Glad that we had made it safely around Sydney, we left the friendly Poplar Tourist Park in the Camden area on a frigid morning. It was the first of November and unseasonably cold for the end of spring. It had been the first time that we pulled out jackets and long underwear. We also had decided to finally give up on our original itinerary which would have meant crossing into the flooded areas in the Albury/Wondonga region and beyond in Victoria. Flooding had been the underlying worry since we left Brisbane. Even our stopover southwest of Sydney was overshadowed by it. Poplar Tourist Park had only recently been opened after enduring extensive flood damage in March 2022. Half of the park was still under construction or roped off.
Ulladulla on the glorious South-East coast down the Princes Highway was to be our next destination and as usual we relied on Google. We had to cut across the Hume Highway to Wollongong. Led by Google’s friendly but firm female voice, we found ourselves on the shortest route… and suddenly (“Turn right onto Douglas Park Drive.”) down a narrow one-lane road toward the bridge crossing the Nepean river below the Hume Highway. (Here is the location.) Serpentines, overhanging rocks, no more bitumen, a steep drop on the left down to the river, and oncoming traffic! WHERE THE HELL WERE WE?!
Going back with a caravan in tow was impossible. But what lay ahead? Mike stopped a tradie in a ute and asked for advice. A quick glance at our rig, then he nodded. “You going Wollongong? Should be fine.” Then he stepped on the gas and was gone. With baited breath we went further down the gorge, more oncoming traffic, crossed the Nepean River on a muddy-looking one-lane bridge deep below the towering pillars propping up Hume Highway. Then the road continued again in serpentines upwards. I caught the shocked expression of a driver in a 4WD coming toward us. And then it was over. A boring straight road through non-descript fields. Our blood still pumping with adrenalin.
Liz Mike Travels 