Brisbane Trip Day 9: Coffs Harbour -> Byron Bay

It rained for most of the night so everything was pretty soggy in the morning. The leak near Liam's bed didn't get too bad which was a relief. There were a few hours where it looked like it was going to clear up, the sky was a bit lighter and there was some time without any rain falling. I booked our accommodation at Sea World and then started packing, trying to get as much done as possible before the rain started again. The last hour at least we were packing up in steady rain, and all ended up soaked through to the skin. We packed in a different order to try to keep things as dry as possible and it worked much better than usual. I was worried that I wouldn't be able to tow the trailer out because the ground was very wet and sandy, but it was fine. We drove down to the carpark and headed to the shower block to change into dry clothes and retrieve our washing from the dryer.

Once we were dry we headed down for one more look at the beach - the sun was trying to come through and the water was shiny and beautiful, a nice ending to our time in Coffs.

I found it a bit difficult driving with the rain coming and going, so it was a slow drive north. I hadn't driven beyond Coffs Harbour before so it was all new. A lot of the Pacific Highway is dual carriageway now and they are working on lots more of it. We saw a pretty spectacular bridge in the process of being built - it is going to be high enough to replace the current bridge which lifts up to let boats through. There were cranes and diggers on pontoons in the middle of the river, it was pretty cool. As we drove we listened to 'The Colour of Magic' by Terry Pratchett - it took the kids a while to get into it, now everyone is enjoying it and I'm pleased to be sharing this series and world with them. I stopped once for a cup of tea and once to retie some straps on the trailer and the short breaks helped me stay alert.

We arrived in Bryon Bay around 4pm and I was astounded at the number of people around - lots and lots of pedestrians and the traffic was heavy. I dropped the kids off at the information centre and drove back out of the main street to the free parking for long vehicles which was a block from the main street. Lots of people parked here and walked back through across the old railway track. The kids played in the park and we used the toilets and I rang around the caravan parks in town to see how much it would cost us to stay - the costs varied between $50/n and $95/n. I'd been trying to get in contact with the local football club who let people camp at the football ground - I couldn't find out how much they charged for kids. We decided to drive out there and check it out and if too expensive we'd come back to the cheapest caravan park. The grounds looked green and inviting and they said it would be $30/night, and there were toilets and hot showers and only a 5 minute drive back into town - so we decided to stay here.

It had started raining again while we were in town (we sat under a big tree while I made my phone calls and it kept off some of the rain) and it had settled in by the time we arrived at the football ground. Liam and Amelie decided to stay in the car and play on their iPods, and Caitlin braved the weather with me to set up. It was windy by now as well which added a whole extra challenge. We got the tent up - we'd left the annex roof attached and the tarp over the tent, which made putting the tent up much harder, but setting the annex and covering the roof much easier. It still took us a while to get everything tied down and in an optimal position for avoiding leaks - and we were soaked right through again. The inside of the tent was pretty damp, there was water in several corners. We set the beds up closer to the centre than usual, and put blankets and mats on the floor so that we didn't spread the water around, and it felt pretty cozy. Luckily the weather was warm despite the rain, so it wasn't completely uncomfortable.

We boiled the kettle and had cup-a-soup and noodles for dinner. There were lots of backpackers staying there as well and we chatted to a few of them (and lent one group a saucepan) and headed to bed as soon as we could.

Brisbane Trip Day 8: Coffs Harbour

My cold was still hanging around but I was in a much better frame of mind today. We had a very quiet morning hanging around the campsite – I did some washing and optimistically hung it on the clothesline even though there was still a bit of rain around. AMelie played in the playground and once the kids had had breakfast they headed to the office to get equipment to play in the games room.  I stayed at the tent waiting for the auto electrician and tidying up a bit – our hectic set up when I was stressed meant that things were really messy. The auto electrician arrived and was able to fix the window easily – and explain another problem I’d been having with the window and gave me some tips on fixing it. I really appreciated this as the last time I had the window fixed the problem started and the guy didn’t want to know about it – this guy said that the problem should have been anticipated and fixed when I had my switch replaced.

