Sydney to Kingscliff

Journey                 # 4

Time:                      February 2011

Transportation:        Landcruiser 100 series

Friday 18th February 2011 - We were invited by our good friends, Mark and Wendy, to join them at the Tamarind Sands resort Kingscliff, for a weeks holiday. They were flying out to L.A. at the end of the week, so we picked them up bright and early for the drive up the coast.
We arrived at the resort and checked in to our apartment and unloaded the car. Went for a quick drive down to the "town" and checked out the beach.
Dinner that night was down at the local bowling club and it was a typical club bistro meal.

Saturday was a day of unpacking and relaxing, stocking up on food and having a look around the place. We went for a drive to Tweed Heads and later in the afternoon Mark and I went for a fish along the beach. Only caught small fish which were released. As we drove along the highway, I commented to Mark that I thought the car needed a wheel balance as it was 'shimmying' a bit. We drove to the local club for dinner that night, and it seemed worse. I thought that maybe I had lost a wheel weight. On the short drive home, it was a lot worse, so after dropping the girls off, Mark and I went for a drive around the block, with him hanging out the windows trying to hear or see where the problem lay. Next morning, we got up and jacked the car up to look at axles and bearings. All seemed good and as we were replacing the wheels, Mark noticed one of them looked quite odd. The tyre tread had delaminated and a big 'egg' was evident. Problem solved. Put the spare on and all was good again. Doesn't say much for the Grand Trek tyres though as I have heard of that happening to others.

Sunday was arranged to spend the day with Mark's brother and family. We ended up having a picnic on the banks of the Currumbin Creek and wasn't it packed. A hot day with hundreds of others all doing the same thing. We managed though, and had a good time.

Monday and Tuesday were spent relaxing and going to the beach. Mark and I went fishing off a breakwall just south of Point Danger, but again only caught small fish. I threw a bream back in and as it hit the water, an Osprey dived out of nowhere and snatched it off the surface. It settled on a post and ate the fish. Wish I had a camera ready.

Wednesday we went on a river cruise and it rained a lot of the time. We had a great time though and it was worth it to see the countryside from a different vantage.

Thursday we went for a drive down to Nimbin and Nightcap National Park. Narrow winding roads through rainforest and farmlands, with lovely scenery. Highlight was the Minyon Falls. A fantastic waterfall, which was flowing well, due to the rain we had received all week. Nimbin was an eye opener. The hippy culture is still hanging on there. The candle factory was interesting and some candles and soap were bought by the girls.

Friday was our last day there, so we headed off once again to see the Tweed Valley and visit the art gallery. It is situated on a hill and has sweeping views of the valleys and mountains. Worth a visit. The gallery also has a nice little coffee shop and cafe. Again, it was overcast and raining a lot of the time.

Saturday we said goodbyes to Mark and Wendy, as they had hired a car to drive themselves to Brisbane airport on their way to Las Vegas, where Mark had a work convention to attend. I offered to go in Wendy's place but she just laughed. Beryl and I had a leisurely drive home, stopping in to have a look at Yamba and then continuing on to Forster, where we spent the night. We drove home the next day and dropped in to see Beryls sister and brother in law at Long Jetty on the Central Coast. Back to Engadine later that afternoon and back to work for Beryl the next day. Another good holiday break with friends. What more can we ask for.