Day 12 Wednesday 25/6/2025 Murwillumbah, NSW, sunny 11 – 21

We had a warmish night with light rain. We’re up at, dare I say it, 6am to take the van to the repairer to get the water tank leaks fixed. At present we can hook up to water taps but can’t carry our own water for freedom camping.

We drop the van off and being houseless for the day, drive up to Chinderah on the Tweed River for breakfast. I’ve been reading glowing reviews about the apparently knee-bucklingly good Almond Croissants at Cubby Bakehouse. Overlooking the Tweed River the place is jumping loudly with people and coffee and goodies powdered with icing sugar. Thankfully we grab a table outside and gaze at the river as our legs buckle in delight. The coffee is excellent and the croissants…well they’ve just zoomed to the top of our National Almond Croissant chart!

With loads of time on our hands we drive the few K’s across to Kingscliff. Kingscliff has a long strip of shops and cafes overlooking parklands and a pristine surf beach. There are two caravan parks here both with beach front views. I could stand for hours and watch the surf curl.

Taking a shortcut back to Murwillumbah on the Cudgen Road is a worthwhile choice as it is dotted with pretty farms selling produce from fruit stalls. Avocadoes, Custard Apples, Oranges, Bananas and the farms have expansive views of the Tweed Valley and Wollumbin Mt Warning.

Sightseeing done it’s time to get down to the serious stuff. We haven’t had a chance to do any washing so far so it’s off to the laundromat with two large bags of dirty clothes on the back seat. Just two blocks from the showgrounds is a busy laundromat that is a crazy nonstop world of washing. Two stick-thin girls are running, folding, and hefting large bags of laundry. There are 9 modern machines, 6 dryers and a bloke up a ladder fixing the security cameras. People are coming and going constantly and a small woman wearing a sun hat and an attitude that you wouldn’t mess with, who drops her rubbish into our laundry bag! Not even game to take her on I quietly transfer the wad of used tissues and rubber gloves to the real rubbish bin and try not to wonder what line of business that she’s in. We’re transfixed with the activity and ….of the dress code. The laundry girls are in short shorts with sneakers and crocs. One much older woman arrives in black tights and a pink tu-tu with pink striped socks and no shoes. And as we’ve often noticed when up this way, more than one customer is barefoot.

The washing done, we are cast back onto the street in under one hour and wondering how we can fill in the time. Ah, problem solved. Not having visited Tyalgum we head off through green cow paddocks and into the lush hinterland of sub-tropical growth, gurgling streams and much to Woody’s annoyance, more windy roads. Tyalgum is a green paradise, an old pub, general store, post office, swish café, and a two storey wooden hall. The shady trees that line the street all have staghorn ferns clinging to them and a moss-covered fence surrounds the cricket ground so beautifully that I could almost get a liking for the game. No, that’s a bit of a stretch. Thank goodness that this is a weekday as we get the feeling that this little spot would probably be besieged by tourists on weekends.

Anxious for a cold beer and the Tyalgum pub not yet open, we continue on our way through Chillingham and Crystal Creek, ending up at the Tumbulgum pub for a beer and a bowl of chips. There’s still no word on the van. We sit quietly by the riverbank; me sketching and Woody dozing and I spot a Royal Spoonbill stalking the shallows but can only get a photo of the reeds.

Just as we head back the mechanic rings to tell us that Priscilla is ready. We now have a new inlet pipe and a new hose between the two tanks that replaces the one that was split. It’s a relief to tow the old girl back to the showgrounds. We set up properly this time with the awning out and things looking more permanent and homely.

Dinner is pork chops and salad and some very tasty local potatoes. Tonight’s entertainment is a DVD as we still haven’t got TV.

Accom: $35.00

*According to the historical plaque out front, the rather rustic Tyalgum hall has played an important role in the town. Built in 1908 as a meeting hall, it was renovated in 1919 and again in 1926. Over its life it has served the community as a hospital during the Spanish Flu pandemic, has hosted church services, acted as a school classroom, a dental surgery, a picture theatre, and held boxing tournaments. It has been used as meeting rooms, and for dances, debating and roller skating, as well as being used for weddings and events. Because of the hall’s world ranking acoustics the town has hosted the Tyalgum Annual Festival of Classical Music since 1991.