Pomona Show Grounds, then Home.

We were only two hours from home but decided to make camp at Pomona in the Show Grounds, $16 pn, no power but with a fresh sweet water connection. We rose early on a balmy Sunday morning and left on the final leg of this journey.

Now that we are home again, we can look back through the blog pages and reflect on the wonderful experiences we have had, the places we have visited and the great people we have met along the way. I feel confident that we will meet many of those people along the road on future trips.

The van is tucked away in storage now for a few weeks. I have a few plans for some minor modifications to the van in preparation for our next road journey beginning about 10th December. Mount Isa is our primary destination for Christmas and the New Year. Who knows what direction we may travel after that.

Stotts Island Nature Reserve, Chinderah

The second night of our homeward trek saw us at the free camp of Stotts Island Nature Reserve near Chinderah, just south of Tweed Heads. This is a popular and very delightful stop-over. We would recommend this stop if you are travelling on the Pacific Highway. The Nature Reserve is quite extensive with space for many vehicles. Some stay for several days. Go in and meet the resident rooster pack. You wont sleep in. The story goes, that residents in the area with surplus roosters in their pens release them here. They seem to be doing very well, circulating around all the camps.

North end of the Nature Reserve looking towards the Murwillumbah Road.

Looking beyond the pavilion and toilets to our camp area.

Looking from the Murwillumbah Road into the north end of the Nature Reserve.

Red Rock, NSW

We finally have the car and van heading towards home. We left Hervey Bay late February and will be home early October. Not a bad holiday break!

First stop-over is Red Rock. It is still school term holidays so the tariff is a bit steep at $26 pn for no power and no water. Well, there is water, but it's from a bore and it stinks.

The place name comes from the red rocky headland at the mouth of The Corindi River Estuary. The original Aboriginal inhabitants named the place Blood Rock. Judging by the number of empty shells along the tidal zone of the estuary, oysters would have figured large in the diet of these early inhabitants.

The outlet of the Corindi River.

The Corindi River flows fast and deep past this point.

Rocks encrusted with oyster shells. The shells are in the 1000's but unfortunately they are all picked clean.

Some of the red rock that gives this place it's name.

The coast looking north towards Wooli from the top of the headland.

Approaching the headland from the south side.

Looking south along the coast towards Woolgoolga.

It is school term holidays at the moment. Looks as if some children have erected themselves a drift wood shelter on the beach.

The estuary is badly silted up with sand. Last time we were here, about 18 months ago, the area had sustained heavy rainfall and the estuary was clear of the sand.

Grafton/Goolawah Community

On the way to visit Roger, Belinda and Glen at Goolawah Community, this is near Crescent Head, we pass through Grafton. We decided to stay at there for a week because the show grounds are a very easy walk from the Grafton CBD. We were able to leave the car parked and discover much of Grafton on foot and it is only $125 pw with power.

We had been invited to Goolawah Community to celebrate Roger's 60th Birthday on October 3rd but we set up the van and stayed for a week. I didn't attract ant Tiger Leeches this time but Jude collected several large ticks on her torso. Jude is now known as a "Tick Magnet". We also found a dead tick in the shower recess on the way home.

Roger, Belinda and Jude preparing a picnic lunch.

Our view from the picnic table over the Hastings River towards Port Macquarie.

Looking in the other direction along the Hastings River towards the ferry landing at Settlement Point, Port Macquarie.