Lennox Head

 19 - 21 September 2025

We set off from O'Reillys and drove back down the windy mountain road to pick up the camper trailer in Canungra. We had enjoyed the usual enormous breakfast before leaving so knew we could hold out for a slightly later than usual lunch. We continued through the back of the Gold Coast and south onto the motorway, and some significant traffic jams. We really don't like this much traffic. We found a rest area to have a quick picnic lunch and then continued on to Lennox Head.

We had wanted to return to Ballina to visit Flat Rock, a favourite birding spot, but when we checked caravan parks a few weeks before, we found they were way overpriced, many had 4 night minimum stays, and some seriously concerning reviews. Some had all of these which really put us off. Happily, we found the caravan park at Lennox Head, just north of Ballina, to be more reasonably priced and to have space for us. On the website a four night minimum stay was advertised but a phone call established that they were happy to waive this for us.

We arrived early in the afternoon and set up on a lovely big spot in an area that was not full, but with some friendly neighbours. Once we had settled in, Mick made contact with a birding friend and headed off to meet him. By chance the spot they were going is actually closer to Lennox than to Ballina anyway, and Flat Rock is half-way between the two. While Mick was gone I socialised with our neighbour, a solo female with a dog, on their first "shake down" trip. Mick joined us, and another solo neighbour, and we shared lots of travel tales.

On Saturday Mick went out early to the spot in heathland near Seven Mile Beach that he had been told about and later we headed down to Flat Rock together.  Although the birding wasn't great, we did see whales offshore. Late in the afternoon we went back to the Heathland spot and wandered the tracks looking for birds.

We could see whales from the lookout

Once again we left our camp spot not really knowing where we would stay next. We still had 2 nights to fill in before we were booked in at Port Macquarie. Leaving Lennox Head, we stopped at one of the many lookouts and again saw humpback whales - there seemed to be lots about on their southern migration. We returned to the motorway and headed south, with Red Rock in mind as a place to stop.

Finally Heading Home–New South Wales

Old Bar
18 – 19 March 2019

We drove into Sydney from Kandos and picked up the camper trailer from the Cub factory mid-morning and headed north towards the Pacific Motorway. Mick wanted to visit Old Bar, just out of Taree, as there were reports of migratory shore birds birds he wanted to see (what a surprise!). We knew it would be a long day, but hoped we could get that far. Our timing was spot on, getting into Sydney behind the morning rush and heading out in the middle of the day when the traffic was reasonably light. We found a rest area on the motorway where we had stopped before so had our picnic lunch and set off again.

A small group of Aleutian terns has been seen regularly at Old Bar so I thought it would be worth a look to see if I could find them. I did find some terns but they were on a sand bar in the river mouth and a long off. Sadly it was a waste of a walk. Mick

Although it was a very long day, we made it to Old Bar in good time. Because we had to completely strip the trailer of most of our belongings for the repair, we had the unenviable task of putting everything back where it belonged. We set up camp in the caravan park and started to replace everything that had been taken out then headed out for a drive towards the birdy spot. There is no vehicular access closer unless you want to drive on the beach, which we didn’t, so we had a long walk to get to the lagoon. There were storm clouds in the distance so we kept an eye on them as we walked a couple of kilometres up the beach. Mick was hopeful but had some difficulty distinguishing the different shore birds at such a distance. 
 

Pacific Golden Plover

Bar-tailed Godwit in breeding plumage.

As the clouds became darker and the BoM radar showed an approaching storm we had to make haste on our return to the car – we even ran for short distances fearing we would be caught in the storm. Fortunately we were able to get back to the car, and the caravan park before the rain started. In the end it wasn’t as severe as we had expected but we did appreciated the indoor camp kitchen facilities to cook and eat our dinner.

Heading off in the morning we decided on the short drive to Bonny Hills just south of Port Macquarie. We have stayed at Bonny Hills a number of times and it has become a favourite and as a bonus it is only a short drive to the Sea Acres Rainforest Centre.

Bonny HIlls
19 – 20 March 2019

We stayed on an ensuite site and enjoyed the comparative luxury for our overnight stay at the beachside caravan park. We used this stop to restock, finish re-arranging all our gear and to relax a bit after such a long day the previous day. It was even warm enough for a swim! We did call in to Sea Acres but the resident owl hadn’t been seen for a while so we gave it a miss this time.

