Day One – Monday 4^th September 2017

It is 9am and we have the caravan tethered to the car and everything is ready for our trip into Northern New South Wales.  Our planned route will take us on the Gateway Motorway, across the Gateway Bridge and past the Gold Coast into New South Wales.

We stopped at a roadside parking bay for some lunch about 12:30. Naturally being just off the highway it was noisy so we didn’t stay too long before resuming our trip south.  Destination today was Grafton and we arrived at the Glenwood Caravan Park soon after 2:30.

The park was at South Grafton, so after unhitching the car and doing the basic setup for a one night stay we drove into Grafton to refuel and check out the town.  The bridge into Grafton is a real eye opener and something that I wouldn’t want to tackle with a caravan in tow.  It has a sharp turn at both ends of the bridge.

This is not our photo but does show the difficulty large trucks have in getting on and off the bridge.

After refueling and driving through some of the streets of Grafton we returned to our caravan for a lovely roast meal.  We may be starting a tradition here as the first evening meal on each of our caravan trips so far has been a roast!!

Day Two – Tuesday 5^th September 2017

Early start today as we were keen to get on the road and reach our first “real” destination.  We were packed and on the road soon after 8am and drove the remaining 240 kilometres to Port Macquarie.  Today, as with yesterday afternoon, we came across several sections of road works along the highway, with various speed limit restrictions ranging from 80 to 60 and some places even 40 kph for short distances.

Arriving at our destination around midday we checked into the caravan park and found out that there was no-one on the site behind our allocated site so were able to drive straight  through onto our site – when am I ever going to be able to practice reverse parking the caravan!!  I’ll take as many drive through sites as possible at this stage.

After unhitching and securing the van onto the site we had some lunch then finalised the rest of the van set-up including the annex and ground cover under the annex.

Time to explore the nearby area so we got our sun hats, sunglasses and headed to the nearby break wall and adjoining beach.  As we walked along we recognised a couple sitting on a seat looking over the beach.  They had been with us on the East Coast section of our Canadian holiday which was in progress twelve months ago.  They Gus and Gwenda) had recently bought a van and were staying in another park further down the coast; however her brother and his wife (Janelle and Barry), who were also on the same trip were caravanning in the same park as we were. After talking and reminiscing with them for a few minutes we continued our walk to the end of the beach and returned to the park.  Not satisfied with that walk we decided to go in the opposite direction and explore part of the city.  We met Janelle and Barry and talked for a few minutes before moving on to explore some of the town and shops along the streets near the park before returning to our camp site – a pleasant end to a lovely day.

Day Three – Wednesday 6^th September 2017

Today we headed south from our Port Macquarie base.  No caravan to attach today as we headed out for a day of exploration.

First stop journey was down the coastal road to Laurieton. Along the way we stopped at Shelly Beach and Tracking Point Lighthouse.

Then on to some of the coastal townships such as Lake Cathie, Bonny Hills and North Haven.  North Haven had a caravan park right on the beach front and we saw our Canadian trip friends, Gus and Gwenda walking along the road.  We didn’t have the opportunity to stop and talk again and they didn’t recognise us in the car.  They told us yesterday that they were staying at North Haven which is much quieter than Port Macquarie.

From here the road headed inland towards Kew and Kendall. Both were small towns that we drove through the main street without stopping to get out.  The map then had a circular road that took us towards Moorland, Coopernook then Harrington and Cloudy Bay lighthouse and lookout.  We started out but the bitumen ended and we followed on the dirt road.  While we didn’t doubt the four wheel capability of our car we didn’t want today to be our first venture into 4WD territory without any backup support, so when the road became narrower we took the opportunity to turn back and return to Kew and join the Pacific Highway!!

From here we continued south to the twin towns of Tuncurry and Forster.  Two more lovely towns separated by a river, but joined by a bridge.  Parking at Tuncurry we walked over the dunes to see the nine mile beach. Returning to the carpark we spotted a kiosk and on inspection found that it sold the most delicious ice-creams – Connoisseur Belgium Chocolate and Roasted Hazelnuts – yum!!

Crossing the bridge we arrived in Forster and from the headland were able to look back across the river to Tuncurry and see more coastal views.

From here we retraced our steps to the Pacific Highway but took the turnoff to Taree.  Taree is again protected by a narrow iron bridge but much easier access for large trucks than the Grafton Bridge.  After driving through the main streets of Taree we stopped near the Manning River for some photos before heading North from Taree crossing a more conventional bridge and re-entering the Pacific Highway for the return trip to Port Macquarie.

