The Wagonga Princess

The Wagonga Princess is an iconic sight in Narooma. This small 100 year old electric ferry has been taking tourists around the waters of the Wagonga Inlet for over 30 years.

 I first went for a tour with my family in January 1984. We had towed a caravan to Adelaide to spend Christmas with relatives, then spent a couple of weeks visiting places like the Great Ocean Road, Melbourne etc. Narooma was a place where my mum's family regularly spent their holidays, so we pulled up in the caravan park for a few days.

I'd love to be able to say I remember every minute of the cruise & had many photos of it - but alas my memory of it is actually limited to the section where you get billy tea & scones! I can remember the camp fire & the billy tea as well as a bit of the walk to get there. There's a bit of a vague memory that we'd gotten there by boat but that's it.

Thirty years on and I finally got to go again. The kids weren't sure about it to start with - after all we spend quite a bit our time in Narooma on a boat. But they ended up loving it so much they asked to go again next year the minute we stepped off!

The captain now is Charlie. His dad was the original captain when the tours started in the early 80's. When I asked Charlie about it, he said his dad was the only one with the license to captain the ferry so the owners got him to run the tours.

Charlie has a wealth of stories about Narooma & the Wagonga Inlet. As the ferry glides gracefully through the water, he regales you with all sorts of tales - most would be considered tall tales except he has the photos to prove it! There's a few bad dad jokes thrown in for good measure. The kids loved having a go at steering the ferry, all the kids have a chance to have a go with Charlie giving the directions and giving a hand when necessary.

The day we went was overcast so the photos aren't as stunning as they could be (all the more reason to go again next year) - the waters of the inlet are incredibly blue in sunlight. A number of landmarks are pointed out, and so too are any birds that Charlie sights. He hands around folders with a number of interesting photos as well as information about Narooma.

The spot where you go ashore for billy tea, scones & a brief walk is idyllic. This was a different spot to the one I remembered from the first time I went (I asked Charlie about it). It is private land so the only way to go there is on one of Charlies tours. The walk takes you through a remnant of rain forest, with Charlie pointing out the plants & features of this unique environment. There is a steep hill to start with, but other than that the walk is pretty easy going.

Once back near the wharf, you are treated to scones with jam & cream & billy tea (cordial for the kids). Unfortunately there wasn't any gluten free option - we had asked when booking just to make sure in case we needed to take something with us. So I had to take the others word for it that the scones were delicious - my non gluten free kids loved the fact they got my serve as well!

While we were consuming our devonshire tea, Charlie disappeared for a while to collect some oysters. Now I'm not a fan so didn't try any, but all those that liked them seemed to enjoy them. All three kids tried them - only one considered them 'delicious'. The other two wished they had the scones after trying the oysters!

Back onboard & it's time to head home. The tour takes 3 hours, most of it spent meandering around the inlet, so the trip back is relatively short.

During peak times, the cruise runs every day, the rest of the year its Sunday, Wednesday & Friday. Best to check online http://wagongainletcruises.com.au/ or go and visit the Tourist Information Centre in Narooma - they have all the details. The Wagonga Princess departs from Forsters Bay, just next to The Inlet. 

Narooma

Narooma is one of my favourite places. Just love coming across the bridge on the first day of holidays - seems to make me feel relaxed almost immediately! My mums family came here regularly for holidays and for the past few years we have spent a few weeks here every year.

Narooma is on the South Coast of New South Wales, about 4-5 hours drive south of Sydney and is situated on the Wagonga Inlet. A breakwall at the bar crossing has created a deep passage into the inlet, but also an extensive shallow area which is ideal for kids.

Where we stay

My parents have an onsite van at Easts Caravan park. It's a large caravan park just as you come over the bridge heading south on the highway. There are a range of different accommodation options here, from basic campsites to fully furnished cabins. The kids have the pool to play in, a jumping pillow, & push carts. The caravan park is on both sides of the highway, with one side overlooking the shallow area formed by the breakwall

There are other places to stay - 2 caravan parks, a number of motels and holiday rentals. We've only ever stayed at Easts so can't recommend any other places.

Where we eat

There are 3 shopping areas in Narooma - on the flat near Easts, the main part of town & Narooma Plaza (where Woolworths is situated).

