Cooma for a Little Longer

Due to bad weather and road conditions around Bega and Tathra, following the flash flooding in the area, we decided to skip the stay at Tathra, and spend a little more time around Cooma. We will head up to Tathra/Bega when we get to Eden, as it isn't very far.
 

Our site at Cooma in the mist

The decision isn't hard as we absolutely love the Snowy High Country. The air is so fresh and the scenery spectacular. The caravan park was really nice and friendly, and the Manager and his wife were fantastic hosts. We even came across someone we had met at Tomakin. Sadly, she informed us that the husband who had been with her at Tomakin, had up and walked out on her, leaving her with the car and caravan in Cooma! We left it at that. It sounded like a long story we didn't need to hear.

The weather had turned decidedly cold, and we quickly realised, (we couldn't feel our fingers and toes!), that our summer wardrobe was all wrong for Cooma. Even fleecy lined thongs don't keep out the cold! Luckily, there was a Rivers Clearance Store in town, so we added some flanelette and polar fleece to the wardrobe at the amazing cost of $43.95 for the lot! I tell you, us pensioners can seek out a bargain.

We revisited Jindabyne, the scene of our one and only ski holiday, It was some 29 years ago. It was too cold and wet, and we were hopelessly inept, and madly in love and didn't want to leave the lodge! Even found the lodge we stayed at called Upsandowns ( no not insandouts!), which is now run by the daughter of the then owner. Had a good look around Jindabyne. It was good to let Carol loose on the shops in Jindabyne, as unless you need ski gear, snow clothes or snow boards, there isn't much else to buy!

Of course we checked out the Cooma food scene, which didn't take that long, and decided that "the Lott" was the place to go for breakfast lunch and coffee in between. How does dukkak encrusted poached eggs, with smoked salmon, lemon, coriander and Turkish toast fingers sound? Forget how it sounds - tastes bloody fantastic! There were a couple of other OK stops as well, and we even had an enterprising lady with a coffee van arrive each morning at the caravan park.


Boulder strewn paddocks near Dalgety

On Saturday we took a fantastic drive into the country. We went to Berridale and then headed for Dalgety, which for those that may be interested, was on the short list of sites to become Australia's capital city. Canberra won. A short distance along the track we saw one of those brown tourist signs that said "Winery and Boutique Micro Brewery". We looked at each other, said "out here? What the heck, let's go." So off we went into the middle of nowhere, past paddocks filled with boulders and sheep, until we finally found the place on the banks of the Snowy River.



Dalgety Winery & Boutique Brewery



The tasting arrangements were interesting. You could taste all of the wines and then have a glass of the wine of your choice, for free, or if you wanted to taste the 6 beers they brewed, it cost 10 bucks and you got a schooner of the one you liked best! The wines were all made from cold climate grape varieties we had never heard of. What good grapes grow at this elevation? The wines rated from ordinary to plain awful, (sorry guys), but the beers were a different story, they were all quite good, but the smoked porter would have to be an acquired taste. Anyway, all the people were fun and on for a chat, probably because we were the only people they'd seen this month!

Dalgety & the bridge across the Snowy River

So with a six pack and a sympathy bottle of wine in hand, we headed for Dalgety. More of that fantastic scenery, until we drove into the village of Dalgety. Not much in this little town. Looks like when they lost the capital city vote, they decided to try for smallest town!
Having said that, there was a big gymkhana going on at the showground, but not much else.



The vast high country plains near Cooma

 We left Dalgety, about 3 minutes after we found it, and headed back to Cooma on a quiet back road. As we accelerated out of town, a huge flock of little dark coloured birds, rose out of the grass like a monstrous black cloud, and flew in tight formation around us. It was a fantastic sight. So many birds. Driving through this countryside is breathtaking. I'm sure the photos don't do it justice. It is so vast, you think you are the only people on earth. It is sheep country, and they dot the fields like little marshmallow. You come across huge clumps of Pine and Poplar, planted by the pioneers as wind breaks, for their homesteads and for the sheep to shelter from the winter blizzards. It's stirring countryside, and you don't want the ride to end.

