Now I know what you are thinking - "wow they have named a place after Steve & Di's big arrival in Kiama". But strangely no, although The Entrance has been known by many names over the years the current name has been in use since the 1930's (not many people know that).
Back to the trip - A relatively easy exit from Sydney along the Pacific Hwy and on to the Newcastle Fwy but then in a moment of madness we ignored Tammy (our portable GPS - Tom Tom - unit) and decided to take the Gosford exit. As mistakes go, not too costly but certainly added a few extra hills and minutes to the trip for not much gain. Another lesson learned.
Checked into the Dunleith Caravan Park on the north side of the river at the Entrance having managed to find a nice wide site, albeit without a slab and more dirt than grass. Must say this has been our least favourite park so far, all a bit packed in and the view mainly blocked by other vans. Of course we may have just been feeling a little bit left out because the park is FULL of fisherman. Here is an excerpt from the today's transcript:
"Ho Barry - been out today"
"Yo Trev, yep took the boat out picked up a couple of flatties and a nice tailor, you?"
"Nice one, yep, threw a line in down by the bridge got a couple of brim (that's actually spelt bream, but fisher folk say brim"
Conversation repeats multiple times as each new face walks by.
Awkward moment at one point
"Morning Steve, catch anything?"
"Actually I don't really fish to be honest"
Pause
Pause
Pause
"Oh"
"Oh well have nice day......"
After surviving the "non-fishing incident" Di and I took the 20 minute walk into town to grab some supplies for dinner tonight.
Major area of interest for locals seems to be tattoos and piercings. Well I'm basing that on the fact that there are three tattoo parlours in town and we passed another half dozen on the approach to town.
The other thing we learned today is that we may be considered a little strange in the caravanning fraternity here for other reasons. Well a number of reasons, but the one I was meaning is that whilst we are travelling all the way round this great brown land, everybody else on this park seems to live less than 150 kilometers away. Many of them in small coastal towns like the one we are all staying in.
Although a bit windy we managed to sit outside for our now customary Harvey Wallbanger and cheese platter before the electric frypan was pressed into service again for a nice steak. This rated on the park as incident number 2 as far as the other tenants were concerned - "you're eating steak?" "This is the Central Coast man - you should be eating fish!"
Wednesday 24th - day 23
Big day today. One of the reasons for staying here is to ride the bike out to Wisemans Ferry. Another scenic ride suggested by Australian Cruiser and Trike Magazine (a bi-monthly publication available at all good newsagents and book stores).
The scenery for the ride was sensational, with the road eventually dropping down on to the banks of the Hawkesbury river where it meandered it's way through to the ferry itself.
To avoid being predictable we didn't actually go across on the ferry but decided to head back for lunch at a little town called Spencer that we had passed on the way. According to the sign they do the best burgers on the river. Interestingly they did do a very good burger, a good old fashioned hamburger with the lot, no egg, for Steve (including pineapple - despite Rule number 1 for David Rowe - don't mix dessert with your main course). It's interesting that they do a good hamburger because their claim that they are the best burger on the river is somewhat diminished by being the only place on the river that does burgers. Di, never one to fall for a sales pitch, went with the fish & chips. Well at least that will give us something to tell the boys back at the caravan park.
Phew, it's all been a bit exhausting, so a bit of rest day today :-) Lazy walk into town, and while walking over the bridge noticed that there is somewhat of a herd mentality to fishing in these parts
I know I'm a bit naive in the ways of fishing but based on the picture above there would seem to be more of a chance of catching another boat than a fish.
And that's if the real locals haven't eaten all the fish already
But, the big news of the day. The topic of conversation has changed!!! OMG. Overnight it appears a number of vans were burgled! Sample transcript
"Ho Barry - did you get done"
"Yo Trev, yep they took the bloody fish right out of me eskie, and you ?"
"Bastards, yep they got about three hundred bucks of lures out the back of the ute!"
"If I get my hands on them I'll xxxxxxx, bet they are all .xxxxx" transcript censored for legal reasons
The big news of the night is that it is only the second night of watching "TV" since we left Melbourne. Fired up the big laptop and watched the very first episode of the very first series of NCIS . That only leaves 122 to go.
Pack up tomorrow and on the road again
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