Days1-2 - England - Sydney to Norwich

We have safely arrived in Norwich after travelling for something like 30 hrs from Sydney after a late afternoon departure. We did get some sleep on the plane but not much so we were both fairly tired to say the least.  We touched down just after 06:30 at Heathrow and had navigated border control and customs arrangements; found the central bus station and were happily settled in the lounge area watching the indicator boards for our coach service by 7:46 am. Beautifully timed for the 8:15 bus to Norwich.
There is a prohibition on entering the UK with a range of meat/dairy/plant materials. I kept looking for the xrays etc for quarantine/customs but apparently they rely on people remembering and being honest about what they are carrying. Bit of a contrast to the routine bag searches and sniffer dogs we have on our quarantine screening at home!   It's a looong walk to the metro or coach departure point. Our bags are heavy and I envied the people who had the sense to buy bags with four wheels rather than two.
Although taking the coach and coming on all the way out to Norwich was additional travel on an already long flight, it was a nice alternative to the plane and we enjoyed watching the scenery along the way. Daffodils are flowering everywhere at the moment and small shrubby plants on the roadside are a mass of white blossoms..There are also other massed displays in rich dark yellow which I think may have been gorse and consequently reminded me of New Zealand.  Hubby's first comment was that the quality of the light and the overall look of the landscape reminds him of Tasmania. This resemblance is a big part of why Tassie is very popular as a holiday destination at home.
We have arrived on a mild clear day with blue skies. In the morning as we leave Heathrow there is that lovely bite in the air. Not a lot of wind. It looks like it will be a glorious day.
Most branches are still bare with only occasional green emerging.  This had a couple of consequences. 1. Birds are easier to see :o) and 2. So is the plentiful litter! :o(
On the bird front I saw at least 6 magpies in  dapper black and white. My internet searching says that magpies aren't a very popular bird due to their life habits. Well, they're a very pretty bird at least.  The most common bird were the rooks which were in large numbers. In one spot there was a great collection of nests and rooks were gathering nesting material, striding across the ground as though participating in a great ceremonial ritual.
There were also quite a lot of woodpigeons about, both flying and foraging.  I was quite surprised to actually manage to spot what I believe was a robin sitting large as life on the bare branches of a small tree as we passed. It would have remained as an unidentified LBB (little brown bird) except I turned to look back to it and there was it's pretty red breast clear to see.
At one point near some dense undergrowth there were two very plump (and edible looking) birds on the ground) but we passed too quickly to really get a good look. Happily, this was not the case when we were passing what looked like some sort of irrigation or draining ditch where a bittern was stalking about not far from the road. On the mammal front, I believe I saw a fox not too far from the two anonymous edible birds. So all in all the wildlife viewing was not too shabby at all!
Along our journey we have stopped by Stansted airport. The traffic moved freely and was a mix of trucks and lorries generously complemented by a range of high end cars. Porche, Jaguar. Audi. and so on. mostly European makes and models driven by suit bedecked men.
As we get out of town there is a sign announcing the National Stud and horse racing museum. I enjoyed seeing a number of groups of riders exercising their horses in large spaces generously equipped with white fencing and white metal rails. Then a large race track with a large modern stand.  Finally the mystery is solved when a sign says "Newmarket".
The sun is up and the warmth of the day is evident by the time we are passing through Thetford. People of all ages are out and about enjoying the sun. A group of young mums with their babies sit by the Little Ouse River which meanders between neat banks through the town.  An older couple wander slowly along by the canal and across the way an adult helps a child feed the ducks which are paddling. Looking further afield the river passes under a pretty little bridge and overhanging branches. Construction hoardings nearby to the coach stop illustrate plans for a revamp of this historic/cultural precinct. The potential of the area is plain to see. The coach slowly turns and navigates through the narrow streets giving us a close up view of some flint fences and buildings along the way. A short while later we see some prominent very well weathered ruins over behind an area of modern housing. This would appear to be Thetford Priory.
Back on the road we pass a couple of large free range piggeries with some fairly happy looking pigs nosing about in feed dispensers or lolling about on the dirt.  The signs following include warnings about a live firing range and in time announce St George's Distillery English whisky.
In the route the coach takes, Attleborough presents well. Again it is clear that the locals are enjoying the lovely mild sunny day. A couple of girls exit the bakery. An elderly man walks purposefully by the post office. A mother pushes a pram.
As we head on to Norwich, fields of bright yellow rapeseed (canola?) are beginning to flower. Already beautiful they will be quite spectacular in a week or so. It's not long until we come to the outskirts of Norwich and drive past some large houses on large blocks. The area looks affluent and the houses quite well kept. Finally we pull up in Norwich at a central transport hub. We find a map and photograph it for future reference.  There is a handy taxi rank out on St Stephens road, but hubby is recommending we just walk to 38 St Giles. Good exercise after such a long period of sitting doing nothing. I agree and we set off. It's not long before I retrieve my broad brimmed hat. I hate the sun glaring in my eyes.  We plod along and get a bit nervous so again, on hubby's suggestion we decide to consult the tom tom. We trudge on and on. Hmm. Show me that tom tom.  It thinks we're a car and I suggest we probably don't need to go this long and circuitous route. Still, we have seen the old city walls along the way. We think for ourselves and cross the busy road via the underpass. We emerge  into a large garden/park, once again full of people taking the sun. Trudge trudge trudge.Swap arms with the luggage dragging. I'm getting increasingly hot and bothered. (send sympathies to my long suffereing hubby!). I'm in light jeans and a t-shirt but I'm plenty warm enough.  As we cut across to St Giles Street we pause momentarily to enjoy the performance of a small but wonderfully melodious song bird in the bare branches of a fairly large tree.  Superb. Eventually we find 38 St Giles and retreat thankfully into the cool interior. I have to admit it: despite the bitching and moaning hubby has been subjected to along the way; aching knee and now elbows too, I do feel better for the walk! It's about 12:30 and our room is ready if we'd like to freshen up.
Our host offers to bring our bags up in a minute and meanwhile he'll show us up.  Why waste the stair climbing, so hubby and I each grab our "carry on" luggage. Hmm I might christen my bag Sid..Hubby's bag can be Charles Hawtrey . haha.  Anyway with Sid and Charles taken care of, our host then decides he may as well bring a bag now as well.  In the room our hospitable host has a question Tea? Coffee? Coffee for hubby.. and a couple of delectable little morsels which we share light flaking pastry with custard and apple slices arrayed on top. Mmm. That hits the spot...but something more substantial is also in order.  My knee has been sore since the flight. It apparently did not enjoy just sitting, so I'm not keen on wandering over to Elm Hill for lunch which was one option I noted when planning.  We ask for lunch recommendations.  We've passed a place just down the street a little which looked nice, but is it any good?. Having tried the place numerous times unfortunately the most recent experience was again a problem and our host finds himself unable to recommend it. However, just up the street is Roger Hickman's which our host says is the best restaurant in Norwich and has an excellent lunch option which is great value. Does it what!  Our host phones ahead to be sure there's a table available, but it's not expected to be a problem. I change my top and shoes  and off we trot up past a couple of galleries and a book shop.. a nice medieval church with grounds displaying modern young adults shirts off or skimpily clad soaking up the sun. Reminds me a bit of the opportunism of galahs. The lightest fall of rain and they start hanging upside down presenting themselves for a natural shower! I think too of a former boss who lived a year or so in London and did once mention that this is what happens over here when the sun comes out. Lunch hours present a spectacle of office workers out soaking up the rays... but I digress.
Happily seated in Roger Hickmans we order water for the table and hubby opts for a St Peters Best bitter which is rich and dark and has a delicious light aroma. Hubby pronounces it "lovely". Rare praise.  This is delivered chilled and comes in an awesome oval green bottle which is a replica of a bottle from 1770 information about which is provided on the label.  I decide this bottle will be my first souvenir. Food selections duly made we proceed to tuck into:
Chef's appetiser which is a deliciously light and refreshing soup of peas with mint in a sweet little white straight sided jug. This is accompanied by two delicious warm rolls and a pat of butter at precisely the right temperature. In the interests of brevity I'll just say everything was fabulous and a fixed price of 22 pounds! Talk about value!
Me: Roast smoked salmon with Cauliflower puree and caper sauce (it also had little tempura cauliflower florets) followed by Fillet and Belly of Pork with confit cabbage and a port  jus;
Hubby: Chicken liver parfait with smoked venison and pickled mushrooms followed by Roast cod with red onion marmalade, chickpea and chorizo casserole and deep fried squid.
Dessert was, if possible, even better than the starters and mains: both were presented as a de-constructed assemblage of elements. Both were simply outstanding:
Me: Baked apple with burnt honey creme brulee. This also included wafers of delectable tender pastry. Kicking myself in hindsight because though I wondered when eating, I forgot to ask what variety the apples were.
Hubby: Lime cheesecake with Lime Jelly and Chocolate sorbet. The cheesecake "crust' was a rich chocolatey biscuit crumble.
Roger Hickman's is definitely highly recommended for lunch!!
We're done with lunch by 3:05 and take our time heading back to our room half heartedly snapping a couple of photos and wondering if we should walk over to the cathedral. In the end I decide I had best rest or tomorrow could be ugly.  We are asleep in no time! What a comfy bed. What snuggly comfy pillows. .No book required. zzzzzz

