Woolgoolga

9wks in and am getting lazy - you're getting three towns in one footnote.

Wooli (pronounced Wool-eye) is just up the road from Minnie Water. We went there for the dawn service at 5am for Anzac Day. Was a bit pants as we were stuck down the back and couldn't see or hear the service. But we could hear the Last Post ringing out across the sea, which gave me chills.
We will remember them.

We buggered off down the beach once the service was over and caught the sunrise, was pretty special. Lovely area, where the river meets the sea.

We had high hopes when we moved on to Moonee Beach. The caravan park was 5 stars with rave reviews about how dog friendly it was, how great the area was and how close it was to the beach.

And the big town of Coffs Harbour is ten minutes down the road, with all the big shops I needed for various bits and bobs. I'm thinking of getting a portable washing machine, as I'm spending a small fortune on park laundries. Which are notoriously rubbish with old top loaders, manufactured in eighteen eleventy three. Clothes come out dirtier that they went in and it's ruined several new white shirts. But the portable machines are pretty weighty and quite large, don't think I've got the space or weight left for one.

Well, Reflections Holiday Park at Moonee Beach were rubbish. Not dog friendly, just dog tolerant. The site was a swamp, ankle deep in mud. The car and the van are now filthy. The 'beach' was in fact the estuary, it was a good 20 minute walk to the actual beach, across ridged hard sand that killed the feet and several swims through permanent trenches in the sand, caused by the tide.

We nearly stepped on a sleeping stingray whilst wading across to the beach to watch the surfers early one morning - and that was the highlight of our stay.

We nipped up the coast to Woolgoolga to check out the Buster shipwreck that had been exposed on the beach, due to the wild weather. And stumbled across a beach front caravan park when I took a wrong turn. It was glorious. No mud, just a few steps to the beach which was huge and wide with warm water (and a historic shipwreck). I booked on the spot and we abandoned the swamp at Moonee Beach the following morning.

And that's where you find us right now - Lakeside Holiday Park, Woolgoolga. Ironic name as there is no lake. Just a wide creek that flows into the sea.

Dick did a flying jump to catch a stick yesterday. His legs went out from under him and he landed square on his arse in the sand. He limped back to me and whimpered a bit - so I knew he'd done himself a mischief.

He's scraped all the skin off his a-hole and bruised his backside. He's been having salt baths in the sea (which must really sting) and some soothing gel on his unmentionables. I may need to whip him to the vets for antibiotics when they re-open on Monday.

Reason for vet visit: 'A red raw butthole'Read more