On Thursday 11th August ’22 we vacated our abode of 18 years in Dudley St Balgowlah and hand-balled it to the NSW Govt. It should be some sort of recreation reserve when we next see it according to government planning. We don’t expect to be able to visit it for minimum two years – most likely closer to three. (Sooz: Well… Perhaps it will be three years for Leigh; I hope to visit before then!) So if there are happy kiddies running around kicking the football when we next see it, it will be an improvement!
We spent the week at the local caravan park in Narrabeen, Sydney, while we made final preparations and said final goodbyes. Many thanks to Sue & Jason for hosting a little farewell get together on a Saturday arvo/evening and thanks to all those dear friends who popped in to wish us well. Love Youse All.
**Score: Narrabeen Caravan Park : Leigh 7/10; Sooz 8/10
So we hit the road and pointed in a northerly direction and waved goodbye to Sydney on Monday 15th August. The idea was to get a fair way north over the next week or so and away from the winter chill. Sooz did the hard work in towing the van with our ‘truck’ (that has been christened ‘Eric the Viking’) while I rode my motorbike (‘Bonnie’) and we rendezvoused in Forster. But not before Bonnie caught Covid near Bulahdelah and coughed and wheezed and stalled on the side of the highway. It started up after 5 mins but I have to say that I was a bit toey as I was several kilometres behind Sooz and about 15 km outside of Bulahdelah and didn’t fancy the walk. Spent 2 nights in Forster while we stored the bike and tended to a couple of things to what is ‘probably’ going to be our future home. More on ‘probably’ later.
Score: Lakeside Forster Holiday Park 5/10
Next stop was near South West Rocks at Arakoon in the National Park – the Trial Bay Gaol campground. Stunning! Beautiful. Only had 3 nights but a gorgeous place. Kangaroos in the camp area and on the beautiful beach which has a magnificent, sheltered bay, lovely walks and one of the few places on the East Coast where you can watch the sun set over the ocean, such is the topography. It has been nicknamed the Byron Bay of the mid coast and I thought exactly that before I learned of the comparison. The old gaol was interesting to tour which became an internment camp for German descendants during WW1 – not by their choice! The efforts by the inmates to construct a large breakwater for a harbour to what was ‘guaranteed to be a future city’ ended in multiple disasters, cost and time blow-outs and eventual abandonment but given the lovely environment, it was for the better I reckon. Met a nice couple that had a fantastic outdoor mat for under their awning. The one we had was cheap and wasn’t going to last. So we placed an online order for one for collection later in the trip.
Score: Trial Bay Gaol campground – Leigh 7.5/10; Sooz 9/10
We had a 5-hour hike to Fingal Head which is right up against the NSW/QLD border on an isthmus between the Pacific and the Tweed river. I have quickly learned that towing the van is not like eating four freshly cooked donuts. Towing is a challenge and tiring. But I will get used to it. The park itself was OK and we were 15 meters from an entry to the beach. Spent one day taking a nice drive into the Gold Coast Hinterland and Springbrook NP. Had a good bush walk in cool temps. Stupid me forgot to pack any kind of top other that the polo I was wearing, and it was some 8 degrees cooler than the coast. (Sooz: Of course, I was prepared with warmer clothes and didn’t freeze! ) Visited a lookout that was aptly called ‘Best Of All Lookout’. There are some things in this world that are given names that you end up questioning. This aint one of them – what a view! Visited Kingscliff (Sooz: Kingscliff is really lovely – we could not get a booking as the local caravan parks run at 96% occupancy all year and people book a year in advance. Great pub, amazing beach, lovely town. I’ll be back. 🙂 4 nights in total
Score: Tweed Holiday Park, Fingal Head 5.5/10
The Baden Powell scout camp on the outskirts of n/west Brisbane was a roll of the dice. But what a treat! Samford is a quaint historic village about 17 km as the crow flies from what is now a big bloody city. The scout camp was about 500 meters from Samford and its fantastic pub which fed us for two nights of the four. The Scout Camp was set on 50 hectares of hilly bush with a large section opened up for campers/caravaners. The facilities were very basic but functional. Cold at night. My first bucket list item was ticked off on a Friday night when we caught a train into town and went to Lang Park/Suncorp Stadium. Saw the Bronco’s get smashed by Parra. It’s a great stadium with a real atmosphere. We really enjoyed exploring the area around Samford and Brisbane and this is when Sooz began the checking of Real Estate values and asking ‘could you live here’? A man could live in worse places than Samford, QLD.
UPDATE: We forgot to mention we visited the famous Breakfast Creek Hotel in Brisbane. What an amazing pub! Well worth the visit. Its a well maintained historic pub with both old and new areas. Plus, we happened to be there for the tapping of the wooden barrel of XXXX beer. What a show that was! Apparently, the beer tasted great too. 🍻
Score: Baden Powell Scout Camp, Samford QLD – Leigh 6.5/10; Sooz 8/10 – Atmosphere was amazing!
**The various caravan park scores are made after casting a critical eye over the location, proximity to essential services (pub or club?) the ambience, the standard of facilities provided etc etc.
Enjoying the read, we stay at Trial Bay every Easter school holidays for the past 12 years. A lovely place 😉
I didn’t realise you had already left town.
Enjoy your travel, Stay safe
Loz
Guys, great way to share your travels looks fantastic. Will you decide not to return??
Looks like a great start.
Life on the road is sounding tops! Congrats on launching the website. It will be fun to follow your progress. Quite the wordsmith Leigh!
Loving this guys! Wow I remember when Kingscliff was a sleepy little collection of fibro shacks, and there was one shop. It really has reinvented itself. Keep up the commentary!
All sounds great! We’re eating it up!!
So great to be able to read about your travels, triumphs and trials.
Looking forward to following your journey!
Sounds like you are having a great time – enjoy 😉
Hey L and S,
The tapping of the wooden keg in the Brekky Creek is not to be missed. I was there for it only a couple of months ago with a mate. Nice how they invite a novice from the crowd to do the honours (under strict instruction of course). My Dad and I shared a few in that old bar also.
An absolute institution in the Banana State.
Cheers Guys
Hi Guys
Looks fab, very relaxing and must be so enjoyable knowing EVERY DAY you are on holiday! Whoo hoo
Although wondering if it has taken a little while to get into the swing of things?
Notes for us when we decide to travel around OZ 😃
Rock on
Love Fi xx
Susan (and Leigh!), what a wonderful amazing adventure you have set yourselves on! I am so happy for you. Thank you for including me as a recipient of your blog. I’m cheering you on from Sunny Southern California!