WEEK 1
29th May – 2nd June
The week has had its ups and downs. John went to the doctors and dentist on Monday, so we decided that we would leave on Tuesday. But wait, the tooth he had out on Monday was giving him grief, taking painkillers and having a headache was not a good combination for driving. So it was Wednesday before we got away.
We had a good trip down the Pacific Highway to Red Rock CP at the southern end of Yuraygir NP near Coffs Harbour NSW. We meet up with a friend Ken Winders who is going to travel with us for a couple of weeks.
The park was quite this time of year, but we could imagine it as a popular spot in peak season.
Red Rock headland is reputedly the sight of a massacre of Gumbaynngir indigenous people in the 19th century. A memorial has been erected at the base of the headland to commemorate this. The headland was named Red Rock because the river went red from the blood of the people.
Red Rock
Friday saw us on the road to Ellenborough (Camps 5 #318) a bush camp west of Wauchope. “large open area which has about 10 other vans here” We will be here for 3 nights hopefully for John to recover. Saturday morning was spent at the Wauchope Country Hospital, his face now swollen with an infection. “Not a happy chappy”.
The weather is closing in, with a couple of wet days and the nights getting colder.
Today Sunday, we went up to Ellenborough Falls. Misty rain and unsealed roads took us to the mountain top, where you would not believe there was sunshine and a cafe. We were the only ones there at 11.00am, went for a walk to view the falls, came back and there were 8 cars in the carpark, with all the homemade pies and pasties that we were savouring over gone. Barbara behind the counter could not have been more customer focused. She made us fresh vege & cheese pasties and fish & potato pies. We would recommend a look at the fall if you are passing.
Ellenborough Falls are recorded as the second longest single drop waterfall in the Southern Hemisphere. The 200m drop can be viewed from Knoll lookout.
Ellenborough Falls
Ellenborough Falls
Back to camp for a rainy night.
Tomorrow we are moving down to Mungo Bush another bush camp just past Taree.