There are some great places to eat in Narooma. Opposite the Easts Caravan Park is the Narooma Ice Creamery Cafe. It has a great range of ice cream & home made gelato. In addition there is a full cafe menu for breakfast, lunch & light dinners during summer. The fish & chip shop nearby does great fish & chips & has a small range of fresh fish & seafood. Montague Coffee is the best place to get coffee in Narooma - they roast their own coffee on site. They have a small range of food items. 

In the main part of town our favourite is Caseys Cafe - they have had some good gluten free options when we've been there in the past. We haven't eaten at the pubs in this area but they have been recommended to us.

At Narooma Plaza there is Roxy's Cafe & Takeaway & Sugar Pie Patisserie. We haven't eaten there recently, but both were good from memory.

We've eaten at both the Golf Club (fantastic views of the ocean & Montague Island) & the Bowling Club (close to Easts & fairly recently renovated). Both have bistro type menus & we like both places but usually chose to go to the Golf Club for a special treat.  

View of Montague Island from the Golf Club

At Forsters Bay, there are 2 places to eat, both in old boat sheds jutting out over the water. Taylor's (now apparently called The Inlet) does takeaway fish & chips as well as eat in options. We haven't been to Quarterdeck just next door for a number of years, but the last time we were there the food was pretty good. Might be a good idea to check its opening hours though. 

What we do

Well mainly we chill out & do as little as possible! We have a boat that we haul down there & spend a bit of time on the inlet fishing. Our kids are still happy playing in the tidal flats in front of the caravan park - or at Bar Beach just inside the breakwall - the beach does run on the other side of the breakwall but is unpatrolled. 

There is a rock formation called Australia Rock on the other side of the breakwall. The shape was formed by a large chain that was holding a ship in rough seas.

Australia Rock is a hole in the rock shaped like Australia (minus Tasmania) The island that can be seen is Montague Island.

Along the breakwall we've seen seals sunning themselves & whales can be seen from a nearby lookout at the right time of year. 

Forsters Bay is on the inlet & is another shallow tidal area. This is where we usually launch the boat. You can hire kayaks etc near the main part as well as tinnies from The Inlet. If you want something a bit bigger, there are a couple of places that will hire you a BBQ boat - one is Narooma Marina. If you are interested in the history of the area, then the 'Wagonga Princess' does tours throughout the week (see the information centre for information & times)

Not far off the coast is Montague Island. A number of companies run tours out to the island depending on weather conditions (Narooma Bar Crossing is particularly dangerous in certain types of weather). There are also deep sea fishing tours - again check at the information centre or one of the fishing shops for details.

There is a 6 km cycle path that goes around to the next town north of Narooma - Dalmeny. This runs in front of Easts caravan park then across the bridge (if you cross the highway just before the bridge, you can walk around to Forsters Bay). The next part is across the Mill Bay Boardwalk where a range of marine life can be seen in the shallows. There are usually a number of sting rays hanging out quite close to shore.

View from the Mill Bay Boardwalk looking towards the bridge

We sometimes go for drives to nearby towns such as Central Tilba, Bermagui, Mogo or Moruya, but I'll leave those for other blog posts! We're quite happy just hanging out enjoying the views & the cooler weather we usually get when we are there.

Manly

We have spent some time in Manly over the last few years. Living in the country means a lack of services we needed to assist Miss 13 who has Down Syndrome. So we were referred to Royal Far West - a fantastic service that assists country kids access services such as Occupational Therapists, Speech Therapists, Paediatricians etc. About every 6 months over about 6 years we stayed onsite for a week to attend a multitude of appointments.

In the times between appointments, while the kids attended the onsite school, I got to wander around, discovering a lot of things about Manly that I didn't know before! Growing up on the North West outskirts of Sydney we often went to Manly to escape the sumer heat. It usually involved a walk down the Corso, an ice cream and sometimes fish and chips. Of course things have changed since my childhood days!

The Corso runs from the Harbour side of Manly, where the ferries from Circular Quay arrive, to the Ocean. On the wharf there are a range of restaurants & food outlets

Lining the Corso are a range of shops, from supermarkets & surf shops to touristy shops and the best newsagent around. But the main attraction for most people at Manly is the beach. Where the ferries come in there is stretch of beach perfect for kids to play. Manly Sea Life Sanctuary is a short walk away - I haven't been for a long time, but my kids said the penguin exhibit was really good. At the opposite end of the Corso is the ocean beach. It can get quite busy here in summer & is well patrolled by life savers.

