LOVED the part of you exploring the rock platforms - the different rocks, critters, and all that swirling water. Can spend ages exploring rock pools; particularly in Bermagui where I’m currently at. Many thanks again for the work you do preparing these videos for us to watch 😊
Great video. You were about 1 minute from my place when you were at the art gallery at Awaba House. People camp down there all the time & I’ve done it myself too just for the fun of it. It’s a nice spot on a full moon too. York Drive has become my favourite place in Newy. I like that they lock the gates at night so you don’t usually get hoons driving through there at night & it feels safer. I love going there to watch the whales too. I need a camera like yours, it captures the whales so good! I loved seeing all the little fish in the rock pools too. Those bizarre rocks were very interesting. I’d love to know what they were. I didn’t realise there was so much coal down there either, I haven’t been down there in a very long time. It was great to see it again!
Beautiful Merrewether and wonderful to see the whales, plus a passing hallo to a brush turkey. My godmother (when people had these) lived in Newcastle and I often travelled up from Sydney, where I lived at one time, to visit her, sometimes with my mother. Lived seeing you travel the terrific rail (bike?) trails. Thank you.
My husband and I found your channel and are really enjoying it , we are from the central coast Stay safe and keep making videos You must have some amazing photos 😊
That's excellent. Thank you very much ☺️ Actually, I have very few photos now as I focus more on video. It's the main reason I do 2 long videos per week, so I have all the memories I want recorded. 😁
Hay mate I’ve been following you on your journey wow can’t believe you are in my neck of woods I live in teralba opposite spears point park to see my area on your channel brought a smile to my face and at Glendale shopping center that’s my local supermarkets if ever I see you on your travels around here I’ll be sure to say hello keep it up 😀👍
Wow! Thanks, Jason. What can I say?! The whales were gorgeous. They really brought a smile to my face. Fantastic! Loved the underwater shots with the fish. I absolutely loved this video. Thanks, again. 🦘🦘🦘🦘🦘✌
Another fantastic video, Jason! Newcastle really has so much to offer. Thanks for capturing it. You've definitely inspired me to explore that rail trail (especially that tunnel) next time we're up that way! 👍
Thanks for another great drop, Jason. Some beautiful scenery and wildlife you captured. I was intrigued with your "bizarre rock" find at the beach 26:45, so I did a little research and turned up... nothing. Zip. Zilch. Nada. My best guess then is fossilised coral in limestone or sedimentary rock. Odd though that the rocks around that one show nothing similar (that you showed). A good capture to have on film. Safe travels mate.
Thanks Denis. Yeah, it was a totally bizarre rock and not another like it anywhere. Very much like crystal growth but it had more of a rusted metal texture to it. If it wasn't so encased in the rest of the rock, I would have said it was a rusty old steel grating....but not quite regular enough and certainly more rock like that real rust....very interesting.
Great video Jason. That zoom ratio on your new camera is super useful. You're sure covering some ground in your travels and exploring so many different areas. Fantastic! Cheers and thanks, Sean.
Great video, thankyou. I was lucky enough to spend a school excursion at Merewether beach exploring the rock formations and those rock pools I remember would have me memorised with the creatures, fish and shells and seaweeds. Great spot for exploring.
Didn’t know about the rail trail in Newcastle! Gosh you learn something new all the time! I’ve just been down to Tumburumba, and the surrounds, and there’s a nice rail trail there! Came back via Bendalong Point, Shell Harbour, and Newcastle amongst some of the places. Have been enjoying a fair bit of whale watching myself but your videos of them are great! Enjoy your time there. I’m off overseas for a while but will continue watching. Thanks for the video.
Thanks Tony. Sounds like you had an awesome trip. I loved coming up the south coast, really beautiful spots. Hope you have a good trip overseas. Where you heading?( Only if you don't mind sharing that with the world 😂)
Thanks J. I’m going for a month of van life in Japan. I want to do a much longer trip, into the months later in but this is a first taste. I’ve been there multiple times in the past, but only for skiing/snowboarding. I’ve been properly learning the language as well for 8 months now so it’s going to really test me 😀
@Tony-f5q Ah yeah, I think you mentioned that once before. That'll be awesome! I've learnt a fair bit of Chinese and would love to have a van over there. I think Japan will be a little more set up for vans than China. You'll have an amazing time!😁
Thanks J! I will very much look forward to watching you pioneer van life in China! 😀 Yes Japan is a little more set up but it’s not a big leap and still far from great. At least they drive on the same side as we do!
What a great geology lesson Jason. Nice part of the country. I was surprised that the coal seams were laid in layers separated by several meters in height. To my limited knowledge of such things, the coal seams were created millions of years apart.
