Entrance to the waters

This morning, we eventually left for Nambucca Heads. The road was long and, on occasion, quite wet.

We had a few stops for very unpalatable food. Our first mistake was having a toasted ham, cheese and tomato sandwich which tasted strongly of fish. The second mistake wasn’t so much mine because I had a lovely sausage, cheese and pickle sandwich but Mirinda, thinking of enjoying something delicious from our years in Australia, ordered four potato scallops in a service station only to declare them inedible.

Normally I don’t let her eat KFC but today I figured it was only fair given the rest of the food she’d endured. So, our final meal of the day consisted of chicken and chips and the most amazing taste sensation we’ve ever tasted. KFC are presently making a Gaytime shake. It is fantastic!

Anyway, food aside, the trip up was pleasant enough. The most surprising thing we encountered was the sight of a sparrow trying to hitch a ride on the back of a big black crow directly in front of the car. Honestly. An incredible sight, to say the least. Clearly they are mates and are used to this sort of thing.

And then we arrived at Nambucca. We stayed the night at the Riverview Boutique Motel which we recommend for comfort and air conditioning. It is nicely situated just back from the river (on a hill so no chance of flooding) and a nice walk away from the beach and pub.

Originally, this part of the coast was full of timber mills, supplying the massive demand for wood throughout New South Wales. The 19th century saw four major mills along this stretch of coast supplying tallowood, blackbutt, ironbark, mahogany, etc.

There is no sign of any of this activity now. The place is for holiday makers, fishermen and beach goers. It seems sleepy and ideal for a quiet break.

After arriving, I took a stroll down to the beach, wandering through the mangroves via the elevated walkway.

The mangrove walk at Nambucca

Down at the beach, the boulders used to keep the sea from eroding the footpath have been decorated by individuals in a wonderfully haphazard way.

Some of the wonderfully painted rocks at Nambucca

But, I have to admit, that this one was my favourite:

Especially for Tom

By the way, Nambucca is Aboriginal for ‘Entrance to the waters’.