Although the Corso is the main centre of activity for visitors, I've found a few gems in the streets surrounding the Corso. Infinity Sourdough Bakery is in a laneway behind the Corso (go through the arcade next to Smiggle & turn left). Their gluten free chocolate brownie is one of our favourites. They have a few gluten free choices, and all the rest looks very yummy! They do light breakfasts and the coffee is really good.

Fika Swedish Kitchen has great coffee, & an interesting range of food. I've had breakfast here and appreciated being offered avocado when I asked for no bread. We've been to In Situ a number of times and the food is always good. They do a fresh mint & honey tea which I love. Bean Rush does great coffee, but the last time I went there didn't have any gluten free food options.

There are plenty of restaurants as well as cafes in this part of Manly. Our favourite fish and chip shop is Mongers in Rialto Square (go down the alleyway between a pharmacy & Hungry Jacks). It's not a cheap choice for fish & chips but nowhere really is these days. Mex & Co is on the ocean front and according to my 12 year old son does the best Mexican food. We've had great steaks & ribs at Manly Grill which is also on the ocean front. Next door is bluewater cafe where I've enjoyed lunch on a few occasions.

And if you need dessert there are a range of different ice cream shops. Ben & Jerry's is on the ocean front (right across from Royal Far West). My favourite is Movenpick, while the kids prefer Royal Copenhagen - both in the Corso. The last time we were there a Yoghurtland had opened up much to Miss 8's delight!

I'm not much into clothes shopping - well other than op shops - so many of the shops in this part of Manly don't interest me at all. There are a range of surf shops, clothing outlets and a number of 'cheap' shops along the Corso.

Desire Books would have to be my favourite shop - not suprising when you know how much I love books & reading. It has an eclectic collection of second hand books. There is usually a typewriter of some description also on display towards the back of the shop.

There is another secondhand bookshop - Andy's Book Echange - where I have purchased a few books. It's a tiny store & I feel like I'm going to knock piles of books over whenever I go in there but it has a good range of newer books. Humphreys Newsagent is a fantastic newsagency with a huge range of stationery, toys, magazines, & books.

I've found 3 ops shops in walking distance from the Corso in Manly. The Salvos shop is next to the Post Office, Lifeline is close by while the Vinnies shop is a bit further away. I found my current favourite winter brown suede jacket at the Vinnies a few years ago.

Miss 13 has been discharged so we will no longer be regularly visiting Manly. I will miss having the time to just wander around seeing what I can find but we will definitely be going back to visit when we can.

Muswellbrook

Muswellbrook is in the Upper Hunter, in an area where coal mines & power stations are predominant. It's another town we drive through regularly on our way to Sydney. Just recently my DH spent some time in Muswellbrook for work so we got to spend a bit more time than usual looking around. 

This statue shows a Blue Heeler dog - the first ones were bred near Aberdeen in the 1840's

Where we stayed

I've stayed at the John Hunter Motel (91 Maitland St, Muswellbrook Ph 02 6543 4477) a couple of times with Miss 13 a few years ago. It was ok, but nothing special. The decor was old and worn then, but the bed was comfortable enough. We ate at the restaurant on the first occasion. The food was nice, but it was expensive and the second time my daughter preferred to go to McDonalds next door. I felt that it was quite expensive for the night - but we had not prebooked, it may be cheaper through Wotif etc. 

This year we have stayed at Noahs Mid City Motor Inn twice - both times in the same room! If all the rooms are like this one then anyone staying here should be happy. The room looks to have been renovated recently and are lovely. The bed was comfy and although the room was smallish, overall it was quite comfortable. We had breakfast at the motel on the first occasion. It was a buffet type arrangement with all the usual breakfast items. Breakfast is only available Mon - Fri. Although the motel is on the highway (all the motels in Muswellbrook are), I didn't find it too noisy at night.

Where we ate

Carmens "A Little Taste of Italy" 91 Bridge St, Muswellbrook Ph 02 6542 5166

We really enjoyed the meal we had here. It's a lovely little restaurant attached to Noah's Mid City Motor Inn. I had a really yummy seafood risotto while DH enjoyed his steak. It's advertised as family friendly & certainly seemed that way from the few family groups that were there.

Artiste Expresso Bar 1-3 Bridge St Muswellbrook Ph 02 6541 2277

Artiste is a small cafe adjacent to the Art Gallery with a number of tables outside. We've had breakfast here twice. The menu is listed on the wall and has a simple variety of foods. The gluten free cake range is larger than most cafes. The breakfasts we had were simple but quite tasty. We were told all the sausages, ham etc used were gluten free and gluten free bread is available on request.

