We had the best intentions of posting more news as we progressed along our trip, but patchy access to the internet and a busy schedule got in the way – so the second part of our travel diary in being posted after we’ve got back. Many of you may already have seen Marc in the shop and chatted about the trip – but here’s the rest…
Lennox Head is delightful. Its small surfing community which is just about a perfect size. Its famous amongst surfers for its right hand break – something which we were told only occurs there and at Jeffrey’s Bay in South Africa. One of the delights of Lennox is its gorgeous seven mile beach – perfect for good long walks. 
The place is so unspoiled that we had an up-close encounter with 3 pelicans, 
and came across this little creature on the beach – wierd looking, but quite attractive in its own colourful way. And not as camera-shy as you might expect.
Our next stop was the Dorrigo National Park to spend some time in the rainforest. This section of our journey didn’t go quite to plan. Dorrigo’s catch phrase is ,”Where the Mountains Touch the Sky” – which is roughly where our car broke down. About 85% of the way up the mountain, in the middle of the rainforest, by our estimation. Although the scenery was gorgeous, civilisation was pretty thin on the ground at that point.
With the help of some very down-to-earth local characters, we limped into Dorrigo. This place is serene and very beautiful, possibly because its rather remote and very small. So small in fact that the parts required to repair the car had to be ordered in which meant we stayed an extra day. Di and Paul, who run Tallawalla were fantastically accomodating and we were able to extend our stay with them for one more night and have a relaxing day in front of their fireplace while we waited for the car to be repaired. We spent an afternoon exploring the rainforest, and found time to spend some time with Juan at ‘The World’s Smallest Motorcycle Museum’.
And then on to Sydney for 5 days. A bit of time for markets and IMAX, catching up with friends, a visit to Sydney’s famous fish market for lunch, and the Darwin exhibition at the Maritime Museum. Having seen the exhibitions at London’s Natural History Museum, and the Fitzwilliam Museum, it was interesting to get an Australian perspective on his work. 
Sadly, we were a bit too late to explore the replica of HMS Endeavour, but we did have a good close up look at her from the outside. When you consider that she carried 96 men, sailing across the world was an amazing feat!
We took a drive out to the Blue Mountains and spent a day in the area around Katoomba. 
To reach the old coal mine near the famous Three Sisters, the first part of the journey entails a roller-coaster-like descent on ‘The World’s Steepest Railway’. And steep it most certainly is. Safely enclosed in caged seats, passengers have the experience of their carriage quite literally going over the cliff edge. Once at the bottom, the forest floor reveals some sobering clues about the life of the coal miners. The bleak setting of a miner’s cottage is stark contrast to our modern lifestyle. 
This kitchen area is a graphic example.
Given the fact that the shop’s wine range includes some Australian vintages, a visit to Hunter Valley was definitely on the agenda. Although we were told that Hunter Valley has been less renowned than some of the other wine producing areas in Australia, there is a regeneration taking place.
Hunter Valley is filled with small boutique wineries, many of which are owned by large producers who export the wines from their other vineyards. The wines produced in Hunter Valley are almost exclusively for local sale only. We thought this a great pity as we had some very pleasing samples there and bought our fair share of bottles to take back to Sydney with us.
Our last few days were spent back in Sydney with old friends before we started the very long journey home. A great trip and if anyone would like details of the places we’ve visited – if we’ve tempted you to go and experience it yourself – just drop us a line or ask Marc when you see him in the shop.
Posted under Quite Interesting
This post was written by Vandy on July 24, 2009
