Author: pepo

Geoff had called and sail he would be there around 6:00-6:30, so we had to put an alarm. I started the morning ritual of making tea and coffee. There had been some rain during the night and both the tent and awning where still soaked. We tried to dry it as much as possible, but we definitely packed wet today.

Around 6:25 Geoff pulled in, another friendly Aussie with a big smile. He loaded the car on the truck and we got on board. During the trip we had good conversation and time went fast.

When we got to the seller, we where first directed to their plot, but then they changed their minds and asked if the car could be dropped off at the garage a few km further. There was an instant good vibe off “we are going to arrange something”.

At first they wanted the garage to check out the car and for the time being we got a Mazda 9 to get around. We first went to a nearby shopping center to get a some breakfast and a drink and check what option where there to visit in the neighborhood.

Since we did not know how long it would take before we would get a call, we opted to stay in the neighborhood and not go to the city to visit a museum. We found a part with a New Zealand and Japanese garden where we walked around, sat and enjoyed the peaceful surrounding. We had an ice cream and layed under a palm tree. Around 14:00 we decided to check in with the car sales place.

When we got there it basically took one more phone call with the John, the boss, who was on vacation to come up with a solution. He would lend us a very similar Land Cruiser for our trip and when we get back to Sydney he will buy our Land Cruiser back. Kudos to John an Luigi for this great service!
A bit of paperwork later we where back on the road. This time in a silver 2004 Toyota Land Cruiser Prado 120 GXL with a 4.0 V6 engine. It seemed this one had all the extras the previous one did not have, including air suspension, leather seats, electrical seats, diff lock, and DAC. Besides it was equipped with a snorkel, a lot of extra lights, a UHF radio and a roof rack.

We decided to aim for the camping place we where aiming for on Saturday. For some reason, this time we had a very nice route through the mountains and hardly any highway. It was a pleasure driving around, although the air suspension does seem to give a bit off a wiggle.

Just before sun set we pulled in at the camping spot, it looked a bit spooky with a burned out car wrack in the beginning, but a bit later further down the path we saw another camper and a nice spot. Just like earlier wold camp grounds we where amazed by the amount of garbage left behind. In this case even the remains of a tent, a blanked and a pillow. We put up the tent and the awning, so they could dry, made some dinner and went to sleep.

Just after 8:00 I was at the car and the car shop was open. I was welcomed my Alex and when I started my story Jamie joined. “We are pretty busy as we are the only service center in the region, but of course we will have a look” Jamie first checked the liquids, did a visual inspection before starting the car. and after a few second he turned it off again. The engine in deed has a problem. He would call around.

The engine experts a few towns north would be able to give a quote on what a repair would need to cost and we could get towed there and still sleep in our tent.

After a few calls they double checked when we bought the car and had a very valid advice, bring back the car and get a refund, which according do Australian consumer law we have a right to. Checking the contract we signed, I also noted “.. You are entitles to a replacement or refund for a major failure and compensation for any other reasonably foreseeable loss or damage. …”

Next Jamie called a tow truck to arrange the transport of the car. We are about 1:40 from the place we bought the car. Unfortunately the town truck was fully booked today, so tomorrow morning we’ll be picked up early. So another day in Jamberoo, where we had seen about everything already.

We cleaned out the car a bit and Mo went to drop of some empty bottle in a dedicated container she had seen. When she came back she had checked out an art/gift/flower shop and had had a chat with the lady there. Who was very helpful and even offered a spare room if we did not find a place to sleep tonight.

We went to the pub for a morning coffee and on the way back to the car, we stopped by at the the shop, where Rachelle was greeting us warmly and asking about the car. After we explained she asked what we where going to do today and then offered her car, so we could see something of the surroundings. How amazing!

We took the offer and drove to a place where there should be a small waterfall. The nature was very nice and after a few tries we found a path and a bit later a tiny little waterfall. It was nice to be out of the small village for a bit and walk around nature.

When we got back to the car I noticed a small leech on my food. I had seen on TV that they do not like heat, I light a match and in deed it let go pretty easy after that. It was nice to observe the little bugger crawling around on between the leave, where it stood up straight and when my hand came close again tried to reach it.

We dropped of the car and some Kalev chocolate at Rachelle and put the car in a better spot for another night in the tent at the garage where we also shared a bar of chocolate. Be better not run into more nice and helpful people as we are out of Estonian treats.

Time for another drink at the pub to celebrate nice people and toast to a successful day tomorrow.

During our visit to the pub we got a call from the tow company. The estimate price for the tow is significant. I hope I can claim that as well. Let’s see.

After a not so brilliant night with a lot of wind, surprisingly much traffic and several jokers who thought it was funny to honk or rev their engine while passing us. We woke up, as we knew we did have to spend a Sunday waiting, we didn’t hurry, but since the prediction was there would be a but of rain, we did pack the tent. The temperature had dropped a good 20 degrees since yesterday

We had a little stroll around town and found out the pub wouldn’t open until 11:00 and found a park where some senior team was preparing for a game of cricket and they had public toilets.