Back in Cooma, we checked out the Snowy Mountain Scheme Visitors Centre. This amazing engineering feat, rated one of the 7 engineering wonders of the world, is so well explained and a must see when in Cooma. There is also the working Cooma Gaol. It is an old sandstone walled structure, with big wooden gates, and it is right in town opposite Woolworths! Sorry, no pictures allowed!

I also remember a family holiday we had in the Snowy when I was still at school. It was a summer holiday, and we met up with Uncle Keith and Aunty Nancy. I can't remember how many of us kids were involved, but I can remember swimming at the town pool, which has moved and is much flasher now, and it was the first time I'd ever eaten trout, and I reckon I found the cafe near the park where we all had dinner!


Is this the old home town?

Monday morning dawned under a blanket of fog and 4 degrees! We pack up, grab a coffee from the coffee van, and head for Eden via Bombala. Another great drive through those rolling hills and grassy plains, and then I find why I have such an affinity with this region. We must surely come from here, the tiny village of ANDO! No houses but a school! And yes, Julia's building revolution has even hit Ando. Both the kids now have their own classroom!!

On to Bombala, where the river shows the signs of the recent flash floods, with huge dead trees thrown high along the river banks. Lunch is at the bakery, which now seems to be the focal food point in every country town, no matter how small. At Bombala, I spoke with a couple of truckies who were also lunching, to enlist their help in choosing the right route to Eden, as we have a choice of three. With all the rain, we weren't sure what road conditions were like. Their advice proved spot on, and mid afternoon we roll into the picturesque seaside town of Eden, right on the shores of Twofold Bay, and with all the wheels in all the right places!

Our site in The Garden of Eden

Our caravan park is a beauty, the Top Tourist and innovatively named - Garden of Eden! Apple trees everywhere (only kidding!). Actually lots of trees everywhere, and it takes some time to choose a spot where our satellite will work. Finally, we are set up, surrounded by lawn in a quiet part of the park, and the weather is warm again, so off with the flannels and back into the shorts for a stay of 10 nights.

You wouldn't believe the sound of the Bellbirds, and as evening falls the grasslands come alive with bunnies. April could go nuts!

Misadventures in the mountains

Having left Canberra for Bega, we were all excited about the week ahead, back on the coast at Tathra. We headed south, stopped for a terrific breakfast at Bredbo, where we had hoped we could have breakfast at the Pancake Place we had enjoyed 29 years ago. Forever the optimists, the place was still there, but it was closed - Bugger! So we enjoyed a hearty breakfast at the Gourmet Pantry.


The damaged wheel hub



We headed on to Cooma, then turned east for Bega. The weather was foul, and 30kms along the road the wheels fell off, literally! There was a bit of a bump, we thought we had  a flat tyre, and then with lights flashing from the car behind us, we pulled in and parked, as safely as we could. John jumped out to meet the driver of the car behind. When he said that he saw our wheel flying off into the paddock, John was stunned, and raced around to the left side, to see a wheel hub and no wheel! It was a mess, with 2 studs missing and all the other studs stripped.

What else do you do but call the NRMA. The patrolman arrived, and didn't give us a lot of hope. "Holy Shit, that's a problem" was his assessment. "You'll need a tow, but I'm not sure where we'll get a truck big enough to pick up that van". After several phone calls, it was decided, by the NRMA, that the only choice was a heavy vehicle truck to come from Queanbeyan, in about 3 hours. The good news was, that because of John's long standing membership and loyalty, they would pick up the tab - $900.00! I'm surprised you didn't hear the sigh of relief, wherever you are. We settled in for the long wait.

Heaps of people stopped to see if we were OK. John was getting exhausted getting in and out of the car, as a stream of people stopped to check on us. Aussies are really great people in a crisis. The great irony was, that the only car that didn't stop, was the cops! Seems that they weren't worried about is stopped in a precarious place, partly blocking the road, with a wheel missing!