Ballina
20 – 21 March 2019

A return visit to Flat Rock is a must when on the north coast of New South Wales. Once again we decided on a one night stay at Flat Rock Tent Park. This is a nice camp ground, a short walk from the beach and Flat Rock which abounds with shore birds. Caravans aren’t permitted in this council controlled campsite but there was an assortment of camper trailers, tents and a couple of camper vans. The sites are unpowered which suited us nicely. Because it wasn’t crowded and we were there fairly early, we were able to select our own site. Of course Mick spent a lot time down on the beach trying to photograph the birds.

Surfing Dolphins.

Ruddy Turnstone coming into breeding plumage.

Sanderlings

Silver Gull

Little Tern

Another Sanderling, they're one of my favourites.

 We left Ballina and headed north again, intending to stay at Tamborine Mountain. Instead we ended up in Kingaroy.

New South Wales North Coast - Byron Bay and Ballina

New South Wales North Coast

Byron Bay 

6 - 8 November 2017

After out time in the mountains, we headed for the sea. The drive down from Nimbin and Nightcap National Park took us along back roads and through a number of small villages before crossing the Pacific Highway and in to Byron Bay. Byron is another one of those places we thought we should stay at - just once. It is well known for its beaches and surf so attracts hordes of tourists from Australia and overseas. It is one crowded town! We found accommodation close to the main street which meant we could wander around at our leisure without having to pay to park. We realise lots of places have regulated parking and in places like Byron it may be necessary, but the added cost at $4 per hour (capped at $20 per day) could significantly impact a holiday budget.

On Tuesday we headed up the highway to the New Brighton Farmers Market. Held every Tuesday this is a great little market selling lots of delicious produce. With live entertainment this would have been a great place to buy a coffee or something to eat and settle down on the grass to enjoy the music. Unfortunately we didn't think of this until our bag was full of yummy things that needed to be refrigerated as soon as possible. We'll know next time to bring a cooler bag and ice bricks. We bought a number of delicious things - smoked fish dip, tomato and olive tapenade, hard goats cheese - all destined for a tapas style meal later in the week.

After lunch we set off for one of Byron Bay's highlights, the Cape Byron Lighthouse which sits on the most easterly point on mainland Australia. There is limited parking and at $8 for one hour, we didn't feel they encouraged visitors to stay long. We walked along the path for photos at the marker and then a short way further. You can actually walk all the way from town, or one of the nearby beaches and it looked like many people were doing just that. While we were walking along the path we spotted some dolphins which was a bit of a treat.

Byron Bay Lighthouse.

We watched dolphins from here but I missed getting a shot of them.

As far east as you can go on mainland Australia. We now need south and west for the full set.

Below were surfers and kayakers and a large pod of dolphins.

On Wednesday morning we set off for the short drive to Ballina where we were to meet my sister Bronwyn and her partner John. We had plenty of time to kill so after we checked out of our accommodation we drove down to the eastern end of Clarke's Beach (paid parking there too) for a look. Mick was hoping to get some photos of surfers but there really wasn't much happening.

Clarke's Beach

Clarke's Beach about five minutes after the picture above.

From there we took the coast road south, and stopped at a lake we happened to spot from the road. This turned out to be a good birdy spot. Mick never passes up an opportunity for a photograph. From there it was on to Suffolk Park for coffee and a look at the beach, then in to Lennox Head.

Low light and intermittent rain but these breeding Cattle Egrets were too good to ignore!

We spent some time at Lennox Head, despite some showers, first at Lake Ainsworth then on the shops for lunch at a nice fish and chip shop. We also did some shopping for dinner with Bronwyn and John. From there it was just a short drive in to Skennar's Head where we would be staying for the next three nights.

Ballina

8 - 11 November

Our main purpose for visiting Ballina was to catch up with family but we were also hoping to get out to Flat Rock for some birdwatching. Unfortunately the weather wasn't fantastic with scattered showers throughout both days. Due to the rain, we decided to go for a drive with Bronwyn and John to the hinterland towns of Bangalow and Newrybar. We made Bangalow our first stop, and spent about three  hours poking around the interesting shops there. We found nice cafes for morning tea and lunch and did some Christmas shopping as well. From there we travelled on to the much smaller village of Newrybar where we explore the interesting emporium and delightful deli.

While the sun was shining we walked from the caravan park at Skennar's Head to Sharpes Beach along one of a number of well established walking and cycling tracks in the area. This was only a short walk, but others join up to take walkers to other beaches and even all the way to Lennox Head.

We managed a couple of visits to Flat Rock while the rain held off. While Mick photographed birds, John photographed Mick. We also saw kite-surfers in action both afternoons. Ballina is a good spot to restock with all major department, speciality and liquor stores. On our last night we had dinner with our cousin Geoff, at the beautifully located Ballina RSL. The dining room is right on the river but you have to get in early to get a table at the window. We didn't but we still had a great view as the sun went down.