Feeling very relieved that my window was now working, I joined the kids for a game of mini golf. They’d also played pool and table tennis and were hoping to play air hockey when the equipment was returned. We snacked on cold sausages and salad from the night before, then the kids had a swim while I sat at the pool edge and caught up a bit on my blog and email and started to search for accommodation options for the next parts of our trip. It was hot and humid again, with occasional rain showers.

Around 4pm we got out of the pool and headed up the coast for a look around. (Some of my washing was dry and I grabbed that off the line before I went). We went one headland north of our beach to Moonee Beach – apparently voted No 3 on the 101 Best Australian Beaches of 2017. We waded across the river – Amelie and I found a shallow crossing,  the others went a bit deeper and it was a little scary/exciting – there was a slight current and the sand was very soft, but at no point was it too deep or strong for us to handle. On the main beach we played in the edge of the surf – again, it was too rough to go out far, but there was a wide shallow area of knee deep waves and that was a lot of fun. What we could see of the beach was quite pretty, but the rain had set in again and combined with spray from the surf we couldn’t see very far along the beach, it was just mist. There were sea birds on the shore who were interesting to watch, and the water temperature was beautiful. It was great to be in the ocean, even if it was just at the edge. Eventually we wandered back through the river to the carpark – the current was stronger this time although we found an easier place to cross. We played on the sand for a while, investigating the little crab holes that appeared to all be in pairs. We wandered over the bridge that led out to the headland and saw lots of fish in the water, and the kids saw an eel.

We got back in the car and headed back to Coffs Harbour. It was weird - looking out from the car the day looked cold and miserable, but when we were outside the temperature was lovely - just a bit wet. We drove to Boambee Beach which looked beautiful but still too rough to swim, then out to the break wall on the southern side of the harbour and walked out a little way so we could see the waves breaking on the ocean side - they were big and were making awesome thumping sounds as they hit the wall. We were all still in our swimmers because we'd hoped to find another beach to swim at, but by this stage no one wanted to swim again so we got changed into dry clothes in the car. We sat and watched the harbour for a while - little waves on the rocks, fishing boats going out, birds flying around. I did a bit more research on accommodation options and discovered that Sea World Resort had a deal on, because their main pool is closed, which meant we could get accommodation at the resort, plus entry to all the theme parks, for less money than it would have cost us to get theme park tickets on their own! I decided to think about it for a bit and check the details again once we'd eaten.

We ordered fish and chips from Sea Salt Fish and Chips and drove around to pick them up. We'd wanted to sit near the jetty and eat them but it was raining pretty steadily by now - we found some covered picnic tables, not with a view to the jetty but in the vicinity, so sat there to eat. The food was delicious - fantastic chips and the seafood was great. Possibly the best fish and chips I've had.

Back at the caravan park we found that the rain had pooled in the roof of the annex again so I spent some time rejigging everything to prevent that happening overnight. The seam above Liam's bed also started leaking, which happens when the roof just gets too wet, so Caitlin and I put a tarp over the tent to try to cut down the amount of water coming in - it slowed to a slight trickle so we just put towels and a bucket underneath and hoped it didn't get worse.

Brisbane Trip Day 7: Coffs Harbour

Amelie came up into my bed in the middle of the night and I was awake then for a couple of hours. Initially I was worrying about things then I looked up some auto electricians online and started to plan the next leg of our trip and felt much better. When I woke up in the morning I felt ok although my cold seemed worse. I went for a quick walk down to the beach then came back to ring an auto electrician who started work at 7am. He wasn’t able to help me but gave me the number of someone who would probably be able to. I played with Amelie for a while then rang the 2^nd guy, he agreed to come out and have a look at the window the following morning.

We’d planned to have a quiet day today then go to Dolphin Marine Magic (formerly the Pet Porpoise Pool) tomorrow – but not knowing how long it would take the window to be fixed I didn’t want to risk having to sit around all morning waiting to be able to go. So we decided to go today and quickly got everyone else out of bed, had breakfast, packed some food, untaped the window and were at the Dolphin place by 9.30. I’d bought our tickets at the caravan park and saved about 15% which was a nice bonus. When we arrived I taped the window back up in case it rained and for security.