John decided that seeing we had such a long time to wait, he would go have a look for the wheel, last seen heading into a paddock. After much searching he found the wheel in the paddock, resting against a fence, and then started rolling it back to the car. Two ladies stopped beside him to ask where he was wheeling the wheel, and then kindly offered him a lift back to the car with the wheel! So now with the wheel in tact we waited for the tow truck. The rim was wrecked but the tyre was fine.



Loaded up and ready to go to Cooma



Three hours became four hours, became 5 hours, and with light failing and many calls from the NRMA, following progress of the truck, it finally came into view, over the hill in the drizzling rain. With yellow safety lights flashing, we started to load the caravan onto the tilt tray. What a sad sight, Chateau Relaxeau, wounded, and loaded on a truck.

We headed into Cooma, where the NRMA had already arranged for a repairer to fix the van. We arrived at the garage around 8.00pm, and with no other choice, we plugged into power, and prepared to spend a night in the serivce station.



On the concrete at Tony's Car Repairs Bega



We awoke early, due to noise of the highway and nervous energy, and found that we were opposite a small shopping centre, which included a bakery that opened at 5.00am. Carol headed off to organise coffee and pastries. She returned with "do you want the good news or the bad news", and I then found out that we would not have made it to Tathra anyway, due to torrential rain around Bega, and landslides and fallen trees across the highway.

We waited for Tony, of Tony's Car Repairs to arrive. The sign said Office Hours  7.30am to 5.00pm, and about 8.10am he arrived. What a laid back guy! We know we are in the country, but this guy didn't have a pulse! Still things moved along, albeit at snails pace, and the wheel was fixed. Thankfully, no other damage to the suspension or anything else. John headed off to find a new wheel rim, which miraculously he did, and soon we were ready to roll again.

We decided to spend 2 more nights in Cooma, to let the waters recede around Bega, and so afforded ourselves a little time to explore the Snowy Mountains. We had  a lovely drive up to Jindabyne, where we found the lodge we stayed at 29 years ago on a trip to the snow. Things have changed a bit since our last visit, but the one thing that hasn't changed, is the amazing scenery.

Our first major hiccup has been survived with minimal pain, and thankfully minimal cost. Thank you NRMA.

Canberra

We left Narooma and headed up over the Clyde Range towards Canberra. The drive was very steep in the early stages, in wet, and sometimes foggy conditions. Very pretty, with lots of rain forest and tall gums.

Main street Braidwood

Once on top of the range, the ground opens out into beautiful grazing country and we head into the historic township of Braidwood, which doesn't seem to have changed much since the 1830's! Well the buildings haven't changed, just the shop keepers, with lots of cafes, pubs, and touristy shops, plus a fantastic old emporium that sold everything, and I mean everything! Jenny, Adrienne and Robyn take note, that there is also a fantastic quilting shop, with so much material stuffed into it, that you can hardly get in the front door! The bakery is obviously the focal point in town, spread out through a number of old shopfronts. But, Carol and I are always wary of the big bakery, and like to seek out the real foody shops. We saw a sign pointing us up an alley and found the Dojo Bread Shop, a really good find, and then we found Foody's Cafe and Deli, which became our lunch stop for hearty home made soup and gourmet pies. Very good indeed!

Inside the Bungendore Wood Gallery

Leaving Braidwood, having revitalised their economy, we head for Bungendore. What a great name!  This little town just 20kms from Canberra, is a tourist centre, and is fast becoming an outer suburb of Canberra. Still it has some great places to visit, the highlight being the famous Wood Working Gallery, showcasing some magnificent furniture and artifacts. You can only marvel at the workmanship, and the prices!! It is also a gallery, featuring artists in paint, metalwork, ceramic and leather. You can easily get lost for hours, in this wonderful place.

The heavens about to open in Bungendore

We step back outside, where April, tied to the veranda post at the front door, is entertaining the locals. Never fails, she is like a magnet for young and old alike. A quick look at the sky, tells us to get moving, so we quickly head for the car as the heavens open. Drenched, we head for Canberra, following the deluge for some time, and the caravan and car get a good wash!