Yeah, I don't know much about it. I've seen 2 seams before further south. Maybe the third seam was still under ground. It's fascinating how the seam is so pure....whatever happened to form the coal happened all at once....3 times 😂
@@MakingStuffGoingPlaces We'll become real geologists yet :). Brilliant suggestion that all seams were created at once but were stacked by some other (folding?) geological process later on? Much more likely than each layer being created at different points in time.
Really don't know. I did see a video on UA-cam where someone suggested that the majority of the coal on earth was all created in a single event. Makes sense when you see how pure the seems are....and to get that level of purity in 3 seperate events seems unlikely..... don't know. Very interesting though.
We've just done a family car trip up to Nambucca Heads and visiting many beaches down the bottom of Mid North Coast (aim to find a location to retire). Can't believe how many whales we saw, just amazing. Have fun in Newcastle and avoid the highway between Hexam and Raymond Terrace...what a bottleneck!
I loved the whales! I love Newy, although the parking can be a bit of a nightmare & costly.. i would like to spend at least a week there sometime instead of being on my to somewhere else. Thank you again! 😊
There's stacks to do and see. But yes, very busy in summer. There's quite a bit of free parking if you get in early enough and almost everywhere out of the CBD is free.
Thanks Michael. Love the shots I get out of it.... although I forgot to colour correct the shots this time....it usually comes out pretty flat and not quite how things really looked.
Wow the whales were amazing. Your bike ride was a bit more gentle, usually I can get motion sick on all those bends and jumps you do and have to close my eyes lol. Never been to Newcastle so thanks for showing us around 👍
Wow the whales were putting on a show. I've lived in Newy all my life and never seen them like that. Checkout the mountain bike trails in Glenrock Conservation Area, access via Gun Club Rd off Pacific Hwy Adamstown Hts. Plus good bush walking on Yuelarbah Track off Burwood Rd Kahibah. You may have been there before as you've driven around the outskirts of the area several times.
Yeah, something was going on with those whales!😁 Thanks for the tip. Been hanging around that area for the last few days waiting for the ground to dry out a bit. There's a lot to explore in there!
Are you able to explain you travel goals, what you are hoping to achieve when you travel. I have watched your channel for some time and as yet I have not been able to grasp what you are trying to tell the viewer. This episode takes in the area where I grew up so many of the locationscI am familiar with. Bruce
Hi Bruce. I don't have any travel goals. My life is all about doing the things I love to do and living simply. Spent all my working career making plans and now it's nice not to bother. Overall my goal is just to have fun everyday 😁
A question for you, aside from the video time how do you mentally survive the lone travels? Do you find yourself ruminating on the past or does the van life contain enough variety to keep you in the moment.
Hi Jeff. I'm not really a social person, so being by myself doesn't bother me. Yes, I thought I would feel a bit of a gap when my wife left, but in reality, it has opened up a lot more opportunities for me to do the things I couldn't do when I was having to consider her all the time. For this sort of life I'm leading now, we weren't a good match and with all I do now, plus the new thing I have coming up, I'm not willing to put the effort in to a new relationship. I'm also very good at letting the past go. When you can see clear skies ahead of you, there's no point going over past issues and mistakes. This wasn't the case when I was married as I was always tip toeing around, worrying when the next argument would flare up....life is good now 😁
@@MakingStuffGoingPlaces that's great. I'm about to retire and pick up a van in a few weeks for "part time" van life and I guess I'll wait and see how I cope. Thanks.
@jeffn1384 that'll be awesome, Jeff! I started off a similar way back in 2018. Used my van for weekends and holidays while I still had a house and job. But loved it so much, there was no looking back 😁
Very happy with mine! It's old though...2016 Specialized Stumpjumper 29er. 135mm rear travel and upgraded to 170mm forks. 1x11speed drivetrain, which is old tech now. Everything new has 12 speed which would be better. All depends on your riding style and experience though. See if you can talk to some bike shops about renting one for a weekend to get a feel for it before you buy. I've always found Specialized bike feel so natural to me. My last was a Scott Genius, only 26 inch though, but always felt awkward.
@@MakingStuffGoingPlacesgreat info, thanks mate. You seem to have heaps of fun on your bike so it’s all I would need too. It’s easy to go overboard with bikes these days and pay for extras you don’t really need being a hobbyist vs a professional. Cheers, keep up the great content. 👊🏼
LOVED the part of you exploring the rock platforms - the different rocks, critters, and all that swirling water.
Can spend ages exploring rock pools; particularly in Bermagui where I’m currently at.
