Day 40 - Surfing in Newcastle

02/04/23

As planned, we get up a bit earlier today, pack our things, and head out before breakfast. We drive to Newcastle and park Vicky at Sheppards Hill. On the way, we pass by the beach, which is already very crowded at 10 am. The hill, on the other hand, offers plenty of space and is the perfect breakfast spot for us.

Then we work our way through the camping lady's tip list. We continue past Fort Scratchley, to Nobbys Beach, and finally to Newcastle Beach. When we arrive, we witness a surf contest (New South Wales Finals) and watch eagerly from the water's edge. Our wildlife spotter, Sarah, has found the true wave kings in addition to the surfers. Numerous dolphins can be seen near the competition. We stay for about an hour and slowly walk back to Vicky.

Due to the heat, we decide not to explore the city on foot and drive north to Hawks Nest (Jimmy's Beach) instead. We manage to secure the very last spot again. A quick afternoon snack and we head to the nearby beach. We can already hear the waves from afar. We lie comfortably in the sand and read for a while. But then we are drawn into the water and the waves, which reach up to about 2 meters high. It's a battle between humans and the ocean. We succeed about 95% of the time. But once, we got completely wiped out, with sand in our pockets and an Australian woman's remark: 'once you were smashed by the waves...'. All in all, a cool experience.

Back at Vicky, we plan to have dinner on the outdoor grill, but this time it's not a grill, just a gas stove outdoors. But we manage to cook with a pan. By the time we've washed everything and taken a short digestion walk on the beach, it's already dark. We are pleasantly surprised by 2 more wildlife sightings: a giant squirrel right next to Vicky (about the size of a rabbit), and later an owl. You never know what you might discover :)