I wake ahead of hubby and note that it's 7:30 pm. So much for evensong at the Cathedral! I'd be happy to just go back to sleep but I'm a tad hungry and don't want to wake at 3 am ravenous.
I muck about on the computer and hubby wakes. We decide we'll walk across the road to the Waffle House. It's quite busy and has a buzzy sort of atmosphere. One of the reviewers on TA describe the Waffle House as a Norwich institution, which of course makes it tempting to tourists such as myself. Our waitress is bright and friendly and serves us promptly after a brief wait while they clear a nearby table for us. This time hubby decides to sample Fuller's (organic) Honey Dew Golden Beer. Best served chilled. The beer fulfils the promise of the name and is a beautiful golden amber in colour. Very little head at all. Hubby makes another pronouncement of "lovely".
Onto the food:
Share: small garlic butter waffle. Interesting. Qute nice. Very light and crispy waffle.
Hubby: Ham, cheese and mushroom waffle. Lovely ham. I don't do mushrooms, but hubby says they are lovely too.
Me: Hummous and Avocado waffle hold the sweet chilli drizzle. Balsamic instead? Ok. The balsamic is very sweet and strong. Hommous is very light and delicately flavoured.  Hmm. not sure about the flavour combinations on this waffle. Olives, semi-dried tomato, rocket in the mix as well.  Different. Not sure I'd choose that again.
Dessert menu?  You bet.
Hubby: Banoffee, with ice cream, cream and nuts. Delicious. The small portion option is ample.
Me: Dutch spiced (bramley) apples with plump Australian sultanas, add ice cream.  Mmmm delicous. Bramley apple has the right acid/sweetness mix. wonderful. We are out of there for food only 33.80. Good value.
I should go straight back to bed, but decide to do my reviews promptly. Then I decide I'll just do a quiet bit of journalling.. haha. Yeah right. Off to bed just past local time 1 am.  Body clock time more like 11 am. sigh. Brekky is requested at 7:30 am local time.  Oh well. I seldom sleep more than 6 hrs anyhow. Hubby's been snoring for a couple of hours already which is good. He's driving tomorrow.
On the face of it we haven't done that much on our first day here.. but on the other hand we have done plenty.  A great start for our trip.  Always best to begin with a superb meal :o)

Our European trip plan

We are off on an epic trip. Hopefully not the trip of a lifetime, but certainly the longest and most ambitious trip we've taken so far. The destinations are my choice. Hubby is largely a  passenger. Here's hoping we don't get too homesick. Here's a summary of the trip outline.
At the most basic:
1 night Norwich
3 nights Aylsham, Norfolk
2 nights Stamford, Lincolnshire
9 nights London
5 nights Amsterdam
5 nights Paris
4 nights - tour with Bartletts Battlefield Journeys
1 night Ramsgate
1 night Royal Tunbridge Wells
2 nights Brighton
1 night Salisbury
2 nights Stoughton Cross, Somerset
1 night Bath.

We are looking forward to so many things it's hard to pick anticipated highlights but certainly Anzac Day at Villers Brettoneaux and visiting the battlefields will certainly be up there and seeing the tulips at Keukenhof. Various palaces and stately homes and the Mall and of course places of family origin will all be very special I'm sure.

There's a lot we still won't have time for even though we've taken 6 weeks. The Cotswolds and Blenheim, as well as Oxford will have to wait for a hoped for next time which we intend will involve a circle up to Scotland and back down through the area around Ironbridge Gorge and back in to Heathrow via the Cotswold.

Only a week and a half to go until we fly out so we're just in the final stages of checking the luggage and clearing the notebook memory to make room for photos. Our driving play list has been supplemented with some appropriate theme music that reflects the various place's we'll be visiting.

I can't believe departure time has come around so quickly!

My favourite Sydney Sightseeing Walk

I love this walk and recommend it regularly. It's a great way to explore some of the wonderful parts of Sydney. I have treated the walk as one long exploration which can be done over a few hours or across a whole day depending on where, and how long, you stop along the way. You could also split the walk up, perhaps by simply heading straight to Hyde Park and starting there.... so off we go on a somewhat eclectic, one born and bred Sydneysider's view, of a slice of our harbour city... grab a cuppa, if you follow the links this could take a while!

I have chosen to start the walk at Town Hall. You can take tours of Town Hall, though they are not always available and require some advance planning. To the west of Town Hall is St Andrews Cathedral, see of the Archibishop of Sydney and the home of the Anglican church in Sydney.  They don't seem to be all that tourist oriented, tucked away as they are, but they do have a program of events that might be worth checking out if you're into things like organ recitals and choral evensong.. both of which occur on most Thursdays.

