We got our holidays under way heading north to the famous Byron Bay. Sydney to Byron Bay is a bit too much for Dani in one day. Plus, there are so many places to see in between. First we stopped in the Coffs Harbour area. It broke the journey up nicely.
Stopover.
To break the trip up we decided to stop for two nights in the almost unpronounceable Woolgoolga. Maybe that’s why the locals call it simply Woopi… A nice place just north of Coffs Harbour, an area full of motels, caravan/camping sites and holiday resorts.
We stayed in a small cabin, one of only a handful, on what is mainly a caravan park. The place was fairly full. After missing the milder autumn months due to the ”lockdown” places like this – and the tourists – needed this economic boost.
We arrived just before dark so could only have a quick walk around the immediate area where we discovered a huge colony of flying foxes. The following day however we set off to explore the immediate area and inland to the Dorrigo National Park.
Headland – looking for Whales
The first stop was just around the corner. The Woolgoolga Headland is supposed to be a good place to spot the migrating whales. We never saw any from the shore but we did see some unexpected land-based animals who also appeared to be checking the waves for the whales.
Dorrigo Plateau
The Dorrigo National Park is inland and high up the mountains. After climbing up the mountains along the wonderful ‘Waterfall Way’ you reach the Dorrigo Plateau at an altitude of just under 1000 metres.
The national park contains a fantastic rain forest that is like something out of the Predator movie. An amazing dense forest with some incredibly large trees. Some thought to be at least 400 years old. But plants were not the only life forms in this area. There were many exotic looking birds and some not so exotic. There is also a steady flow of water through the forest. Well, it is a rain forest after all.
The complete entanglement of some of the plants and trees is amazing. More like a jungle in places than a forest. (what is the difference between a rain forest and a jungle anyway?) There were also quite a few wild turkeys roaming around the foliage.
Crystal Falls
There are several trails around the rain forest. One takes you down to the Crystal Falls.
