Coffs to Byron

Can you see the lighthouse on the most eastern point of Australia ? Look closely to where my feet are pointing...

DRIVE: Coffs Harbour to Byron Bay (232km). The Pacific Highway is getting a $4.9b rebuild from Woolgoolga to Ballina so 186 of our 232km was done through roadworks and reduced speed limits!!!

Despite that, the drive was very scenic; closely following the Clarence and Richmond Rivers. Beautiful wide rivers - we can only imagine they received some of the north’s monsoon rain from January. Lots of irrigation for the cattle and sugar cane.

We drove through lots of small country towns, some with only a scattering of houses, and one with a huge sugar mill (Broadwater). One had one of those brown tourist signs saying 1860s historic port and a ferry to help the 446 locals cross the river (Ulmarra). Makes you wonder about all the places people live... At one point we thought we’d made a wrong turn as we passed Kentucky!!! We think it’s a blueberry farm.

CAMPSITE: We had decided to stay a bit out of Byron Bay itself so we’re just down the road at Suffolk Beachfront Holiday Park; right on Tallow Beach. A small park with a mixture of hippy-type residents, backpackers, ‘glampers’ and us. Bike path or beach all the way into Byron... and a really good set of shops/cafes at the end of the street.

By the time we set up and had the requisite afternoon rest, there was really only time for a stroll on the beach before a big thunderstorm hit. Love being tucked up in our campervan when outside it’s all thunder, lightning and rain.

WILDLIFE: Road runners everywhere!! (aka bush turkeys).Read more