We had arrived at the dolphin place in time for dolphin kisses so we headed out to the dolphin pool – there were 2 dolphins swimming in the pool when we arrived so we excitedly watched them for a while. The kids then lined up to get a kiss from a dolphin which they all loved. They said the dolphin’s nose felt rubbery. We headed down to then get a hug from a seal – the kids all had one individually and then I joined them all for a group hug. We were able to put our arms around the seal – it felt smooth and furry and slippery.

We went back to the dolphin pool to get ready to watch the show – we were early enough to get the front row of seats, right at the middle of the pool. The show was enjoyable and funny – and Amelie was picked to go and help the dolphins dance – she got to stand by the side of the pool and conduct the dolphins by pointing her fingers and swinging her hands side to side. The smile on her face was as big as I have ever seen. The seals performed directly in front of us, we had a great view. Caitlin was picked to throw rings to a seal, who caught them over her head. She was also pretty thrilled. Once the show had finished we were all able to stand at the side of the pool and the dolphins swam past on their backs and we were allowed to pat their bellies. They felt cool and smooth and it was a lot of fun.

After the show we went to watch the shark and ray feeding. We looked at the fish, small sharks and rays in a large tank – we could look in through the top, or through windows in the side. There were also smaller tanks containing colourful fish from the region. Fish and squid were handed out on little metal plates and we were able to feed the animals using tongs. Some of the big snapper really splashed as they came up to grab the food, it was pretty funny. A banjo shark came right up the side of the tank and kept popping up to try and get food – it was beautiful and also amusing.

Next we watched the green turtles being fed – one of them was huge and the others a good size. We listened to the guy talk about how and where they’d been rescued and some other turtles that had been rehabilitated. On our way from there to the penguin feeding I noticed a plaque with this trainer’s name on it – he has been working there since 1970, so would have been there even when I visited as a 2 year old!

The Little Penguins were very cute (as expected). We got some photos then were able to help feed them fish – the guy handed out a couple of little fish or a piece of squid to each person as they got to the front of the line – we held out the fish and the penguins pulled them out of our hands (and then fought over the fish until one of them managed to swallow it). We were able to back to the end of the line and keep feeding them until all the fish were gone – the kids had several turns. Most people were feeding the penguins right up at the barrier, we reached a bit further back to feed some of the other penguins. Some of them didn’t like squid (and many people didn’t want to hold the squid) – Liam spent quite a while trying to find a penguin to eat his last piece of squid.

We then helped feed the small turtles (throwing pellets in to their pond), looked at the photos of the dolphin kiss and seal hug, then went back up to look at the dolphins again. One of the trainers was about to do a training session with a seal so we were able to sit (in our front row seats again) and watch that, it was cool to see how the trainer was working on tricks with the seal. We chatted to another trainer who had started working there part time in Year 11 and had recently moved to a full time job once she finished school, she loved working there and was really appreciative of the opportunity she’d had. One of the dolphins brought a ball over to the edge and Amelie played catch with it for a little while which was pretty fun. Walking back down from the pool we saw a trainer with a little New Zealand Fur Seal and talked to her and one of the vets.

We went and had some lunch (surrounded by a school group) and the kids wandered around and looked at the animals some more. Soon it was time for the afternoon session of dolphin kisses so we went back for more – I had a kiss this time as well, it was pretty cool (and yes, it did feel rubbery). Then off for hugs with the seal, the kids had another individual hug, I had one as well, and Caitlin and Liam hugged her together.

Back to see the show again, and had our front row seats again. This time I was picked to hold fish out for the dolphins to jump up and grab (very excited), Liam got to help the dolphins dance, Caitlin got to do a tooth and heart check on one of the dolphins, and Amelie got to throw a ball to one of the seals. (There were very few people in the audience this time, only 2 other kids and they also were selected to interact with the animals). We patted the dolphins again then went for another shark feeding and turtle feeding. We played with the dolphins in the pool again, throwing the ball to them, and then went back to see the penguins and fed them again. We went and watched the seals in their pool for a while, and then went to purchase the group photo of us with the seal. The kids browsed the gift shop and Caitlin and Amelie bought some jewellery.

