Day 8 Monday 15/6/2026, Stockton to Wauchope 19

There were a few drops of rain last night and it’s clear and warm this morning. We head north on the alternate road, past the Williamtown air base and the booming surrounds of Port Stephens.

Picking up the highway again it is fairly quiet. The vegetation is becoming lush with vines and creepers now appearing. Mist clings to the hills and we cop a quick 5 minute shower.

We’re in dairying country now and the ‘Northern Rivers’ region as we cross the Manning River, the one that flooded Taree twice a couple of years back.

Using GPS terminology, we take the slip road to the Bago Road up through timber country to Wauchope. It’s funny, you know we’ve dropped into this town a few times to grab a coffee but we’ve never realised how large a town it is. There’s a substantial light industrial area and a long shopping strip. Passing through town and about 2 kms of housing and we come to Timbertown. Well, we did want something different.

The Timbertown Heritage Park closed in January after 50 years of operation. There is a small campground next door that offers power and water and spotless, I mean super spotless amenities in a new corrugated iron building. The caretaker is lovely and there is a bonus. A paddock with a large bull and two friendly donkeys. On the walkway to the amenities block there’s a talking cockatoo called Peaches who just loves head scratches and a chat. Who can resist a throaty “hello” each time you visit the dunnies?

Across the road there’s an IGA supermarket, coffee shop, Thai restaurant and the Bago tavern.

The only ‘but’ is that we’ve got one channel on TV and of course when there’s only one, it’s never your favourite.

Accom: $25.00 (Power, Water, Toilets, Showers, Dump Point, 1 Cockatoo, 2 Donkeys and a large brown Bull.

Towing kms: 222kms

Interesting caravan name: Costa Plenti.