http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/Australia/New-South-Wales/Coffs-Harbour/ Travel adventures in journals and photos from Oceania , Australia , New South Wales , Coffs Harbour en-us Sun, 12 Oct 2008 19:19:57 BST Sun, 12 Oct 2008 19:19:57 BST We are back from our amazing roadtrip but it is wayyy too much info to write in one blog so it will be done in installments. Here is the first tidbitDAY 1 of the journey The four drivers went to pick up our home for the next 13 days a 6person campervan. They called on the way back to pick us up and told us it was disgusting and dirty and that it had cockroaches inside it However we later l http://www.travelblog.org//Oceania/Australia/New-South-Wales/Coffs-Harbour/blog-332856.html October 6 2008Not every day is totally great. We spent a frustrating morning dealing with rental campers. I told you it was too good to be true. To make a boring story short we ended up driving a nice rental car out of Sydney at 2 PM. Joe didnrsquot seem to have much trouble driving on the left side of the road sitting on the right side of the car but he is still turning on the windshield w http://www.travelblog.org//Oceania/Australia/New-South-Wales/Coffs-Harbour/blog-332146.html Day 44 in AustraliaAt 6am at the lonely bus stop we get picked up by Aussitel's mini bus and checked into our room. The decor is similar to Prisoner Cell Block and smells faintly of urine. We doze for a bit then set off exploring this new destination. The staff are super friendy so we sign up for BBQ that night. We wander down to the town centre of this lovely suburb the sun is shining and we a http://www.travelblog.org//Oceania/Australia/New-South-Wales/Coffs-Harbour/blog-327332.html Hi We are now travelling down the coast towards Sydney. All is going very well. Had our first swim today Sticking to caravan parks each night as there are no safe free parks here as too built up. http://www.travelblog.org//Oceania/Australia/New-South-Wales/Coffs-Harbour/blog-324514.html We had problems gaining internet access at our hotel in Sydney. Sorry for the delays so here are the ones we have been saving. On 821 we had a good but long flight to Sydney. We left shortly after midnight on Tuesday nightWednesday morning and we arrived in Sydney around 730 am on Thursday morning. We are now 17 hours ahead of the west coast of the USA. We loved flying Qantas and especi http://www.travelblog.org//Oceania/Australia/New-South-Wales/Coffs-Harbour/blog-316708.html Helloso last night yesterday went to this observatory super I saw the moon really close but she was too bright crazy this was with the oldest working telescope in australia then on an other telescope I saw Jupiter beautiful with her colours and 2 of her moons europe and io then we saw uranus and the southern cross with real colours red and so It finished with a 3d movie about http://www.travelblog.org//Oceania/Australia/New-South-Wales/Coffs-Harbour/blog-313404.html Our next stop on the mighty Greyhound took us to Coffs Harbour a small city right on the tourist track famous for diving and water sports. After a whistle stop tour of the main area by the mini bus driver she took us up to a look out point to show us the main landmarks to get our bearings of the town we took a stroll down to the local shops to get some supplies in. The hostel had a very young a http://www.travelblog.org//Oceania/Australia/New-South-Wales/Coffs-Harbour/blog-310640.html We arrived in Coffs Harbour at night which did not make it any easier to try and find the actual caravan park we were heading to but in the end we struck gold. We had just arrived and set up and were deciding on our dinner for the night a can of irish stew with bread OR noodles not really a contest when it started to rain. Now I mean we actually thought we were back in Ireland again Th http://www.travelblog.org//Oceania/Australia/New-South-Wales/Coffs-Harbour/blog-294733.html Hello EverybodyWe'll we have now left Sydney... We're in Coffs Harbour at the moment which is really nice. However the first weeks weather has not gone to plan it feels a bit like we're on holiday in Wales not New South Wales anyway... We left Sydney about 12ish on Monday and drove for a couple of hours to Newcastle. Our first stop was park on the out skirts. In this park we saw lots of Koalas http://www.travelblog.org//Oceania/Australia/New-South-Wales/Coffs-Harbour/blog-294694.html My family arrived for a threeweek visit and road trip up the coast. Here are some of the photos that my Dad's taken so far. http://www.travelblog.org//Oceania/Australia/New-South-Wales/Coffs-Harbour/blog-292671.html