Skennars Head NSW

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It was time to leave the Sunshine State and return to our native state of NSW. As we crossed the border at Coolangatta, no more manual adjusting of the clocks, no more fading of the curtains, the mobile phones and car GPS altered the time automatically, losing an hour in the process.

Visiting Ballina was an opportunity to catch up with our former neighbours at Kariong, Kim and Kayleen Bourke, who now reside there. Kim and Kayleen were great friends and mentors for us, being a young couple living a long distance away from our families, with our kids growing up together and attending the same preschool and school. We spent a great day catching up with them, the day passing all too quick, recalling memories, events and getting updates on other former Kariong residents that we knew.

We chose to stay at Big4 Caravan Park Skennars Head, which proved a wise decision. Skennars Head is located between Ballina and Lennox Head, and is just a short walk to Boulder Beach. We were stunned by the ocean views, particularly when we walked from Skennars Head along the cliff tops to Lennox Head, stopping off to see the clean lines of waves rolling in, surfers carving through the blue water. We stopped off at Lennox for a tasty brunch, and then walked back to our caravan park, a total distance of 10.4 kms. On the return journey, we paused to watch the paragliders bravely leaping off the Lennox Headland and surfing the winds.

Bangalow Flea Markets and Farmers Markets had a good reputation, and so we decided to visit the town and wander through both markets, also walking up and down the historic main street. Although the Caper Festival was taking place in Byron Bay, we decided to drive there anyway, as we were so close to the town. We drove to the Lighthouse, and did the Cape Byron walk, a total of 2.6 kms, seeing a pod of around seventeen dolphins at the base of the cape, hunting for fish. We also took the time to watch three large sea turtles swimming in the rough surf, diving down constantly for food. Afterward, we sought out a vegan café (which wasn’t too difficult to locate in Byron Bay), and enjoyed a healthy lunch.

We were a bit sorry to have to leave Skennars Head, however, time is marching on, and our 2022 caravan odyssey is drawing to a close, with appointments lined up for when we return to the coast.

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