Toowoomba to Injune

25-28 April 2002 On Friday morning we packed up and drove to Injune via Dalby, Chinchilla and Miles.  We stopped to change drivers and check out the tourist information centre at Chinchilla. We had an awful café meal for lunch in Miles. We stopped in Roma to do some shopping and bought beer and scotch…

North-west through Qld

21-25 April 2002 We packed up at Broken Head Caravan Park and went for our last swim in the Pacific until we complete our round trip.  The weather was gorgeous as usual.  The waves were great for body surfing, but treacherous.  There was a rip sweeping north along the beach and out to sea.  I…

Byron Bay day 3

21 April 2002 We had a light breakfast and then headed into to downtown Byron Bay.  When we arrived we rang Dick Cornish to wish him happy 70th birthday, and we purchased some supplies. Then we headed to the main beach. There was a surf patrol which inspired confidence, but as it turned out, the…

Byron Bay day 2

20 April 2002 We spent most of today swimming at Broken Head, south of Byron Bay, where Clare and I witnessed a small drama unfold on the beach. A Japanese surfer was pulled from the water unconscious.  We watched some surfers trying to resuscitate him.  When his chest was compressed, little spouts of water shot…

Minnie Water to Byron Bay

18-19 April 2002 Minnie Water was great. I spent much of yesterday in the surf with Clare, who is easing into this travelling lifestyle.  The surf was rough and full of rips, so I stayed within a depth of 5 feet. We had a nice soup for lunch cooked in the Dutch oven suspended from…

Bellingen to Minnie Water

17-18 April 2002 We spent yesterday at Cate’s house in Bellingen (or just outside Bellingen to be accurate).  This was a chance to catch up on some badly needed sleep, and also to catch up on improvements that Cate has made to her house.  She works on her house as if it were a piece…

North through NSW

15-16 April 2002 It’s hard to believe that we actually departed more or less on time.  We pulled out of our home in Marrickville, Sydney, about 10.00 a.m. waving goodbye to our neighbor Jim and his kids, and Lyn and Greg from across the road.  We stopped for petrol and air at the local service…

Map of journey

While we were travelling in 2002, we carried a large map of Australia and traced our journey on it with a heavy black pen. We started in Sydney, and when we reached the eastern most tip of Australia (Byron Bay), we headed north west through Queensland. When we reached Tennant Creek in the Northern Territory,…

Sawtell

Saturday 13 Feb 2015 On Saturday morning we transported a couple of the larger items from the lock-up in Coffs Harbour to Sawtell. Ruby had found another future housemate called Cat, who we had the fortune to meet later that morning on the way to the house that she, Ruby, Toby would be moving into…

Ulidarra National Park

Friday 12 Feb 2015 On Friday morning we received a text message from the dive shop to say that our snorkelling trip to the Solitary Islands had been cancelled due to a swell whipped up by high winds off the coast. This was an intimation of dangerous weather conditions that would a week later culminate…

Woolgoolga Creek

Thursday 11 Feb 2015 After Ruby had driven to work, Susie and I went to the Surf Club for a leisurely breakfast.  We then booked a snorkelling trip at a dive shop nearby, and drove to Ruby’s work to drop off some paperwork that she had forgotten to take with her. After an obligatory stop…

Bindarri National Park

Wednesday 10 Feb 2015 We dropped Ruby at work early so that she and Toby could discuss their ongoing plans to find rental accommodation. Susie and I then drove to The Big Banana tourist information centre. Unfortunately the office was staffed by volunteers who could not provide detailed information about road conditions; but we managed…