Stage 3 - Kiama Coast |
Lake Illawarra to Kiama
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Leaving Shellharbour after a cappuccino break, we finally escaped the creeping urbanisation and headed across a cow paddock to Killalea Reserve. Here a former dairy farm is being restored to protect an important wetland bird refuge and coastal habitat. |
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Minnamurra Beach |
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10 things to do on a stormy day in Kiama |
1. Listen to the rain beating on the metal roof of your cabin (it sounds so good when you are snug and dry). 2. Eventually get up, have breakfast and go outside (P.S. don't forget your goretex). |
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4. Explore the historic buildings of Kiama (it was founded in 1836 and many old buildings are preserved) |
Kiama Post Office 1887 |
Christ Church 1859 |
Former Bank of Sydney 1881 |
5. Explore the craftshops in 150-year old terrace houses and have a cappuccino on the deck, then have some fish and chips at the harbour |
6. Become mesmerised by the sight and sound of the Kiama Blowhole, no two "blows" of which are the same. |
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8. Appreciate the changing plays of light on sea as the sun tries to break through again. |
10. Fly a kite (sorry - no pictures) |
The day of the big sea |
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Side trip - Kiama hinterland and Minnamurra rainforest |
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The small village of Jamberoo, settled by the original European settlers in the mid-19th century, proved a good choice for our lunch stop.
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Dapple-green leaves of a stinging tree |
Elkhorn in a red cedar branch |
Bird's nest fern and woody vines |
Soft tree ferns |
Enormous buttress roots are characteristic of subtropical rainforest |
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Kiama to Gerroa |
After a week of R & R, canoeing and conventional tourism, it was finally time to put our boots back on and resume the walk south along the green pasture covered headlands and basalt cliffs of the Kiama Coast. |
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19th century stone wall |
Sea cows of Kiama |
Black basalt inlet |
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The route south across the Dairy Coast between Kiama and Gerroa |
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Road's end |
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