Geographic porcelain

Today we drove from Mullumbimby to Port Macquarie. At times the temperature outside the car reached 38°. Putting her hand out of the window, at one stage, Mirinda said it felt like putting her hand into a basket of washing fresh out of the machine – hot and damp.

Naturally we had the air con on all the way. I prefer having the windows down but these temperatures are seriously not for me. We just sat back in comfort while despairing over the increasing numbers on the dashboard.

Fortunately, our stops were made when the temperatures were manageable (just). Our first stop was at Ferry Park, on the banks of the Clarence. This was where we stopped on the way up, with Bob and Claire, and we thought it would be pleasant to have breakfast on the verandah overlooking the river. We didn’t count on it being closed.

Fortunately the toilets were open and Mirinda went off, while I ate some of the fruit we bought yesterday for just such an eventuality. There was a steady stream of traffic moving in and out of the car park. I am very surprised it was shut.

A little further up the road, we found a garage with a small cafe attached. We had sandwiches and lattes there, instead of Ferry Park. The garage claims to serve possibly the best coffee in Tynsdale. It’s safe to say, there’s not a lot of competition.

Our next stop was at Nambucca Heads for lunch. There wasn’t a lot open in the high street but we popped into the bakery which made fresh sandwiches and had tables on the footpath outside. Except they’d just stopped making sandwiches. We bought a couple of pieces of bacon and cheese bread and drinks which we DID have at the tables on the footpath outside.

While wandering around the high street, I spotted what may be the longest sculpture in Australia. It is a mural called Fish & Chips and it wraps around the police station at the top of the high street.

Just one section of the very long mural

The original concept for the mural came from an artist called Guy Crosley. He wanted to depict the area geographically by way of ceramics. He had help from many volunteers, school kids and TAFE art students.

A closer shot of part of the mural

It all started in 1996 and wasn’t completed for four years, finally being unveiled in 2000. This explains why Mirinda had never seen it before although having visited Nambucca many, MANY times.

The mushroom section

I was able to locate some information about the mural online and have replicated it on my blip for today. If you would like to know more, click here.

The rest of the trip was pretty much mile after mile of very hot road until we reached the hotel at Port Macquarie. Little did I know that I’d already arrived earlier in the day.

I went into reception and said I had a booking in the name of Gary Cook. The man, pleasant as can be, couldn’t find me anywhere. I said I’d booked it online. He then found me but I’d already checked in. I assured him I had not.

He looked through the bookings again and asked me if I was sure my name was Cook and not Coot? I told him I was sure and could show him my passport to prove it.

He rifled through some bits of paper and then rang room 110. He asked the person who answered whether he was Mr Peter Coot. The man said he was, in fact, Mr Coot. The reception guy hung up and explained to me that Mr Coot had mistakenly been booked into our room but, not to worry, I could have Mr Coot’s room instead (which was the same just on the second floor).

Mr Coot used the same website as I did to book the hotel. The reception guy called this serendipitous. I call it hard of hearing on the part of the person who checked in Mr Coot! Still, no problems and we gratefully moved into our room and immediately put the air conditioning on at -13°.

Mirinda had a brief snooze while I typed this entry up then we left for dinner with Sue, Grae, Michelle and Belinda…but more about that tomorrow…