Thongs and Queenslanders in the Aussie snow 2018 – DAY ONE
Below you will find a detailed description of the route as seen through the eyes of its creator to give you firsthand knowledge of the type of experiences available along this route
The Below map is for reference guide only with interactive info on locations along the route.
A fully interactive and directional guide map is available with the Road Trips printable detailed itinerary for $5 using the below button(coming soon)
Brisbane QLD to Laurieton NSW (623km 7hrs)
BRISBANE to LISMORE ( 248km 3hrs)
A light crunch to the grass and the telltale vapour pillowing from excited lips signal the migration South for the winter. Yes, apparently I am not cold enough yet haha. Or is it our defiance to not aline ourselves with the grey nomads…..
1. BACK ALLEY GALLERY LOT 1 Eggins Ln, Lismore NSW 2480
With half-mast eyelids from the early start, we make our first stop at Lismore with a family catch-up and a quick tour of the Back Alley Gallery. There is a beauty in the chaos of colour and line and then there is the just plain moving. Lismore has a relatively old soul in nature and literally, with many grand churches.
LISMORE NSW to EMERALD BEACH NSW( 182km 2hrs)
The start of our trip is streamlined to get us to the snow which means the HWY…I know, never you say, however dotting it with many side stops keeps it bearable. For example, our first stop is a lunch break by the crashing waves and Banksias at Emerald beach.
2. GORGEOUS BEACH AND HEADLAND WALK
Parked on the side of Fiddaman rd near the beach. We headed out for an after-lunch walk taking firstly the Dammerel Headland Track and then following on to the Look at me Now Headland track. There were Kangaroos popping their heads up like…who are you? with their gaze fixed on us, yet calm enough to not give a hoot.
In the far distance on the cliff top, there is something…someone…no something. Walking across the somewhat barren headland top my eyes are fixated…what in the world?
It’s a Kangaroo, on the cliff! And I don’t mean that he hopped along to the edge, this dood would have had to climb. We navigated a rocky narrow path down and then climbed up the rock face on the other side with massive waves crashing beside us to get to it.
And here it was, calm and relaxed dosing in the sun on the grassy clifftop. So comfortable that we could get up close and personal…not too close though I do not think I could live with startling a Kangaroo and then it falls off the cliff face. Can you spot him in the first photo??
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On the way to the roo I also noticed this huge bird soaring above and then a huge thing in the sea that I couldn’t quite make out but was too fascinated by how the kanga got where he was. Once back in the car I zoomed in to see what this thing was floating in the ocean.
I will confess that I got all excited thinking it was a seal or something, but was actually the bird I had seen soaring above, a huge Albatross that had swooped and caught a huge fish and was in the process of feasting on the waves. Big bloody bird is all I can say, never seen an albatross before…gotta love google…no B, stop playing with the iPad, can’t you do anything else…. mum needs it lol.
EMERALD BEACH NSW to LAURIETON NSW (196km 2.10hrs)
Cruised with bright blue skies and smooth highways all the way to Laurieton for an overnight family visit stop. And what a beautiful area it is. Unfortunately, though they have some great locations for Free camping it is not allowed anywhere in the area. However, they do have a few great caravan parks with Laurieton Lakefront Caravan Park & Lifestyle Village having the most reasonable prices and pet-friendly
3. Picturesque Laurieton
Mangroves, lakes, beaches, and soft tree-covered hills butting cow pastures.