so leider hat sich es etwas gedauert um etwas von mir zu hoerenDie zeit vergeht viel zu schnellund dann kommt auch noch dazu das wir nicht immer drahtlos verbindung haben zum InternetNach einigen Wochen war es aber dann soweit und wir haben abschied von jopieter in sydney genommen.Und sind mit unserem Madzda richtung norden die kueste entlang.Einer von unseren ersten stops war Seal Rockssuper http://www.travelblog.org//Oceania/Australia/New-South-Wales/Coffs-Harbour/blog-286816.html Today our road trip brought us back to Coffs Harbour where we stayed for a couple of nights about two months ago it was kind of nice to be back in familiar territory relatively speaking anyway Weeks 4 5 of the road trip took us slightly north of Cairns to Port Douglas and then south down the Queensland coast and into Northern New South Whales. We finally saw our first crocodile that was http://www.travelblog.org//Oceania/Australia/New-South-Wales/Coffs-Harbour/blog-283252.html My laptop was acting up and the repair has wiped out my camera software so no pics this time except for some that Matt took on his phone. Hopefully I will figure something out for the next entry and be able to get the pictures off my camera. This also meant that I wasnrsquot able to SKYPE for the last few weeks. If you donrsquot have SKYPE www.skype.com you should get it Then we c http://www.travelblog.org//Oceania/Australia/New-South-Wales/Coffs-Harbour/blog-276431.html Hey so its another double blog writing session today since I want to keep ares separate i feel it makes better reading The last blog left off in Byron Bay having had my first surf lesson. That night i stayed in the hostel as they were having a film night watched a film called hostel...yeah never again disgusting film The following day was much the same as the day of my first surf lesson. http://www.travelblog.org//Oceania/Australia/New-South-Wales/Coffs-Harbour/blog-275314.html We arrived at Surf camp at 630pm on Sunday night just north of Coff's Harbour. The drive was surprisingly straightforward strictly on the freeway for the most part. They had dinner ready for us and a warm campfire not to mention beds in a cabin that had a heater We spent that evening trying our best to stay awake past 930 pm meeting people around the campfire. We roomed with Emma and http://www.travelblog.org//Oceania/Australia/New-South-Wales/Coffs-Harbour/blog-274053.html Panoramic View Surfers ParadiseBus Journey From Sydney To Spot XThe excitement was building now that we had actually boarded the bus. We sat down and didn't mess about it was an overnight journey we were to arrive at Woolgoolga at 530am and we needed the sleep. Unfortunately this particular Greyhound bus was pretty uncomfortable both in terms of leg room and the chairs themselves. Tiredn http://www.travelblog.org//Oceania/Australia/New-South-Wales/Coffs-Harbour/blog-273691.html april 26 clear sky. washed pants. doncurry spruik excellent in carpark at north breakwater. and much later as sun over estuarine wonderland flock of jabiru wheeled and shone white. oyster farms and power boats flying green red and yellow pennant clustered for evening. sunny all day and my pants dried simple pleasure.april 27 all day spruik much wlaking good result where white middle class pla http://www.travelblog.org//Oceania/Australia/New-South-Wales/Coffs-Harbour/blog-272084.html april 24 early trash pickup. overcast. solid spruik. hotel adventure papers poppyseed muffins and carrotcake. mr richardson room twelve. instant departure and flagflying food shop opposite corner making four intown another exercise session like washing windows spruik. good fun and photo for calendar sticker back of vw combi next to old flag sticker blue and pink shirted bloke boog http://www.travelblog.org//Oceania/Australia/New-South-Wales/Coffs-Harbour/blog-272064.html april 22 more rainy everyone's freaking. early to cafe coffee for dry place and read news. library more dry. then out route 3 to go north. major blockage on f3 i uturned back thru hornsby lunch kfc and 83 north there was a trooper blocking access 15k north. snaking line on the old road finally descended to brooklyn where i turned off to stumble upon tiny town. lite rain i had to walk and had f http://www.travelblog.org//Oceania/Australia/New-South-Wales/Coffs-Harbour/blog-271737.html After a relaxing evening we got up early to explore. We saw the picturesque bay and headed towards Muttonbird Island. On the way Jourdain Sue and Andy crept up on us We went to see the island and took numerous pictures of the 360degree veiw of Coffs before meeting back up with them on