An early trip out to the Eltham Valley where we meet Mum and Dad's friend Ivan (Gorman) and his family. We met at a country cafe with lots of open area to play games and run around. Then it's off to Nimbin for a cutural exeperience where many locals have established their way of life and found new direction since 1973. Back through Kyogle and Lismore where the countryside is all very lush and green.

We enjoy catching live prawn in Shaws Lake and hope it's the right bait to catch some whiting. But no luck in the Lake so we head to the sand flats along the river. Again no luck other than a very small tarwine but it was good fun, especially getting our own bait. We stop at the Lighthouse Beach lookout where the surf looks great but the beach remains unpatrolled during the week

Into town to meet Wendy and her grandchildren for a walk along the river and a swim. We saw some nice bream and whiting in the water and hope to catch some before we leave Ballina. The walkway along the river is named after Australia's greatest race walker, Kerry Junna-Saxby.

A short drive down the coast to Ballina where we set up between town and Lennox Head in a quiet caravan park. The coast on the way looked amazing and were keen for a swim, surf or fish. We catch up with Mum's friend Wendy and her family for dinner at their apartment overlooking the Richmond River. We enjoyed feeding the fish bread from the balcony.

We try our luck fishing in Cudgera Creek where the tide is flowing out strongly. Not much luck until we find and catch some small river prawns with our dip nets, and then Dad catches a small bream followed by many undersize whiting. Sadly they'd all be keepers in Queensland but not here in NSW. The coastal scenery remains a highlight for us in northern NSW.