Oxford Comma

Barrington Tops, Central New South Wales.

This year, Australians (and 'temporary' residents such as I) in New South Wales have been duped. We have lost two public holidays due to them falling on a Saturday, and the government deciding that it would be in the best interest of commerce that businesses open on those extra days. So with no Anzac day off... we couldn't wait to get outta Sydney and take advantage of a rare long weekend in 2009.

Good Friday saw us drive from Sydney North about 4 and a half hours to a National Park called Barrington Tops. The Tops represent the Northern Most region of the Great Dividing Range that rolls from Victoria (North of Melbourne) up past Canberra & Sydney. The Scenery is basically like the Blue Mountains on Steroids. Far more rolling hills and many more valleys to stare down - at least it felt like that anyway.

Rog & Claire had gone on a day ahead of us to beat traffic, and had set up camp at the Devils Hole Campsite. Which was about as far as a Honda Civic would go off road without falling off its axels. From arrival, it was simply a case of keeping warm and fed around an awesome camp fire... where the men on camp would have to go out on fire-wood scavenging missions - not so easy at high damp altitudes.

Cloud cover would often fall in faster than I could toast a marshmallow. You would look up and be staring thru gum trees, and get an image something like the Blair Witch Project. The first night, was cold... even with several glasses of Red Wine and Rogers infamous campfire Stew inside of us.

The following day it was time to see a little more of the place so we hiked the Polblue Swamp trail and checked out some huge Toadstools... or mushrooms - I'm never sure how to tell the difference. Regardless, it was very nice to get back to nature after spending the preceeding months at the city and the beach.

Another night of huddling by the fire, Uno and drinks concluded out camp trip... by this point, nearly everyone present had caught a cold and was ready for an early traffic beating exit. After getting the place packed up on the Sunday morning; Lauren and I took the car back down the mountains stoping to take some shots here n there and appreciate the running water. Running water like I've only ever seen in other continents on this Earth. Nice.

The remainder of Sunday back home, could not have been more relaxing. Sydney seemed empty, all aside from 32 Lindt bunnies Lauren had brought home from work. With a lack of chocolate not an issue... I lounged and tinkered with my photographs until the evening came... and then - oh the sleep of all sleeps after two cold ones at the Devils Hole. I kinda see why the campsite had an intimidating name... though maybe "The Devils Fridge" woulda been more apt.

Crack the Shutters

Camping - Bouddi National Park

So a weekend of being away from Sydney was ahead of us... Not too far mind, right on the southern tip of the Central Coast, not too far from Gosford.

Destination Bouddi National Park. Matty, Si, Michelle, Loz and a few others all drove over before midday and set about hiking down hill to a secluded little beach called Maitland Bay (I think!). Here we had the entire beach to ourselves (almost), and bathed, explored and ate a picnic lunch. An older couple drove their boat in to shore before the man, comically stood atop his vessell cooking a BBQ in nothing but Speedos, had the wife in the water scrubbing the hull for barnicles and algae... it was like something from a Carry-on movie!

We packed up shortly after and hiked the long uphill back to the cars. From here we drove around to Bouddi National Park and once again hiked downhill to the campsite awaiting our arrival. Another abandoned beach with only one other group of people in site. Some awesome rolling waves coupled with beers (don't try this at home kids) saw us messing about for the afternoon drinking the Saturday afternoon away before dusk.

Wedgie & Alison arrived, and soon we were awaiting one of Mattys famous camp stews for dinner. After said meal, things got a little hazy and the high-jinx stretched into the night...

Ray of Light

Shoal Bay at Easter, NSW, Australia

At just after 6am on a very Good Friday, 5 figures left the Lane in cars. They had packed tents, sleeping accessories and plenty of food, drinks and object d'amusement.

After some early morning coffee’s they were fired up and blasting along the highway North of Sydney. The intrepid travellers made good time beating a lot of Easter weekend traffic, and arrived in Shoal Bay, Port Stephens; home to several family resort bays and a campsite, that they would call a home away from home for the next few days.

I decided to give the guys a good lesson in tent erecting, and knowing how easy it is to put up a tent, to show off I put mine up from the inside out! There wasn’t much faith in me, but I made it work :P With inflatable mattresses pumped, sheets and pillows in, it was time to fire up the BBQ and kick back for the long weekend. After lunch we took a trip around the area to Nelsons Bay where the boys bought fishing gear; they swore they would catch bigger fish than each other…

We got back to the campsite and then headed off to a recommended fishing spot, of course, I was happy hooking in the pictures rather than fishes. As Aaron and Jarrad practiced their skills, I was off snapping the landscape as much as I could. The sky was overcast and I figured the shots would look pretty crappy, but I still managed a few nice ones… at least according to the back of my camera.

Meanwhile A & J were ramping up their big to catch *something, and so had moved from a rocky point to ankle deep beach water. Aaron flanked out left, while Jazz decided the tactic would be best formed fishing in the open wash. A few beers on, a shout! I turned my head to see Jazz yoinking in a marine animal of some description. As it rose from the water, it became apparent it was a Ray. Jazz plonked him down on the wet washed sand and referred to his “Fishing for Dummies” book, as to whether it was legal to catch them or not… I never did find out the outcome, but we eventually got the hook from it’ mouth and threw him back in. Despite another couple of fish trips, that little fella was as much as the Chambers managed to bring in that weekend. Into the night and another BBQ with beers finished us off nicely.

Saturday welcomed us in with some rain, which set a tone for a very slow day. The sun eventually came out and we made it down to the beach for a swim. The night led us out to the local sports bar place, where we threw some cash in to the “WWTBAM” machine, and won nothing.

Inevitably, the JagerMeister came out when we got back to the camp site, and so it really wasn’t a surprise that the drinking games came out – I blame Em and Lauren to be honest, they just wanted to see the guys in pain. I also got to experience ‘Chew’ a delicacy Aaron had brought back with him from India. It was just plain WRONG. But hella funny all the same.

Easter Sunday rolled in Egg-stravagent style. After we played a game of throw the giant oversized easter-egg until someone (Em) drops it, we headed off to the sand Dunes to rip it up on Quad Bikes! The surprise package was little Macca who cained the living daylights out of her bike to beat all and sundry in a race around our freshly invented sandy circuit!

On the way back from the Quad biking, the bumpy 4x4 tour bus took us by Tin City; a small town made of, well you guessed already. I figured I should mention it in here, even though it wasn’t really that interesting…

The 5 of us spent the afternoon recovering from the mornings excitement in different ways, myself and Lozza heading over to Finkle Bay for a wander about. The Sun set on a thoroughly enjoyable Easter Sunday right before we headed out for a delish fish and chips meal.

Monday morning came the time for us to take out place in a queue of traffic stretching from Port Stephens to Sydney… and so it was, our Easter weekend, over for another year. I wonder if after last years Southern highlands adventures, and this years Northern adventures, if I’ll be West or East next Easter?

*Anything