Christie and I at Flat Rock Ballina. Photo courtesy of John Winter.

Stalking a Curlew Sandpiper. Photo courtesy of John Winter.

Great Pied Cormorant. Probably my favourite shot of this trip.

Curlew Sandpiper

Red Knot. A new bird for me.

Ruddy Turnstone

Ruddy Turnstone

Tern tub time. Crested Tern.

All he ever talks about is fishing.

After Ballina, we were really on our way home, but with a couple of detours. Next stop, Mapleton in the Sunshine Coast hinterland.

Heading Home - New South Wales

Huskisson

 6 - 7 February

We planned a big day's drive from Mallacoota all the way to Huskisson and Booderee National Park, so grabbed a take-away coffee and hit the road. It was drizzling rain when we left and we weren't sure what it would be like when we arrived. We stopped at a roadside rest area for lunch and continued on to Mogo for a break. We walked around this small town and looked in the many shops. It certainly is an interesting and popular stopping point, right on the highway. While there we attempted to call Booderee National Park. You have to book your campsite online and using a mobile phone you can't select the actual spot so we wanted to call to choose our spot. Not possible! A recorded message directs you to the website.

We decided to go on to Huskisson for a night and book once we arrived there. On arrival at Huskisson, we checked into a caravan park on the beach and went for a walk on the shore. We have stayed here before and it is now one of our favourites. The weather didn't look good so we checked the forecast - rain, rain, rain. Regrettably we made the decision to skip Booderee this time. During the evening we were treated to a small, but wild thunderstorm. More rain overnight, and again in the morning confirmed we had made the right decision.

A sooty Oystercatcher is the only bird I photographed on that overcast afternoon in Huskisson.

Norah Head

7 - 11 February 2017

 

We had arranged to meet my sister and her partner in Norah Head on Thursday for a couple of nights. so headed towards the NSW Central Coast, intending to have a couple of days before Bronwyn and John arrived. I find the drive through Sydney a bit stressful, but we managed it without incident. We drove through rain just about the whole way. Going up over the escarpment near Wollongong and through the hills we were driving through low cloud too. 

Once through Sydney we stopped for lunch at the rest area just over the Hawkesbury River at Mooney Mooney. Finally we were starting to see some blue sky. We went to the caravan park at Norah Head, where we already had a cabin booked for later in the week, and set up on a site opposite the cabin. This would be very convenient as the management had allocated that site for us to store the camper trailer while we were in the cabin. We really appreciate how accommodating some caravan park staff are.

A rare visit from a Common Noddy.

I didn't do much birding at Norah Head at all but had a wonderful birding experience nonetheless. It was very windy and stormy on our first night there. The next morning we visited Cabbage Tree Harbour and I immediately noticed a dark bird floating not far off shore. I walked toward it and it flew towards me then up to some thick coastal shrubs at the top of the beach. I was snapping away the whole time but not too successfully. I was able to get closer to the bird once it had landed and  realized it was a Juvenile Common Noddy. It appeared to be quite tired and I assume it was blown in by the powerful winds overnight.

I posted the sighting on Birdline and was surprised to find out it was only the second record for the New South Wales Central Coast. Also, it was a lifer for me!  The next morning, as we swam in the rock pool, the same bird flew low over us. It looked much more energetic this time. Mick.

Juvenile Common Noddy.

The weather looked better, and the forecast was for much nicer days than those predicted for southern parts. We spent a couple of days exploring the area - Soldiers Beach, The Entrance, Budgewoi and discovered a fabulous swimming spot at Cabbage Tree Harbour. There is a rock pool as well as a sheltered swimming beach. We visited quite a few times in the four days at Norah Head.

The camp ground was home to lots of rabbits.

Taken at the popular surf beach.

This pelican caught my eye as we were out buying some fresh fish for dinner.

We spent two days in the camper trailer then two days in a cabin with Bronwyn and John. Swimming at Cabbage Tree Harbour, visiting the lighthouse and generally relaxing filled the time easily. We left on Saturday morning with temperatures forecast in the 40's.

There are always large ships on the horizon close to Newcastle and Sydney.

Norah Head Lighthouse

Great views on the short Lighthouse walk.

