Port Macquarie to Coffs Harbour

Wikicamps has just paid for itself several times over. As we were planning to head to Coffs Harbour today, I plugged that into the app and checked out some of the caravan parks. Most were around the $30 to $35 mark, but there was one that looked really good but several people had said they paid $10. With further investigationing we found that they were trailing a new system where people who had vans that were self sufficient could have a site for $10, if they did not use any of the facilities of the park. So this was basically like spending a night in a rest area, or on the road, but with a bit more security. This seemed a good way to trial how well we would cope in these situations, so we rang and booked a site. There was a 2 night maximum.

So we headed off, secure in the knowledge of where we would spend the night. We had to come off the highway at Kempsey to get diesel for the van. It looked like a very nice town, and was also RV friendly. We were sorely tempted to stay and check it out, but we had only travelled about 40 kms, and had our booking for the night. Near the outskirts of town was a shop selling "Fredo's famous pies." Lots of specialty pie shops in these parts.

So we headed out of town, back to the Pacific Highway, but were really uncertain when we had got back to it. The great Pacific Highway, Highway One that circumnavigates our great land, had degenerated into a narrow windy track with barely one lane in each direction. In parts it was very rough and broken up, and in a general state of disrepair. To give them credit, there were many areas of roadworks all along the way. Generally annoying, but definitely needed and appreciated.

The next town we came to was called Macksville, and we considered whether we should turn off there or not. We found we did not have to decide, as the highway went right through the town - no bypasses here. Our brochures mentioned that this was a produce hub, full of fruits, nuts, chocolates etc, so we thought a good place for lunch. The town was very small and didn't have much. So we asked in one of the shops, and the people had no idea what we were talking about. The best they could come up with were a couple of fruit stalls by the side of the road, out of town. We stopped anyway in a nice park by the river and cooked our own lunch. I wonder who writes theses brochures anyway.

Next stop was Nambucca Heads. We were told we must go see the V wall, a V shaped wall built of large rocks that lined the outlet to the Nambucca River. And all over these rocks - more graffiti from local artists. Deja vu. Flavour of the month in these parts. Nambucca's other claim to fame was the mosaic wall of the Police station, and this was actually quite impressive.

From there we continued into Coffs Harbour, a big busy metropolis at one end, and a holiday resort mecca at the other. But more on Coffs in the next entry.

GeorgeY's bit

Back in Port Stephens on the cruise, our captain was Yves, a lovely french architect who came to Aus in 1981 as a young tourist, and met his wife who is from Germany. He went back, but he did not like to live in Germany, and she felt the same about France, so both settled in Sydney. Later he built his catamaran, and is doing a quite impressive job parking it in the narrow marina. I felt this was a good chance to practice my rusty French, and there will be no more for a while. But I was wrong. First stop in Port Macquarie we asked for a wifi spot and were directed to Central shopping centre. While checking things decided to have coffee, and there was another French chef complementing me on my French speaking ability. Are there any left in France?

Home Made Pie Country. I never liked the iconic Aussie meat pie. I can go on telling how I find it greasy, sloppy, lacking structure, flavor and meat.

But I am pleased to say that if you venture further, and off the beaten track towns, there is hope to find a decent one. In Port Stephens there was Red Neds, then Kempsey was home of the Fredo pies. The advice is stay diametrically away from "Footy" and you are reasonably safe from the purveyors of the frozen, then reheated, sh#t.

When you go to the Tourist Info Centre and ask the local guide about their exotic food trail or wildlife heaven…etc. If, as a response to that, you get a blank face and "Where did you get this from?" or "We have none of that, but let me ask," you feel a bit let down. But it is common in these parts.

So, if you are a traveler, read the brochure with some scepticism and try to develop the ability to translate the colorful writing.

If you are the local expert guide, read the leaflet first, and even if you think it is not true or sounds too far fetched, have a predetermined destination to point travelers to, then let them make the best of it.

Example: "Exotic wild life and food trail". Your response should be; " Check out Bob's butcher shop in town ".

How hard can it be? And, who writes these tourist "brochures" anyway?