As Bear and I packed up to continue our New South Wales road trip, we headed up into the hills leaving the smoky valley behind us.
I rifled through our collection of audio books, pulled out a new Phryne Fisher mystery and popped it in. Then we settled in for the ride with a bit of dark chocolate and a handful of rosemary roasted Brazil nuts.
Only twenty minutes down the road we spotted a miraculous lookout sign and pulled over to see what we could see. I say miraculous for we have found that while Australia has breathtaking natural beauty around nearly every bend in the road, there are next to NO pullouts from which an appreciative viewer can enjoy it. It is most distressing to a passionate photographer like myself who would dearly love to stop every few kilometers to capture stunning mountain ranges, jewel-like alpine lakes, and the fabulous architecture. Sigh. Tis most distressing.
We decided that should I ever win the Lotto, I’m going to make it my mission to spend part of the loot on building lookouts across Australia.
The road just past the aforementioned sign led us to the top of a nearby hill and we clambered out to find ourselves surrounded by fantastic classic cars. We chit-chatted with the owners who were delighted by the not-yet-finished classic car on the back of our trailer, Bear’s 1971 Datsun Coupe. (Yep, he loved my Lucy so much that when he found a similar one in even better condition for a great price, he nabbed it! We now have two Datto Coupes that we’re fixing up. :-))
When the chatting about motors and whatnot was finished, we moseyed up steps set directly on a massive rock, and took in the stunning views from the Moonbi Lookout.
The air was wonderfully cool up there with luscious breezes that felt like summer. Smoke from New South Wales forest fires still smudged the horizon and made us feel so grateful that we only deal with floods in our part of Australia.
I’d love to return one day when the fires are out and the smoke has cleared. You can see the tops of the Blue Mountains in the distance even now, but I can imagine the views are amazing when the air is clean.
I’d also like to see it after the summer rains when everything is wonderfully lush and green. It must look like an Australian version of Scotland or Ireland then.
Eventually we moseyed back to the car and continued on our way. Once we got over the ridge the smoke cleared and we were greeted with clean, cool air, so fresh and invigorating. Down came our windows as we rolled along taking in glimpses of pastoral beauty.
Next time we’ll explore something I never expected to find in Australia…Stonehenge.
Do you have a favorite lookout near where you live?
Great road trip ‘Poppit’. New South Wales has beautiful scenery. Thanks for sharing your trip. I am eager to go and see some countryside. You & Bear are always doing interesting things.
Thank you, @lindytaylor:disqus ! 🙂 It was such a fun adventure. I’d never been to that part of the country before and I loved it. 🙂
oh yes, lookouts….we have too many to name in l.a. i’m looking forward to my visit to oz and stopping off in one or two of one of “Krista’s Special Overlooks” to enjoy the view. happy traveling!
http://mlleparadis.blogspot.com
Oh you are lovely, @9d73767d10227efff04c7307e331304c:disqus 🙂 I hope you enjoy your trip here immensely. 🙂
Dear Poppet (that is the preferred OED spelling – tee hee),
I immediately remembered the words of this poem [OK, not many of the words apart from “over the Moonbi range”, but it was 1961 or earlier]
I am a huge fan of AB ‘Banjo’ Patterson, by the way. If you haven’t already, you can find it here
http://www.wallisandmatilda.com.au/over-the-range.shtml
Enjoy 🙂
Bear really loves Banjo Patterson too, @ken_powell:disqus ! 🙂 I found a book of Australian poetry at a second hand shop and am working my way through it, enjoying it hugely. 🙂 Thank you so much for the link (AND the proper spelling of my name ;-)).
Wonderful photos! So sad about the forest fires. Thank you for letting me be a armchair traveller!
I’m so glad you came along for the ride, @eb4516b761b7b3a9c53c4a7d6744cb92:disqus 🙂
What a lovely photo of the two of you together. 🙂
Thank you, @LindyLouMac:disqus 🙂 I love this pic of us too – it accurately reflects how much fun we were having. 🙂
You….are good for my sould Krista. i mean it. Your zest and zeal and courage and GORGEOUS photography bring me joy!
As for lookouts…sigh. I haven’t been out in open country in Nigeria for a while – so no lookouts to report!
Nice to ‘meet’ Bear!
I cannot wait for you to meet Bear in person one day, @132fe8be674f43d4508b19c8db8df791:disqus 🙂 We will have such good visits! I’m so glad my photos and words cheer your soul the way yours do mine. XO
What a wonderful trip, Krista! Love all the beautiful Australian bushland. Enjoy your travels xo
I think it’s gorgeous too, @lizposmyk:disqus I love this country more and more all the time. 🙂 XO
I love that quote! and what a clever idea to play audio books while you travel – something I have not done with Dave 🙂
Bear had never done it either, @tandysinclair:disqus , but he’s a big fan of them now. 🙂
There’s a lookout in Montville that I quite like. That view in the photos is very special!
When we get a chance to travel up your way, I will have to ask you where it is, @OrgasmicChef:disqus 🙂
What a beautiful vantage point!! So glad you stumbled across it!
Me too, @joanneeatswellwithothers:disqus 🙂 It was a welcome surprise. 🙂
Wonderful shots – love the selfie too! There is a spectacular lookout point on the Eastern Head at Knysna in South Africa, where you stand on a clifftop looking at the Knysna lagoon on the one side, the crashing waves of the Indian Ocean on the other, and the tiny passage between the giant headlands that links the two. Love it.
Aw, thanks, @jeannehorak:disqus 🙂 Most of our attempts at pics are ghastly, but once in a while they turn out. 🙂 The Eastern Head view sounds absolutely incredible!!!
More Bear and Poppit adventures!! Love them. And love seeing more of OZ through your eyes. =)
I’m so glad, dear @breannemosher:disqus 🙂 I hope to share more very soon. 🙂
I love your photos of a part of the world I’ll probably never get a chance to visit.
I’m so glad you like them, @karenbackroadjournal:disqus 🙂 We shall travel vicariously through each others pictures, yes? 🙂
Absolutely, that is what is so nice about having blogging friends.
We love look-outs too and I wish there were more of them. As I am always wanting to pull over, B.H. may not agree with that sentiment. I remember in Canada in the Rockies we deliberated about stopping at one lookout which was a little off the road and with snow to climb through. Eventually we decided to look at it and it was the most wonderful view ever 🙂
Oh man, @budgetjan:disqus , driving through the Canadian Rockies is one of my favorite places to road trip in the world! 🙂 So glad you stopped and found such a fantastic view. 🙂
PLEASE PUT A SIGN NOT FOR WOMEN!!! TO WALK ON ROCKS !!THIS IS AN ANCIENT SACRED MEN’S SITE PLEASE HONOUR THIS AS DO STONEHENGE.
YES THE OLD POWERS ARE STILL THERE DON’T DISRESPECT OUR CULTURE