It was very hot and humid by now so we decided to go to the Big Banana to get a frozen banana. I drove around via the beaches so we could have a look – the beach just to the north of the marina looked very inviting, not rough, wild surf like everywhere else we’d been. I drove all the way to the end of Ocean Parade and the last little bit felt very familiar – just like a memory I have of walking with my Dad when we were in Coffs Harbour in 1974. (I checked with Mum later and we stayed just near that road on that trip, so I think it was the place from my memory). On the way out of town we passed a shopping centre so called in to get some milk and something for dinner. We also went to Target and bought some clothes that were needed.

At the Big Banana we bought 2 choc (and sprinkle) covered frozen bananas to share, as well as an Ultimate Banana smoothie (with cinnamon and maple syrup) and a Choc Banana smoothie. They were all delicious and very very enjoyable. We wandered through the banana and then went to play in the video arcade for a short time. The kids all got lots of tickets and we exchanged them for a few little toys – including those rubber popping domes that I remember loving as a kid. We went back to the banana and took some photos of the kids in front of it, and I figured out the self-timer on my camera and we got a group shot.  There’s now a fun park at the Big Banana as well but we were there too late in the day to do any of the activities.

Back at the caravan park we went for a swim in the pool which was lovely and refreshing. Amelie played for a while with some other kids in the playground. I figured out that this caravan park was the same place I’d stayed with my family in 1986 – but it looked different because they seem to have recently sold the top half of the park and it’s now a housing estate. So I was feeling quite nostalgic for previous Coffs visits.

We cooked sausages on the bbq in the camp kitchen and then headed back to camp for a quiet night. There was more rain coming so I spent a bit of time setting up the awning so that none of the rain pooled in the roof, and felt like I did a pretty good job (it worked overnight). 

Brisbane Trip Day 6: Crowdy Bay -> Coffs Harbour

I started the day with a walk on the beach, all the way up to the headland. It was a bit calmer this morning and the sun was trying to break through the clouds. As I started back up the track to camp, Amelie came down the other way, so I went back to the rocks with her and we had a bit of a play.

Back at the tent we had a cuppa then breakfast, joined by the other two as they woke up. We started packing up just before 9 and all the kids did a great job helping out – it was mainly new to them and they were really keen to do what they could to make the job quicker (partly because they wanted to stop at the Koala Hospital in Port Macquarie so I said we needed to leave early enough to fit that in).

Around 11 we were nearly ready so I sent them down for a last play on the beach while I put the bikes on and hitched up the trailer, we were on the road before 11.30. Not bad for our first bush camp pack up, with the annex. And everything being wet. The campground had ended up being completely fine to stay at – I’d heard there was a lot of wildlife around though we didn’t see much – just a couple of kangaroos and some kookaburras who liked to hang around the back of the drop toilets. Oh and about a million mosquitos and some march flies. It was peaceful though and the beach was beautiful, we all had a good time there.

I was a bit worried about the state of the road after 2 days of rain – it wasn’t too bad although there were still some heavily corrugated areas so it took me a while to drive out. Once we reached the bitumen Caitlin was going to put our audio book back on (The Colour of Magic) but we couldn’t find my iPad. We stopped in Laurieton to have a search for it, with no luck. I was a bit concerned then realised there was nowhere it could have gone – we didn’t leave it at the site and I didn’t take it anywhere else, so it had to be in the car somewhere.

We drove through to Port Macquarie, using the coastal scenic road rather than going back out to the Pacific Highway. It was quite beautiful, lots of lakes and rivers, and I don’t think I’ve been through that way before. I enjoyed driving through Port Macquarie, remembering a trip there with my parents when I was about 20, and a trip with Tony when he was playing baseball there. We stopped at the Koala Hospital (and I found my iPad in my camera bag) and spent a happy hour exploring the little museum, looking through a microscope at gum leaves, and looking at and reading about the permanent stay koalas – the ones who have conditions which mean they can’t be released back into the wild. It was also cool reading about those who have been rehabilitated and released. Amelie in particular was so happy to see the koalas – they were very cute and a few of them were even awake and we could watch them moving about. The kids had been talking about adopting a koala, to help with research and rehabilitation, so we looked through the book and found a wild koala that everyone agreed was the cutest, and paid to adopt it for a year. Amelie was vaguely disappointed that this didn’t mean we got to keep the koala, but was happy enough with the idea that our money will help to keep koalas healthy and safe.

