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Lake Macquarie
Lake Macquarie NSW is one of the largest saltwater lakes in the Southern
Hemisphere. Lake Macquarie has a surface area of 11, 000 hectares (that's
big) making it a great place to sail your boat or go fishing. Not
surprisingly, it has over 34 boat ramps and 14 public jetties so water
sports is a popular past time! The Lake's entrance lies at the southern
end of Nine Mile Beach and to the north, Nine Mile Beach is backed by a
wide expanse of dunes which are separated from the lakeside town of
Belmont by shallow lagoons. A ferry makes regular two-hour cruises of the
northern part of the lake and departs from Belmont or Toronto.
We're told on good authority (and saw for ourselves) that Lake Macquarie
is the perfect place to fish, swim, dive, sail, kayak, water ski, scuba
dive, rock climb, horse ride, cycle, windsurf, play golf, take a cruise,
explore beach caves or take a hike <whew>
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Newcastle
Saying farewell to Heidi's mother, we head north to Newcastle, known as
the city of abundance. Entering the city streets we were soon lost in the
one-way streets, having to backtrack, several times until we found
somewhere to park the Turtle. Newcastle NSW is an industrial city, famous
for its surf beaches, and with convenient access to national parks and the
Hunter Valley, and its wineries.
Newcastle is the capital of the Hunter Valley and is Australia's only city
centre bounded by pristine beaches and an active working harbour.
Newcastle has a 200 year history, being discovered in 1797 and is the site
of the second European settlement in Australia. There's the Bogey Hole,
which was cut into ocean rocks by convict labour in 1819. Or visit Fort
Scratchley perched high above the Newcastle harbour.
This was constructed during the Crimean War to protect the city from
invasion. In 1942, at the height of World War II, the fort returned fire
at a Japanese submarine shelling BHP, the only fort in Australia to have
engaged the enemy in a maritime attack.
Newcastle is also known as a city of art and culture with its cosmopolitan
precincts lying in Beaumont Street, Darby Street and The Junction. And
then there's Queen's Wharf which has been the focal point of foreshore
development. Here we found restaurants, cafes, a boutique brewery and an
observation tower.
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Stockton Beach
Not wanting to stay in the city, we travel a little further past oil
refineries and wind machines (spooky looking) until we reach the cute
village of Stockton where we pull into the Stockton Beach Caravan Park.
Stockton is Newcastle's only northern suburb, just five minutes from
Newcastle's city centre by ferry. But don't let its proximity to the city
fool you. Stockton has retained an old fashioned, country atmosphere, a
far cry from the hustle and bustle of city life. It is unbelievably quiet
and, well, retro with a mix of 19th century cottages and old mansions
complemented by the simple architecture of the newer buildings.
Known to the local Worimi Aboriginals as "Burrinbingon", Stockton was
abundant with oysters, pippies, a multitude of fish species and plentiful
wildlife. In 1797 Lieutenant John Shortland discovered the Coal River
(later the Hunter River) whilst searching for escaped convicts. By 1799 a
sawpit was operating in Stockton to supply timber to Sydney and later,
Stockton became an industrial suburb with the Stockton Coal Company was
fully operational by 1886. Also, Stockton Beach and the Oyster Bank were
notorious for shipwrecks. The most well-known was the "Adolphe", wrecked
in 1904 and still visible on the breakwater.
Today Stockton is a fisherman's paradise, with river, beach, harbour and
deep sea fishing all nearby. It is also an ideal destination for surfers
with 30km of beaches.
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Watagans National Park
Having powered up, we're ready to take on some dirt road and head 30 km
south-west of Newcastle to Watagans National Park. We are now 150 km north
of Sydney km. We enter the park via a dirt road from Freemans Waterhole,
but there are a couple of other options to choose from via Cooranbong or
Cessnock. After about 20 minutes we stop at a picnic ground for the night
at the Gap Creek camping areas. Before sundown we take a bushwalk to Gap
Creek Falls lined with Magnificent red cedar and Illawarra flame trees,
where the lookout provides marvelous views of rainforest gullies.
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Brisbane Shopping
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Bunnings Warehouse is a
chain of hardware super stores selling everything from gardening products to
electrical products and DIY tools.
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Fun Stuff
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When looking to dine out in Brisbane, it is helpful to understand the different
precincts for
restaurants in Brisbane.
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