Ballina

What a relief for Isobel and Madelaine that Santa found them in Ballina. Word arrived at our van at 6.15 Christmas morning to say he had filled their stockings, so we made our way to the unit for the excitement.  A new scooter was being ridden around the room, a marble run was together and the helicopter was on charge, Santa had been very kind to them both, but most importantly he had left Isobel the tomato she had asked for in her letter.

After making our way back to our van to shower and dress for the day, we decided to ring our other grandchildren.  Elliot and Violet were in Wagga with their other grandmother and had been up since 4.30 with Santa’s gifts, so our morning suddenly didn’t seem so early.  We then called Tieri only to be told that Henry and Charlie were still asleep, 6.30 Qld time!!  Henry and Charlie rose not long after and we were able to skype to see their Santa loot.

The rest of the day was spent opening the rest of the presents under the tree, talking to the extended family not with us, preparing and eating food, and a little drinking and of course plenty of toys to be played with.  We did make it to the beach so the girls could try out their new body boards, Madelaine took a little convincing that you lie on it and not stand on it, but they had fun. Christmas is certainly fun when children are with you.

Kirsty and Carol made it to the shops on Boxing Day afternoon and found a couple of bargains.  Garry and Ben took the girls fishing one morning and caught 4 good bream much to the girls delight. Tuesday saw the weather turn.  The wind picked up to 30+ knots and we have taken our annex and awning down. Garry was so worried about the annex Tuesday night that he was standing out there holding onto parts of it. Carol was not prepared to do that, but eventually the annex was secured enough for sleep to happen. The beaches have been closed, but we were able to take the girls to the small protected bays for sandcastle building, exploring and swimming in the rock pools at low tide. The nights are a mixture of wind howling, tarps flapping and tent pegs regularly being banged back into the ground.  The joys of camping but no one appears to be packing up early and leaving, just riding it all out.  We are very surprised and lucky that our neighbours, at least 4 families in tents, are very quiet in the mornings.  We slept in till 9 and 9.30am Thursday morning!!

Ben and Kirsty left for home on Wednesday, so we drove as far as Byron Bay with them to have lunch (only a 30km drive).  Was that a busy place, so many people, cars and as most people would know Garry in so good in heavy traffic and crowds. So Byron Bay done!!!

We are now spending a couple of days relaxing. Cricket is on so that is Garry’s day taken care of. Not so early starts now that we don’t have 2 little girls knocking on the door at 7 to have breakfast with us.

We haven’t decided on anything for New Year’s Eve yet, but we will find something to do.

Grafton to Ballina

Christmas slows everything down even the blog posts.  We have travelled from Bellingen to Ballina with a couple of hours in Coffs harbour and a couple of days at Grafton on the way. 

The Bellingen markets were the best markets we have seen yet.  They are very large around the local footy field and spread widely.  A band was playing and there were stalls of all types including clothes, fruits, fish, timber toys and furniture, sea shells, books, and antiques.  There are some really interesting wares to be found including a large range of organic and ‘green’ products.  We were impressed by the lack of cheap junky stalls.  The markets are not as big as the Eumundi Markets but people travel miles to visit them and there were hundreds of people in town.  The big difference with these markets is that although they open as early as any markets, the Bellingen people only come out by late morning.  The rush period for the markets is between 11am and 2pm.

Saying goodbye to Jasmine who had her face painting stall set up near the band stage, we headed for Grafton.  Coffs Harbour was the first stop with a visit to the Big Banana essential.  It is well presented and had both of us trying to remember how many decades ago we first visited it.  We think it was 4.  The café is very popular and the chocolate covered frozen bananas still taste great.  After a photo of Grandma in front of another “big” thing for Henry, we left for Grafton. We chose a van park at Grafton from the book and despite a friendly manager is probably the only place we have stayed at so far that we would not return to.  We chose it because it appeared further from the major roads but it turned out that a huge timber mill separated it from the highway. Fri and Sat nights were fine but it was time to leave when the mill kicked in early on Monday morning.  The avenue of huge fig trees in the town centre area was impressive and on Sunday we took a drive inland to visit the pub at Nymboida.   Russel Crowe purchased the Inn and built a Museum and Wedding facility in the grounds beside the pub.  The’ Museum of Interesting Things’ contains a collection of Russel’s movie costumes, props, motorbikes and some local history items and stories including a history of the Nymboida Colliery.  The Colliery went broke owing all its employees entitlements.  A deal was done with the owners to hand over ownership of the Colliery to the employees (union) and it ran for another 18 months during which time they presumably earned their entitlements before it shut down for good.  The Pub overlooks a 90 degree bend in the river which flows very fast and is popular with canoeists.  There is a lot of sporting memorabilia on the walls of the pub including a lot of tributes from sportsmen and women helped financially by Russel Crowe – much of this work unfortunately not reported.  The back veranda dining area overlooking the river was popular and provided a very good lunch.  This is worth a visit and canoeing the river looks like fun.

