Australia 3.1

Our third trip to Australia in January and February this year was all about seeing son Stephan and his family for the first time since 2022, while using the opportunity to see more of Australia – a huge country we are getting to know in small instalments.

The ‘instalment’ this time around was based on a suggestion by Stephan that we meet the family in Sydney and do a slow road trip up the east coast to Brisbane, where we would catch a flight to Mackay in Queensland, their new home town. That appealed to us, as it meant spending quality time with the family while our grandkids had school holidays and Stephan was on leave, at the same time seeing a part of Australia that we had not visited before.

With Sydney ‘done and dusted’ the road trip could begin…

Wednesday – Sydney to Caves Beach

The first leg of the road trip was a short one – about 140km – so we stretched our stay at the Sydney Park Royal right up to checkout time of 11am. That gave us time for another substantial breakfast of fruit with yoghurt, egg and bacon with trimmings and an apple danish with coffee – back home it’s corn flakes or porridge so hotel breakfasts are a treat, and we like to make the most of them to see us through the day.

After packing up we checked out, retrieved our rental car from the valet parking service and with the destination address loaded onto google maps we set off through Sydney following the map’s “blue line” until we reached the Pacific Highway which wound through suburbia (looking uncannily like parts of Joburg) onto the Pacific Motorway. From there it was an easy drive to the turnoff to Swansea and Caves Beach.

We were too early for checkin at 3pm so looked for a coffee shop – the first one we found was closing at 2.30pm and as it was 45 minutes to go, we thought that would give us plenty of time for a coffee and slice of something nice. But that’s not how the young lady at the door saw it and insisted that we would have to do take aways if we wanted coffee and cake as they were closing! We have experienced this before, but it is still a mystery why businesses in Aussieland are often so inflexible and bound by strange rules.

Somewhat aggravated, we googled and found a bakery a few minutes away – it turned out to be a place that did not invite a sit down, but the takeaway quiches and other goodies proved to be excellent.

Next stop was the house Stephan had rented at Clipper Close, Caves Beach – we had the lower floor of a large double storey home and settled in quickly.

After chilling for a good while we set off for a walk, heading through the garden gate and down to the beach, which stretched for kms to the north and south.

In the distance we could see a rocky headland and what appeared to be the caves after which the town is named, so set out southwards in that direction.

There were interesting things for the kids and us to explore along the beach – rock pools with small fish, tiny crabs, bluebottles and gulls aplenty.

Approaching the main swimming beach we could now see the caves formed in the rocky headland and spent some time exploring them.

The wind was blowing strongly as we walked back, peppering our lower legs with beach sand and by the time we got back to the house our faces and arms felt sticky from the fine sea spray in the air.

Triplist –

My triplist was gaining momentum with numbers of birds seen on the way to the beach – on a small pond and in the bushy fringes. Mostly birds that I have seen on previous trips but good to make their acquaintance once again.

Common everywhere, the Magpie is nevertheless a fascinating bird that makes you wonder ‘who is looking at whom?’

And you can’t help loving the Willie Wagtail with its side-to-side waggle of the tail announcing its identity from afar

Birds I did not manage to photograph but new to the triplist :

• Great Cormorant over the beach
• A pair of Australian Ravens on the beach
• Common Myna (urgh)

Thursday – Caves Beach – a Rainy day

Awake at 7am to overcast weather (getting later each morning as our body clock adjusts), we spent the first hour or two sipping coffee/tea and enjoying the freshness of the morning after a few hot muggy days.

Later the rain came down and the wind increased – no one wanted to do anything energetic, so the day passed with plenty of chilling through teatime and lunchtime with an extended snooze in the afternoon. By late afternoon, the rain had subsided, and I ventured out to explore the area between the house and the beach, in the process discovering a small lake concealed by a ring of trees.

A small pathway between the trees led to the water’s edge where several Black Ducks, Moorhens and Coots were paddling about serenely. In the trees a pair of Willie Wagtails were hopping about while Cormorants, Herons and Egrets flew overhead.

I had left my camera at the house, so headed back to fetch itand persuade Stephan to join me to investigate further. We did a full circuit of the lake and added a few more species to the list.

Triplist –

Around the house – no photos taken due to the rain

• Nankeen Kestrel flying past
• Australian King Parrot – ditto
• New Holland Honeyeater
• Crested Pigeon
• Masked Lapwing

At the lake –

Other stuff:

We found a few Brown Rabbits near the house – a species introduced from Europe in the 1800’s

Tomorrow, we continue our road trip up the east coast to Nambucca Heads