Hard to believe that 7+ weeks have passed! One final Coastal Trail walk this morning before heading to the Sydney airport for a 1:20 pm departure. What a difference a day makes…no crowds on the beach (it’s a Monday:) and a rainy night giving way to a gradual clearing this morning. An Uber to the airport and the long process of checking in for an International flight. Homeward bound😊
Our last full day in Australia! What a fabulous journey😁. Was not sure what to expect today after looking at the forecast last night…high winds; surf warnings; partial sun. The day ended up being magnificent! A bit more windy than yesterday, but very nice. I took a long walk this morning heading south to Maraubra Bay/Beach along the Coastal Trail. Part of the trail was closed for repairs and I had to head inland for a bit. Upon my return to Coogee Beach I got some yogurt for Connie per request and I went to a cafe around the corner – Morning Glory – and got a take away Avocado Smash and an iced chocolate…delicious😋. A bit later we headed to a women and small children only bath to spend the afternoon (no photos permitted as some women choose to spend their beach/bath time topless:). We are headed to La Spiaggia (Italian pasta again after a most pleasant dining experience two nights ago:) for an early dinner followed by packing time and some Netflix movie time.
Today was a no-alarm day😀. (Connie was very happy!). I got up and went out to explore…walked the coastal beach trail; watched some beach yoga; watched a bit of a surf rescue competition; got some toothpaste; and found a very tasty almond croissant. Returned to our hotel and found Connie on the balcony enjoying her coffee and alone time. Our plan for the day (after my brief nap) was to walk the coastal trail from Coogee Beach to Bondi Beach (approximately 4+ miles). We set out at about 1 pm; passed many inlets and many types of beaches and arrived at Bondi at about 3:30 pm. Had a late lunch/ early dinner at a tiny place off the bested track called Bondi Relish. The next part of our adventure was to use the busses for our return trip – #333 to Bondi Junction and #350 to Coogee Beach – success!! Upon our return to Coogee it was beer and ice cream time😋. As we were sitting at a table near the Coogee Sands Cafe we were approached by a man who came to warn us that it was illegal to have alcohol where we were sitting. We immediately moved indoors to the loud bar area for Connie to finish her beer. Shower time and R&R😁
Today we awoke to bright sunshine & blue skies😁. After breakfast and checking out of the Carrington Hotel we did a bit of shopping in Katoomba and then headed to Wentworth Falls for what proved to be a spectacular hike as you will no doubt see from the pictures herein. Following our hike it was time to head to the city of Sydney and the suburb of Coogee where we will be staying for 3 nights at the Coogee Sands Hotel & Apartments next to the Coogee Beach. Connie booked a dinner reservation at La Spiaggia…time for some pasta. And I have discovered that I will need lots of will power to not overly indulge in ice cream just two doors away!!
Started the day with all the “elderlies” having a leisurely Continental breakfast in the Carrington Hotel. (waiting for the rain to stop). After breakfast headed to the Echo Point Information Center for hiking recommendations. While in the center the fog came in and obstructed all views. Despite the fog we took the trail to the “Three Sisters” (3 rock formation columns). On the path we heard and then saw a Superb Lyre Bird…very interesting! After the Three Sisters walk we headed to a recommended hike for about 1.5 hours to the Witches Leap Falls, Orphan Rock Lookout, Katoomba Falls Lookout, Solitary Lookout, & Katoomba Cascades. We actually saw the Witches Leap Falls and the Katoomba Cascades! After our hike we headed to town for lunch at the Basil Nut Cafe (Asian Fusion-excellent!). Feeling very full we decided on a walk…mine was much longer than Connie’s and since the sun was trying valiantly to show it’s face I headed back to Echo Point and got some great pics😊. Later we watched a couple of movies in our room and snacked on apples, cheese, and crackers. A wonderful day in Katoomba👍💕
I started the day with a magnificent coast walk in Port Macquarie😁 We visited the Historic Museum and visitor information in the town center and then headed south and west to the Blue Mountains. We did not time our travels well as we were stuck in north Sydney rush hour traffic😏 Once up in the mountains we found ourselves in the midst of rain and fog and dropping temperatures…not the weather we had hoped for in the mountains. We checked-in at The Carrington Hotel and then made our way to dinner in the Blue Mountain town of Katoomba.
I just had to take a walk in the neighborhood to the beach and to my favorite bakery that was/is close to our home for a week – “Saltwater” in Beaconsfield. Much cooler than the last couple of days😊. Check-out was 10 am and we had to return our rental car and be ready to board the plane bound for Brisbane at around 1 pm. Before we left the neighborhood we saw the postman and his most interesting mode of transportation.
We landed in Brisbane at 7:15 pm (after a 4+ hour flight from Perth) and had our rental car by 8 pm😊. It was very dark and we were on the road again👍. Drove through Brisbane and past lots of high rises! Got to our hotel (“Elite”) in Gold Coast at 9 pm. Took a walk this morning and we were on the road again to Byron Bay, the most eastern point of Australia. What a great beach! Plenty of room to walk a long way. Had an interesting veggie burger called “The Tree Hugger” and of course some chocolate gelato😋. After an afternoon at the beach we headed to another beach area in Port Macquarie for the night.
After a long day yesterday, today was a laid back morning with a trip to the grocery & the bakery; a brunch; some sightseeing in Freo; a trip to the airport for a rental car; and a special dinner for our last night in Freo together❤️ We had a great week!! Flying to Brisbane (4 1/2 hours) tomorrow afternoon/evening.
Last evening we arrived at 153 Edmund Street, Beaconsfield, Fremantle, WA, Australia😁. We have a lovely place to stay with the Dorffs for a week. We pick them up at Perth airport Terminal 1 today. Before the airport run, I took a walk to the shore and saw many cafes & bakeries, the dog beach, a Yacht Club, and the neighborhood. After the airport run we visited the grocery; did much needed laundry; barbecued; and we just hung out🥰
New Zealand & Australia