Narooma Update

It has been a good 18 years since I last went camping (and 15 years for G), and the unpreparedness was telling. The first essential thing we realised we didn't have was a torch. By 6 pm, it was dark and our campsite wasn't powered and we had to go to the loo. I had a brand new roll of toilet paper though and was proud that I brought bananas, biscuits, water, plums, chocolates to sustain through the 4-hour drive (which turned out to be much longer as we stopped at various towns for food, loo breaks, stretch breaks, sightseeing etc).

But we didn't even have a torch (Ok I think I did my part, it was G who didn't prepare anything apart from buying the inflatable mattress). Thankfully, we had neighbours who were super well-equipped with palatial tents, cooking stoves, chopping boards, battery power (we borrowed to blow up our inflatable mattress, otherwise the pathetic footpump would have failed us) and all sorts of expensive camping gadgets. They would also painstakingly prepare their meals on their portable stove on a table in front of their tent, while we ate our bananas, scrounged for free sausages off people and drove off to the nearby town for fish and chips and blueberry pancakes and coffee.

The weather during the day was pretty good, sunny but windy, oh but at night! I almost froze the first night when it started raining during the sausage sizzle. Eating cold salad sure didn't help, I couldn't help shivering through my dinner. When it really rained down, we made a mad dash for the tiny igloo tent (regret having no photos of it cos my batteries and spares ran out on day 2). I refused to walk to the loo to wash my face or brush my teeth that first night because I was trying to thaw out under my sleeping bag which thankfully, was really warm.

Bright and early on day 2, we walked along the golf course, trying to avoid being hit by stray balls while trying to spot some seals. With my superiorly-lasiked eyes, I spotted the seals! We weren't sure for the longest time if the black objects with fins pointing in the air while the rest of their parts were basically submerged, were seals or driftwood/seaweed/kelp. I was pretty certain they were seals, except they weren't moving much and going with the flow of the current. G was sure they were driftwood and I was making things up. After much debate, we finally agreed they were seals. Then we weren't sure if they were dead or alive because they pretty much weren't doing anything! G claimed they were sleeping, I was sure they were dead otherwise how could they drift for so long without any activity. Surely if they were sleeping, they were getting dangerously close to the rocks and would have moved by then? Our doubts were put to rest by a golfer who assured us the seals were well and alive and just drifting along till they see fish and then they would pop down and snap one up. So we were pleased to report we saw 3 plus 4 seals - alive but sleeping probably.

Then off to the Tilba Festival with music performances, stilt-walkers, food stalls, all sorts of shops and homemade goodies. I bought a bottle of Ginger and Cumquat marmalade and a wedge of bell pepper cheese. Dinner that night was fish and chips. Good, generous portions.

On day 3, we had yet another breakfast of blueberry pancakes and coffee before taking down the tent and saying goodbye to the rest of the gang who are staying on for another night. We left at 10 am and I got back home at almost 5 pm as we made our usual pitstops and even took an extended lunch break at Kiama to see the famous Blow Hole, which was not what it was made out to be.

We were greeted by a rainbow on our drive back into Sydney, coincidentally as we drove out of Sydney 3 days ago, we also saw a big and beautiful rainbow on the way out. It seemed like a suitable ending to the adventures, although the drive back into Sydney really felt like driving back into reality. I arrived home, knackered and nursing a slight headache. It was a different experience, seeing the moon rise all orange above the ocean before it got lost in the dark clouds, the many stars that played hide and seek as the rainclouds loomed. I got to see Narooma, and a few other towns along the way down South. The company was good and I had fun. I guess I'll keep going till I start feeling too weighted down to enjoy the fun.