Shoal Bay and Tomaree Head
Categories: depression, work, newcastle-and-surrounds
Date: 30 June 2012 09:21:45
My mood seemed to match the weather this week. A very foggy Friday went well with my very foggy mind, particularly at work. I felt so down that I spoke to my manager about resigning. Looking back, it was an overreaction, but the delayed effects of a move, a fear of my inabilities and a few very silly mistakes conspired to make me feel, well, like crap honestly. We had a good talk, and while I need to apply myself in certain areas, I am feeling more confident that it is the place for me for work. And thanks be to God for (another) wonderful caring manager.
Today, bright and sunny, I bypassed the main tourist centre of Nelson Bay and headed out to Shoal Bay (larger map showing area from Raymond Terrace to Shoal Bay: ~45 mins drive) to do a walk up Tomaree Head which gave great views according to two colleagues. They did not lie. Amazing.
It was a steep walk at times, and wearing leather work shoes was probably not the best idea (I do not do casual well generally), but the views were amazing. I will head back and look at a walk to Fingal Island and the Point Stephens lighthouse walk: apart from boat you have to cross in low tide as the connection to Fingal Island from the mainland was washed away in a storm over 100 years ago. So much to do, and so little time -- as my life on Saturday is rule by getting home before sunset to take the clothes off the line.
Tomaree Head is also home to the remains of WWII Gun Encampments, set up to attack enemy ships. Those overseas may not know, but in late May and early June 1942 submarines belonging to the Imperial Japanese Navy made a series of attacks on the cities of Sydney and Newcastle. On the night of 31 May, three midget submarines entered Sydney Harbour to sink Allied warships. 21 sailors on the HMAS Kuttabal were killed before the submarines were detected and attacked. In the month after this attack, the five Japanese fleet submarines that carried the midget submarines attacked at least seven merchant vessels, sinking three ships and killing 50 sailors, and two of the submarines bombarded the ports of Sydney and Newcastle from midnight of June 8.
Before I reached Shoal Bay, I headed out to Soldiers Point, originally the site of a garrison of soldiers that was established in 1820 to hunt down escaped convicts, and had a nice lunch [bacon, avocado and cheese melt], coffee, and a citrus tart and chocolate milkshake for dessert [fortification and energy for the walk I did afterwards I told myself! :) ] at a café [Sails] run by a family attending the same church as my sister's family. I had met them when they came to my sister's place for dinner and it was great to catch up with them again. The daughter and mum run the café and the father runs the general store/internet café. Soldiers Point is just that, a point, and it was beautiful to see the water on either side as I drove and walk, and to see some very large pelicans in flight as families headed out for a day on their boats.
I really do have a great variety of nature (among much else) practically on my doorstep: and I am loving exploring it all.