“We’re
going camping”, we decided – why let a (not so) measly bushfire ruin a planned
weekend away? So evolved the meet you have when you’re not having a meet!
Killalea
State Park is just south of The City of Shellharbour near Kiama on the NSW
South Coast – some locals call it “The Farm”. We were here because the planned
meet for Burralow Swamp in The Blue Mountains National Park had to be called
off due to bush fires in the area. Finding the place was interesting. New
housing development means you pass through a brand new estate to get to
Killalea - a sore point with staff, it seems, who have to issue very detailed
directions. But once into the park, you’re a million miles from care!
Six
trailers attended what turned out to be a most enjoyable weekend. Good
facilities abounded, including a camp kitchen with electric barbeques,
essential in the total fire ban conditions. Killalea is widely used as a day
visit facility but the camping area is well laid out with around fifty
clearly-designated sites in close proximity to the amenities. There were quite
a few other campers – surfing seems to be the dominant activity for the
numbers of young tent campers present.
The
beach is just a short walk away with a longer pleasant walk along the beach to
the Minnamurra River mouth. Other walking or bike-riding opportunities are all
over the park including wetland, beach and headland areas. Certainly a well
worthwhile destination for a smaller campertrailers group.
Barb
and I were joined by Mike & Christine, David & Joy, Kevin & Carolyn (Kev
remembered the camper keys this time!), Paul & Rachel with Alec & Thomas and
Alan & Brenda with Anthony & Kayla. A variety of activities were pursued,
notably the beach. Paul & Rachel indulged in a bit of retail therapy in
Shellharbour and returned with a pile of seafood! We all did the usual round
of mods inspections. Some delighted in the Aussie progress vs. the Poms in the
first cricket test, while Mike picked the pebbles out of the tread on his
brand new Coopers :-)
A
collective gourmet feast came off the BBQs on Saturday evening, jollied along
with plenty of liquid refreshment! There was even an apparent UFO in the
vicinity – evident only after seeing the pictures from the meet ;-))) ?
Barb
& I stayed an extra night and by Sunday evening, we had the whole place to
ourselves which seemed almost eerie, after the weekend’s festivities.
Definitely better than staying home!