Yamba, South West Rocks & Anna Bay – 29 to 31 January 2012

With all the rain we started south, deciding to drive as far as we could. As it was a wet Sunday with no one on the road it was a good driving day. The road was cut at Grafton so when we got to Yamba, a previous favourite, [see our post of 20 to 24 March 2011] we stopped at the Blue Dolphin Caravan Park and enjoyed the  lovely view over the Estuary of the River Clarence.

The next day the River having subsided temporarily, we were allowed a shortcut around Grafton and drove to South West Rocks a town on Trial Bay named after the brig Trial which was wrecked nearby in 1817. 

The many wrecks in the area and the recognition of Trial Bay as a safe refuge for shipping against strong southerly gales led to the decision to construct a breakwater to provide a safe harbor.

Trial Bay Gaol was constructed to house prisoners who would then build the breakwater. This was intended as an experiment in a humane way of rehabilitating prisoners. The job was much harder and thus slower than expected as the granite was extremely hard and only 300m of breakwater was actually constructed before more powerful ships avoided the need for a coastal refuge between Newcastle and Brisbane. The Goal was used to house German internees during WW1, and became a thriving place for sport and culture with its own Restaurant. Trial Bay Gaol closed in 1918 and as it had no foreseeable future it was allowed to become the [now preserved] ruin seen today.

We also visited Smoky Cape Lighthouse, its stunning views and lighthouse keeper’s house made more dramatic by a scudding rain storm which kept us huddled in the old barn housing exhibits of the lighthouse until the storm passed.

From South West Rocks we drove to Anna Bay near Port Stephens. On the way we stopped at the Akubra factory at Kempsey.  John found a new hat in the colour he wanted and we were offered a tour of the factory.

Anna Bay is a lovely Beachfront location sheltered behind dunes. We had some lovely walks.

Mooloolaba–21 to 29 January 2012

Mooloolaba was hot, steamy, rainy and windy. The winds were so strong they whipped the sea into a foam, like froth on a cappuccino and great fun to walk in. We both enjoyed walking in the storms.

So much sand was stirred up the sea went strangely yellow.

It is quiet at this time because this is the wet season. We have seen Mooloolaba in all seasons now and we still like it.  The weather this summer was extreme, with a lot of rain. Visitors to Australia often are surprised that summer in Northern Australia is the wet season, when it is both wet and hot. Winter is milder and dry, and is when most Australian’s travel north.

USA, Canada, and Hong Kong–15 November 2011 to 18 January 2012

We returned to the US for Thanksgiving.

We spent Christmas in Buffalo, helping Chris and Monica with their new daughter. The whole family came to Buffalo for Christmas which was a great pleasure.

At year’s end we moved to Niagara Falls and spent time there as John had a meeting in Toronto in early January.  We walked a lot, visited the conservatory where they grow all the plants for the Niagara Park. We visited Niagara on the Lake and the Butterfly House with Jeremy and Chris.The illuminations along the Niagara Parkway were lovely.

We flew out of Toronto and returned to Mooloolaba via Hong Kong. It is always a pleasure to be back in Asia and we enjoy Hong Kong very much. We walked along the waterfront, visited a friend and enjoyed the view of the Harbour from our Hotel.

Then we returned to Australia, visited Geoff and Sue and then reunited with our caravan at Mooloolaba.