Many thanks again for the work you do preparing these videos for us to watch 😊
Always a pleasure!☺️
Bermagui's nice! All the red rocks around the headland. Very different. Hope the coming storms don't hit you too hard.
Great video. You were about 1 minute from my place when you were at the art gallery at Awaba House. People camp down there all the time & I’ve done it myself too just for the fun of it. It’s a nice spot on a full moon too. York Drive has become my favourite place in Newy. I like that they lock the gates at night so you don’t usually get hoons driving through there at night & it feels safer. I love going there to watch the whales too. I need a camera like yours, it captures the whales so good! I loved seeing all the little fish in the rock pools too. Those bizarre rocks were very interesting. I’d love to know what they were. I didn’t realise there was so much coal down there either, I haven’t been down there in a very long time. It was great to see it again!
Beautiful Merrewether and wonderful to see the whales, plus a passing hallo to a brush turkey. My godmother (when people had these) lived in Newcastle and I often travelled up from Sydney, where I lived at one time, to visit her, sometimes with my mother. Lived seeing you travel the terrific rail (bike?) trails. Thank you.
Glad you enjoyed it! It's always nice to hear the memories that come up from these videos.☺️
Thanks for watching 😁
My husband and I found your channel and are really enjoying it , we are from the central coast
Stay safe and keep making videos
You must have some amazing photos 😊
That's excellent. Thank you very much ☺️
Actually, I have very few photos now as I focus more on video. It's the main reason I do 2 long videos per week, so I have all the memories I want recorded. 😁
Thank you for showcasing our beautiful city Newcastle . Love watching your videos kept up the good work.. Chrissy…
Thanks Chrissy. It's a great area to be in. Always love it here. 😁
Hay mate I’ve been following you on your journey wow can’t believe you are in my neck of woods I live in teralba opposite spears point park to see my area on your channel brought a smile to my face and at Glendale shopping center that’s my local supermarkets if ever I see you on your travels around here I’ll be sure to say hello keep it up 😀👍
Thanks mate!
I love it around here. I was planning to move here back when I was working. Definitely say hello if you see me.
Wow! Thanks, Jason. What can I say?! The whales were gorgeous. They really brought a smile to my face. Fantastic! Loved the underwater shots with the fish. I absolutely loved this video. Thanks, again. 🦘🦘🦘🦘🦘✌
That's great, thanks Robyn 😊
The whales were having a great time in that day! Best I've seen.
Could sit all day and watch the whales really great shots
That was by far the busiest whale day I've ever seen! 2 or 3 hrs of them going past and so many breaches!😊
Another fantastic video, Jason! Newcastle really has so much to offer. Thanks for capturing it. You've definitely inspired me to explore that rail trail (especially that tunnel) next time we're up that way! 👍
Thanks Julia. It's about 15km long but there's parking and entry points all along if you're not biking it.
Loved this video Jason. Watched whilst eating my breakfast here in NZ.
Cheers Helen
Thanks Helen 😊
Now NZ is somewhere I'd love to van around....😁👍
Yay, it is great seeing your take on where l live. Love watching your videos mate, thanks for sharing.
Thanks Mate 😁
Pretty damn good place to live!
Very enjoyable and most informative.
Thank you
Thanks Leith 😊
Thanks for another great drop, Jason. Some beautiful scenery and wildlife you captured. I was intrigued with your "bizarre rock" find at the beach 26:45, so I did a little research and turned up... nothing. Zip. Zilch. Nada. My best guess then is fossilised coral in limestone or sedimentary rock. Odd though that the rocks around that one show nothing similar (that you showed). A good capture to have on film. Safe travels mate.
Thanks Denis.
Yeah, it was a totally bizarre rock and not another like it anywhere. Very much like crystal growth but it had more of a rusted metal texture to it. If it wasn't so encased in the rest of the rock, I would have said it was a rusty old steel grating....but not quite regular enough and certainly more rock like that real rust....very interesting.
Great video Jason. That zoom ratio on your new camera is super useful. You're sure covering some ground in your travels and exploring so many different areas. Fantastic! Cheers and thanks, Sean.
Thanks Sean. So happy I bought that camera! 😁
Good to see you back in our beautiful area. Sorry about the weather
At least it's not raining solid for multiple days! Still manage to get out and see things 😁
Great shots of the whales. Havent seen any for 12 days up here in Qld so I guessed they were heading home.
Thanks Wendy. Funny though, every one I've seen in the last few days has been heading north....don't know what's going on there...🤔
Great video yet again. Great to see the whale season again.
Surprised me, I thought the whale session was over by now....still heaps around.
Lovely episode. Nice work.