 Big Banana at Coffs Harbour

 Fig Tree avenue in Grafton

 Carol & huge stagecoach at Russels Crowes Museum of Interesting Things at Nymboida.

 Orange County Chopper in South Sydney NRL colours.

 Nymboida River from back yard of the Inn

From Grafton to Ballina we chose to drive through Casino and Lismore rather than stick to the Pacific Highway.  It was a good choice as the road is good and the traffic was light.  There were also no roadwork stoppages as there was on the Pacific Highway every 30kms – or so it seemed. 

We are staying at Shaws Bay Van Park in East Ballina for 2 weeks over Xmas and New Year.  It is a Big 4 park but is smallish with small sites well packed in from Boxing Day.  The facilities are good and the location and friendly owners are its strong point.  It is on the edge of a wide river with sea walls extending into the sea.  Lighthouse beach is a surf beach a short walk along the wall and there are several small beaches right beside the park with small swells washing up the open sea way/river.  On another side of the park is a large shallow tidal lagoon fed through the seawall.  This lagoon is excellent for swimming, canoeing, fishing, etc.  It is a great spot beside the water, highly recommended for any time outside school holidays for us oldies.  There is a great pub next door serving good priced food on the waterfront. 

 River and one of the beaches beside the Shaws Bay van park.

Kirsty, Ben and the girls joined us for Christmas. They drove down from Brisbane for a few days and rented a unit at the park. We have visited the House With No Steps, the Macadamia Castle, the Bangalow Markets, and Lennox Head Beach.  The House with no steps runs several business to assist the disabled with employment.  They have a great play area for kids with water fountains, mini-golf, swings, etc.  They also have a large plant nursery and shop.  The Macadamia Castle is on the highway and was very interesting for the kids with lots of animals to interact with and feed.   We were impressed with Isobel who lined up to hold a small blue tongue lizard, then a small python about 40cm long.  We expected her to back away when the handler got the larger 1.5m+ Woma Python but she held it fearlessly and posed for photos.  Madelaine loved the chickens and fed the kangaroos. 

 Outside the Macadamia Castle

 Madelaine after enjoying a swim and chocolate

 Isobel on swings at House with no steps.

 Carol & girls in tree house at Macadamia Castle

 Feeding the Chickens

 A very brave Isobel with a Woma Python

 Feeding the roos...

 ...together.

The Bangalow Farmers Markets sold mostly organic (expensive) fruit and veges but the walk among the very interesting shops in old buildings along the main street was nice.  We drove along the coast to Lennox Heads today.  The weather is warm and dry but the big swells coming onto the beaches from an ex-tropical cyclone off the coast has bought the crowds out.  The waves are also big enough at 4m+ to scare most surfers out of the water.  Nature sure can be impressive.

 The Baked ham for Xmas dinner from the Weber Q

 Waves hitting the sea wall in front of the van park.

 Lennox Head - Beach Closed

 A lone surfer taking on the swells

 Waves hitting the coast between Lennox Head and Ballina.

Merry Christmas to all and a Happy New Year for next week.

Forster to Bellingen

We spent a couple of very relaxing days at Forster which included a rest, fish & chips on the beach, another rest, a drive to Seal Rocks blowhole and lighthouse and another rest.  It was very peaceful and the Smugglers Cove van park was great even though there is a large percentage of permanent vans in the park.  The facilities are good for kids with several large pools and play areas.  Forster appeared a very quiet place; Tuncurry, over the river, even more so!  The main town beach has deep clean sand and has a sea water swimming pool at one end and a great beachfront café for ice-creams.  Unfortunately when we visited in the middle of December, there was no chance of the ice creams melting.  There are several high rises but plenty of good value in units for the real estate buyer.  A text from David C to prompted me to find a TAB and earn another tank of fuel  after Willngus won at Caloundra. (Of course in punters language “won” = “recovered”).  A walk up the lookout and another couple of hundred steps rewarded us with views over several beaches and the towns of Forster and Tuncurry.  The next day we took a drive through the great lakes region and out to Seal Rocks lighthouse.  There are several rocky points on the way out to Seal Rocks which were very popular with surfers.  The light house is very cute and set on a high headland overlooking a beautiful long beach to the south.  The light keepers house and the two assistants houses built mid-1800’s are done up and rented out for holiday accommodation.  They look great but the ‘Peak’ season rate of $4,700 / week for the light keepers house was out of our range even though it slept 10.  The light house protected ships from a series of rocky outcrops poking out of the waves for several kilometres out from the point.  Several ships came to grief on the rocks prior to the light being built.

