Shellharbour NSW — to —Sydney NSW, 25th May, 2023

 Left camp at 8.00am to drive up to Let’s Go Motorhomes to hand in our van. Took two hours to get there as since we booked our trip about 11 months ago they have moved their drop off point  which was way out behind Sydney by about 33kms. They used to be a few mins from the airport like all other rental company’s for convenience to the tourist to fly in, pick up your rental near the airport then you are on your way. Same with drop off. So that added another 45mins Uber ride to get to our hotel near the airport. Crazy won’t be using this Company if we ever want to pick up in Sydney. Anyway we managed to get an early checkin at our hotel which really helped to organise our packing better and now can relax knowing we got the van back in one piece. “Phew.”

Got up at 6.30am to take our last sunrise.

Sun just popping up now

Staying at the Meriton Hotel in Coward St near Sydney Airport.

All very nice. I think it is one of their newer Hotels in their chain. So much room after our small space for 30 days. Dishwasher, washing machine and dryer.  

To finish off, it’s our final night in OZ. Going back to when we arrived, there was a lot of rushing around organising picking up the Motorhome, shopping to stock up with supplies, purchasing an Oz SIM card so I always had data to write my blog and basically get on the road to start another Motorhome adventure. On our way we might have had a few hiccups but always managed to get them sorted except one big issue we didn’t have hot water for the whole trip . Had a few days with it just luke warm then just cold for the rest of the trip. Had to do dishes for thirty days by boiling a kettle. Not really good enough but we did get a little compensation but not enough for the inconvenience. But I guess that is a small issue compared to the fun of been on the road and starting out on a new adventure which we always get so much enjoyment out of what we do. Leaving Perth to see the amazing Wave Rock, passing through the Wheatbelt farms which continued for a good part of our trip on and off. Especially later in the trip, when we were crossing the Hay Plains when we saw the farmers ploughing their fields and exposing so many different colours, which I particularly enjoyed. And when I say fields I don’t just mean acres, hectares I mean square kilometres. In fact the biggest farm in Australia is 125 square kilometres. That is massive.          PT’s dream to cross the Nullarbor Plains finally came and it didn’t disappoint us. Just being out in these vast open spaces is a thrill. Straight roads and flat land that just goes on and on forever until they disappear over the horizon. And a real biggie no city traffic ( until we approached Sydney). So much different scenery, after the Plains the beauty around the coast of Eyres Peninsular which we loved all that area and especially the oysters and prawns, yum. After leaving the Eyres Peninsula we bi-passed Adelaide, going round the banks of the Murray River. So sad to see what the people had to go through with the major floods during November/December last year.  Continuing taking the inland route through to Canberra a place we were keen to see. Our memory there will be the COLD down to overnight minus  4.6 degrees. Finally ended up at Shellharbour for our last three nights in the Motorhome to sort ourselves out and to have few days to unwind. Until we had a long way up to Sydney due to the Let’s Go company changing their drop off and pick up address, which was very inconvenient. Lastly we travelled 5,143kms all up, driving through five states. WA, SA, Vic, NSW, ACT. And by the way we haven’t had any alcoholic drinks since we left NZ!!  As always we both really enjoyed our continuous travelling through OZ. We have already talked about our next trip next year starting at Adelaide and driving up the middle (through this little Island!!) and ending back on The East Coast.  We have nearly circumnavigated Australia over the years just a little bit of maybe 600 to 800kms from Mt Isa to the centre road to be completed. Maybe next year!!!

Leaving tomorrow on Qantas flight  145 at 11.30am arriving in Auckland at 4.35pm .  😎

Shell Harbour, 24th May, 2023

 Another beautiful sunny cloudless day. Just spent the first half of the morning packing up what we could place into our suitcases ready for our departure in the morning to drive up to Sydney to hand the van in. Rest of the day will be just sitting around in the sun relaxing which is something we just haven’t had the time to do. Always on the go.

This morning I got up to see the sun rise.

Until it came over the horizon. No wind another beautiful day arises.

Going back to yesterday, 23rd,  we took off  to explore the area around Shell Harbour. It too was a perfect sunny cloudless day. 

A quick walk along the beach the other end where we hadn’t been. Looking back at our camping ground, 

Just around the corner was this lovely beach which sweeps round to the newish Boat Harbour complex. Thought about walking but looked a long way away so went back to get the van and drove round to see it later in the day. Many people had said you must go round and see it.

First of all we decided to drive further north as far as Port Kembla. The above and below photos are taken of Lake Illawarra as we crossed over the bridge heading north. The lake looked so big and beautiful as when we went further north it was still beside us. I would have loved to stop to go and see it but seemed to miss the turning into it. Thought we would see it on the way back but couldn’t see how to get to it. So unfortunately missed out.  So much traffic around as we were on a highway. They call it a lake but really it must be sea water as the bridge we crossed over  was going over the inlet from the sea. Really like a big harbour rather than a lake.

Arrived at Port Kembla. Found a good viewing area called lookout Hill 60, with good views all round. Looking out to first island the small one called Rocky Is, then the big island and some more smaller ones at the back, called Five Islands.

They had a flash viewing deck we climbed up to see all around us.

Looking down south one of the many long Sandy beaches which is Port Kembla Beach where we drove down to next.

Port Kembla in the distance looking north, note the ships in the distance waiting to off load we understand the build up of ships is related to a wharfies strike. In all we counted 15 ships awaiting to be off loaded. 

Drove down from the hill to see Port Kembla beach. The beginning of the long stretch of beach we looked down on from the top of the hill.

