Australia's East Coast- NSW (My Love of Travelling Part 5)

My Love of Travelling Part 5

http://travelhappinesslife.blogspot.co.uk/2012/01/travelling-working-in-australia-my-love.html

On 24th April 1999, Richard and I left Sydney for a month's travelling up the east coast of  Australia. We decided that the best way to travel would be by Greyhound bus due to it being so cheap (compared to the Oz Experience for example). We had excitedly planned our itinary a month or so before, just prior to my Melbourne-Adelaide-Uluru - Alice Springs trip by covering the floor of the flat with a map of the east coast and Lonely Planet book to hand.

The Route North

Our first stop was South Kempsey, just south of the backpackers 'normal' stop off point, Coffs Harbour where we were to stay with some relatives of Richard's, Lewis and Lorna. In fact many of the backpackers on the bus looked most puzzled as us renegades got off at an 'unknown' stop. As I have described in previous posts, the opportunity to sample home comforts while travelling is one not to turn down. We were excited about proper beds, sofas and proper home cooked food and Lewis and Lorna didn't disappoint. 

Lewis picked us up in his 'Ute' (Utility pick up truck for those not familiar with Alf Stewart in Home & Away) but being a man of initially few words, Richard and I shared nervous glances on the drive home. I was worried this could be hard work. 

As it turned out, it wasn't. For a couple well into retirement they were wonderful hosts and spoiled us, taking us out to explore the local area and feeding us well. Richard, not being used to being in a bed after four months on an inflatable mattress managed to fall out of his bed on night one and then tried to deny it after a massive thud and my question "have you just fallen out of bed mate?"

Hat Head, NSW. Look carefully and it looks like a pregnant lady lying down.

His embarrassment was compounded with Lewis's first question at breakfast "So which one of you 25 year olds fell out of bed last night?" After a few nights and a 2 day game of 'who's the racy comedian Lorna is thinking of' (after our guesses of Chubby Brown and the like it turned out to be George Formby?!!!) we jumped back on the Greyhound for the short journey to Coffs Harbour.

Coffs Harbour

Coffs Harbour is the place that many backpackers learn to Scuba dive because it is cheap but Rich and I weren't doing that, so Coffs is remembered for the friends we made who we would continue to hook up with time and time again travelling up the coast and would continue to be friends to this day. There was Alan, an Irishman who lived in Man Utd shirts with his then girlfriend; Georgina and Helen who had just finished university and Kim who I had worked with in Sydney selling that telephone service door to door. It was also where the greatest comedy double act since Cannon and Ball was born (my tongue is firmly in cheek here) as Richard and I started our dirty jokes and terrible magic roadshow.

Byron Bay

Byron is a coastal town that refuses to exploit its natural advantages, for example there are no high rise hotels or any McDonalds. As well as its beauty, it has an incredibly relaxed charm and  at the time seemed to be home for many of the hippies who refused to conform way after the end of flower power 1967. 

" 'Ere mate, got any cookies?" 

Many residents went bare foot around the town. It was also home to the brilliant Holiday Village Backpackers where most of us stayed. In summary it was 4 non stop nights of partying. In the picture (below) on the right side of the table from the back is Helen, Richard, Georgina and me. This was the night a rugby playing girl beat the record for non stop consumption of wine. Over 3 minutes. Phenomenal tekkers. While in Byron bay we also visited  hippy village 'Nimbin' where we may or may not have purchased some herbal cookies. We also booked our 'special events' in Byron Bay as we heard there was a travel agent in the back of a coffee shop who would do great deals. And he did. We bought our Fraser Island tickets & Whitsunday Islands Cruise and were awarded a free trip on a proper old sailing ship to the Great Barrier Reef.  

So that was New South Wales and the first few stops of our journey north. Queensland was next with all the amazing experiences like Fraser and Whitsundays still to come. 
One piece of advice though. Visit Byron Bay. It is awesome.  

Next: 

http://travelhappinesslife.blogspot.co.uk/2012/03/travelling-australias-east-coast.html