Leaving the hustle and bustle of Sydney, we travelled to Cottage Point in the Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park, just in time for the kiosk to be closing and boats being moored – too funny!

Next, the Wattamolla picnic area in the Royal National Park the next morning – a popular spot for fishing, swimming, snorkelling and bushwalking – we walked to the lookout …..

Otford lookout provided lovely ocean views

Bald Hill lookout is internationally known as a major hang-gliding point and overlooks the iconic Sea Cliff Bridge, which extends along Grand Pacific Drive for an award winning 140 km coastal drive!

We drove to the 1 km long Mollymook beach just as a storm was developing – with lovely threatening cloud formation over Thirroul as well…

Batemans Bay’s Pebbly Beach didn’t disappoint with kangas munching grasses on the foreshore, with joeys in their pouches

Bermagui Blue Pool – one of the prettiest ocean-fed rock pools along the NSW coast. This gem has opaline hues – think azure fading to turquoise to blush, then canary yellow. Whale spotting in Winter and Spring from the viewing platform.

Shell Harbour “rocks”…over summer months, there is often a concert at the marina and Shell Cove.

Sale Botanical Gardens…our last stop before heading for Melbourne, rewarded with a sighting of a white peacock. White peafowl have a genetic mutation called leucism, an inability of pigment to stick to their feathers. However their trains tend to be longer than their blue counterparts, with about 150 mesmerising feathers.