BootsnAll Travel Blogs

I arrived on a cold night and fell straight asleep in my dorm room at the YHA Central (Melbourne)
woke up in the morning to a sunny start (that was about to change) so I headed out to find my car.
I hadnt taken a GPS of where Id left it 6 weeks ago, so chanced it and set off walking. ….straight to it! I said hello and reconnected the battery, checked the water and oil (both good) and the tyres. A few turns of the key later and it started! …I love this car.
I parked around the corner and had poached eggs on toast and a flat white to celebrate.
Back at the hostel, I parked out front and then went in to pack my bag and check out. As I left the building I found a parkie about to give me a ticket and have the car towed for parking on a clearway!!!! luckily, he was a nice fella and let me go
I drove South and West, heading down towards Wilsons Promentary …however the camp sites were all booked and it was raining by now too, so I carried on to Foster and checked in to the YHA there.
I toddled off for a pie and a coffee and on returning to the hostel found it to be full of chicks! …germans x 2, swiss x 2 and ozzie x 2. We all had a few vinos that night an a good laff.
Next day I left (and left my jacket there too 🙁 ) and headed north east on the road to 90 mile beach. I camped at Paradise beach, which wasnt really a paradise as the flies and mozzies were quite bad: so bad that at one point I ran along the beach to escape them and pulled my calf muscle again!!!!

Up early the next day and on to Sale where I had a Mac’d coffee and stole their internet wile it absolutely lashed down outside. I rang me ma’s cousin Dorothy and arranged to pop in after doing some shopping for a lens cap for my wide angle lens.
I arrived at Paynesville to meet Dorothy and her hubby Ty. Spent 4 hours there chatting about all manner of things… nice couple. Had a nice time there …while it thundered and hailed outside.
Off north via the Great Alpine Road, I got to Omeo by evening so pitched up at the campsite and ate a nice pork steak…. or 2. jus before the rain hit.
It snowed that night.
Freezing cold I headed north on a nice gravel road (the Alpine Way) and eventually reached the ski resort of Thredbo. Another YHA here to stop in.
After a bit of a wander that night I set off the next morning to the top of Mount Cozkiouski.
Its a steep climb – mainly steps, but after 1 hour and 5 minutes, I got to the top (its supposed to take 2-3 hours) then I wandered along thetop a bit and took some photos before heading back to the chair lift cafe for a flat white.
Back at the hostel, I checked out and headed East. Did quite a few k’s before getting tired and stopping at Mystery Bay …..turned out to be a primitive campsite in a GREAT location in gum trees RIGHT on a great beach, surrounded by other great beaches and some great rock formations too. I spent 2 nights here, eating a drinking coffee on the beach.
After Mystery Bay I headed north to Narooma YHA. Nice hostel with a nice beach – however the pearl here was the beach just along from the main beach: Cemetery Beach and Glashouse Rocks. Bluddy amazing beach and rock formations…spent a lot of time here over the next couple of days.
I moved out of the hostel after one night and set up camp in a free site at Lake Brou (an old guy called Richy had pointed it out to me) nice beach and people here, so I stayed for a couple of nights and did a lot of chillin and a couple of nice walks along the beach.

After Brou, I headed north again to Batemans Bay…again staying at a YHA, however this time I camped at the YA which is within a camp site. Met a dutch guy called Thomas who is cycling his way around some of Oz …nice guy: good at finding Iphones……
Lot of walking at Batemans, not much else to do, so after one night I moved on, heading north. Sadly there a complete lack of free camping now and at Kiama, I was quoted $50 to camp for the night …so I continued on to Wollongong, where I stayed at the YHA (yet again) nice old fella here who is in the middle of a court thing to get custody of his kiddy back from his mother in law.
I bought a hat here too …an oilskin cowboy hat.
Up early and I managed to post my credit card under the office door instead of the door card!!!!
30 mins later and staff turned up to open the door and let me recover it and move on
I headed north on the coastal route to Bald hill and a quick trip along the Sea Cliff Bridge and watch the hang gliders
Continuing on to a little bay for coffee and brekkie (am I feelin rich or wot??)
Then into Sydney: thankfully Co-pilot got me tright thru the centre of Sydney without any hassle and right nto the hostel at the ‘Rocks’!!…amazing these satnavs
the hostel has a rooftop terrace with incredible views over Sydney harbour ..and we’re so close to the bridge that I get nice photos of it and the Opera house just from here!

I still had a good walk around to get more tho ….
Quite like Sydney. Found a nice cheap chicken Ceasar an a cheapish bar at night too.
The hostel has en-suite bathroom in the 4 bed dorm too which is nice.
Saturday and an early start to walk over the bridge and then get the ferry back to Circular Quay however its raining so after a quick stop for coffee and bread & butter pudding mmmmmmm I headed back to the hostel ….by the time I got there the rain was torrential and thunder rolled across the city.