NORTH COAST NSW - 1 JANUARY TO 23 JANUARY 2019

1 January 2019

We gradually packed the van for a trip over the next three weeks.

On the road and the first stop was Bennett’s Beach at Hawks Nest. The surf was messy so we continued towards Myall River Camp just before the Myall Lakes National Park.

The camp had changed a little with a site office at the entrance. It was $30 per night. The camp has toilets and drinking water. We camped a little back from the river in the partial shade of a tree. The river has a relatively wide white sandy beach – excellent for swimming and launching a kayak.

I took the kayak for a paddle amongst the channels and along the river. At one stage, I saw a large stingray lazily drifting its way through the river weed.

We spend the rest of the day sitting on the river beach and swimming.

There was a large bushfire to the west. There were water bombing planes flying to and from the fire. This carried on through most of the day.

2 January 2019

We decided to stay another night at the river camp. 

I started the day with an early river swim. The water was salty. It was refreshing.

I took the kayak for a paddle. The tide was high and the wind increasing.

The planes were continuing their water bombing of the fire which was looking closer.

After breakfast, we drove to Bennett Beach. We sat on the beach and swam. The surf was still messy but the water was clear.

We drove to Tea Gardens for coffee and apple pie on the river frontage. Nice.

We checked a few of the campsites in Myall Lake NP then headed back to the river camp.

3 January 2019

We left Myall River camp and stopped at Mungo Brush Camp for the start of a mountain bike ride. We rode along the Tomboi and Brambles Green Tracks. A fun ride along an easy track with a few raised walkways. The boardwalk was a bit narrow with a guide rail so it was a concentrating ride with a metre drop to the bush below.

The next stop was the Bombah Ferry. It was only a short ride but it felt unique and exciting. On the other side was a café. We stopped drank and ate a massive carrot cake.

We continued on to Booti Booti National Park. I missed the turn off so the journey was a little longer than anticipated. Anyway, Booti Booti camp was full so decide to head to Wallingat River Camp. 

On the way, we stopped at Boomerang Beach. The surf was poor but the sun was shining and the water was clear though chilly. We spend a nice morning swimming and reading under the beach umbrella.

We continued our drive to Wallingat which also took a while as I took the wrong turn off. The camp was hot, windy and dusty on arrival but we setup in a relatively grassy area in partial shade. The rest of the afternoon was swimming in the river and reading.

4 January 2019

I woke and had a paddle up the Wallingat River. It was quiet, pretty, reflective and quiet.  I followed the main river upcreek and it divided into two sections. I could only follow the tributaries a short distance due to huge trees which had fallen and blocked the waterway.

The rest of the day was spent swimming, reading and reorganizing the van.

5 January 2019

After a good night’s sleep, we packed and drove to Boomerang Beach. The first stop was the Kembali Café for breakfast. Next, was Boomerang Beach! 

There was an occasional okay looking wave. Out for a surf! The water was cold due to the dredging up of lower ocean currents. I had a few good waves, a flogging on one wave and smile on the dial.

We stopped near Forster for food supplies then wandered the coast northwards towards Port Macquarie.

We stopped at the Fernhill Tavern for a drink then drove over to meet John, Jacinta’s cousin. We then drove over to the town centre and caught up with Carmel and Gabby. Back at John’s place we tidy ourselves up and had a great dinner and chat.

6 January 2018  

In the morning, I had a walk along Lighthouse Beach. 

Back at John’s and all were awake and it was breakfast time. Later, we all drove to Port for coffee at one of Carmel’s fav cafes.

We said our goodbyes and were on the road again to Swann’s Crossing Camp in Kerewong State Forest.

It was a quiet and relaxing camp. Very spacious and fires were permitted. There was a nearby river with a number of waterholes suitable for swim/sit.

7 January 2019

We had an early hike along a track along the river. It ended at a very pretty cascade.

Back at camp it started to rain. The rain got heavier so we decided to spend another day here.

The day was spent reading, doing puzzles and chatting. Meanwhile, the rain kept coming in and off and on way throughout the day.

8 January 2019

We woke, had breakfast and departed Swann’s Crossing. We stopped at Kendall, a pretty country town for a few supplies and water. Next stop was petrol then off to the back beaches of Crescent Head.

We drove to Delicate Nobby in Goolawah National Park to the Waves Camp Area.

We set up in a nice location of the small park and wandered over to the beach for a surf.

The surf was small and looked like it was going to get worse but very inviting, cool, refreshing, salt, ocean wave water. I had one okay wave and a disproportionate number of not so good waves.

Back at camp, we have been … that’s right, reading, doing puzzles and chatting.

9 January 2019

The surf looked not so good so we had a relaxing day around the camp and the beach.

10 January 2019

We departed Waves campground and drove along the dirt road to Big Hill.

