On the way out of Port Macquarie we stopped at Tacking Point lighthouse.
This was in use for over a hundred years to guide ships up the coast. The views from the point out to sea and up and down the coast are incredible.
After a lunch stop in Forster (check your mailboxes!) we finished the drive to Newcastle to meet with these guys.
All is good 🙂
Before we left Coffs this morning we went and climbed Muttonbird Island.
This smallish island, just offshore and connected by a jetty, is the breeding home of Muttonbirds (Shearwaters), which nest here in underground nests.
There aren’t any birds now, but the nests are everywhere and I imagine the sound when birds are here is deafening. The island itself is high and rocky and the wind on top is cyclonic! Here’s the view eastwards from the far lookout:
That silhouette you see is a fisherman braving the rocks far below.
After an epic lunch stop in Kempsey (check your mailboxes…) we continued only to lovely Port Macquarie. This sums up the place nicely I feel:
It’s a coastal tourist town with loads to see and do. Our comfy hotel is located right in the middle of it all and I’d like to spend more than one night here.
We did the usual eating and boulevarding and eating and wandering and eating and some shopping. It was relaxing and great.
Today we end our road trip in Newcastle, with a stop or two on the way. I wonder what we’ll see?
That’s ‘The Big Prawn’ which we briefly stopped at on the way out of Ballina today. About two hours later we arrived at this…
Which is called ‘The Big Banana’ and is in Coffs Harbour, where we’re staying the night.
This is another coastal town, very popular with tourists, that seems to have a lot to see and do. Shortly after we arrived the rains came in and we both had lethargy attacks so we didn’t see much at all today. But we hope to remedy that first thing tomorrow.
On the topic of food we may not be eating well but I can assure you we’re eating a lot! At least B is. I’m struggling everyday to not eat everything I see, and somewhat succeeding, in part because I may have a slight cold coming on.
The motel is comfy and this bed I’m in lulls me to sleep. Cell signal is flaky here, so apologies if you’ve been trying to contact me and heard no response. Until tomorrow…
Got the car yesterday…
And headed south on our first leg to Newcastle. Traffic was light, and it didn’t take long to get to our first stop, Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary.
This place became famous for wild parrot feeding but yesterday there were none there. It’s a big park though, with many Australian animals that are very popular with tourists. I particularly enjoyed the “for children 12 and under” flying fox:
It was roastingly hot in the park, and every step felt like one closer to the grave. The animals were in torpors, and tourists were grumbling. And yet none of this mattered when I found the red kangaroos!
Their fur was so soft! Their paws so cute! Their ears so cool and their souls so gentle. They loved me and I loved them, and lifelong bonds of friendship were made yesterday. The end.
Ballina – our destination – was about an hour farther south and turned out to be a tiny burg on a river.
The tide was out, and the sand flats full of tiny crabs. Can you see one in this photo:
Dinner was at the local RSL, a heaven of air conditioning in the continuing high heat, which I suspect may only increase as we continue south…
Yesterday, after breakfast…
We rode the light rail north to a mall…
Then back south again to Surfers to visit ‘Draculas Haunted House’, a walk-through haunted house that had Bernard drooling and fingering and my soul very nearly taken by an undead Australian mummy-god…
Needless to say it was fun 🙂
Later in the day…
We went to the 8pm fireworks on Broadbeach which were very good…
But surpassed by the ones that happened at midnight right outside our rooms…
I actually fell asleep around 9 pm (since I’m old) but this show woke me right up with a literal bang and meant I was awake at midnight after all…
Happy New Year!