Clarence Valley

Great night”s sleep. Drove to Yamba hoping to catch the 9:30 ferry back across the Clarence River to Iluka. The Clarence River is probably over 1,000m wide at its mouth and Apart from the Murray River, it is the largest river in mainland Australia south of the Tropic of Capricorn,” that’s big.

The ferry was a very gentle affair that took about 45 mins against the tide. The journey is not as straightforward as it could be because, early in the 1900s, they built a stone structure that runs approx a mile from the mouth in,and to direct the river along its north bank and keep it clear for ships. There is a gap along the structure that allows the boats and ferries to cross the river.

What is there to do in Iluka ... not a great deal. We looked around their museum that was very Iluka focused. It’s worrying to see items in museums that I had in our house when I was young, it makes me feel old. Good museum, but not much else. Had a coffee at the ferry terminal ... cafe, not really a terminal, and made friends with a small water dragon that wanted to be fed. Caught the 1:00 ferry back with the tide.

Drove around to Yamba town beach that has a sea-filled swimming pool. Walked to the lighthouse and then to the Pacific Hotel for a beer, but opted for an iced coffee instead.

Drove around to Angourie to see the blue and green pools that were created from mining stone next to the sea. Good spots for cliff jumping. Disappointing that the Blue Pool had warning signs about algae blooms ... not that it deterred everyone. Great seeing the jumpers. Obviously Bun and I did a jump from the top, but no one around to video us - shame.

Found a campsite down the road in Woolgoolga. Despite being almost full, it was well laid out and didn’t feel too crowded.Read more