Day 23 Tuesday Drive to North Haven Day 24 Drive to Yamba Day 25 Thursday Yamba and Illuka

A long week with quite a bit of driving involved.  We left Stockton Beach and drove to North Haven, through Forster and Lake Macquarie.

However we got horribly off course, turned off at Ti Tree, and ended up in a National Park where the road ends.  Thank goodness a ferry was there to take us across to the other side.

Morning tea stop was Bramble Point, and the magpies were so tame one almost visited inside the vehicle.  Obviously plenty of people feed them.  Mum kept the two babies out of site until she was ready to feed them!  They soon stopped squarking!

Oysters bought for the oyster lovers at Graham Barclay Oysters at Forster.  It takes 3 years to grow an oyster so we were told.

For us who don't eat oysters we settled for huge prawns, but shared them!




Booking into North Haven was not without its dramas.  Firstly the booked cabin was way below my expectations, and I opted for an upgrade.  Better choice of cabin for $10 more.  I was pretty tired as the blow up mattress perhaps needed to be re-aired, which made a pretty uncomfortable sleep, and when we got to the accommodation, Jacaranda Caravan Park, I  just wanted to have a rest.

Unfortunately  a colony of ants decided to make a home in the bed.

That required another move into another cabin.  The on-site managers were very considerate and helpful.

When in cabins we eat in our accommodation, as there is more room.  The amenities was very clean, but this park seemed to have a lot of permanents.

Perhaps I have too much property management in me as after this trip I will be writing a critique of the standards in cabins!







On the road again on Wednesday and our aim was Yamba.  However morning tea at Kempsey meant a search initially for McDonalds.  After quite some time, we found the Slim Dusty Museum.

Slim Dusty was never a real favourite of mine, but some of his songs were great to singalong with.
However my son-in-law certainly likes old Slim.

Well done to the Slim Dusty Foundation for creating and recognising one of Australia's icons.  The centre opened in November 2015.

The cafe was a great choice for brunch.  And the coffee?

But it was the shop that drained our wallets.  Lots of Xmas gifts for some special people, and then of course an Ackubra hat for an early gift for John and Dennis.  Even came with a free belt!

The potplant holders even depict different aspects relating to Slim Dusty.

 If you are in the vicinity of Kempsey don't forget to call in!  Mary bought a CD and we enjoyed a bit of a singalong.

Next stop was Trial Bay.  It is south of South West Rocks in Central Coast.  It was interesting to see the changes that all these places had undergone since we last visited.  So many retirement living estates, and units. Some places have been almost unrecognisable due to progress.

Unfortunately towing a long caravan makes getting in and around these coastal spots a tad difficult.

Trial Bay began as a safe place for ships which were getting wrecked by the seas, and the convicts were ordered to construct a breakwater.

The gaol followed, and after the convicts it was used as an internment camp in World War 1.

Stunning coastal views in this area of NSW, with rocky headlands, crashing surf!

What clever dolphins, they herded the fish for the aboriginals
 who camped in the ruins.

Rogues gallery 

This is Frank Ward, or a couple of aliases, he began his life of crime for larceny ended up with murder,
and was ordered to death, a bushranger no doubt.

Along the highway, which is a construction zone, and we were going to pay a visit to Tony Jillett at Valla Beach.  Tony worked on the Jillett family history for many years, and could never "place" the Glen Innes families.  We worked together in 2010, and were able to join the dots, so to speak, when his links to Henric Jillett were confirmed.

Henric was one of Thomas Jillett's sons.  The four boys, Alfred, Henric, George and Tasman were known as the Jillett Bros.  They drove sheep between Roma and Broadmeadows in Victoria in the late 1890's.

They kept a Bible of all activities which they encountered, but perhaps not all of Henric's actions along the way.  Henric had two or three illigimate children during his travels and of these children one was the original settler in Glen Innes.   The other spent time in Goulbourn Jail, he was however the spitting image of his cousin Robert Jillett, killed at Sandrakan, and whose photo was found at the Australian War Memorial.


 www.jillettfamily.com


Vala Beach must be one of the best kept secrets, it is difficult to get to with limited access from the new roadworks, but we finally managed to find Tony.

This photograph is rather historic.  Here is Tony Jillett, Mary Tottle and John Herron.

Tony is the great grandson of Henric Jillett, Mary's great aunt married Henric's brother George, and John is the great grandson of Alfred!