Cross over to the QVB.  This magnificent Sydney retail palace was saved from demolition by one of many Green Bans implemented by workers under the leadership of the legendary and still influential Jack Mundey who has made an enormous contribution to the preservation of Sydney's heritage and earned himself a slot as one of the ten Sydney visionaries celebrated at the Museum of Sydney (which is not on this walk).

The QVB could consume some time if you like to browse the shops, or stop for morning tea, but even those who loathe shopping should at least walk through and look up and around as you wander. You won't be short of options for indulging in some guilty pleasures along the way. Darrell Lea is an iconic Sydney purveyor of confectionary.  You can see from the feedback about Bo Peeps on their website, that emotion runs strong among Sydneysiders when it comes to Darrell Lea's favourites! The other absolute Darrel Lea classic is the Rock Lea Road. I would also recommend a couple of other recent additions.. the distressingly delicious Brazil Toffee, Fruit Jubes and of course the milk chocolate bilbies, which in the run up to Easter includes our increasingly popular Easter Bilby. It's a fair generalisation that Aussies tend to HATE rabbits due to the damage they have done and continue to do to our ecology, so certainly here in our house.. the easter bunny has been sacked.. definitely our eggs are supplied by an Easter Bilby!

Emerge from the QVB onto Market Street. Head to the east to George Street and then start heading north. Cross the road. You pass by the Galeries Victoria "a lifestyle and cultural destination for fashion art and music".

If you don't lose yourself in the Galeries.. perhaps in Books Kinokuniya (which seems to have a devoted set of disciples).. soon you will come to Dymocks. Dymocks is a Sydney institution and (like Kinokuniya) one of Sydney's best book stores... Plenty of Australian literature and kids books can be found here.

Continue walking north along George St to the Strand Arcade an atmospheric and beautiful high end retail arcade.. and by far the loveliest way to get across to Pitt St Mall and on to our next destination... which is...

Sydney Tower Eye for an overview of our beautiful harbour with all it's winding nooks and quiet (and some not so quiet) bays..and across to the coast of golden beaches interrupted by craggy cliffs and headlands creating a string of sandy smiles for hundreds of miles north and south.  Access to Sydney Tower Eye  is conveniently located in Westfield Sydney which can be accessed from Pitt St Mall.

With your feet back on the ground, before we move on, I must point out that another of the heritage glories of Sydney - the State Theatre is located to the west along Market St. Still an active performance venue you can also do tours on Mondays, Tuesday or Wednesdays.

We have places to be so walk straight up Market St to Hyde Park and the Archibald fountain and it's lovely backdrop of St Mary's Cathedral. You can visit the Cathedral which is the "spiritual home of Sydney's Catholic community".  They are more geared up for casual visitors than the Anglican counterpart and offer a program of choral services and events. St Mary's is home to Australia's oldest ringing society in Australia the St Mary's Basillica Society of Change Ringers. Practice night is Thursdays, and there are regular ringings for services listed on the website.

Back to Hyde Park: you have an option here to explore the park and take a loop down to the Anzac Memorial Hyde Park. It is a very beautiful memorial full of symbolism and has a small museum onsite. It is well worth your time. You can save time on the day by pre-reading about the memorial. Honouring and remembering our service men and women is a fundamental element of Australian culture.

As we have included some of the largest Christian places of worship in our notes, it's also worth mentioning that just across the road from Hyde Park on Elizabeth St (west of Hyde Park) is the entrance to The Great Synagogue. "One of the finest Synagogues in the world" at the time of writing, tours are available on Tuesdays and Thursdays at 12 noon, but do check the website.

Moving on from Hyde Park, it's simply a matter of crossing the road to get to St James Church, Sydney's oldest church and one of our most significant historic buildings designed by convict architect Francis Greenway.  Not so long ago a British TV series was made about amazing buildings, wonders or something like that... for Sydney they passed over the Opera House and chose St James's Church because they felt it astonishing that it was built when and where it was. It demonstrated an awe inspiring ambition and confidence in the future of young Sydney town. Both St James's Church and Hyde Park Barracks (another Greenway building) were built in the Macquarie era. Lachlan Macquarie was a great visionary and the people of Sydney still hold him in great esteem. He (and his wife) are commemorated in many names and places in Sydney and across NSW. Macquarie's Grave, on the Isle of Mull, Scotland, is maintained at the expense of the National Trust of Australia and is inscribed "The Father of Australia".

Next on our agenda, is of course the World Heritage Listed Hyde Park Barracks. I would recommend allowing at least a couple of hours for exploring this site. Many early immigrants to Australia passed through the doors here, including two of my own forebears, my great great grandfather as a convict, and ten years later my great great grandmother, a free Irish orphan brought out under the Earl Grey Scheme.... both were shipped on to Moreton Bay (now in Queensland) where they married in 1850.  You will learn about both these (and more) uses of the Barracks during your visit.  Even if you choose to simply walk past the Barracks, do have a look at the memorial to the Irish orphan girls and their contribution to this country which forms part of the walls of the barracks compound.

Follow the road as it sweeps around to the left / north and into Art Gallery Road. In addition to my commentary you will find interpretive information about features of this area at the Domain Walk. You will walk under the beautiful shady canopy of an avenue of Port Jackson fig trees through the Domain. As you pass, keep an eye out for the speaker's podiums on your left. These commemorate Sydney's Speaker's Corner.

Shortly thereafter, you arrive at the Art Gallery of NSW. Plenty there for art lovers, but the minimum (in my opinion) is to stroll through the galleries nearby the entrance and take in some of our most iconic works of art by artists such as Tom Roberts or Frederick McCubbin.. or one of my favourites, E Phillips Fox. Also you should seek out the Australian Indigenous artworks. My favourite is the Hills hoist with flying foxes all over it! The Hills hoist has a special place in Australian iconography.... along with the Victa lawn mower..and other strange things that must surely have puzzled the world but made locals laugh (proudly) at the opening ceremony of the Sydney Olympics in 2000. ... of course one of my favourite starring roles for the Victa is in relation to the puzzle of Bazza the Cane Toad!

Moving right along now.. when you've had your fill of... or perhaps at.. the Gallery  - the restaurant there is lovely and has beautiful views over Woollomoolo Bay and the historic Finger Wharf.

Yes, moving right along we move from Art Gallery Road into Mrs Macquarie's Road.  Follow the path as it veers down to the foreshore of Woolloomooloo Bay. Don't neglect to explore the little nooks and crannies along the way as they lead down to some surprises, such as the sculpture, Dual Nature, by Nigel Helyer. Along this way you will also find the Andrew (Boy) Charlton pool. Boy Charlton was a champion Australian swimmer, born in North Sydney, who won the 1500 metres title in 20 minutes 6.6 seconds, setting new Olympic and world records at the 1924 Olympic Games in Paris.

