Rain Rain Go Away

Precipitation.  Such an attractive word.  It conjures up images of the expectation of an exciting event that is about to take place.  Instead, in the vernacular of Vin Rouge, it means ‘bloody rain’.  According to the meteorologists, ‘a low is travelling down the east coast of Australia’.  We know.  It’s been following us for the last week.  Drizzle is fine¸ we’re used to that from our life in the UK.  But alternating with downpours that are reminiscent of a very thorough pressure shower, it’s beginning to become rather tedious.  Now Land Rover Defenders are not famed for their water resistant qualities.  As the old adage does, ‘what’s the difference between the Titanic and a Land Rover?’.  The answer of course is ‘nothing, they both have the same turning circle and they both let in water’.  OK, a trifle cruel but there’s elements of truth in there somewhere.  

Mike has quite literally spent years trying to keep out the rain from Vin Rouge, all to no avail.  So now the front air vents are covered in gaffer tape, along with every other even faintly possible places where water may get in.  But when driving into something approaching a fireman’s hose, some of the water will get in.  Ah well, it’s all a part of life’s rich tapestry.

After such a great weekend in Sydney, it was something of an anticlimax to leave the city and head south once more.  However, leaving behind the seemingly never ending traffic lights and queues of vehicles was a pleasure.  We followed the Hume Highway south for a while, the scenery was nothing special and the road monotonous.  At our usual 80kph (50mph in old money) we plodded along being overtaken by everything from small cars to trucks with two trailers.  At last we turned east on to quieter roads and headed for the small towns of Mittagong and Bowral.

We stopped off at Bowral which has created an amazing museum of international cricket with a special section dedicated to Sir Donald Bradman.  The history of cricket was explained in some depth, along with how cricket balls and bats are made, the clothing worn and the prizes awarded.  The best willow for cricket bats comes from Essex in the UK, a fact we already knew, which is more than can be said for just about everything else we found out.  In all, a very interesting and enjoyable visit.

We’d planned to overnight at a place called Honeymoon Bay and so progressed through many mountain climbs and descents, hair pin bends and dramatic views ‘over the edge’ until we passed through the small town of Nowra, after which the scenery changed to flat scrub as we headed out on coastal flatlands towards Currarong, on a tip of land bordering Jervis Bay. 

Honeymoon Bay is on the Beecroft weapons range and it’s necessary to register with the military check point at the entrance.  Sadly the area was closed as it was in use by the military and so we spent the night in a very average camp at Currarong.  Around midnight the heavens opened and although we were snug and dry in the rooftop tent, the noise was such that sleep was just about impossible.

We can pack away the tent even when it is wet, which we did in a steady drizzle.  On the road again it rained, poured with rain, drizzled with rain and almost stopped a couple of times. 

Continuing south, we followed the coast road as much as is possible.  Views over the bays were indeed lovely, but would have been better for some sun.  The sea should have been cobalt blue, instead it was grey and threatening with surf pounding on the sandy beaches.  We dropped by Mollymook, where Rick Stein has a restaurant.  The place was pretty but Rick Stein was out and the restaurant was closed, so we had to settle for a coffee and a piece of cake in a greasy spoon cafe.  Not that same at all!

Lake Conjola was pretty but we pressed on, setting up camp at the Showground at Milton.  The very nice lady who collected the fee told us that the amenities block was about to be rebuilt, so we had a quick shower in case they started early.  Rain again, all night long and a soggy start the next morning which was brightened by a visiting flock of sulphur crested cockatoos.

South again the next morning where we stopped for an excellent coffee in the town of Ulladulla, then it was the Princes Highway pasing Bateman’s Bay.  We stopped off at a place with the wonderful but quite inaccurate name of pebbly beach where we met a rather languid goanna, presumably having just eaten.  This one was about 2 metres long.

 

On again through Narooma, where we bought some very tasty fresh prawns straight off the boat, Bermagui and finally Aragannu, where we set up camp in the Mimosa Rocks National Park, right by the sea.  Guess what?  It rained all night, although it did stop long enough for us to explore the beaches, one of rocks, the other beautiful sand. 

Returning to camp we found a bandicoot looking around for scraps but it soon wandered off.  A couple of kangaroos paid us little interest as we sat down with a glass of wine before turning in for the night.

Next day and another wet camp to pack away.  This is getting tedious.  We headed south again to the town of Bega, noted for its cheese.  A visit to the ‘Cheese Heritage Centre’ left us underwhelmed, apart fro the new breed of cow they seemed to have created.

We soon left, heading into the mountains through mountain passes towards Cooma.  The road twisted and turned, first climbing then dropping, one hairpin bend after another.  It was interesting driving but with little time to take in the views.

Passing throough Cooma, where we stopped only briefly for supplies, we entered the Kosiuszko National Park.  At 2228 metres, Mount Kosiuszko is the highest point in Australia.  It was raining of course and the peaks of all the mountains were hidden.  Sometimes we we below the cloud and it rained, Sometimes we were in the clouds and it rained and sometimes we were above the clouds were it rained from the clouds above.  Just under the alpine snowline, at 1200 metres, is Sawpit Creek where we camped for the night, and yes it rained. 

 

We were hoping to get to the summit the following day but the weather made this impossible.  So with an earnest plea for some sunshine, I’ll stop here.