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!