Queen Charlotte Track, Day 2

January 19, 2016May 31, 2020 ~ margaretsealey ~ Leave a comment

**Even in the misty rain, it’s beautiful.**

Walking around Endeavour Inlet.

New Zealand isn’t known as the Land of the Long White Cloud for nothing. We woke on Day 2, to a misty, cloudy day, for our walk around Endeavour Inlet to Mahana Lodge, our destination for the night. This was a relatively easy walk of around 15 kms as our chosen accommodation for Day 1, Cnoc na Lear, was situated on the northern side of the inlet.

Cnoc na Lear to Furneaux Lodge

The mist subtly coloured the landscape, giving it an otherworldly dimension as we walked the 2 or 3 kms to Furneaux Lodge which is located in a wonderful setting at the head of the inlet.

**View from Cnoc na Lear across the Inlet to Furneaux Lodge jetty**

The weather also gave us the opportunity to test some of the gear we had purchased for just such an occasion. I have to say that my Kathmandu merino t-shirt and rain jacket passed the test. I was super comfortable and dry all day. I will admit though, it’s not a look you will see on a Paris catwalk.

**Dressed for the rain in my Kathmandu gear at Furneaux Lodge**

Furneaux Lodge to Miners Camp

This part of the walk passes through ferny forest and traverses the head of the Inlet.

**If you have time to spare, there’s also a waterfall or two to visit near Furneaux Lodge**

And across a suspension bridge over a tumbling creek and on through some open grassland to Miner’s camp.

IMG_20151201_063716 — **Feels like a real adventure when you cross a suspension bridge or two!**

It was in this open grassland that I made my first mistake. As this part of the walk was relatively flat, I hadn’t carried my walking poles, a decision I was to regret. The grass was thick, high and very, very wet. Within minutes, my tights and socks were soaked and my toes were wallowing around in my boots. Not a peaceful, easy feeling! If only I could have parted the grass with my poles, like Moses parting the Red Sea. But Punga Cove was still hours away, so undeterred, we squished and squelched our way on to Miners Camp.

Miners Camp to Punga Cove and Mahana Lodge

IMG_20151201_075832 — **We leave the grassland and climb up and down along the southern arm of Endeavour Inlet.**

We were now on the southern side of the Inlet and this was the most strenuous part of the Day 2 walk. We seemed to be trudging uphill through forest … a lot. There were tree ferns everywhere sprouting forth.

And little coves with private jetties.

It wasn’t only a sea of green. There were flowering shrubs. One which caught my eye was this one. Have no idea what it was but it had a lovely scent.

IMG_20151201_080017 — **Reminds me of an Australian tea tree**

We were rewarded with lovely vistas over secluded coves, perfect for a lunchtime break as we made our way towards Punga Cove and our destination for the night, Mahana Lodge.

IMG_20151201_055922 — **Adrift on a sea of aquamarine**

It was mid afternoon by the time we reached Punga Cove. We passed the DOC campsite at Camp Bay and then passed the Punga Cove Resort. We were tired and for a moment, I wished I had booked our second night here. But about another kilometer further on, Mahana Lodge awaited us.

Here, hosts John and Ann Martin made us feel at home. As we were getting acquainted and selecting our dinner menu for the evening, we discovered that John and Ann had lived for a number of years in Kenn’s home town of Condobolin in central NSW. John had worked at the Agricultural Research Station undertaking research into rabbit control in the early 1970s. They remembered the town and its people very fondly. It’s truly a small world.

Our ensuite room in the lodge was spacious and luxurious. After a long, hot shower and wrapped in a super soft complimentary dressing gown, I enjoyed a leisurely afternoon tea. Ann’s wonderful home baking did not last very long I can assure you.

