Destination, Sunshine Coast of Queensland

I haven't posted for a couple of weeks now and we have moved along a considerable distance in that time. We have made stops at Yamba, Coraki, Mallanganee and Bonshaw before reaching our current stop-over at Sippy Downs.

Our three day stay in Yamba, at The Blue Dolphin CP, consisted of two sunny days and one dull, cool day. The first sunny day we walked from the CP along the Clarence River Estuary to the ocean beach and return, nearly 6 km. The second fine day we walked into Yamba township where Judy found some clothing and shoe bargains.

On leaving Yamba we steered the car westwards towards our eventual destination, Bonshaw. Our first stop-over was a CP in the small and very friendly town of Coraki. Here the CP is on the banks of the Richmond River. The tariff at the CP is $74 per week including power. From Coraki you have close access to the larger towns of Casino, Lismore, Ballina, Evans Head and Yamba. If you are looking for a cheap and central place to make camp and still be adjacent to the NSW North Coast Region, then Coraki is the place.

Next stop-over was Mallanganee, on The Bruxner Highway. Here we setup at a free camp behind the Rural Fire Brigade shed on the Recreation Reserve. Mallanganee is an extremely small country village with only one road to walk along. There wasn't much to do here, so we did what many of the locals do, called into the Pub for a few schooners and learned much about the history of the area, including tales of Thunderbolt the notorious bushranger.

The following day saw us wind and climb our way over the Great Dividing Range and pass through the picturesque town of Tenterfield. The temperature had been -7 deg C that morning in town and the air was still crisp around the ears at Noon. By mid afternoon we had reached Sue and Frank at Bonshaw.

It is lambing season at Gumcamp Agricultural. The Damara ewes have about 80 lambs to date with still more to come. After four days here we had to leave for the Sunny Coast of Queensland. As we will be house/dog minding for six weeks. We left our caravan at the farm.

Until we have completed our stay at Sippy Downs and are back on the road in our caravan once again the postings to the blog maybe considerably spaced out. We will be back!!!

Richmond River frontage at the Coraki Caravan Park.

The Main Street of Coraki.

This is the scene with most of the lambs in the flock, a recently born and contented lamb with it's mother.

Unfortunately not all ewes make good mothers, this is one of five lambs abandoned by mother ewes and that need hand rearing for about thirteen weeks.