We had a warm and pleasant hike around the Big Hill track – ocean views, changing vegetation and a couple of goannas.

Back at the van, the surf looked not so bad, so I paddled out for a surprisingly fun and okay surf.

We stopped in at Crescent for supplies then drove along the coast.

At Hat Head, it was nice but very crowded, so we continued along a dirt side road to a NP camp area south of Hat Head. It was really pleasant. There were only a few people there and we got a great flat spot under the shade of the tree.

I went for a walk to the beach along a sandy track through the sand dunes. The sand was so hot I was racing to get to shady spots. I didn’t get very far.

Later in the afternoon, when it cooled down somewhat, Jacinta and I hiked to the beach. The sign said 3 minutes but it was more like 20 minutes. We sat on the sand amongst the tyre marks off the four-wheel drive cars.

11 January 2019

In the morning, I had a pretty kayak at Hat Head.

Next stop was SW Rocks. We checked Stewarts Point and Grassy Head along the way. At Scott’s Head, we ran into Ed (friend from Terrigal) had a chat and continued.

We camped at the SW Rocks NP camp. A bit expensive for NP being about $50 for a non powered site..  We had a swim at the beach and took the afternoon easy.

12 January 2019

We started the day with a loop hike along a pleasant track with monuments, ocean views and great views back to the Trial Bay Gaol.

Before leaving SW Rocks we visited the gaol. It was really good with well signposted information and heaps of intact remains.

We drove to Sawtell and stayed at the holiday camping camp for two nights.

I called long time friend Robbo and drove around the Robbo’s parent’s place (Faye and Morrie). Long time friend Beacon and his family (Meryl, Lexy and Chelsea) were there passing through to Queensland. It was an afternoon/night of food and drinking and laughing.

13 January 2019

We called back to Faye’s and Morrie’s in the morning to say our goodbyes to Beacon, Meryl, Lexy and Chelsea. 

Afterwards, Robbo, Jacinta and I sat down at the beach and swam and walked around. The beach area was very pretty with a creek of clear water running into the ocean.

Into town for lunch, dropped Robbo at parent’s place then relaxed for the afternoon.

We caught up with Jacinta’s long time friends Kevin and Kerrie for dinner at Latitude 30 restaurant at Coffs Harbour. Good food, pretty food and great company.

14 January 2019

We woke and I was a bit weary from dinner the night before and the night before that as well.

We drove out to ‘Cows with Guns’ mountain bike trails which Kevin recommended to me. It was a little difficult to find – down a tarred road which turned dirt and eventually through a gate. The ride was sign posted with heaps of tracks. The tracks were firm and fun. I did about 12 km before I finished but there was lots more to follow.

A bit wearier, we drove to Lawrence to visit Bron and Tony (family) at Lawrence. We had a great afternoon looking around the place – paddocks, waterway, birds, lizards, the big shed (filled with six boats) and the orchard – and chatting.

15 January 2019

Tony and I had an early morning kayak around the river island behind their house in the MacLean River.  A beautiful morning with some interesting kayak discoveries – swallow nests under bridge, abandoned barge covered with vegetation, old sugar machinery, water dragons and lots of birds.

We drove to Yamba to catch up with Jacinta’s long time friend, Julie. We visited her shop then drove out to her place off the Angourie Road. Her place was so different – in the bush, very eco, bits of family history all over the place.

The girls went out for dinner but I stayed back (very tired) and had an early sleep.

16 January 2019

We woke said our goodbyes to Julie and headed off towards Angourie.

I surfed here when I was very young and it hadn’t changed too much. We had a walk down to the beach. Such a pretty place.

Next stop, Lennox Head after a swim on a river beach. Not much in the way of surf but the lake was cool and refreshing.

17 January 2019

A lazy day wandering from the beach, to the camp and to the lake. We sat on the beach but no lake swimming due to a dangerous algae bloom.

18 January 2019

We drove to Duck Creek Mountain bike tracks. The tracks were excellent but I found the easiest difficult in parts. I need to improve! Ha ha

Back to Lennox Head and later we caught up with Jacinta’s old school friends Con, Angela, Ann and Barn and had dinner at the pub. A fun night!

19 January 2019

We said our goodbyes to Lennox head and headed off to Grassy Head.

We had a hike to the lookout and the monument. The track was overgrown and in parts slippery on the thick grass-like plants.

Most of the day was hanging around the beach and when it cooled down we had a walk on the southern side of the head

20/21 January 2019

We drove to Booti Booti National Park. I even had a surf that was okay but the lack of waves over the last week left me a bit surf unfit. The waves weren’t bad and I was the only one out.

22/23 January 2019

Our last stop was back to the beginning at Hawks Nest at the Myall River camp. I had a bit of a bike ride and a couple of kayaks.