There where a few coffee place open but it was a gluten parade, so we decided to get back to the car and had breakfast there. After that we took chargers and headed for the pub for a morning drink and see if they had a room available for the next night. The cheaper rooms where sold out, but they did have a room, so we took it. Check in was at 14:00, so we sat down and I started updated the blog.

A bit after 14:00 we got te keys for the room where I took a shower, while Mo got some more things from the car. After the shower I had a nice nap. Since we had a fridge in the room and in the car we where running our fridge of a battery as there was not a lot of sunshine, so little solar power, we decided to get the stuff from the car fridge, so we also could take the battery and charge it in the room, while everything would keep cold in the fridge.

We saw some of the meat needed to be eaten today, and that it was more for a stew then for a quick fry, so we made a nice stew while updating the rest of the blog, charging and getting some more stuff from the car.

As said the forecast was for a hot day an in deed around 08:00 we already burned out of our tent. I added the extra awning to the main awning to get some extra shade to make breakfast.

By 10:30 we where packed and it was already 35 degrees and we started our trip south. I found a place in the forest about 150 km south of Sydney and a place on the coast another 100 km more south. We first aimed for the forest place and would see there what to do. The temperatures climbed above the 40 degrees. While we stopped for lunch the sandwich we made almost got grilled while waiting to be eaten

The Pacific motorway ended near Sydney were the temperatures got to 45 degrees. After Sydney we picked up the Princess highway, which had some pretty steep climbs. While driving on the cruise control the car went into kick down more then once. But then at some point there came a clicking sound from under the hood, which did not sound right. I stopped as soon as I could and checked the map, I could get off the highway 1 km later. We stopped at a parking lot in a small village called Kiama to let the car cool off and we did the same at the beach with was a convenient 300 meters from there.

When we got back to the car the clicking sound was still there so I decided to slowly drive to the closest garage I could find, which was 7 km away in village called Jamberoo. When we turned into the parking lot of the garage the car stalled and the A/T temperature light came on.
With the help of a local we pushed the car in place and went to the suggested pub for a cold beer and a meal. The also had rooms, but they turned out to be all rented out for the night so after cooling down we went back to the car to put up the roof top tent and have a sleep.

Unfortunately is was Saturday night so we likely need to stay here for at least two night.

Today we started out trip south. I found another camp at a park place, but then missed the exit and it took forever before we could turn, so it made more sense to drive a but further where I found another free camp site in the forest.
But before we went there, we visited another beach. I saw you could drive your car on this beach, so I asked one of the drivers if you need a permit for this and he said it was not needed in NSW. Something for another day.

This Coopernook Forest HQ camp site is located at a former lumberjack base camp. There where some interesting signs about the history and how the red cedar business flourished in the late 1800s before environmental protection started as early as the 1930s.

It was a very nice place to stay. If the forecast would not predict a heat wave, we would have stayed another day. But we figured it would be better to sit in the airco of the car then to sit around the car with temperatures reaching over 40 degrees.

Today we only needed to go a little piece to get to our goal: Byron Bay, the most eastern part of mainland Australia. I had put the GPS to a parking place near the beach, but found a sign to get to the light house just before that, so we followed that. The first parking lot was full, the parking lot at the light house was full as well, but at the third parking lot we got lucky, there even was a spot in the shadow.

From there it was a small hike up the cliff again. The lighthouse looked amazing against the blue sky and the surroundings. After enjoying the view we followed a trail to the view point and after that we went down a path to a small beach.

On the path we saw a big lizard, i guess around 40 cm long, then the was a Walibi next to the road and later we saw some sort of turkey.

At the beach we took a quick swim at the most eastern beach and then we headed back to the car as the parking time was almost over. We headed to another beach I had read about.

On the way there, there where big signs about a koala and when we saw a lot of people standing around a tree pointing their phones up, we also parked the car and saw our first koala.

The trail to the beach went through a small piece of rain forest. Here we say more turkeys. The beach was nice a quiet, also because it was already after 17:30, but still nice and warm.

After another swim we went to a rugby club who opens one of their fields as a camping place. A nice way to get some extra income for the club during the summer break, and because it is not widely advertised, there was plenty of space.

In general we go to bed pretty early, no need to hang around artificial light, especially when you burn out of your tent pretty early is well. So just after 09:00 we pulled up at the Red head beach for a swim and a bit of work on our Australian tan.

By 11 we headed for the road and in the afternoon we found the camp site we where aiming for, which off course was full. So we went for a backup, a little dirt road just off the highway.

In this part of the country was the bush fire risk still low, so we made a meal on a small trench fire.

We had some heavy rain and found something was off, as there was some leaking into the tent. Luckily the next morning it was warm and sunny, so after breakfast, we moved the car into the sun and took the bedding out of the tent, where it dried almost instantly.

Now we where on the road we had had to decide what to do next, we ha several option on our list and since the weather prediction for going north where more favorable then for going south we decided to aim for Byron bay, the most Eastern part of Australia’s mainland.