It was even more humid here than it had been at the campground and I was keen to get back in the car – we probably should have stopped and had lunch though because we were all pretty hungry later on. My plan was to detour via Bellingen and have lunch by the river there, but we ended up leaving a bit later than I’d planned, and the place we were staying in Coffs Harbour closed reception at 5, so I wanted to make sure were there before then. Liam wasn’t feeling well so we stopped at a rest stop to cool down a bit, then stopped once for petrol and looked like we would have heaps of time to get to Coffs by 5 – our park was just north of the town and it took ages to drive through in afternoon traffic – then the signage was confusing and I wasn’t sure where I was going – we made it to the Sapphire Beach Holiday Park at about 4.55.

The kids had been so excited about staying in a beachside caravan park, and the photos looked amazing. When we got here though it looked much more unkempt and not as inviting – everyone was a little disappointed. We headed to the unpowered camping area – an area designed for 3 sites, but they weren’t marked out. 2 tents were already there and I couldn’t figure out whether they were together or not, or where they would be putting their cars. There was a spot right up against the sand dunes where we would fit, but probably not with the annex. After walking around and considering options for ages I decided to go to the left of the gate, away from the sand dunes – although I was worried that we might be a little too close to one of the tents. In the end though it seemed to be the only place we could fit. It was a tight space and took me quite a while to get the trailer into position. I was still worried about encroaching on other campers as well. I decided to go for a walk to the beach to calm down – although we were worried that the beach might not be as beautiful as in the pictures. Walking through the path over the dunes it felt quite gloomy as the greenery was very dense – then suddenly we stepped out into the light and could see Split Solitary Island and the ocean and it was beautiful. We played briefly on the sand (the surf was still too big to swim in) then went back to set up the tent. There was just enough room for us in the corner we’d picked. The kids explored the park a bit and found the amenities and the games room etc and came back very keen for a swim. Once the tent itself was up I said we could do the beds etc later, and went to close the car windows in case it rained – and my driver’s window wouldn’t go up. We’d had trouble with it for a while and obviously it had reached it’s limit. I felt like I had as well, I just wanted to cry because it felt like everything had gone wrong since we arrived. I taped up the window with plastic bags and gorilla tape and figured I’d have to sort it out in the morning.

We went for a swim in a beautiful new pool and it was lovely, it helped me calm down a little. We still hadn’t had much to eat though, and I was very tired, so reluctantly we went back to camp and Caitlin and Liam cooked pasta with tomatoes and kabana for dinner, while I struggled to set up the annex – normally I do it pretty easily but it was hard work this time. In the midst of it the people next to us came back – we were in the spot where they had parked their camper next to their tent. I thought they hadn’t marked their spot but they had put a rock next to the fence and I hadn’t realised it was a marker. I apologized and they said it was fine but seemed upset -  I talked to them later and they said they’d just been surprised and were happy to put the camper in a different spot.

Dinner was delicious and we finally had the beds all set up so we could go to bed. I felt like I was getting a cold as well and was very glad for the day to be over.

Brisbane Trip Day 5: Crowdy Bay National Park

I woke up in the morning and discovered that our car fridge wasn’t working (I’d turned it off overnight and it would not turn back on) and the key remote for my car wasn’t working either. My feelings of apprehension all came back so I went for a walk to the beach, this time through the track just near our campsite rather than down the road, and I felt better straight away – seeing the ocean always calms me down.

Back at camp I made a cup of tea and set up the annex in case we had more rain (it was still quite grey). The kids gradually made their way out of the tent and we had a lovely relaxed morning around the campsite. The national park ranger came passed and I let him know I hadn’t paid yet – he gave me a payment slip and said I could pay anytime that day over at Diamond Head Campground. I asked about walking over and he said it would take about half an hour on the inland track, and gave me directions.

