7 - 8 September 2012

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Friday morning turned on a bit of heat early on so it was nice to be out and about. Rachel had a meeting to attend in Ballina so we headed around to the CBD. While in town we came across one of the best independent music stores I have ever been to. Just Funkin Music had a great collection of music covering all genres at 1980s prices. I just had to add to my collection while I was there and was sorry I could not drop more of my hard earned on the owners but unfortunatley I had donated my pocket money to JB Hi Fi while we were in Brisbane.

After lunch we decided to hit the road and get a few kms under our belt. The Northern Rivers region provides fantastic views along the journey so often we had a river bank on one side and sugar cane fields on the other. Late in the day we drove through Grafton and ended up in Glenreagh which is a beautiful little spot in the Clarence Valley. The Glenreagh Recreation Reserve would be our camping spot for the night. Towering gum trees surrounded us with green grass underfoot - yet another two thumbs up for accommodation off the beaten track.

Saturday morning started well as the caretaker of the Recreation Reserve came to give us a key for showers we weren't aware were there - bonus. Just before we got up one of the locals arrived with horse in tow and I spent a bit of time watching the horse being trained out in a wide open enslosure. Horses are truly majestic creatures and a marvel to watch up close. The showers were a sight to see as it was heating up again. They were purpose built in an enclosed galvanised iron structure and the interior was simple wooden decking in the changeroom with exposed copper pipes leading up to the shower head over the top of a cement floor. The simple things are often the best.

After a spot of breakfast in town we headed down towards the coast and before long we were in Coffs Harbour. First impressions often gauge if we are going to hang around long and this town hit the mark. We headed down to the boat harbour and took a surprisingly hard walk up a path on a steep incline through Muttonbird Island Nature Reserve. As we reached the final viewing platform we were rewarded with panoramic 360 degree views overlooking the harbour and the hills behind us, sandy white beaches to the east and west and the deep blue ocean out in front of us. As we looked out onto the horizon we saw a few humpback whales frolicing in the ocean.

We had lunch along a lovely picnic area near an inlet and the punters were out and about fishing and kayaking and generally taking advantage of the blue skies and sunshine. We then found a nice caravan park by the coast and took a stroll along the beach before grabbing a six pack and settling in for the afternoon.

Let the good times roll.

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