Walkabout part one

We left on the first part of our walkabout on November 25th. It had been raining almost non stop for the prior five days which hampered our Sydney activities.
We left the boat at about 0900h and had to get the dinghy out of the water and secured in the yard. Fortunately, the tide was full and despite rainy and windy conditions the dinghy drill went quite well. We got on the ferry into Sydney and then on to Central Station to get on the Countrylink train north to Taree. We left on time but within ten miles the train broke down. Five hours later, it was decided that the train could not be fixed and they put us on buses to complete the journey. It was raining again and a six hour journey became a nine hour one. Roger met us at Taree and we went to his house in Coolongolook, about 30 minutes to the south.
The following morning it was raining like mad but we still braved the elements and drove around central NSW. By two o'clock the rain finally stopped and we had a pleasant lunch in the town of Dorrigo and then on to see the Dangars Falls which, due to all the rain were spectacular as was the short walk in the surrounding rainforest.
The following day we visited the town of Tea Gardens close to Port Macquarie. We had an excellent lunch of local oysters and seafood at a waterfront restaurant which due to all the rain and spring tides was almost underwater.
After lunch, we stopped at a massive area of sand dunes which extended for miles. That evening, we attended a Christmas barbie with Janice's work colleagues at the RSL Club in Forster-Tuncurry. RSL's seem to be an institution in Oz and the acronym stands for returned servicemens club. Sort of like the VFW clubs in the US but much plusher with numerous bars and slots machines (also known as pokies in Oz) and restaurants.
We spent a very pleasant evening chatting with Janice and Roger's friends and enjoyed their company and hospitality.
As Roger had to go into Sydney the following day we got ride back with him and got on the train to Katoomba in the Blue Mountains. We took a walk to Echo Point to see the mountains and the Three Sisters at sunset.
The following day we walked for miles on the Blue Mountain trails and saw miles of Gum trees, amazing birds and wonderful scenery. We visited the picturesque town of Leura, full of eateries and galleries.
The next day was again blustery and cold and we wandered about the town of Katoomba , browsing and shopping. We had our afternoon tea at the Hotel Carrington which was built in the 1880's when Katoomba was still a coal mining town. There was also the delightful Paragon coffee shop with it's original art deco facade and furniture.
I have been using the iPad to post photos but have been unable to place captions but I will edit them when I get back to the boat.
Next instalment from Dubbo, NSW in a day or two.