After managing to turn our motorhome around we departed from Mardi in the Central Coast and headed southwards. We had no real destination in mind however we needed to find a dump point as our cassette was nearly full. Using WikiCamps I couldn’t find a public dump point anywhere near us. It looked like we would have to cross Sydney first and then try the dump point at Picton.

This shortage of public dump points in Central Coast and through Sydney could create a serious problem for anyone not aware that there aren’t any to be found.

We had an uneventful journey to Sydney and, for the very first time, went via the North Connex Tunnel. We have read a lot about the tunnel, especially how expensive it it, however we found it brilliant. It made crossing the busiest city in Australia a piece of cake. The tunnel is tall and two lanes wide with wide shoulders. I reckon it saves about 24 sets of traffic lights from the old route via Pennant Hills Road. We were impressed. We probably won’t be when we get our e-toll account though!

The North Connex Tunnel merges with the M2, then we carried on via the M7 and M5 to reach the Hume Highway. All too soon we were across Sydney and out the other side.

Leaving the Hume Highway at the Picton exit we drove into the little town to find their dump point. A quick stop got that job done and we found a little park where we could make lunch and decide where we were going.

Decision made, we headed off again and followed the Picton Road all the way down the mountain to Wollongong on the South Coast

Our camp for the night was Coledale Beach Reserve. This fabulous campground is run by the Coledale Surf Life Saving Club and is located right on the beach. You really couldn’t be any closer. What a great spot. We managed to get an unpowered grassy site with water and sullage for the great price of $20 per night (with a Seniors discount)

We recommend this great spot but it is extremely popular so it pays to book ahead. We only managed to get a site because someone had to cancel.

Have you ever driven your motorhome or RV into a spot and wondered how on earth you were going to get back out? We have.

We spent a lovely three days camped in the driveway at our cousins place on the Central Coast of NSW. Their home is on a hill overlooking a lovely dam. To get there you negotiate a winding, narrow tar road. The area contains lots of homes on small acreages. Just going along the road was a challenge due to the overhanging trees and the narrow road with bush on either side.

Our cousins driveway is a long gravel one which, fortunately, was firm underneath. We’d had so much rain recently across the state that the ground everywhere else was soggy and saturated.

On the morning of our departure, with the motorhome all packed up, it was time to try to turn around. This was expected to be a very tricky manoeuvre making sure that our rear drive wheels stayed on the firm gravel and didn’t end up on the grass. Trying to do this with our large overhang was expected to be difficult.

I was afraid if they went on the grass the motorhome would sink and we’d be bogged for sure. We’d never get a tow truck in there to pull us out!

With me at the rear and our cousin at the front directing, Richard was able to complete the 180 degree turn in 4 moves. I was a bit stunned as I was expecting it to take many more turns. Wow, Richard is a legend!

We could now continue our meander.

Sadly we needed to attend a funeral in Tea Gardens on the NSW coast. Neither of us could recall ever going there in spite of having been to Nelsons Bay, on the other side of Port Stephens, many times.

The twin towns of Tea Gardens and Hawks Nest sit on the northern side of the entrance to Port Stephens.

Setting off from our home town of Griffith in NSW our route took us via West Wyalong, Forbes, Parkes, Yeoval, Gulgong, Cassilis, then following the Golden Highway until we reached the Pacific Highway and turned northwards.

We had a big driving day the first day…530km from home to Cassilis Park Rest Area. What a sorry state rural roads were in. I swear some of the potholes could swallow a small car. We only averaged 75km/h due to the state of the roads and roadworks. Between West Wyalong and Forbes there was water everywhere on both sides of the road and that’s without the big rains that were forecast for the next 10 days!

Cassilis Park Rest Area is on the Golden Highway and has a large area where lots of RV’s can pull up for an overnighter. It’s also a truck rest area with a long tarred section for the big rigs. There’s multiple picnic tables and a toilet block. You can have a fire and stay for up to 24 hours. Although it’s close to the main road the traffic noise dies down after dark.

This was a great spot to pull up for the night and we quickly got a fire going and enjoyed just chilling while the sun went down.

The next morning two council workers were on site cleaning the toilets and keeping the grounds tidy. We were impressed with this great little free camp.

Something to be aware of though if you decide if to park up for the night, please don’t park in the long parking bays for trucks unless you want a huge refrigerated B-double parked right next to you with their compressor going on and off all night. Truckies are working and need their rest breaks at the right time. If their parking is taken up by us travelers they need to go on to the next stop. Just be aware and park your RV out of the way.

We arrived in Tea Gardens and, after a drive around found the only service station was closed off and under renovations. That meant having to drive back to the highway to go to the next nearest Service station. On the way back into Tea Gardens we called in at the Lions Park and made use of the dump point and filled up with water.

We made our way to the Tea Gardens Country Club where you can camp in their carpark for up to 2 nights. One of you has to become a member of the club ($5.50) and the camping fee is $11 per night. Power is also available however you do need to be self contained. No grey water is to be let out on the ground and all rubbish must be taken away.

Check in is at reception inside the club and this was a simple process. Armed with my new club membership we were good to camp for the next 2 nights.

Our friends, Kevin & Sally who have traveled with us previously with their caravan, arrived and the four of us enjoyed a lovely meal in the Club.

The next day we took the opportunity of no rain to get our ebikes off and go for a ride around the area. We rode from the Country Club along the riverside, crossed the Singing Bridge (still can’t find why it’s called that) where we had to dismount and walk our bikes across, checked out Bennets Beach and Jimmys Beach in Hawks Nest.

Under the Singing Bridge across the Myall River you can see the remains of the old ferry crossing.

Our second evening was spent having dinner with friends at the Tea Gardens Hotel following our attendance at the funeral we’d traveled for. It was a very busy pub and served up great fish and chips.

After 2 nights camped in the carpark at Tea Gardens Country Club we set off southwards and traveled down to Central Coast via The Entrance.

On the way we stopped off at Australian Motorhomes at Bennetts Green to check out the current motorhome models and we were very impressed with the current Sunliner Navian range. Do you love window shopping for a new RV?

We arrived at our cousins place in Mardi near Wyong on the Central Coast. Their lovely property overlooks Mardi Dam. The only down side was the long, winding, narrow road and driveway to get into their place.

As everyone in Australia knows, we have had so much rain that the ground is just saturated. Rivers are flooding, dams are over full and the ground just can’t take any more water. This was a bit of a worry as our cousins driveway is on a hill and we were not sure how we were going to be able to turn around without getting our 5 tonne motorhome completely bogged. Oh well. We’d worry about when we leave.

Our cousins had just purchased ebikes so we enjoyed a lovely ride around the area to try them out. We quickly discovered that their motors are more powerful than the ones on our bikes. Our fabulous bikes are 4 years old and the technology has changed so much in that time. Still, we were able to keep up but with more effort up the hills.

We spent three days camped in their driveway. Over that time we enjoyed many lovely chats over dinner, had a lovely night out at the Shelly Beach Golf Club, and generally enjoying catching up.