Day One – Sunday 23^rd September 2018

It is 5:30 am Sunday morning. It’s my 60^th birthday, so why is the alarm ringing?

Oh that is right it’s time for another caravan holiday.  This time we wanted an early start as this trip sees us heading south for the next two and a half days before we reach Blackheath – our destination.

We make the final adjustments to the caravan including attaching it to the car and dragging it out from beside our house and leaving home about 8:10am we journey to the nearby Bray Park school which has a child drop off point where it is easy to wait with the van for our travelling buddies Pam and Wayne.

We arrive at the rendezvous point an almost the same time so by 8:30 we were on our way out of Brisbane using the Centenary Highway and onto the Ipswich Motorway heading for Warwick.

Figure 1 – First stop at Warwick

The road to Warwick included a trek up the Cunningham’s Gap, however the car and van coped with it very well and we were on the highlands heading to Warwick.

Arriving at Warwick about 11am we made a short stop at the park for some morning tea. The road around the park includes some large parking spaces to accommodate cars and caravans.

Moving on we made tracks for Yetman for a lunch stop, before pushing onto our final destination for day one.

Five hundred and three kilometres from Brisbane and around 4:30 we arrived at Bingara and were allocated the last two sites in the park. The sites were relatively easy to reverse park the vans onto.  They were grass sites so no concrete slab to have to align to.

Dinner tonight was at the local RSL Club and was a special birthday celebration.

Day Two – Monday 24^th September 2018

On the move again we leave Bingara around 8:30 and continue the journey south towards tonight’s destination – Mudgee.

Morning Tea to refuel people and cars was at Gunnedah and lunch was at Coolah in a local park (McMaster Park) before continuing.

Arriving at Mudgee both drivers were glad to break the journey even though it was still mid afternoon.  Setup of the vans on site was done under the  guidance of the helpful park manager and even included a drive through site for Richard and Beth avoiding having the reverse park.  If we had arrived ½ hour later then the back site would have been occupied and we would have had to reverse the van in.  Do-able but drive through is always easier.

After setting up the vans for the night we drove from the caravan park into the town of Mudgee – a journey of about two blocks – and walked the streets.  There were some remarkable examples of early 20^th century architecture that had been preserved.

As the day ended and the shops closed we returned to our caravans, had tea and settled in for the night.

Day Three – Tuesday 25^th September 2018

Today promised a shorter drive than the previous days so we hitched caravans to cars and were heading out of the park shortly before 9am.  This stretch of the roadway to Lithgow was very smooth and scenic and we arrived in Lithgow a couple of hours after leaving Mudgee.  It took a few circuits of the township to find suitable space to park our convoy but we were soon parked and walking through the main street in search of a bakery that we had seen from the car.

The bakery was warm and inviting as we walked in so we helped the local economy by purchasing some sausage rolls and hot chocolate to drink on site.

Our final leg was a journey of approx 30 kilometres up the range to the top of the Blue Mountains and our destination of Blackheath Tourist Caravan Park.  We arrived, checked in and set-up the vans a little more permanent fashion than previous stops.

After lunch we ventured out to explore the town of Blackheath. That meant a visit to the Antique Shops in the town for some while others explored the streets.

As the sun set the temperature dropped so it was out with the heaters during tea.  After tea we visited Pam and Wayne’s caravan to discuss tactics for the next few days to make the most of our stay.

Day Four – Wednesday 26^th September 2018

During the night and into the morning there was the “pitter patter” around the caravan.  Not the feet of little Grandchildren but the wet stuff produced as the clouds are pushed high over mountain ranges – rain.

With low cloud and fog it was not the best day to be going sightseeing so the decision was made to visit the shops in some of the villages on the Blue Mountains. We travelled down the mountain as far as Springwood. Exploring the various shops in the village we worked our way back up the mountain stopping in at places such as Falconbridge, Woodford, Wentworth Falls, Leura and Katoomba.

The rain came and went throughout the day however it didn’t stop any of our plans.  Lunch today was in a bakery at Wentworth Falls, pies and hot chocolate.  After lunch a short time to explore the Wentworth Falls shops before a heavy shower of rain drove us back to the car then we continued exploring the Blue Mountain villages.

Home by 4pm to prepare for tea and the evening program (showers, TV and bed.)

