Friends, Family and Freaks!!!

Driving out of Port Macquarie we completely understood why we had been stuck there for days.  Even after the flood levels had fallen, there was still so much water everywhere. Fields, paddocks, gardens and roads were still submerged under water. Houses looked like they were floating along rivers and at some parts, the debris from the floodwaters were higher than our car!

The floods that had us trapped for a week

Our van on the left and the Wood's on the right

We finally arrived at Coffs Harbour a week later than planned.  We arrived at Harbour City Caravan Park and we were very excited to meet up with our friends. We met Mark and Amanda Woods, and their kids, Charlotte (6) and Jakob (5) when they camped next to us at EPIC in Canberra. We are both travelling Australia and our kids are all enrolled in Distance Education. We have a lot in common and all became friends immediately.

 

It was hugs and kisses all round and Will and Jacob couldn’t wait to do what boys do best – wrestle!!! After pulling the boys apart, we sat down and spent a few hours exchanging stories of our travels since we last saw each other.

Fish n Chips on Muttonbird Island

Sam's fish was too small to keep

In Coffs Harbour we spent most of our time catching up with the Woods family. The kids were all very excited to see each other and spent as much time as possible running off and playing together.  We went for a lovely bike ride to the wharf and had fish n chips at the base of Muttonbird Island, followed by a spot of fishing off the pier. Mark was most annoyed that Sam caught more than he did, and we got to see a competitive side of Amanda that we never knew existed! Most nights we had a lovely little campfire where the kids toasted marshmallows. Then once they were in bed we had the fire to ourselves, so we put on some music and opened a bottle – or two.

But it was bigger than Marks!!

Tony and Bernie had also moved to Coffs Harbour but they stayed in a park down by the water. We enjoyed visiting them and the kids fell in love with the amazing pool at their caravan park. Zaccy was lucky enough to hand feed a flock of beautiful Rainbow Lorikeets perched on Tony’s Awning.

 We moved from Coffs Harbour to Lismore for the weekend of their famous annual Lantern Festival. In 1994 the first Lismore Lantern Parade was seen by local artists and performers as a way for the community to honour the cycles of the seasons. The theme for the 18th Lantern Festival was ‘The Great Garden’ giving rise to imaginative and inspired lanterns that pay homage to the natural world and our Gaelic roots.

A metal horse sculpture at the Showgrounds

The CBD was transformed into a beautiful street festival and in the evening the Riverside Park displayed a spectacular array of glowing, handmade lanterns.  Scattered among the many glowing mushrooms, animals, flowers and dinosaurs, were beautiful pyramid lanterns made by the local children who carried them proudly.

The evening was concluded by a magnificent fireworks show and the ceremonial torching of the main stage monument.

We had a wonderful time at the festival and our night was made even more magical by the kids with their lit up bubble blowers.

Next stop, a gorgeous little hippie township called Mullumbimby. It is a quiet country township which is an ideal base from which to explore the beautiful hinterland. The town is also within easy reach of all the magnificent beaches in this part of the world, including Byron Bay and Brunswick Heads.

We stayed at the Mullumbimby Showgrounds and for $15 a night, we got a huge oval to camp on, fresh water and power. We were woken on Sunday morning by the sounds of one of the best Farmers’ markets I have been to.

While at Mullumbimby we took lots of short drives (and some not so short!) to the surrounding townships and beaches.

One day we left Dan to work in peace and quiet and headed to Brunswick Heads for the day. We spent all afternoon playing on the sand, fishing off the rocks and swimming with the dolphins! Yes, we actually got to fulfil a lifelong dream of mine and swim with dolphins in their natural environment.

Dad, Will and Zac were playing in the water when a dolphin and her calf came into the little bay. Will started splashing and the dolphins became curious. They swam underwater to almost within touching distance, then came up for air a few meters away. Later in the afternoon I was in the water with Will and Zac when the two dolphins returned. We didn’t get as close this time, but it was an amazing experience.

'Our' little beach for the day

Dad's catch!

Dad and Sam fished while the dolphins played in the water below

the Eastern Most Point!!!

We ticked off one of our “to dos” when we went to the Eastern Most Point of Mainland Australia at Byron Bay.  It was a cold and wet day so we bolted down the steps of the lighthouse between showers, took the photo, and then ran back to shelter. The clouds blew away just long enough for us to have a quick play on the beach and a walk around town.

Next to this sign was someone with a joint in one hand
and a bottle in the other!

Another tick off the list was when we went to “the drug capital of Australia”, the little village of Nimbin. In New South Wales the cultivation, selling and possession of cannabis is illegal. In Nimbin all three activities are part of their every day hippie culture.  Writer Austin Pick described his initial impressions of the village this way: "It is as if a smoky avenue of Amsterdam has been placed in the middle of the mountains behind frontier-style building facades. ... Nimbin is a strange place indeed." I couldn’t have said it better myself!

 There are’ No Dealing’ signs painted along the streets, and as you walk past, you hear “want some weed? Want a smoke bloke? Looking for some weed?”

 I have never seen Dan so uncomfortable in the 17 years I have known him! We met up with Mark and Amanda, but if we weren’t meeting them, I am sure Dan wouldn’t have even got out of the car.

We stopped in at a cafe for a cuppa and to just sit and take in the sights of the main street. The shops, people, signs and even the animals were fascinating to watch.


Unfortunately Will and I got caught in the middle of two women having a horrible fight. Will heard words that no 7 year old should ever hear and I think I even learnt a few new insults.

I can’t say we will hurry back to Nimbin but at least we have been there and had a small taste of their way of life. Definitely not for us though!!

Another day trip was to the beautiful Minyon Falls. We packed a BBQ and followed the Woods Family to the little picnic grounds, where the kids hand-fed their left over lunch to the local kookaburras. The falls were flowing fast after the rain from the past few days. There was a walking track to the bottom, but it was both too steep and too slippery for the kids to get down there, so we admired it from above.

 

Talking to each other on the CBs, we left the falls and went looking for some 4wd tracks. It was wet and muddy and we all wanted to try out Mark’s new Landcruiser. Unfortunately all the tracks were closed so we headed home.  On the way we called into a gorgeous little place called the Crystal Castle just before it closed. The gardens are an inspirational, tranquil and breathtakingly beautiful landscape. Mystical statues, amazing crystals, rainforests and a beautiful little shop filled with crystals, gems and jewellery. We warmed up with hot chocolates and watched the sun setting over the mountains.

Mum and Dad left Mullumbimby a few days earlier, to meet up with my brother and his family on the Gold Coast.  Tony and Bernie have left to explore the coast a bit more and Mark and Amanda have headed to Brisbane to catch up with friends.

We have a day or so to ourselves and then we are leaving Mullumbimby to go to Palm Beach and meet up with the rest of my family. Both my brothers and their families are flying up from Melbourne, and I can’t wait to see them all.

The kids wanted to spend every waking hour together

Sam and Jake up a great big tree

Boys being boys!