A Sunday Stroll

Ever woken up on a lazy Sunday morning, looked out the window & thought 'geez it's not raining, I think I'd like to do something different today!'

Well, if you live in Newcastle you are presented with numerous options, you can;

* walk along the harbour foreshore,

* power walk along pristine beaches,

* take in a coffee at the Bar Beach kiosk

* drive out to the wineries

* do some whale watching at historic Fort Scratchley

* do lunch at Nelson Bay

Oh the list is endless.

So what did I do? Well located about 6klms from Newcastle CBD is Blackbutt Reserve. The reserve is a wonderful area of around 180 hectares of lush regenerating rainforest, filled with all manner of wildlife & plants. If you want you can even do the tourist thing & pat a koala.

Blackbutt Reserve took the brunt of the the 2007 'Pasha' storm & as you walk through the area you can still see where former mature tress had there trunks snapped off 1 - 5mtrs off the ground, indicating the force of the wind that run aground the 76000 tonne bulk carrier Pasha Bulker onto Nobbys Beach.

So if you want to spend a relaxing day away from the hustle & bustle of city life, pack a lunch, pack your camera & head out too Blackbutt Reserve, where you can virtually walk back into

Newcastles past.