Reflections

We spent another wonderful night with our Gold Coast friends. More lovely hospitality, more play time for the kids, more delicious (and gargantuan) coffees, more yummy food, and more adult conversation after the kids were asleep. We left much later in the morning than we had planned to, but the kids just kept looking so engaged - walking by the window clearly absorbed in some kind of expedition, sporting back packs and torches (and in Maya's case, a hobby horse and cowgirl hat). Eventually, though, we tore ourselves away - I think it was nearly 11am. And very soon into the drive we lost another hour, thanks to our border crossing into NSW and Queensland's distrust of daylight savings time (wouldn't an extra hour of sun every day age the paint on their houses that much sooner?).

We had a stop to make in Ballina for a potential buyer to have a look at our motorhome. Then we were really underway. We were hoping to get to Coffs Harbour or Port Macquarie for the night, and we'd finish up the last 4-6 hours of driving the following day.

It was all bittersweet. I really adore northern NSW. It is absolutely gorgeous. Driving by the turnoff to Byron Bay without stopping seemed like such a shame, but at the same time it would take a really oblivious or selfish or strong-minded person to be able to thoroughly enjoy a place when half of the group really would rather not be there. I was taunted by blue skies and temperatures in the low 30's - ahhhhh, what a day for The Pass. But on we drove. On, past lush farmlands and fertile rolling hills and inviting little villages. And it was ok, because I too can feel the excitement about being back in Sydney.

At around Coffs Harbour, Nick and I had a great, reflective chat about our trip. Coffs was really our first stop in our travels, and it was great. The weather was perfect, the beaches were nice, the city was interesting, the free camping was abundant, and we were thinking we had made the best decision of our lives and might very well spend the next year feeling just this free and happy.

We made our Top 5 lists for our favourite travelling experiences.

Nick's:

5. Great Barrier Reef (in the moment it would have ranked higher, but thinking about it afterwards and being a bit disappointed by the lack of colour at the reef knocks it down to number 5)
4. The pool at Adventure Whitsunday
3. Mt Warning (or more specifically, the way he felt after our climb was all over)
2. Free camping here at Coffs Harbour
1. Lake Mackenzie at Fraser Island

And mine:

5. Byron Bay hinterland, including but not limited to The Channon Markets
4. The Mt Warning afterglow
3. Protesters Falls
2. Lake Mackenzie, which was unbelievably beautiful
1. The Pass, my favourite beach

As we were debating how far to drive yesterday afternoon, Nick was looking in the Lonely Planet for dinner suggestions. He saw that on Tuesdays from 4:30, Mike's Seafood in Port Macquarie does a buy one get one for $1 fish and chips special, and a tasty fish and chips for that matter. Sounded good to us. We headed into Port Macquarie at around 6 (with our bodies on Queensland time at 5), found a place to park the motorhome, and found Mike's. We took our dinner and our picnic blanket to the waterfront which was clearly the popular choice - there was a brass band playing songs from The Beatles and Grease, loads of people sitting around enjoying the music, a mad flock of rainbow lorikeets chirping about the fruit trees, and a bat migration filling the sky. The fish and chips were great (and generous!) and the atmosphere was the perfect ending to a trip I hope to remember as mostly wonderful.

We ended up driving down to Taree for the night, and this morning we only have a few hours to drive. We'll be in Sydney by lunchtime. The sky is crystal clear. It is a beautiful day.