Byron Bay – Most Easterly Point in Australia!
While we were staying in Hastings Point we drove down to Byron Bay to visit the most eastern point on the Australian mainland. It’s at the Cape Byron lighthouse, which is a state conservation area and a really popular spot, especially on the weekend! We drove up to the top only to find it too crowded to park. We were lucky to find a spot not too far down the drive so we were able to easily walk up to the lighthouse and nearby trail. 
The view of the beach is stunning. See the kite surfers? (Is that what they’re called? I’ve no idea.) 
Look at this! So beautiful! Definitely one of the most beautiful lighthouse locations I’ve ever visited. This was an ideal spot for whale watching, and we saw people doing just that. We didn’t spot any while we were there, though we did see some dolphins. 
See that spot on the ground that looks like something has been removed? We wondered what used to be here and later found a sign with a picture showing that this is where the original flagstaff was. 
‘National’ parks in Australia are managed by the states. Which means each state charges its own fees, so the pass we got in Tasmania (for example) doesn’t work in New South Wales. Nice. Many national parks are free to get into. At this conservation area there would have been a fee to park at the top by the lighthouse. Since it was full and we ended up walking in and we didn’t have to pay. [Sidenote: Weeks after we left NSW my kids remembered that the lyrebird was on the NSW parks sign. How do they remember these things?] 
What a view. Those swirly patterns in the water were amazing. 
Here it is! The most easterly point of the Australian mainland! A very photographed sign. 
Poor TurboBug was so upset as we were trying to take this picture. He kept saying ‘Up!’ but when we tried to pick him up he made it known that that was not what he wanted. After several minutes we finally figured out he wanted his hood up. All his siblings had theirs up at that point (it was windy!) and he wanted his up just like them. He was much happier after that. 
That view again. 
And the lighthouse. It’s amazing I got pictures with very few or no people in them, given the number of people there that afternoon! 
Yep, it was built in 1901. How’d you guess? 
Isn’t it gorgeous? So well maintained. 
In the old lighthouse keeper’s office is a museum and gallery. Heaps of information, lots to peruse. There’s even art for sale. See the flagstaff in the picture below? 
Some nearby rocks have a really cool name. ;) (It’s a family name. Nope, not our JitterBug.) 
The area is part of the Arakwal National Park, and there’s a cultural resource room featuring information the history of the Arakwal people. 
Another reference to Captain Cook… 
There was information about the symbolism of this painting and it was lovely. Of course I don’t remember the details. 
That view, one more time! 
We didn’t spend any time in the town of Byron Bay, but just driving through it has a lovely beach town feel to it even in the winter. It was the weekend, so it was crowded. Can’t imagine it in the summer!
Hastings Point, NSW
After Coffs Harbour we went a bit north to a small town called Hastings Point. We stayed at a lovely caravan park there, complete with a waterpark, indoor play place, and kids’ activities. They had morning craft sessions and an evening disco on the weekend, great fun for the kids. We met another family who were just getting ready to begin their journey around Australia. They lived nearby and had just moved out of their rental house and into their caravan, putting their belongings into storage. I felt for them, I remember how exhausting that whole process was for us. But look at us now! We are enjoying all these awesome places like Hastings Point, a lovely spot on the coast. While we were there we went for a short bike ride and were greeted with this beautiful view of the river meeting the ocean. 
As I was taking pictures I suddenly realised there were people on horseback coming into view. Horses, really? Could it get more picturesque? 
The big talk around town was the filming of the newest Pirates of the Caribbean movie. Captain Jack Sparrow would be making an appearance over the weekend. We joined the crowds to have a look at the set. A huge whale skeleton was being erected on the coast. 
We could see the crew busy at work, moving the bones so they were in just the right position. There was definitely an air of excitement in the crowd. Lots of kids there, it was late afternoon and it looked like (from all the school uniforms) that many families had stopped by after picking their kids up from school. While we were there taking in the view we spotted real, actual whales in the distance. They were much more interesting than the fabricated skeleton in front of us! 
This was the view looking the other way. Such a beautiful beach! 