For the first leg of the trip we aimed for ‘Red head beach’ which Mo had found. It is near Newcastle. We followed the Pacific highway and drove with 100 km/h on the cruise control towards our destination.

The official camp site we checked was full, which seems to be the norm so far, but we found a parking next to a park where you could camp as well.

We had a nice walk around the park, saw a nice sunset on the bay and while checking out some interesting trees, I suddenly saw a cute, cat sized animal with big round eyes looking at us from the tree. It turned out to be a Possum, likely a Brush-tail Possum.

In the park were public electrical grills, so I decided to try one of them for our dinner. It turned out great and we could toast to Marc’s health as it is his birthday today.

We woke up with all kinds of nature sounds and took it easy enjoying our little spot in the middle of nowhere. I made bacon and eggs on a campfire, we freshened up in the river and thought about what to do next.

On the map I had seen there where several other camping spots a few km south of where we where staying, as we could not swim in this part of the river we decided to pack up and drive a bit to see if we could find a spot with some swimming possibilities.

The road meandered nicely through the forest, and then we saw a nice steep road. We made a picture and drove up. After a few turns there was a heavily eroded path and to get on there would be a challenge as there was a big hole in the patch. I got out of the car and filled the hole with stones. Mo got out to film this challenge. It went pretty smooth, but I sure was glad with the off road courses I did and the Furstenau weekends of the Land Cruiser Club.

The trail got tougher and tougher, but so far the Land Cruiser was doing fine. The track got steeper and more warn out. At the bottom, there was a quick change from going down to going up and so from gentle and controlled, to a bit more power. And again the Land Cruiser did fine.

By this time I had played enough and hoped this would be it, but it seems the track and another surprise coming up. After another steep down there was another worn out transition to a steep climb and it would not be easy getting from one to the other. Seeing an old bumper next to the track was not very encouraging, but turning back at this point was not an inviting option either.
I filled up some holes with stone to have a ‘smoother’ track and gave it a try, Turning the car on the slope to line it up as good as possible and then carefully give it a try. It did not go right in the first try, so shift in reverse, moving around a bit and try again a few times and then the right front of the car jumped up and I was stuck.

I got out of the car to observe the position and check for damage and possible future damage. All in all it did not seem as bad as it looked. so I got back behind the steering wheel and maneuvered a bit back and forth and just like that I got out to the other side.
Pretty impressed by the car and what I remembered of the courses, we continued to the wading that was ahead just a few hundred meters.

It was an impressive looking wading, about 150-200 meter long. So first out of the car and into the water to check the depth. About 5 meters from the edge I was already way over knee deep, so a no go for this car. I checked the map and we decided to get to the main road and replan from there.

The first track maps.me suggested was very worn out and steep as well, so we turned back and tried another one. Still a challenging track, but more manageable. A few back and forths, a bit of meandering over the wide track and then, finally a ‘normal’ sand road. Once we got to the main road we checked for a close by camp site on this side of the river without to much tracks and found one we headed for.
Mean while the fuel gage also got back to normal. Later I read that it can get confused while driving off road, so it seemed I was loosing fuel and an alarming rate, but I checked for leaks several times and did not see or smell anything. Which was now confirmed.

We quickly put up the tent as the slight rain we had here and there on the track, turned into real rain, so we made sandwiches for dinner in the tent with a very fitting wine and turned in early.

After breakfast we checked out some nicer camping spots in the area. We found a very promising spot about 40 km NW of where we stayed, but before we went their, we went to vist the 3 Sisters. A famous rock formation in the neigborhood.

On the way their we came by the Hydro Majestic Pavilion, some sanatoium from the early 1900s with a nice view. Apart from that it seemed a bit leaning on the glory days.

It seemed like the entire village of Katoomba is leaning on these three rocks. We saw the rocks from the same place Queen Elisabeth saw them about half a centuray ago.

After that we headed for our new campsite. After about half an hour on paved road, we turned onto a dirt road and drove for a bit. Mo got all excited about the off road driving, especially when there was a long steep decent. She preferred to get out of the car, so I asked her to make a video then.

And then there out of the blue thre where our first kangaroos, just hopping around.

A few minutes later there was our first wading. Even though this is a common track, I did walk thot the other side and back to make sure the car would not get into trouble. But the water hardly got to the axes.

We saw a few other campers on spots hundreds of meters apart and then we got to the spot we picked for now. It was close to the Coxs river and had plenty of space. To bad the previous campers left such a mess, but after we cleaned that up, we could put up our tent and awning. Mo went check the river and when I saw here standing silently making pictures, I went to see what was going on and then I also saw the big kangaroo, about 10 meters away minding its own business eating some fresh grass near the river.

Later when we where preparing to make dinner, I made a small trance fire, but just when it started to burn nicely it started raining and hailing, we hail or 12-15 mm.We decided to use our backup noodle cups for now, as it was getting dark anyway. Plenty of days of fully cooked meals.