It's a lovely walk down through an area where they have been re-establishing original vegetation, to Mrs Macquarie's Chair. Though many locals use "Mrs Macquarie's Chair" as a general reference to the area as a whole (the official name is Mrs Macquarie's point) Mrs Macquarie's Chair is actually a stone seat carved into the headland. 

Only a few steps now and the vista opens onto what has to be the most iconic view of the Opera House and Sydney Harbour bridge. It is also one of the most attractive views of the Sydney skyline as the modern towers hover above the green of the Royal Botanic Gardens Sydney as it hugs the headland and foreshores of Farm Cove.

Take your time and take a stroll admiring the stunning Sydney views as you walk along the delightfully level foreshore pathway into the botanic gardens. There is plenty of scope for exploring in the gardens, or having a lie down on the grass, a meal in the cafe or restaurant, or simply use the facilities. There is a significant colony of flying foxes (large fruit bats) in the gardens. At the seasonal peak they can currently number more than 22,000 animals. In the evening there is a "bat flyover" as they head out across Sydney to feed on (mainly) blossoms of native trees.  The flying fox camp is around the cafe area and the bats are not hard to see. However the gardens has been granted permission to move the bats along due to the enormous damage they are doing to heritage landscape of the gardens. The relocation is scheduled to take place in May 2012. This is the time that is considered to cause the bats the least stress. The bats should no longer be camping in the gardens with a month or so from then.  However, there is an alternative place to view the bats if you really want to see them. Read about the bats and visiting the other Sydney flying fox colonies here.

The obvious next stop on the walk is the Sydney Opera House. The Opera House is on a promontory called Bennelong Point. Bennelong was one of the most notable Aboriginal people in the early history of modern Australia. Spare him, and his people, a thought as you contemplate the modern metropolis. You can learn more about Sydney's first people here.  By all means take a tour, grab a bite to eat at the Opera Bar or the Opera Kitchen. Pause for a while on a seat along the Opera House forecourt and admire "the coathanger" as Sydneysiders affectionately call the bridge, Luna Park (a beautiful spectacle of light in Sydney's night-time sparkle); and Pinchgut (Fort Dennison) out in the harbour.

You can end the walk here, or you can continue around Circular Quay past the various street performers, enjoy the atmosphere created by didgeridoo players, or sometimes saxophone players or other performers. Beyond the quay you reach the Rocks which demands a whole discussion of its own.

As evening moves in, you can continue around the foreshore all the way around Dawes Point, under the bridge to Walsh Bay for access to more theatre complexes such as Sydney Theatre or The Wharf that provide a home for the Sydney Theatre Company (who also utilise the Drama Theatre at the Opera House).  The land around Walsh Bay,  Millers Point and Barrangaroo  once the scene of  intensive marine industry, ship building and repair, and the home and workplace of the first of my forebears to emigrate to Sydney* will, in a few years, have become a new jewel in Sydney's crown.

*He was a shipwright from the London docklands and he emigrated with his wife and elder children in 1832.  I'm very proud him and of all my forebears as you can no doubt tell :o)

An annotated walking tour of Campbelltown

Campbelltown is situated on land traditionally owned by the Dharawal people.  I would like to acknowledge this as we commence our exploration of the area. 

There are a number of excellent resources available for people who want to understand more about the Dharawal culture, traditions and knowledge:

1. Dharawal seasons and climate cycles by Francis Bodkin and L Robertson. Available in the gift shop of the Royal Botanic Gardens Sydney and the Australian Botanic Garden Mt Annan. This is a beautiful and fascinating book about the climate and seasonal cycles, cultural information and stories. Beautifully illustrated. 

2. Dharawal by Les Bursill and Mary Jacobs available from the author.

The Dharawal version of Advance Australia Fair makes a nice beginning for us.

Modern Campbelltown is a diverse community on the very outskirts of Sydney's south west.  It is well located with easy access (that is, pleasant uncongested driving routes)  to the Blue Mountains, Canberra, Southern Highlands and the coast. The local community includes members who are rich and poor with a wide range of ethnic backgrounds represented. As such it is as good a place as any to have a look at modern Australian life (and with easier parking than most).

The Visit Macarthur website provides a self guided heritage walking tour. This article is intended to supplement the information provided about the heritage properties to give the visitor a run down on the other things you will see as you go along.

The heritage walk commences at the Campbelltown visitor information centre which is run out of Quandong Cottage which dates from 1840.  Next door is Campbelltown Catholic Club aka "the Catho". The Catho is a  community club. Pretty much every community has one or more community clubs where members are provided with more or less in the way of services.  Even some of the tiniest outback communities have one. The Catho is a particularly successful one, but there are bigger ones around. Inside most clubs you will find the ubiquitous "gaming room" and usually some good value eating and drinking and lounges for congregating in to talk or watch large screens. I am told that once upon a time clubs offered interesting activities and games for members. As you will see on the website of this and other clubs, these days the activities offered to members seem to predominantly involve a varied array of gambling opportunities. It is definitely worthwhile stepping foot in a club at some time during your trip.. if you want to be able to say you've really "seen" Australia you should aim to return home able to do a comparison of the differences between a leagues club and a rissole (see below). 

The walking tour now guides you up Queen St. The Millhouse suffered a fire a while ago and has since been standing abandoned. As a heritage building the cost of restoration is high. It is hoped that someone rescues the shell before it is beyond help. It is also hoped that whoever decides to spend that sort of money might be planning to do something really worthwhile with the site.

What they don't mention in the walking tour brochure is the handy and sympathetic presence of all the essential multi-national fast food chains here in the heart of the heritage precinct.  I think we can score that up as a fail, but if you want to indulge in some "international" local culture this might be a convenient moment to do so. Now, I know that this suggestion may seem a little strange, but there are quite a lot of differences in the multinational fast food chains between countries. We have variously been shocked and delighted by our forays into KFC whilst travelling for example..

11. The coaching house, Bursill's Shop and the Railway Hotel are located along an attractive and speed limited shared traffic zone.  Opposite is the entrance to Campbelltown Mall. This is a fairly typical small shopping centre development. Much like many another sprinkled across the country. 

You may have heard of that icon of Australian life and comedy - the bogan.  It is only a matter of time if you spend long enough in Sydney, that someone will tell you some sort of joke about Campbelltown Mall and an alleged population of bogans therein.  This is a dead give away that the person so mirthfully entertained is very ill informed, and more than likely they are a snob. Such people should be ostracised immediately or treated to steely gazes and requests for explanation. Campbelltown Mall is not your best opportunity for bogan spotting at all. Your best bet is Queen St on a week day during business hours, peaking on every second Thursday. Of course bogans are not the only people you will be mingling with. You will find in Campbelltown's main street a broad array of people and backgrounds reflective of the diversity of the community at large. This is Campbelltown's greatest strength. It is one of the things that make it a nice place to live. Lower than average per capita snob ratios; you can duck down the shops in your trackies if you're feeling lazy or you're in the middle of cleaning the bathroom or mowing the lawn and run out of something. Noone will look twice at you. On the other hand if you feel like making an effort and putting on a nice outfit you can do so ... and again.. noone will look twice at you. Live and let live. That's the idea. Just mind your own business and live your life.