Lucky Star Bistro 113 Bridge Street, Muswellbrook Ph 02 6543 1700
The Lucky Star is a part of the Muswellbrook RSL Club. We ate here on two separate occasions, once with just DH & I, the other with our kids & other family members. I had steak & vegies both times as it's usually what I have when there's nothing else that is gluten free and it was what I felt like at the time. It came with a vegie dish that had been cooked in I think oyster sauce which I put to the side. While there with our daughter, the waitress said to let them know & they would leave that off. The chinese meals others tried looked good, my son found the sate a bit hot, but loved it anyway!

Hunter Belle Cheese Cafe 75 Aberdeen Street (New England Highway) Muswellbrook  
Ph 02 6541 5066

Hunter Belle Cheese is a small cheese factory that has cafe & gift shop on the premises. There are viewing windows where you can watch the cheese being made, a tasting area and a pretend cow that the kids can try their hand at 'milking'. We ate here with our 3 kids and everyone enjoyed their chosen meal. There were a couple of gluten free choices. I chose the pumpkin soup (without the included bread after checking that the soup was gluten free) for Miss 13, while I had the Nundle trout with potato pancakes & poached eggs. My serving was larger than expected but yummy nonetheless. The menu looks to have changed since we were there. 

My Nundle trout with potato pancakes was delicious

The cheese made here is really good. There are a number of different ones to chose from as well as butter & yoghurt. Our favourite is the washed rind, Mr 12's was a Italian herb & garlic cheddar. There is also a range of fudge (which we sampled on a later visit) and gelato made on the premises. Throughout the cafe, which is quite large with rustic timber tables and chairs, there are various gift items to purchase most with a cow or cheese theme. We found it to be a relaxed place where the kids enjoyed checking out the cheese making process.

Where we went

Muswellbrook has a newly redeveloped park which the kids loved. Highbrook Park now has a huge enclosed slide + other cool playground equipment. Turn into the road next to the showground, follow it to the T intersection & turn left, the park is on the right. There are toilet facilities, a number of picnic tables and a bike track. 

The weekend we stayed, the St Heilers Heavy Horse Field Day was on which I was very excited about. I love heavy horses and had seen signs advertising it on many of our previous trips to Sydney but it was never the right weekend. We went on the Sunday. There weren't a lot of classes running (apparently the Saturday is busier), but we enjoyed wandering around checking out the stalls and of course the many heavy horses. The kids and I enjoyed a ride in the wagon which had the added advantage of giving us a different view of what was going on. Lots of photos were taken!

This four in hand won their class pulling a slide with a large log on it.

We did visit Denman, but it was on Sunday and basically the only things we found open were the cafes. Another day we drove down to Singleton, then came back via Jerry's Pains. We had a map we'd picked up at the Information Centre, which had a lookout marked on it that looked out over the Coal operations. We went to have a look, it was freezing cold so we didn't stay out of the car long. It was also really noisy, basically it looked out over the centre of the mine operations, complete with giant dump trucks etc. 

There are a range of shops in a couple of different places. An Aldi, Coles and Harvey Norman are close to the Showground, while the rest of the shops are in the main street and a complex just behind the main street. DH & the kids loved the hobby shop, while I enjoyed the 2nd hand bookstore - unfortunately didn't find anything interesting enough to buy. Three op shops are spread along the main street. We found some good bed linen & towels at the Vinnies and a cheap rice cooker, mugs and some hardcover books at the Lifeline.

Hickeys Falls

Hickeys Falls is on the road between Gilgandra and Coonabarabran. It's a rest stop about 39km SW of Coonabarabran with the waterfall situated at the back of the rest stop. DH had been introduced to it by a work mate and when he visited the first time there was a lot of water coming over it. 

Hickeys Falls April 2013

It is accessed through a sign posted rest stop, with the waterfall being visible from the back of the carpark. There is a track (not sign posted but very easy to work out where to go) along the right hand side but after a short distance you basically find your own way to the pool at the base of the waterfall by scrambling across rocks. How far you get depends on the amount of water there is. Our kids especially love the scrambling across rocks bit! There is a place to cross to the other side - it involves well placed steps across some rocks. DS ended up with a wet foot on one occasion after misjudging the step!

