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(>Pictures at the bottom)
…the last few kilometres around Sydney
Yes, on the Liverpool Range we were able to acclimatise to the new weather conditions; after intense heat and almost unbearable temperatures, it was suddenly cool. At night, temperatures had already dropped into the low single figures. The icing on the cake was the various bad-weather fronts coming in from the east, which brought quite a bit of moisture. One day of sunshine was followed by three days of thick clouds and rain.
Even as we set off from the Liverpool Range, we were enjoying the warming sun. But further east, thick clouds rolled in and light rain turned our next camp at Lake Glenbawn into the next challenge. Thanks to the warming fire, we braved the cold wind and enjoyed the unique landscape by the lake. We hadn’t thought on the first evening that we would end up spending two nights there. The necessary car service in the neighbouring town took a little longer than expected, so we ended up spending an extra night at the spacious campsite, where kangaroos hopped right past the car and eyed us curiously.
To the west of Sydney, i.e. along the Great Dividing Range, lie countless interconnected national parks which, as the Greater Blue Mountains Area, cover more than 10,000 km² of protected land and have no major transport routes. So we made our way towards this area via the western side and were spared heavy rainfall for the time being. However, due to the Australian season, we had to severely limit our daily travel times. We were determined to be at our campsite by 4 pm at the latest, as it was already getting dark by five. Finding a suitable spot off the beaten track at night? No, we had no desire to do that.
On a rainy day, we finally reached the tourist heart of the Blue Mountains and, along with many other tourists, gazed out from the viewing platform at the white wall of fog; rain and thick fog made it impossible to see the Three Sisters, let alone look down into the surrounding gorges. Despite the weather, the tourists – mostly Asian – were being driven by the busload to the various viewpoints.
As we weren’t tied to any set itinerary, we spent another night in a nearby gorge. The following day, we were able to marvel at the much-vaunted sight from the same vantage points around Katoomba. But to be honest, the Aussies are really good at marketing their region; the Three Sisters almost gave us a fit of the giggles. Yes, the area is truly beautiful and well worth seeing, but to travel halfway around the world for something like that – the marketing must be really good!
We still had a few days to spare before our appointment at BackpackerCars in Sydney, who were going to buy our Toyota back. So we explored the nature reserve to the north-east and the large wine-growing region around Cessnock. With so many vineyards, you could spend days driving from one tasting to the next, but be warned: the police know these places too, and you can expect a breathalyser test at any time. We resisted the temptation and stuck to doing some shopping. 😊
From Newcastle, we followed the Pacific Highway this time and were surprised that, despite it being the off-season and the weather being really bad, there were loads of tourists about. Contrary to our expectations, the various stretches of coastline – except where there’s a nature reserve – are very densely built-up, and the towns in question market themselves really well. As soon as the sun peeked out from behind the rain clouds, crowds of people were already streaming out of their homes into the countryside and down to the sea. At the Norahville lighthouse, I wanted to go down to the rocks exposed by the ebb tide to take a photo, but I (Tom) was immediately approached by someone who told me I had to wear a life jacket here. In any case, I must have looked at the person in utter bewilderment; he laughed, turned round and made a beeline for the exit. After another look at the rocks and their cliffs… Perhaps he wasn’t entirely wrong, and life jackets are available after all.
Instead of stumbling over cliffs and falling into the water, we visited a reptile park, where the main business is extracting snake venom for serum production. Although we weren’t able to witness such a ‘milking’ process, the sight of the many venomous snakes and spiders was sufficiently terrifying. Apart from the alligators and crocodiles, the rest of the park was more like a petting zoo and a day-out attraction for families with children. It was yet another place where we found ourselves wondering whether all children here in Australia actually go to school.
The inspection of our car in Sydney was a quick affair, but the subsequent trade-in offer was a bit of a financial disappointment for me (Tom). Yes, we drove over 60,000 km in 10 months and didn’t always treat the Prado with care. But somehow I’m a bit disappointed with Toyota and BackpackerCars. Admittedly, Toyota isn’t any better than other car manufacturers, and the agency has suddenly become a bit less accommodating. In any case, the quote for the necessary repairs eats up most of the proceeds from the sale, and the extra money we invested in the equipment seems to have been wasted.
With a certain sense of disappointment, we left Sydney heading south for our final short leg. We wanted to finally complete our loop around Australia. After the heavy rain at the campsite in Sydney, we first had to dry our gear, such as the roof tent and tarpaulins. The sunny day that followed gave us a brief opportunity before the bright blue sky was once again obscured by thick clouds.
Just south of Sydney lies Australia’s oldest national park, and in fine weather the park is very popular with visitors. The available camping spots are also well-occupied, correspondingly expensive, and, to our disappointment, you’re not allowed to light a fire in the evening. So we continued our journey south along the Pacific Highway to Kangaroo Valley, where we found an affordable spot on the edge of Morton National Park. To our disappointment, there was a large ‘no fires’ sign at the entrance, so the evening and night turned into a shivering affair.
Our dried-out camping gear was completely soaked through again after that night. Somehow, the whole situation was getting on our nerves. At a time like that, all it takes is one wrong word and the mood is instantly ruined! ☹
But the new day brought plenty of fresh surprises. Alongside the Pacific Highway with all its detours to the sea, we found an absolutely secluded campsite in Monga National Park for the following night. For $6, we had the place to ourselves, sat by the fire for ages and listened to the stream. Moments like that are unforgettable!
