Day 369 – The Dog on the Tuckerbox @ Gundagai

• Narranderra – Canberra
• 335kms
• 15°c

As we pulled out of camp this morning I couldn't help but wonder how many enquired about the cheaper option. Once again we were surrounded my canola fields, how different our opinion is of them now, than it was 12 months ago when we first caught sight of these fields of yellow that went on and on.

Last night I was looking forward to doing a slight detour through Grong Grong today to see "The Big Guitar" (playable). However it was after we'd been on the road for about half an hour and I picked up the map did I realise that we had missed it! Neither Steve, nor I had remembered this morning and it was too far to back track, oh well, wasn't meant to be.

My disappointment soon disappeared when we passed the sign to Gundagai! I was so excited about going to The Dog On The Tuckerbox. Ella & Oscar couldn't understand what was going to be so good about a dog on a lunchbox and I still can't really explain it. Perhaps it's one of those great Aussie icons or maybe it's just nostalgic, I went as a child, probably a bit younger than Occy and I have a photo of us four kids in front of it. Either way I felt somewhat emotional being there?! 

Oscar wanted to buy the Ned Kelly hat for Skipper, but it wasn't available in his size!

Just awesome!

Crossing the state lines into the Australian Capital Territory makes it the 4th State in 3 days!

We appear to be camping next to a racetrack and I'm not sure what is going on when there is a car towing three horses?!

E.P.I.C Campground, $40 a night, power, water, amenities

Day 368 - Hello New South Wales

• Ouyen – Narranderra
• 450kms
• 15°c

Oh my goodness, it's still cold! I was hoping to  cross the border and be greeted with sunshine and warm weather? But noooo! The sign welcoming us to NSW was so well posted that we missed half of it. Our tea & toilet stop was on the banks of the Murray River which had a nice little playground for Ella & Oscar to stretch their legs.

After setting up in Narranderra, it was so cold that it was declared no one was to go outside, so, much to our delight Ella & Oscar decided to spend the evening playing Lego.

Narranderra Showground, $15 a night, power, water, amenities

Day 191 - Catch up Part 2

• Tweed Heads
• 26°c

A very lazy day around camp. Listening to the planes fly over head as it appears we are in the direct flight path.

Steve picked up his mate Waitesy late in the afternoon and brought him back to the van for dinner. It was great to listen to the boys talk of days gone by and hear of the many shenanigans they got up to, quite The Lads they were!

Day 190 - Catching up with old friends

• Mullumbimby – Tweed Heads
• 56kms
• 26°c

Only a short drive today, almost over state lines but we pulled up just short at a nice little park. We dropped Steve off to catch up with an old school mate of his that he’s known since he was about 5. Then we headed into Coolongatta to wander the streets and found a couple of great vintage stores, felt like American Pickers stumbling across someones barn in one store!

I met up with an old high school friend of Lou’s that lives up here, Alison & her gorgeous boys. It was lovely to sit and chat and catch up after such a long time.

Colonial Tweed Holiday Park, $39 a night, power, water, amenities, pool, across from the river

Day 189 - The Road to Nimbin

• Nimbin
• 33°c

So excited to be heading to Nimbin for the market.  Not so happy to be driving the windys for so many kms! It was a very scenic drive, there were rows and rows of macadamia trees all over the landscape and it looked like there'd been quite a bit of rain lately.

On arriving in Nimbin we were disappointed to find that the market wasn’t on, don’t know why it said the third Sunday?

Nonetheless it was a place I’d always wanted to visit, now I’ve been I don’t think I’ll need to go again! I was expecting it to have a real village feel to it, which it didn’t maybe cause the market vibe wasn’t there?! We had a yummy lunch and Ella & Oscar had somewhat of an education with some not so legal smoking apparatus’s being used openly in the streets! Thanks Nimbin

Back at camp there was lots of activity going on, a group was holding a “walk for life” cancer walk where teams walk overnight around and around. So we were treated to some live music well into the evening.

Day 188 - Byron Bay

• Byron Bay
• 28°c

First stop this morning was Mullumbimby Market, such a great town, really awesome vibe! We had a lovely morning wandering around the market and picked up some Hemp oil.

Next stop was Byron Bay, we were really looking forward to going in to Byron and it seemed a lot of other people had the same idea. The road leading in was packed and banked back for a fair way. We wandered somewhat aimlessly through the streets, it wasn’t quite as I remembered it, soo much busier and Gold Coastish than last time we were here. Looking out over the Bay was lovely and being such a warm day we were bummed we hadn’t packed our togs.

Steve thought he’d seen a sign for a local pool where we were staying so we left Byron and couldn’t believe the amount of cars coming in to town. So it was back to the van for swimmers and down to the pool we went to cool off for the afternoon.

Day 187 - The road to Mullumbimby

• Coffs Harbour - Mullumbimby
• 248kms
• 26°c

As we drove down the highway pondering where to set up camp today, it became apparent that being Friday we would probably be best stopping somewhere for the weekend. Mullumbimby was chosen for it's merits of being 20kms out of Byron and 60kms from Nimbin! A perfect base for us to plonk the van over the weekend as we explore the area, that and weekend means markets. We passed the Macadamia Castle on our way up North and I think this guy should be noted on the maps as "The Big Knight"

Mullumbimby is a smaller town but has a great atmosphere, lots of alternative stores, one in particular that has everything in bulk tubs and you fill your own containers - no packaging, take note Australia this is how it should be done!

