Port Macquarie to Brisbane via Byron Bay

We were maybe a bit ambitious to make the trip to Byron Bay in one day from Port Maquarie in the Wonderbus as we skipped a whole chunk of the coast and had a slow journey through roadworks, but we did want to make Brisbane on Friday to avoid being on the road at the weekend.

From our site, we skirted Port Macquarie back up to the Pacific Highway and travelled on towards Grafton where we thought we would stop for some lunch and to refuel.

We missed Grafton somehow (must have blinked or something) but managed to refuel nearby and then stopped at a village called Ulmarra.  There was a very small, handkerchief sized park where we pulled up opposite the police station

The village is on a huge river

… and to be honest to call it a sleepy backwater would be an understatement.  This village was comatose!

And so we finally headed for the coast again, thinking to stay in Ballina but the two campsites we had earmarked were too close to a busy road so we headed on towards another at Lennox Head.

This was more like it.  The site was set just across the track from the beach and on the banks of a tea tree lake – very good for swimming in for your skin and hair apparently.  Unfortunately for us it was packed with families who had obviously taken their kids down there after school – it was rather like an after school club.  The sound of happy splashing and kids enjoying themselves pervaded.  Instead, we went and watched the surf kiters on Seven Mile Beach.

We were within walking distance of a restaurant for the first time, so we took ourselves out for a Thai meal which, while pleasant, was nowhere near as good as we had had in Sydney, but will any Thai ever be again?

The site at Lennox Head was busier than any other we’d stayed at so far but was very peaceful after 10pm.

We’re gradually getting used to the hours here.  It gets light very early, 6am in NSW, 5am in Queensland, but it gets dark very early too, and it seems that on campsites at least, people are in bed by 10pm, so we’ve been getting our share of early nights too.

The following morning we packed up and drove along the coast to Byron Bay.  We had been told that Byron Bay was very hippy, but to us it just seemed a laid back town by the sea. Once more, incredible beaches and lots of eateries.  We stopped for a herbal tea (him) and iced coffee (me) and wondered around the shops.  As we were supposed to be hippy here, Jon bought some beads and I bought a couple of anklets – we just need the hair and the clothes and we’ll be fine!

Byron Bay beach.

We drove on up the coast again and stopped for lunch at Cabarita Beach, yet another beautiful spot.

We like to see that the Aussies have a sense of humour – this was strategically placed by the beach entrance.

So now we are in Queensland, enjoying the company of my lovely cousin who has made us very welcome.  We’re off to see the family today for a barbecue and looking forward to meeting the youngest members of our Aussie clan.

Jon has a bad foot today, not gout this time but we think he may have been stung on his big toe so he will be very pleased not to have to drive or walk much this weekend.

Maybe it would be good if he could swim or fly instead, like this chap we saw on Wednesday