A couple of National Parks in northern NSW, Australia.

The Waterfall Way runs across the top of the Great Dividing Way from the highlands to the sea in Northern NSW

Winding past waterfalls rainforests and granite outcrops. It is a great ride.

The falls above and the two photos below is Dangar Falls, which has a beautiful swimming hole.

The Waterfall Way is nearly 190km long with waterfalls dotted along it.

Cathedral Rock NP is on the top of the range and provides lovely walking, rock climbing, and expansive views over the New England Plateau.

On the coast, the Bongil Bongil NP consists of wild Pacific Ocean shores and forest wetlands.

The sea and forest close together support spectacular bird life. Such as:

The White Bellied Sea Eagle,

Brahminy Kite, and

Pacific Reef Heron.

The wetland forest, in particular, the paperbarks are of particular beauty:

As is the ocean shore.

It’s a beautiful ride into and out of the park as well.

Ps another beautiful NP on the Waterfall Way is the New England NP. I wrote about it previously here https://piecemealadventurer.com/2023/02/12/the-sub-tropical-mountain-gondwana-land-rain-forests-on-the-great-dividing-range-of-australia-2-new-england-np/?preview=true&frame-nonce=f245e4078d&amp=1

Into Tuscany

Mid September 2024, Storm Boris was brewing on the Adriatic Sea, making the best path south to Civitavechia and the ferry to Tunisia over the mountains via Bologna into Tuscany.

And it’s beautiful hilltop towns and cities.

One of the most spectacular of the hill top cities is San Gimignano

It’s popular to visit but not as busy as nearby Florence that I visited back in 2022.

In the city, it’s all walking and full of activity.

Across a little valley from San Gimignano there’s a campground in the little village of Santa Lucia

With a terrace where you can watch a balloon rise over San Gimignano.

As it was coming to the end of the season, so finding a place to camp at Principina a Mare right near the beach.

The beach at Principina has amazing beach shelters made from driftwood.

Out of Tuscany and into Lazio, there was time for a lunchtime time stop in Tarquinia.

That night it was the ferry to Tunisia.

But before then a stop in the Australian summer.

In and around Padova

The blog above and this are an attempt to catch up on telling tales of 2024’s adventure in Italy and Tunisia.

Padova is a beautiful university city. Not far from Venice, the city captures Venician elegance without the crowds.

The central plaza contains statues of thee great philosophers and is flanked by magnificent Cathedrals. The second oldest University in Europe and sumptuous Italian food.

Chioggia, is at the southern end of the Venice Lagoon. A commercial fishing port with canals and historic building and beautiful seafood.