It's so easy to become spellbound by nature in Oz, and you don't have to head into the Outback to get a warm, nature-at-its-raw-best, feeling.

This morning I'm being chauffeured through one of the national parks in the southern reaches of Sydney. Gum trees and lots of Wattle (the bright-yellow national flower of Oz) are whizzing by;  and before long we're heading along the Pacific Highway which skirts around the park. The PH reminds me a little of Melbourne's Great Ocean Road. The GOR takes some beating though. It's not just an ok road; it's an awesome one. Which probably accounts for its name - at the risk of stating the obvious here.

I hope there aren't any bush-fires this summer. The fires do have a 'good' side it seems, nature-wise, allowing the trees to grow back bigger and better than ever, says one of the park wardens. Fair enough.