Where did everyone go??
Trip Start
Unknown
1
16
34
Trip End
Ongoing
Ulladulla, New South Wales, Australia
Saturday, November 28, 2009
Well the campsite filled right up yesterday, being a Friday, mostly with lots of screaming and noisy kids. They were everywhere, like vermin, didn't really make for a very enjoyable evening!
Anyway slept well, as the evening cooled down quite quickly after the heat of the day, and I managed to slip away about 7:15! From here I had to traverse Sydney via Mona Vale and Ryde and the M3. All went really smoothly, and missed the worst of the traffic and I think I avoided having to pay any tolls. So in no time I was on the Princes Highway (what was the Pacific Highway) heading south and away from Sydney. The plan was to try and get some distance and out run the weekending Sydney-siders, and everything went well to plan initially. I then decided to follow the scenic route to Woolongong. In one way, yes cool decision, but in another it added a good hour to my journey time. The road though was stunning. There were loads of cyclists and motorcyclists and the reason for the latter was obvious. The road winded up and down and around and here and there, and the good bits had been resurfaced, so must have been excellent fun for motorcyclists. I felt really sorry for a few that came up behind me, I must have ruined their runs, although I did try and get out of their way. One group that overtook me had a camera man at the back, you know with a camera strapped to his helmet. I wondered if it was Charley Boorman doing another TV show! Time will tell. And the cyclists, were just mental, baking hot, hills that would kill a normal person. Why on earth they thought it was a good idea I'll never know. The road then dropped down to the coast and I went over this incredible bit of road called the Sea Cliff Bridge, which is basically a bit of road that is a bridge that overhangs the sea. Its also quite tight and windy, probably as it hugs the coastal cliffs I guess. But really cool, if not a little daunting. From here it was back to the main freeway and made good time past Woolongong on a nice crisp 2 lane motorway. This however didn't last long and soon I was on daft and annoying single carriageway, up and down hills, round bends and through small towns.
And then the moment I had been waiting for...the arrival at Berry. Here is an excerpt from the Lonely Planet to set the scene..."Berry has the potential to be a chintzy nightmare..." Now does that sound familiar??! And yes one of the founders was a one Mr David Berry. How weird. It was an okay little town, a bit like Margaret River, country town, all antique shops and cream teas. Very busy and popular though and no vacancies anywhere. Obviously nearly chintzy is good! And to cap it all on the 2nd December the town is having a very special Christmas festival called a 'Very Merry Berry Christmas'. In this you paint your face red and wear a red hat and obviously celebrate Xmas. Nice!
And then onwards and onwards. I'd made good time, so had easily passed Kiama by the expected time so kept going and aimed for Ulladulla. However, it then got tiring, and the road became more demanding and all of a sudden I was exhausted and I think a little dehydrated., but I still managed to stop at Jervis Bay for lunch (sandwich made in the van). It's a really impressive bay, totally massive, but no sign of kangaroos anywhere, just lots of tourists. I guess to get the wilderness experience you've got to get off the well beaten track. So I didn't linger and soon reached Ulladulla. Its pretty non descript really. Quite a large town built around a fishing harbour, with one main street. But its absolutely baking, and for one moment I was so tempted by the air conditioning signs displayed on all the motels, and these all had vacancies. But the campsite only cost $15, which is very pikey and cheap (they price it per person, not per plot), so decided to persevere. Well the site was really nice, a bit smaller, but again pretty empty, which was surprising for a Saturday, although I guess I am in the middle of nowhere. But its a little scary. A bit like the 'Deliverance' camp, surrounded by weird looking locals and travelers. It was all like a red-neck trailer park kind of set-up, bit of a cliche, but all a little disconcerting. But all was okay really, and didn't get asked to squeal like a piggy, so thats good!
But the heat today, its been well toasty! Even the wind didn't help, it was just like standing in front of an oven door. But I shouldn't complain I'll soon be back to rain and sub-zero temperatures!
Anyway had a quick stroll around, didn't take long, and decided to have either Thai or Chinese tonight, just for a change. In the end the Thai won and it was good again and reasonably cheap for the amount you get. It was nice to sit in a cool restaurant for a while, although I had to be out by 7:15, although when I did leave at 7:10 it was then empty, so not sure what that was about. And it had cooled down a bit, but not a lot, its going to be a hot night in the van tonight!
Did I also mention that for the first time this holiday the flies are a nuisance. Not quite sure why here of all places, but hope that doesn't signal the start of the realm of the fly! The campsite is also very pretty. It has a pool, which when tested, was as warm as a bath, so not really that effective at cooling me down! And there are hundreds of birds, all kinds, galahs, parrots with red wings, cockatoos, etc, although its all gone very quiet, so maybe they roost somewhere else.
Just after sunset the tree next to the van exploded! No not literally, but with a cacophony of noise. The cicadas have woken up and the noise they were making was making my ears bleed! And even worse than that, they started flying around. Eeeek! But then just as suddenly as they started they stopped. And then the storms arrived and the temperature dropped dramatically, which was great news.