Added to that is that Mary's g.g grandfather Joshua Peck travelled to Norfolk Island with Tony and John's g.ggrandparents Robert Jillett and Elizabeth Bradshaw in 1803, and settled next door to Elizabeth's land grant!

Mary and Dennis have been lifelong friends, for almost 50 years.

Consequently we were a little late in arriving at Yamba.  Unfortunately we saw the results of a large kangaroo which collided with a car.  Thankfully no other vehicles were involved, and the driver dragged the injured kangaroo off the highway.
'
But the number of semi-trailers on the road was incredible.  Were they all leaving Brisbane on a time frame to deliver produce to Sydney and Melbourne?  If so, they and the kangaroos make driving on the highway very dangerous after 4pm

We arrived at Yamba, and our accommodation.  The Blue Dolphin caravan park had cabin accommodation.

  

We didn't have much choice, 3 caravan parks on offer.  I thought we were staying in town, as I was positive that the ads said "walk to town".  Ummm.

My question at reception was "where is the water?" out the back she said.  Well that was obviously the wrong question, "Isn't it down the road?"  "I don't know" was the reply "I haven't been here long".

Well that was also the wrong question.  Last attempt  "Where is the ocean" - "up the road about 5 minutes!" But there was an old photo, which clearly showed that the service station in front had been here in the days that we were visitors.



Yamba synonymous with midgies, sandflies and mosquitos, and yes they bite!  Nothing mentioned at reception about this.

Perhaps we should not have done a trip down memory lane, but we did.  How things have changed.

A quick drive up the road for dinner at a fantastic seafood restaurant.  Fish and chips - snapper crumbed, and so so fresh.  Watso's restaurant. Well recommended, and yes they provide insect spray, and even offered it to us.

Next door was another caravan park, a very old caravan park, surrounded by huge Norfolk Island pine trees.  It began life in the 1960's, progressed to caravans in the 1970's and has had a few owners.  Currently there are some rather interesting comments on review sites.

The Norfolk Island pines were the only trees to successfully grow in the sandy soils.

The cabin is rather expensive for its offerings, John carried out some minor housekeeping before breakfast, not our dirt or biscuit, that was after getting rid of the cockroaches.  Scrambled eggs for breakfast.  We have a microwave, but no dish suitable.  And leaking taps - nearly every place has them.

Have microwave - no dish that fits

The daily sweepings

Day 25

Thursday morning  we reconsidered our Gold Coast arrangements, and eventually decided to change from annexing to an apartment, due to the horrific storms that are following the extremely hot days.

The Gold Coast accommodation is at Southport. It seems that the Gold Coast Council owns all the caravan parks, or has a monopoly on this type of beachfront accommodation.  A cabin was - $200 to $240 per night.  Now that is ridiculous, especially if the standards are as we are seeing.

A few doors along the road, and we have an apartment, for $339 for 3 nights.  Quite a huge difference, and could not possibly be any worse than some of the places we have stayed.


Yamba temperature predictions were 31 and more.  Someone forgot to tell the forecasters that, as it became a rather windy day, with temps nowhere near the predictions, and no thunderstorn developed.

Not so lucky a few hundred klicks up the road, with massive hail storms once again.
Hopefully the predicted 36+ for the weekend will not eventuate.


But a trip to Illuka to have a look around, and once again massive road works around the Clarence River.  Morning tea at the bakery, which had a great selection.

 

Marine Rescue Illuka, with a fantastic view of the mouth of the Clarence River, sitting down on the job?  There is a huge fishing fleet operating here.

Back to Yamba.  Well it doesn't look anything like we recalled.  But the ocean was sure crashing into the rocks.  And wind, it was howling.  The main street, as we remembered is no more, and the shops have changed to restaurants.

The beach and SLC I am sure we used to wander down to the beach.

The rock pool!

We followed another road to "Spooky Beach"

To my surprise, Robert Jillett also lives here!  That's right Tony's cousin.  I stopped in and said hullo!  He is another Raine & Horne salesperson.  Must be something in the family!!!

After a day of touring, it was Forster oysters and some local prawns for dinner.

But before leaving Yamba, we followed the directions to the Yamba Big 4 Caravan Park.

Sited in the middle of nowhere, and on a road that floods when the Clarence River spills, amongst bush or cane paddocks, we wondered just what people must think when they are imagining they are arriving at Yamba.   A look at reviews on Tripadvisor tells the story.

Here it is -  the sign even says it is in Yamba!  Miles away.