bridal Veil

You won’t be surprised to hear it’s still raining, actually raining quite heavily – it’s apparently raining everywhere … which is good, I know. So, my first job after awakening was to google “things to do in Katoomba when it’s raining”. That search elicited quite a few suggestions, of which I made a short list and sent to Maz and Gaz’s phones so they could peruse and decide. When we came together at 10am it turned out neither had seen their list of google inspired links so it was left up to me to decide.

First stop was the Cultural Centre at Katoomba, conveniently located on top of Coles so you can get an undercover carpark and use the lift to access the centre (see, googling does pay!) There we bought tickets for the princely sum of $3 per person, (except Kevin who is too embarrassed to be seen as a senior so payed the full price of $5) and accessed some really cool art exhibitions. There was one around the bushfires with some fabulous shots of various aspects of the bushfires experienced recently in the Blue Mountains. Another gallery had a portrait exhibition with a mixture of mediums, including photography and your more traditional paintings. Some of the stories of the portrait subjects, (printed on little cards to the side), were as fascinating as the artwork itself.

The third gallery was a permanent exhibition of the Blue Mountains covering history, ecology, nature, geology, lived experience, and so on. Fascinating – it covered a lot. The floor was an intricate aerial shot of the Sydney Basin and Blue Mountains, but it was dark so hard to see the detail. A lot of projections on the walls and ceiling, interactive displays and audio displays too. I would recommend this place for a visit if you’re ever up this way. At the gift shop, Gaz found some Aboriginal art inspired melamine salad servers and I added some cups and we had shopping covered for the day as well!

The tummies were rumbling so it was a short stroll up the street, past the closed but hopefully being restored Paragon Café, and we were at the famous Carrington Hotel. Wow! It is quite spectacular while obviously not being at it’s absolute best … some cracks appearing around the edges. I took heaps of photos and then we settled into the refined opulence for a bit to eat. Kev, Maz & I had some yummy pumpkin and sweet potato soup (good day for it), while Gaz just hopped straight to desert and had the cake of the day. Soup of the day, cake of the day, what’s the difference? It was warm and cozy, fabulous service and food, and not at all expensive.

Everyone wanted to look at slightly different things at the shops, so we all met up again at the car 30 minutes later. You won’t be surprised to know I spent nearly all my allocated time browsing a second-hand bookstore – it was massive! I held myself back though and walked away without making any purchases. Another 10 minutes and I would have been in trouble. On our way home we thought we would drive by the Blackheath Golf Course so Kev & Gaz could mourn their nonparticipation. My mum had asked me to look for the guest house she and my dad stayed at on their honeymoon in 1954 – The Redleaf Guesthouse. Well, no guesthouse, but there is a Redleaf Resort right at the entrance (across the road, anyway), so I’m guessing that’s the same spot.

Because we were then pretty close, we motored on to Evans Lookout, just a couple of minutes down the road and Kev, Maz and I battled the high winds and heavy rain while Gaz stayed in the car to “mind” Buddy, the dog. It was a bit wild in the wind and rain but worth it to grab a glimpse of the view which included multiple waterfalls across the valley. This made us wonder what the Bridal Veil Waterfall looked like after all the rain, so we went back to Govetts Leap again and it was certainly a significantly increased water flow – very spectacular.

The general consensus was that a rest, bit of book reading or whatever was in order, so as the rain continued to pour down and the wind squalls increased, we tucked ourselves into our cosy, airconditioned cabin for the couple of hours before it was time to go out for dinner. The only other highlight of the afternoon was a call from James raving about the fact that he genuinely has run out of toilet paper and can’t find any to buy – the world has certainly gone crazy!

We are off to dinner tonight at The Piedmont, an Italian restaurant that comes highly recommended. Really looking forward to it.

Day 3 – Oberon, Mayfield Gardens, Lithgow

There’s something mesmerising about the pit pat sound of rain on a tin roof. It’s so calming, like a light, soothing, distant drumbeat that lulls you into a stupor. And then there’s the other sound of rain on the tin roof of your circa 1960s caravan park cabin that sounds a little more like Tchaikovsky’s 1812 Overture. Yep, that’s the one we woke up to today. When it finally abated somewhat and I did get out of the invitingly warm bed (yep, still 13 degrees here) and peep out the window, I was greeted with … mist, more mist. Seriously though, it’s great to see rain – we’ve had drought, bushfires, heat – time for some wet stuff. And hey, it could be worse; Wagga (our next destination) is expecting 40-80mm in heavy rain today but should be pretty well cleared up by the time we arrive. That’s what I like to see – a win/win.

