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Wiseman's Ferry - 75km west of Gosford

We've been driving for over an hour, I guess, around winding roads (Wiseman's Ferry Road). Beautiful scenery. Stopped to take a photo of Sonal and Ryan at a lookout point where you could see their apt across the water in the background.

We drove alongside Mangrove Creek for a while, which turned into Hawkesbury River. We were surrounded along the way by several National Parks (as one often is when they're driving in the country) : Dharug (where we drove in and saw only a camping and picnic area in the middle of uninteresting bushland), Marramarra and Popran National Park.

It's such a beautiful day. I wish I had something other than jeans to wear, but I'm not uncomfortable. Of course, I have just been sitting in the car all day.

Got out at Wiseman's, the town. Sonal and I checked out the local artists' gallery, which was lovely, and popped into the local convenience store for ice cream. Now we're on our way to Dural to play mini putt.

Sonal and Ryan go out driving on the weekends. They didn't even know what was here; just decided to go.

"It's supposed to be nice over there," Sonal said, by way of explanation. Well, it certainly is.

Not sure if I'll get used to driving on the left side of the road, though.

Wiseman's Ferry is the oldest existing ferry service in Australia. Established in 1826 by Solomon Wiseman, a convict who'd stolen timber and come to Oz with his family. They say his first wife haunts his old house.

We didn't know at the time, but in the national Park we stopped in (Dharug), there's a trail to see part of the old Great North Road, built by the chain gangs, with great stone wall supposts and culverts (with no mortar, I might add, just exquistely finely matched stone), which connexts Sydney to the Hunter Valley.

* * *

6:30pm

Ha. Ryan says to write in my journal that I sent my first SMS text message and made my first call on my mobile.

I'm so cool.