Thanks Geoff 😊
Great video, thankyou. I was lucky enough to spend a school excursion at Merewether beach exploring the rock formations and those rock pools I remember would have me memorised with the creatures, fish and shells and seaweeds. Great spot for exploring.
Nice! Certainly a massive rock shelf. Most the other big ones I've seen have hardly anything in the rock pools. That was a great spot.
Great video, awesome footage of the wales 😊.
It seems a really nice area.
Very intrigued about what’s coming up next😊
Thanks for sharing
Thanks Jeanie. That was the best whale day I've had.
Next week will be interesting 😁
Didn’t know about the rail trail in Newcastle! Gosh you learn something new all the time! I’ve just been down to Tumburumba, and the surrounds, and there’s a nice rail trail there! Came back via Bendalong Point, Shell Harbour, and Newcastle amongst some of the places. Have been enjoying a fair bit of whale watching myself but your videos of them are great! Enjoy your time there. I’m off overseas for a while but will continue watching.
Thanks for the video.
Thanks Tony. Sounds like you had an awesome trip. I loved coming up the south coast, really beautiful spots.
Hope you have a good trip overseas. Where you heading?( Only if you don't mind sharing that with the world 😂)
Thanks J. I’m going for a month of van life in Japan. I want to do a much longer trip, into the months later in but this is a first taste. I’ve been there multiple times in the past, but only for skiing/snowboarding. I’ve been properly learning the language as well for 8 months now so it’s going to really test me 😀
@Tony-f5q Ah yeah, I think you mentioned that once before. That'll be awesome! I've learnt a fair bit of Chinese and would love to have a van over there. I think Japan will be a little more set up for vans than China. You'll have an amazing time!😁
Thanks J! I will very much look forward to watching you pioneer van life in China! 😀 Yes Japan is a little more set up but it’s not a big leap and still far from great. At least they drive on the same side as we do!
What a sensational afternoon of whale watching you had! Thank you for sharing!
👍 it was amazing!😁
What a great geology lesson Jason. Nice part of the country. I was surprised that the coal seams were laid in layers separated by several meters in height. To my limited knowledge of such things, the coal seams were created millions of years apart.
Yeah, I don't know much about it. I've seen 2 seams before further south. Maybe the third seam was still under ground. It's fascinating how the seam is so pure....whatever happened to form the coal happened all at once....3 times 😂
@@MakingStuffGoingPlaces We'll become real geologists yet :). Brilliant suggestion that all seams were created at once but were stacked by some other (folding?) geological process later on? Much more likely than each layer being created at different points in time.
Really don't know. I did see a video on UA-cam where someone suggested that the majority of the coal on earth was all created in a single event. Makes sense when you see how pure the seems are....and to get that level of purity in 3 seperate events seems unlikely..... don't know. Very interesting though.
We've just done a family car trip up to Nambucca Heads and visiting many beaches down the bottom of Mid North Coast (aim to find a location to retire). Can't believe how many whales we saw, just amazing. Have fun in Newcastle and avoid the highway between Hexam and Raymond Terrace...what a bottleneck!
Sounds good, Daisy!
The hard part about finding somewhere to retire up there will be picking one place. So many beautiful places!😁
Another cool Vid!
Thanks mate! 😁
I loved the whales!
I love Newy, although the parking can be a bit of a nightmare & costly.. i would like to spend at least a week there sometime instead of being on my to somewhere else.
Thank you again! 😊
There's stacks to do and see. But yes, very busy in summer. There's quite a bit of free parking if you get in early enough and almost everywhere out of the CBD is free.
Your Zoom camera gives some great views Jason.
Thanks Michael. Love the shots I get out of it.... although I forgot to colour correct the shots this time....it usually comes out pretty flat and not quite how things really looked.
thumbs up Ian 😀
Thanks Andrew 😊
Great stuff Jason. Doing something that I have been wanting to do for awhile now. ( ex-Proving Ground employee)
Thanks! Yeah, really enjoying this lifestyle. Even better than going to the PG everyday 😜
Wow the whales were amazing. Your bike ride was a bit more gentle, usually I can get motion sick on all those bends and jumps you do and have to close my eyes lol. Never been to Newcastle so thanks for showing us around 👍
😂 thanks Jenni.
Yeah a few more tame rides this week 😁
If you're in the Watagans keep an eye out for Yowies. It's a well known place for them.
Been lucky so far....plenty of hairy men in 4x4's but not sure they count as Yowies 😂
Lucky you turned around on the rail trail ride as it is now 27km from one end to the other. I'm am yet to explore the new addition.