Sisters

Port Macquarie

11 - 14 February

What is about us and driving towards Port Macquarie? Last time it was the accident with the camper trailer, this time it was a flat tyre on the M1. Not a huge problem, except the temperature was 40° at the time. We had water, but no shade and Mick did not enjoy having to crawl around on the hot bitumen. Tyre changed, we made our way to Bonny Hills where we had stayed last time we were there having the trailer repaired. We checked into an ensuite site and noted the sea breeze had dropped the temperature to a much more manageable 30°.

It was even cooler overnight, but the forecast for Sunday was 45°! It was like this all over New South Wales so there was no way to escape it. We awoke to a not unpleasant morning and decided to go to the movies after lunch to escape the anticipated heat. Already it was warming up, and the sky was smoky from bushfires not too far away.

In the morning about twenty Fork-tailed (Pacific) Swifts were seen over the campground.

We headed off to the small cinema in Laurieton along with a heap of other people no doubt doing the same as us. After enjoying a movie we exited the theatre to a whopping 46°. There was no cooling sea breeze back at the caravan park - just a hot wind. There was nothing else for it - we headed for the pool. Early in the evening the predicted cool change arrived, blowing leaves and small branches off the trees, but it was a welcome relief.

On Monday we returned to the caravan repairer to collect our replacement fridge, and sorted the tyre problem by buying a new one.  More swims in the afternoon and we were ready to head north again in the morning.


Hat Head National Park - Smoky Cape Campground

14 - 16 February

With a relatively short drive ahead of us, we took our time and called into Kempsey for fuel, and South West Rocks for a  look around. We found the campground and set up in a nice looking spot behind the sand dunes. Mick's knee was giving him trouble again so we didn't venture too far from camp. We spent our time walking on the beach and around the campground. Mick took some photos of birds and the visiting Lace Monitors.

Smoky Cape Lighthouse.

South Smoky Beach is a popular fishing spot.

Leaden or Satin Flycatcher female.

Lace Monitor

This is a National Park, with a self-registration kiosk at the entrance. You have to make sure you have the correct money to put in the envelope. At $6 per person, per night plus $8 park entry fee (a total of $20 per night) we think it was good value. There are a number of "long drop" toilets but no other facilities - just the beautiful beach and the bush. Everything we need really.


We had rain overnight on the first night, but once the sky cleared we enjoyed a beautiful clear sky. We packed up and headed off for Ballina on Thursday morning.


Flat Rock - Ballina

16 - 19 February

We packed a picnic lunch and set off up the highway. About mid-morning, Mick suggested a detour off the highway for a coffee so we took the next turn to Red Rock. What a find! We had never heard of it, but found a fabulous little spot. There is shop selling good coffee, and a caravan park. On the banks of the Corindi River, north of Coffs Harbour, there were people snorkling, swimming and picnicking. We stayed quite a while and had our picnic lunch in the park by the river. We will come back and stay one day.

On to Ballina, and to the campground at Flat Rock. Ballina has become a regular stop as the birdwatching is great and Mick has a friend who always points him in the right direction. I also discovered I have a cousin living there so we had plenty of catching up to do.

Nice coffee and some records to look at.

Mick spent a great deal of time down on the beach and out on Flat Rock itself chasing photos of shorebirds. We ventured into town for some shopping, went visiting and enjoyed another few days in a beautiful spot. The campground is described as a Tent Park. Caravans are not allowed, but camper trailers are. There are no powered sites and the weekend saw an influx of families and young beachgoers. Despite the presence of many young folk, there was no rowdy Saturday night shenanigans. Most were up very early on Sunday morning to hit the beach again.

Common Tern

Double-banded Plover

Common Noddy

Ruddy Turnstone

Sharp-tailed Sandpiper

Sooty Oystercatcher

Wandering Tattler

We set off towards Queensland with storms forecast, but no sign of real rain. We took a short detour into Mullumbimby as neither of us had been there before, but being a Sunday morning nothing much was open. We stopped back at the turnoff on the highway for a cuppa and a nice pie instead.


Tweed Heads

19 - 20 February

As we moved closer to Queensland and the Gold Coast we figured it wouldn't be a bad idea to stop in Tweed Heads and get a cabin for the night. We didn't fancy staying on the Gold Coast and didn't want to get caught out camping in one of the ferocious storms for which South East Queensland is well known. We kept off the main highway and stumbled upon markets at Pottsville so that made a nice stop, and then had lunch at a park on the river, just before reaching Tweed Heads.

We checked into the cabin and plugged in all our devices and batteries. After 5 nights with only 12 volt power we made the most of the 240volt while we could. We watched rain approach during the afternoon but there was no big storm in the end. Oh well, we enjoyed the cabin anyway.

Up early for the next leg of the journey - into Queensland and home.