Ballina - Yamba

Had a nice enjoyable sleep opposite the primary school. Thinking we’d scored big time, we missed a sleep in under the great shady trees due to early morning road works, followed by school drop offs (aren’t all kids on holidays now?) Oh well…

Worried now about our brakes, we popped into a brake place, forcing us to stop and relax for the afternoon. Enjoyed a thorough walk around the town, but in the heat and with no trees, all we could really manage was a sit down at a café and reading magazines from cover to cover and drinking lots of water.

With the brake fluid the only causality of my high geared jaunt down Mount Tamborine, we trundled on our way down Highway 1 – The Pacific Highway, there being no “back” roads.

Surprisingly we found single lane highways with large stopping lanes each side, and a metal post and wire fence down the middle (like the new bit down our Perth freeways). I guess it stopped overtaking on dangerous roads, but found it stranger to find the large overhead signs (also like Perth freeways) indicating a traffic accident ahead. We slowed to a halt and were eventually greeted just before a bridge, to a huge truck roll over. I guess the truck somehow lost control and ran off a straight road, right up an embankment and rolled (due to the steep slope). You could see the flattened trees in the path the truck took before being winched out. What was left of the truck and its cargo was spilled all over the road. A whole double trailer load of beer. Surprised there weren’t more workmen providing assistance in picking up the prize haul. The accident was being managed with German-like precision. The fact that they already had traffic lights in place was impressive. We weren’t held up for too long before we were on our way, over the bridge and finally off the highway.

Arriving at Yamba, the next substantial dot on the map, we were pleasantly surprised. Although the apartments are in excess of $1m (for new 3x2’s), its laidback feel and slower pace, made me think its Byron perhaps 20 years ago. I guess there aren’t as many hippies, but I think they’re more around Nimbin now, but anyway Yamba’s alright in our book. A lovely river inlet making safe boating places, swimming places as well as surfing all possible in this great little town. I think we’re about 60kms from Grafton, which is the closest “big” place, and just 14kms off the Highway its an easy drive.

Found a nice “no camping” free area and pitched for the night.