 Seal Rocks Light Keepers House

  Seal Rocks Lighthouse

  Pelicans awaiting an easy feed

We are starting to think of Christmas and headed away from restful Forster and headed north along the coast but only got as far as Taree and left the highway and went inland a little way to Wingham.  The Show Ground at Wingham allows van camping and also allows you to park your van for the day at no charge while you drive up the mountain to Ellinborough Falls.  The drive itself is an adventure with about 30 of the 40km’s being dirt road up the side of the mountain range but well worth the drive.  Another road comes up from the north but listening to another couple it was just as rough.  Ellinborough Falls are the 2^nd longest single drop falls in Australia and also in the Southern Hemisphere at over 200m.  They were very impressive with a short walk and platform right at the top of the falls and a relatively easy walk (700m) around the rim of the gorge to another viewing platform directly opposite the falls – great for photos.  For the more adventurous (meaning Garry not Carol) there is another track to the bottom of the falls which again provides great viewing, photo opportunities, and swimming for cold blooded humans.  The photos I took are very special to me as the 641 steps involved each way was an experience I didn’t know my heart was up to.  The sign calls it a ‘track’ but at 500m horizontal to 175m vertical it is nothing other than a series of steps and resting platforms for the entire journey – great fun and worth doing just for the opportunity to pass a few young 20 something’s resting against the rail puffing and blowing on the way up.  I must mention the little café at the parking ground.  Run by 3 local ladies who bake their own pies, sausage rolls, pasties, and quiches which are excellent quality and reasonable priced.  Don’t bother packing lunch, the vegetable pasties are great and the cup of tea was the cheapest we have seen on our trip so far ($2.50).

  Ellinborough Falls

 At the bottom, only 641 steps back up!!

Back to Wingham to pick up the van and on to Port Macquarie for 2 nights.  We chose the Melaleuca Top Tourist Park which was run by John Wright (no relation) and was very friendly with the best camp kitchen facilities we have come across yet.  We also bumped into a really friendly couple next door who have also recently retired and gone touring.  They were interesting to talk to and I was able to buy a spare base plate for our vans wind down legs because one had cracked.  Graham had had to buy a set of four so was happy to part with one for a fair price.  Port Macquarie has a large central shopping district and nice town beaches.  A short drive south along the coast to the Tacking Point Lighthouse was rewarding (although very windy). Beautiful views along the coast are available.  The next morning started fine and sunny so we extended for a 3^rd night and set of for Wauchope and Timbertown early.  The attraction has had some rough times in recent years being run down, taken over by the Council, run down even more, and now back in private hands and recovering well.  We went on a steam train ride, horse drawn carriage ride, and watched a bullock team demonstration, blacksmiths at work and a steam driven saw mill in action.  The park is in recovery mode but we still recommend it as a great place spend several hours to teach the kids about yesteryear.  Entry is reasonable and the young people presenting the demonstrations are very friendly and keen.

 Timbertown Steam Train

 Art Gallery full of good local art

 I've never been this dressed up!!

 A real Treehouse

 Timbertown main street

 Bullock team hauling large log

 Neat train

 Tacking Point Lighthouse

 Tacking Point Lt/hse from lookout

Heading on we drove in through South West Rocks (plus some other beach we didn’t mean to visit because we were Facebooking instead of reading the map!!!).  The feature was a visit through the jail built in the 1860’s and extended in 1900.  The buildings were made out of local granite and situated on a headland with great coastal views.  The cells are intact and the attraction is well presented with all associated story boards and videos by the Parks & Wildlife Service.  It was very interesting reading about the inmates during different periods of convicts through to Germans interred during WW1.  There is a van park immediately adjacent to the jail on the beach front but at $54 / nite for a powered site we headed on to Nambucca Heads and the Big 4. 

