Dubbo/Blue Mountains camping trip

As its school holidays, we decided to take off on a week long camping trip.  Our first overnight stop was Canberra, then onto Dubbo via Parkes.  In Parkes we saw the impressive 'Dish' and we then went onto camp in at the Wanda Wandong campsite in a national park just south of Dubbo.  Apparently the whole south of NSW got hit by a big cold front, and Dubbo was not excluded, so a few hours into our first night in the tent Richard and I had to give up our super-warm sleeping bags and give them to Jack and Jo (who had Anaconda cheap sleeping bags!) as they were both cold, and Rich and I then slept in our jackets!

We went to Dubbo Zoo the next day, which was great fun, it is such a big zoo that you ride your bikes around the zoo to see all the animals.

The next day onto the Blue Mountains via Bathurst, where we got to drive the Pajero around Mount Panorama.  Once we arrived in Katoomba our first stop, after setting up the tent, was Mount Designs to buy some new sleeping bags!  It was still super cold, but at least Richard and I could now get a good nights sleep. We went to Scenic World the first day, the weather was clear and we spent the day riding the Skyway, Cableway, Railway (the steepest in Australia) and wandering around the walkways.  We woke up the next day to mist covering the whole mountain, so went for a wander around the shops in Leura and Katoomba in the morning, then once the mist cleared we went to see Wentworth Falls and ended up walking the whole of the National Pass.  An amazing walk with fantastic scenery, all up about 6km with lots and lots and lots of steps.  Jack and Josie did super well.

We then spent a lovely last day hanging out with the Rices in Murrambateman, and a quick stop at Majura Pines for a bike ride on the way home.

 The Dish

 Elephants at Dubbo Zoo

At Wanda Wandong Campsite near Dubbo

The Pajero takes on Mount Panorama

 The steepest railway in the world at Scenic World

The walkway at Scenic World

The Cableway at Scenic World

 Josie and the Three Sisters

 Morning tea at the Gingerbread House in Katoomba

All of the below pictures were taken whilst on the National Pass walk at Wentworth Falls, a superb walk, amazing scenery....

 A sign at the top, we were at the top and then we walked all the way down to the bottom of the falls

 At the top

 At the top

At the bottom

 At the bottom

 Behind a waterfall!

Checking out the new trails at Majura Pines in Canberra on the way home

Beach weather again

New pizza oven

Summer weather...

.... so off to the beach to try out the new wetsuits.

Beach play

We have had a lot of rain here lately which has affected the sand on the beach and created huge sand cliffs and streams running out to the ocean.  We took Jack and Josie and two of their little mates - Wyatt and Bronte - down there to check it out on Sunday.

Josie the soccer star

Josie played soccer this year too, she trained with her team every Friday night, no games for them yet - that starts next year when she graduates to under 7s.  Here is a picture of Josie and her coach at the presentation day.

Josie the monkey

Josie has been doing a gym class this year, and she loves it.  Here she is having climbed all the way to the top of the rope to ring the bell.  Clever little monkey!