Blue Mountains,Sydney to Goldcoast

Well finally I have had a decent Internet connection and time where I can sit down for a day and review our adventures. As this is how long it takes with this Blogger to upload pictures.
We left Bundeena for the Blue mountains and we had a neat little free camp set up in the bush.
The weather was somewhere between raining and really hot.....
We managed some of the shorter walks and I also managed to jump off one of the cliffs for a fly which was awesome even though it was short and not very high the scenery was great.
It was during this time here that we were to learn of the tragedy unfolding in Victoria and our hearts go to those caught up in the bush fires.
From the Blue Mountains we headed for Gosford to get some warranty work done on the trailer, we rented a little (tiny) cabin in a caravan park for 5 days while this was being carried out and the weather was terrible solid rain all week.
As we had an offer to stay in Sydney with the Malouf's who we met in Kangaroo Valley we decided to head down while they finished the work on the trailer and stay in a real house!!!!!
We had an awesome time in Sydney and our hosts were fantastic , we even had choccies on our bed when we arrived:)).
The house overlooks middle harbour and has fantastic views.
They are just great people and we really hope to be able to catch up with them again soon. Thanks George,Suzy,Caitlin and Jonty.
They eventually forced us out kicking and screaming into a mud hole called Myall Lakes :):):) As there had been so much rain in the last 10 days the campsite was mostly under water but we found what we thought was a dry spot until it rained more that night:((.
But that was the last rain and we got to try out the new YAK ,the Blue Beast
I went for a 12.5 km paddle and had blisters on both thumbs to prove it, Debs went on a couple of girlie paddles but loves it.
After we camped at a spot called Tiona just south of Forster in the Booti Booti National Park. It was here that i managed to use the yak for some fishing and got a good haul of Flathead , well actually Em caught 2 I caught 3, Grace the fishing nut didn't do so well but she did try hard.
Debs went on a bigger paddle and the wind was up with some chop about so she raced home as she had a bit of a scare (The Wus).
I had my first surf in 15yrs and it wasn't pretty at an awesome beach called Seal Rocks, Debs went for an ocean paddle and got cocky as she had thought she had got back to the beach safe through the surf, Then got slammed on the beach by a small wave , she had a huge lump on her head and lost her sunnies.......... it was funny though.
I went out to show her how to catch the waves and got slammed myself , This Yak is better for cruising and fishing than the surf:)
We then headed back into Laurieton for some flying and i managed to get some low flights and a OK one off of North Brother but no XC (cross country).
From there it was onto the Gold Coast for a course I am doing on share stuff via the Waterfall Way which ended up being a really long way round caught a heap of trout but all small.
Anyway here we are in Surfers paradise surrounded by high rises.Weather is great, thunderstorm last night perfect today.
Sorry about the wait
Galvo


Blue Mountains Train Ride

Three Sister's


Three Sisters


Morning Shot- Blue Mountains


Our Ferral Kids

Taronga Zoo

Our Pet Monkeys

Seal Show

Like My Whiskers

Markets-Sydney

Guess Where?

Grace Doing Her Bit

Caitlin And Jonty Malouf

Ferry To Sydney

The Malouf View

Kids Dress Up

Princess Grace

Princess Lucy

The Monsters Turn Into Angels

The Smile Says It All

Our Mudhole-Myall Lakes

Debs And Her New Toy- The YAK

Sunset -Tiona

Tiona -Sunset Flat Head City

Indian Head-Laurieton

Ebor Falls

Dangar Falls

Wollomombi Falls

The Big Prawn

Canberra - Kangaroo Valley - Bundeena

Hi again
Well here I am sitting in a superb location (After we cleaned up the poo and toilet paper from some moron) in the bush in the Blue Mountains in the Megalong Valley.

Birds are going off kids are in school and Lucy is well just being Lucy (loud).

We have had a busy time holidaying since my last post and there has been a mix of emotions from meeting great people to the lows of the War memorial in Canberra and seeing just how bad our Grandads had it over sea's and the horrors that they were a part of, to the living conditions in the mud and cold. This is a place that every Aussie should visit I spent two days there but coulde have spent longer and I would be lying if i said i didn't have a tear in my eye the whole time I was there, in fact even now just thinking back another has formed.

