The South Coast

June 19th

Me playing the didgeridoo and wearing my self made bracelet

Off to the South Coast for the day! First stop the 81 metre Fitzroy Falls.

Fitzroy Falls

The falls are set in a valley with what seems like mountains everywhere. In actuality, these formations are cut sandstone that have eroded away making some amazing visceral cliffs.

Cliffs near Fitzroy Falls

At the falls, our tour guide took the time to tell us about the aboriginal people. They were once made up of over 300 unique cultures but because of white settlement are down to about 20 different ones. Capital punishment is quite common in many tribes. If someone does something to wrong you then you are allowed to injure them in a way fitting of punishment. The only catch is that you have to take care of said individual until they heal.

The town of Berry

From Fitzroy Falls we drove to Berry in Kangaroo Valley. The area is known as Little Britain because English settlers went to live there since it reminded them of England. Berry itself is just a small town with a few restaurants, great for lunch but not too exciting. Ten minutes away was Seven Mile Beach.

Seven Mile Beach

Seven Mile Beach is a nice secluded beach that is part of Jervis Bay Territory. Here we met Deidre, a park ranger, and aboriginal tour guide from the Dharug People. She showed us similar things as Barry, our tour guide in Jervis Bay. One plant she showed us has more vitamin C than eight oranges in each leaf alone! She bites into a leaf daily and supposedly has never had a cold. Barry is actually her mentor! Barry has been surviving with diabetes for several years without the use of insulin and has found another way to regulate his sugar levels naturally.

Kookaburras

We made bracelets out of plants that hardened into a strong material. We also played with boomerangs and the didgeridoo.

Kiama Blowhole

After Seven Mile Beach, we went to the famous Kiama Blowhole. It is famous for shooting water over a hundred feet in the air. Unfortunately, because the ocean was calm it wasn't active today and didn't do much.

View from near the Kiama Blowhole

Our final stop was the Nan Tien Buddhist Temple in Wollongong. It is one of the largest buddhist temples in the southern hemisphere and is said to have the most Buddhas in the world. I felt like I was no longer in Australia. The temple was so tranquil, and the architecture so different than any Australian architecture. The temple is nestled in a hill and overlooks other hills from the top of the temple. What a unique landscape!

Nan Tien Temple

Now back from tranquil paradise to the hustle and bustle of the city for my final week in Australia!

Keep it level!

Jono