IMG_20151202_041222 — **The sitting room in the Lodge. That sofa was very comfortable, a great place for a cuppa and a good book.**

**Storm clouds gather over the homestead, as seen from the sitting room in the Lodge**

Dinner in the candlelit conservatory at the homestead was very special and memorable. We enjoyed artisan bread baked by Ann and mussels in white wine as our entree. We chose salmon from the sound, smoked by John to his recipe, over wild rice as our main course which was accompanied by the freshest salad. All ingredients had been picked that day by John from his extensive garden. Food when it’s local and super fresh always tastes amazing. We finished with profiteroles smothered in chocolate and a home made raspberry sauce. Not my usual camping fare I can tell you!

We would have liked to spend longer at Mahana Lodge: explore the cove on the free kayaks, complete some shorter walks around the inlet or watch the glow worms flicker in the creek behind the Lodge.

But the Queen Charlotte beckoned. Day 3, according to Ann, would be challenging yet deeply rewarding!

IMG_20151202_041154-EFFECTS — **Sunset over the cove**

While many like us were on a mission to walk the whole track, we met others who only had the time to explore one section of the track before resuming their travels. The walk around Endeavour Inlet was definitely the easiest part of the Queen Charlotte. Walkers would definitely have time to explore as well as walk. So if the thought of day hikes of 20 plus kms is a little daunting, you can still immerse yourself in the New Zealand wilderness with this part of the walk.

The Queen Charlotte Track: Part 1

December 19, 2015May 30, 2020 ~ margaretsealey ~ 2 Comments

Queen Charlotte from the lookout — **The Queen Charlotte Sound as viewed from the Ship’s Cove lookout**

Finishing the Queen Charlotte, one of New Zealand’s great walks, was an amazing feeling! I was elated that I had actually walked all 70 kms without needing to be air lifted out or having to abandon the walk and take a water taxi back to civilisation. It was challenging and exhilarating but oh so rewarding.

The walk is located on the top of the South Island, just north of Picton. I had been keen to attempt it ever since I discovered that I didn’t have to forgo too many creature comforts. You see, the Queen Charlotte track is accessed by water taxi. For around $100 pp, they take you to the starting point of the track, pick you up at the end and deliver your luggage to your accommodation along the track each day. They will even pick you up along the way if you find yourself unable to continue! This means that you only have to carry a day pack, you get to sleep in a comfortable bed at night and someone else prepares dinner, lunch and breakfast for you. This walk had my name all over it.

The adventure begins

Whatever way you choose to walk the track: guided, self guided or as independent walkers like Kenn and I, you need to stay somewhere before and after the walk. We chose the historic Echo Lodge BnB overlooking the harbour in Picton. Wonderful hosts, Sharon and Russell really looked after us, recommending restaurants and even storing excess luggage for us. After devouring a wonderful breakfast, Russell delivered us to the marina where our Cougar Line water taxi awaited us.

Ship Cove

Soon, we were skimming over the smoothest, incredibly aqua water and before long we were at Ship Cove, ready to begin.

jetty at ships cove — **How clear is this water?**

As we walked along the jetty, we decided to detour a little and look at the monument to Captain Cook.

captain cook monument — **Captain Cook visited here several times on his voyages … but he refused to do the walk!**

But we couldn’t procrastinate for ever. The first climb awaited. This was quite steep and quite long but the views as we trudged and trudged some more were worth it.

view of ships cove after the big first climb — **View of the jetty from on high**

After about two hours of slogging it up a mountain (I would call it a mountain even if the Kiwis would call it a hill), we reached the lookout and decided to stop, enjoy some morning tea and the views. From here you can see both the Queen Charlotte and Kenepuru Sounds. So beautiful!

Keperu sound — **Kenepuru Sound – Is that a jetty way down there?**

The track then winds down into Resolution Bay and on through ferny forests to Endeavour Inlet.

path from resolution bay — **The path was much wider than I expected**

Kenn and I were into a rhythm, just walking and enjoying the silence. (Well, I was just walking but he was enjoying the silence!) We heard a few bird calls but not much else.

chicks sharing our lunch — **A Weka chick and it’s mother joined us for lunch.**

Not that I’m complaining. I loved that I couldn’t hear any slithery sounds!

