NORTHERN NEW SOUTH WALES

Our first night in New South Wales was spent with our friends Tony and Kim at Skennar’s Head, between Byron Bay and Ballina. They have a fantastic view from their front balcony out over the ocean and I was thrilled to bits when I sighted whales spouting offshore. After half an hour I was really excited as I had seen two breaching and lots of fins flapping around as they played. What a buzz. Leo had his first experience in the surf and loved it, although it was a lot harder to find that ball amongst the breakers.

Lennox Head from the lookout south of town.

John, Dominic and Leo at the beach at Skennars Head.

This is the view in front of Tony & Kim's at Skennars Head

Leo loved it here!

That night we had a real laugh as we went into Ballina to a free comedy night at the RSL. The MC was Mandy Nolan, a real card of a lady who had us all in fits of laughter. If you want a laugh have a look at her blog -  http://mandynolan.com.au/blog/ There were also two other male comedians Paul McMahon and another who were really funny as well. I also got a real kick to see Akmal, another comedian well-known and liked by me with them all as we were leaving but I was too late to get his autograph. Damn!

Me an' Mandy

Next day we headed south again and inland from Grafton along what was once the main road to Glen Innes. We camped at a lovely spot on the Nymboida River at Buccarumbi.

 

The Nimboida River from our camp.

The following morning we took a drive further up the road along the Boyd River to Dalmorton. This was once a thriving community of 5000 people and 13 pubs living off the proceeds of a great but brief gold rush in the 1850s and 60s but there is little left now.

Boyd River where there are some beautiful campsites toward Dalmorton.

Dalmorton butcher shop.

We learned here of the original bridge at Buccarumbi, the remains of which can be clearly seen beside the present bridge. The first bridge was 52 feet above the water and was destroyed by big floods in 1947 and what a flood it must have been. Thanks to these photos from the New South Wales and Victoria State Libraries, you can see what the original looked like.

The original bridge at Buccarumbi in all its glory!



The construction of the "new" bridge after the flood. You can see the remains of the old bridge to the right.



 

All that's left of the old bridge today.

 

Another interesting spot was the 20 metre long tunnel which had been carved through Dalmorton Ridge. It was built by hand and there is very little evidence of explosives being used. The tunnel is very similar to the Boolboonda Tunnel but not nearly as long.

The tunnel through Dalmorton Ridge.

 

Inside the tunnel.

The Boyd River from the tunnel.

On Sunday we backtracked to Glen’s Creek Road, a narrow, windey logging track which took us to the little hamlet of Nimboida. Here we stopped off at the Nimboida Coaching Inn. This was obviously a coach stop in earlier times and is now a lovely hotel/motel and museum. It sits high above the Nimboida River and is full of really interesting sporting memorabilia. There is also a museum full of memorabilia, most of which has been donated by Russell Crowe. It would undoubtedly be worth a look but we were there too early as it opens at 10 am.  Maybe next time?

Nimboida Coaching Inn

Overlooking the Nimboida River at the back of the inn.

Sculpture at the front of the museum.

We continued on toward Dorrigo, taking another shortcut from Tyringham. This was a good decision as we discovered a lovely little picnic area and campground right beside a lovely creek a little east of Bosotbrick. It was a lovely place to stop for a night even though it was our coldest night so far. It was a real bonus too to have TV reception so we sat outside by the fire and watched the NRL Grand Final.



Our camp just north of Dorrigo.



As Monday was a public holiday we decided to take a quick look around the old windmill complex in Bellingen before we headed on to Macksville and Gumma Reserve on Warrell Creek. There are some lovely shops here with some amazing woodwork, leatherwork etc. but as always some of the prices were over the top. After filling up the water tanks at the back of the Caltex servo in Macksville, we paid a visit to our friends Pete and Gloria Connors before we went out to Gumma. It was great to see them again and Gloria treated us to a real show when she took us out the back to feed the birds. What a sight and what a noise as lorikeets and the odd dove jostled to get their share. I got a real kick next day when Gloria let me give them their food.

Gloria's birds.