Day Five – Thursday 27^th September 2018

This morning greeted us with a clear blue sky, so different to yesterday se we took the opportunity to visit some sites near Katoomba, starting with Scenic World.  As with so many attractions these days Scenic World has an entry cost, however this is the first time that I was able to claim a concession for being over 60!!  Wahoo I’ve made it!!!

Scenic World is the starting point for the cable car across the Jamison Valley giving views of the Three Sisters and the Katoomba Falls.  Due to the lack of rain the falls were more like Katoomba Trickle but the views were incredible given the clear blue skies.  We were told during the crossing that the blue look to the mountain ranges was due to the numerous eucalyptus trees in the national park. As the sun warms the trees the eucalyptus oil is evaporated from the leaves and as this enters the atmosphere it gives the mountain ranges a bluish tinge.

The new cable car allows passengers to get off on the eastern side of the valley so we were able to explore some of the nearby sights before taking the return journey across the valley.

Next on the agenda was the scenic railway which with a 52 degree incline is the steepest passenger train in the world. We rode the train down then took a short walk on the valley floor to the Scenic Cableway station which takes passengers back to the top of the cliffs.  The train ride proved so popular with this group of over 60 thrill-seekers that we did a second trip down and back up the cliff.  Going back up the cliff meant facing forward and going up sdrawkcab. (backwards)

Leaving Scenic world we found a nearby park to eat our picnic lunch before moving onto Echo Point for a closer view of the Three Sisters including a short bushwalk to Spooners Lookout where you could get a closer look at the formations and see the stairway that can be crossed from the cliff to the first sister.  Unfortunately the Giant Stairway track was closed for repair so we had to forgo that part of the adventure!!

From here we moved onto Leura Cascades where we did a short walk before going onto Gordon Fall’s Lookout.  From the car park a track led down to the lookout.  By this time Beth and Pam preferred to stay in the car so Wayne and I ventured out to find the lookout.  Well several steep steps and one very steep steel staircase we found the lookout and eventually the falls – again a victim of the drought the falls needed to be appreciated through a zoom lens.

Day Six – Friday 28^th September 2018

Another clear blue sky day but a cool start to the day. Today we planned to visit places near Blackheath.  First stop was the Blue Mountains Botanical Gardens at Mount Tomah.  With entry price of a gold coin donation how could we go wrong?  The entry point to the gardens was at the top of the hill giving a wonderful lookout over the gardens and the trails through the various parts.  We wandered through the various sections and gradually went down the hill.  Unfortunately who goes down must go up – especially when the car is parked at the top.  The trails lead in a gradual circular direction back up the hill so it wasn’t hard work getting back to the top.

From here we drove through Mount Wilson, however couldn’t find a place to stop for our picnic lunch so came back to a park at Mt Victoria.

After lunch we drove down the other side of the mountain towards Hartley and the Hartley Historic Site.  The site is made of old buildings renovated including an old petrol station, court house, shop, houses, church and presbytery.  Unfortunately the site was closed when we were there however we were able to walk around and take photos of the building facades.

In the car again we drove back up the mountain towards Blackheath before taking a turn over the railway line and down the other side into the Megalong Valley.  We were heading for Hargraves Lookout so we didn’t go down into the valley, but kept to the ridge leading to the lookout.  From the lookout we were able to see into the Megalong Valley and deep into the National Park.

From this trip to the Blue Mountains have gained a fresh appreciation of the scale and density of the park and a much great appreciation of three men, Blaxland, Wentworth and Lawson and their team who made the first crossing of the mountains without the help of a bitumen road or modern day transportation.

From one lookout to another. We then went to Govetts Leap Lookout just past our caravan park turnoff. From here we looked in a north easterly direction into the Blue Mountains National Park.

To end our day we visited the Information Centre and took part in a Virtual Reality Canyon Tour. The participants wear headsets that cover eyes and ears and watch as you float through a canyon.  With the headset on you can look in all directions just as if you were there. Great way to see the canyon without getting your feet wet!!

Finally it was back to our caravan park at the end of another wonderful day weather-wise and scenery.

Day Seven – Saturday 29^th September 2018

Today’s forecast wasn’t too good so we planned to revisit some of the villages and shops that we didn’t get to complete earlier, in particular Leura and Katoomba.