We arrive at our new destination, the Queanbeyan Riverside Caravan Park, where evidence of the storm isn't hard to find. If my stop at Narooma was heaven for me, then this is paradise for Carolyn. It is right next door to a shopping mall! She walks through the door, takes a deep breath and declares "Baby, I'm home"! The caravan park isn't great. It is very crowded, with small sites, and is run by the Council, with the office only manned for daytime hours. Still it's location makes up for most of the shortcomings, and we are only here for 5 nights.

Ballons in the morning light

Spooky!

Didn't take long to find Julie and Ron, our new friends from WA. They have the site beside us!  Turns out that it is Julie's birthday, so out with the champagne and some of the gourmet delights we collected en route, and the celebrations begin.

Carol with Julie & Ron

We have a pretty full schedule in Canberra. Thursday is drive around and familiarise ourselves, and replenish supplies at the shopping mall. Friday starts at 5.00am with the 4 of us heading into Canberra to watch the spectacular Hot Air Balloons, launched from the lawns in front of the old Parliament House. What a spectacle it is, with 20 ballons of all shapes and sizes. The whole thing takes only an hour and all the balloons are inflated and take to the skies, gently floating away into the morning sky.

We head back to camp for breakfast, a quick shower, and back into town to the National Gallery, to take a look at the Ballet Russes Exhibition, now showing. It is well worth a look, with the collection having been put together over many years by the National Gallery itself. For the uninitiated (I include myself), Ballet Russes was a Ballet company, that commenced in the 1870's in Paris. It was a Russian Company featuring most of the great Russian dancers of the time. The founder revolutionised ballet, through costume design that enhanced the athleticism and sensuality of the dancers. It became immensely popular and toured the world, even Australia in the 1930's. The exhibition is of the costumes and some of the sets, and it is displayed by opera. Very good indeed.

John Margaret & Gordon

That evening, we headed out to cousin Margaret and Gordon's home for dinner. Margaret is the eldest daughter of John's mother's only brother (you got that?). It was a lovely evening talking over old family stories, and as Gordon is currently tracing his and Margaret's family ancestry, there were many old albums and photos to view. We don't catch up often, so it was a really good occasion. Gordon is liaising with brother Neil, who is our family ancestry researcher, so this could be a long lasting family link. We also enjoyed a lovely home cooked meal in a house! Somewhat of a novelty these days.

Saturday we went our separate ways. Don't panic, it isn't permanent! John is at golf, playing in the member's comp at Queanbeyan Golf Club, whilst Carol is pampering with a dose of retail therapy at the mall. Golf was OK. The course won't become a favourite as it is extremely tight, a million trees, and every hole seems a dog-leg. Not to mention that you need a Sherpa guide for a caddy! Had 30 points with a birdie at the 17th. Carol's shopping was much more successful! Back together for Saturday night dinner at the local Thai restaurant, Lime Leaves, a short walk down the street. Fantastic food, and relegates Narooma to second best Thai so far.

Fantastic Meatloaf and Pasta Salad

Sunday off to Murrambateman for lunch with Nicole, Brendan, Tiernan & Olivier. They have started a new adventure in their lives, with a much anticipated rural lifestyle. Brendan is now head maths teacher at Yass High School, and Nicole is continuing to pursue her business interests on the internet and through local markets and retailers. They live in a cottage on a large sheep property, called Bonenfants Cottage, and it is really gorgeous. True to their style, we spend a lot of time in their kitchen baking cookies and lunch, and then enjoy a gourmet feast, complete with local wines.

Brendan, Nicole, Tiernan, & Olivier with Carol

The boys have really grown since last we saw them, with Tiernan now 8, and Olivier 3. They take  a great liking to April (Petrol as Olivier keeps calling her), to April's extender dog lead, and John. So by the end of the day, John, April, Olivier and Tiernan are all exhausted, and we call it quits having had a fantastic day.

Keep your dreams going Nic and Brendan, and save that first bottle of red for us!!

