We had a change of plan and decided not to go to Hunter Valley. It would have meant going back on ourselves and we didn't really have time to see it properly as well as some other places before we were due to meet Rose in Byron Bay, so instead off we went to Port Macquarie.
Sal has been wanting to find an ice cream parlour called Cold Rock since Christie mentioned one months ago in Thailand! It's not just any ice cream parlour though, it's one with loads of different sweets, chocolates and sauces that you have mixed into it. She had got that desperate about it that she'd taken to writing down the addresses of the next 5 we were due to pass! Normally we get our accomodation/site sorted as a priority when we arrive somewhere new but not today, Sal was adamant to find Cold Rock...and she did! Thankfully they lived up to her expectations but we did make ourselves a little bit sick. White choc ice cream with twix, boost and nuts crushed into it for Sal and Ferraro Roche with 100's and 1000's, Crunchie and peanut M&M's for Jen. I guess it's about trial and error, at least we'll have a better idea of what to go for next time!
Spent the afternoon finding a campsite and then a spot of sunbathing on the beach, very relaxing. We haven't actually made it into the sea properly yet since being in Australia, it's just soooo cold! Also, the stories we keep hearing about shark attacks and jellyfish bites don't make it that appealing either! There's a real family feeling about the places we're visiting; everyone seems to head to the beach together after work, school.
We went to a koala hospital one afternoon which was really interesting. It was a charity that had been set up to look after koalas from all over the country with the hope of them going back into the wild. They sleep for 18-20 hours a day, Jen was very jealous!
We also took a drive out to Laurieton (the beauty of having our own transport) and really enjoyed the scenery at the top of North Brother Mountain, the view was amazing. We were lucky it was such a clear day, very tranquil and beautiful at the top.
We tend to get up early (mainly cuz it's so hot in the van!) to make the most of the day and then go to bed early! We (Jen really) have cooked lots of nice meals in the evenings but given our budget we have to have beans on toast from time to time! We didn't realise just how much attention this would get, everyone else in the campsite kitchen took great pleasure in laughing at us while they cooked sausages, burgers, kebabs, etc!
We went to the cinema one night to watch Slumdog Millionnaire; it was a really good reminder of what we'd seen in India.
When we first started out in the campervan we found it a bit isolating as we weren't really meeting other people. Now, despite the very cramped sleeping quarters we're really enjoying it and loving that we get to see so much more than if we were on the bus or train.