First stop was at Leura where the team was divided into Boys and Girls for a race through the shops of the town.  No prize for guessing which group reached the end first, however I can say that the ladies were not far behind the men!!

With that job done our stomachs were telling us it was lunch time and as Wayne had parked the car near a bakery with the smell of fresh bread and pies’ wafting out the door the choice was made easy.

Next stop was the village of Katoomba where one again the ladies went a different direction to the men for a while then we all met up at …. wait for it …… can you guess ….. and antique store!!!

The village of Leura was holding a Garden Festival over this and the next weekends.  A ticket allowed you to visit any of the ten gardens on display anytime through the weekends, so we headed out to the first garden and purchased our tickets on site.  The first garden had some blooms but didn’t inspire us too much.  After walking through the gardens and taking a few photos we decided to explore other gardens tomorrow.

Returning to Blackheath we again took that turn over the railway line towards the Megalong Valley but instead of staying on the upper ridge this afternoon we descended into the valley with the Megalong Valley tea rooms as our goal.  Arriving at the tea rooms we were surprised that the outlook was over cows grazing on farmland with the mountain cliffs as a backdrop.

We dutifully ordered some refreshment, coffee, scones with jam and cream and ate them in the pleasant tea rooms. We’d hate to see all their preparation work go to waste!!

Glad we didn’t have to walk out of the valley we got back into the car for the return journey home.

Day Eight – Sunday 30^th September 2018

Today dawned a cold start but a lovely clear day – one degree at 7am.

Today we joined the many people visiting the private homes participating in the Leura Garden Festival.  We had seen house number one yesterday so set out for Garden number two.  House number two was a beautiful garden surrounding a lovely house – plenty of tulips and flowering trees.

We continued to move onto the other houses and a few commercial venues that were participating in the event.  One section included three houses in the same street all backing onto a local Golf Course.  The gardens were beautiful and the views over the golf course from the back yard were really impressive.  It reminded me of the Christmas Lights participation by our neighbors in Juxon Street.

We found a table shaded by a tree to have a picnic lunch in between visiting houses.  With all houses participating in the festival visited we headed back to our home away from home for the evening.

Day Nine – Monday 1^st October 2018

This morning dawned bright and clear so we took the opportunity to visit some more lookout places near our Blackheath base.  The first being a turnoff between Blackheath and Katoomba to Evan’s lookout.  From here we could see into the North Easterly section of the park including the Grose River. It was an easy walk from the car park to lookout but there was worse to come!!

Next we traveled to a lookout on the other side of Blackheath called Pulpit Rock.  The last few kilometres of road into this lookout was unsealed and bumpy but we eventually came to the car park.  The sign said that it was a 400 meter easy grade walk into the lookout – well define easy – there were uneven steps followed by a small flat stretch of track then more steps!!  Pam decided not to make the full trip so turned back to the car, however the rest of us pressed on and eventually came to the lookout.  Beth couldn’t bring herself to go right out to Pulpit Rock, however Wayne and I, with our sermons in hand, made the journey down more steps, across a narrow bridge then down more steps to the rock.  The view was tremendous and not a breath of wind. I could imagine that it would be difficult to stand at the lookout if there was a strong wind or storm blowing up the valleys.

As with previous ventures what goes down must come up – so with renewed determination and a sip of water and plenty gulps of fresh Blue Mountain air, we started the climb back to the car park.

From here we drove to the Blackheath Rhododendron Gardens. The gardens are run by volunteers who look after the garden as well as the tea house which specialises in scones and cream, so after a walk around parts of the garden including a lookout where you could see over most of the garden area.  Unfortunately due to the dry winter the rhododendron bloom was later than normal this year.  They should be in bloom now, but we were told to come back next month!! Well we are retired but I don’t think we can put another trip here into our calendars at such short notice.  We did see a calendar on sale at the tea shop which had pictures of the gardens in full bloom.  If you could time your visit with the blooms it would be a terrific vista.

Back to our campsite for a lunch break and a rest before going down to the Blackheath town centre once again to finish off, and revisit, some of the shops in the main street.