Sadly we leave Canberra on Monday 21st March, heading for Tathra, on the coast near Bega. We really enjoyed being surrounded by family and friends, we hadn't seen for too long. Little did we know what lay ahead on the road to Tathra.

Narooma is Gorgeous





Narooma Surf Beach Cravan Park



The view from our site south



We drove into Narooma on a beautiful sunny day. Our first glimpses of the inlet and ocean were all turquoise and blue in sparkling sunshine. It is a truly gorgeous place.



We drove into the Surf Beach Caravan Park, and  found our site high on a hill, looking south over the main surf beach, and with the magnificent Narooma Golf Course, right beside us to the north. This is heaven. In fact, I have it on good authority, that God has a weekender here and regularly plays the course (off scratch of course!).

Since arrival, we have had a bit of a mixed bag in weather, with beautiful days mingled with a couple of cold, showery days, like today. One day we are kayaking the waterways or swimming in the surf, then bang flash thunderstorm, torrential downpour and 10 degrees cooler.

The inlet at Narooma

The cool days have given us time to explore the area, which has some terrific scenery. Wallaga Lakes and Bermagui are less than 30 minutes drive away, to the south, and Bodalla, famous for it's cheese, is only 15 minutes to the north. You can, and we did, sample the delights these places have to offer. The Bodalla Bakery does great bread, cakes and coffee. Yummeee! We have also taken some spectacular drives through the forests around here, mostly on good dirt roads, though with all the heavy rain, there have been some hairy moments, where 4wd has been a distinct advantage! That advantage turns into a big disadvantage when you get home, and find 5 tonnes of mud stuck to the car. Think I can charge the caravan park for top dressing now I've washed it off?

The area around Bermagui is very nice. It is a fisherman's paradise, with a lot of big game fishing taking place at this time of the year. The new "Fisherman's Wharf" area by the harbour is really nice, and was last weekend the scene of the annual blessing of the fleet, with much celebration. We were there the day before, so saw most of the preparations without the parking problems!



Guess who? and living the dream!

Tea Room in Tilba Tilba

There is also the quaint area of Central Tilba which has the twin towns of Tilba, and Tilba Tilba. Now that's a lot of Tilba! Seems that quite some time back, two brothers had a fight over religion, so one brother left town (Tilba), and moved 2 kilometeres up the road to build his own church and town (Tilba Tilba). Personally, I think it was just a ploy to get twice as much money out of the tourists, which seems to be succeeding. We spent a lovely few hours in Tilba Tilba, talking to Ken, the sticky, gooey, yummy,fudge man, and a lovely lady, who sold around 40 varieties of tea, of which we now have many to sample, and there was the broken down ex footballer from South Sydney, whose name I didn't know at all, who runs the cafe we chose for morning tea (a good choice it was too!). He told us of how he came to Tilba Tilba through Narooma, where he came to play football. He said he came to Tilba Tilba as part of the Narooma footy training. The coach brought the team out to nearby Mount Dromadary and had them carry a keg of beer to the top. It took 17 men 2 hours, where they promptly sat down and drank the contents, and all rolled down the hill home! They lost every game that year and had a new coach for the next season!!!


More of Tilba Tilba's Shops



The residence at "Foxglove Spires"

Based on his recommendation we headed down the road to Tilba, to see the very famous garden "Foxglove Spires", voted best private garden, some years back, on Burkes Backyard. It is also a nursery, cafe and gift shop, where we spent a very nice couple of hours. The gardens themselves had been let go a bit, but you could still see the magnificent layout and setting.



The entrance to Foxglove Spires garden



Some of the covered walkways and archways, must be sensational in full bloom. Apart from the garden, there wasn't a lot more in Tilba. We think the congregation went with Tilba Tilba, and stayed!

I should also mention the cheese shops in Tilba Tilba. We sampled some beautiful cheeses here. Better than at Bodalla, in our opinion, and especially at the Cheese Factory, very reasonably priced. Also really good jams, chutneys etc. The culinary life goes on and on and on.........

