We have spent the last couple of months enjoying a life in suburbia in the City of Lake Macquarie. Located just south of Newcastle and a couple of hours north of Sydney in New South Wales. To be honest, we are very appreciative that we had access to a vehicle for this house sitting gig. The area we are in is beautiful, however it is not pedestrian friendly. With the use of our trusty Kia we were able to explore the region and find some real gems.

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A picnic in the park after a walk along the esplanade at Warner’s Bay.
Warners Bay
Warners Bay is one of the many inlets around Lake Macquarie.

For me the best find during our stay here was when Karen was checking the area out online and found a link to the Newcastle Cross Country Club. This volunteer organization does a run in a different location each week for the 22 week winter running season. I was able to attend 8 of these races and it was a wonderful experience. Karen also came and volunteered at the finish line so we had an outstanding opportunity to meet some great people and be introduced to several areas of the region we otherwise would not have found.

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This was the site of one of the runs with the Newcastle Cross Country Club. Beautiful brickwork and a fascinating bit of local history at the Walka Water Works.

We also ventured north to Newcastle a few times to explore some of what they had to offer. This is an industrial coal city that is working hard to attract tourism.

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This fort/lookout was the site of the only Australian land based artillery to fire at the enemy during World War 2. They exchanged shots with a Japanese submarine.
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We checked out the Heat Meets Harbour winter festival in central Newcastle. Absolutely packed with people and open fires, what could go wrong?
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The art deco facade of the Newcastle Ocean Baths.
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Due to the extreme high tide and heavy waves the pool was closed. It was amazing to watch the ocean waves crashing over the walls into the pools.
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Looking south across Newcastle Beach toward the Ocean Baths.

Of course with house sitting there are usually some animals to look after. What was unique about this gig was there were no cats or dogs. We had 5 fish and a variety of birds to watch over. Quite a change of pace for us, but it was good. The only frustrating part was having to wait 6 weeks before the chickens decided to start providing us with fresh eggs.

 

As well as the kept birds, we also had a colourful variety of wild birds that made their way through the yard.

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Rainbow Lorikeets
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Galahs
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This cockatoo seemed a bit confused by the weathervane.

Another area we found through the running club was Caves Beach. We made a point of revisiting this area at low tide so we could spend some time exploring the caves.

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Looking out of one of the caves toward the surf. A very popular place for families.
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The tidal pools along Caves Beach were teeming with colour and life.
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The surf was alive with surfers, kayakers, and spear fishermen. It was wonderful to see an area being enjoyed by so many.

Other than having to put up with slightly chilly temperatures we have had a wonderful time here in Lake Macquarie and have enjoyed exploring the region. We even managed to check out some wineries in the Hunter region. However now we are busy packing and prepping to head back north to the Brisbane area for our last few months in Australia. Let the adventure continue.

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I was trying to explain that she was too close for me to get a photo. Just wouldn’t listen though. We were visiting the wild kangaroos just outside of Morisset.
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The site of the old Insane Asylum in Morisset is where people go to interact with “wild” kangaroos. Lots of little joeys to be seen.

 

Welcome to our travel blog. Have you ever wondered what it would be like to say, "I'm out of here?" Well we did, and in 2013 we made it a reality. We sold or gave away all of our possessions other than what fit in our luggage and we set off on an endless adventure. Part of our goal is to share our experiences with others and hopefully provide some information, motivation, or just a moments escape. The general idea was to look for a place that would be ideal to settle down in. However in the meantime it is about experiencing life in different countries amongst different cultures and learning how to understand and appreciate each other. A large part of our time is spent housesitting which provides an excellent opportunity to experience more of the "normal" neighbourhoods as opposed to the tourist locales. Though we make sure to enjoy those as well. So through plenty of photographs and a running commentary come and share with us our life on the road.

2 comments on “Lake Macquarie

  1. Gerry Murtagh

    Great pics Pete. Looks like a really nice place

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