At the designated time (9:30am) we set off for our adventure westwards. We travelled through Mt Victoria intending to spend some time at Little Hartley Village but were somewhat disappointed as there wasn’t much there and what was there looked closed. Too early? Not sure. Anyway, we forged on towards Oberon along a somewhat windy road with too many precipices for Gaz’s liking. We had decided not to go to Jenolan Caves as the closest road was closed due to bushfire damage and Kev and Gaz weren’t really that keen anyway. Maz had found in her research a place called Mayfield Gardens, about 20 minutes outside Oberon, and that’s where we headed.

What a find! We had a coffee and shared cake and then Maz and I decided we would get tickets and look through the gardens. Once again, Kev and Gaz not so keen so they stayed with Buddy at the café and apparently solved the problems of the world in our absence. Maz and I had a great walk through the gardens. They are extensive and spectacular. Now, I’m not really a gardens sort of person but I was impressed. There was a lot going on – lots of cool climate trees and flowers, landscaping, beautifully manicured stone walls everywhere, water, water, and more water, grotto, obelisk, sandstone gallery (replica of Hartley Courthouse ironically). It was all really thoughtfully designed and beautifully maintained. We spent an hour or so wandering through, taking lots of photos and also admiring the wildlife.  

After we had worn ourselves out, we headed back to Oberon for a quick bite to eat – meat pies in the park. I had left a couple of painted rocks at Mayfield Gardens and I also dropped a couple in the park. A bit of local shopping and admiration of the main street and we then decided to travel home a different way. The countryside was glorious – it is so green now in most places with water sometimes flowing in creeks and pooling in dams. We travelled through Tarana, went past Lake Lyell, through Lithgow, to Bell and then back across to Mt Victoria and the highway and home to Blackheath.

Always good to check out the old stomping ground at Lithgow though we didn’t stop. We were shocked to see the destruction of the bushfires and how close they came to the town. The Bells Line Rd was just a vista of burnt out devastation as far as the eye can see. Incredibly, the bush is regenerating already and there was a lot of evidence of green shoots on trees. There was also a lot of workmen fixing railway and power lines. We did pass The Zig Zag Railway which we had hoped would be open by the time we holidayed, but the fires further delayed that endeavour so no luck there. All in all, it was a fabulous day with drizzly rain for some of the time but much clearer skies out Oberon way. Once we started the climb back up the mountain it was back to mist and slightly heavier rain.  

In the evening we self-catered once again – a yummy steak, salad, chips combo. But before that it was the old 80s Trivia with “Gaz Rules” reining supreme tonight. What can I say? I won again - thanks to The Cosby Show and Acropolis Now – I am the 80s Queen for the second night in a row. After dinner the boys got revenge by beating Maz and I at Euchre, but I’m just warming up. We hope to go out to an Italian restaurant recommended by James tomorrow night. No solid plans for tomorrow – the weather will rule us.

Day 2 – Rain, mist & Leura

By the time we went to bed last night it had cooled down considerably – I think it was about 13 degrees, which seemed quite cool given it had been 36 degrees only a matter of hours earlier. Well, when we awoke this morning it was still about 13 degrees and that’s pretty much where it stayed for the whole day. The mist had closed in and a light, but steady stream of rain was drifting down with a constant monotony.

A quick consultation between potential golfers confirmed this was not an option and we would, as an alternate option, travel into Katoomba and take it from there. Maz and I had planned to check out the Skyway, or cable car or steep railway thingy so we all chuffed off in that direction to check it out. What did we see? Mist, just mist, or maybe cloud. Yes, I think we were just up in actual clouds. So, no flying on cable cars today as we decided we had flown in clouds before and did not need to do that again. We’re hoping it will be clear enough sometime before we leave to have another go.

We also called in to Echo Point Lookout, hoping to see The Three Sisters. Who were we kidding? The selfie of Maz and I at the lookout looked like we were standing in front of a white wall. So, we headed off to Leura Village to check out the shops and spent an hour or two strolling along in the still misty light rain. Gaz and I decided scones were required and oh boy, did we get scones?! Suffice it to say, they ended up being lunch!