The timing of this was funny for us since we had just started listening to the music (from the first movie) with the kids. They haven’t seen any of the movies in the series, but we all love the music! 
They had a section of the bluff marked off so you couldn’t get too close to things. :) All the tents were ready (and empty!), waiting for the arrival of the cast and crew in a few days’ time. 
Soon we headed in the other direction and explored the beach some. I love little toddler footprints on the beach. You can tell he was running. 
I asked SkeeterBug to put a footprint next to one of TurboBug’s. I should have put one of mine next to his, those feet keep getting closer to my size! 
I realised these were the hoof prints of the horses we’d seen earlier. 
Excuse me while I include some lovely beach pictures in this post. 
As we were leaving I waited for TurboBug to catch up to us. He came running along the beach and saw me standing there with my camera and must have thought I wanted a picture. He hunched down and grinned for me, not moving until I’d snapped a pic. Cute! 
See that land in the distance? That point? That’s where the whale skeleton was. 
Look what I found, mama! 
This was such a beautiful area, many small towns spread along the coast. Each had gorgeous beaches and surfers galore.
Dorrigo National Park
While we were in Coffs Harbour we drove over to Dorrigo National Park. We’d heard that there was a walk you could do where you get to walk behind a waterfall. Doesn’t that sound fun? Something to remember. On the drive up there were other waterfalls to see. In fact, part of the drive is called Waterfall Way. 
The visitor centre was quite nice with a cute shop and cafe. 
There’s a terrific lookout behind the visitor centre, the Skywalk Lookout. Another one of those beautiful lookouts that overhang the valley below. This time I forgot to take a picture of the lookout itself. But what a view! On the linked website is says that the double mountain peaks are called McGraths Hump, also known as Old Man Dreaming and in Aboriginal legend it is the profile of a warrior’s face. 
We were sad to discover the walk behind the waterfall was closed due to damage from a recent storm. We walked down to see the other waterfall anyway. 
So much to see on this walk. It was pram-accessible all the way, which we opted for in this case to give our backs a break and help us move a bit faster. I’m a big fan of baby-wearing, but toddler-wearing is much harder on the back. And now we commence with a gazillion pictures of the walk… 
We had much discussion about leeches. There were warning signs about them and we worried about these blood-sucking creatures. Anyone my age immediately pictures the leeches from the movie Stand By Me, right? Those were big. These were not. The few we saw were tiny. 
We picked up a couple after sitting on some benches. They were a bit sticky but interesting to watch. They moved around like inchworms. This was a long walk for us with kids, but a good one! Rainforest walks are nice and cool even on a warm day, and there’s so much to see.
Muttonbird Island, Coffs Harbour
It rained a lot while we were in Coffs Harbour. We watched the weather while we were there and chose a sunny afternoon to walk to Muttonbird Island. 
TurboBug decided he had to push his pram. The entire way. He’s such a toddler. This walkway goes all the way out to the island. Ocean on one side, a boat marina and fish market on the other. 
We found these mosaics along the way. I’m wondering if these were commissioned or someone took it upon themselves to make the walk more interesting. The kids enjoyed hopping from rock to rock (or cement block to cement block) along the way. Every once in a while I reminded them to please not break any bones or die, then looked away so I wouldn’t have to watch. 🙂 
Once we got onto the actual island we were happy to find a skink or two. 
The trail is very steep at one point. We left the pram at the bottom, which TurboBug was okay with after much discussion. Did I mention he’s a toddler? ;) We discovered that this is a popular running trail. Due to the steepness it would be quite challenging and we saw many runners that day. 
Unfortunately we were there the wrong time of year to see the birds. During the winter they migrate north. 
We made our way to the other side of the island to the eastern lookout. Ever so slowly. From the top of the island you get 360 degree views of the area. 
It was the right time of day for all the fishing boats to leave. We must have seen ten or so heading out for the evening. 
We kept our eyes peeled for whales. 
And we saw some! Yay! Humpback whales are on the move this time of year, heading north to warmer waters. 
Really, those are whales. We even saw some jumping in unison. So neat. Here’s close-ups, blurry since they are zoomed in so much. I was reluctant to leave because they were so easy to spot. 
