Glenbrook sits on approximately 150 m altitude, and here the Blue Mountains are quite different from what you’d usually associate with this national park: Instead of deep canyons, the Glenbrook area features quintessential Australian bush with old eucalypt forests spread across sandstone ridges and deep river gorges. The Nepean River, which together with its associated mouth, the Hawkesbury River, virtually encircles the Sydney region, is in walking distance.
The campground in the Blue Mountains National Park offers a beautiful natural setting. What a contrast to Dubbo’s commercial caravan park in the middle of the city, fenced off with barbed wire! Niklas and grand-dad Siegfried quickly collect some firewood, and soon we have dinner at a cosy fire, the last one for a long time. Not sure if I will miss pasta and tomato sauce though … :-)
That night it starts raining. But we are lucky enough that the drizzle stops early in the morning so we can pack up our tent in dry conditions. We realise that for the last 12 weeks the weather gods have been smiling on us as we had hardly any rain: The first night, the last one, a spectacular thunderstorm at the Devils Marbles, and some drizzle in the Paluma Ranges National Park — that was it!
So what remains after exactly 14,210 km? Some worn out garments, more than enough photos to bore the pants off our friends, lots of fond memories. But also the feeling that we have now got a very good insight into Australia. Most importantly, however, the realisation that we are fortunate to live in a lovely spot. Even after having seen so many diverse regions of this continent, we still believe that our suburb in Sydney’s east is one of the best places to live. Yes, admittedly a bit on the coolish side in winter. But that’s easier to cope with than the steaming hot summers in tropical Queensland. The occasional shark alarm or some blue bottle jellyfish. Nothing compared to crocs or deadly box jellyfish north of Rockhampton. Sometimes busy and crowded roads and shops. But would you want to swap this for the remoteness of central Australia where kids can’t walk to school?
You'd catch 'em surfin' at Del Mar
Ventura County line
Santa Cruz and Trestle
Australia's Narrabeen
All over Manhattan
And down Doheny Way
Everybody's gone surfin'
Surfin' U.S.A.
There is a reason why Narrabeen is mentioned in this 1963 Beach Boys song. (Unfortunately, I don't have a surfboard ...)
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| If you don't have a surfboard ... |
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| Narrabeen rock pool |
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| Collaroy rock pool |
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| Collaroy beach |
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| Dee Why beach |
In essence, though our journey could have gone on and on and on, we are also happy to be back at home. After all, we can now catch up with all those friends whom for 3 months we only stayed in touch with via this little blog.
[Glenbrook, Euroka campground, 25.-26. September]
— T H E E N D —