A bit more shopping in Blackheath where the rain was now a steady stream and visibility was even further reduced, some resting up back at the cabin, and then it was our turn to cook. While I was prepping our steak and stir fry vegies, we had some drinkies and played an 80s Trivia Game where Maz and Kev made up some very complicated rules and scoring processes that bamboozled us at least as much, if not more, than the actual questions. I won on the back of some bonus scoring points decided by “Kev’s Rules” when I was able to give the answer before being offered the 3 multiple choice options – thank you Rubiks Cube and The Flying Doctors! I did mention it was trivia…

A quite adequate dinner, more wine, and then it was time to catch the last 20 minutes of Survivor, compile the weekly cricket newsletter and, yes, I kept the best for last, eat something I found earlier in the day – a Scorched Peanut Bar! Yes, they’re back and yes, they taste as awesome as they did 40 years ago!

Tomorrow we’re off to Oberon and Little Hartley … we think. Rain is forecast all week, so we are taking it one day at a time, hoping for just a brief reprieve to at least check out a view or two. But no problems if we don’t get to, it would just be an excuse to come back another time!

Road Trip 2020 Day 1 – Blackheath & Govetts Leap

Here we are again raring to go for another epic road trip with Kev, Maz, Gaz, and of course, myself, Pen. This is our fourth year in a row now and for the uninitiated the standard operating procedure is: 3 weeks, Priests in their caravan, O’Sheas in cabins, Gaz picks destinations (kinda) and Maz organises activities. Kev and I nod and smile.

This year we were lucky enough to have our friends Kim & David take on Dusty babysitting duties in our own home, along with their furry bundle, Daisy. Thanks guys! Apparently, disaster has been averted on their first night – notwithstanding some incontinence issues and escaping up the street and not coming when called … but I’m sure they’ll settle in … and we hear the dogs are OK too. Haha.

Gaz and I set off at a leisurely pace this morning. We had a great run to Sydney and headed up the Blue Mountains, marvelling at the lovely wide highway – somewhat different to the goat track we traversed so regularly in the 80s when we lived in Orange and Lithgow! We did briefly pull off onto the old road and stopped for lunch at Springwood where we enjoyed an awesome Spinach, Cheese and Mushroom Pide in the park as we watched the world go by. We also grabbed a couple of bargains at the el cheapo shop – hey, I had been looking for certain cake tins for ages – I can’t help it if we now have to carry them around for 3 weeks!

Arriving at the caravan park at exactly 2pm, our designated check in time, was only possible because every shop in Springwood and Blackheath that Gaz stepped into necessitated a long and involved conversation with the proprietor about the ills and troubles of the world, all this while I waited patiently on the footpath like Penelope waiting for Odysseus! I think it’s the old bank manager in him – I keep telling him he doesn’t need to win them over to get their business.

We arrived to find Maz & Kev pretty much set up – they missed the lunch stop so arrived before us. We quickly unpacked, revelling in the fact we will be here for 5 nights, so unpacking is actually a worthwhile exercise. We then gathered for our Day 1 pow wow and decided a quick trip to the local Tourist Information place was in order. This was more a National Parks Info Centre but was very helpful and set us on the road to Govetts Leap, a nearby lookout. The suggestion that we walk was considered for about 3 seconds before we all piled back in the car and drove to the lookout.

What amazing views! There was a waterfall – possibly called Bridal Veil Waterfall – lots of burnt bush in the Grose Valley and some spectacular scenery. Gaz stood well back, as he does, but did inch just close enough to get sight of the waterfall. We then jumped back in the car where Buddy (the Priest’s dog) had been waiting in hiding as we were in a National Park, went exploring on the other side of Blackheath and were heading to another scenic spot when Gaz got the jitters on the steep and winding road – did I mention he’s not good with heights? – so we turned back to grab a couple of supplies from the grocery store. While in there, Gaz was informed by the proprietor who he was having an extended conversion with, (now par for the course), that there is a café at the end of the road that we were just on that has the best scones. Gaz has now decided we must go there, steep precipices or no. That’s for another day.

After a brief walk around the park when we got back, Maz & Kev came up with a scrumptious dinner of BBQ pork fillets, potatoes and salad. A reasonable amount of wine (white and red) and port later, and we called it a night, but not before a discussion lasting at least an hour on the difference between opinion and point of view. Are you surprised to hear that husbands and wives proved to be the antagonists in this scenario? Gaz and Kev always agreed, Maz and I always agreed, but could couples agree?

Weather could take a turn for the worse tomorrow, so the plan is to hope it’s dry enough for golf.