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THE COAST CALLS

This month we finish our loop through the Red Centre before heading back through central NSW to home so the kids can catch up with loved ones. After a quick repack we head north with sunnier climes in mind

WORDS AND PHOTOGRAPHY BY BEN NICHOLAS

Ayers Rock, or Uluru as it is now known, would have to be on most Australians ‘to see’ list, and we are no different. Commercial or not, I think you have to go there at some point in your life and see it for yourself, and for us now was that time. With the mother and brother-in-law still in tow, we headed down from Kings Canyon and set up camp at Yulara, a tourist village made up of a range of different accommodation choices, food outlets and watering holes.

To gain entry into the park, you are required to purchase a pass for $25 per adult, with children being free of charge. The pass covers you for three days from the hours of 6am until just after dark, as it is closed overnight. I was keen to see the sunrise over the rock so set the alarm for an early start. On awakening in the dark I found little enthusiasm from everyone else, so headed out on my own. After driving the thirty-or-so kilometres from the camp area to the designated sunrise car park, I was soon feeling anything but lonely as I was joined by hundreds of other people, all jockeying for prime viewing position. To overcome the throngs, I grabbed my camera, phone and tripod and set up on the roof of the car in the Rola racks, an uninterrupted view. It happened to be Mothers Day, so I gave mum a call and described the changing colours as the sun rose.
We spent the next three days in the area, watching the spectacular sunrise and sunset over both Uluru and Kata Tjuta (the Olgas). There are a number of walks to do, including circumnavigating the rock (10-11kms) and the spectacular Valley of the Winds walk, through Kata Tjuta. Climbing the rock is a little controversial, as the traditional owners request you don’t – but most people do anyway. The decision was taken out of our hands, due to high winds at the top closing the walk.

After our three days in the area, we headed back out to the highway, where we bid farewell to the in-laws and turned south to head for home. In the early days of planning, we had decided to head home mid-trip to see the grandparents, but with so long to go, we were having second thoughts. Our journey took us back down the Stuart Highway, through Coober Pedy to Port Augusta, where we turned east and headed to Broken Hill.
We stayed for a couple nights checking out the town and nearby Silverton, where there are a couple of galleries, a museum, cafes and the famous Silverton Hotel, where the Mad Max car is. I was quite keen to have a look at one of the National Parks in the area, so we headed down to Menindee to camp at the Burke and Wills campground, on the banks of the Darling River. From our base here, we looked through the Kinchega National Park. There is a really informative, historical shearing shed that has been refurbished and in the Darling River, I had my first real attempt at freshwater fishing, catching a number of Yellowbelly.
With home beckoning, we headed up a dirt track to Wilcannia before joining the highway again and heading east. We had initially planned to stay in Cobar for the night, but seven hours later we found ourselves passing through Dubbo, wondering where we were going to stop. We picked a place called Ponto Falls out of one our campsites books and had a hard time finding the spot in the dark, as you have to drive through a number of cow paddocks to get there. When we finally arrived we were surprised to find another group there already, so we set up our camp in the dark.

In the morning we were pleasantly surprised to see we were camped next to a pretty little river, but were disappointed to discover the falls dropped only about one foot over a distance of 200m! With less then 5 hours to home, we moved on with no real destination in mind, but a desire to spend a few more nights on the road. We stopped in at Mudgee for lunch and enquired at the local National Parks office, who recommended a couple of nights at Dunns Swamp, in Wollomi National Park.

The swamp is a large body of water created when a local cement company put in a weir to ensure its water supply. The resultant wetland is really spectacular, with gorgeous views from the surrounding rock formations known as pagodas. Despite the almost sub-zero temperatures, we really enjoyed this place. Nice big campsites, fireplaces, a boat ramp and pit toilets are provided. The only disappointment was finding a nearby 4WD track, that was closed to the public. From here, we headed home for a couple of weeks, where we caught up with family and friends and had a bit of a clean-out.

When we hit the road again, it was with the hope of heading north to a warmer climate. We had made the coastal drive to Brisbane quite a few times before, but this time we were determined to stay in some of the places we usually rush by. First stop was Diamond Head campground in Crowdy Bay National Park, and a great stop it was. The location is awesome; right on the back of the beach, with 4WD access allowed on the purchase of a permit. The town of Laurieton is only a short drive up the road and the kids enjoyed swimming, kangaroos roamed the campground, there is a great walk around Diamond Head and I caught a big bream first cast off the beach – heavenly!
As much as we would have liked to have stayed longer, we upped stumps after a couple of days and headed to Yamba, a popular northern NSW holiday/fishing town. We arrived with the rain and spent the next few days exploring the area between downpours. Yuraygir National Park near Angourie, and Bundjalung National Park near Illuka both looked really good, with excellent camping opportunities, and are places we will be exploring further in the future.

With the rain still falling, we were sure that if we headed to the Sunshine State, we would hit the weather jackpot. So we hitched up the camper and headed north. From our maps, we picked out Lamington National Park and headed for the Green Mountain section. Queensland National Parks have a combination of self-registration and pre-booking in their campgrounds, so if you’re heading that way, be sure to check out their website or call the 24-hour booking service number on 131304.
Access to the Green Mountain section of the park is through the town of Canungra, then 30km up a very winding, narrow and sometimes quite steep bitumen road. At the base of the climb is a sign that reads ‘Caravans not recommended’. I turned to Renee and said “We’re not a caravan, we’ll be right”. We made it about 20km up, passing a few cars, before we met our first coach, a fifty-seater coach! After a bit of jockeying and reversing by both parties, we were safely past and rather relieved.
Over the next 5km, we came across another five coaches. One in particular simply refused to move. The road was barely wide enough for him, let alone both of us. Renee got out and asked him how we could best get past, and he requested we reverse back down 22km of road and get out of his way. It wasn’t until a couple of cars began banking up behind, that he reversed all of 35m into a passing bay and we got around. We later discovered that most of the coaches head up in the mornings and leave between 1pm and 3pm – not a good time to be on the road if you are towing, even worse in the pouring rain!

When we finally made it to the top, we found a campground mainly designed for tent-based camping, with only a couple of spots suitable for campers. Hot(ish) showers and pit toilets are provided. The walks in the national park are many and varied, but with the little ones in tow, and a persistent drizzle around, we completed a couple of the shorter ones. The flora and fauna in the area is spectacular, and the kids enjoyed hand-feeding the Crimson Rosellas and King Parrots at O’Reillys, as well as seeing the many marsupial visitors to the campsite. When it came time to leave we smartened up, and sat in behind a coach, letting him clear the way down the hill.
This installment ends with us heading to Brisbane, where Renee’s best friend put us up for a few nights in Scarborough. We had a look around BrisVegas and its surrounds, and fished and swam. Next month, we head up through the Sunshine Coast, over to Fraser Island and then it’s on to the Whitsundays.