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Published: October 2nd 2010
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On Friday morning we had to make a decision about which route south to take: we could either go on the inland route to Armidale or take the much more inviting option of heading to the coast. On the inland route we could have diverted through Gloucester and Stroud but that would have made us terribly homesick so we thought they were best avoided!! The road that went towards Grafton and the east coast looked as though it might be interesting as it appeared to meander on the map (we still like using old fashioned methods!) The open countryside disappeared and we were soon driving through a thickly forested area which was part of Gibraltar Range National Park. We diverted along a rough track for a kilometer or so to Boundary Falls which was pretty spectacular. A couple we met on the steps on our way down said that it was worth the climb down - and it was! All the rain of late certainly makes these waterfalls impressive. Back on the highway we came across another inviting sign, to ‘Raspberry Lookout’, and as it was tea-break time we thought it might be a nice place to stop. This was along
a tarmac road and when we got to the lookout the view was stunning. The formation of the area came about through volcanic eruptions millions of years ago. It reminded us of the Blue Mountains - there were forests as far as the eye could see. We’d nearly finished our cuppas when along came the couple from Boundary Falls so we chatted to them for a while. They were travelling to Byron Bay with their caravan to visit one of their children. We detected a slight foreign accent and when we asked where they were from they told us the story of how he (Bill) came over as a very young man in 1953 and coincidently his wife came over as a girl with her parents - both from Holland. They met at a dance in Adelaide, have been together ever since and have been married over 50 years. They looked incredibly young and fit for people who must be in their 70’s so presumably Aus has been very good for them. They left the lookout before we did but we sailed by them later as they had stopped at another great viewing point.
We left the rain forest
behind and eventually arrived in Grafton, had some lunch and a wander in town. Once back in the car we meandered along the coastal road until we got to Woolgoolga. It seemed to be full of teenagers so we decided not to stay there but drove on to the next village which was Emerald Beach. There was a Big 4 Caravan Park there so we thought we’d give our (Sarah and Darryl’s) membership a go. There was a 2-berth cabin available although it was very expensive even with the club discount but as it was school holidays we expected that. We settled into the cabin and then went for a stroll to the beach which was a short walk direct from the site. It’s a typical Aussie beach with beautiful sands although as there is no lifeguard station there the signs advised you not to swim. We walked up around the headland from where there were great views of ‘Moonie Beach’ which is the next beach along the coast. It was beginning to get dark so further exploration would have to wait.
We had booked in for just two nights but quickly realized that another night there would be
great and luckily there was no problem with that. On Saturday morning we wandered back down to the beach and I had the traditional paddle before we again walked up over the headland on the coastal path which went through very pleasant banksia bushes where a couple of yellow-tailed black cockatoos were busy feeding. On the top of the hill five or six kangaroos were sunbathing - it was very unexpected to find them there right out in the open. A few surfers were doing well out at sea so all in all it was a great walk. We strolled on thinking we were in the next village and it would be a few kilometers back to Emerald Beach but suddenly saw the familiar local shop so we had been round in a circle without realizing it - how bizarre!
After lunch there was a sudden downpour and thunderstorm which caught a lot of people out when they were trying to pitch caravans etc but it gave us the chance to watch a bit of the Footie Grand Final which was taking place in Melbourne. Daphne had flown back on Wednesday specifically to attend with her son Grant. The
match ended in a draw but because that is such a rare occurrence in Footie they don’t make any allowance for extra time - the two teams have to go back and do it all again next Saturday and of course Daphne and Grant will be there even though their team, Hawthorn, got knocked out in an earlier round. Graham had to 'barrack' for Collingwood of course because their nickname is the Magpies or 'Pies' for short and the rego on the car is: 'PIE'! I was supporting St Kilda for no particular reason but now we will have to do battle again.
The rain eventually cleared so we went back to Woolgoolga, or Woopi as it’s known locally, in the early evening and this time went on up to the headland and there in front of us whales were frolicking about and close in to the shore was a pod of dolphins - it was amazing! We watched for a while then went and got some fish and chips, went back and they were still there. The only unfortunate thing was that, because we hadn’t planned it we only had one pair of binoculars with us and I
didn’t have my long lensed camera. We have seen whales before in Aus and also in Canada (when I got very cold and wet, caught a chill and was off work for a couple of weeks) but it is always a very special privilege to see these magnificent creatures. On top of all that the fish and chips were pretty good too!!
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Darryl and Sarah
Wallaby Wanderers
Great looking waterfalls and beaches!
You're finding some awesome spots on your travels. Looks great, somewhere else for our next trip!! You'll soon be reaching the caravan so Pie and Sweetie will re-unite!! x x x