Stockton dunes are part of the Worimi Conservation Lands. Just north of Newcastle, NSW the beach is 32kms long and the dunes which are up to 30 metres high, stretch inland for up to a kilometre. Further than the eye … Continue reading Stockton Dunes
Just south of Coffs Harbour, the neat and spacious Urunga Heads Holiday Park is right on the water. Our van overlooks the spot where the Kalang River joins the Bellinger River to flow out to sea. There is a long boardwalk running all the way out to the surf beach. It has had many incarnations and was originally built for the pilot station staff to run out to the river mouth to guide the ships in. Sailing ships used to land here to transport the cedar out. After walking the boardwalk we’ve worked up a thirst so we head to … Continue reading Urunga, NSW
It’s 2013 and we break for a cool drink at the little town of Ulmarra on the banks of the Clarence River. Like many along this coast of the Northern Rivers region this town has also suffered recent flooding and the last vestiges are still visible, sand bags around the houses, muddy remnants and the ferry is out of action. We have a beer on the veranda of the pub and watch small dogs just being dogs, moseying around, sniffing and peeing on the veranda posts. No pedigrees around here. This is where the sugar cane fields start, wide expanses … Continue reading Ulmarra Hotel
Forty kms north of Hillston, NSW on the Kidman Way we turn onto a dirt road and pass cotton farms. There are several vans camped at the roadside rest area. We follow the road for 10kms to Billabourie Farm Stay. The family is not home so we choose our spots from several acres of grassy reserve overlooking the Lachlan River. There is no one else here and it is heavenly. A warm afternoon, willows dipping in the river. Water lilies flowering. All of the usual suspects flit about in the trees, cockatoos, galahs, small parrots, Willy wagtails and apostle birds. … Continue reading Fish are jumpin’ and the cotton is high
The ‘Back of Bourke’ so the saying goes. Bourke conjures up visions of a large dusty dry town, yet it is nothing like that at all. It is not a large town nor small but very green with bottle trees, palms and plenty of parks with lush lawns. The houses are varied in architecture but shady wide spreading verandahs are the order of the day. Best of all for caravanners there is a tall double bay truck wash to get rid of the red dust, the evidence of actually getting this far. The Bourke court house is grand and elaborate. … Continue reading If you know Bourke…
Did you know that Lightning Ridge has the only straight racecourse in Australia? Well it is just a little bent but certainly not the usual oval shape. That gives a whole new slant on things for the poor old race callers. As soon as they leave the starting stalls the call could well be ” as they enter the straight….” Continue reading A New Angle on Racing
Our friend Kay lives in the NSW Southern Highlands. The house is set in 105 acres of bushland garden and farmland and it overlooks a series of lakes. There are black cockatoos of the yellow tailed variety. Rosellas and king parrots squabbling in the garden and swans gliding on the dam. The evening is still but far from quiet as there is a cacophony of voices rising up from the dams, a gaggle of croaks and squawks. As we traipse out of the cosy farm house towards our vans Kay asks us to shake out our shoes. They have deadly … Continue reading Spiders
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