Kenn striding out — **And Kenn was always willing to wait for me!**

Four and half hours later, we reached our destination for the night, Cnoc na Lear, about two kilometers from the head of the Endeavour Inlet.

bridge leading to Endeavour Inlet — A mossy bridge guards the entrance to Endeavour Inlet

Our room was very comfortable and private and our luggage was waiting. It’s light until around 9.00pm in December in New Zealand so we had plenty of time to explore the foreshore.

anyone for mussels — **Anyone for mussels?**

Then it was indulgence time. Noeline, our hostess, provided a foot spa for us! Needless to say, after a brief squabble, which I won, we both made use of it. Soon a delicious dinner was delivered to our room as we watched the sun set over the water.

clear waters of Endeavour Inlet — **Not exactly Byron Beach, but still …**

While our stay at Croc Na Lear was lovely, we noticed that it was up for sale at the time so may or may not be available today. In hindsight, we would have made our second day of walking or as the Kiwis say it, ‘tramping’ very easy if we had booked to stay at Endeavour Lodge which has a prime position at the head of the inlet. Prices were very similar as I recall.

Maybe this walk when the Trans-Tasman bubble becomes a reality, is something you would like to do. And I hope you will join me as I re- discover the joys of Endeavour Inlet on Day 2 of the Queen Charlotte Walk.

Whale Mugging

August 18, 2015May 5, 2016 ~ margaretsealey ~ Leave a comment

In winter, as you walk around the lighthouse in Byron Bay, you can see Humpback whales on their annual migration to the Great Barrier Reef. From numerous vantage points, as you peruse the ocean, you may catch sight of these magnificent creatures spouting and occasionally breaching. Although it is always a thrill, indeed I feel cheated if I walk and don’t see any whales, I am always aware that I’m on the land and they’re in the sea, a long way away.

A WHALE OF A TIME BEGINS

I longed to get up close and personal, so last week, Kenn and I embarked on a whale watching trip to Hervey Bay, approximately 450 kms north of Byron Bay. We traveled mid week, hoping to avoid the crowds and chose to stay at the Mantra hotel located on the Boat harbour at Urangan. Our room came complete with a very comfortable king size bed, a spa bath and a balcony with a view over the harbour. Perfect spot for admiring sunrise and sunset.

Sunset over the Harbour — Definitely a room with a view.

Having settled in, we explored our surroundings. We confirmed our booking for our Whale Watch on Quick Cat II. We selected the Day Away for Early Birds tour which included a half day whale watching adventure and an afternoon at Kingfisher Bay on Fraser Island. That sorted, Kenn and I chilled out for a couple of hours before salivating over a sensational seafood dinner at La Baelana Cafe on the boardwalk, just a few steps from our hotel. The Hervey Bay prawns and scallops were better than a Masterchef finale. I would recommend booking, as this cafe is very popular.

WHALE MUGGING!

Friday morning dawned calm and clear: perfect conditions for whale watching. The Quick Cat II was underway promptly at 7am and breakfast, consisting of fresh fruit, cereals, pancakes and muffins, was served as we made our way past Fraser Island into the bay. Soon, we were in Whale territory. Several pods were steaming towards us. The captain cut the engines and the magic began as they swam up to our boat.

I couldn’t believe it, they were right there and I was so close I could see rainbows in the spray as they swam past. Then they dived under the ship to the other side, coming up to look at us. “They re mugging us,” the captain exclaimed. “They can see and hear us, so wave your arms and yell!” Obediently, we waved frantically, yelled and whistled.

coming up — Stand still, I’m taking a mug shot!

The whales must have liked our response for they kept us company for the next hour or so. The sunlight filtered through the water and cast shifting patterns on their bodies as they cruised beside us, just below the surface.

underwater 1 — I’m so cool, just drifting along

Then, when you least expected it, they would breach. The most spectacular breach was right in front of the boat, but I was so awestruck, that I forgot that I had a camera in my hand. Alas I only caught the after splash.