Day Ten – Tuesday 2^nd October 2018

Another clear blue sky greeted us this morning and our plans for today were to visit some of the few places still on our list as well as returning to others that warranted a second visit for various reasons.  We took separate cars today as we had a few different places on our lists.  Beth and I went to Katoomba to visit and revisit some shops before heading onto Leura again to finish visiting some shopping.

For lunch today we meet up with Pam and Wayne at Wentworth Falls where we could look over the Blue Mountain valley and see the Wentworth Falls.  Again the lack of rain during winter meant that the falls weren’t at their peak, however the views and the blue haze that give this area its name are always fantastic to see.

Taking our time to get back home we refueled the cars in readiness for the long haul home starting Thursday. Back at the campsite mid-afternoon for some relaxation before the sun starts to go down along with the temperature.

Day Eleven – Wednesday 3^rd October  2018

Cloudy and overcast greeting to today when we opened the caravan blinds. We had completed all tasks on our list so had planned a quiet day in the caravan park starting with a communal breakfast including pancakes.

Richard and Wayne reviewed the planned homeward route and we settled in for a quiet restful day inside and around the caravans. Richard and Beth played two games of scrabble with one win going to Beth and the other to Richard.  Pam did some cooking in preparation for meals on the return journey.

After lunch with the weather holding dry but threatening rain we packed in the caravan awnings so they could be packed away dry.  According to the forecast we can expect rain starting late today and into tomorrow as well as following us on our way north tomorrow, so the more that can be completed today the better for an early and easier getaway tomorrow morning.

Tonight we have planned to have dinner at a local restaurant/hotel recommended by the Caravan Park owners – the online menu looks good, so we made a booking for 6pm.

The meal did not disappoint. We all chose something different from the menu and went home very well satisfied.

Day Twelve – Thursday 4^th October 2018

Another bleak and overcast day this morning so we donned some wet weather gear (ponchos) to pack up the van and hook the cars onto the front before heading out of the park around 8:30.

The top of the mountains were covered in mist and fog so it was a slow drive down the mountain – made slower by being behind a truck which was limited to 40 kilometre per hour going down the mountain.

As we reached the bottom we came out of the fog and continued our journey. The plan is to retrace our steps to Gunnedah, then branch off to Tamworth for an overnight stop.

We lunched at Coolah – 263 k’s into the journey which was the same place that we had lunch on day two of our trip before continuing on towards our overnight stop.  At Tamworth we were allocated sites that could be used as drive through so we were able to leave the car and caravans hooked together to enable a smoother get-away tomorrow.

The day was showery in places, however it was a lovely country drive and clear for the arrival and minimal overnight set-up.

Day Thirteen – Friday 5^th October 2018

Because we had left the vans attached to the cars overnight there was minimal work to get us on the road this morning so we headed out shortly after 8am.  The plan was to drive to either Stanthorpe or Warwick today.  We reached Tenterfield by lunch time so both people and vehicles were refueled and the decision made to push onto Warwick for the night.

We arrived there after 2pm and were parked and setup shortly after 3pm.  The plan was to have early showers then had into the city to look at shops and have a farewell dinner at one of our favorite eating place when visiting Warwick – Mussels Café.

Day Fourteen – Saturday 6^th October 2018

A clear morning today although the threat of rain wasn’t too far away, so we packed up for the final time we couldn’t help wondering when and where will we next sleep in the caravans.

The trip was clear until approaching Cunningham’s Gap when the rain returned, however as the gap receded in our rear vision mirror so the rain became patchy.

Arriving back into Brisbane and the northern suburbs we were home around 10:30 and with Wayne’s help had the van away not long after.

Then came the jobs of unpacking the van of the remaining food and our clothes, before washing clothes, car and van – although that last job came later in the week as the dark rain clouds came across Warner that afternoon.

Summary

Total distance traveled in this trip was 2374 kilometres

Total distance traveled with the caravan was 2120 kilometres.

Date	From	To	Kilometres
Sun, 23rd Sept 2018	Brisbane	Bingara	503
Mon, 24th Sept 2018	Bingara	Mudgee	404
Tues, 25th Sept 2018	Mudgee	Blackheath	154
Thurs, 4th Oct 2018	Blackheath	Tamworth	465
Fri, 5th Oct 2018	Tamworth	Warwick	419
Sat, 6th Oct 2018	Warwick	Brisbane	175