Refreshed and recharged from the previous night in the Nundle van park, we venture back to the coast, specifically the coastal town of Bonny Hills. We chose a different route to take us back - Thunderbolts Way, named after the local bushranger, Captain Thunderbolt. I wasn't certain it was a good choice for the van but gave it a go anyway. It was a slow and winding journey but we enjoyed the change of scenery and country vista. As we entered the range the road narrowed dramatically, so much so that I prayed no cars would approach from the opposite direction. Insufficient clearance was a concern and sure enough on one of the narrowest sections, a lorry appeared. We both stopped, knowing there was danger in passing. The next moments were spent manoeuvering our vehicles as far as we could to our respective shoulders. We both sat motionless for a while, neither of us willing to attempt to pass, so I got out of the ute to confer with the other driver. It's quickly decided that he will run the gauntlet and he's able to squeeze past with only centimetres to spare. The rest of the journey is long and uneventful. Tomoko takes a few shifts driving the rig and her confidence is building, a little too much I think as at times she's a bit erratic.
Thirty minutes from our destination, Tomoko declares that she's a country girl now and doesn't necessarily wish to return to the coast. This new devotion to the country life is short lived however as at the first sight of the ocean she sticks her head out the window and inhales the sea air. We enter the caravan park at Bonny Hills and the travel fatigue fades as we are envigorated by our new location. Our site’s not totally beachfront but it's very close. The rest of the arvo is spent setting up and the annex gets a workout after a few weeks off.
From Wed till Fri Tomoko works from her beachside office suite. Via skype she talks to doctors in Japan. I often wonder how surprised they would be if they knew where she was calling from. Certainly, it’s a vast contrast to the grey sprawl that dominates much of the Japanese urban landscape.
With Tomoko looking after the finances my time was largely taken up with domestic duties. In between the cleaning and laundry I did manage to explore the local area some. I found a wave in front of Bonny Hills surf club. The 1 to 2 foot onshore affected waves were not the best but it was refreshing to get in the water again. I was also keen to supply Tomoko with the fresh fish she desired but the tides weren't quite right and the forecasted fresh northerly's not making for great conditions.
I took an afternoon drive into the nearby townships of North Haven and Laurieton. North Haven has a nice beach (the North Wall break looks promising) and is at the mouth of the Camden Haven River. Laurieton is a few kms inland and sits at the base of a mountain. It’s very pretty and the streets are interspersed among a series of estuaries. It seems every street you drive down hugs a different body of water. I later visit the Plaza Theatre to watch Woody Allen's 'Magic In The Moonlight'. It's a cute little art deco cinema built in the 1950's and if you believe the literature was where Baz Luhrmann picked up the movie bug as his dad was the local projectionist.
Tomoko and I spent Saturday sightseeing around North Haven and Laurieton. I had already been there so knew the choice spots to visit. We drove up to the lookout at North Brother Mountain to take in the awesome view. We didn't stay too long as again Shaka is prohibited and hiding in the car. We grabbed some fish ‘n’ chips from the co-op and ate in the sun by the river. I spotted a couple of local fishos cleaning their fish. They had a good mix of flathead, bream, whiting and luderick which they caught on yabbies. Inspired, I hunt down some yabbies late in the afternoon.
Low tide is just before dawn and I contemplate beach or river fishing. I haven't found any great gutter system so decide to fish in the river alongside where I caught the yabbies. It proves a sound choice and I catch many whiting, though only 3 are legal size. I also hook a couple of rays which provides some sport. There is a lot of small baitfish in the channel and I amuse myself watching the pelicans hunt them. They are definately more elegant than when scavenging at the boat ramp.
A thunderstorm hit the afternoon prior to leaving. Luckily, I packed up most of the gear in the morning so I immersed myself into the world of Wilbur Smith's Egypt for the rest of the day. We wake to a leaky roof and add it to our repair list. Fortunately, we are going to the caravan repair centre today.
Towing the van into Port Macquarie during peak hour we have a near miss. A Landcruiser suddenly stops in front of me and I slam on the brakes. The wheels lock up and we go into a slide. I’m hanging grimly onto the steering wheel trying to maintain control and a collision seems imminent. Unlike ourselves, time really slows down and I tell Tomoko that I can’t stop. She promptly pulls on the handbrake and we safely come to an immediate halt. I’m so proud of her and promise not to be critical of her driving technique ever again (or for a couple of days at least). I reckon the roads were greasy from the previous nights rain (the first they've had for some time). We were also on a decline and coupled with my sudden braking led to the near mishap.
Slightly shaken, we safely arrived at the repair centre. The plan was to spend the day traipsing around town while the repairs were being done and head to Harrington in the afternoon. The waterproofing however, didn’t have sufficient time to dry so we were forced to find alternative accommodation for the evening, a difficult task when you have a dog who refuses to sleep outside by himself. Fortunately, we found a cabin where Shaka could sleep inside and we bunkered down for the night in relative style. Shaka, in particular was excited by his new digs but he better not get too comfy as tomorrow we continue our journey south. Until then...adios amigos.