Gumma is as lovely as ever and not as crowded as it usually is in the Christmas Holidays. It would be lovely to be here outside the school holidays for once though. As nobody was catching any fish we decided not to bother getting the boat off so I made a quick trip into Macksville to the laundromat and to the new Woollies which Pete and Gloria assure us is a most welcome addition to the town. When we first arrived we set up camp at the Nambucca end but on Tuesday the sites near the boat ramp had emptied out so we moved up there on Wednesday morning. It is much nicer there as you are overlooking the water.

View from our camp at Gumma.

We managed to pick a nice lot of oysters at low tide before swimming across the creek and walking the 400 metres over the dunes to the surf beach which is a lovely long white beach. You can see Nambucca Heads at the northern end and Scott’s Head at the southern.

Lookiing south at the beach toward Scott's Head.

Our camp from across the creek. Bushtracker is just behind the green van on the right.

Each night we had a lovely fire and as usual met new people. One couple gave us some excellent information about Tasmania. It was so relaxing here we decided to stay until Saturday. The fees are still very reasonable at $6 per adult but we missed the collection guy on Wednesday as we were visiting Pete & Gloria so we called into the shire offices in Macksville on Friday to pay. We must be the first people ever to do so as it took them a bit of ringing around to organise it.

From Gumma we headed south and then inland on the Oxley Highway. There is a lovely little reserve at Ellenborough alongside the creek where we spent the night with a lovely big fire. The bird life in the area was really interesting, with a large family of satin bowerbirds raiding the camps regularly looking for something to eat. There were also lots of finches, wrens, parrots and a very small brush turkey chick who wandered out of the underbrush in the morning and proceeded to eat some bread that was under the van. It was so quiet it even ate the bread out of John’s hand. Don’t know where Mum was but it wandered back into the brush when it was finished.

Our little brush turkey visitor.

We continued up the Oxley the following morning to Walcha. The Oxley might be motorbike heaven but towing the van it seemed more like a long and winding road. The scenery though was well worth it. At Walcha we turned south toward Nowendoc then turned west about 50 klms down and headed for Dungowan. The countryside out this way is truly beautiful. About 25 klms before you reach Dungowan you drive down the “Port Stephens Cut”, a very steep, narrow, winding road which leads into an idyllic river valley to Dungowan. We had no idea this country existed and would love to do it again on the bikes. A noticeable feature in Dungowan was two stately old churches. You don’t see many like them anymore.

St Stephen's Catholic Church, Dungowan

It was left at the roundabout at Dungowan and south again toward Nundle. There are quite a few nice camping spots along this road, the pick being at Chaffey Dam near Woolomin. We went on to a little reserve where Swamp Creek meets the Peel River. It is picturesque but not as nice as the dam.

Chaffey Dam

 

Swamp Creek

While at Swamp Creek we met a local prospector who told us it would be well worth while to spend some time in Nundle, so we went in there and settled into the caravan park early next morning. The park is beside the river and has to have the cleanest amenities block I have ever seen. We visited the Wool Mill in the middle of town which was really interesting. It is a proper, funtioning mill but obviously operates on a much smaller scale than in its heyday. There are some lovely items in the shop although a bit expensive.

 

The grounds around the mill are beautifully maintained.

 

Dying area

Dying vats

Winding machines

Next was a drive up to Hanging Rock Lookout which provided an impressive view out over Nundle and the Peel valley.

 

Hanging Rock Lookout

Looking down toward Nundle

There is also a trout farm which comes highly recommended but we decided we would probably see plenty of trout in Tassie. In town the antique shop was truly amazing. I have never seen so much old stuff in one place. The bird life in the river here was fantastic a well and there are lots of fish in the creek. Unfortunately most of them are carp.

From Nundle we headed south again through Scone and Musswellbrook then south-west through Sandy Hollow to Bylong where we decided to pull up at the local reserve opposite the shop. There were three other couples here and we had a wonderful time over drinks with them that afternoon. Again I was taken by the quaint old church here. It is only tiny but obviously well-loved by the locals. There are lots of stained glass windows but unfortunately I couldn’t get a key to get inside and see them properly. The reserve caretaker informed us that the music coming from inside was being played to keep away the bats. Go figure????