 South West Rocks Jail 1860's

 View north from jail wall watch-tower

 Inside jail wall at the beach

 Wing added in 1900-1902

 Inside the silent cells for bad prisoners

The Nambucca Heads park really impressed us with direct access on a beautiful long empty beach, great facilities for kids, excellent grassed sites with garden borders and a variety of good looking cabin accommodation.  It was super quiet being long and narrow with the beach along one side and national park bush along the other. The beach side has about 50m of tree covered sand hills to block the sea winds which left the park with a gentle breeze. We enjoyed long evening and morning walks along the beach collecting shells until our pockets were full.  The park is a little hard to find, being through town along a narrow road beside Swimming Creek and across a small timber bridge.  The reception staff were very friendly and recommended we take a walk thru the park to choose a site before checking in.  We highly recommend this park and could easily return for an extended stay.   Alas we left and headed for Bellingen and the Show Grounds in town.  Bellingen is a very pretty town with a wide swiftly flowing river and lots of single mums and shoeless people wearing 70’s clothes.  Apparently the town likes to be called ‘art-y’.  The show ground is cheap ($10/nite) and like everything around town covered in lush green grass and huge shady beech trees.

 Jasmine & Matt

We caught up with our niece Jasmine and her partner Mat who live nearby at Fernmount.  We spent a very enjoyable afternoon evening with them and Mat, being of German origin, appreciated the 6 pack of imported German beer even more than I did.  One of Jasmines activities is body art and by the look of the paintings on her face after a day care breakup she is very good at it.  Jasmine and Mat seem very happy and relaxed together.  Friday has been spent touring up the river valley into the mountains through the Dorrigo region.  The National Park office has a skywalk platform which extends out from the rim of the range over the forest with views out to sea more than 40km’s away.  This was impressive and after morning tea we set off on a walk through the forest to the Crystal Falls.  The falls topple over a basalt ledge into a pool.  The path leads under the overhanging rock behind the falls.  There is a suspension bridge over the gorge immediately in front of the falls giving a great spot for photos.  We were impressed the number of huge trees, quantity of ferns of all types, and the number of huge crows nests growing in the taller trees.  It was a beautiful walk and no leeches or ticks were encountered.  A short drive through Dorrigo leads to the Dangar Falls which are right beside the road and carry a larger volume of water than the other falls we have seen.  The river falls into a large swimming pool and there is a beautiful picnic ground at the Falls.  A short 400m walk leads to the bottom of the falls with several platforms provided for photographers.  The river at the falls was the site of one of Australia’s 1^st Hydro-electricity plants.  A small weir was built across the river and water was channelled to a reservoir.   From the reservoir the water was sent through 2 wooden drop pipes down 70m to the2 X 100KW generators which produced 3200v power for the butter factory and town of Dorrigo in 1922.  After calling at Griffiths lookout on the edge of the range we returned to Bellingen for a wander through the shops and were amazed at what valuable clothes we must have thrown out 35 years ago.  Beautiful fine handkerchief dresses are selling for $400 and you can buy a towelling dress for less than $100!!  Can’t wait to see what’s at the Bellingen Markets in the morning.

 On the skywalk towards Coffs

 Large tree that looks like a Moreton Bay Fig

 Crystal Shower Falls from the bridge

 Suspension Bridge from behind the falls

 note ths overhang under the falls

 Another view from behind the falls

 The bridge above the falls gorge

 Picnic grounds at the top of Dangar Falls Dorrigo

 Dangar Falls from below

Hunter Valley

A fortnight has gone and we haven’t moved the van from Peters’ front yard.  Carol has enjoyed a return trip to Dysart to watch Isobel and Madelaine in their first Dancing Concert.  They looked very cute and danced exceptionally well.  The trip was an early Xmas present from Kirsty and much appreciated.  Kirsty and Ben are busy with Xmas things, especially their Xmas lights as they are in stiff competition with a mate a few doors up to see who has the best display in Dysart this year.

2 very cute Grand-daughters and 1 proud Grandma - their costumes looked lovely and they both danced very well.

 Carol also caught up with Fabian, Brendan, Michelle, Henry and Charlie in Tieri.  They are all good and waiting for school to finish.  Henry & Charlie were in the school concert last night and we have yet to skype to see the costumes.  Fabs is all but finished in Tieri with Emily and the kids waiting for him down south.  Their house in Mudgee settled yesterday the same day the furniture was packed in Tieri.  Elliot and Violet (and Emily) are looking forward to catching up with Fabs at the end of this week.  Kirsty had Fabs over to prepare another batch of "Grandma Wright's Mango Chutney" before he left.  Isobel (with a little 'help' from mads) picked the mangoes from their tree and helped make the brew.

 Fabs supervising the Chutney Chefs

The pergola roof timbers done!!

