In August/September 2025 I made a three week road trip of 5,505 km up the east coast to visit friends and relatives – most who had not been seen for many years. z
Cousin Leanne – Albury
I briefly explored the Chiltern – Mt Pilot National Park. It was so good to see Leanne in her place, with her two German Shepherds Bear and Snow, along with cats and dogs.
Chad and Lois – Newcastle
Chad and I had a tough walk in the Watagan State Forest (Heaton Forest) – including almost three hours walking back to the car in the dark.
Lois walked her first Parkrun, and we drove to Port Stephens and walked the headland.
Drive to Brisbane
Chad and I drove via the Bushrangers Highway and Waterfall Way to Lamington National Park in Queensland. We camped by or inside the car for three nights, and then dropped Chad off at Brisbane airport to fly home.
Tim and Chris
Two nights in Corooy, during which I revisited Alexandria Bay at Noosa Heads and then a big climb up Mount Eerwah. I tried to get to the Bushlands Parkrun but fortunately was an hour late (Queensland starts at 7:00 am). It took over an hour to walk the course.
Peter, Kerry and Liam
It was great to spend time with Peter, and Sunday brunch with his extended family. Stayed in the best AirBnB with artist Kath.
Greg, Luke and Noah
Was so good to have decent time with Greg. We got into nerdy IT stuff and made great strides in combining our genealogical efforts to date.
Trip home
A quick detour into Brisbane enabled me to meet Jordan, Henry and baby Noah. Thanks.
Fun then trying to find a campsite in the dark, followed by a great walking the Pilliga Forest/National Park (sculptures, emus, roos, dear and goats), a lookout and salt caves. ParkRun at Parkes and check tombstones at Temora and Henty.
Leanne Again
The final two nights we spent back with Leanne. Then home on September 15.
The first day was a drive to Wangaratta for lunch then a foray into the Chiltern – Mt Pilot National Park. A single, short hike in to the Barry Falls. This was the day that three police officers were shot and the perpetrator escaped into the bush – about 70 km away. Then continuing the drive to Albury I stumbled across a massive old gold mining dredge near Elderado, later to be told by Greg that this dredge had operated in the creek behind the Wettern family farm.
I returned for two more nights with leanne on the way home. We had a great time with her mum – Aunty Marilyn – drawing out details even Leanne did not know about her mum. We found photos of when as an 18 year old she was in the Albury Flora Festival Parade.
We then visited the Barnawatha North Farm – that Leanne had never seen.
Home then after finding the Wettern family farm outside of Wangaratta, and possibly the Clark Street house.
It was great to spend a night with Leanne in Albury – and with her two german shepherds – Bear and Snow. But one night was not enough so I arranged to also stay on the return trip.
I returned for two more nights with leanne on the way home. We had a great time with her mum – Aunty Marilyn – drawing out details even Leanne did not know about her mum. We found photos of when as an 18 year old she was in the Albury Flora Festival Parade.
We then visited the Barnawatha North Farm – that Leanne had never seen.
Home then after finding the Wettern family farm outside of Wangaratta, and possibly the Clark Street house.
A direct drive to Moss Vale on day 2 was in mixed weather, making car camping not at all appealing. Instead I opted for two nights in an Airbnb with a retired teacher.
Day 3 was quite windy. I walked the east and west rim walks at Fitzroy Falls in the Morton National Park. There were numerous falls to see on excellent paths, and great views across and down the valley. I then drove around the area – via Robertson Nature Reserve and more impressively the Minnamurra Rain Forest in the Budderoo National Park.
The next morning – day 4 – I drove around the outskirts of Sydney to the Blue Mountains – walking to Wentworth Falls then via the under-cliff over-cliff track to Conservation Hut then the Short Cut Track back to the car. Then followed a very brief stop in Katoomba to see the Three Sisters, and a short drive and hike in to the start of the Victoria Falls lookout track over the Gorse River.
A tortuous drive skirting the north of Sydney got me to Chad and Lois in Newcastle. We walked the local ParkRun, drove to Port Stephens and walked the headland, then chad and I made a very demanding hike out of a stroll in the Watagans south-west of Newcastle. It was tricky walking both worth it for the rock overhangs and views. About 15 km later we got back to the car well after 9 pm.
The next three days were spent with Chad driving a scenic route into Queensland – over the Bushrangers Highway and Waterfall Way to Dorrigo. A couple of great car campsites (one found by luck), and great walks, waterfalls and views.
Someone packed/checked/brought only half of a tent – which led to some improvising and some true car camping. The NSW National Parks campsites are excellent. Ours included firewood the first night, and a jump start the next morning. The second campsite we booked without looking carefully about how big a detour it would require, and as it was well after dark we opted instead to continue along the highway until we found something suitable. It was a little damp but again we got an excellent fire burning.
A long drive got us to the O’Reilly’s Guest House in the Park, where we again car camped. We squeezed in a short hike to Morans Falls along a badly chosen route – again finishing in the dark. The next morning we were about in record time – taking the treetop walk and a couple of km’s along the Border Track towards Binna Burra before departing northward.
After dropping Chad at the airport I was able to return to an old favourite – Alexandria Bay in the Noosa National Park, including the obligatory swim. Then Tim and Chris kindly fed and housed me for a couple of nights. The next day I climbed nearby Mt Eerwah – a very tough 4.6 km that took nearly 4 hours. It included rope sections and another echidna.
I tried for the Parklands ParkRun the next morning – but Queenslanders run at 7 am. I walked (fortunatley) the very tough course instead. and got to Brisbane (Graceville) and the Sabels. I stayed in such a nice townhouse – with artist Kath in Indooroopilly. Brunch the next day was with the entire Sabel clan (except Wendy).
I briefly met some former work colleagues in Brisbane then had a leisurely drive to Greg in Pialba. We talked geeky stuff and made strides in consolidating our family history efforts. Greg seems to have his son Like and grandson Noah living with him.
After leaving Greg I climbed one of the 11 Glasshouse Mountains – Mt Ngungun. Is was an excellent track, fairly short, but somewhat airy and with strong winds on the summit.
A brief stop in with the Leungs was a great introduction to Noah – all are doing very well. Thena very winding drive around the outskirts of Brisbane to get to Toowomba for dinner. The plan to drive one more hour to a marked campsite failed when reception also failed. Hence it was another hour or too of uncertain driving and checking out about half a dozen potential campsites before chancing upon an excellent spot beside a billabong (well almost).
This was an unplanned hike – I was just looking at what I would be driving past – and it turned out to be such a highlight. The 4 km trail is outstanding – through a clifftop forest saturated with blooms and a set of sculptures. It then drops down into the gorge where I encountered a deer, two emus, a kangaroo and about 6 goats. The camping ground is also outstanding.
Nearby are some salt covers, a lookout tower and small dam. The tower gave amazing views over nothing but forest in every direction.
Day 3 was quite windy. I walked the east and west rim walks at Fitzroy Falls in the Morton National Park. There were numerous falls to see on excellent paths, and great views across and down the valley. I then drove around the area – via Robertson Nature Reserve and more impressively the Minnamurra Rain Forest in the Budderoo National Park.
