Coffs Harbour & Yamba

We left Crescent Head in search of smaller waves and better weather, unfortunately on arriving at Coffs harbour, we found neither! The beaches were closed as the surf was too dangerous and there was torrential rain all day.

We decided to get some shelter from the rain by going to the cinema! We saw 'The Boat That Rocked' which was very light-hearted and a lot of fun; highly recommended! After cooking a curry and having a few wines we made a mad dash for the bed in the back of the car during a rare break in the rain.

The next day we woke to more rain and even bigger swell, so we thought we would hit the road again and travel north to Yamba. We spent three nights in Yamba altogether. The weather was mixed with plenty of heavy downpours and some blue skies here and there. The swell was still far too big from the storm, even the fishing boats couldn't get out of the harbour!

However, we made the most of our time and enjoyed a couple of really nice walks in the surrounding national parks. On the first full day we walked from a small village called Angourie along the clifftops to Shelley Beach, where we had great views of the beaches and coves. Unfortunately, we didn't manage to catch a glimpse of any passing whales, which can often be seen at this time of year as they migrate north.

On the second day we drove around to the next town called Iluka where we attempted a walk through the ancient rainforest that lies under the protection of the sand dunes. The walk was cut short however, as we were being eaten alive by huge blood-sucking mosquitoes - they seem to like English blood!

Today we move on to Byron Bay via Lennox Head...fingers crossed for good surf and fine weather!

Newcastle, Forster-Tuncurry & Crescent Head

A few hours north of Sydney we arrived in Newcastle in time for a lovely picnic overlooking the surf. The waves here looked monstrous, so we made the short trip to Anna Bay near Port Stephens.

It was an unbelievable spot with gently rolling waves (but still some 4ft+ sets!), so we had a great afternoon of surfing. We were up and in again early the next day to catch the conditions whilst they were good, and were packed and on our way to Forster-Tuncurry before 10am.

At our campsite on Redhead Bay the waves were too small, so we went and had a look at Nine Mile Beach in Tuncurry. The sets coming in were huge (7-8ft+), so we thought that watching in amazement from the rocks was the safest option! That evening we treated ourselves to a brilliant barbecue with plenty of beer and wine.

We continued our quest up the coast the next morning. We arrived at Crescent Head via Port Macquarie at around 1pm and were delighted to see glassy sets rolling in cleanly. After a bite to eat we got straight in the surf and enjoyed a mixed two hour session, which included some big waves and even bigger wipeouts!

The next day was a wash out as a huge storm meant the surf was a big powerful mess, so we spent most of the day relaxing and taking shelter from the rain in the tent.

Next stop... Coffs Harbour

Northshore Beaches - Sydney

After the previous night's storm we woke up to a beautiful day and made the journey east to Narabeen, north of Sydney.

We spent the next three days exploring Narabeen, Collaroy, Manly, Avalon, and Palm Beach. Again, another gorgeous stretch of coastline with some unbelievable surf, turquoise waters, and golden sands. Our pick of the surf beaches was Collaroy, where we both arguably caught the best waves of our lives! The waves were three foot, clean, with peeling right handers - perfect!

The Blue Mountains

Delayed by the Easter Sunday traffic, we finally arrived in Katoomba (the gateway to the Blue Mountains) around noon. Unfortunately, every man and his dog had decided on a day trip to the famous Echo Point lookout. Put off by the crowds, we took a few snaps, got some information on good walks, and drove the short distance to the quieter town of Blackheath.

We pitched the tent and chose a nice walk at the nearby Govett's Leap. Aware that the nights are drawing in quicker and that it is dark by 5.30pm (yes, it is autumn here), we went on an hour trek to the base of Bridal Veil Falls and back.

The next day we were up early as we had planned a longer venture into the mountains. We combined three walks to create an excellent circular route that took us into the afternoon. The highlight of which was the descent into the 'Grand Canyon', which is best described as a mini subtropical rainforest. Luckily we were back to the campsite via a lovely coffee stop, before the heavens opened - it rained all night!

Sydney

We got to our hostel in Newtown (10 mins from city centre) in time for a quick shower and a bite to eat before heading into Sydney at around 11am. We had a full day of exploring the centre which included; taking in the many views of the famous Sydney Opera House, walking over the Harbour Bridge, browsing the many market stalls and feasting on a 'gourmet' burger in 'The Rocks', and taking a ferry across the harbour to the quaint Balmain.

Having seen so many cities, it is easy to let them all merge into one. However, Sydney is very unique and we had a fantastic day wandering around and enjoying the sights.

The day was complete after our traditional visit to one of the city's sporting venues. We had some top tickets to the Super 14s game between the Waratahs and the Bulls. Both sides had star-studded starting 15s, including Brian 'blink and you'll miss him' Habana!

It was a great experience to watch a game at the Sydney Football Stadium (SFS), and there was some really exciting passages of play and blood curdling tackles. The Bulls won comfortably in the end but it was quite close throughout. This topped off a brilliant day in the city.

Next stop... The Blue Mountains.

Woolongong & Coledale

After a few days in the sleepy capital we headed back to the coast and to a lovely place called Coledale, just north of Woolongong. Eager to hit the surf, we jumped straight in to the sea from our beach-side campsite. However, the waves were big, dumpy, and messy, so the first session didn't last too long!

We spent three nights here in total, getting our best surf at North Woolongong Beach on Good Friday. It was a great area and a beautiful stretch of coastline on which to relax and surf before heading to Sydney.

Canberra

From Wilson's Promontory it took us two days to get to Canberra - this is a pretty big country! On route we stopped off at Eden and Bateman's Bay. Unfortunately, the conditions didn't allow us a sneaky surf before making our way inland to Canberra.

We finally arrived on Monday night and enjoyed a lovely evening with our friends Justin and Jo (two Aussies we met in England last year). They kindly took us out for a meal and it was nice to catch up over a couple of beers. Thanks guys!

The next day we went out to explore what must surely be the world's strangest capital city. Pre-designed and built in between Melbourne and Sydney (as they couldn't decide which one should be the capital), Canberra is a small and quiet place in the middle of nowhere! Nevertheless, we enjoyed walking alongside the lake and wandering the streets for the day.

Justin and Jo had a wedding to attend in Japan, so as soon as they left, we left too... back to the coast for more beach, surf and sun!

Wilson's Promontory National Park

We set off from Melbourne on Saturday 4th April and were glad to be back on the road after two months living in the city. We headed straight for Wilson's Promontory; a beautiful coastal national park south-east of Melbourne. We arrived mid-afternoon and went for a great walk from Tidal River over the headland to Squeaky Beach. The views were magnificent and the waves crashing over the rocks were an awesome sight.

Even after five weeks of bush fires there was an abundance of wildlife. We saw countless parrots and parakeets, as well as wombats, wallabies and possums. It was great to be back in naturally beautiful places again.

The next day we woke up on the beach-side campsite and headed straight for the surf. The water was crystal blue and very inviting. However, the conditions were a bit messy so we only spent 45mins in the water before getting back on the road and making the long trip towards Canberra.