Yeah, I rode from Whitebridge through to Blacksmiths yesterday. Thought I was going for a short ride but ended up 31km round trip 😂
Thanks
Your the first person I've sent money too .......I know it's not much but I like your videos ......keep up the good work
@simonread7457 thankyou so much, Simon! That's really appreciated ☺️👍
Newy has some lovely beaches. Dungog common hs 30km of MTB trails and a couple of downhill tracks. Plenty of free camping too
Dungog is definitely on my list of places to go. 😁
Wow the whales were putting on a show. I've lived in Newy all my life and never seen them like that. Checkout the mountain bike trails in Glenrock Conservation Area, access via Gun Club Rd off Pacific Hwy Adamstown Hts. Plus good bush walking on Yuelarbah Track off Burwood Rd Kahibah. You may have been there before as you've driven around the outskirts of the area several times.
Yeah, something was going on with those whales!😁
Thanks for the tip. Been hanging around that area for the last few days waiting for the ground to dry out a bit. There's a lot to explore in there!
Great lifestyle. Just wondering if you own a home as well or is the van your only home? Cheers
Thanks mate. Yes, I have a house back in Victoria that's rented out. Not sure if I'll ever live there again though...😁
Whales 🐋 coastline rock pools what more could you ask for,thanks
I found seals today 😁
Are you able to explain you travel goals, what you are hoping to achieve when you travel. I have watched your channel for some time and as yet I have not been able to grasp what you are trying to tell the viewer. This episode takes in the area where I grew up so many of the locationscI am familiar with. Bruce
Hi Bruce. I don't have any travel goals. My life is all about doing the things I love to do and living simply. Spent all my working career making plans and now it's nice not to bother. Overall my goal is just to have fun everyday 😁
People just keep going without thinking about their goals. A good question Bruce 👍 It makes me think about my life goals. Thanks mate.
It was nice seeing the whales I didn’t get to Kiama like I said to see them😥
I'm still seeing whales everyday, though not as playful as that day. Give them a week and they'll be down south 😁
@@MakingStuffGoingPlaces I’m not in Kiama or near the Sydney Beaches but was good seeing them in video🙂
Wow ! Those whales.
They were so active. Best I've seen.
To tell you the truth months back when I found your channel, I though it maybe boring, but anything but.
Thanks Jimmy 😂
I often worry that 2 videos per week is repetitive and boring, but as long as I'm getting a few thousand views each, I'll keep going 😁
A question for you, aside from the video time how do you mentally survive the lone travels? Do you find yourself ruminating on the past or does the van life contain enough variety to keep you in the moment.
Hi Jeff. I'm not really a social person, so being by myself doesn't bother me. Yes, I thought I would feel a bit of a gap when my wife left, but in reality, it has opened up a lot more opportunities for me to do the things I couldn't do when I was having to consider her all the time. For this sort of life I'm leading now, we weren't a good match and with all I do now, plus the new thing I have coming up, I'm not willing to put the effort in to a new relationship.
I'm also very good at letting the past go. When you can see clear skies ahead of you, there's no point going over past issues and mistakes. This wasn't the case when I was married as I was always tip toeing around, worrying when the next argument would flare up....life is good now 😁
@@MakingStuffGoingPlaces that's great. I'm about to retire and pick up a van in a few weeks for "part time" van life and I guess I'll wait and see how I cope. Thanks.
@jeffn1384 that'll be awesome, Jeff! I started off a similar way back in 2018. Used my van for weekends and holidays while I still had a house and job. But loved it so much, there was no looking back 😁
Locked in 😂😂😂
Excellent. Thanks Louise 😀
Hey Jase, what style mountain bike do you have? Gears? Suspension? I’m in the hunt for one. You happy with yours?
Very happy with mine!
It's old though...2016 Specialized Stumpjumper 29er. 135mm rear travel and upgraded to 170mm forks. 1x11speed drivetrain, which is old tech now. Everything new has 12 speed which would be better.
All depends on your riding style and experience though. See if you can talk to some bike shops about renting one for a weekend to get a feel for it before you buy. I've always found Specialized bike feel so natural to me. My last was a Scott Genius, only 26 inch though, but always felt awkward.
@@MakingStuffGoingPlacesgreat info, thanks mate. You seem to have heaps of fun on your bike so it’s all I would need too. It’s easy to go overboard with bikes these days and pay for extras you don’t really need being a hobbyist vs a professional. Cheers, keep up the great content. 👊🏼
Thanks Adam 😁
Is your bike an ebike?
No, that's all me 😂
Hence why I rarely show the up hills as they're so slow😂
@@MakingStuffGoingPlaces 😆Great to hear! Good work. We don't use ebikes either. We prefer the extra workout.