Day Four – Thursday 7^th September 2017

Today we planned more exploration from our Port Macquarie base, however not so much driving today.

Our destination was west of Port Macquarie to a town of Wauchope, pronounced as “war-pole” so we found out during the day.

First stop at Wauchope was an antique shop that we’d seen advertised called Aussies Outback Wares and Cafe.  Lots of “old stuff” but we think the cafe did more trade than the “antique wares”.  Neither shop forced us to part with our hard-earned money today.

Just a few kilometres up the road is Timbertown a heritage theme park built to resemble the early Australian towns that sprung up around the timber and farming industries.  The highlight at Timbertown is a ride in a fully reconditioned steam train which takes passengers on a circuit loop around the perimeter of the complex. We visited Timbertown several years ago with some much younger daughters than we have today.  Not a lot has changed although we were told that the park has been bought from the local council and there are plans to refurbish and re-energize the park.  A caravan park which is now operational is the first step in getting more patronage.  We enjoyed our time there and made use of all the attractions including the main steam train, a miniature steam train ride, Horse and cart journey through the township and a bullock team demonstration.  For this demonstration we were the only spectators so received the royal treatment by the bullock team driver who sat with us in the country style grandstand for the first part of the lecture/demonstration.  Being the only customers for his afternoon demonstration also meant that we were able to get alongside one of the more docile bullocks for a photo opportunity.  They are amazing animals, trained by their leader to work on voice commands only – the whip is only used to get their attention.

Although not a lot of driving today we were still away from our base camp for the most of the day.

On the recommendation of the Timbertown Bullock Driver we dined tonight at the Port Bowls club Eastern Tiger Restaurant.  This is an all-you-can-eat buffet with a wonderful variety of food suitable for all ages. Don’t forget your seniors card for a discount!!

Day Five – Friday 8^th September 2017

Another day of exploration – this time heading north from our base camp.

Our destination today was South West Rocks, however along the way we had a few heads to tick of our list…. namely Crescent Head and Hat Head.

Using the Pacific Highway we headed north towards Kempsey.  There are several areas of roadworks on this section of the highway so the speed was limited to 80 kph for most of the 50 kilometre trip.

Arriving at Crescent Head we discovered that there was a surfing carnival on today and there was some surf which the board riders were making good use of.  Crescent Head is a lovely township with a caravan park situated on the river which flows into the sea.  It would be a lovely spot for a “do nothing” holiday – although there is a golf course and a wonderful beach.  Parking near the surf carnival we watched the surfers for a while before proceeding to walk up the headland for magnificent views to the north and south.

Continuing north we followed Tourist Route 12 the next part of our journey took us through some lovely farming country and beside the Bellmore River through the townships of Gladstone and Smithtown – very picturesque.  Before reaching South West Rocks we diverted to Hat Head.  Hat Head was a very quiet town which again featured a caravan park next to the Korogoro Creek.  The coastal view from Hat Head includes a lovely long beach where four wheel drive access is allowed – again we didn’t proceed onto the beach as we didn’t have the necessary permits.

Continuing on to South West Rocks we had a walk around the town, found something to eat and visited the Anglican Op Shop where Beth found a table cloth for two dollars, which we just couldn’t leave behind!! We walked from the town onto the headland for more fantastic costal views before following the road onto the Trial Bay Goal site, Arakoon and the Smokey Cape lighthouse.  It was quite a steep climb from the carpark to the lighthouse but the views were well worth the climb. We saw some whale activity well offshore.  The lighthouse is automated now but the lighthouse keeper houses have been transformed into B&B guest houses – what an amazing place it would be to stay – although very difficult to bring a caravan!!

Returning home to base we finished our day with a seafood chowder takeaway from a restaurant on the drive into Port Macquarie.

Day Six – Saturday 9^th September 2017

This morning there were some local markets in a nearby park so after breakfast we walked along the river, across the bridge and onto the parklands where the markets were setup.  There was a variety of stalls from handmade goods; fruit and vegetables; food; clothes; shoes; plants and even a second hand stall run by the Salvation Army.  After wandering through the stalls we came away with one avocado, a small tub of creamed honey and a table cloth.  If you get a table cloth as a present in the future you know where it came from!! Beth already has a purpose in mind for it, so I don’t think you will find it under the Christmas Tree this year.