Back in Narooma, it was time for golf. Sorry all those non golfers, but I must indulge. The Narooma Golf Course is famous. It is regularly ranked as the best country course in Australia, and features in the top 100 of all courses in Australia, usually around 65 to 70. The famous hole is the 3rd, Hogan's Hole, of which it is said, that every golfer must play once in his/her life. A big tick on my wish list. The first 6 holes are perched high on the cliff and must be among the most beautiful in golf.

The 2nd at Narooma Golf Club



My Thursday booking was washed out, so Saturday was a must, and the weather did the right thing. The event was a 4 ball, and the club did the right thing by giving me a strapping young lad of 15, Jordan,  with a 4 handicap, as my partner. We started well and when I stood on that famous 3rd tee, I could see why it was so famous. Only 135 metres, but between tee and green is a sheer chasm full of ocean. My 8 iron hit the green and I two putted for a par, the only one in my group. Yes!!!!! I had a wonderful day. Watching young Jordan hit balls into the statosphere, was quite amazing. At the 308 metre par 4 8th, he hit his drive into the green side bunker, and at the par 5 11th, he cut the corner and hit his drive 320 metres!! Hit the green with a 7 iron and 2 putted for birdie! For all the non golfers just say wow!!! We finished the day with a respectable 42 points, and I was a very happy golfer.



"The Sherrif" Charter Boat on a good day



Fishing is the other great passion in this area, so John had hoped to indulge in fishing charter to Montague Island. I had chosen the charter boat "The Sherrif", but unfortuneatly the weather would not co-operate, so now I have run out of time here and will wait until later, and a bit further down the coast, to complete this indulgence.



Whilst the food scene here hasn't been spectacular, we have had some good meals at the O'Briens Pub, with an amazing view over the Inlet, and the Na Siam Thai Restaurant, which was as good a Thai feed as we've had anywhere. You also can't beat fish & chips on the deck at Taylor's on Forster's Bay, and thankfully Carol hasn't lost her touch. As I speak, on the coldest day we've had so far, the caravan is full of delicious smells, as Carol cooks her Goulash Soup. So it's time to go, as dinner awaits.





Bateman's Bay

What a wonderful week we've had! No wonder I haven't been able to update the blog, we have been run off our feet with visitors!


Site at Pleasurelea Tourist Park


Bateman's Bay is a terrific place. Lots to see and lots to do. We set up camp at the Pleasurelea Tourist Park and it was really nice. A well kept, structured park, right opposite Sunshine Bay. After roughing it a bit at our last stops, we enjoyed the comforts of this well run park that really catered for us "on the road" travellers.


Carol on Sunshine Bay


Down the road a bit is the Catalina Country Club, where John has had  a couple of games of golf in the local comps. No silverware, but a lot of enjoyment, with some really nice local guys. It is proving a great way to gather local knowledge on what to see, and where to eat. So far so good, even though my golf has been crap. I must be too relaxed!

We have done the tourist bit and visited most of the local sights, but this week was all about our visitors. Bev & Fred drove down for lunch on Wednesday. We had a terrific lunch at Starfish Cafe, right on the bay. Surely this is the far end of their lunch range!

On Friday, Cheryl & Chris arrived with tent, for a long weekend. They set up camp and we partied. Cheryl, who never travels without catering, arrived with marinated, butterflied, leg of lamb, which went really well with the marinated, butterflied, leg of lamb, we had prepared for their arrival! We are going to have to talk more! These lamb legs became known as the bookends, as we had lamb when they arrived, and lamb when they left! I think I'm growing a woolly coat!


New raincoat for April.


In between lamb dinners, we did the Moruya Markets, where we sampled some fantastic local fare, and bought a new waterproof rain coat for April, as well as a little bling for the girls. Should have seen the look on the face of the dog raincoat guy, when Chris asked if he had a mirror so April could check it out. I'm certain he'll be telling that story at the pub for weeks to come!


