New South Wales

So, before we start today's blog, please have a history lesson a la Emma Sheppard:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SY-u15WmQBE

So that is the extent of my knowledge of New South Wales, and I have to say, that having driven across it, the countryside around here does look a little bit like Britain, but bigger, and greener, and sunnier, and more dramatic, and more how we imagine Britain to look when we're being nostalgic about the rolling hills and meadows and farmlands and winding rivers, and singing 'Jerusalem' and stuff.  Now I love England, but frankly, the countryside here is much, much better.  But still, it does look a little bit like what I know of Old South Wales (c/o Heather Williams).  As a comparison, here is Three Cliffs Bay, which I have visited, in Old South Wales:



And here is Pippi Beach in Yamba, New South Wales, where I ate lunch:

 Give or take 20 degrees, it's similar.  Right?

Anyway, we have had a very fun 1,300km drive from Byron Bay-Bangalow-Yamba-Corindi-Bellingen-Harrington-Cessnock-Syndey, most of which was done in third gear with the hand brake on.  We picnicked a lot:

Took lots of photos of the countryside out of car windows:

Backed into some trees, and stopped for coffee a lot:

Pulled out dangerously onto the highway and watched lots of sunsets:

Ran on the beach and reconfigured the van numerous times, cooked on open air planchas and dressed up in vintage shops we stopped in at on the way (completely appropriate):

Visited wine country:

Refused to pay $5 an hour for internet and gazed, awe-struck at the quality of lifeforms we found in some small towns along the way, and eventually dropped the van back in Sydney:

Entirely devoid of trauma, so I'll aim for more excitement and adventure on the Sydney-Melbourne leg, just to make the blog more interesting.