Hi there Casey,
I just wanted to fill you in with my latest sightseeing. On the weekend a trip was planned with Craig to see the Hunter Valley as far as Muswellbrook and then back down via Nelson Bay, Newcastle and Lake Macquarie. The map on the right shows the area and the blue line is the route we took.
We had to leave very early in the morning while it was still dark as Pat said Craig had another surprise in store for me. We headed off up the freeway and then took the turnoff to Cessnock. This used to be a mining town but once the mines started closing the town changed and it is now the gateway city to the wine area of the valley.
Once we arrived in
the town Craig continued to a farmer's field and I realised we were going hot air ballooning, as there, in the field, were two huge balloons slowly being inflated. What a surprise! While the pilot made sure that the weather and winds were okay we had hot drinks to warm us up and then we all clamoured into the basket. Suddenly, without warning, just as the sun started to rise, we slowly started going up into the air and the people on the ground became smaller and smaller until it looked like a toy world below us.The balloon moved very gently and it was so peaceful and calm as we drifted in the breezes over the pretty Hunter Valley landscape. The pilot pointed out places of interest and explained how to fly a hot air balloon and it was very interesting to watch him steer with the winds.
Imagine Casey, floating silently, free as a bird in the sky, and down below the ground looks like a patchwork quilt with the greens and browns. We could see our reflection in the dams and our shadow on the ground as we went long. Then the pilot had to find a safe place to land the balloon. We did not know where we were as the balloon had been going where the winds took us. The landing was exciting and once down I found we had floated more than 25km away from where we took off . The truck that had been following us arrived and the balloon was packed away and we headed back to the starting point and a nice hot brunch. What a wonderful experience it was and definitely worth getting out of bed early for!
The Hunter Valley is about 160 km north of Sydney, with the city of Newcastle, on the mouth of the Hunter River and many towns and villages along the fertile valley. It is one of Australia's most famous wine growing areas but there is also coal mining, power generation and farms. After finishing brunch we were back into the car and winding our way through the lush vineyard areas, sometimes on dirt roads. Here's a photo of how it looks.
Leaving the vineyards behind we turned onto the New England Highway and passed through many small towns and villages until reaching Muswellbrook in the Upper Hunter. Pat had lived in the town many years ago and her stepson had returned there to work and live on his hobby farm. That was our destination. Muswellbrook has eight coal mines and 2 power stations in the area but is also known for its wine industry and racehorses and Pat said they owned some racehorses when they lived there. Being an historic town there are many old buildings to see. It is on the Hunter River and every so often the town will be flooded and there was a major one when Pat lived there right on the bank's edge. They had to be evacuated until the river went down. We had a fun time on the farm. I got to ride Blossom, a pony, with Reagan.
Later we went down and checked out the cows in the lower paddocks. The flies are so bad there. I could not believe it. Peter lent me a swagman's hat to help keep them off my face. The hat was called after the swagmen, an Australian word for the many men who wandered the countryside during the Depression years looking for work. Often they would wear a hat with corks hanging off it to keep the flies away. Tara didn't know what to make of the cows.
While we were down in the paddocks we saw some kangaroos. They are funny looking animals. Peter told me there are a lot in the area and they are becoming pests. Every so often they need to be removed from the property as they take the feed needed for the cows. A group of kangaroos is called a mob.
A kangaroo is a marsupial and a native Australian animal. If you don't know what a marsupial is, it is an animal that has a pouch and there are more marsupials in Australia than anywhere else. The Red Kangaroo is the largest surviving marsupial anywhere in the world and they live in the dry centre of the country and the Eastern Grey Kangaroo lives on the eastern part. They have large powerful hind legs, large feet made for leaping, a long muscular tail for balance, and a small head. Like all marsupials they have a pouch where the baby joey lives. Kangaroos are the only large animals to use hopping to move around and they often need to hop long distances looking for food. When necessary they can hop as fast as 70 km/hour, about the speed of a car but only for a short time. When Pat's Mum was growing up in a country town, she had a pet kangaroo called Dorothy that followed her everywhere, even when she went shopping.
It was time to make tracks back home. We were going to head for Newcastle via Nelson Bay at Port Stephens, a large inlet, about 30 km north of Newcastle and then take the Pacific Highway as it runs along the coastline back to the house. A couple of hours later and we were there. It is a beautiful area and the large inlet is bigger than Sydney Harbour and very popular for fishing and boating as it is a tourist centre. Nelson Bay is the largest town on Port Stephens and is the centre for dolphin and whale watching and deep sea fishing. Here is a photo looking over Nelson Bay and Port Stephens. You can see what a beautiful area it is.
We continued on and we were soon entering the City of Newcastle, the 2nd oldest and the 6th largest city in Australia. It is the largest and busiest coal shipping centre in the world and has the biggest coal deposits. As soon as it was discovered that coal was in the area all the worst convicts were sent there to dig in the coal mines. It was a convict town for about twenty years but then they were moved on and settlers started going there to live. It later became famous for it's steelworks. Today it is a modern beachside city, having over 50 beaches in the area and many historic buildings.
Port of Newcastle
Southern beaches of Newcastle
Twenty kms past Newcastle we entered the City of Lake Macquarie. The lake itself is the largest coastal saltwater lake in Australia and very popular for fishing and sailing. It also has coal mining in the area and a power station. It was discovered by accident in 1800 when a ship captain mistook the lake opening for Newcastle Harbour, as although it is called a lake, it is connected to the ocean by a narrow, short channel. It is here on the eastern side of the lake and the northern side of the channel that the town of Belmont is situated on a narrow strip of land with the sea on one side and the lake on the other and a lagoon in the middle.
It was first settled by Europeans as an Aboriginal mission station in 1825. The town was named after a weatherboard guesthouse named 'Belmont' built in the 1860s. The first town allotments went on sale in 1868, taken up by miners who worked at nearby mines. A private school opened in 1873 and a provisional school in 1875. A church building followed and a post office opened in 1877. The town continued to develop with the improvement of the roads and the arrival of the railway. Belmont has many shops, restaurants and schools and it is a popular spot for boating, fishing and swimming. Many insect fossils and aboriginal relics have been discovered in the area.
One of the schools there, the Belmont Public School, is an example of a typical public school in the area. It covers Kindergarten to Year 6. In 1996 the school burnt down during the Easter holidays and 2 years later a new school opened. In the new buildings are 14 classrooms built in three separate wings, an Administration block, canteen, hall, covered outdoor learning area and a new playground. Covered walkways link all the classrooms. Luckily the Library was not damaged in the fire. There is fibre optic cabling linking all classrooms enabling the computers to be networked and any computer can access the internet. E-mails can be sent and each computer is also linked to at least one printer so all students can print out their work whenever they choose. All classrooms can also receive satellite programs. There is plenty of display space with carpet up all the walls.
In Year 2, a typical school day is: In the morning pupils go to Literacy Groups. Year 1 and Year 2 join together. After recess there is Maths and on Wednesdays it is Music. In the afternoons Science, HSIE, Projects and Art and Craft are taken. There are plenty of books and pupils do home reading every night. Monday afternoons is sports day and in summer that is swimming at Swansea Pool. Swansea is the town on the south side of the channel. All Australian children must learn to swim as most people live near the coast.
After having a look around Belmont we travelled on and were back at the house within the hour. A long but enjoyable day and I learnt heaps. My holiday is coming to an end and I will need to organise my trip home soon.
That's it for now Casey, your mate, Stanley.
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