Some of us also saw some dolphins right near these rocks. We watched a man fishing and saw him reel in a nice big fish from close by. The kids immediately wanted to know if they could come fishing here! They hadn’t had much luck fishing off the pier. But these rocks aren’t an easy spot to get to. 
More of those 360 degree views. 
This kid is such a character. 🙂 
TurboBug was much relieved to pick up the pram waiting a the bottom of the trail and then proceeded to push it all the way back to the car. 
An easy walk and a must do if you are in Coffs Harbour. Even in the winter. You might get rained on, but you will most likely get to see some whales!
The Big Banana
Coffs Harbour is famous for bananas. Especially the Big Banana, which was one of the first Big Things in Australia. Big Things are…um…a thing here. This one is located right next to the motorway, you can’t miss it if you drive through Coffs Harbour. We didn’t know until we go there that you can actually walk through the Big Banana. Inside is various information about bananas and a video where you can watch some (green) bananas being picked and packed. 
The Big Banana is a big tourist trap entertainment complex. You can do mini golf, laser tag, tobogganing, ice skating, and there’s a water park they are expanding. You can also tour their plantation. As with many tourist traps entertainment complexes, things are pricey so we opted for laser tag only. We wanted to do the tobogganing (which is a huge slide down the side of the mountain) but it was closed due to the rain. The kids did enjoy the laser tag, even LadyBug, who is only five, likes it and isn’t the least bit scared. 
The monkey’s name is Max. JitterBug has a monkey named Max, so we had to get pictures. 
Then we found another Max inside, behind the big banana. He was the subject of many photos while we were there, family after family huddled around that monkey for pictures. 
The kids all had bananas with chocolate and sprinkles on them from the cafe. There’s also a shop selling more banana things than you could imagine. And that’s the Big Banana, done. I’m sure there will be more Big Things in our future. 😉
Sealy Lookout, Coffs Harbour
I had really been looking forward to Coffs Harbour as it is a big tourist destination. I expected a beach town, but what I found was a much bigger town than I expected that happens to be on the coast. Not much of a beach feel to it, not helped by the winter weather while we were there. The caravan park we stayed at was quite large with a water park and big playground and heaps of vans coming and going every day. While in Coffs Harbour we drove to Sealy Lookout. It’s a short drive and the road goes right up to the lookout, no hiking involved. 
I find references to Queen Elizabeth II 1970 visit to Australia all over the place. She must have had quite the itinerary during her trip here. Her visit was in connection with the bicentenary of Captain Cook’s sailing up the east coast of Australia. According to the information board she visited Sealy Lookout, though the Forest Sky Pier wouldn’t have been here then. 
The pier itself is gorgeous. The design is really offset by the vegetation. 
The views are great on a clear day. 
That island on the left is Muttonbird Island which we would later visit. See that somewhat enclosed area next to it? We’d heard on the news that the beach at Coffs Harbour was closed due to sharks. There’s a lovely pier in there that’s fun for jumping off, but that’s apparently the area that was closed. It’s also a popular fishing spot, and too much fish cleaning in the area meant sharks had come in looking for crumbs. 
There were signs at the lookout to point out the various sights so you knew what you were looking at. Always helpful! 
The surrounding vegetation was nice to look at, with ferns peaking through. The lookout is definitely worth the short drive. There’s also a picnic area and some trails. We got caught in the rain while we were there, so it was back in the car for us. 
There are several banana plantations as you drive to the lookout. It was interesting to see how they go right up the steep mountainside. What a job that would be to care for those trees! Many of the bananas were covered in bags while still on the tree, I suppose to protect them from the winter weather. 
While in Coffs Harbour we caught up on some schoolwork. Lots of rain means time inside, the perfect time to do some work. We don’t do heaps, but they still have to do their reading and writing and arithmetic. 🙂 
JitterBug has been anxious to learn cursive. He was so excited to finish his last handwriting book and get started with his new one. 
And he was still enjoying his first lost tooth. 🙂 
I have the ebook version of Our Sunburnt Country (you can get it here). It’s an overview of Aussie history in a narrative form that we are slowly reading through. 