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Published: August 19th 2008
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With our new found freedom (hip, hip hooray) we headed for Coochin Creek again, looking for that seclusion and wildlife adventure and also a bit of cheap camping. But this time it was raining and it was getting dark, we had just dropped them off at Brisbane airport and it was rush hour traffic again. Our hangovers from the debauchery of the night before still hung heavily over us. We were just too tired, so at the first rest area just 20km north of the city, which turned out to be a truck stop at the back of a Caltex garage, was to be our home for the night. We had also discovered another problem with the van, we had sprung a leak through one of the rear windows over the bed, and as it looked like the rain was in to stay so we needed to go back into Brisbane to get it sorted.
After a much needed sleep, we headed to the AAM depot in Brisbane (back near the airport!!). As usual the guys working there did everything within their power to avoid looking at the problem and make out it was our fault there was a leak,
but they soon did after a few forceful words from our side, and we were sent to wait over at ‘Dirty Mackers’ across the road while they fixed it and we indulged in a latte and fruit toast.
All sorted an hour later and we were back on the road and now heading south again to stop off at all those spots in NSW that we loved on the way up and did not have the time to explore. The weather in QLD was expected to get worse, with gales and severe weather warnings in place it seemed the sensible option. It rained all day, so we spent the whole day driving. We made quite a few ‘roo’ spots on the roadsides and in the fields and bush. It was dark by the time we arrived at the National Park camp, Woody Head. We chose our pitch, and in the morning the sun came out and revealed that we were in woodland right on the beach. In the afternoon we headed into the nearby town of Iluka, a peaceful fishing village, and picked up some local wine and fresh fish from the Co-op straight off the boats on the
harbour. Back at Woody Head we enjoyed our BBQ feast as we watched the sunset. We made a camp fire that kept us warm all night, and spotted strange looking small mammals creeping past in the darkness…or was it just too much wine..
The next morning brought sunshine again, and we headed south, but it wasn’t long before it started raining again, Lisa and Duncan left at a good time! But by the time we reached Woolgoolga, a small coastal holiday town with a Sikh temple at its entrance (having the largest Sikh population in Oz), it was glorious again. It is also famed for its surf breaks, and the waves were pumping….. Later, we spotted our first snake, just lying in the middle of the road in a residential street. There was a lookout in front of the lighthouse, with views up and down the coast and to the Solitary Islands. We were trying to spot some free camping opportunities when we came across some trees with literally thousands and thousands of flying foxes (large bats) dangling in the trees. It was quite a sight, as well as being noisy and smelly.
We pressed on to another
surf spot at Arrawarra, which is a more subdued, less touristy town, with a huge sweeping bay and a point break. A great wave with a good local vibe in the water, the surf ranged from 4/5ft, with the highlight of the session being a couple of dolphins popping up straight in front of the wave. I thought that they were sharks to start off with so I lost my lunch, but soon realised they weren’t so started to chill out. We spent some time at the beach before moving onto have a look at Red Rocks and Mullawarah. On the road into the town we saw at least 50 or 60 kangaroos just milling around in the fields and even in some gardens. After having a look around, we decided to free camp back at Arrawarra. It was a peaceful night by all accounts, just the sight of a baby huntsman spider on the inside of the van door to wake us up, it gets you moving quicker than a double latte from Starbucks.
Moving slightly down the coast we ventured into Coffs Harbour, had a look around the internet cafes and ended up checking out the beach.
It was a pretty soulless place compared to some of the other great beaches we had spotted. So we explored some more. We stopped at Nambucca Heads and its walks and lookouts, and passing through National Park land we checked out Stuart’s Point, and pressed onto to Scott’s Head where we stopped at a campsite right on the beach. We stayed for a few days. The rain was in to stay and the surf was blown out so the next day we checked out the new Indiana Jones film in the cinema in Coff’s Harbour. I know….you come all the way to Australia and go to the cinema…..
We thought it was time to head north again, as time was ticking on and we had to get to Cairns eventually. So going via Emerald Beach and Arrawarra, again, more surfing, and again stopping for some free camping. It was our Steve Irwin moment spotting 2 deadly redbacks on the toilet wall, and then a kangaroo hopping down the road, and the sky full of flying foxes all within an hour.
After all the moving around so much in the past few weeks, we got to Yamba and stayed
there for a few days. We had stopped there briefly on the way up, and were keen to come back. It has lots of small cafes, restaurants and shops, and holiday apartments, but still has a quaint feel to it. And it was definitely not cheesy. It has 3 beaches, all with great surf of different levels, a long harbour, and a campsite with a cosy feel right on the river, and finally the sun was back out and looked like it was going to stay for a while. It may not have been the most exciting part of our trip but it was great to bumble up and down the coast line, enjoy the outdoor life and kick back and relax for a while.
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