As you move on down Queen Street to the Old Post Office, look about you, there are all sorts of nooks and crannies leading to shops of various sorts. Across the road from the Old Post Office is an arcade next a medical centre. This leads to what I strongly suspect is the best and most successful pet shop in NSW.  That too has been there for decades. It doesn't carry the wide array of fascinating creatures that a pet store in the US might have, we have very restrictive laws about pet ownership. However if you want to check out an Aussie pet store this may well be your best opportunity. 

Pass along by the chemists. David Wilson Chemist is another local icon. Been there for decades. The owner also owns Glenlee olives or so I'm told. You can buy their olive oil in the chemist if you really want to. 

Queen Street intersects with Dumeresq St. Waiting at the lights to cross is your best opportunity for observing the people around you. I mean what else are you going to do when you're just standing there. It's less conspicious than eyeballing people as you stand in the street.  If you're going people watching in an area that's not a dedicated people watching place, you need to be discreet. This isn't Bondi. At Bondi people go there because they want you to stare at them. It's not like that in Ctown (pronounced See-town).. but no doubt you have deduced that from the discussion about minding your own business....  

Aside from the people watching opportunity provided at the lights, there's a few things worth mentioning here. Looking down towards the railway line on the right hand side of the road is the barber shop. Excellent barber shop it is too. Been there for decades.  They open early on Saturdays to deal with the weekend rush of men and boys lining up for a no nonsense haircut. 

If you look to the right you will see some of Ctown's growing range of ethnic grocery and food stores that are adding considerably to the interest and variety of life for the local community. My daughter specifically recommends the various drinks available at Pho Real. Milk teas and avocado shakes she reports that all their drinks are excellent value and very good. Pho Real is a noodle house, but they have bowed to pressure and will prepare everyone's favourites - crispy chicken with tomato rice, or rice vermicelli with spring rolls too.

On the upper level of the premise that houses the chemist is the head office of Marsdens Law Group. Marsden's are also a bit of a local icon established by the late and fairly flamboyant John Marsden a tireless campaigner for the local community and a proud local.

Oops the lights will have changed by now, surely.

A considerable effort has been made to beautify the main street and attract people back after the impact of the shopping centre developments like Ctown Mall and Mac Square (that is Macarthur Square, a very large shopping centre not too far away) lead to the traditional heart of the community having something of a near fatal coronary. This has been fairly successful but Camden it aint. 

19. Glenalvon is a special heritage property in Lithgow Street just off the main part of Queen Street. You will read about it in the heritage tour guide. Equally important for a cultural tourist in this area is the Rissole, ie the local RSL (Returned Services League) club. From the corner of Lithgow St and Carberry Lane outside Glenalvon you can look at the present and past locations of the RSL. Started in a shed in 1957, the RSL grew to a large site in Lithgow Street (converting the shed to into a scout hall) before being again redeveloped into an even bigger site in Carberry Lane. The RSL runs the annual ANZAC day Dawn Service in nearby Mawson Park on 25 April each year.  It makes sense to head from Glenalvon via Carberry Lane and the RSL to Mawson Park which is next in the heritage walking tour.

You will notice little discernable difference between a rissole, a club like the Catho, and the various other clubs, prominent among which are the leagues clubs run by or affiliated with the various rugby league teams.  There is however one very important difference. Every evening in an RSL club there is a moment when the remembrance for fallen ritual is conducted. There may be some variation club to club, but typically they make an announcement telling everyone to be upstanding (ie stand up) then they recite the Ode and play reveille, then you go back to what you were doing. 

20-22. Also adjacent to Mawson Park is the Campbelltown City Bowling Club. This is a good example of the more traditional style of community club. There used to be a club like this in most communities, but they're harder to find than they used to be.

Cross Browne Street and pretty soon you will come to Kings Charcoal Chicken (110 Queen Street). Just an ordinary take away you might think.  Not so fast. This place is pretty much a license to print money. It is a local icon and it is not unusual at all to find queues out the door. Peak periods being Thursday and Friday night.  It's a family run business. Most of the family have tertiary degrees in areas like law, but they found that it was more lucrative and lifestyle friendly to work in the family business. They are universally acknowledged as the best chicken and chips outlet in the district.. check out their awards which are on display in the shop.

Opposite King's is the Campbelltown City Council Chambers. Also discretely located on the site behind the bush shelter is the local senior citizens club.

If you haven't already, now would be a good time to cross the road, so back track if you need to, and cross at Mawson Park and walk down past the modern section of the court house. You can have a quick squizz (ie look) at the railway station if you really must. Of course if you have come out to explore Campbelltown by train, appreciating the heritage station buildings is no problem.

For those who have driven, as you head back down Queen St to get back to your vehicle you will pass Stockade Pies. This is a very good pie shop.

A little further along is the Spotlight plaza. For those who like quilting and patchwork Sew Many Stitches is a comprehensively stocked store buried down in there opposite spotlight. When last I looked they had a very very good range of Australian pattern fabrics.

Back on your route you will arrive at Milgate arcade. Particularly in the morning your arrival here may be heralded by a lovely wafting aroma of fresh breads. If you wander down the lane there is Yasmin Lebanese Bakery. Follow the links and read the reviews. They say it better than I could... but they seem to keep strange hours. The latest review is about a year old, but they are still there and still getting good word of mouth.

Yasmin's is on the edge of one of the local car parks. Around the car park there are a number of extra asian grocers. 

The best way back to Quandong is to retrace your steps and continue back along Queen Street in the shade. 

And there you have Campbelltown City centre. A cross section of Australian life.

Some contextual trivia:

Rainfall annual averages in the different areas of Sydney.

Parramatta - 959.5 mm (averaged over 46 years)

Observatory Hill (ie The Rocks, Sydney) - 1213.1 mm (averaged over 153 years)

Campbelltown - 829.1 (averaged over 25 years)

Camden - 764.0 (averaged over 37 years)

Backroads: Sydney to Canberra Pt 2 - Southern Highlands (Berrima) to Canberra

I ended the previous article at Berrima. As you would expect as we move out into the really rural areas there are less stopping opportunties and attractions.
As you plan your visit to the highlands you may find the schedule of local village markets useful.