 

The old church and cemetary beside the Bylong reserve.

 



TO BOWEN AND BEYOND

The camps near the quinkan rock art south of Laura were pretty ordinary and burnt out so we didn’t stop there and continued on to a lookout just south of Lakeland, where we set up for the night overlooking the escarpment – impressive views.

The view from our lookout camp

Next day on the way back to Japoonvale we pulled up at Hann River and had an uninvited guest who was very fond of Leo’s dog food so he joined us for lunch. He was so quiet and had obviously sussed out all the tourists. I don’t think he had to do much foraging for his food and Leo certainly didn’t faze him. He just kneeled down and tucked in. While I was patting him John suggested I get some emu feathers but I decided I didn’t fancy getting kicked by those legs.

Our uninvited lunch guest

We arrived in Townsville on Saturday and immediately set about cleaning the van with Pav’s  pressure cleaner. A week later we just about had most of the red dust off. We would finish the job  in Bowen. Our first week in Bowen was spent at Oscar and Tracey’s – thanks guys.

Trace got creative with her phone camers!

Then we headed out to the property at Warden Bend where we spent another week with Hope, our granddaughter, who we picked up on Saturday. Mitch, her Dad, came down on Sunday and we had a lovely morning at the beach.

What a sweetie!

Hope with her dad, Mitch

 I had forgotten how lovely the beaches are in Bowen and the water was glorious – not cold and crystal clear.

Beautiful Horseshoe Bay

I spent many Sundays here as a teenager

Hope had a wonderful time playing with all her cousins out at the property – 4 girls and 1 boy – who are all full of beans. 

Hope with her cousins Tayla, Mia, Emma, Lane and Georgia

Leo enjoyed the freedom of the property too although we had to tie him up at night as the passing wallabies were too much of a temptation. We thought he was going to drag the van away some nights in his eagerness to chase them. He was also intrigued by the horses. Dad and Doug had just brought their new filly home to be with her mum, Emmataylane. Emm is no longer racing and hopefully her daughter will prove as good if not better on the track.

Hope and her mate Leo

Emmataylane and her daughter

 

Our first stop after we left Bowen was the rodeo grounds at St Lawrence where there were lots of other vans, campers etc. The facilities here are great, there are no fees – yet – and there is a fantastic area of wetlands nearby which is great for bird watching. Next day we headed to Rocky with a short stopover at Yaamba so that Hope could have a break from the car. It was a terrific spot for her as she loved playing on the swing and the birds turned out to be very quiet. She got a real kick out of feeding them. They almost ate from your hand.

The friendly birds at Yaamba

 

That one goes there Poppy!

After dropping Hope off we continued south to Calliope River, which is a great stopover, although one of the toilet blocks was closed so that the composting could catch up. I could not see the logic of closing a toilet block during the busiest time of the year – May to October. But the camp area was still very full. The road works seemed to increase the further south we travelled. Our venture into Agnes Waters and 1770 was disappointing. The free camp at Workman’s Beach was very cramped and looked like it would be prone to sandflies so we had a look up at 1770. There is a lovely camp right on the beach in the inlet but unfortunately they did not allow dogs. When we stopped for lunch on the inlet however, the sandflies soon made their presence felt and we were told by a friendly local, Bevan, that the caravan park at Agnes Waters was also bad for them so we decided to continue on south. We took a shortcut on Gorge Road across to Lowmead and discovered some nice little spots along this road which would be fine for an overnight stop and we were wishing we had stopped at one of them instead of going on to Granite Creek. The camp itself here is fine but the noise of the traffic on the highway is hard to escape.

As we were meeting our friend Beez on Friday at his block in Gin Gin we decided that this would be a great opportunity to visit my Aunt Marj and Uncle John at Boolboonda on the Gin Gin-Mt Perry Road. We had three lovely days there. They showed us all around Mt Perry and took us out to Mingo Crossing, a lovely new caravan park on the Paradise Dam. It is only quite new, with excellent facilities and will be a great little spot for fishing once the dam stocks build up. We also visited the Boolboonda Tunnel, an old railway tunnel carved through the mountain, with no supports at all – just sheer rock. It was full of little bats so take care. They will leave lots of little messes on your car.

