Travel days are often tedious – up early, pack up, drive for hours, grab a quick lunch at a roadside stop, and press on.  Arrive, figure out how to get in, unpack, familiarise yourself with new surroundings, shop for food. Rinse, repeat.

Today was no real exception.  It was gloomy, windy and humid, which made leaving Port Stephens easier – no temptation for a last minute dolphin cruise.  There was traffic from go to whoa, especially as we wended our way through western Sydney. Ugh.

We didn’t stop for a break until we reached the Sea Cliff Bridge – an interesting piece of engineering, made spectacular by its setting under the coastal cliffs just north of Wollongong.  Despite spitting rain, I walked to the half way point, and back. It doesn’t look like the brochures, thanks to a dull grey sky.

We paused again at Port Kembla; the lookout at Hill 60 affords views up and down the coast, over the Five Islands, and the smoking stacks of the steelworks. An enormous pelican hung on the thermals overhead; he was much quieter than yesterday’s F35s!

Kiama has been a popular seaside holiday town for decades; I have childhood memories of the steep hills and the dramatic Blowhole.  The hills are still precipitious (luckily we are at the bottom and not the top) and we will visit the Blowhole tomorrow. The apartment building is quite old and uninspiring from outside, but inside it has been nicely renovated and will be very comfortable. Now we just need the sun to return …