Call Of The Coast

Keep your desert – the lure of the beach proves irresistible for these coastal explorers.

Words and Images by: Rodney Hutchison Q78001

Sometimes life can sneak up on you – and when you least expect it, you’ve already found what you’ve been looking for.

Having enjoyed the ocean and beach as a big part of my life from a very young age, it stands to reason that in retirement I would spend a lot more time at the beach; surfing, swimming, fishing and exploring.

While the wide open spaces of the outback are a draw for many, the thought of an achingly blue ocean, golden sands and lazy days lying in the sun always draws us back. And if you throw in some quality surfing waves – well for us, it’s irresistible.

Poet Dorothea Mackellar may have romanticised our Wide Brown Land, and I’m sure there are many motorhome enthusiasts who love those open plains of nothingness. But motorhomers and caravanners are a diverse bunch and there are still plenty, like us, who like to stick to the coastal fringes.

There are certainly a number of ‘hot spots’ where everyone seems to want their chunk of the dream, but with a bit of planning and careful timing, you can beat the crowds.

Unspoiled river beauty at Red Rock.

TIME YOUR ESCAPE

Our most recent trip involved stopping at three northern New South Wales towns over a little more than three weeks. We are based north of Brisbane, so timing when heading south is all-important. Getting stuck in peak hour traffic on the Gateway Motorway isn’t the best way to start any holiday and can be a real buzz-killer.

To beat the Gateway ‘carpark’, we try to time our exits and returns for the weekend. While the roads can still be busy, they’re nothing like the peak hour madness we left behind when we retired. Road work on the Pacific Highway is also minimal on the weekends, and while it really is fantastic that this road is enjoying federal and state attention, roadwork delays can add several hours to your driving time.

Heading to our first stop at Scotts Head, we left Brisbane accompanied by a David Baldacci audio-book. We’ve found talking books are great company when touring, because it adds a dimension to long-distance driving that music just can’t fill. A good audio-book will turn the long hours into an entertaining experience without distraction, and without undermining the sights to be seen or experiences to be had.

FOND MEMORIES

We hadn’t been to Scotts Head for more than 15 years. The last visit had been in our Volkswagen Kombi days and marked one of our first experiences of caravan parks, happy hours and campfire conversations.

Can everyone who enjoys the motorhoming lifestyle remember the moment when they decided, ‘Wow, this is the life for me?’

Driving into Scotts Head after so many years away was filled with anticipation and not a little apprehension. When going back to places after a long break you wonder whether it is really as good as your reminiscences; whether the dreaded developers have sucked the soul out of it; or whether it still holds the same attraction it once did during a different time in your life.

However, overthinking aside, Scotts Head, it seems, has been largely passed by time. It’s still a pleasant little village with just a couple of shops that would leave serious shoppers feeling thwarted, but which offer great coffee, cakes and café-style fare. Scotts has managed to hang on to what makes it feel friendly and personal and managed to resist the ‘benefits’ of coastal development.

That said, our first surprise was the completely renovated and upgraded caravan park with its new entrance that really messed with my memory. This new entrance is ideal for those in bigger rigs though, with plenty of space to manoeuvre and pull up. The park’s improvements are a credit to the owners, with sensible upgrades to things like amenities, site access and the camp kitchen. Thankfully, the temptation to create a ‘resort’ has been resisted.

Surf's up!

SURF’S UP

The chief attraction at Scotts is the beach. It goes for miles and miles, is fringed with bush and offers some of the most beautiful ocean the east coast has to offer. Team this with some none-too-shabby waves, local dolphins and the odd passing pod of whales, and you might just have a beach lover’s dream!

While it’s not necessarily all about the beach, the ocean here features largely, so it attracts plenty of beachgoing motorhomers and caravanners.

Being a part of the surfing fraternity means you regularly meet people who have similar interests and values. Now, surfers are a notoriously singular lot in the water, but we have been known to enjoy a drink and a yarn at happy hour. Also, being retired, we have the luxury of patience, and can wait for good surf and beach conditions.

After a week of perfect weather and some fun waves, plus whale and dolphin encounters, we headed further south. With another audio-book rolling, our next stop was iconic surf spot Crescent Head.

Crescent is one of those places that is – in some ways – a little too well-loved, given its long history as a legendary surf beach. Many old Aussie surf films from the ‘60s and ‘70s were just not considered complete without some footage of that famous surf break.

Rugged coastline at Scotts Head

GO WITH THE FLOW

Crescent Head’s caravan park is bordered by Killick Creek, which is tidal and offers a safe spot for littlies to swim. Of an afternoon, it doubles as a playground for the rest of us, providing the opportunity to enjoy the effect of the tides by floating along in an inflatable chair, glass of wine in hand, to emerge at the end, walk back and do it all again.

This is a very popular afternoon activity and some people have raised the bar with inflatable swans and various animals capable of holding several passengers. These are a source of unending hilarity, especially when the holding capacity of these vessels is exceeded by numbers, skill and occasionally sobriety.

Crescent also boasts a club, a pub and one of the best bakeries on the coast. Options for dinner or just a coffee are varied, as are prices and quality, but the discerning camper will quickly find the jewels.

Crossing Killick Creek on the new walkway gives access to a beautiful beach and azure water. Beach-based pastimes are the norm here (except the happy hour antics in Killick Creek), so opportunities for surfing, fishing, swimming and exploring are only limited by your stamina. The weather at Crescent can be challenging at times, so picking a good spot and keeping an eye on the weather forecast is sensible.

Crescent Head’s caravan park is exposed to the nor’easter, so make sure you have de-flappers and sturdy guys for that awning and don’t be afraid to fold it up for the night – you’ll probably sleep better.

If you are a golfer or lawn bowler there’s plenty to do here. Or if you just enjoy walking, then there are also plenty of options to explore in and around the headland. If Crescent Head isn’t enough, there are literally miles of coastline to explore, plus a range of beaches to walk on. One of our favourite treks is to the top of the headland to watch the whales go by – exciting and humbling at the same time.

Another treat was watching a sea eagle swoop to grab a fish out of the surf while we stood there open-mouthed.

Stunning blues at Pebbly Beach, Crescent Head.

ROCK THE WOK

Crescent was our furthest point south on this particular trip and we thought we’d break up the drive home with a stop at Red Rock, just north of Coffs Harbour.

We’d driven past the Red Rock turnoff countless times when touring this part of the coast, so this time we thought we’d stop and have a look.

Red Rock is a pretty little village and one of its claims to fame is that the town declined the opportunity to access mains water – Red Rock uses exclusively bore water, so remember to take drinking water with you.

The village has a lovely little bowling club with attendant Chinese restaurant. Since the restaurant is called the ‘Red Wok’, we thought if their sense of humour matched the food, we’d be on a winner – and we were.

The caravan park is between the Corindi River and the ocean, just north of Arrawarra and Corindi. The park is extensive, with access to bush and headland walks.

Hidden beaches and abundant wildlife are features of the area, and a stroll along the river will be rewarded with spectacular scenery and birdlife. Although they weren’t biting when we visited, I’m told the fishing is terrific, with lots of estuary, rock and beach options.

By the time we come to the end of a trip such as this, I always have mixed emotions. I do look forward to getting home and back to doing the things I enjoy there, but at the same time, I’m struck with the saddening end of the journey. So the best cure is to start planning the next one!

While many of us do love the wide open spaces of Dorothea Mackellar’s sunburnt country, for us, it is the Australian sand, surf, sun and sunscreen we enjoy most, all while being lulled to sleep by the sounds generated by an unending ocean.