Heading home

So we headed inland from Byron Bay, to join the Newell Highway and head south. We stopped overnight at Parkes, Tamworth and then Shepperton before we ran into Melbourne and got the boat home.

This last photo is of Bluff Rock, very typical of the inland rocky escarpments of our country.

It is so good to be home!

Crystal Castle

We left Jimmy and Bel's, headed back to Brunswick Heads for a couple of nights, and planned on heading down to coast to visit Dan and Michelle again. The night before we left, there was a mini tornado at Red Rock, near Woolgoolga, and where we had planned on stopping, and the torrential rain had cut the Pacific Highway in 3 places, with it not going to be cleared for 5 days. So we decided to head inland, and down the Newall Highway and home. But while at Brunswick Heads, we went through Mullumbimbi to the Crystal Castle which is such a special place.

Check out the sizes of the amethyst caves, the huge crystals and the rose quartz.

The view from the Crystal Castle. This all hinterland from Byron Bay. Very tropical and lush. Such a wonderful huge Buddha surrounded by a pond, with a lotus flower in mosaic.

Bli Bli again

We went back to Jimmy and Bel's from Hervey Bay to look after their house and dog Jack, while they went down to friend Eric's 40th birthday at Byron Bay.

I think I have some photos taken when we went to the hinterland from there. This one of our car parked at a scenic viewpoint, overlooking Nambour, but the photo is to show the wild sunflowers or daisies that are growing everywhere.

This is looking towards the Glass House Mts from near Maleny.

This bed and breakfast place, Frog House is up for sale, overlooking the Glass House Mts. How wonderful to be able to own it, but just had to take a photo of it!

Bats at Hervey Bay

Just near the caravan park at Hervey Bay, were wetlands that edged the wonderful botanical gardens and this is where the bats hung from the branches during the day. Can you see the black specks in the trees?

Toogoom

While at Hervey Bay we went 20 minutes north to a really nice little beachside place called Toogoom. Tony did some fishing here on the small jetty and actually did catch a fish, but it had to be thrown back as it was too small!! Yep, this is the fish!!

Hervey Bay

We left Jimmy's, went past Gympie and Maryborough (love the colonial buildings here) and on to Hervey Bay. This can be known as the hip and knee capital or the nearly wed and nearly dead capital, as basically there are so many really old people who holiday or live here!! Or the backpackers who go over to Fraser Island.

At the caravan park we were at at Urangan, every night the bats would head out overhead and then turn and go to Fraser Island to eat insects. They would return by morning, and hang upside down in the trees across the way, and you could hear them chattering noisily to each other.

At least at Hervey Bay I did wear shorts and swimsuit for a few days, until it got cold here!! Then it was back to my big black coat!!

Hervey Bay has a very long jetty, but although you can fish off it, you can't take dogs on it, so we spent a lot of time, and I mean a real lot of time, just driving along the Esplanade checking for where you could take dogs, and then the tide wasn't right to fish anyway! Here when the tide goes out, it goes way out, as the bay is very flat.

Also a photo of Boat Harbour where the boats head off to Fraser Island, or Whale watching.

Jimmy and Bel's at Bli Bli

So here we are at Jimmy and Bel's place at Bli Bli on the Sunshine Coast. They have a renovated Queenslander house, with a large back deck which is good to sit out on. In the garden is a large Moreton Bay Fig tree, and at night, the spot light shines up in to the branches and we could see a large python snake!

The house is surrounded by tropical trees and plants, on a hill overlooking a valley of sugar cane. We had a really big thunder and lightning storm the first night here, so still getting rain! While here we went to Eumundi Market, the hinterland towns of Montville and Maleny, along the coastal strip of Maroochydore to Mooloolaba, to the Yandina ginger factory. But we are still in our Tasmanian winter clothes! No shorts yet.

This is Jimmy and dog Jack. And Jimmy and Bel walking with Jack along a path in some wetlands. Also a view of valley where the sugar cane grows.

A photo of the large Moreton Bay Fig tree, and the back of their house.

Fishing at Brunswick Heads

Tony and Joey sitting fishing along the river at Brunswick Heads.

While here we also had a day in at Byron Bay, which was nice, yet really rather scruffy looking still.

Brunswick Heads

At Brunswick Heads we camped right beside the river, which was nice. Tony and Joey did some unsuccessful fishing, however Joey did fall into the river, in the dark, and Tony had to scramble to pull him out. While there we had a day in Byron Bay - raining all this time. The rain seemed to follow us up the coast!

This is the view from the camper.

Woolgoolga

After Forster Tuncurry we headed to Woolgoolga which is just north of Coffs Harbour, in the banana growing area. A lot of the plantations around Woolgoolga are owned by Indians, so there is a large white Hindu temple there, and a restaurant with wonderful sculptured elephants out the front.

A coastal coal ship was washed up on the beach here a long time ago, and now it can be seen sticking out of the sand.

We also then went into the sugar cane country - took this photo while we were waiting at road works!

Forster Tuncurry

We left Toowoon Bay and head north to Forster Tuncurry, another place we really like. The caravan park is right on a lake there also. Also lots of pelicans around. It was here at Forster that Tony wasn't well, saw a doctor who wanted him to go straight to Taree Hospital for a CT scan, or to head straight home to get his head looked at. But next day he felt better!! We had really torrential rain and high winds here so stayed an extra day, rather than packing the camper up while it was wet.

Also here I had the privilege of having a seagull poop in my hair! Yuk. Saw dolphins as always here.

Daniel and Michelle, East Gosford

This is Daniel with 3 year old Zoe. She loves the picnic basket and tea set that I gave her for her birthday.


After Wallaga Lake we stopped overnight at Kiama, drove through Sydney, and put up the camper at Toowoon Bay, just near The Entrance. We couldn't stop with Dan as they have a unit where you can't have a dog. While camped there, someone nearly stole our fridge esky, but as they grabbed it they must have tripped over a guy rope and stumbled and dropped it. Since then we have it inside the camper at night!

Dan and Michelle live in the bottom unit of this large block of units, right on the water, with their own jetty!

This is Daniel, Ben and Joey, on their own jetty, hoping for some fish.

Wallaga Lake

These images are of Camel Rock, Cobargo and Central Tilba. Both quaint little places.


Wallaga Lake has to be one of the most beautiful places on earth. It is tranquil and quiet, far away from all the noise, we can camp right on the lake, and look over to Mt Gulaga. This mountain used to be an aboriginal women's centre!

Just nearby is Bermagui, and over the road from the caravan park is the sea, with Camel Rock. Inland a bit is Cobargo and Central Tilba, where we went for a wander.