29 November 2012 - Wollongong Surf Leisure Resort, Fairy Meadow, NSW

What a relief to discover a brighter day through the blinds this morning. The clouds were still low over Mount Keira but it seemed we would have visability along the coast even if not up toward the escarpment. The forecast suggested we were in for a humid day and so it was out with the jeans and on with a skirt, with no further forward thought.

We set off northward along what is loosely termed The Grand Pacific Drive, more accurately Pioneer Road, then on up to meet the southern end of the Lawrence Hargrave Drive, named after an engineer, astronomer, inventor and aeronautical pioneer born in England in 1850 who subsequently died in Australia 1915. His particular claim to fame in this region was when he successfully lifted himself off the ground under a train of box kites at Stanwell Park Beach on 12 November 1894. These days hang gliders and para gliders celebrate this action by leaping off Bald Hill above Stanmwell Park, but alas for us, not today.

The route from Wollingong to Stanwell Park is a mere twenty five kilometres, and here at Fairy Meadow, we were already partway done. From Thirroul, once and only briefly, home to the author, DH Lawrence, while he made progress on the manuscript of Kangaroo, the road hugs the coast with little option to do otherwise. The strip between the sheer cliffs and the coast is narrow, just wide enough to hold the small seaside villages of Austinmer, Coledale, Wombarra, Scarborough, Clifton, Coalcliff and Stanwell Park.
 

Remants of old jetties

It was the discovery of coal along this coastline that brought Europeans and kept them here.  In 1796, the ship “Sydney Cove” suffered storm damage while crossing the Bass Strait. Eleven of the crew were set off in a longboat to seek help, but were shipwrecked on the Ninety Mile Beach down on the Victorian coast. Bravely and tenaciously, they continued on foot, finally reaching the beach at Austinmer in May 1797. There they built a fire with coal found on the beach, and later saw a coal seam above the watermark. Several months later, Dr George Bass visited the area and confirmed that yes, there was indeed coal here, a seam six to seven feet thick along the sea cliff. The inaccessibility to the site delayed mine until January 1878.

A jetty 150 metres from the shoreline was constructed to access the mine and became known as the Jetty Mine. The coal was loaded in the mine and hauled to the surface by horse and later by a steam powered rope haulage system. The seas often proved too strong for the jetty; it had to be rebuilt after such destruction. The last shipment of coal from the jetty was in 1912. The Jetty Mine was renamed Coal Cliff Coliery in 1909, by which time it was accessible by rail. Over forty years, between 1878 and 1919, an estimated three million tonnes was extracted from the mine. It finally closed in 1992.

The Lawrence Hargreave Drive

The Lawrence Hargrave Drive was constructed way back in the 1870s, however the stretch between Clifton and Coalcliff, suffered damage time and time again from regular rock falls. In 2003 a major slip closed the road permanently, a most unpopular decision that gave rise to the construction the Sea Cliff Bridge, at a cost of $49 million.

When I read this, I was reminded of the Manawatu Gorge near Palmerston North in New Zealand, which suffers closure from flood and the resulting erosion all too frequently. Perhaps I should write to the New Zealand Prime Minister and suggest the same solution but then, I suspect there isn’t the money hanging about for such a project.

The bridge was opened in December 2005, not so long ago, and apart from relinking the villages along the coast, it has become a great tourist attraction as was evident today by our own interest and that of many small busloads of foreign tourists. It is one of only seven off-shore parallel to coast bridges in the world and the Drive is considered one of the most scenic roads in Australia.

We chose to walk it, parking at Coalcliff and walking back  a couple of kilometres to take in the 455 metre bridge section. It passes over a particularly rugged part of the coast, obviously a draw card for would-be suicide candidates, given the signage and high fences. It was from here we first noticed the swathes of red algae, something we had already been alerted to on the news yesterday. Some of the beaches north of here have already been closed although I suspect there is a disregard for such amongst the diehard surfers.

Returning to the cruiser, we continued on the road, soon climbing up out of Stanwell Park and up to the Lawence Hargrave Memorial and Otford Lookout on Bald Hill. It was here we might have seen the flyers had it not been Thursday, 29 November, if that had any significance at all. The views back down the coast were spectacular and the clouds had lifted. The built up area stretches on and on, past Wollongong, down past Shellharbour, Kiama and beyond.

A streak of red algae

At this point we decided that we would not simply retrace our route as had been Plan A, but to carry on westwards and then return to camp on the Old Princess Highway. Heading homeward, I suggested we pop into the Dharawal Nature Reserve, lunch and then do a walk if there was anything on offer. There are not a lot of walks on offer here or in the Dharwell State Conservation Area, but we did enjoy the short walk to the Madden Falls, where we sat and ate our lunch on the viewing platform above the falls. Maddens Creek is one of the tributaries that eventually feed into the George River, a significant river we have crossed in other places and one that feeds into Botony Bay.

Walking in National Parks and the like, calls for sensible solid footwear, and we do carry our walking shoes with us in the cruiser. However, while I am no fashion plate, clunky laceups and woollen sox just do not go with floral gauzy skirts! At least not when one is of a certain age. I was pleased that no one saw us before I could change back into my sandals. Such vanity on my part! And such comedy for my husband.

Madden Falls

Back on the road, fed and exercised, we stopped off at the Sublime Point Lookout, high above Austinmer and again offering spectacular views along the coast. From this vantage point, red ribbons of algae criss crossed the sea as far as we could see. We then travelled back down to the coast via the Bulli Pass, a steep descent over the edge of the escarpment, ever so slowly, following a heavily laden truck.

During the course of our return journey, we decided that we would not extend our time here, but move on to Sydney,  provided we can arrive a week earlier than our booking.

Waiting for 4 pm when we know the office will be open, we watched Parliament’s Question Time, the last for the year. It has been an interesting week or two here in Australia, and quite shocking if one is not familiar with the normal argy bargy of parliamentarians. The misogyny crying Prime Minister has been handing out more unappropriate sexist inelegant language than any thrown at her. She is no lady, that is for sure! But tough! Tough as nails. A consumate street fighter. Not a particularly attractive characteristic.

In contrast, we have enjoyed the songs of three magpies lined up under our awning. They really are quite delightful. Remind me I said that when I am next decrying their agressive attacks.