April 2014 - showing more of the rocks in front of the waterfall

There are a few picnic tables in the rest area & usually a caravan or two - but there are no toilets. The lack of toilets makes it not the most ideal place for a picnic (especially when you have kids who like to check out all available toilet blocks...), but it is a great spot to stop & let the kids burn off some excess energy. 

Snowy River Cabins

Since we didn't stay in a town as such on our trip to the snow, I thought a post about our accommodation was warranted. I had come across mention of Snowy River Cabins on Facebook a while ago & liked the page thinking it would be a nice place to stay some time. Since it was very reasonable for the 5 of us + not too far away from the snow, we decided to try it out on this road trip.

We spent 4 nights there arriving in mid afternoon. Due to there being no mobile coverage, I had printed the instructions so we could find it. We found the instructions mostly straightforward. As we pulled up to check the last turn, Brendan pulled up beside us & we followed him the last part.

Our kids love animals & were very excited to see the dogs that greeted us. They were even more excited to meet the orphaned joeys that were inside - Miss 12 even got a cuddle of one. Brendan, Haley & the boys brought an echidna they had found to show the kids later that night. And we had several visits from Trigger the cat. In fact Trigger made herself very comfortable on the kids beds on several occasions! 

Brendan booked us in & pointed us in the direction of Cabin Number 2. Inside we found a cozy cabin. The kids slept in the main room while we had a smallish but quite adequate second room. The kitchen was well equipped & included a small fridge, stove top & microwave. Being made from cedar, the cabin proved to be very warm - we found we only needed to use the column oil heater. There were some other fan heaters but we found we didn't need them.

Cabin 2

We had a lovely view through the bush of the surrounding countryside & the start of the Snowy River. The kids enjoyed exploring some of the bush around us. It was lovely sitting on the verandah listening to not much more than the birds & a few distant cows.

On our last night we decided to have a campfire in the rock fire pit outside the cabin. There is also a wood BBQ, but we used the butane BBQ we carry with us to cook on. It was lovely to relax outside watching the flames & toasting marshmallows. 

View from Cabin 2 with wood BBQ & fire pit

We could have easily spent several more days there enjoying the peace & quiet - no TV or mobile phone to contend with! There were a range of games in the cabin that the kids excitedly made us play through at least once. 

We're already planning our next stay at Snowy River Cabins, hopefully in summer this time so we can have a go at catching some trout! And a chance to just hang out around the cabin, enjoying more peace & quiet.

Canberra Part Two

Australian War Memorial

Hubby & I had decided from the start we would visit the War Memorial while we were in Canberra. We were there on the 21st of August.

We spent most of the day there - and still didn’t see everything! The kids enjoyed the Discovery Zone (the school area open to the public 12:30 - 1:30 pm) and the multimedia displays. Miss 12 had been there last year with school but didn’t seem to mind looking at it all again.

Before we went, I had found out that the Wednesday we were going to go, the Federation Guard (the ceremonial unit of the Defence Forces) is at the War Memorial doing a catafalque (pronounced catapult) party at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. This was in the afternoon, but during the rest of the day two members were on guard outside, with the guard changing every 30 minutes. Miss 12 was intrigued by this, especially the way they precisely marched in & out!

Changing of the Guard

It was another cold & windy day, so we were glad to spend most of the day inside. We did have our lunch outside again though!

At 4 o’clock, the catafalque party marched into place. Four members stand facing outwards around the tomb, with a fifth overseeing them, while another two stood outside - all with their heads bowed & firearms facing down. The guard was changed after 30 minutes, this time accompanied by a drummer.

Catafalque Party

We bought poppies to put on the Honour Roll. Peter placed one for his Great Uncle Colin, who was killed during World War II in a training accident. I placed one for Stanley Skinner - a distant relative of mine, who was killed in Ypres during WW I.

Placing poppies.

We watched the last changing of the guard before the Last Post ceremony. This is where they close the War Memorial each day with the National Anthem, the story of one of the people listed on the Roll of Honour & the Last Post. The catafalque party moved from the tomb to stand around the Pool of Reflection. It was really moving. People also laid wreaths, the cards are then put into the archives of the War Memorial.

Last Post Ceremony

When we left, the Federation Guard were standing outside. Miss 12 was marching out the same way they were. She went up to say hello & complimented one of the guys on his gloves! As we walked to the car, all three kids were marching like the soldiers.