From Berrima head back a short way towards Mittagong and take the turn to into Oxley's Hill Road which will get you to Bowral. If you're looking for something to eat there are numerous cafes in Bowral. The Gum Nut Patisserie is a local icon which has outlets in Bowral, Mittagong and Berrima.
Bowral is the most up market area of the highlands. It is a traditional area where the wealthy of Sydney maintain a country home to escape the heat of the summer at lower altitudes. Bowral is also the home of the Bradman Museum which has evolved into the International Cricket Hall of Fame.
When you have had your fill of Bowral head for Moss Vale. You will pass through Burradoo which is dominated by large properties worth rather a lot of money, though most don't flaunt themselves at passers by.
Between Bowral and Moss Vale you will pass the entry to Cecil Hoskins Nature Reserve. This reserve is a nice spot for a picnic lunch without going out of your way. It is also an excellent bird watching location. Even in the picnic area you can see such things as superb fairy wrens, thornbills and flame robin if you keep your eyes peeled.  The water here is known as somewhere you can sometimes see rarer waterfowl such as musk ducks.. but you'll need to be lucky!  The Barren Grounds is an even better birdwatching spot closer to the escarpment and the roads down to the coast. I would definitely include that at some stage on your trip, but I won't discuss it further here.

Moss Vale is the main service centre for the local agricultural industries. It's more functional with less touristy shops to tinker about in. There is a nice park alongside the railway line and next to the railway station, but overall, not a lot to detain you.  Head out of Moss Vale along the Illawarra Highway and travel by an area of vines and grazing cattle to Sutton Forest.  At Sutton Forest you will find a small group of browsing shops.
Follow the signs to Exeter which is a small and pretty village. Like most highland villages exotic trees and shrubs are popular here.  The General store and post office sells Devonshire (cream) teas and there is an antiques shop.
The next village is Bundanoon which is a traditional base for walks in Morton National Park. This is reflected by the numerous guest houses and the youth hostel along the road as you drive into town. Ye Olde Bike Shoppe and Cafe hires bikes for exploring the area and the national park.

You enter Morton National Park at Gambells Rest and here you will find nice camping spots with facilities and a well equipped picnic area with gas bbqs. This would be a good spot to pull up in a campervan. You need to book camp sites by contacting the Fitzroy Falls Visitor Centre before occupying them.  There are lookouts and walks of varying lengths and difficulty and excellent bird life.  Whenever you are in the highlands keeps a listen for bird calls that sound like a creaky door. This will be either black cockatoos (more usual) or gang gangs (consider yourself lucky). Both are worth seeing when you get the chance. Both tend to call as they fly over so watch the sky for them if they sound close.
As we pulled into the car park little bronze cuckoos were calling consistently.

It is a pretty drive from Bundanoon down to Penrose and on to Wingello and Tallong. These are tiny blink and you'll miss it places with nothing much more than a general store come post office.
The area around Tallong is more bushland than pastures and Tallong itself really feels like a little bush village with little church and small cemetary. My first thought as we arrive at Tallong is of A Bush Christening.. but when I think about it, that makes no sense at all. A Bush Christening is set in the middle of nowhere were there were no churches. That's the whole point. In those days ministers of remote areas had roaming briefs and they would travel the countryside marrying the couples and christening their children in some cases both on the same day! Marriage before children was something of a luxury for the pioneers.
You may have had your fill of lookouts from Gambells Rest, but there are another couple of options out of Tallong.  The first sign you come to is for Badgery's Lookout and Picnic Area 7kms off the highland way. The last couple of kms are signposted as winding, but it shouldn't be a problem for you in a two person campervan.
The picnic area there has bbqs and tables.

There are two lookouts, both of them are fairly rough under foot. One of them is very rugged and is simply a fence around a natural rock outcrop. Neither is suitable for people who need a level surface (maybe bung knees or hips or such), but you can still get pretty good views from near the picnic tables. I won't put an outright photo of the view in here, but here's some shots to show you what I'm talking about.

The stairs to the main lookout have uneven risers and are caked in leaf litter. You need to step onto or over the rocks at the lookout itself, there's not a level area to get in. Fine for people with no restrictions on their mobility. Indeed I like rough lookouts like this. :o) I like my bush tracks rough too.

The rugged lookout has views down to the Shoalhaven River on the eastern end of the view and across to a large industrial mine/quarry in the western end of the view.

 The smaller lookout is natural earth with the undulations and irregularities this involves.

There is a more "civilised" lookout at Long Point as we shall see. On the road to Badgery's Lookout, we saw native clematis or old man's beard. At this time of year when we have had some rain they are covered in fluffy seed heads. Earlier in the season they smother in lovely white flowers and are easily seen from the road. 

Our visit was at about 9:30 am in early January and the heat by that time is starting to build. The birds have gone quiet and the only sound is the rasping of the cicadas. A white eared honeyeater quietly hops around the branches of a tree overhanging the bbqs, but he'd be easily missed.

We made our way back to Tallong and shortly after rejoining he highlands made the turn to Long Point Lookout.  Along the road as we travelled we saw a few lizards. Blue tongues have come to grief in a number of places so it's wise to keep an eye out for them.  It's sensible to moderate your speed so you don't hit one of our more impressive reptiles.  Lace Monitors - more generally referred to as goannas - are common in bushland areas. Their first instinct if they get a bit worried about you is to head for the nearest tree. This one was crossing the road as we drove to Long Point. He's only fairly small for a goanna.

In Morton National Park and along the roadsides  in this area grey gums are common. When their bark is newly shed the smooth patches are a bright orange and look very striking. To the uninitiated one eucalyptus tree looks much like another, but observe as you travel the many sorts of bark. Gum leaves are often quite similar and many species have different juvenile leaves to their mature leaves so the way you tell one from the other is by bark then by seed pod shape and character.  The common name of the eucalyptus trees are usually descriptive of their bark eg Stringybark or grey gum, or red gum. Bloodwoods tend to excude sap and have bark that appears tesselated. Scribbly gums are those who's bark is eaten by insects leaving marks that look like someone has scribbled all over the tree. Scribbly gums have a soft spot in most Australian hearts through the adventures of Snugglepot and Cuddlepie a children's story in which the main characters are gum nut babies who get up to all sorts of adventures. In the stories the scribbles on the gums are imagined as writing left by the bush creatures with messages to eachother. 

This is the sort of scribbly gum that you will see along the roads and in Morton NP. The scribbles are easiest to see in the top left hand corner of the photo.

Long Point Lookout is in the national park. When you enter the park the road becomes gravel, but well graded and very smooth. As the day warms the bushland gives off a lovely fragrance. This is much more noticeable when there has been some rain. At the Long Point Lookout the infrastructure is more user friendly. The stairs are even and have hand rails and there are picnic booths with a shady roof.  My apologies for the image issues.. but they'll do the job until I can figure out what the problem is!

There is an easy, fairly level, though natural track to more lookouts that are more rustic. This is only 20 minutes return.  The furthest looks out over the big industrial quarry that is seen from further away at Badgery's Lookout. A longer more challenging walk, with sign in book, goes down to the shoalhaven river commences at the lookout.

Back at Tallong it's only a short way before you rejoin the highway to get to Marulan. 

Marulan is a sweet little town with a lovely cafe and playground. The historic buildings along the main road have interpretive boards.  Marulan makes an easy rest stop for people who are just doing a dash via the fastest route ie sticking to the Hume Hwy. 

