Thursday morning I bid farewell to Sydney and took the train south to the town of Thirroul, located along the coast. My friends Victor and Rose are tending the house (and dog) of their friends who are on holiday in Darwin in the Northern Territory. They met me at the train station, and we walked the few blocks to the house. It is a charming home, built in 1905, and updated and expanded over the years. The ceilings are pressed tin, and the kitchen and hallways in the original part of the home are wide board hardwood. Some of the windows have stained glass panels. Definitely my kind of house!
In the afternoon we walked to the beach and had coffee at a cafe. Two brave souls were in the water, but otherwise it was almost empty.
This area is called Illawarra, which is a corruption of the Aboriginal word alowrie, meaning “high pleasant place by the sea.” And it certainly is. Small villages dot the hills covered by eucalyptus forests overlooking the sea.
Today Victor and Rose took me to the Southern Highlands, located southwest of Thirroul. Geographically, it sits between 1640 and 2900 feet above sea level on the Great Dividing Range. The Blue Mountains are also on this plateau, Our first stop was the village of Berrima. Settled in the early 1800s, there are many historic buildings in the town, most notably the courthouse and gaol (jail). The jail was built by convicts, and is still in use. The courthouse, completed in 1838, is now a museum, with excellent exhibits showcasing some of the notorious treachery, treason and murders in its day.
Our next stop was Bundanoon (gotta love these names!) where we had lunch and strolled the shops.
Our last stop on the way home was Echo Point, which had an amazing view of the valley, rivaling the Blue Mountains.
Those beautiful views make me want to hop on a plane and join you!