They frolicked the morning away, rolling over to show us their tummies,

swimming away only to return and begin their performance again.

I've got my after burners on — I’ve got my after burners on

But all wonderful experiences come to an end. The sun was directly overhead and it was time to return to the harbour. Our friends of the deep, waved us farewell.

Everyone was quiet as we cruised to Kingfisher Bay, where some of us were finishing the cruise. I think we were all savouring the moment. I overheard a little six year old poppet exclaim to her grandparents, “This has been the bestest day ever!” Yes, some dreams do come true.

Bali Bliss!

June 9, 2015May 5, 2016 ~ margaretsealey ~ 2 Comments

What does Bali conjure up for you? I visualised tropical forests full of exotic flowers and monkeys, rice paddies richly green in the sunlight, temples full of strange images and wooden pavilions adorned with comfortable day beds overlooking inviting swimming pools where I would be waited on by my own personal Ketut. Could I make my vision a reality? Kenn and I had only five days at our disposal. I contacted my niece, Amanda Sullivan who runs a wonderful travel agency in Cowra. Within an hour of my call, Amanda and her team at Dynamic Travel www.dynamictravel.com.au had us sorted. Flights, transfers, an exceptional hotel and very helpful notes on how to stay out of trouble were ours!

We flew with Garuda. To my surprise, it was an extremely comfortable flight. The in-flight entertainment, food and beverage were excellent. The portent of things to come, I wondered? Arrival was easy. My baggage wasn’t searched, no-one looked at me twice and I didn’t get lost in customs. Before I knew it, Kenn and I found ourselves ensconced in a very comfortable car with a friendly driver winding our way through the hills to Ubud.

Our hotel, the Maya Resort and Spa was simply lovely. Our room was very spacious and the bathroom was to die for. There was a lovely outlook from the balcony over the acres and acres of gardens.

Then there were the facilities! Both of us fell in love with the amazing lower pool which overlooked the jungle and the river. We swam leisurely up and down ( I didn’t want to splash other patrons with my attempts at butterfly or backstroke) and relaxed on our sun lounges while the helpful staff brought us drinks and little healthy treats to eat. There was also a lovely yoga studio. It’s always good to have a beautiful view to look at whilst attempting mountain pose.

Lying in the Spa — Bubbles ahoy in the pool

I enjoyed Happy Hour and diligently worked my way through a slab of the cocktail menu. The restaurant was exactly what you imagine a Balinese restaurant should be. Every table overlooked a courtyard with its own pool and frangipani tree. The staff were unfailingly helpful and kind. It goes without saying that the food was fantastic. It was hard to leave the resort for the delights of Ubud. Especially memorable was breakfast. There were special treats like fresh papaya juice, interesting traditional vegetable and fruit porridges and an omelette man. You know it’s good when you can feel the kilos piling on but you can’t restrain.

Then there was the Spa!

This was an afternoon of total indulgence. I was ushered to my private pavilion and greeted by my therapist. My treatment began with a relaxing foot treatment and was followed by a Balinese massage. Every part of me seemed to be floating away. Next came body exfoliation. Stuff ( I’m not sure what – I was too far gone to remember) was rubbed onto me, allowed to dry then brushed off. Then a yogurty cream was slathered on and allowed to sink in. Just as I was almost asleep, my therapist ushered me to my private courtyard shower. There among the flowers, under the sky, I rinsed off before luxuriating in a huge copper flower bath which overlooked the river. Three hours later, I returned to Kenn and the real world. An experience not to be missed!

We did leave the resort to explore this part of Bali. We hired a guide who put an itinerary together for us. He took us to a Balinese Dance performance, Batik making, silversmithing, a traditional Balinese home and a temple celebration where we had to don sarongs and make offerings. It was busy, fascinating and humbling.