the beach. Hayley managed to get burnt though we have been in australia for 7 weeks not impressed In the eveni http://www.travelblog.org//Oceania/Australia/New-South-Wales/Coffs-Harbour/blog-266262.html We headed further up the coast in the hope of dryer climes arriving at Coffs Harbour famous for it's surf and banana plantations. Stopped for lipsmacking fish and chips at the Fisherman's Cooperative on the marina by the harbour and made our way to our base a little way up the coast in Arrawarra.The campsite kept us amused with its various wildlife roaming freely around the park ducks pa http://www.travelblog.org//Oceania/Australia/New-South-Wales/Coffs-Harbour/blog-266129.html We've been really busy trying to get the landscaping done on our home since we moved here last September. This was hampered by a very wet month in January. Now the ground is very hard due to the high levels of sun baking the clay and low rainfall of late. After using a pickaxe to break up the soil John unfortunately tore some ligaments in his shoulder which required a surgical rotator cuff repai http://www.travelblog.org//Oceania/Australia/New-South-Wales/Coffs-Harbour/blog-265769.html Ok so we haven't written for a while mainly because we have been so busy therefore this blog is going to be long. If you want to just skip the blog and see the pictures just scroll to the bottom as that is where all the links are if not keep readingTuesday 18.03.08 Wednesday 19.03.08So to get down the coast from Cairns to Sydney we decided to travel by bus Premier Motor Service. Our first http://www.travelblog.org//Oceania/Australia/New-South-Wales/Coffs-Harbour/blog-264603.html Today we went back to the Pet Porpoise Pool to see the show and although the weather is not so sunny it did not disappoint. It was magical.Chris took some videos ask to see them when we get back.Before the show started I had my photo take with a dolphin and ten with a seal very whiskeryChris called me over he had been looking at the underwater window on the pool where his dolph http://www.travelblog.org//Oceania/Australia/New-South-Wales/Coffs-Harbour/blog-260500.html I booked this for Chris a long time ago there is no way you can get a place if you leave it until you're here. Went to the Pet Porpoise Pool which is near the beaches and jetty. A gorgeous sunny day.Found out that the show they do is on at the same time as Chris's encounter so we'll come back again tomorrow and see that.Had a look around there are little penguins 3 sleepy kangaroos an http://www.travelblog.org//Oceania/Australia/New-South-Wales/Coffs-Harbour/blog-260495.html Today we went to the Dorrigo National Rainforest Park. You go down the Pacific Highway for about half an hour and then turn off on the Waterdfall Way. This leadsb through some lovely farming countryside lots of cows in the fields and rolling grasslands big trees etc. it reminded me of Ireland.Went throiugh a town called Bellengen which is famous for it's crafts etc. would like to visit http://www.travelblog.org//Oceania/Australia/New-South-Wales/Coffs-Harbour/blog-259899.html Spent some time in the garden and then decided to go out. Chris wants to stay here so took the car on my own. I have to say I do like the car. I've never driven and automatic before but it's very easy and SO comfortable.Went into town and parked in Gordon Street. then went to tye market which is held on Sunday mornings on the bottom of the Castle Street car park all in the shade as c http://www.travelblog.org//Oceania/Australia/New-South-Wales/Coffs-Harbour/blog-259305.html here are some more photos http://www.travelblog.org//Oceania/Australia/New-South-Wales/Coffs-Harbour/blog-258692.html Another lovely day. Started with Chris bringing me coffee in bed which was very nice. I slept like a log.Spent the morning in the housegarden again. We decided to go onto the golf course to feed the ducks which are on a lake a few yards away. There is a brick built shed which the owner oif the house uses as his golf team's clubhouse. You enter it from the garden when you kno http://www.travelblog.org//Oceania/Australia/New-South-Wales/Coffs-Harbour/blog-258525.html Spent most of the day at the house wonderful weather. Sat in the Zen garden space and communed with the Buddha water feature There is like a sail over the area so you can get sun or shade whatever you choose and the golf course is truly beautiful to look out on. Went in the pool to cool off and did a few lengths.In the afternoon I went for a walk. Turned left at the end of Reid dr http://www.travelblog.org//Oceania/Australia/New-South-Wales/Coffs-Harbour/blog-258516.html