The only obvious ways to keep off the highway between Marulan and Goulburn are to detour more significantly out of your way. We chose to sample the route out to Bungonia.  It is a pleasant drive through grazing pastures to Bungonia. You can get a feel for the nature of this village from the photo gallery of their website. I found the photos of the 2010 floods very interesting. As you drive throughout Australia you will see flood posts along the roads. In many areas where you see them the land looks dry and as though that much water surely would never happen, but Australia is a land of extremes.  The drive is equally pleasant out to the Bungonia State Conservation Area which is subject to a day use fee that you pay at the information office.  This is a shot of the bush just by the entrance to the Bungonia State Conservation Area.

Heading into Goulburn from Bungonia you pass by the Old Goulburn Brewery which is a significant piece of industrial heritage and the oldest surviving brewery in Australia, but in need of some capital investment.

Bungonia Road forms an intersection with Braidwood Road. This is where to come to do the next backroads leg, but for now head into Goulburn and turn left into Sloan road where the information centre is conveniently located opposite the Belmore park.  Belmore Park Goulburn is significant in the history of railways in NSW. It is a sister park to Belmore Park opposite Sydney Central station and marks either end of the railway line as it then was. Goulburn Visitor Information website has some great resources to help you explore the area. We enjoyed visiting Goulburn Historic Waterworks.

When you are ready to leave Goulburn you have a possible dilemma... or at least I have a dilemma because it's hard to choose which route to recommend.. so I'll recommend both!

The backroad is along the Braidwood Road to Bungendore via Tarago. This is scenic route 8 and it is a lovely drive with beautiful rural vistas. We really love this drive and do it regularly when heading to Canberra. (For locals or those able to go on the dirt, the turn to the left at Tarago heading down to Braidwood is even better). At Tarago there is not a lot other than The Loaded Dog Hotel. The pub website saved me another dilemma by providing a link to Henry Lawson's story that inspired the name of the hotel. Do read it, it is an Australian classic.

As you head between Tarago and Bungendore you travel behind the wind turbines that form such a spectacle from Weereewa Lookout on the opposite side of Lake George.

Bungendore is a great spot. It's a really nice village and there is heaps to do there but the absolute must do is the Bungendore Woodworks. Don't miss it. :o)  I have to say it has a particularly good display at the moment. I always go into wood galleries when I travel.. I've yet to find one that is even half as good as Bungendore Woodworks. Can you perhaps guess that we love the woodworks a lot? The cafe at the woodworks is good too. We have always enjoyed our meals there.

The other route to  get to Bungendore is to continue from Goulburn on the Hume Hwy and then of course, turn onto the Federal Highwy. In my opinion this stretch of the Hume is really nice.. and the Federal Highway is very nice too. Hills on one side Lake George on the other, and then there's the Weereewa lookout over Lake George and the Capital Hill Wind farm we mentioned earlier in relation to Wariapendi.  On balance I would have to say that you should stick to the Hume and the Federal through this stretch and on into Canberra. Though you should definitely take the side road to Bungendore then back track to the highway. .. just don't be fooled by the large brown tourist attraction signs along the way directing you to Bywong historic gold mining town. I'll save you the trouble with this photo. It's all you see of any such place if you follow those signs.

You can go from Bungendore down into Queanbeyan and Canberra, but I really think a first time visitor should go into the ACT and Canberra via the front door. From that route it's been designed as a welcoming entrance and it is also easier to find the information centre and get your bearings as well. Canberra's layout can be a bit confusing for visitors.

So that is stage two of Backroads Sydney to Canberra. Happily I have avoided needing to talk about Queanbeyan and it's attractions. I know bugger all about Queanbeyan other than that there is apparently an awesome bakery there!  Hmm. I might have to do something about that! It's all Canberra's fault. Canberra has so much great stuff to do.. try to spend several days there. :o)

Backroads: Sydney to Canberra Pt 1 - Sydney to Southern Highlands.

This drive is designed to suit people who like to get off the beaten track and stay off the main highway and motorway routes. The Southern highlands can also be accessed by one of several beautiful routes from the south coast. This article does not cover those routes. Instead it concentrates on the western areas of the highlands closer to the Hume Highway. If you love to drive or would like two or three of days out of Sydney without going too far, then a circular drive down to the highlands and down to the Illawarra coast and back up along the Grand Pacific Drive is an excellent option.

First of all (and this depends very much on the precise timing due to peak traffic periods) you could consider driving out of Sydney along Henry Lawson Drive. You might choose to do this if you are one of those people who would like to have a quick squizz at the "real" Sydney rather than sitting on the motorway with sound barriers for the whole drive out of urban Sydney.  To take this route, I reckon the easiest access is to exit the motorway at King Georges Road and head south (left) down King George's Road. Turn right at Stoney Creek Road and continue on to Forest Road which becomes Henry Lawson Drive.

Henry Lawson Drive follows the Georges River and is leafy and pleasant. There are stretches of bushland and riverside parks you can stop at such as Georges River National Park.  You need to be careful swimming in the Georges River as sharks do enter the waters, though this is noted as unusual on the Georges River website .  Keep an eye out for the beware of sharks signs along the river as you pass by. 

In places along the river you will see some large houses.. the George's River used to flood regularly and the houses were fairly inexpensive by the river as a result. They've done some flood mitigation works and clearly the current owners feel their investment is safe enough. Consequently redevelopment has been enthusiastic. Perhaps some of them might be feeling nervous after the experience of the people of Brisbane recently when areas considered safe since the construction of the Wivenhoe Dam, were again inundated following a series of major rain events.

Rejoin the motorway when you come to the on ramp from Henry Lawson Drive. Continue and you can then exit the motorway at Camden Valley Way to make your way to Camden straight down Camden Valley Way. This section is also heavily dependent on timing.  Camden Valley way is a pleasant leafy drive through rural hinterland.  

As you approach Camden you pass a development called Harrington Park. You might be curious to take a brief detour to cruise around in Harrington Park and see this reasonably typical recent outer Sydney housing development or perhaps the website and the drive past is more than enough. The large houses that are commonly built to consume the majority of the housing block they sit on are derisively termed "McMansions". They are a subject that is not quite a barbeque stopper, but certainly one that is likely to bring out some strong emotions in many people. McMansion is a term derived from the fast food hamburger outlet known the world over.

Also at the intersection of Camden Valley Way and Narellan Road there's a shopping centre. Camden Council resisted such developments in the area as long as possible but in the end with the population growth they allowed this one, and the fast food joints nearby.  So far Camden itself has been carefully protected by the local council. However, it seems the writing is on the wall.  The NSW government is currently working on drowning the lovely rural land around Camden with housing developments. The resumption of productive farm land for housing is an increasingly controversial issue.

