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Leaving South West Rocks behind we headed to a place called Dorrigo which is inland of the pacific highway that heads all the way up to Brisbane. We didn’t know what to expect of this place as Emily had heard from her family relations that it was well worth the trip but couldn’t remember what it was and why it was meant to be so good. So we headed inland and into some lovely rural landscape, then as we went further and further the road got smaller and smaller and then incredibly windy. Then the uphill climb started, slowly at first and then getting steeper and steeper and then even more windy. My car found it extremely tough even with its 4 liter engine! It went though many smells including a concerning fuel smell followed by a strong smell of slipping clutch and then it started to over heat. Just as engine was approaching the red on the temperature gauge we successfully reached the crest of the mountain much to my relief as I really didn’t fancy breaking down on that road.
Once at the top we were greeted with an awesome view back over towards the coast where we
had driven though the past few hours, we had just climbed over 750 meters in a matter of a few miles now wonder the car was so relieved to get to the top.
We found a sign the directed us to a look out so decided to head towards that first, once we had parked up we were greeted with another magnificent view over a huge mountainous area covered in dark green eucalyptus trees as far as the eye could see, I reminded me a lot of the blue mountains. From up here you could see for miles and that on its own made it well worth the drive up here. We soaked up the scenery and view for a while before heading of the Dorrigo national park, we had now found out that is a large semi tropical rainforest national park right on top of a massive mountainous region.
We arrived at the Dorrigo national park in time for a bite of lunch before walking out the other side of the building and on to the skywalk that is basically a wooden walkway that carries on out over the drop of the trees so gives you the feeling of
getting a birds eye view out of the national park over the canopy of the trees (see pic).
Emily and I decided that we hadn’t done enough walking in South West Rocks (yeah right!!) so decided for a short walk into the rainforest to see what we could find. Even though we had walked though a rainforest yesterday, this one was completely different and had some massive tall tropical and sub tropical trees all intertwined with these long vines that stretched right up to the top of the canopy high above our heads.
I was really surprised to see a proper rainforest this south in Australia as we weren’t in the tropical climate yet, but as it turns out where the national park is situated on the mountain that gives it a prefect location for this type of rainforest to survive.
We carried on walking around the national park, which was a lot easier to follow than the one yesterday as this time there was an actual path to follow! The whole way we kept our eyes open for wildlife but only managed to see a few birds and loads of bush turkeys, no snakes or spiders unfortunately.
After about
an hour we arrived at the crystal waterfalls, which was a great little water fall you could actually walk behind and from here it gave a great view back out into the rainforest with all those different shades of green and brown (yeah I know it sound boring as hell but it really did look great!)
We arrived back at the car feeling a bit tired and exhausted but where very happy to have discovered such a wonderful rainforest that we had no idea about when we had woken up that morning.
We drove back down the steep windy road and then headed back to the pacific highway and then north towards Coffs harbor, as we left Dorrigo the weather started to really cloud up and half way to Coffs it started to piss it down so we pulled over for a bit to eat as neither of us wanted to put the tent up in the rain. We did finally get to back on the road and got a camping site just before sundown. Unfortunately it was right next to a stinking swamp that smelt even worse due to the down pour earlier. Both Emily and I were so
put of with the smell we go the tent up ASAP and the headed for a walk around the town to see want was around. We had a walk about and before too long we found ourselves in a bar having a cool refreshing pint, my first one in over two weeks and I can’t explain how good it felt, umm the sweet amber nectar!!! Well as it felt that good and neither Emily or I had been in a proper bar since leaving Sydney so we decided to have another then another and the some more till before we new if we where both smashed!!
We both stumbled home to cook some food where I then had a fight with a cheeky possum that tried nicking my bread! I thought I was seeing things at first until this hairy black and white creature jumped from the tree next tome followed closely by his mate and took a swipe at my bread!!! I would have let them have it if it hadn’t been for the fact I had a serious case of the hic cups and needed that food to sober me up!!
Once the possums had decided to despair
back up the tree they came from, Emily then shout ‘what the hell is that?’ and just in front of me on the floor was possum cross rat thing with a pointy nose (I later found out that it was bandicoot) and now this thing was now after by precious food!!! Camping is such a s mixed bag, it is so uncomfortable and cold at times but then on the other hand you get to see the most amazing wildlife and really get to see nature in it true form, Australia is great!!!
The next morning surprise surprise but I woke up with one hell of a bad head not remember where I was or how I fell asleep. We finally dragged ourselves out of bed and headed towards town to catch up on a few things we needed to do before driving to the harbor and taking a walk over to Mutton-bird Island. Once on top of Mutton-bird Island which surprise surprise by the name of it gives home to thousand of mutton birds, gave a terrific view back over the harbor and Coffs. It was a lovely view with the harbor in front of us and Coffs
town behind that with a back drop of lovely green mountainous region behind that.
While we stood on the island looking back over Coffs I then noticed a weird looking snake thing about 10 inches long with tiny legs that was half dead, I think it was a skink and the back of it had been badly damaged poor thing. I thing I have seen a new or different creature everyday for the past week. I cant get over how amazing Australia is, everyday something new makes it an even better place to be, it’s the whole package the scenery in jaw droopingly beautiful, the wildlife is like nothing you have ever seen before, the weather is not only warmer and sunnier but the clouds seem different and you have so many days where they is not a cloud in the sky and the people are so friendly and a great laugh.
Once we came back from the island we treated ourselves to a nice meal as we have been having a lot of pasta and noodles we headed to a ‘hogs breath café’ (with a name like that how could we not!). We both opted to the rather expensive
but incredible delicious Tex mex comb which had large steak, curly chips, salad, and a seafood enchilada with everything covered in cheese and oh my did it taste good, I mean real good!! We hadn’t had this many flavors and textures on one plate since our roast dinner in Port Stevens ages ago. It’s so funny how the smallest thing like what you eat can turn into the great highlight when camping on a budget and you’re living on pasta and noodles!!
Feeling all stuffed and contented we decided to go a see the big banana which has turned into one to Australia’s national icons. Australia has many big this all around the country, ranging from, sheep, prawns, bananas, pineapples and bulls etc but the Big Banana at Coffs happens to be the most well known so we had to check it out didn’t we!
The Big banana was right next to a banana plantation and if you wanted you could pay to go a listen and learn everything you ever needed to know about bananas and then have walk around the banana plantation but for us we decided that I love bananas but not that much so headed
straight for the shop to a have banana milkshake of course! As you can imagine everything in the gift shop was bananasied, rubbers, fridge magnets, pens, banana soap, banana candles, T-shirts mugs etc I never knew there could make so much banana stuff! The whole shop just looked yellow. We had a little walk around and of course seen the big banana, which was as the name suggested very big indeed, we learnt a few interesting facts about bananas, eat a few banana flavored bites before driving of to the botanic gardens in the town centre.
I am not really into gardens that much but the botanic gardens in Sydney were so amazing and so beautiful I was interested to walk around these as Emily and I were still feeling full from out Tex Mex combo and needed a bit of a walk. Well the botanic gardens turned out to be a real disappointment and really boring, so boring in fact I didn’t even pull my camera out once which is really something as apparently I take pictures of everything!
Surprisingly enough after last nights events we decided to have quite night next to our lovely stinky swamp ha ha!
Well our next destination now is north up towards a great little place named Yamba. We have heard many great things about this place and are intrigued to see what its like, so tune in again same time, same place!
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Eva and Si
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Cheeky possum
"I would have let them have it if it hadn’t been for the fact I had a serious case of the hic cups..." - did you copy that from an episode of Scooby Doo??