Bellingen, NSW

Bellingen, where the rich and famous tuck themselves away in quaint timber cottages and write novels in the dappled sunlight that filters through the palm trees. Did I capture the atmosphere? Hammond & Wheatley department store is enough to make any woman drool and is housed in a heritage building. The open deck behind the Federal Hotel never fails us and we’ve been there half a dozen times. In the narrow lane beside the pub, you’ll find the gloriously good Hearthfire Bakery. Just look for the queue of people waiting outside. What more could you want in this area? Well, there’s Fullers produce market near the Pacific Highway end of Waterfall Way. But before you go don’t forget the butcher!

There’s camping available at the Bellingen Showgrounds just across the river. Further up the Waterfall Way, beside the Bellinger River you’ll find the freedom camp at Thora. Tiny Thora has a general store too.

The Waterfall Way is a great scenic drive, and yes there are waterfalls beside the road. It’s one of the best and easiest roads for traversing the Great Dividing Range and it can be easily managed towing the caravan. In fact, my sister in law’s father’s ashes were scattered at one of the falls. There’s nothing wrong with our mob, or is there?

Note: We stayed at the Bellingen Showgrounds a while back. I wanted to practise my ukulele and Woody insisted that I go over to the Poultry Pavilion. At least I had an audience, one butcher bird with an unusual taste in music.

Dorrigo, NSW

At the top of the range, you’ll find the old town of Dorrigo.

A word of warning, if you’re swimming on the coast take winter clothes if you’re driving up the range to Dorrigo. It’s not unusual to find fog and freezing weather up there*. But don’t be put off by the weather, Dorrigo is an interesting town and there are lookouts providing fabulous views to the coast. Dangar Falls is minutes from town and worth visiting. The local railway enthusiasts have amassed a world class collection of trains stored on the disused railway lines here. They are all coated in black grease to stop them deteriorating, because these guys have got one hell of a job ahead of them to restore so many engines and rolling stock. It’s not open to the public but you can have a bit of a wander around from the streets. Dorrigo Steam Railway and Museum, Railway St or Tallowood St.

*We were up there with VeeWee’s poodle Tilly and we were all shivering including the dog. A woman stopped and said “Where’s that dog’s coat? Don’t you know you’re in Dorrigo?”

Ebor, NSW

Up on the top of the range and a little further on from Dorrigo, you’ll find Ebor, don’t expect too much of the town it is quite small, but the Ebor Falls on the Guy Fawkes River are superb and it’s a pleasant walk.