Also at the intersection of Camden Valley Road and Narrellan road you can turn towards Campbelltown and visit the Australian Botanic Garden Mt Annan...Entry is free and it's worth a stop. There is a pleasant circuit drive, lakeside picnic spots, remnant critically endangered Cumberland Plain Woodland; some walks with outstanding views across the district, an excellent children's playground and a good cafe. As you drive on the circuit you cross a bridge over a canal. This canal is entirely gravity fed and is apart of the infrastructure of Sydney's water supply. It was built in 1880 and moves water to Prospect Resevoir.
To the south of the Gardens as you travel on the circuit or pause to enjoy the views you can see a large historic house with an area of olive plantation. This is a beautiful private historic home called Glenlee. It is owned by a local Chemist and accordingly it can be purchased at David Wilson Chemist in Campbelltown.. and you might also be able to buy it at the gift shop in the Gardens....I will do a separate article on a walking tour of Campbelltown.

From the Gardens (or Campbelltown) head back out to Narellan along Narellan Road and turn left at Camden Valley Way to continue down to Camden.

Camden is a very pretty little village with a charming main street. This district was originally set aside as government land called "the Cowpastures" after escaped cattle from the earliest days of settlement were located thriving on the fertile grasslands. Having been firmly rebuffed by the Governor who had reserved the land to ensure the availability of food for the young colony, John Macarthur, as a result skillful manoeuvring, obtained a large land grant here through the intervention of the Colonial Secretary, Lord Camden. Hence the name. When John Macarthur arrived back in the colony the Governor of NSW was furious to say the least.  The whole area is very historically significant. You might recognise the name of John Macarthur if you've come across mention of the Rum Rebellion. He's one of our more interesting/notorious historical figures. His wife Elizabeth is also very important historically and you will see her name here and there if you're paying attention as you drive through.

You will find more information about sites around Macarthur on the visit Macarthur website. In particular the website provides a self guided walking tour of Camden... but take some of what they say on there with a grain of salt, (especially in their history section!) They talk some things up a bit much to say the least.. indeed as someone quite interested in history I'd say their claims are a tad outrageous. If you really want to see the "birthplace of Australian agriculture" you could consider visiting Experiment Farm which is in Sydney.   Another very interesting place to visit in Sydney is Elizabeth Farm which was built for John Macarthur in 1793. It is the oldest European building in Australia. You'll get a much more balanced representation about John Macarthur's contribution there... but I digress.

It's a pleasant back roads drive across the Razorback, out to the village of Picton. The George IV pub (known as the George) brews it's own beer and has an excellent reputation for a quality drop. 

Also in Picton r.coffeeco is a good cafe for breakfast or lunch.

Another option from Camden is to head out to Burragorang lookout which overlooks Sydney's main water supply and the world heritage listed Greater Blue Mountains area. At Burragorang there are beautiful wildness views and beautiful and shady picnic tables, a nice childrens play area and electric barbeques. The bushland at Burragorang is beautiful and when we visited in January the Sydney red gums were shedding their bark to reveal beautiful beautiful red beneath.  There is a day use fee which has been imposed since they upgraded the facilities. To go out to Burragorang, drive straight ahead at the roundabout near the Camden Showgrounds into Cawdor Road; straight ahead at the roundabout at Sheathers lane and then turn right into Burragorang Road. Stay on it and it will take you to the lookout. Along the way you pass through the Oaks where volunteers operate the Wollondilly Heritage Centre which is open on weekends and public holidays. 

On the return from the Burragorang lookout turn right into Barkers Lodge Road and follow it all the way to Picton from there. We're talking serious backroading now :o) and this is a lovely drive leading you to a lovely little country town.

From Picton there are two notable options, you can head through Tahmoor and Bargo and catch up some time by rejoining the highway for a while at Yanderra. 

 Alternatively you can turn from Picton to Thirlmere where you will find the Train Works Railway Museum, which has recently had a big capital investment from the Government.

Also nearby is Thirlmere Lakes National Park

From Thirlmere you can head to Tahmoor and catch up as described above, or you can continue through the bushy route via Buxton, Hill Top and Colo Vale. If you are a gardener you might find it interesting to have a quick look at Wariapendi Native Nursery at Colo Vale to see the sorts of things we might plant here that you might not expect to find at home. You drive straight past their entry and they sell icecreams if you fancy stretching your legs. There is some interesting information on their website about some things they have been involved in that adds background for later in this stage and a  later stage of the Sydney to Canberra backroads trip.  Eg  restoring the Gib  and Wariapendi’s contribution to the re-vegetation of the site of the Capital Hill Wind Farm at Bungendore.  

Once again you have a choice to join the highway for a quick run in along the main road of Mittagong, where you will find the tourist information centre. I recommend this route for a first time visitor although it does spend a while getting through the industrial zone before you get into Mittagong itself.  Mittagong's main road is very nice and lined with deciduous trees that colour in autumn. If you enjoy needlecraft you may be interested in a stop at Victoria House where you can find Australian themed designs as kits or pattern sheets. If you have skipped some or even all, the stopping opportunities so far, you might feel like a break at Lake Alexandra, a man made lake with picnic and playgrounds and toilets and an opportunity to take a short walk. In the streets surrounding Lake Alexandra there are numerous old stone cottages. 

Alternatively you can cross the overpass above the highway and drive along the Old Hume Highway for a short way, turning right into Old South Road. At the intersection with Range road turn right and drive until you come to the Sturt Craft Centre. The left turn at the same intersection is a nice scenic drive out to Robertson and this is recommended for people who have done the highlands before and are looking to explore deeper.

Nearby lovely district views can be enjoyed at the lookouts on Mt Gibralter, which is known as The Gib. 

From the Gib, it's a short drive into the busiest (and most up market) centre in the highlands: Bowral. However, I recommend heading back to the main street in Mittagong and heading to Berrima first as the route to Berrima from Mittagong is more scenic.

As you head out of Mittagong, scrapbookers might like to visit Paper Roses scrapbooking shop at 113 Main Street Mittagong.

Taking the route from Mittagong, about a km after you cross the overpass across the highway, you will come to sign directing to Wombeyan Caves. This road is a very rough, difficult route. If you do want to visit Wombeyan Caves - don't go this way. Especially in a camper.  However if you turn here you can follow the signs to Tertini Wines cellar door. We recently enjoyed a stop at Tertini Wines and walked out with some lovely Noble Reisling, Pink Lady cider and (delicious) rhubarb and ginger jam. :-)  This is not the only winery in the area, but it is one I can recommend.

About 3 kms out of Berrima you will come to the Berkelouw book barn.. which comes with a warning.. those tempted to enter sometimes lose track of the time....  

Berrima is an historic village with many shops, galleries, an historic licensed hotel - The Surveyor General - and national trust listed buildings such as Harpers Mansion (only open on weekends and public holidays) and Berrima Courthouse (open every day).. Visitors who are looking for Australian themed patchwork fabric can find some at Berrima Patchwork.

Aside from these options there is a lot to explore around the Southern Highlands. You can enjoy a pleasant drive through or you can stay a night or two or three.... There are a number of cellar doors in the area, gardens, scenic drives and historic properties.  

More to follow :o)

The view from the Gunner's Barracks