Boolboonda Tunnel

Inside the tunnel

Mt Perry from the lookout above the town

I particularly enjoyed our stay at Boolboonda. This is where my Dad’s family have lived for over 100 years and we parked the van where my great-grandmother’s house once stood. I also got to visit my grandma’s old homestead where the family ran a dairy when my Dad was a child, his old school on a property which Uncle John’s family now own and the cattle properties which he and his son Robert now own including Ellimatta, Four Mile and Sixty Mile. We left with the fridge full of vegies just as when we left Bowen. Uncle John is an enthusiastic gardener like my Dad and Aunty Marj provided some lovely orange jam.

The homesteads and dairy at Leather's original dairy farm

John inspects the old dairy. I learnt to milk cows here AND stand in fresh cow pats to keep my feet warm.

The old Boolboonda school where my Dad and his siblings went to school.

Marj & John were babysitting puppies while we were there - quite a handful!

It was a short drive back into Gin Gin and then out to Tirroan where our friend Beez has a 20 acre block. He has recently planted some table grapes and John had a lovely time doing some slashing on the tractor and helping Beez fertilize and irrigate the grapes. The only drawback was Leo and Gringo, Beez' dog. They could not get along and we had to keep them well apart as they just kept getting into each other. 

John and Beez inspecting the grapes.

After three nights with Beez and then headed south, calling in to visit friends, Mickey and Muriel in Cooroy then going on to the Sunshine Coast and finally the showgrounds at Caboolture. The campground here is fairly average as the sites are quite small. We managed to catch up with Bob and Wendy and recommended the Redcliffe showgrounds to them as they are much roomier and the toilets etc. are much nicer.



.Next morning it was a short drive into Sandgate to Rob and Bron’s lovely old queenslander where we were met by Ruby, their german shepherd bitch. She and Leo took a bit to get acquainted but by the end of our stay they were best buddies, playing together quite happily. Rob’s huge front yard was a great place to put the van so we settled in nicely. Lachlan and Dave, our two older boys, came over with Kristie, Dave’s partner, for a quick get together that night. We returned to the Bushtracker factory early on Thursday morning after a surprisingly hassle-free one-hour run up the M1 from Sandgate. After a little dodging and weaving re the awning, fly screens etc. they got into the minor warranty repairs while we spent a lovely day with John’s parents at Currimundi. We met up with Bob and Wendy again at the Landsborough Pines Caravan Park near Australia Zoo and luckily got their last available site. A lot of vans were pulled into a rest area just off the M1 on Steve Irwin Way. This must be a popular free camp but is would be very noisy with both traffic and train line nearby. Obviously the area is very busy because it is so close to Australia Zoo.

Murphy’s Law says that something has to go wrong so of course when we arrived at Suncoast Caravan Services on Friday morning Dometic in Brisbane had sent the wrong awning up. Naturally this meant a further three day wait until another was sent for fitting the following Tuesday. But this wasn’t to be either. TNT managed to lose the replacement awning so we sat in Brisbane awaiting word of its arrival. Meanwhile John and I decided we would definitely NOT like to live in the city again. We did, however, have a chance to catch up with the rest of John’s family here which was great.

Dave, John, Chris & Lach with the boys' bikes.

Rob and Quinn took John out to Moreton Island in the boat on Saturday morning. There were no fish but Rob managed to provide some excitement for us all when he reversed the trailer and boat off the end of the Search & Rescue boat ramp at Shorncliffe. It wasn’t really his fault as the channel had just been dredged right up to the ramp so there was a big dropoff and no sign to warn anyone. Fortunately the only damage done was to Rob’s pride as the girls came to the rescue with the Cruiser and pulled it out. (Charterboat! What Charterboat?)

Rob's trailer misshap before rescue.

After our extended stay in Brisbane we were more than pleased when the installation of the new awning went smoothly. The crew at Suncoast Caravan Services must be congratulated. They are a very professional outfit and extremely helpful.