Before leaving Berry for good, I really wanted to take a side trip to the Fitzoy Falls, in Morton National Park. Little did I know the road itself was worth the trip!
To get there, we had to take a steep climb up a mountain road. During the first half of the climb, the narrow strip of asphalt crossed the Kangaroo Valley, where there seems to be more wombats than kangaroos, according to the numerous yellow diamond-shaped warning signs for wildlife crossing. There was barely any room for two lanes and we expected an accident at every blind turn. Eventually, we made it to the top and looked down to the dense forest with patches of farmland.
We then drove to Jervis Bay, further South, a popular holiday spot for Australians. The shelter bay has it all: clear water, white-sand beaches and nice forests. In a way, it reminded me of Manuel Antonio National Park in Costa Rica.
Accommodation prices were crazy in Jervis Bay and Ulladulla, so we ended up in a trailer park (!) in Batemans Bay. I still can’t believe how expensive Australia has become. And the worst part is, Australians seem to think that paying $200 for a night in an old motel in the middle of nowhere, or $4 for a muffin is completely normal. When prices rose in France, French complained but Australia seems to embrace the crazy retail prices. Go figure.
That sand looks nice. The canyon is spectacular. I’m enjoying your trip.
I have a niece working in Canberra. She talks about how expensive everything is and how the Aussies don’t complain about it.
Thanks for a beautiful set of photos (both I and II), Australia and New Zealand is definitely on my bucket list but is awfully far away. I will just have to enjoy these places by way of my friend Zhu’s fine blog.
Ah.. I wanna hit the beach now! So gorgeous! 😉
I love this ride 🙂
I hope that when you find the lodgings too expensive that you have a “back up list” of cheaper lodging. But, something tells me that you have done your homework months in advance.
Happy trails & bises.
That is one awesome canyon shot! I suppose it is indeed a benefit to rent a car sometimes, especially when there are places that public transportation doesn’t reach. I better get my license and relearn how to drive again; the last time I drove was in 2000!
@Yogi – I feel the same, I don’t understand why Aussie don’t complain about how expensive everything is. French certainly did complain when prices changed after the Euro!
@Tulsa Gentleman – Thank you! It is so far down under… and it feels remote, trust me.
@kyh – 🙂 You probably have nice beaches around, no?
@barbara – We usually stay in hostels but even they are expensive. Not much we can do!
@Linguist-in-Waiting – The car was good for a week, it allowed us to get out of the beaten track. The price was reasonable too. But I must admit I let Feng drive!