We also went to the Kintamani volcano which is amazingly beautiful, visited a plantation and saw Luwak coffee being made. I felt sorry for the civets and couldn’t bring myself to taste the coffee. As far as I’m concerned, poo is poo. We wandered on foot around Ubud, but really only touched the surface. We found the Balinese people gentle, unassuming and unfailingly kind. They take pleasure in the simple things in life symbolised by the offerings they make every day to the gods. Thank you Amanda for making this such a wonderful trip.

Red Centre Treks

May 24, 2015April 29, 2018 ~ margaretsealey ~ 4 Comments

Nature’s big things are truly impressive. For instance, when my sister Jenny and I flew over the Grand Canyon in a helicopter, we were struck by its enormous scale: Deep, long and rugged, it was surrounded by beige desert so different from the colours in Australia. It was awe inspiring but somehow remote. We were only able to get up close and personal with the canyon when we landed halfway down on a rocky outcrop. We admired the view, stretched our legs and scoffed a champagne lunch. It was an unforgettable, exciting experience, after all you don’t get to ride in a helicopter or a limousine every day. But, there wasn’t time to immerse ourselves in the colours, textures, scents and spiritual history of the the canyon itself. This is not the case when you visit Uluru, Kata Tjuta and King’s Canyon in the Red Centre. There your senses are saturated as you trek, stroll or saunter along paths that have that have been part of Aboriginal Dreaming for thousands of years.

All of the walks are around 10 kms in length, vary in difficulty and take a few hours to complete. I undertook these walks with my husband, Kenn and friends, Helen and Phil. Although capable of setting new land speed records and clambering up cliffs like mountain goats, these three intrepid trekkers slowed their pace to accommodate my more slothful saunter. I suspect the thought of having to carry me back to base, a victim of exhaustion or a premature heart attack might have been part of their motivation.

Our first walk was around the base of Uluru, the biggest monolith on Earth. It dominates the flat expanse of the desert for as far as the eye can see.

walk 2 — Setting a cracking pace. Sunset is not far off.

The path is well marked and the rock is there beside you, revealing different faces as the light moves.

I was surprised by the amount of vegetation and the sense of mystery you feel in the shadows.

We completed this relatively easy walk with enough time to get to the sunset viewing area. Nature puts on the most amazing light show as the rock lights up and the sky is smudged with many of the colours of the rainbow.

IMG_20150427_182154 — Smudgy colours soften the rock

Our second walk was far more challenging. We hired a 4WD and drove 300 kms to King’s Canyon. What I didn’t realise, until I reached the starting point of the walk, was that you have to climb 500 steps up a cliff face to begin!

Kenn appointed himself as my personal water boy and with his help I made it. This was definitely the hardest part of the walk. The views from the canyon’s rim were amazing and almost made the memory of the 500 steps melt away. Almost ..

We clambered over rock platforms and negotiated bridges onto sandstone spurs.

And … hidden away deep within the canyon was ‘The Garden of Eden’.

This place is significant for the Aboriginal people and it was easy to see why. In the midst of so much dryness, hidden from the unrelenting sun, the water is cool, sheltered by ferns and palms. It is very quiet there. Like all who went before us, we were refreshed and restored and finished this walk on a high.

Our third walk was also challenging and in my opinion, the most rewarding of all. This was the ‘Valley of the Winds’ at Kata Tjuta or the Olgas. We decided to do the whole walk, which is a loop, but you can do shorter sections if you wish. It’s only about 50 kms from Yulara, the Uluru township. The first part of the walk from the car park to the base of the Olgas is quite long and for a time, you could easily imagine that you were walking on the moon.

olga 2 — Kenn striding out in the moonscape

But then you turn a corner and find yourself walking in between the beehive domes of sandstone that are the Olgas. The wind whistles around you, an unusual experience as usually it is really quiet out here. In places there is enough water to support vegetation; we walked through a lovely avenue of ghost gums.

