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Published: August 6th 2007
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Was going to go with a title more fitting to the locale that we find ourselves in but seen as the premiership has reached a rightful climax I thought the Champions note would be more apt. Found out the news at 7am local time, half asleep checking the internet at our local campsite for the Arsenal-Chelsea score. Now for the FA Cup...
Anyhow, The next part of our roadtrip began with pancakes and a missing jumper and it's all your fault. The previous night we had wandered to the t'interweb cafe to publish the latest thrilling installment of the blog and I accidentally left my jumper on the chair. The cafe didn't open the next day till 9am so instead of being on the road early we had to go to the pancake house for breakfast where I was forced to have bacon & egg on a double layer of pancake with lashings of maple syrup. All the blogs fault obviously.
Next stop on the long and winding road was Coffs Harbour, home of the Big Banana. Another stunning location with beaches galore, a nice marina, shops, cafes, etc, etc. We checked in at our poshest caravan park yet.
We got a nice shaded camp site, the kitchens were huge and immaculate, there was a pool with water slides, internet access (essential for football related news at this time of year) and it was only 40 yards from the beach. Not so bad.
First stop was the big banana. Aussies love big stuff from big portions to big waves but especially big concrete or plastercast things depicting fruit, veg or inanimate objects. The big banana is the original and has been around for 40 years and as it was local we popped along to have a look. There are loads of books and all sorts about big stuff all over the country - even a set of rules dictating what actually counts as big stuff. I'm sure we'll tell you more about big stuff in the future...
After the big banana we were in need of some beach time so headed to our local beach and snorkelled off Little Muttonbird Island in the nice warm water looking at the fishies and stuff. I then went for a 20 minute power jog on the beach in a Hoff style. We followed that up with a walk out along
the historic jetty for the views back into the harbour area. Wandered past the pet porpoise pool to check on times and prices for the next day and bumped into emu.
Took Mrs Deane for a nice slap up Thai meal in the evening. Rumours I was buttering her up so I would be allowed to watch the football are completely unfounded...
Night time and time to find us a pub showing the football. Having done our research we found Hoey Moey's that served till 2am and they said they would put on the Manchester derby for us. Spot on. We found one other person interested in the game and the three of us settled down to watch the game in the deserted pub. He was from Hull but we never actually found out his name. We'll call him Rod.
Not the greatest game you'll ever see but a well deserved 1-0 win against City never goes amiss. Cheers Darius for your penalty going amiss. We were actually quite fortunate as the bar staff called time at 11.00pm (15 minutes into the second half). Apparantely the advertised opening times were a lie. We ordered a couple spare
drinks and hoped they wouldn't throw us out. Luckily they let us stay as they cleaned up around us but kicked us out bang on full time. Wandered home and slept well and happily in our tent.
Next morning we were up to go and see all the seals and dolphins at the pet porpoise world. Started with kisses from the seals and the dolphins. They were a little damp and fishy smelling but not totally unkissable. We then watched the dolphin performance as they jumped through hoops, played rugby league (they're pretty good) and generally performed a few tricks. Then went and fed the little Fairy penguins (they're about a foot high).
After so much activity it was time to do what we do best. We hit the beach and had a lazy late picnic lunch. Very relaxing. Tea was chilli on jacket potatoes with a side salad - back on the health kick after the slip with the high cholesterol pancake breakfast.
Monday morning and I was up at 7am to go and check on the football score. CHAMPIONS.
Hit the road heading north and got up to the little Hippie town of Nimbin.
As usual we missed all the action as we arrived the day after the end of the annual Mardi-Grass festival. Needless to say most permenant residents and travelling visitors looked a little ropey. It's a little like Amsterdam with all the coffee shops around and is probably the most colourful town we've passed through with rainbows and hippy stuff everywhere. Needless to say, a fair number of the hippy types could have done with a wash.
Next stop Byron Bay and this place was also full of hippies. There's a hippie over here, a hippy over there, put your hands in the air, shake your rainbow died t-shirts.
Lovely place Byron except for the rain. Supposed to be 300 days of sunshine up here and it rained both days. Not just a trickle either. Poured down. We managed a drink or two and a look round the shops plus a little walk down on the gloomy beach in between showers and then headed for a curry and a relatively early night.
In the morning it was still raining but as it eased off I took the chance to wrestle the tent down. Got soaked and covered in
mud and just as I was finishing the sun decided to come out. It seemed to tell me that if I had waited an hour it would have dried out and would have been fine. That tent has it in for me...
I dropped Mrs Deane at a yoga class. It was at the surf club and overlooked the sea. It helps them relax I think. So relaxed that Mrs Deane fell asleep in her yoga class. (She has done this several times before back home during yoga classes). Luckily she wasn't the only one who fell asleep. It seemed to me that you paid A$15 to go and have a kip. Anyway, while she was doing that I went to a very windy and wavy beach for a bodyboard and a jog.
When Mrs Deane had woken up (and finished yoga) we headed up to the Cape Byron lighthouse on the most easterly point of the mainland. Beautiful up there. We spotted about a dozen wild dolphins swimming past at the bottom of the cliffs as well as a stingray. We had an ice cream strolling along the cliffs.
As the sun was out we took
a chance to have a quick swim at Tallow beach before heading out of town and North again. On our way up to the gold coast we stopped in at a tiny town called Tumbulgum for a pub lunch as we had heard there was a decent old country pub there. Missed the opening times for lunch but found a really nice cafe called Birdwing for lunch overlooking the lake and mountains. We then wandered to the Tumbulgum tavern for a pint. Really nice little town and nicely off the tourist trail as well.
After our late lunch we headed north again in the direction of our next proper stop with Cathy's friend from school, Emma in Helensvale. Passed through Surfers Paradise on the way to have a look but we'll be going back in a couple days anyway. And so here we are and thats the end of this installment. Hope you enjoyed.
Mrs & Mr Deane
Beer 92: Murrays Pale Ale, Australia, Draught, 4.5%, 8.0, perfect beer to watch Utd beat City
Beer 93: Red Bitter, Australia, Bottle, 4.0%, 6.5, a bit plain and ordinary
Beer 94: Eumundi Premium Lager, Australia, Bottle, 4.8%,
5.0, also plain and ordinary
Beer 95: Carlton Black, Australia, Draught, 4.4%, 7.5, a bit better but not the best stout I've had in Oz
Beer 96: Boag's Honey Porter, Australia, Bottle, 5.5%, 8.0, much better. A fine beer. Mr Boag certainly does brew some nice, tasty beers.
Lettuce Leaf 4: Iceberg, crisp and tasty although Mrs Deane thinks it's a little plain, 6.0
Lettuce Leaf 5: Cress, just not substantial enough and no real flavour, 5.0
P.S. Congratulations to FC Utd on sealing the double. A win against Chelsea in the cup final and both Utd's will have the double.
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Sara
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Lettuce loonies
Come on now, what is all this crazy talk of lettuce leaves?! Not sure i will recognise you 2 by the end of this trip! James and Les obvly had quite am impact!! Hi to Reids and you guys x