We decided we’d walk over and pay, maybe have a swim there if the surf was calmer, and walk back via the headland walk. We set off around 11.30 – it had been drizzling on and off but nothing heavy. The track started from the far end of our campground and wound through fairly dense bush. Not far into our walk we saw a dead snake – it gave us all a fright until we realised it was dead, then we were able to stop and have a good look at it – some birds had started to peck at it but it was mainly intact. I realised at this point that my camera battery was flat – I took a few photos using my phone but not as many as I normally would – I missed my camera a few times, although I also enjoyed walking without stopping to capture images. Amelie wasn’t keen on the walk so we were counting animal sightings to make it more interesting – we saw lots of birds, ants, a few butterflies – the dead snake was the most exciting. There were also several cool looking flowers – banksias, Christmas bells, and some white flowers and purple flowers – watching out for them made it more interesting as well.  We walked past (and had a look into) Kylie’s hut – an author called Kylie ?? used to live there and gave the area it’s name. It was very basic but I loved the idea of living there and wandering down to the beach whenever I fancied.

As we got close to Diamond Head we suddenly had a view of the ocean to the north, it was quite impressive. The last bit of the walk was down a track with low vegetation on each side, so we could see the view for most of the way. We arrived at the campground and paid our camping and National Park fees (it was $8 a day for NP fees, on top of camping fees. I was surprised, in most places I’ve only had to pay the NP fee once on entering, if we are staying more than one night).

By this stage it was raining so we went and used the flush toilets (kids were very excited) and sat under a shelter to have some lunch. I checked the radar and the rain looked like it wouldn’t last long, so we sat and played games for a while, trying to wait out the rain. After a while we decided to walk down to the beach and not worry about getting a little wet. We clambered over some more rocks and admired the view in one direction and the interesting rock formations to the south (including a gap in the rocks that looked like it might once have been a natural arch). The girls decided to try the water and it was warm – so they had a swim in the edge of the surf – it was shallow for a long way out to where the waves were breaking, so they just stayed knee deep and had a great time. Liam and I explored the rocks a bit more, watched the kangaroos, and sheltered under a tree when the rain felt heavier.

When the girls got out we figured we were all pretty wet anyway so we might as well start to walk back. As we got out into the open the rain became extremely heavy – we were quickly wet right through to the skin, and since we couldn’t get much wetter, we decided to keep going. Amelie just wrapped her towel around her and the other 2 kids had jackets. I was just in a t-shirt but didn’t feel too cold. The air temperature wasn’t too bad, the rain was a little chilly though. We trudged up the open track from the campground and then debated whether to try the headland track – Amelie would have preferred to go straight back the inland way, the others wanted to see the headlands. We went the longer way – the track led up and down between 3 headlands and there were some magnificent views of the oceans, headlands and off shore rocks. Amelie found it pretty hard going but she kept plodding along. The others walked ahead and seemed to really enjoy it. I tried to keep my hand on Amelie’s back or shoulder to keep her motivated and supported – she was cold and wet and miserable and I am so impressed that she walked the whole way.

Above Kylie’s beach we had a great view of the rocks we’d explored yesterday afternoon. Caitlin took the steep track down from there to the beach which was a much shorter way back to camp – the rest of us went back inland to Indian Head campground then back past Kylie’s hut and the snake. Caitlin was waiting for us when we arrived – and our annex roof was full of water as it had obviously poured here as well and I’d made no adjustments for rain. The kids went into the tent and changed into dry clothes and snuggled under blankets, while I sorted out the roof. I got all the water off and adjusted pole heights and added ropes etc until all the new water was running straight off the roof.

Once I was finally in dry clothes myself I made the hot chocolate I’d been promising the kids since we first got wet. I used milk, cream, coconut sugar and half a block of dark chocolate for a very rich, creamy hot chocolate that really warmed and filled us all up.  My feet were all white and wrinkly after being in wet shoes for so long – it took a while before all our skin started to feel normal again even though we warmed up pretty quickly. The kids played on their ipods and Caitlin chatted with friends on her phone and we had a very quiet time for the remainder of the day. I cooked some rice and we had that with kabana and cheese and everyone settled in to bed fairly quickly and easily.