day 83 Sep 16 Fri Nelson to Newcastle

Off to another Port today - This time Port Stephens. We stop off at Anna Bay and the phenomenon of Stockton Sands. A 35km mass of ever shifting sand dunes. A beautiful place - but not possible to negotiate without a 4x4 or a little local knowledge. So we book our places on another one of Nicole's surprise trips - sandboarding.  This involves boarding a "sand bus" which takes us slipping and sliding across the dunes to a spot in the middle of nowhere but surrounded by enormous dunes. 

We spend the next hour or so climbing up the ever shifting sands ( very hard work) and then sliding down seated on a short, narrow board using our hands to keep balance on either side. 

  

We all manage a wipe out and a face full of sand or two along the way but have a great time.  

 

We have the area to ourselves for almost an hour when the next tour group arrives. 

Bus loads of Koreans suddenly descend on the previously quiet and tranquil sands. Their tour guide demonstrates correct use of the sand board and how to climb up the dunes... it becomes more amusing to watch them than actually boarding ourselves and our peace has been shattered.  They are not really dressed for it either! The moral of our morning is never trust a Korean to take a family photo!

Our sand bus comes back to collect us and we drive back over the sands to a waiting milkshake in the beachfront cafe. Thus marks the beginning of "Sausage Rollgate" in which a father and a small child almost come to blows over a savoury snack. This continues while a mother and a slightly older child explore nearby Nelson Bay. 

 

 

In the calm after the storm we all explore the many little beaches surrounding the town and are delighted to find pelicans in abundance surrounding the fishing tables at Salamander Bay as the afternoon is drawing to a close. One takes a liking to Tiegan - she is not so sure! We stand an watch their antics for a while, enjoying their duck dabbling and rowdy jostling for fish scraps at the waters edge - and they make the most bizarre sound - a cross between a honk and a pig oink.
Rowan spots a pair of dolphins in the water quite close to shore and we follow them along the beach until the sand runs out. Their are some beautiful beach front properties here and we are quite taken with the place. We try and find a late afternoon snack and ice cream but are unsuccessful instead we find another glorious little beach complete with bunnies on the grass verge, dolphins in the water and a cockatoo playing on the shore line.

The day is complete when we drive to our next camp spot and spot a field by the road with 20 or so wild kangaroos grazing in the dusk. Not sure who was watching who as, unlike the very tame roos at Aus Zoo, these were extremely wary of any noise or movement. Seconds after the click of the camera they took off into the safety and cover of the trees. Amazingly we are the only people at the rest stop tonight. There is huge investment in Highway 1 going on, and enormous development, widening and improvement of sections the road happening and some rest areas are no longer there or are inaccessible. This area was just off the road in an area still under construction which is why we think it was so empty.