Winding in and out of the domes, down and up rock faces, we reached the lookout. Again, like everywhere around Uluru, there was an amazing vista.

We scrambled down a steep incline. It was at this point that I started having a few worries. It was so steep that I negotiated most of it on my bottom. As I was sliding from rock to rock, getting rid of my cellulite, I started thinking about how I was going to climb back up! It would be a tough ask at the end of a long walk. I felt totally knackered just thinking about it. But we had come so far! At the bottom we found ourselves inhaling the scents of the savanna surrounding the Olgas, that unforgettable, eucalyptus smell of the Australian bush. Tramping through mulga, spinifex and assorted grasslands we had wonderful views both of the desert stretching away in one direction and the Olgas standing guard in another.

panorama — View from the Savanna of the Olgas.

We didn’t have to retrace our steps. I was saved from the slippery cliff of hell. A relatively gentle climb found us back among the Olgas via a different route and eventually we made our way to the car park.

All the walks were special and were, for me, the most memorable part of my visit to Uluru. It is a very personal way to connect with this ancient landscape and its dreaming.

If you haven’t visited Uluru yet, I hope you are able to soon. It really is a very, very special part of the world.

One Hump or Two?

May 4, 2015May 5, 2016 ~ margaretsealey ~ 4 Comments

Camels are big! Really big! I didn’t appreciate their size until we signed up for a morning camel ride in the shadow of the Rock. Upon arrival at the camel farm, I spied our beasts, sitting in a row, elegantly attired in colorful Afghan saddles.

Even sitting on the ground, they came up to my waist. Mounting the camel was to prove a challenge. I had to sit on the front side of the hump as Kenn, being heavier, had to take the rear seat. But how to get into the saddle? My leg just didn’t want to go up and over. I’ve never been very good at Can Can high kicks. I can’t do the splits either. I was also worried that my leg could connect the head of the beast in the attempt. As if it could read my thoughts, my camel turned its massive head and gave me a penetrating stare and a warning snort: I froze. Everyone waited. Eventually, the cameleer came to my rescue and gave me a hoist up. But worse was to come. Camels don’t get up evenly on all four legs. They straighten their rear legs first, then unfurl their front legs. At one point, you are perched in the saddle almost perpendicular to the ground. “You have to lean back and hang on as your camel gets up,” we were told. And lean I did. My lean would have made a bare back rodeo rider proud!

Soon, we were off on our ride through the red dirt. We kept up a sedate pace and all adjusted easily to the swaying gait of our ‘ships of the desert’. There were no dashes across the sand hills reminiscent of Lawrence of Arabia but lots of interesting information about camels and our surroundings was imparted by our charming guides. For example, did you know that all camels think about, is food: finding food, eating food and bringing up food from one stomach to another. A highlight of the ride was the view from the sand hill. We could see both Uluru and Kata Tjuta!

Back at the farm, we explored an interesting collection of pioneer coaches and paraphernalia. There was an especially cute baby camel that had been abandoned in the desert and hand raised on the farm. Just had to say hello.

It was a great way to spend a morning. That afternoon, a close encounter with Uluru awaited. Will share it with you next time. Rock on!

Starry, Starry Night

May 2, 2015May 5, 2016 ~ margaretsealey ~ 1 Comment

They say that in the desert, the stars are so big and so bright in the velvety, dark sky that you feel that you could almost reach out and touch them.

This is certainly true of the night skies that surround Uluru, (Ayers Rock), which is located in the centre of Australia. I travelled to Uluru last week with my husband Kenn and friends, Helen and Phil. Luckily for me, I had a window seat for as we approached Uluru, the pilot banked the plane on his approach and I had my first view of the rock. Even from the air, it’s huge: it dominated the landscape.

