Saturday 20 April 2013

Paddle boarding the pacific and getting drenched in Dorringo

Woke up to my alarm as planned a FaceTime with the family before they go to Cuba on holiday, it was a gorgeous warm morning, but was tired from being so active and sleeping in a camper. Was told to get more sleep from Mum as was looking rough. After getting ready a d brekkie we looked up stuff to do and decided on paddle boarding.

Headed to the nearby surf club to get a coffee and juice and enjoyed on a pretty beach. It was so beautiful and really made me think how lucky I was to be here. After changing into swimmers we walked down the beach to the harbour for the paddle boards. It was a semi retired leathered Aussie man and he talked us through what to do and helped us on the boards and pushed us through the waves to paddle out to the calmer water. We had a good hour on the water and it was so pretty, a bit challenging to start with and both had wobbly legs from getting our balance in the little waves from a jet ski. Such a nice way to see the bay and enjoy being by the sea. I'll be trying it on the Norfolk broads this summer as it was so relaxing but good exercise at the same time.

We walked back to the van and headed further south and into the hills to Dorringo and a little out to danger falls lookout where we cooked up sausages for lunch in a little rain. As we only had teaspoons and bowls out of the cooking implement cubby hole and rather than unmaking the bed we improvised with a spoon technique flipping the sausages! The lookout was a little overcast with low cloud but well worth the drive up.

After Danger Falls we went to do the rainforest walk and did the longer route, we were going to do the 45 min one as it was raining and gets dark early but got halfway in 10 mins power walking so did the full 5.8km in just under 2 hours and saw both waterfalls. They were gorgeous and as it had just rained so they were quite full, even stood under one in a cave. The sound was lovely and so nice to enjoy them with no one around. The rainforest was so different in parts too with some areas being quite dark and spooky, we also had some friendly leeches want to have some blood, more on Miranda than me, she must be a tasty lady! They were only small so easy to flick off.

Got back in the van and did the narrow windy road back down to Bellingen, it didn't seem as a scary driving down it as the van struggled a bit getting up it. It was another but of a drive onto Port Macquarie for an overnight stop to cut the drive to the wine tour in hunter valley. I was in a bit of a grizzly mood when we arrived so we made the effort to go out for a nice dinner on the harbour front, but got ready for bed at the campsite rather than in the restaurant this time!

There are lots of amazing things on this trip but it is so nice to share it with someone who loves Australia, Miranda was saying how James had described it as 'a playground for adults' and I couldn't agree more!

Love Nikki xXx

















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