This afternoon was an opportunity to make use of our camping chairs and the spring sunshine around the caravan.  We enjoyed the passing parade that is life inside a caravan park.

Day Seven – Sunday 10^th September 2017

This morning was warm and sunny so we increased our intake of vitamin D and watched the vans coming and going – mostly going today.

This afternoon we took a stroll along the breakwall and through part of the town nearby the caravan park. On our return home we saw another van made by the same manufacturer as ours so stopped for a chat. They had stayed at Bellinger River Caravan Park (our next stop) on a previous trip and gave it a good review.

Day Eight – Monday 11^th September 2017

It is hard to realise we have been gone a week so far on this holiday. Today is our last full day at Port Macquarie. When we travelled south from Port Macquarie time didn’t allow us to call into Harrington.  We have been told that it is a beautiful place so we decided to add that to our list of achievements for this holiday.

We travelled over the same route as last Wednesday to Laurieton, stopping at Lighthouse Beach and New Haven beach.  The swell was greater than our earlier visit so there was a lot of surf and only a few brave people willing to take on the sea and surf.

From New Haven we joined the Pacific Highway and took the Harrington turnoff for a short drive of about 11 k from the highway to Harrington.  Driving through Harrington we continued the additional 8 kilometres on to Croudy Head.  Here we drove up to the lighthouse where we could see south towards Manning Point and north to Diamond Head.

After looking at the lighthouse and the views we returned to Harrington and a lunch break. Lunch today was fish and chips and we sat in the park overlooking Harrington Inlet.  It wasn’t long before we were joined by three pelicans and one bossy seagull who kept all other seagulls away.  Sharing the last of our lunch with the birds we moved to another picnic table to have our desert (another Belgium Chocolate and Hazelnut icecream).  We justified this by telling ourselves that this was only the second of these icecreams we had ever had in our lifetime!!

The pelicans could see our new eating position and came over to try again for some handout – no chance.  They must have known this as one of them gave Beth a nip on the toe as a reminder of his presence.  Beth’s foot was saved by the fact that the bit was on her sandal, however she did say later that she felt the pressure of the bite through her sandal.

After lunch we called into the Harrington Community Village shopping centre. This centre featured a beautiful church as a welcoming building and hub of the shopping centre.  The Salvation Army church gave the centre a beautiful atmosphere. We walked around the shops in the complex and it reminded us of  the Grindelwald shops north of Launceston, Tasmania.

Returning home in time to get the dry washing off the line and start the caravan pack-up (awning and ground sheet) in readiness for our move tomorrow.

This brought to an end our Port Macquarie stage of this holiday – we have enjoyed visiting this part of the country and have left a few things to be completed “next time”.

Day Nine – Tuesday 12^th September 2017

This morning we hitched up and moved north – starting the trip home.  We only got as far as the Mylestrom turnoff on the Pacific Highway and a sign pointing to Bellinger River Caravan Park.  This was to be home for the next seven nights.

We have a lovely position right on the riverbank so we can sit in our chairs watching natures passing parade on the river – but first we must park and unhitch the van.

That process went OK and before too long we were sitting under our awning having a wonderful salad lunch.

The remainder of the day was spent reading and enjoying our new home.

Day Ten – Wednesday 13^th September 2017

The weather forecast for today is HOT – 32 degrees in the Coffs Harbour area and a high fire danger.  We planned to visit the town of Bellingen and Dorrigo today so a drive up into the mountains might be the best idea to escape the heat.

First on the agenda today we continued along the road that led into the caravan park to visit the townships of Repton and Mylestrom.  Mylestrom is right on the coast and the mouth of the river so there were lovely views of the coast and river mouth.

After a short photo stop we continued towards Bellingen calling first at the old Butter Factory on the outskirts of town that had been transformed into shops and a cafe. We then drove closer into the town of Bellinger where the shops started, parked the car in a side street and walked up and down the main street.  Visited a few shops and left some of our currency with one or two privileged shop-keepers.

The road to Dorrigo was steep and windy in parts and just before the town is the turn off to the Dorrigo Rainforest Centre which includes a small skywalk at treetop level with views over the hinterland and back to the coast.  The other reason for stopping here was the cafe, recommended to us by some friends. We made this our lunch stop and a beautifully satisfying meal was served.

