Hawk's Nest

The waterways of Hawk's Nest.

The beach.

The small car ferry.

My home for the night.

Thursday, December 29^th

I got up early and drove the short distance to Hawk's Nest. This is the town where I was originally supposed to go, but the exchange fell through. I located the house and knocked on the door but, unfortunately no one was there. So I continued and drove into town and I found the local beach. It was very busy as the temperature was in the high 30's. The beach was beautiful and I waded in and played in the surf for a bit before wisely getting out of the sun and continuing my drive.

I found a backroad that took me to the next town via a long beautiful beach and a small car ferry to get across the river. On the other side the road was unpaved for 14 km.

I visited an information kiosk and learned that to travel along the coast was going to take a long time so I decided to head inland a bit and take the main highway to make some progress getting north. I was trying to get to Coff's Harbour but it was becoming apparent that I wasn't going to find accommodation there either, so I began the search for a) a petrol station and b) a place to stay. I stopped in several small towns and checked motels but they were all full. I found a BP station in Urunga and when I left town I saw a camping and trailer park that said 'Vacancy – cabin', so I stopped and asked. He told me that I got the last one, the whole area is booked solid. It turned out to be a small trailer with a bed and a little kitchen but the toilet and shower were in a communal building. I walked around the campground which consisted mostly of permanent trailers and an area for tents and camper vans. It is situated on a river which seems to be a popular fishing spot.

I went into town and found a little pizza place where I had an excellent vegetarian pizza before going back to my palace to enjoy a beer on my deck.