Day 3: Nambucca

We woke at 7:30 to the sound of our neighbours packing up. We sat outside the van for sometime cooking bacon, egg and cheese sandwiches.  After washing up we headed off to Coffs Harbour.
First stop was the Candy Shop at the Big Banana. The attraction looks exactly like it did last time and on its way to 'run-down" status. Next we headed to the Jetty to walk out onto the Jetty that leads to Mutton bird Island. I was hoping to catch an image of my teenage self when back in 1993 I imprinted my name and the date in newly laid cement alongside the furtherest end of the wharf. I took a few images then we headed back along the mooring wharf to watch the fish under the clear water.
We left the wharf at 11.50 to head for lunch at Ron and Lesleys Bonville property.
Arriving at Bonville, Chris and I were greeted by a much taller than we remember Kane, then met with the rest of the Abela family inside. We were welcomed warmly then spent a full day catching up and getting a look at all the toys!
We had a delicious BBQ and collected some Macadamia Nuts from the neighbour's property.
We left at around 9pm.  

Day 2: Nambucca

We woke up at 830 and used our Dolce Gusto Mini Me Coffee Machine for the first time. The coffee tasted terrible! Probably should have washed a few cups through before we used it!

We left at 930 to head through to Dorrigo with a quick breakfast stop at McDonalds.

We went for a walk out onto the Sky walk above the canopy at Dorrigo National Park. We were amused to find a stand that you can mount a camera onto and use your camera timer to take photos. We used this a lot! We headed onto another nature walk estimated about 1km with some decent incline walking. We shopped for souvenirs at the cafe/souvenir shop then headed out to the Never Never Picnic Grounds for another walk.

We arrived at the Never Never Picnic Ground around 1220. Using our map we decided to go on the Rosewood Creek Circuit Track.  We took note it was a 2hr walk but never noted the distance.
We saw much rainforest as we followed along a Creek at the bottom of a steep embankment. The creek eventually opened into boulders and clear blue deep swimming holes seen through light rainforest scrub. Then we arrived at Coach wood Falls. It was a boulderous collection of rocks with water cutting through hundreds of liters a second. The top was easily accessible however the rock formations were slippery not allowing good photography.  We rested for a few minutes appreciating the scenery of crystal clear water traveling over rolled river rocks at the base of the rainforest.
We headed back onto the trail and found it became tougher with fallen trees across the path, minor Creek crossings and slippery clay patches. We saw very little bird life except for a King Parrot that crossed our path.
We felt we had been walking forever when we finally saw a sign indicating a final 1.2km stretch. Quite relieved we picked up speed to finish the final stretch. However the steep incline was quite deceiving and it still took some time.
We stopped when we met another couple oncoming who were watching a bird directly in the middle of the path wrestling with a large worm. We watched this little birds for minutes and forgot about our tired aching legs and gaspings of breath. For these few minutes we were solely focused on this tiny bird breaking down his prey.
Arriving back at the car at roughly 1340 we had a quick drink then left for Dangar Falls. It is a pleasant 6km drive through the semi rural area of Dorrigo to the Falls.
Dangar Falls can be seen from a viewing platform close to car parking. We really weren't up for another strenuous walk just yet! We took a few snaps and enjoyed the beautiful views and sounds of the water traveling over the rocky cliff. I had a play on the play ground equipment adjacent to the falls then left when onlookers found amusement in my frolicking.
We started heading back to Nambucca and had some snacks along the way. The Waterfall Way is a beautiful scenic drive between the highway and Dorrigo best viewed when heading down the mountain.
Before going back to the van we went to Woolworths to buy some pillows. Unfortunately we forgot to pack our usual pillows!
At around 4pm we enjoyed a couple of beers at the V-Wall Tavern overlooking the bay and tides coming in. Some locals saw dolphins but I wasn't too sure if I definitely caught sight of a Fin in the waves.
We cooked up Sausage, Bacon and Cheese sandwiches for dinner and finished the night watching Pompeii and Snow White and the Huntsman.

Day 1: Nambucca Trip

First trip in the Millard Horizon!

We woke up at 5:15am hoping for a 6:00am departure. After dropping off Rosie at Marca and Lindsays and a quick coffee we left at 6:33am with some minor car troubles (Colin was stalling).
Smooth traffic flow until Pennant Hills Rd.
First stop was MacDonalds at the Twin Servos. Easy parking at the rear with the trucks.
Arrived at the White Albatross Holiday Park at 1:10pm.  We were allowed and early check in.
Setting up the van was easy. We had a new hose to contend with and a power outlet I can't reach! *Must buy a step for next time!
I rolled the awning out mostly by myself but needed 2 people to walk out the legs. Ended up leaving one leg clipped to the body.
We clipped the Annexe apron over the tyres but there was no wind.
Discovered we really do need an external step to get into the van, plus I can't reach the power outlet or the roof clips!
The drinking water tap tasted like hose so we must invest in a sullage hose to be able to run the water for a bit. The collapsible bucket still did a good job.
The antenna had its first real test. It was easy to assemble and the park had a signal transmitter. We got good signals on most channels. The TV swung out during the trip and the coaxial came out if the wall.

The fridge worked well on battery (DC) at thermostat 7. We started it on gas the night before on the same thermostat.  The frozen goods stayed frozen and the drinks eventually iced up when we switched over to AC power!

After setting up we enjoyed a couple of cold pepsi colas and went for a long walk along the famous Nambucca V-Wall. So many people have painted murals and left plaques in memory of loved ones. The tide was coming in and we watched the waves crashing over the rocks. We took a walk over to Shelly Beach and enjoyed the bird life in the dunes.

For dinner we took a trip up to the local Woolworths and bought a few supplies. We had wraps for dinner then settled for an early night after such a long day.

Travel time: 630 - 1310 - average speed 100km/hr