Blogs from Ballina, New South Wales, Australia, Oceania

The North Coast of New South Wales gives you a stunning array of attractions and activities to enjoy up close. There is a reason why the North Coast of NSW is called the “Legendary Pacific Coast” because it is a coastal drive that you will never forget. Along this northern coast of NSW, you will discover historic sites, small beach towns, wildlife, hinterlands, beautiful beaches, gorgeous waters, and national parks. These are popular destinations for both local Australians and international tourists alike. With so many beautiful attractions to visit along the northern coast, you might wonder which ones are worth visiting the most. Below we have listed six popular places on the North Coast of NSW that you should check out when you are there. North Coast Holiday Park The North C... read more

Day 4. I am back in familiar and familial territory this morning as I awake in sunny Ballina at my brothers’ home, having spent the night there. I managed to offload my partner in crime at Wardell which is 15km south of the home of the Big Prawn. He spent the night with a family member there. We reconvened at a café in the main street this morning. It was clear from the outset that I would be driving as it appears that last night Chris had met all the locals at the Wardell Recreational Club over a beer or two. He seemed to have been very taken with a big hairy sugarcane farmer called Jim. At this stage I am beginning to think my night wasn’t that bad after all, sitting around a radio listening ... read more

We drove over the river (into NSW) looking for a place to have coffee and finally, we spied a coffee vendor outside a shopping centre just as we were driving out of Tweed Heads. He had great coffee and a selection of roasted nuts for just $2. Yum. As we drove down the motorway sipping on our coffee, police cars kept flashing by with sirens going. We counted seven!! We had planned to bypass Byron but Georgi was keen to have a look and there was a lot of roadworks happening so it seemed like a good idea to have a break. Byron is a wonderful place (geographically) but there are far too many rules - there are dictatorial toilets (they sing and then say you must finish in ten minutes or the door will open!) ... read more

Two weeks have passed and we are still in the Northern Rivers, what with the heat exchanger coming out of the car, and various other comittments keeping us in traction, we felt like sam wise, having never left farmer maggots corn patch, it seemed we might have a case of shire envy, like a newly freed captive animal not wanting to leave the comfort and security of the cage. But I feel bilbo and basho instinctively knew that such was definitely not the case, however the enormity of the sorrow of the parting. And so like fireflies to the light, we decided to sneak back home to surprise Tarni for her 15th birthday party. The keeperers of the secret, done their job well, as when Tarni got off the school bus, she was truly surprised to ... read more

I'm sitting here eating fake Aldi nutella with a spoon while trying to remember what we have done since the last time I posted. This should be easy, but the reality is that I struggle to even remember what day it is much of the time. Yesterday we went to visit Ryan's Uncle and Aunty who have a house south of Ballina at Pimlico. It was our first visit there and both agree that it is in a magic spot. We completely understand why they love living there. After grabbing some lunch we followed them down to the beach (we won't mention how many wrong turns his Uncle took) and took the Triton onto the sand for the first time. It was a lovely afternoon out and after letting Noah have a run around on the ... read more