Port Macquarie to Tamworth
After packing up the bus and preparing as much as we could, we said our goodbyes to Alix and set out on the road again. The road from Wauchope to Walcha is very steep and narrow with lots of corners and unfortunately for us we had wind and rain to deal with too! Oh, plus a few random cattle wandering the road! So it was a slow drive but we saw some beautiful scenery and such a dramatic change from the coastline to rolling hills, lush rainforest and deep valleys. Kent saw the GPS show over 1100 metres above sea level, which will probably be the highest point on our trip. Once we got to Walcha, we found out that is where Casey Stonor is from and the region promotes the windy road as a great motorcycle ride - well Casey Stonor can have it because it wasn't much fun in a bus! We stopped at Apsley Falls on the Oxley River and went down (and more to the point back UP again) the 108 steps from the valley rim to the waterfall lookout - but it was sooo worth it!!! From Walcha, we pushed onto Tamworth and arrived just on dusk so filled up with fuel, grabbed some takeaway for tea and made camp at a rest stop just out of town. It felt weird to be back sleeping in the bus again after a not-so-great start to the trip and spending time with Alix was a wonderful break. But now we are on our own until we eventually get back to Melbourne so it really feels like a new start to our adventure.