The national Museum in canberra was a disappointment lots of open space very little content :(.

The Zoo was pretty good with an aquarium and good reptile display, the big cats also had good open areas and I managed to get some good pics of a few of them.

I had a couple of good flights here and I had to get out of bed at 5am to fly one sight bloody crazy but good fun, the guys in the local club were great and I would love to come back.

After Canberra we ended up on the coast in Moruya and we rented a dinghy for a few hours fishing ,lots of tiddlers caught and a small amount of sunburn.

From here we went to Kangaroo Valley

This turned out to be a great move as we met some great people and had a fantastic time .

The kids made friends straight away Lucy lost her trainer wheels and the families all hit it off as well, so a great Australia day weekend was had.

There were heaps of Wombts and Goanas and I even saw two lyrebirds which was a bit of a highlight.

After KV we headed for the coast again so i could possibly have a fly at Stanwell park a famous Aussie flying site, we camped close by in Coledale which was on the beach, it had the potential to be a great spot but due to being right next door to the toilets and a truckstop it lost it's appeal as Debs and i were getting no sleep and the weather was no good for flying so we hightailed it out of there to Bundeena in the Royal Nat Park.
My cousin lives here and it was great to catch up, we had lunch one day over in Cronulla at Hogs Breath where I had a steak that was supposedly cooked for 18hrs?
The next night we rode our bikes to my cousins (Jeff , Barbara and Ollie)
They had cooked up a storm and some of the tastiest curries Iv'e had in a long time. On the way home we saw a deer as well.
After Bundeena its to our current bush camp in the Blue mountains.

Heather on an early paddle KV

Our campsite KV

Now this is unbelievable if you had have seen the rig he was using?? Maybe the fish was either stupid or had help :)

George with his prize catch

Wally the Wombat

Our Red Bellied who was around most days.

DS Party

Canberra Zoo- Olive Python

Mr Murray Cod

Mountain Lion

Tiger- Two great shots

The kids all love the Dingos

Rock Python
Canberra Pilots are a bit weird

Lake George - Sunrise before flight

Sunrise Lake George

What are we doing the sun isn't even up yet.

Stanwell Park-Bummer i never got to fly here. Awsome coast line.

The War Memorial-Canberra . These men of the 2/16th my uncle Sully would've fought alongside. The ones that never came home.

There are heaps of these figurenes of all the different battles throughout the memorial.

Stained Glass at the Hall of Rememberence

Simpson and His Donkey

The faces of all the soldiers(prisoners) killed on the Sandokan Death March- Murdered by the Japanese

Lest We Forget

A small portion of the men killed-WW1 Galvo

South Coast to Canberra

Well guys a lot has happened we had a great time in Corryong, We swam in the Snowy River, Got the highest I've ever been on my glider just over 9ooo'

Had new years eve with a load of cowboys and generally just had fun.

Tumut campsite while we were waiting for mail turned out to be a highlight, And it was a great place for our mail to be held up....

We are now in Canberra and I have had 2 short flights and have been to the Zoo and National Gallery still heaps to see and do But that's for the next post. hope you enjoy some of my pics i even braved letting go of the controls to take some pics in the air.

Steve

On the Road from Buchan to the Snowy River

Lunch Pit Stop (can do these in 15min start to Finish)

The Mighty Snowy River

The Kids Li lowing Down the Snowy River

Emu and Chicks

Snowy's

Rest Stop

New Years Eve- Corryong Rodeo Heehaw

Somewhere near Corryong

Corryong- Nice boots approx 1100m off ground, My First Climb here at 5.30pm I took to 2700m.

Corryong Launch - Clearing Left of Centre Forground-Mt Kosiosko small peak right of centre in background.

Rockflat Campsite-Tumut on Goobragandra Creek (Best to date and Free)

A Rare Moment Debs in the water, It's finally warming up Yippee

I even Caught 2 trout-Rainbow's One upstream and one Down

Blowering Dam Wall with the Tumut River in Background (Crystal Clear)

Blowering Dam