Peter & Carol

Peters eldest Jackie - all grown up and about to start a new job in Sydney after a big driving holiday in the USA in Jan 2012

While Carol was in CQ Garry was helping Peter rebuild his octagonal pergola.  That worked out well with two people to manage the larger timbers for the peaked roof.

Last weekend we spent in Sydney.  Saturday was spent wandering Darling Harbour and taking a ferry to Circular Quay to then wander the Rocks area and browse the large markets operating.  Beautiful weather.  Sunday we spent at Homebush at the V8 Supercars. It was the first time Carol had been to the V8 races and she was impressed despite the freezing cold windy showery weather.  The event at the Olympic area is huge with several pavilions and streets of car and bike displays.  There were hundreds of cars displayed including some good oldies.

 Outside Star Casino

Peter & Wendy going for a ride in a 1968 Shelby Mustang (500HP)

Luna Park 

 Sydney from the ferry

 Carol beside King Neptune made from a zillion Lego pieces glued together at the Aquarium in Darling Harbour.

At the Telstra 500 Peter, Dick & Steven Johnson & Garry

 Nice bike with some random chicks that insisted on posing.

 Part of the car show at Olymic Park

Carol up close to the V8's - note the colour matching ear plugs.

As the greenhouse was finished awaiting more materials, we went for drive through the Barrington Tops Nat Park and Forestry area.  The trail we followed went from Gloucester in the east to Scone in the west.  The mountains are very high and while the road was gravel with quite a few potholes, it was an excellent drive through very different country.  The east side is lush rainforest, across the top is thick snow gums and pretty mosses and algaes and down the west slopes are beautiful green hills.  Lovely running streams through pine trees and over rocks made it very soothing.  We were advised to pull in for a beer at an old pub on the western end of the track.  The village is called Moonan Brook and the pub is very quaint. The village consists of the pub, a post office, restaurant attached to the pub and a house.  It is on the banks of one of those beautiful white water creeks.  It was a shame we had to drive home down the valley passed heaps of huge open cut mines.  The mining boom is very evident.

 Across the Barrinton Tops - Snow Gums to the edge &rainforest below

 Thick Snow Gum Forest - and it was very cold on 6th December

 In amongst the firs in a Pine Plot where the NSW Forestry is trialling several species.  This was eerie. There was no light nor vegetation on the forest floor yet there were the remnants of huge logs cut before the pines were planted.

 Another one of those pretty streams beside Polblue Picnic Area

 Polblue Falls

 At the western edge of Barringtops Nat Park & Forestry area.  Lush green hills for miles.

Moonan Brook Hotel.  I think the tree is from the 1800's as is the pub.  Very friendly locals up for a chat with any visitors.

Today we are doing a tour some of the Hunter Valley Wineries and restaurants outside Cessnock.  We haven’t visited the area for 26 years and things have sure improved.  The Hunter Valley Gardens at Pokolbin are a spectacular 50 acres with 10 themed areas of privately owned Botanic Gardens and are well worth a few hours of viewing.  Adjacent is a boutique shopping centre with wine, cookies, British Lollies, etc available as well as several eateries.  Within a few hundred metres is the Hunter Valley Chocolate Co. and the Smelly Cheese factory both of which sell something to suit everyone.  A quick trip up the road to visit Tyrell’s winery and their lovely rose bush driveway and then we completed the loop through historic Wollombi and back through Cessnock passing a couple of dirty coal mines on the way.  I am surprised how many mines are in such a beautiful area and shake my head at the protestors against mines in places like CQ and Acland.  Wollombi is a town of mostly historic buildings in the hills towards the Putty Road.  It is on a neat little stream and looks very hippy-ish.  The Hunter Valley Visitors is a very well equipped centre although a little hard to find.  It is located about 6kms out of Cessnock towards Pokolbin and adjacent to the Cessnock airport.  We found lots of useful info about the Hunter Valley and other places north along the coast that we are visiting next.

 Carol at Tyrells Winery who have a great spot on a hill and maintain beautiful rose gardens along the entrance drive.

 Wollombi Church which went several metres under water in 1949 flood

Wollombi shopping centre

Part of the Metal Art Trail around Woolombi

Having done our tourist thing, we finally left Paterson and headed for Forster on the coast.  The rain had set in again at Maitland and was due to continue right through next weekend so after a night of steady rain we packed up in the wet and 3 hours later find ourselves in the warm sunshine and cool breezes of Forster’s Smugglers Cove van park.  The park has great sites, is very close to town but on the water of the bay and quiet – except for a couple of FA18’s from Newcastle practicing dogfights overhead at the moment; they are fast and noisy.