2008 Road Trip to Sydney
Hay Plains, New South Wales
We are off on another road trip – this time to Sydney for Christmas. The photo above was taken on our trip last year; this year we are driving our daughter’s car, but we didn’t stop to take a photo of the Hay Plains this trip.
We left on the Monday before Christmas so this article has taken a few days to appear. Over the coming few weeks I will be adding many more articles about what we did and what we saw. I will also be adding heaps of photos.
On the first day we left home in Murray Bridge soon after breakfast. We stopped at Underbool in Victoria for a very hot lunch. We had been travelling just ahead of a cool change sweeping across the countryside. We had afternoon tea at Piangil on the banks of the River Murray. Soon after we crossed the river at Tooleybuc and into New South Wales. We bypassed Balranald and travelled on across the Hay Plains shown in the photo above.
Because of the heat the birding was poor all day. I saw very few birds as we travelled along.
Australian Inland Botanic Gardens near Mildura
No Comments »3rd October, 2008; Category: Botanic Gardens, Holidays, New South Wales, Parks and Gardens, Plants
Australian Inland Botanic Gardens near Mildura
Our holiday in new South Wales and Victoria
September 2007
While visiting Mildura in north west Victoria we spent several happy hours looking around the various plantings in the Australian Inland Botanic Gardens. We had a great time taking photos of the various native plants on display. Many were in flower which was good. I also had a good time adding to my bird list for the trip.
Australian Inland Botanic Gardens near Mildura
Australian Inland Botanic Gardens near Mildura
Australian Inland Botanic Gardens
Australian Inland Botanic Gardens near Mildura
Our holiday in Victoria
September 2007
On our last day in Victoria we briefly went back over the River Murray into New South Wales. We went to visit the Australian Inland Botanic Gardens. This meant that we had visited five different botanic gardens during our four week holiday.
Australian Inland Botanic Gardens near Mildura
We had previously visited these gardens some four or five years before. It was only in the early stages of development then. This time we could see the vast changes that had occurred during the intervening years. Extensive plantings of both natives and exotics (which we didn’t go to see) have made these gardens well worth the visit. Besides – entrance is currently free. That may change in the future.
Further reading:
- Australian Inland Botanic Gardens – website of the gardens, including details of the collection, opening times, history etc
Australian Inland Botanic Gardens near Mildura
A very strange bridge
Near Wollongong, New South Wales
Our holiday in New South Wales
September 2007
From Royal National Park just south of Sydney we travelled along the coast road to Wollongong. Our son told us before leaving his place in Sydney that this was the far more picturesque route to take south, not the quicker alternative freeway. He was right. It is a wonderfully scenic route to take. It may be twisty and slow, but really beautiful.
At one point the road consists of a strange bridge built over the ocean. The original road was demolished some years ago by a landslide. The new roadway on this bridge gives a spectacular view of both the coast and the sea. Quite bizarre – but beautiful.
Click on the image to enlarge the photo.
View more photos in our family photo gallery here.
Lunch down by the beach
Wattamoola, Royal National Park, Sydney
Our holiday in New South Wales
September 2007
After our walk in the Royal National Park just south of Sydney, we drove on through the park for about half an hour. We were looking for a good spot to stop for lunch. On the map I had it showed a picnic ground at the beach at a locality called Wattamoola. We had never been there so we headed there to find a lovely spot on the headland overlooking the river estuary and the beach.
While we were having a very pleasant lunch my memory was jogged. I seemed to remember coming here after all, but a very long time ago. I seem to remember our children playing in the sand at this point. They are now adults. I must have been sometime in the mid-1970s. The memory cells are a little rusty. Somewhere I might even have an old photo or two.
Great place for a picnic. Or a swim. Or just to while away the hours on the beach.
We decided that the next time we come to Sydney we need to spend more time in this area, not just drive through it over about three hours.
Wattamoola, Royal National Park, Sydney