To continue our journey, we headed back along a short stretch of the Pacific Highway and continued southwards towards another stopover – the completion of our loop. In Bodalla, we finally left the coastal road and explored the vast forests on the eastern side of Australia. After almost a hundred kilometres, we found ourselves facing a roadblock; due to construction work and road resurfacing, all through traffic was prohibited, with the exception of local traffic. Turn back or explore the last few kilometres on foot? I (Tom) walked the path to the next main junction and lo and behold; no roadworks or any other obstacles in the way. Presumably, the roadworks crew’s finishing time the previous day was more important to them than potential through traffic on a Saturday, so the barriers remained in place on one side only.
Now our grand loop was finally complete, and in Wadbilliga National Park we sought out a campsite where we’d already been last Australian summer. But this time everything was different, and to our surprise there was a construction crew there, levelling and repairing the forest tracks. We were already sitting by the fire when they returned with their heavy machinery. To our surprise, the foreman approached us and apologised for the inconvenience. He also asked us about our plans for the rest of the journey. He somehow made it clear to us that the route in our planned direction might be a bit more difficult, as the wet conditions and their work had turned the track into a mud course; but it would certainly be passable.
Armed with this information, we set off the next day over the next pass. The path along the mountainside was, as warned, very slippery and we made our way uphill with the utmost caution. Thanks to the new tyres with deeper tread, we managed the first part of the route without any problems. But just like the day before, the last hundred metres proved a real challenge and we could only overcome the final incline with the help of the winch. Thank goodness there were massive trees everywhere! But even our Toyota was at its limit, and the prolonged use of the winch suddenly caused the engine to cut out. The situation we found ourselves in left even me (Tom) in a state of shock. In such a situation, with no running engine and an empty battery; a complete disaster in the deep, rainy forest. Thanks to the jump starter, we were able to restart the engine after a while and finish our winching with the engine revving a bit higher.
We reached the high plateau with great relief and were glad to have that muddy stretch behind us; both the car and we were worn out by the ordeal and there was mud everywhere. Chantal asked me, in any case, not to plan or drive such routes again. I granted her this wish immediately and stopped planning routes where we knew in advance that we would get stuck in the mud. So we dutifully followed the well-maintained roads – tarmac or gravel tracks.
Once again, we travelled along the western side of the eastern mountain range through vast woodlands and rural areas where sheep and cattle are farmed. But local tourism also plays an important role in this region. Braidwood presented itself to us in all its glory, and many people were enjoying the warming sun on the garden terraces of one of the town’s many cafés. By Australian standards, this place is unrivalled; everything is immaculately kept and very inviting.
Via Goulburn, we headed towards Katoomba once more and sought out a campsite we knew for the coming night. In this wet and cold weather, our priority was always a campsite where we could safely light a fire. But Australia wouldn’t be Australia; even on this leg of the journey, we had to take a detour of several kilometres due to a road closure to reach our destination. Even in the secluded Megalong Valley, there was a construction site right next to the campsite, where a generator provided continuous lighting round the clock. It was truly ‘mega’!
After a nearly sleepless night, the next day we were able to experience the Three Sisters shrouded in a sea of mist before driving down to the Sydney metropolitan area. But before we embarked on the final leg of our journey, we stopped at a secluded campsite in the Blue Mountains and spent our last night in almost complete silence. The rain that set in early in the morning soon pelted down on our roof tent, getting our gear wet again.
For our final days in Sydney, we booked a bungalow where we could make the necessary preparations for our return journey, or rather our onward journey via Canada to Europe. There was still a lot to sort out, and we organised a small car boot sale where we intended to sell on all the things we’d acquired. Unfortunately, it remained more of a ‘wanted to’; the prospective buyers who had been in touch didn’t turn up, or they almost wanted compensation for taking our items off our hands. Well, life can be a bit of a jumble sometimes; but given the low prices in the shops, I suppose I can understand the potential buyers. Here in Australia, outdoor gear is extremely cheap, but we didn’t want to give our belongings away for free either.
To round things off, we treated ourselves to a tourist event in Sydney; the light show also tempted us onto an evening harbour cruise. We were greeted with fireworks, and visually spoiled by the many light effects across the harbour basin and its bay. The fireworks display as we returned was almost like a parting gift.
The day of our return journey was drawing ever closer. We cleaned our Toyota meticulously and hope that BackpackerCars will accept it willingly. We managed to sell many items just a few days beforehand; the rest goes to the company that sold us everything 10 months ago for free; a loss, but what can you do.
3 June is here; off to BackpackerCars to hand over the car. It hurts a bit – for 10 months, this Prado was our faithful companion and, apart from a few minor issues, it was always our reliable partner in the Australian outback. It was thirsty, but without complaint it followed our steering commands over scree and sand. We sometimes pushed it beyond its limits, thinking that four-wheel drive was just four-wheel drive, and got bogged down in the mud. Time and again, the winch was our saving grace until the battery ran flat and the engine died. No, we really didn’t go easy on this Prado, yet it always remained loyal to us and did its job!
The farewell was brief and we were soon speeding off in an Uber; certain thoughts lingered, but our gaze was fixed on the future and the new, uncertain adventures ahead. Even during online check-in, I (Tom) messed up so badly that we had to be at the airport much earlier than planned. Hopefully we won’t have to stay here in Australia for all eternity and apply for asylum – Chantal wouldn’t be at all pleased with that idea!
Chantal and Tom/early June 2026
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