NORTH ROAD TRIP - HAWKS NEST - 1 TO 5 NOVEMBER 2021

1 NOVEMBER

We left for a road trip to northern NSW.

We stopped for petrol and 2 hours later, we were at Hawks Nest. First thing was to check the surf which was blown out by a strong NE wind. Second stop was checking into the campgrounds at Bennett’s Beach and having lunch. The third stop was Tea Gardens for coffee and Jacinta’s homemade chocolate weetbix slices … yum! We sat on the river waterfront and enjoyed the view. The wind was strong here as well. We drove to Windy Whoopa and had a walk along the beach. It was more protected here from the winds. We sat on the beach, enjoyed the sun and watched the tiny waves slippin' and a-slidin' along the shore. 

Back to camp, drinks, guitar and dinner. A great first day!

2^nd NOVEMBER

After waking, I had a bike ride to Bennett’s Beach to check the surf which was still blown out. Continuing from there, I rode the bike along a few tracks to Jimmy's Beach campground. Good short tracks.

After breakfast, we drove to Jimmy’s Beach and had a pleasant morning sitting in the sun, a few swims and watched the birdlife.

A coffee at Tea Gardens, which was pretty windy.

After lunch, we rode the bikes to Windy Whoopa. We rode on a few short tracks then the service roads out to the massive sand dune at the entrance to the Myall River. Amazing scenery but the wind was strong and getting stronger. A hard pedal back against the wind.

3 NOVEMBER

The wind still howling but what a sunrise!

First stop, a mountain bike ride on the old mining road in Myall Lakes National Park. The plan was to ride as far as the turn off to Johnson Beach and turned right and loop back. This track was very rough and overgrown. Eventually, we had to back track as the reeds grew very high and the track went underwater. Still, it was fun and of course, my shoes and socks were drenched.

We drove to the car ferry at Bombah Point but they now charging to use the facility so we gave it a miss.

We stopped at Angophora picnic area in Myall Lakes NP for a check of the lake. The water was calm as it was protected from the wind by the thick trees.

Next was coffee and onwards to Jimmy's Beach. The sun was shining at times, the water was cool and it was pretty. We relaxed and I had a couple of dunks in the bay.

4 NOVEMBER

A mountain bike ride on the Hawks Nest Seal Rocks (HNSR) in Myall Lakes NP.

We parked at the Angophora Picnic Area. Jacinta wasn’t riding today so she had a hike along the lake shoreline. I rode along Mungo Brush Road to the intersection of the HNSR Road. It wasn’t much of a road being overgrown, potted, rocky and muddy in sections. It once was a viable road. Part of the road had been used by 4WD cars but that must have been awhile ago. The weird thing about this ride was the feeling that I was riding uphill in either direction. There were some fast sections but generally there were too many obstacles. The obstacles were fun to navigate over, under or through. In general, it looked very snaky as there were swamps either side of the ‘road’. A fun though tiring ride.

Back at the van, I had a refreshing dip in the lake and then we drove to Tea Gardens for lunch.

We spent the late afternoon back at the camp. The wind had swung around to the south-east and there were a few light sprinkles of rain.

5 NOVEMBER

We left Hawks Nest to go north.