I must admit that I am finding a little more difficult
starting my scribbles in this new life it is probably that I am still trying to
adjust to it. Don't get me wrong I am enjoying what we are doing it is just the
adjustment that I have to get used to. So those good followers out there please
excuse me I will get better.
Brisbane to Iluka - 05/11/2014
(The campsite in Wynnum)
(Friendly pelican)
We left the free camp area and headed the 302Kms to Iluka,
this is one of our favourite stopover's when we were sailing. We selected here
for two reasons to see our friend Rob who is the local copper there and also to
break the trip up in easy travelling distances.
(There are many changes to the highway since I travelled it last)
We stayed two nights at the Clarence Head Caravan Park, the
young couple that manage the place are very obliging, they gave us two sites so
we did not have to un-hitch the trailer and only charged us for the one site.
The park is quite tidy and there is modifications happening bringing the park
up to date, amenities are very clean.
Iluka itself is a small community but has plenty of cafes
and restaurants, there is the bowling club that has a Chinese restaurant and
then there is the hotel that serves great pub meals. We had lunch at the
Laneway Cafe they have just applied for a liquor licence I can recommend it
along with the Bowling Club and Hotel. There is also a fish and chip take-away
down at the fisherman's dock.
There is a ferry that runs over to Yamba regularly and if
you like pies meat and fruit the Pot Belly Pie shop is the place to go they are
to die for.
(Clarence Head Caravan Park)
(A grey morning on the Clarence River)
(Sedgers Reef Hotel)
Iluka is the place many fisherman come to for fishing
charters and put their own boats in the water, it is also a place for a quiet
holiday with sheltered waters and beaches for young children to play.
There are two caravan parks and both are very good with
friendly management.
For those wishing to travel and used caravan parks or free
camping there is a program you can download on your IPad called Wikicamps at a
low cost of less than $10. But please be warned some of the comments written by
some should be discarded. Reading some of the reviews they complain about one
thing or another and we have been to some of these places and their comments
are unfounded. One of the common complaints is highway noise, well if the free
camp or caravan park is next to a major highway guess what you going to get
highway noise so get over it or pick another place away from the highway.
Port Macquarie
07/11/2014
We headed down the highway to Port Macquarie and one thing I
keep my eye on in our travels is the price of fuel in different places, we find
that some places out of the larger towns have cheaper fuel prices. The cheapest
fuel we found was at the caravan park come service station at Tyndale and the
most expensive is in Port Macquarie.
(Our camp site at the caravan park)
We arrived at Port Macquarie and booked into the caravan
park near the break wall of the ports entrance. This park is very close to town
so it is easy to walk into and around town from there. Our main reason for
visiting here is to see two step daughters and two grandchildren. Cherie and
Tarryn were the first to meet us at the park to say hello. We got ourselves set
up and chatted we were actually a day early to what we had told everyone so we
had the first night out by ourselves and went to the Spanish Tapas Bar which we
had visited some years ago they serve a wonderful Spanish red wine there.
(These three gents were busking and I could have listened to them all night)
Saturday we met Cherie at her hairdressing shop for haircuts
and then did a little shopping with Cherie and Tarryn in tow with them showing
us to the different shops. On the way back trough the caravan park loaded up
with some shopping I tripped and fell and has Murphy's Law came into play the
only way I could try to save myself and not very successfully was to take the
brunt of the fall with my injured left hand and shoulder. I think the air would
have been a little more blue if my granddaughter was not with us. It jarred my
already sore shoulder and left hand and the thumb and surrounds soon swelled up
and turned blue.
Cherie and Tarryn returned later to pick us up and take us
to Lindy and Steve's for dinner with grandson Sam and Steve's mother Bev. Steve
as usual put on a fine dinner and we had a great night.
Sunday we went for a walk and the family came to us in the
park in the afternoon for a BBQ dinner after which we said our goodbyes.
This caravan park is located in a good place and is quite
large the facilities are very good clean and tidy and there is a large swimming
pool. Nearby is a skate park and the beach. Being so open the park has been
subject to theft during school holidays and many people camping and caravaning
often make it quite easy for a thief leaving items outside and not locked up.
However, the usual items of theft is booze, they will pinch eskies with booze
and then dump the esky, so lock things away even in an annex they will enter at
night. We do not have problems because we lock things away when we are not
there or asleep.
(It is interesting watching the talents these kids have on their boards and scooters)
(Night lights)
(Early morning)
(The colourful breakwall)
(Port Macquarie)
(The town beach)
Most caravan parks have similar problems and often have
warnings posted to that effect around the park or it is written in the material
you get when you book in.
Cheers
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