Bellingen & Dorrigo
A break in the surfin’ safari –since there was no swell forecast we headed for the hills again, going up to Bellingen and Dorrigo for a touch of rainforest.
First stop was the lovely Bellingen for a wander down the main street which was such a curious mixture of hippy shops selling Indian clothes and essential oils and some seriously designer shops occasionally selling similar Indian cotton skirts with a different label and a 1000% markup! Is it the fate of every funky alternative little town to turn ‘designer’?
Bellingen did have some great art deco buildings to look at and some very good food. We bought groceries and then treated ourselves to a great lunch and glass of rose at a restaurant also frequented by George Negus at the next table. Nic managed to not pester him and say ‘Love your work George’. It was odd though to hear such a familiar mellifluous voice right next to us.
We then headed up the steeply rainforested hill to the chilly heights of Dorrigo, along the Waterfall Way, which lived up to its name. The following day was sensational – starting early with a look at the Dorrigo National Park, and our quick stroll turned into a solid two hour walk, mainly because this rainforest was so compellingly beautiful. So lush and diverse and supporting huge numbers of birds – we were both largely silent on the walk around just soaking it all in.
Then onto the New England National Park, via a spectacular waterfall or two. Point Lookout was at about 1500m and was, funnily enough, a fabulous lookout into the surrounding mountains. We walked on a track just below Point Lookout where the dry eucalypt forest abruptly gives way to dripping rainforest and Antarctic Beech, relics of Gondwanan forest. And it felt seriously Gondwanan – we would not have been surprised to see dinosaurs in the undergrowth. It was very splendid.
From the rainforested mountains we went back to the coast, stopping at a little beachside village outside Coffs Harbour called Moonee Beach. It was beautiful and quiet and it was about the only place on the coast with surf. We ended up at the Caravan Park that night – like so many CP’s along this coast it dominates the best beachside position, and we camped with a perfect view of the ocean. And had a surf that night and the following day.
First stop was the lovely Bellingen for a wander down the main street which was such a curious mixture of hippy shops selling Indian clothes and essential oils and some seriously designer shops occasionally selling similar Indian cotton skirts with a different label and a 1000% markup! Is it the fate of every funky alternative little town to turn ‘designer’?
Bellingen did have some great art deco buildings to look at and some very good food. We bought groceries and then treated ourselves to a great lunch and glass of rose at a restaurant also frequented by George Negus at the next table. Nic managed to not pester him and say ‘Love your work George’. It was odd though to hear such a familiar mellifluous voice right next to us.
We then headed up the steeply rainforested hill to the chilly heights of Dorrigo, along the Waterfall Way, which lived up to its name. The following day was sensational – starting early with a look at the Dorrigo National Park, and our quick stroll turned into a solid two hour walk, mainly because this rainforest was so compellingly beautiful. So lush and diverse and supporting huge numbers of birds – we were both largely silent on the walk around just soaking it all in.
Then onto the New England National Park, via a spectacular waterfall or two. Point Lookout was at about 1500m and was, funnily enough, a fabulous lookout into the surrounding mountains. We walked on a track just below Point Lookout where the dry eucalypt forest abruptly gives way to dripping rainforest and Antarctic Beech, relics of Gondwanan forest. And it felt seriously Gondwanan – we would not have been surprised to see dinosaurs in the undergrowth. It was very splendid.
From the rainforested mountains we went back to the coast, stopping at a little beachside village outside Coffs Harbour called Moonee Beach. It was beautiful and quiet and it was about the only place on the coast with surf. We ended up at the Caravan Park that night – like so many CP’s along this coast it dominates the best beachside position, and we camped with a perfect view of the ocean. And had a surf that night and the following day.
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