Southeast Coast of Australia – Pebbly Beach, Kiama and The Blue Mountains

We pulled into Murramarang National Park right at dusk hoping to spend the night at the at the park beach camp. However, there was no one there and the ranger station was closed. Watching for kangaroos on the move we drove a short distance to a caravan park. Luckily the owners were in and we were able to get a campsite for the night, even though we were the only campers there. We were greeted by kangaroos. They were all over the park. After eating dinner, we had a visit from a friendly brushtail possum.

I woke up early the next morning really excited to see the kangaroos at the beach. While packing up our campsite, a large pandemonium of Australian King Parrots flew into the trees. Their bright red and green feathers are so vivid. We stood there for a while just watching them all eat the berries out of the trees above our heads.  The parrots finally took off in search of another great food spot and we took off to Pebbly Beach.

Located inside the Murramarang National Park along the coast is a beautiful beach where kangaroos like to spend their time. We counted 14 kangaroos the day we visited.

It is a very cool experience to wander with the kangaroos while feeling the cool ocean breeze on your face. While kangaroos cannot swim, they do soak up the sand and sun. There is a long-standing myth in Australia that kangaroos can swim because someone took a picture of one enjoying the surf along the beach. That myth has since been discredited, but hope we caught your interest!

Two hours farther up the coast is the coastal town of Kiama. There is much to do and see in that area including Shoalhaven Coastal Wine Region, beautiful beaches and the Kiama Blowhole. On recommendation from our friend Di, we stopped at Crooked River Wines just south of Kiama. The wines are very good and a little different from Adelaide Hills because of the sea air on the grapes.

After a tasting, we continued toward Kiama and stopped for the night at a beachside campground. We set up our campervan and went for a walk on the beach. We had a view of a gorgeous sunset and the lighthouse.

 

On our way north in the morning we stopped on our way out of town at the Kiama Blowhole. The Big Blowhole is a narrow opening that has been carved into the rocks over time by the crashing waves. When the waves slam against this particular opening, water shoots into the air. Under the right conditions (high tide and heavy waves), the blowhole shoots water up to 25 meters (82 feet). We didn’t see it at high tide but it was still pretty awesome.

A longer drive of 4.5 hours headed inland and northwest took us into the Blue Mountains. Located to the west of Sydney, it is a huge tourist destination for day trips from the city. It was the first time on our road trip that we ran into any traffic or tourist congestion. We did our best to avoid the toll road but got on one by accident. We are still struggling with how to pay it since there are no toll booths and our plate is not registering on their website. It’s one of those traveler issues we just have to figure out. We have been to Sydney before as well, so we didn’t go into the city but kept on the outskirts toward the Blue Mountains. The scenery is spectacular and there are tons of hiking trails, some that end at waterfalls.

We took a hike to view the Wentworth Falls. The falls weren’t that impressive but the drop into the canyon was. The view of the whole landscape of the Blue Mountains was awesome. After hiking we visited the most famous attraction in the Blue Mountains, The Three Sisters. It is a rock formation of three peaks that stand alone on the edge of the canyon. There is no charge to go to the viewing platform or take on any of the hikes but the parking is $4 AUD for the day. The place was packed. We enjoyed seeing the Three Sisters but it didn’t take long. A 40-minute stop is about all you need.

When we left Kiama that morning our intention was to camp somewhere in the Blue Mountains. What we found out as I researched during our drive was that there are very few places to stay in the mountains and most of them require self-contained vehicles (bathrooms on board). We don’t have that so we were forced to drive several hours northeast until we were quite far north Sydney. A little panicking later I located a holiday park that would take us in after hours. We were so thankful and happy to pull in around 8:00pm. We were a spectacle for the permanent residents when we backed our van off the end of the concrete pad in the dark. Quick thinking and problem solving helped us build a ramp using our firewood to get the van back on the concrete pad. Luckily no harm was done and we were finally able to call it a day. It’s all part of the adventure!

Next we are headed north into the Hunter Valley Wine Region.