mike & rhonda's latest adventure: What Happened to Us?

You will have to wait a bit to find out what happened........sorry.

Since leaving our friends Bill & Bobbie in Yamba we have continued driving south.........where a normal person would think it is getting warmer but it is actually getting colder. We flew through Coff's Harbour (easy to do when you have a Spaceship) and ended up staying in Urunga where we walked along the boardwalk to Urunga Heads without our camera only to spot several camera-worthy shots, including a 2 metre wide stingray in shallow water......don't worry, we have 2,000 other photos to bore you with :-)

Subsequent stops included the South West Rocks and it's gaol (jail) with its interesting WWI history and Port Macquarie (many reef rocks along its shoreline). We spent two days in Barrington National Park. The Eastern Section, which required a 30 km drive along an unsealed road (with very little traffic), provided wonderful viewpoints at Thunderbolts Lookout and Devils Hole. We spotted 2 Wedge Tailed Eagles sitting on a branch, seeking dinner......they had a 2 metre wingspan (which we saw when they took off) and are the largest bird of prey in Australia. At 5,000 feet above sea level and 10C colder than the east coast, we passed up the camping opportunity for a motel room in Dungog (with some new owners who also operate a dairy farm......we wish them well....after they finish milking their holsteins every morning). The next day we covered the Southern Section of the NP and hiked along the Blue Gum Loop Trail. It went along both sides of the Williams River and through an enchanting rainforest with huge Blue Gum trees. Large, old fallen trees were covered in moss and ferns, permitting us to watch the rainforest regenerating itself. There were several swimming holes along the way but the cooler morning temperatures did not bode well for a morning dip. We saw a Superb Lyrebird, with it's harp-like tail who mimic other bird sounds, but we couldn't get the camera out quick enough to catch him before he disappeared into the brush. After that we drove to the Chichester Dam for a picnic lunch a short climb to an abandoned lookout where we found a well-hidden geocache.

Today we covered Pacific Palms, Seal Rocks, Myall Lake, Hawks Nest and Tea Garden. We had planned to stay somewhere along the way but none of them really appealed to us. They were all nice (perhaps we expected more), so we continued on to Kuruah where we found a nice Caravan Park next to a famous jetty with a short boardwalk through a mangrove. This is where the embarrassing part comes in. After several nights where the evening temperature was dropping to 10-12C.......nothing to worry about for a 'good' Canadian.......we opted for a cabin with it's own bathroom, kitchen, cable TV and a small living room (and Otis parked comfortably in the driveway). What ever happened to the adventure seekers who left home 4 months ago????

Do I at least get a chance to redeem myself.........for doing it on Mother's Day?

Happy Mother's Day to all the moms out there.