30 May 2014
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| Lookout above the Hawkesbury River |
We started our 2 week trip north with
Et and Lin, going via the Wisemans Ferry across the Hawkesbury river.
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| The kiosk at Wisemans Ferry |
En route, we passed through some
pretty, historic villages, such as Wollombi, where the restored buildings
retain the flavor and charm of days gone by.
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| Wollombi Tavern, famous for its "Jungle Juice" |
We also came across the first of
many, many references to the earlier presence of the Aborigines in NSW. This
particular plaque reminds visitors of just one of the harsh and racist rules that applied to the original
inhabitants of Australia. Apart from one Didgeridoo player at Circular Quay,
we never saw another Aborigine in all of our nearly 6000km travels through NSW,
and the southern bit of Queensland,
although it must also be said that we did not spend time in Sydney, or
Brisbane.
According to our Lonely Planet –New
South Wales guide, we should not have been so surprised! “… the numbers driven away by force, who
succumbed to disease, the impact alcohol had on their lifestyle, The 1918
Aboriginal Ordinance (which authorized the state to remove aboriginal children
from their mothers, and place them in Foster homes), and the dismal failure of
the “assimilation policy”, which created
the “Stolen Generation” , and has resulted in a bitterness that persists to
this day.”
“The assimilation policy was dumped
in 1972, and in 1976, The Aboriginal Land Rights Act in the Northern
Territories, for the first time, gave Aboriginal peoples indisputable title to
Aboriginal Reserves, and a means of claiming other “crown” land. “National
Sorry Day” was first held on 26 May 1998, recognizing the loss and suffering of
Aboriginal people.”
The Hunter valley is one of
Australia’s premier wine growing regions, and so a few tastings were enjoyed.
The planned dawn Hot Air ballooning trip over the vineyards, however, sadly had
to be cancelled, when the morning fog failed to clear sufficiently to allow the
pilot to see where he was going!
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| This lovely old home is an example of "Queensland" style |
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Patients at the Port MacQuarie Koala Hospital
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| Entrance to Port MacQuarie |
From Cessnock, we motored up past Port
Stevens, through Bulahdelah, to Harrington, where we spent the night. The next
day we explored Port Macquarrie, and visited the Koala Hospital, then Coffs Harbour,
and Emerald Beach
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| Promenade at Harrington |
Coffs Harbour is a Port of Entry, and
therefore of interest to sailors wishing to arrive in Australia by yacht, and
hoping to avoid allegedly heavy handed reception awaiting one in Bundaberg!
The Big 4 Holiday Park at Emerald
Beach was particularly nice, quite apart from giving us our first “close ups”
of Kangaroos, and Kookaburras!
One of the real highlights was the
walk through the Dorrigo Rain Forest, where we also saw our first Lyre Bird.
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| The elusive Lyrebird |
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| The Skywalk at Dorrigo |
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