Wallis Lake Bridge

As we edge our way towards the nation's capital we've been exploring parts of the Great Lakes (north of Newcastle) and Tuggerah Lakes (north of Sydney). These are the lands of the Worimi and Guringai people respectively.

The closer we get to Sydney, the more populated and commercialised this part of the coast becomes, and it's beginning to feel as if we're now camped in Sydney's outer suburbs.

But a few days ago we visited the twin towns of Forster-Tuncurry, in the Great Lakes. Although the towns are primarily holiday destinations, they still have a more relaxed feel about them than destinations further down the coast. The towns are separated by Wallis Lake, which has the most beautiful blue and turquoise water, the likes of which we haven't seen since leaving the Whitsundays.

Up until 1959, the only way to get from one town to the other was by ferry. The first ferry service started around 1890 when John Kennewell used a row boat to take passengers across the lake.

The idea took off and soon ferrymen were popping up all over the place, eager to take paying passengers across the lake. Some even provided oars for their passengers, encouraging them to row to get to the other side more quickly. I think I'd refuse to pay that particular ferryman; or at least ask for a senior's discount.

By 1905 the government realised there was money to be made and regulated the ferry crossings, commissioning a selection of ferrymen to provide regular paid services across the lake. This continued up until 1958 when John Holland Constructions was contracted to build a bridge to connect the two towns by road. The Wallis Lake Bridge was constructed over 18 months, finally opening on 18 July 1959 and putting paid to the ferrymen. As bridges go, it's one of the most aesthetically pleasing we've seen, undulating across the lake and blending in with its environment rather than dominating it.

We strolled along lovely walking paths on both sides of the lake, and although the Labs were keen to find someone to row us across, we took the car. They're not very good with oars, so it's just as well.