CAIT AROUND THE WORLD

March 3, 2023 — I had a very slow morning working on the blog and other administrative stuff to do with my trip. I even did some morning yoga! That was the first time I’d managed to find a good spot for yoga since I left on my trip. It felt so good to be able to stretch out some of the kinks.

One weird thing about the hostel I stayed at was that they closed the kitchen from 10:30am to 12:00pm for cleaning, so after managing to get my yogurt and granola for breakfast, I had to wait to be able to clean my bowl and then it was time to make a peanut butter and jam sandwich for lunch.

I went back to my room early that afternoon and changed into my swimsuit and got my things together so that I could take the walk to the Bogey Hole, as I hadn’t gone the day before.

It was about forty-minutes to get to the Bogey Hole walking through town and up to the ocean. I passed Newcastle’s war memorial and beautiful fountain in Civic Park before turning on to a street that lead up what was simply named “The Hill”. And what a hill it was! The heat and the exertion caused sweat to drip down my back. I was so glad to finally make it to the top.

I saw a couple people paragliding when I finally made it up The Hill. It’s a beautiful spot for it and it was a gorgeous day: hardly a cloud in the sky, just blue sky and ocean for miles.

It’s a bit of a hike to get down to the Bogey Hole as you have to take the path along the beach to the stairs that lead you down to the Bogey Hole. It’s a really cool pool filled naturally by seawater and is super refreshing on a hot day because water is constantly pouring into it; it doesn’t get a chance to warm up. I went for a quick dip to cool off and then spent quite a while just watching the waves crash up against the rocks. The spray was incredible. I sat on the rocks beside the swimming hole and the spray went higher than me sometimes. Check out these photos!

Did you know? The Bogey Hole was constructed using convict labour for the Commander of Newcastle, Lieutenant-Colonel James Thomas Morisset, and his personal use. It is one of the oldest surviving European constructions in the area, having been carved out of the sandstone shelf at the base of the cliffs, and is on the heritage list. The bath became available for public use in 1863 and was enlarged to its current size in 1884.

Eventually, I walked along the path beside the ocean toward Newcastle Beach. As they’re doing some construction work on the path, it took some navigating to finally get down to the beach. When I did, I went for another quick dip and then laid out in the sun to work on my tan and read more of my book. It sure doesn’t take long to dry off in the sun here, and after about an hour I was ready to catch the light rail and head back toward my hostel.

When I made it back, I made dinner, which actually turned out incredible! I used my two trusty spices, garlic and herb and chicken seasoning, and they create the most excellent blend with some butter. Chicken, pepper, and zucchini with penne noodles is a go-to dinner for me, and these spices complement it beautifully. I even had some fresh garlic in here.

I ate in the common room where a bunch of people were watching Anchorman, which I’d never actually seen. Although I didn’t watch the whole movie, I had a good time sitting and following along for a while. It also inspired me to head back to the dorm and watch my own movie later that evening with some popcorn I’d picked up earlier in the week. I finally got to watch Crazy, Stupid, Love and I so enjoyed it.

By that time, it was morning in Canada and I called home to say goodnight before brushing my teeth and curling up in bed to sleep.

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