Our train from Newcastle Broadmeadow arrived half hour late so our transfer at Sydney and pick up from Unanderra were automatically skewed. A phone call from Central corrected the pick up time and after possibly our shortest time travelling yet we pulled in. Thankfully the message got through and I was soon back at a house I remembered fairly well from 16 years before. It was great seeing more familiar faces and after recounting various aspects of our travels til late in the evening we settled in for the night.
We went for a journey round the area the next day, taking in the view over the surrounding area from the remaining platforms of Mount Keira and a having swim at Port Kembla Beach after saying hello to our friend there. We carried on to a trip round the Wollongong harbour, up to the lighthouse and back round in to the marina and beach before heading back. A beautiful day with a good wind to keep it cool enough to enjoy.
The day after we went off for a walk down to Lake Illawarra and round to Worrawong where we eventually found the bootfair we'd aimed for after battling the strong Sou'Wester blowing in over the lake. We checked out the mall there in search of Ugg boots or anything we could afford. We bought a few snacks at a dollar store before heading back.
The following day everyone leapt in the car as we headed out of town to NAME where it seems several other groups had the same idea. Heading down the boardwalk we arrived at the first viewing point where we contended with a dozen others for a prime view of the water cascading down the sandstone face to the boulders below. One patch of grilling on the platform was rather vertigo inducing but I'll lay the blame firmly on the height at which we were above solid ground. Carrying on along one of the paths there was a second viewpoint where you could see the original falls as well as a later set plus the most spectacular view over the Yarrunga Valley. This had made a beautiful afternoon and even with the high flow of tourists even they had their entertaining points - a young girl having firmly wedged her leg in between two boulders must have made more than just me giggle under their breathe.. We left and made a flying visit to Robertson - home of the giant potato - where we visited a set of shops situated in the old dairy before a swift drink at The Robertson Inn and heading back.
Nan Tien temple was our next days entertainment, a better walk than the previous day and a rather interesting place. We'd known not to expect anything like what we'd seen in Asia though the stark difference was evident almost immediately. It seems to be having a positive effect locally and visitors aren't in short supply so I'm certain it will only increase in popularity and expand in due course.
After packing our bags up so we were ready to transfer from one house to another, we all headed out for one last meal together - an all you can eat buffet, which we accepted as a challenge - before returning bloated, saying our goodbyes and making the switch.
Our first afternoon we took a walk down to the local mall and that evening settled our plans for the next day - we had considered visiting a caravan park for a few days but we had to fit Sydney in for at least one day before we left.. Deciding to stay in situ we woke early and headed up to the City. We'd decided to walk up to Circular Quay rather than take advantage of the free bus which we'd use on our way back when tired of walking. The first few blocks were rather uninspiring, the only real interest garnered from the sandstone prevalent in the infrastructure. We passed the War Memorial before hitting the CBD which was our first map, turning on our heels we headed back to The Strand and shopping areas around Pitt Street. The Strand mall was particularly pretty, an old structure with modern cafe coffee culture poplar with the office crowds. It was all way out of our price range but worth a walk round purely for the aesthetic. After touring a few more shops and the tourist jungle - including a GAP ad being photographed featuring a young geekily attired posse bopping down the pavement with an mp3 boombox - we made our way down to Circular Quay and the Opera House. Arriving I remembered this area fairly well, wandering round we took a sweeping tour of the Opera House before crossing back over for a long journey around the Contemporary Art Gallery, if the Opera House was once contraversial I'd love to hear the critics perspectives on some things in here.. It was good to get all cultured though, some interesting pieces, others slightly bemusing though I'm no artist. From there we carried on round toward the Harbour Bridge and had lunch in its shadow before heading back to the station on the bus, a well earned freebie!!
Our next few days we spent putting together our final plans for arriving in New Zealand and getting to the airport - a medley of trains and buses to avoid the 'gate entry' fee earned by catching the direct train, an expense we felt highly unjustified. After arriving back from the campsite it was good to spend a few more hours with my relatives before faring them well, a promise of spending my money next time we meet is one I intend to honour!!
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