Tuross Heads Township looking over the Golf Course



After the markets, we headed for Tuross Heads/Lakes. Now that is a surprise packet. Beautiful lakes and a much more developed town than we had imagined. We had been told not to miss the fish and chips at the boatshed. It was as good as we had been told, in a fantastic location right on the water's edge



Fish & Chips at the Boatshed Tuross Heads



From Tuross Heads we went back to BB for a spot of fishing. Lots of fun but no feed of fish, so it was just as well we had booked dinner at the Catalina Country Club. We booked the courtesy bus both ways, and had a ball on the bus, visiting the backstreets as we collected and dropped off, a string of mostly rowdy locals, going to and from the club. Food was great, and John even won $70.00 on the pokies.



Cheryl loves April & vice versa



Sunday was off to Mogo Zoo. (See separate blog). When we finished we headed down to Mossy Point for some fishing, again without a feed, but at least this time with a couple of good fish. We headed home for lamb dinner and a rendezvous with friends Cheryl & Phil, who were travelling in their caravan, and after an exchange of emails, we had found that they were staying at Tathra, just down the road. They checked out of Tathra and came up to join us at BB for a couple of days. So it was lamb dinner for six, and dam fine it was, washed own with a couple of good reds.

Cheryl & Chris headed off on Monday after a terrific long weekend. Our stay finished with a lovely evening with a new couple we met, from WA, Julie & Ron. They've been on the road 18 months, so we had some long talks about their travels and experiences. Cheryl & Phil joined us, and fortified by Julie's nachos, the hours just disappeared. We will catch up with Ron & Julie in Canberra again in a couple of weeks, where our schedules coincide.

So this morning we packed up, and being waved off by Cheryl, Phil, Julie and Ron, we headed down the road to Narooma, where after an exhausting 1 hour drive, broken by coffee at Moruya, we arrived safe and sound, and checked into a beautiful site at the Surf Beach Cravan Park, on the hillside, surrounded by the beach on one one side, and the golf course on the other. Paradise again.

Mogo Zoo



Red Panda



Our friends Cheryl & Chris have been down for a few days, which has been great. Being passionate animal lovers like ourselves, we waited until their visit before heading out to Mogo Zoo.

The zoo is one of the largest private zoos around, is well laid out and highly interactive. Most of the exhibits are African and Asian animals, with a major emphasis on the large cats, where they have white lions, normal lions, Sumatran tigers, snow leopard, and Servals, and primates, mostly Asian gibbons and tamrins, plus some chimps and different varieties of lemurs. Throw in a few snakes and lizards, the odd Zebra and Giraffe, a couple of Meercats, and that about sees it out. So if it's kangaroos and Koalas you seek, go elsewhere!



The Father of the Pride.



Let the pictures do the talking!!

At many of the enclosures, there were interactive feeding sessions, put on by the most dedicated people, who are all so passionate about their job, the environment and endangered animals. All the times are posted at the entrance, and spaced so that you don't miss anything.

They tell horrible stories about what is happening to so many of these wonderful creatures. Where would we be without their intervention and breeding programs.



I'm talking to you!



Still the ones here are lucky ones. They sure get the 5 star treatment.

Now that's a yawn.

All the enclosures are beautifully kept, and the animals are in first rate condition.



Two of the tiger cubs



Their breeding programs have been very successful, and many of the animals were born at the zoo. We were lucky enough to see the 3 tiger cubs born last year, and the white lions were born here a little while back. Although funnily, the snow leopard male brought in from Sweden, currently has a language problem , and is isolated from the female while he learns some english commands  from his new keepers!

Wherever we looked we found more to see. Otters, gibbons, tamrins of all sizes and colours, and out on the flat plains area were the Giraffes, Zebra and deer, although Chris thought it was very cruel to have all the deer opposite the lion enclosure!

Otter feeding time



Our time at Mogo flew by, especially John's visit to the snake exhibit! Thankfully, most of the snakes were asleep or their space was under renovation, although I must admit there was a beaut Iguana!



Play time for the Serval cat



Even the kiosk had good food at a very reasonable price, so all in all we had a great day.

If ever you are down this way you have to visit Mogo Zoo. The animals need you and you will have a ball!



Mind your own business!



I'm pooped!