After lunch and a walk onto the viewing platform we continued the drive onto Dorrigo and the Dangar Falls which are just two kilometres on the other side of the town.  The viewing platform for the falls is at road level so no steep climbing to see these falls.  Of course you can venture down the path to the base of the falls if you wished, but the top view was enough for us non-intrepid bush walkers!!

Returning to Dorrigo for a walk of the town streets then retraced our steps (or tyre tracks) down the mountain and back to our home base.

The rest of the afternoon was spent in the shade behind our caravan overlooking the river. It is a tough life!!

Day Eleven – Thursday 14^th September 2017

Today was a lot cooler start and we even had a few spots of rain around 7am.  The wind had increased this morning so we retracted the awning just in case the wind picked up while we were away from camp today.

Our plans for today included a visit to Coffs Harbour and the Sealy Lookout behind Coffs which had another tree top walk.

We spent a couple of hours walking the streets and shopping centre or Coffs, including lunch.  Then we drove down to the waterfront of Coffs visiting the marina and seeing the jetty.  The weather had cleared but the wind was still gusty at times so we didn’t venture too far out of the car.

Finding our way back to the Pacific Highway we travelled a few kilometres north to the Sealy Lookout turnoff.  Naturally another steep road however when we reached the gates to the lookout we were stopped by road workers.  The lookout was closed for a few weeks while some trees were being cleared – apparently there were some signs at the turnoff, however we were concentrating on watching the road so didn’t see them.  We were able to get a chance to see the view from a roadside stop before returning to the highway and heading south to our next stop – Sawtell.

Sawtell is a coastal town with beach and river views and again we were able to stop at a lookout on a bluff that overlooked both the coast and the river for some quick photos before getting back into the car and out of the wind.

We also parked the car in the main street and did our customary walk up and down the main street.

Returning home again we spent the rest of the afternoon quietly in our tiny house.  Too windy to sit outside today, however we can still see the river from our dining/lounge room window.

Day Twelve – Friday 14^th September 2017

Cool start to today (4.7 degrees at 6:30am) so had breakfast with the heater going.  This morning cleared to another beautiful clear blue sky day and today we drove south from our park site to Nambucca Heads.  We initially drove through the town to the river and along the river stopping at a few parking areas.  When the road looked like it was taking us out of town and back towards the Pacific Highway we turned around and went back into town. This time we took the turn off to the river mouth and walked along the break wall.  During this walk we saw a group of dolphins surfing on the waves – it looked like they were having a great time.

From the break wall we drove back up onto the headland stopping at a few lookouts for views over the coast before coming back into the town and walking either side of the streets.

Back to camp for lunch and a restful afternoon.

Day Thirteen – Saturday 15^th September 2017

After exploring the vicinity every day so far we decided to have a quiet day at home – well at least at the camp site.  Today was spent reading books and sitting in the warm sun or finding a shady spot.  Very enjoyable and restful day.

Day Fourteen – Sunday 16^th September 2017

This morning we wanted to visit the Coffs Harbour markets.  WE had read about them in a brochure listing things to do at Coffs Harbour so when we were ready we headed back to Coffs in the car.

Finding the market site was fairly easy, however finding a car park was a little more difficult.  We found a place on our second drive through and the short walk from the car park to the markets  gave us some exercise for the day.

The markets looked larger than they really were because they were spread out over a large area – anyway we had a look around and found a few things that we needed.

Returning home for lunch and a quiet afternoon reading and resting.  It is a tough life but someone has to do it!!  So glad we can do it at this stage.

Day Fifteen – Monday 17^th September 2017

Our last full day at Bellinger River, today we made the most of the caravan park on the riverbank.

As well as some reading and other relaxation we also started packing down the caravan ready for the next road trip.  Activities such as cleaning and rolling up the awning are best done the day before departure so that it is put away dry and not wet with morning dew.

Day Sixteen – Tuesday 18^th September 2017

After breakfast we completed the pack-up tasks and were on the road by 8:15.

Our original plan was to stop over at Balina for tonight and continue onto Brisbane the next day, however we reached the Balina turn-off before lunch and everything and everyone was traveling well so we decided to continue on and see if we could make it all the way back to Brisbane.

Stopping for a lunch break – and a selfie – just south of Tweed Heads

We arrived home mid afternoon and put the caravan away after getting in touch with the girl across the road to shift her car.

Unpacked some things from the caravan and started the washing machine – the rest can wait until tomorrow.