Now standing on a viewing deck in front of Port Kembla life saving club  looking straight down onto Port Kembla Beach.

Same viewing deck looking right along the beach. There are lots of long beaches like this all up this coast.

Now have come back through Shell Harbour going south out to Shell Cove. This is where they have built the big new yacht harbour. There are rows and rows of new streets with rows and rows of town  houses built on them. All very neat and tidy but you have to wander where all the people are going to come from to live here.

Drove past the Boat Harbour for now to go out to Bass point which is a reserve area out on a peninsula at the end of all the housing estate.  But before that we stopped at this reserve and made some lunch. Ended up not going to the end of the peninsula as the road changed to metal.

Now at the Shell Cove Yacht Harbour. The marina is still under construction. We are looking at a block of apartments which look over the harbour. We are standing out on a Jetty for drop off and pick ups.

At the end of the above Jetty looking out back at the boats.

PT dreaming 💭 

Looking along the front of the apartments. Restaurants all along under them.

In the foreground they have fenced off an area around this little beach for the kids to swim. Over on the left is a big restaurant upstairs. It was full of people.

This boat is sitting there waiting to take passengers on a tour  out into the bay.

This is the area down in front of the apartments. Big boardwalks. Looking over the boats.

As you walk into the village the apartments are up on the left.

Tonight is the last night in our motorhome. We are all packed up a few last minute things to do in the morning before we leave getting away at about 8.00am for the drive up to Sydney to drop off the waggon. We have loved this area around Shell Harbour. Would love to return some day. 🤔

After thirty nights on the road, we leave our home on wheels tomorrow, 😢 to go to a hotel near the airport. We can then get sorted for our flight home on Friday, which gets into Auckland late afternoon. I will do one last blog tomorrow night with my summary of our trip. 

Canberra ACT, —. to — Shell Harbour, 23rd May, 2023.

 Going back to yesterday 22nd, May as I didn’t do a blog last night. 

Someone on board had a birthday!!! Last morning in Canberra and we woke up to minus 4.2 deg. Gosh that’s cold when you are not prepared for it sleeping in a tin van but at least we had the heater going all night but it was struggling last night. We knew it would be cold in Canberra but not that cold. Headed off in the morning leaving Canberra in the fog to Shell Harbour for our last three nights in the motorhome    ( where we are now). Probably about three hours driving all up as we had to drive through  the Macquarie Pass National Park.Very twisty a few hair pin turns so that made us very slow. Very hard driving for PT narrow and twisty. Before this we came off the highway to drive through Goulburn. Finally arriving about Mid-day at Shell Harbour what a lovely place. On our way once the fog lifted it turned out a beautiful cloud less day. Superb.  

Shortly after we woke up yesterday in Canberra. The bright green grass had turned into a heavy frost. Also ice on the step of the van. And thick fog in the background. 😱🥶

We have left Canberra, the sun came out but as we climbed up higher went through fog again as we approached Lake George. As we approached the lake we thought at first it was the sea as it was such a huge area of water. Then realised we couldn’t be that close to the coast.

We have now turned off the highway to have a drive through  Goulburn. As we entered the large city, this guy welcomed us. He was at least 12 metres high as can be gauged by the bus stop sign below him. Goulburn, principal city of the Southern Tablelands SE New South Wales, established in 1833.Became a city in 1864 so you can guess, a lot of old architecture to be seen, but we didn’t stop just for a drive through and back out on the highway. All the way we were travelling on the four lane highway from Canberra until we had to turn off to get to Shell Harbour.

Above and below driving through the city of Goulburn.

I have put this map in to show the winding road we had to cross over the Macquarie Pass National park.! Including all these turns there were at least three big very tight hair pin turns 😳

This really slowed us down. Hard driving for PT handling a 8 metre van around these tight corners and narrow road.

It was all very pretty.

Another tight one coming up.

This was scary coming down approaching this sharp bend. A real tight hairpin corner.

Got half way round in this corner which was a bit too tight so had to back up a little and hoped nobody was coming down behind us or coming up in front of us 🤞🤞🤞🤞🤞made it.

After a lot of turning and twisting around  corners we finally arrived at our camp site at Shell Harbour. Front row looking out to the ocean which we haven’t seen for about 12 days. What a lovely place, weather was perfect, ( back into our shorts and t shirts,)  although they said it was really blowing in the day before. Very impressed with what we have seen so far. 

Along in front of the camp. Although it’s not a Sandy swimming beach the coastline has lots of long Sandy beaches. One just around the top corner which is a lovely long beach going round to the quite new Boat Harbour  which we will show you photos tomorrow. Long beaches as you head north towards Sydney.

This is the small village of Shell Harbour just running up from the beach.

This is a small Boat Harbour at the bottom of the town. Not the big new one I mentioned. Wait till you see that in tomorrows blog.

Walked out along the rocks where a lot of guys were fishing.

PT went out to chat to them. That’s PT on the left the guy in blue just watching,

These fellows were were enjoying the sun in a rock pool.

Just along in front of our site is this big swimming pool fed from the sea. Quite a few people are always doing lengths during the day, but (today ) it was all emptied out, water blasted and then refilled with the sea water.

Well that’s all about yesterday so tomorrow and I will write about what we did today. Confused !! We won’t be going out exploring anywhere tomorrow as we have to pack up everything of ours into our suitcases, ready to leave the trusty motorhome on Thursday May 25. Hopefully we have time just to relax for the rest of the day. We will then go to a hotel near the airport  for the night to return home flying out on the 26th May.