Settling into our rooms at the very comfortable Desert Gardens Hotel, we spent a couple of hours exploring the resort township of Yulara,

which is just 20 kilometers from the Rock before readying ourselves for our first encounter with the desert, ‘The Sounds of Silence” dinner. This was truly unforgettable. We were picked up by our coach as dusk was approaching and driven out into the desert, There we walked up a sand hill where we were greeted with champagne, a view of the rock and the haunting sounds of the didgeridoo.

greeting at dinner — Champagne and canapes on the sand hill

Dideridoo — Didgeridoo echoes in the silence of the desert

A couple of champagnes later and the sun had dipped below the horizon. We were ushered to our dining table under the stars where a wonderful Australian themed dinner awaited us. What’s not to like about wonderful food and wine in an unforgettable setting?

sounds of silence 3 — Fellow diners from Canada

While we dined, we were entertained by a group of young Aboriginal dancers. I really liked their youthful enthusiasm and the way the boys acknowledged their uncles and elders who had shared their dances with them. Then there were the stars: millions of them. We listened as a young astronomer pointed out some of the constellations and planets we could see and invited us to look more closely at them through a telescope. I have waited a long time to see the moons of Jupiter and Saturn’s rings with my own eyes!

When at last the final port had been drunk, the last chocolate consumed and the torches had burned low, we found ourselves walking back through the dark, in the silence, sheltered by the stars, touched by the magic of the desert.

‘Glamping’ in Evans Head

April 11, 2015March 27, 2018 ~ margaretsealey ~ 3 Comments

I am a relative newcomer to ‘Glamping’. Until recently, my camping experiences involved a tent, an airbed that hopefully would stay inflated and a sleeping bag. There were minimal extras: a little two burner stove, a gas lantern and a camping table. A lot of baked beans and tinned spaghetti was consumed. I have no champagne memories! But on a recent camping trip to Evans Head, my eyes were opened to a whole new world of camping realities, the world of ‘glamping’

Evans Head is only about 45 mins away from Byron Bay. The group we joined for a long weekend were seasoned glampers. We had waterfront sites at the Silver Sands Caravan Park and soon, remarkable hand crafted camper trailers were being unloaded, tents and tarps erected and kayaks and professional looking fishing gear stowed away.

campground by the river — Waterfront sites on the river at Evans

There was so much to explore and experience. First of all, we had to explore the track along the river, to the breakwater and the beach and test out the surf. The water was clear and very warm for this time of year.

Soon, it was time for Happy Hour and a gourmet barbecue as we watched the tide run out on the river and the pelicans playing. Next morning, I was up early enough to catch the sunrise. I didn’t have to forego my beauty sleep as daylight saving hadn’t ended and the sun was kindly rising at 7 am. The sun peeked through the clouds and then burst over the ocean in amazing colours!

Walking back to camp, I noticed that the riverside cafe was open. No need to forego creature comforts while glamping. I thought, as I appreciatively sipped a large takeaway cappuccino.

Later that day we tested out the 4WD on the sand. You can drive north along the beach for quite a few kms and you don’t need a permit to do so. It’s just you, the sea, the sand and the seagulls and pelicans. Oh and the occasional horse and rider.

We also explored the beautiful Chinaman’s Beach which is a little to the south of our campsite on the other side of the river. The beach is perfectly unspoiled and is fringed with amazing aubergine coloured rocks, tangerine, brown and cream striped cliffs and amazing rock pools. I love climbing over and through rock pools. It’s like there a new world just waiting to be discovered by you. What a wonderful way to spend a couple of hours!

Back at camp, the troops had been busy. A visit to the fishing co-op and Tiger Prawns were on the menu. My baked bean days were over!.

And so the weekend continued. The Kayakers ventured upstream, circumnavigated a small island and let the current bring them back to camp. The fishermen had some success in the surf gutters. Blessed with perfect sunny weather and balmy nights, we swam, ate, walked, ate, fished, ate and drank a …a little. What’s a bottle or two of Pinot Grigio between friends? And I took the time to catch up on some reading and day dream about the next glamping adventure.