Created by KeefH Web Designs, December 3rd, 2022, 16.56 PM
A KeefH Web Designs Travel Blog
Genealogy Trip No 3 & Not the Motorhome trip No 22: 4-6 October 1970
INTRODUCTION
This is a very retrospective blog, during the winter months of November and December 2022 I decided to translate most of the handwritten diaries we hold in our Family Tree data to supplement our Genealogy info featured here under the Family tab, good website design, backing up audiobooks, videos and slideshow with text. Enjoy!
MENU
Video with audiobook overlay showing relevant and irrelevant areas of Australia, images from places visited, created via Clipchamp by KeefH Web Designs
DIARY
Jones family long weekend break to Kiama New South Wales Australia, 4th to 6th October 1970, Written by Jean Jones. Note Labour Day was on the Monday, and this meant we could have a long weekend away.
Saturday 4th October 1970
Packed up the car the night before with camping gear and left early morning to get through Sydney before it got busy. We arrived at Kiama, but it started to rain. Kiama is a very small, pleasant seaside town. We looked at the blow hole which was not very high as there was not much wind. It must be spectacular at times. First campsite was caravans only, so we proceeded to the next one around the corner, which was very pleasant and was overlooking two beaches and was well grassed. We had to be careful as it was not a flat site. Car was jacked up. We pitched the tent which cost one Australian dollar. Wilfrid rested and we walked along the beach and explored. I prepared the picnic, a boxer dog made friends with us, cupboard love we suspected. Wilfrid and I slept in the car which was not too bad as we had liloes and sleeping bags. We were concerned about the weather but after thunder most storms passed over, but a sudden wind got up.
Sunday 5th October 1970
Decided to visit the Minnimurra Falls, we passed through some very pleasant country. Jamberoo was a nice little town on our way to the rain forest and we had a climb up to the falls. There were fantastic trees and ferns, and it was well worth the climb, the whole ascent was an Australian mile! One of the trees was known as a cabbage tree. We then proceeded back through Kiama along the coastal road to Nowra and camped by a lovely wide river. It then turned very cold. At the site there was water skiing in our section and yachting further up. As it got very cold turned in after tea. Brian made some noodle soup; it took ages to heat up. We were lucky as no rain again. Wilfrid saw a glorious sunrise through the bridge.
Monday 6th October 1970 (Labour Day)
Today we visited Nowra, we fossicked along the river and saw some magnificent views from above the river and valley. It became very hot by 11 am. We saw what we named Hanging Rock. There is said to be diamonds, emeralds, and topaz to be found in the Shoalhaven River, although we had no luck. We decided to find the Cordeaux dam to have lunch. We took the wrong turning and found ourselves in Mount Kembla, which was very steep climb, but a nice little place up in the hills. It had an iron ore mine which presumably feeds the steel works at Port Kembla. We did eventually find the Cordeaux dam. It was very pleasant there, with hundreds of people but plenty of room. We all walked over the dam and saw a heron fishing. Not quite so beautifully laid out as Woronora which is prize winning but very pleasant. It was the end of our trip so we headed home, very busy roads, we feared traffic jams at Campbelltown but to our surprise we could keep going all the way.
Jean noted the Rockhampton trip in 1969 there and back was 2500 miles, she also noted that the trip was now on tape, which is maybe the tape Brian mentioned to Annie & Keef on their visit in November 2022.