The Blue Mountains region in New South Wales plays second fiddle to the famous harbour attractions in tourism promotions, but it is fast becoming one of the “must do” areas for those exploring Sydney.  If you travel to the Blue Mountains there are a few sites that you definitely cannot miss and the Three Sisters is one of them.  On the outskirts of Katoomba, the Three Sisters lookouts offer amazing views into the Megalong Valley and there are plenty of bushwalks and climbs for families and hikers of all experience levels, including for those requiring wheelchair access.

The area is steeped in indigenous culture, including the story behind the formation of the Three Sisters.  The Darug and Gundungurra tribes in particular have a strong connection to this area and to nearby Echo Point.

My family braved the walk downstairs to the Three Sisters.  While only a very short walk, the stairs were very steep and I would recommend a good pair of shoes for anyone visiting this site.  We spent around an hour at this site (we had a few sites on our wish list this day) and made our way to the gift shop for a browse afterwards.

Norah Head is one of those places that all the locals know of but it’s not widely advertised as a must do on the Central Coast of New South Wales.  It’s a bit of a blessing for those that do find this gem as it’s only a relatively small place and crowding could easily spoil what is an ideal location for a family holiday.

Norah Head has all the ingredients for the perfect family holiday along with a few hidden attractions that are available for those that like to explore.  By mid morning there is a steady stream of families heading for the relative safety of the rockpool.  The water is largely sheltered from the waves that break prior to the rock wall and whether swimming, snorkelling or just playing in the sand, there is at least a few hours of fun to be had – remembering of course to slip, slop, slap.

With space at a premium in the rockpool confines, we decided to head off on a trek along the beach to the most famous landmark at Norah Head, the lighthouse.  Having been to Norah Head before, I was wary of the wear and tear on the feet caused by the rocks and I made sure we all wore appropriate footwear for our little adventure.  While the beach was fantastic, it was the rocky areas that the kids really wanted to explore.  Crabs, starfish, fish, shells and more were on offer as we climbed and searched the rocky coastline on the point.

After an hour or so exploring we made it to the base of the point and made our way up the stairs to the base of the lighthouse.  There are guided tours of the lighthouse on weekends and public holidays.  They start at around 10.00am and run every half hour until 3.00pm.

There are plenty of parks and covered public eating areas, along with restaurants and takeaway outlets.  The Norah Head Sports Club has meals, a courtesy bus and plenty of cold beer on tap!  Toukley is also only five minutes away for those that cannot find food to their liking.  Soldiers Beach is a patrolled beach with a good surf break (so I’m told).

Accommodation at Norah Head ranges from holiday apartment rental to the Norah Head Holiday Park, the latter containing a variety of options from camping to on site cabins.

My family thoroughly enjoyed our stay at Norah Head and found it an excellent place to explore.  As a bonus it is also only minutes away from places like Toukley, Budgewoi, The Entrance and all the other towns on the great lakes of the Central Coast.  The only real advice I would give is that you have all your sun safety gear well prepared, including hats, sunshirts and plenty of sunscreen.  With all the sites, parks and water in the area, we spent most of our waking hours outdoors.  The one benefit of all that excercise was that the kids went to bed without any arguments at all.  The downside was that their parents were also too tired to take advantage and went to bed soon after.

A little piece of Dutch heritage in Coffs Harbour

Having Dutch in-laws means that I have probably stopped at The Clog Barn in Coffs Harbour more times than most would have.  There are plenty of reasons to stop, not the least the chance for a coffee and something to eat and a break from the driving madness.

For those visiting for the first time there is literally a whole world to discover at this attraction, namely the miniature Dutch world built on the other side of the gift shop.  Everything from old style Dutch buildings to windmills and a miniature railway has been lovingly, and no doubt painstakingly, created for the viewing pleasure of tourists.  Whether you have a Dutch background or not, this is a surprisingly interesting attraction for the whole family.  My kids seeem to love anything miniature and it proved to be a great way to show them some of the landscape that Oma and Opa recalled from their childhood.  

Perhaps the thing I most looked forward to over the years has been Big Omas Dutch Kitchen.  I really looked forward to my croquettes with mustard on a bread roll.  Truth be known, they are better with a decent Dutch beer, but as I was normally driving, coffee wasn’t too bad an accompaniment either.

I have to confess to being a little disappointed on my last vist to Big Omas Dutch Kitchen.  While the look and feel hadn’t changed much at all, it was a little disappointing to note that none of the staff spoke or understood any Dutch and the famous croquettes on bread rolls has been seriously downgraded.  While I can’t speak or understand much Dutch, it does make you feel a little more comfortable if the staff, or at least the cook, can speak Dutch in a Dutch kitchen.  To make matters worse, my much loved croquettes with mustard on bread rolls had been relegated to a single croquette with a squirt of mustard and half a slice of bread – seriously disappointing.

Having said that, the rest of the facility was just as good as I remembered, and the break was just as important.  I recommend it as a break location for anybody travelling through Coffs Harbour.

Grand old buildings are the norm for Ulmarra

Having managed to drive past this little town on previous Brisbane / Sydney roadtrips, I was feeling confident that I could again distract my wife for long enough to scoot past the turnoff.

I must confess to being the type of driver that plans his trip on an A to B basis.  That is I plan on getting from here to there and anything in between is merely a distraction and even worse, something that adds precious time to the trip.

Ulmarra was always one of those beautiful little craft towns that my wife often pinpointed as a must do, but invariably I was able to distract her for long enough each trip to sneak past the turnoff.

This time was different.  My wife warned me before we set off that we would be stopping at Ulmarra, and despite my best efforts at distraction, stop we did.

The first impression of this little town was one of heritage.  The main street was filled with shops and galleries that looked right out of the early 1900’s.   Straight away I knew that this would not be a five minute stop.

We ate at the local cafe, which had a surprisingly tasty and modern menu, and toured many of the art and craft galleries before buying a few gifts and piling back into the car.

As much as I hate to admit it, I quite enjoyed my brief visit to this little nostalgic town built on the Clarence River and highly recommend it to those travelling in the area.

Saki anyone?

Murasaki Sushi and Teppanyaki Restaurant – Southport Queensland Teppanyaki is a fantastic way to feed the kids a healthy meal and keep them entertained at the same time.  A good Teppanyaki resaurant will offer fresh, simple Japanese style food with the utensil and entertainment skills of the Chef.

Murasaki Sushi and Teppanyaki Restaurant is in the heart of Southport, in the culinary district surrounding Australia Fair.  The menu is extensive, though we stayed within the Teppanyaki range.  Fish, chicken, beef and a wide array of seafood is available in a variety of styles.  Most of the kids went with the Terriyaki sauce over a range of proteins that include prawns, chicken and beef.

With  knives twirling, food flying and condiments spinning, our chef kept the kids entertained to the extent that the adults were able to conduct a conversation without the obligitory interruptions.  I would have excused a sub-par effort with the food for the relative peace we experienced, but even the food was great.

Prices were reasonable, particularly as we had alot of seafood and drank plenty of saki.  Kids meals were around $12 and our platters (for 2) were in the $45-60 range.