We arrive at Newcastle, more specifically the northern suburb of Stockton, just across the Hunter River. I really get the feeling we are nearing Sydney. Many of the houses are the familiar red brick homes so typical of suburban Sydney and the beach sand is gradually getting darker, now a shade of mustard yellow.
One of the first things I have noticed is the support the locals have for their NRL team. Everywhere you look there are flags, jerseys and caps bearing the Knights logo. It's often mentioned that the novacastrions are very parochial about their footy team and I could not argue the point from what I have seen.
Early morning I take Shaka for a stroll along the Northern break wall. A shipwreck, the Adolphe, which came unstuck in 1904 comprises part of the wall. The wall is home to a healthy population of feral cats. As we pass, they raise there backs and hiss aggressively, prepared to fight. A few years ago Shaka would have been up for a bit of chase but now he shows no interest in them at all. A lady arrives and distributes cat food at different points along the wall. The felines follow her enthusiastically...she's the modern day cat lady version of the pied piper.
The weekend rolls around and we visit the city. After missing the spearing opportunity at Seal Rocks I figured I better get organised, so went into SpearandFish Downunder to get a weight belt. The proprietor was very friendly and shared with me a heap of good spots to try. He really loves his spearfishing and even named his daughter "Oceania".
We drive along Newcastle Beach and the place is absolutely packed. We drive past three beaches and there's no sign of a free car park. Eventually we find a lookout and take in the views for a bit. I can see 9 coal ships stretched along the coastline waiting to enter the port. Later I learn that these queues can become as long as 50 ships !!!
Sunday arrives and I manage to rouse Tomoko just after dawn for a Stockton Beach 4x4 adventure. After paying the $10 for our 3 day permit we lower the tyres to 18psi and enter from the southern entrance. Stockton Beach is 32km long and home to the largest continuous mobile sand dunes in the Southern Hemisphere. The largest ones reach as high as 30 metres. I admit I was a touch nervous heading onto the sand. I've done a bit of driving on the beach at Lennox and South Ballina but it's not overly challenging once you reach the hard sand. I had read the sand here is quite soft & it took me a little while to get the right gear, eventually settling on low range 3rd and 4th gears to get us along. First stop was the wreck of the MV Sygna, a Norwegian bulk carrier that ran aground during a storm in 1974. It sits just off the beach and we stayed here for 1/2 hour or so watching dolphins hunt around the wreck.
Next we ventured to Tin City, a series of 11 shacks nestled in the frontal dune. Originally there were just two shacks which held provisions for shipwrecked sailors. Squatters camped there during the great depression until WWII when it was replaced by an army camp. More recently in 1974 the "town" and surrounding dunes received fame as the film location for Mad Max. It appeared to be deserted but may very well be harbouring some post-apocalyptic warriors so we soon moved on.
We continued labouring through the soft sand a few more kilometres until I spotted the beach taper somewhat. The beaches here are quite steep and I hadn't yet been able to find any pipis for bait. Sure enough I dug my feet in the sand and unearthed three of the large molluscs. With this find, Tomoko and I enthusiastically did the twist until we had a good supply of bait. There looked to be a few promising gutters at this spot. With high tide only an hour or so away and no knowledge of the conditions ahead I decided to stay put here on the wider part of the beach & fish until the tide begins to ebb. The last thing I wished for was to be stuck on a narrow part of the beach with the tide pushing in - a recipe for disaster. So I fished the gutters without so much as a bite. I looked for alternative activities and there seemed to be a nice right hand beach break. I spotted a shark swimming through the waves that dampened my enthusiasm for a surf. In hindsight, I probably should have paddled out...I mean what are the odds of getting taken by a shark?
With no success fishing, Tomoko was salivating at the prospect of eating the remaining pipi's. Unfortunately, it's illegal to take them from the beach and much to her displeasure I returned them to the sea. We return home mid-afternoon and Tomoko, who can't rid herself of her seafood cravings drives herself into the city to the fisherman's co op. Unfortunately being Sunday, they are closed and she googles alternative fish shops. She finds one but can't find the address on the navman. She arrives empty handed and shares her anger and frustrations with the faulty navman. I have a look at what she googled and couldn't help but laugh. The fish shop she wanted to visit is located in 'New Castle' - a short drive from New York City.
The caravan park at Stockton has a unique feel to it. At times it feels very much like your typical beachside van park in a quiet coastal village. It doesn't take long until you become aware to the reality of our location though. The RAAF base at Williamtown is just a few kms away and the thundering jet fighters regularly soar over the beach. Being one of the worlds leading exporters of coal, several times a day we hear the familiar sound of the ships horn as the large coal ships enter and leave the port. Though even these are dwarfed one morning by a cruise liner, 'The Rhapsody of the Sea' which visited the port for the day.
Taking Shaka for a walk I sprain my foot rather innocuously and the latter part of our stay here is spent resting the injured limb. Our planned departure day was Thursday but driving is troublesome for me so I ask to extend our stay here until Sunday. Alas, the park is chokkas for the weekend and we have no choice but to head to our next destination on the Central Coast. Until then...adios amigos.