Newcastle/Stockton beach

 Hate driving through Sydney so we usually drive through NSW west of Sydney. However we wanted to catch up with old friends who live in Newcastle, north of Sydney. Actually it is more north than we thought but anyway we went from Tooraweenah directly East to Stockton. 

Our friends had picked a pub to meet up for dinner which was only a km from our caravan park. We were going to walk then realised it would be dark coming home so we did drive just as well as there were road works and detours. We were early but so were they. They had caught a bus and then a ferry! What!

Yep, just goes to show that we don't know as much about our country as we thought. Yes, Stockton is on a spur and there is a ferry across to the "mainland". Had a great night, it was trivia night so did that as well, we were terrible at it, came last in both sections even after being given 10 extra points for being Queenslanders.

As we had not been to Newcastle before, W and B insisted in showing us around. We walked to the ferry after lunch the following day, they met us and we did the tour, Walker style. Hot chocolate before returning via ferry. Think we walked about twelve ks. The next day we drove to W and B's for a bbq to meet up with their daughter, her husband and baby, ten month old Harry.

Oh dear, we realised that we saw them last when they visit us, fifteen years ago, Amy was about to enter uni. Far too long between visits, however our visits were just like we saw them a month before. We have all said that we won't leave it for another fifteen years.

Tooraweenah

 First visit in over three years. We have caches there and like to check on any of our owned caches once a year. I had packed supplies to do this, only one was missing Miss Frilly Knickers. A small teddy bear with, you guessed it frilly knickers glued to a mint tin. She had been placed in a type of cave in the rock on the side of the road. Had been found a month ago, we think that frilly knickers hadn't been put back securely and maybe an animal had taken it. Any way we replaced in with an ordinary container. Finders had added or replaced logs on some of the others. Very pleased to see that.

It was Warren's birthday, the day we were there so I took him to the pub for lunch. There is a pub, a post office, garage and caravan park.

Wedges with bacon cheese sweet chilli and topped sour cream. Yum, we shared and couldn't finish the bowl!

Scenes from Tooraweenah sunny day.

Wellington

 Famous for its caves. We have stayed at the caves caravan park a few times but decided to stay at the Riverside cp this time instead. 

Settling up the camper we heard a loud bang, it was one of the gas structs it had snapped at the bolt.

Goats grazing along the river at the back of our camp site.

We got it over and set up then Warren took it off.

This is the other side one which is intact. No joy in Wellington to get any but could get a pair in Dubbo, 45 KMs away and on our way the next morning.

Too easy, of course, could not get the bolts that attach the struct to the trailer, apparently they are a special from Cub, maker of the camper trailer. We have now ordered a set from there. 

Packing and unpacking needs to be done a little differently, the broken side needs to be "braked" when coming down so that it doesnt collapse too quickly but so far we have done it twice and only need two more before we are home.

Metro in Canberra

 Three years ago a light rail opened in Canberra, north of the city. At the moment it only runs from the northern suburbs into Civic, (CBD).

I like trains and trams so we drove to the end of the line, not that far from where we were staying, parked and bought a ticket. All day cost us $9.

Wow, quiet and fast. Fourteen stops and it runs every fifteen minutes, would have been great when I was working as there was a stop seven minutes walk, would have saved me a few parking tickets. Opposite my office building was parking for four hours, always the intention to move the car at lunch, sometimes it happened, sometimes it didn't, sometimes I got a ticket, probably one a fortnight.

We went all the way to Civic, checked out my old building which is now a restaurant, two in fact, one Chinese and one Malay, we went to the Malay as the first one was full, no tables to be had.

We lunched and then caught the next one back as it was too cold to be out for long.

Warren was impressed by the fact that the tram had right of way, did not have to stop at any lights. Plans and construction are in place to extend it to the south. The sooner the better I think.

Black swans

 Great photo of black swans that are on Lake Burley Griffin in Canberra.

Not my photo but a friends who did a good job which is why I am using it.

Hall

 Is a small village just outside of Canberra. We headed out to find the park run venue  about twenty minutes away. We walked some of the track around a lake and there was a lot of debris which the rain and excess water had thrown up.

Hall is about ten is out, the highway used to go there but it has been bypassed for many years. Hall is an interesting place, lots of history and it was decided that it was not to be developed past what it was so if someone wants to live there, they have to buy an existing house. 

Not sure how many live there but there is only about three streets either side of the main road.

From there we went to the Australian War Memorial, years and years since we have been. It is having a make it over and we couldn't go to all but wandering around for an hour was plenty.

Free to go in but had to be ticketed, I was surprised at the numbers of families there on a Friday.

Rain and more rain.

 An hour after getting the road, it started to rain and it kept raining all the way to Canberra. We stopped for toilets and lunch and they had nothing prepared at this particular road stop. We continued to the bakery, we were in NSW at the time and theyback into the curb, bit difficult when towing.

I saw a clearway but there was a sign saying no parking on Thursday between 10am and . 2pm on Thursdays. Thinking we were okay, Warren pulled in, then we realised it was Thursday and 1.30pm. A country store was further down, again no hot food, could only buy a muffin.

At Cooma, I suggested we pull over for a hot drink and hopefully there would be a break in the weather. Warren wanted to keep going as it was only 120ks away.

Soon we were seeing familiar roads even though the GPS took us around Canberra and to the north arriving at 3.30pm. Because of the rain, it was almost dark. Warren insisted in putting the trailer up himself, saying that it was no point both of us getting wet.

It was only about ten minutes before we were inside. No cooking for us last night, we went out to our old suburb and bought takeaway.

Rained on and off during the night and we woke to clear blue skies this morning.