The campground caretaker advised us that there was a couple of touch footy matches on tonight so it may get a little noisy. Steve, Ella & Oscar took a wander up to the clubhouse and the games going on held their attention for a little while but the mozzies soon brought them inside. There has been so much rain lately that I think these mozzies might be here to stay for a while? grr!

A yummy lunch of Polenta and a new cheesey sauce/ gravy, turned into leftovers for dinner. Tonights dessert was a choice of banana cacao or pineapple coconut icecream, no leftovers there!

Mullumbimby Leagues Club, $29 a night, power, water, amenities

Day 186 - Coffs Harbour

• Coffs Harbour
• 25°c

A walk into town was on our agenda this morning, it was a lovely stroll and reminded me of the things you miss taking the same route by car, you miss the sounds, smells & those small details. We scoured a couple of vintage stores that Ella & Oscars "spidey eyes" had seen yesterday and picked up a couple of books & dvds.

Then it was on to the local growers market in the centre of town, wasn't as much variety or volume as I expected but we were lucky to find a stall tended by an authentic Indian complete with turban, white shirt, shorts & thongs! He was serving up the most delicious naan & butter chicken and vegan samosas and dahl with an aussie accent to put most to shame! He was a very friendly gent and if you're ever in Coffs on market day I totally recommend seeking him out, he even gives out his comedic words for free! It was so worth the walk, Steve went back for seconds.

On our return to the van it was time for some learning so we continued on from yesterdays inquiry on The Sun. Whilst we were learning Steve took himself across the road to "The Worlds Biggest Tackle Store", that's what it says on the sign out the front, I think that claim would have been far more credible had there been some "Big" to go with the claim, perhaps biggest tackle! But on his return, Steve said that he thinks their claim is valid - it is massive!

In keeping with the gastronomical theme of the day Steve whipped up a batch of "Karma Curry" for dinner and it was once again so good that I went back for seconds!

We took advantage of the giant showground field for a game of soccer, but after tripping Oscar cut open his knee, couldn't find the offending item and with some betadine and bandaids he was patched up. Rather than head back out to the field we opted for the games room and a not so competitive game of foosball ensued! Steve and Ella defeated Oscar & I - two nil.

Day 185 - The Big Banana

• Trial Bay - Coffs Harbour
• 109kms
• 25°c

So it was time to leave the shadows of Trial Bay Gaol and head on up the coast a little bit further.

Woo hoo! One of The Great Bigs, The Big Banana! I remember the photo of my siblings and I standing in front of it when I was about 6, I swear it was sooo much bigger! Must've shrunk with all the rain? This and The Big Pineapple I think are the two biggest of The Bigs and i'm so happy we got to visit.

Oscar didn't believe me that it was a real lizard, so I slinked up to it and it shot off over the side of the deck.

How many people do you know that can say "yep, I've been inside a banana"?!

There was no sorbet for me, so I thought i'd go a bit wild and try a Ginger beer, mmm not too bad

Coffs Harbour is not the sleepy little town I thought it would be, there's a lot of development, shopping centres, car yards and motels on every corner competing for trade. The motels advertising signage proves that what a traveller really wants is the biggest tv screen! with each motel putting up how many inches their teles are!

Much to Ellas delight, among the shops we found Typo, where Occy decided it was time he got himself a pair of specs! Then it was home to make some sushi for dinner, well wasn't that a great idea! It took a few goes to get the right roll action going, which resulted in major rice spillage, they were yum but the verdict is, let's wait till we have more bench space to make these again!

As I sit here typing this, Ella has just come and sat with Steve & I and started a conversation about drugs, I had told them they could read for 10 mins before bed and Ella chose a book we'd found at a vintage store some weeks ago directed at kids about drugs. We had a great chat about it and answered her questions, I do believe that when they ask about something, that is the best time to talk about it.

Harbour City Holiday Park, $38 a night, power, water, amenities, trampolines

Day 184 - Schools back in session

• Trial Bay
• 28°c

The sounds of the waves lulled us off to sleep last night, but the heavy rain woke us in the early hours and then I tossed and turned all night.  Ella was very brave this morning and after soaking her heel, the site of yesterdays injury, she let me pull out three pieces of shell from her foot!

After a week off from book work, today it was time to get back into learning, which was pretty well received until someone had to write a creative story then it all went to poop! After an hour or so of tears & tantrums, finally a meditation restored calm to our world and a great story was written! 

We had quite a few wild life visitors today and poor Chuckles tried his luck on the swing but it wasn't to be, he was like the heavy one on a see-saw!

I whipped up a batch of fries and a fresh salsa for a late lunch and omg it was soo delicious!

On our walk to the Gaol at the top of the hill we passed this kangaroo attempting to look inconspicuous as he sussed out another campers setup!

The Gaol ruins is atop a point which has a great view out to the Pacific Ocean.

We were too late for a tour of the grounds but it was still interesting to peer through the gate and check out the external walls.

Eyes always on the ground when there's wildlife around and it's nearly second nature now to try and work out "whose poo?" it is!

This campground is in an absolutely great spot, enjoying the scenery and another trip to the beach was how we spent the afternoon.

Skipper sent us a reminder of the swamp dog, whom although we are missing her terribly, she certainly looks happy with her wonderful foster family xxx