WARMER WEATHER AT LAST

This entry contains a few firsts. I wore shorts for the first time on this holiday in Coffs Harbour. I had my hair cut by someone, other than my regular hairdresser in Raumati, for the first time in 25 years and we have had 4 days without rain for the first time in 3 weeks!

Coffs Harbour has been one of the nicest places we have stayed in on this trip. It had a real holiday atmosphere there and the caravan park was top notch. We walked to the top of Muttonbird Island where muttonbirds nest for 9 months of the year and on the way a blue tongued lizard crossed the walkway in front of us. It was about 1 ½ feet long and was like a small pre historic animal. It was in no hurry to get out of our way but I was glad I had a chance to see it up close. There is a lovely golf course at Bellingen, a small town about 30 kms. inland from Coffs Harbour. The brochure said no booking was necessary so off we set on a beautiful sunny day. When we got there we found a tournament was under way with about 80 participants and we couldn’t tee off for another 5 hours. We gave golf a miss and walked around this little historic town, some of the buildings dating back to 1827. The locals seemed to be mostly hippies or alternative life stylers and the shops sold all things organic, even children’s clothing. Things were very expensive. It was a very interesting place.

We met lots of caravanners in Coffs Harbour from Victoria and South Australia who come to Coffs Harbour every year for 3 months from the beginning of June to escape the winter. Some of them have been coming there for over 20 years. The roads are very busy now with dozens of vans moving north and as usual the Pacific Highway had very rough surfaces.

Our next stop was Ballina. We knew there had been a lot of rain on this coast over the past few weeks but we were very surprised by the amount of water lying in the paddocks between Coffs Harbour and Ballina. There is definitely no water shortage in this area, but there are still drought conditions in inland NSW. We were going to go to Byron Bay but there is a shortage of van spaces there and with space at a premium, they charge premium prices so we decided to stay in Ballina instead and go to Byron Bay for a day trip. Up to now, we haven’t bothered booking ahead as we have always got into the place of our choice. However, things are getting busier now and we had to try 3 van parks before finding a space in Ballina. Another lesson learnt. We walked to the end of the break water in Ballina one day and saw whales out at sea but a pod of dolphins came really close in and then came up the river playing in the waves. It was a great sight.

We went to a lovely golf course in a little place called Tevern, near Ballina. The grounds and settings were beautiful with lots of bird sounds. I have included pictures of the golf course together with the whales at Byron Bay.

We were going to go for a walk in a rain forest just down the road from us but a notice as we entered caused me to have second thoughts. The sign read “ Beware. There are snakes in this area. Do not disturb them as they enjoy the sun”. I’m afraid the walk in the rain forest just lost all its appeal after that and I decided I would leave the snakes to their sun bathing on their own.

We had our day in Byron Bay and it was a magical day. The weather was just the best; blue skies, no clouds, no wind and a temperature of 23C. There was a storm in Byron Bay in 2005 and it caused a part of the roadway and walking track to the Lighthouse to be washed away. Three years later this has still not been repaired due to cost blowouts; arguments between local councils, state government and federal government and planning disputes. Doesn’t that sound just like NZ? We decided to park our car down by the beach and walk along the beach and up the coast walkway to the lighthouse. We saw 3 pods of whales going past on their way north and one lot was only about 200 metres below us. They really turned on a show for the crowds who were lining the walkway. We spent nearly an hour watching them This was the shortest day of the year and lots of people were swimming in the sea. We had a wander around the shops later and they were all having sales. I needed some new shorts as I have lost some weight since being on the road and managed to get 2 pairs and a t shirt for just over $25. I was very pleased with my purchases! We finished the day with drinks at an old pub right on the beachfront in the sun.

We have now moved into sugar cane growing area. The last time we were here about 18 years ago we never saw sugar cane further south than probably Maryborough so I don’t know if it is a sign of climate warming or if sugar is a more profit making venture.

We are often finding strange things here that are quite different to the way things are done in NZ. One thing we noticed in NSW is there are speed cameras all along the Pacific Highway but for some reason, drivers have to be told where they are. There will be a sign telling drivers there are speed cameras in NSW; then about 500 metres down the road another sign telling them there are speed cameras in that area, then after another 500 metres another sign beside the speed camera. It may be that Aussies take a while to work things out for themselves or that civil libertarians wanted the signs put up so no one’s civil rights would be upset.

A sign of what the drought has done to this country was on TV last week. Instead of schools wanting computers, new classrooms etc. like they do in NZ, Australian schools want water tanks. A contest is being held to find schools that need the water tanks and these are being donated by the TV channel.

We arrived in the Gold Coast today and we are staying at a lovely park right on the broad water at Southport opposite the Mirage resort and Sea World. We intend staying here for at least a week, depending on the weather. We met some fellow caravanners in Ballina who we got on with very well and they are staying here also. I can see a few happy hours and drinking sessions over the next few days. We are getting quite tanned and with another 8 – 10 weeks to go before we leave the coast and start heading back inland we’ll have a head start on our tans for the NZ summer.