Walcha to the sea

While the state’s borders remain closed indefinitely, we’ve nowhere to go. Garry and I decided it was the perfect time to visit a few of our own state’s iconic destinations. We also thought we'd take advantage of finally having capable staff in the office able to manage things whenever we're absent. We mapped out a last-minute road trip that ultimately took us up the coast as far as Port Macquarie, then inland to visit Garry’s childhood friend in Walcha and on to Tamworth.

We then headed north towards Lightning Ridge, and on to Bourke before returning to Sydney via Dubbo, Mudgee, and the Blue Mountains. I was excited to finally see such iconic places as Lightning Ridge and Bourke. Both towns didn’t disappoint. I’ll post more about our inland adventures in the days ahead. 

UPDATE: I've now added a series of links above for posts on each listed location. Read and enjoy!

For now, here are some highlights of our first few days on the road. We started our journey with two nights at Myall Lakes based in the Bombala Eco Cottages. We stayed here several years ago and loved the experience. Our return visit proved just as impressive.

It was then on to Port Macquarie via Forster where we made time to visit Port Macquarie’s famous Koala Hospital. From here we moved on to Walcha where Garry’s mate, Danny, took us to see the spectacular Apsley Falls. We were both surprised to discover that these falls cascade into a deep sharp-edged canyon. 

The first drop of the falls is about 65 metres, and the second, which is about 800 metres further on, plummets another 58 metres into the bottom of the gorge. I can see why these falls are considered among the most remarkable along the Eastern seaboard.  Although brief, our overnight stop in Walcha was precious. It was great to catch up again with Danny and Agnes and their kids after so many years.