After our unforgettable 4,500 kilometre drive from Perth we were relieved to be stopping in Kingscliff for the next few days. We were in Kingscliff for three reasons, to spend some time with Jenni’s family, to stop driving every day and to close a big business contract.
We were welcomed to some really great weather, clear night skies and warm sunny days.
We spent one night with John and Ingrid, Jenni’s Dad and Step Mum and then set up camp in Kingscliff Caravan Park for the rest of the week. We had a lot of work to get through to close the opportunity we were working on. We do enjoy camping but unfortunately in Kingscliff Camp Site the small sites set aside for campers is sandwiched between the main road into Kingscliff and the main road into the busy camp site. It was very, very noisy. Turned out too noisy to professionally carry out the conference calls we needed to do. We left the site a few days early and checked into a hotel nearby. We’re glad we did as we successfully closed the big deal.
Trawlers
We spent as much time as we could with John and Ingrid. One night John told us that occasionally he likes to watch out for the fishing boats leaving at night. He’ll then get up early in the morning and meet them when they come back and buy some fresh produce directly from them at the dock.
A plot was hatched for John to come pick us up in the morning at 5:45am. We’d drive to Tweed Heads, meet the boats, get some fresh prawns and bugs and have them all for lunch.
The plan started perfectly, we were at the docks at just after 6am. It all was going so well until this…
Turned out it wasn’t true. Just someone hadn’t changed the signs on the gate from last time. As the boats weren’t due for a while yet I went exploring while John kept our place in the queue.
Pretty soon the fishing boats started to arrive.
About 4 boats arrived within half an hour of each other. The first one had already sold its entire catch before it docked. The second froze all it’s prawns while they were out but they did have some fresh bugs, we bought a kilo. The third boat had a big haul of fresh prawns. We joined the queue as we watched them dock.
The pelicans are never far away if there’s fish about.
That night we sat down to one of the best meals we’ve had. If you ordered this in a restaurant you’d need a mortgage.
Dawn beach walks
Our accommodation was right on the beach and each morning about 6:30am we went for walks. Each morning was different and each walk but every morning we were greeted by these three muscular people keeping the swimmers safe near Kingscliff Surf Lifesaving Club.
We weren’t the only one’s out that early. There were always some fishermen somewhere along the beach.
There was an Osprey Nest at the end of the Esplanade with two babies in it.
Our morning walks were good for a couple of reasons. 1) to get some exercise, It is too easy to just sit and work all day. 2) to get out there and see what is about. Its too easy to be in a place or travel through that place and never see the place.
Whales
We somehow managed to avoid all the whales migrating up and down and around the coast of Australia. Wherever we are they are somewhere else. Before we arrived in Kingscliff Jenni hdad had sent us some pictures a guy from the bowls club had taken of a whale breaching just off shore near the clubhouse.
One night we were having a drink with the family in the Bowls Club and I saw a splash far out to sea out of the window over Johns shoulder.
I grabbed my camera with the 300mm long lens I’ve been carrying around for the last few months in expectation of this moment and ran out of the bowls club.
The whale was very far out to sea.
Never mind, there’s always next year.
All too soon it was time to leave. After a farewell drink (or two) in the Bowls Club with John and Ingrid,
and a quick goodbye to the birds the surround their cottage by the lake,
we set of for Caloundra, a one night stop on our way to Hervey Bay.
Caloundra
We’re in Caloundra for one night to catch up on friend Pauline and Paul, or PnP as we all know them. It was a lovely night. We did take a bit of a wander the next morning before setting off. Here are a few pictures from around the town.
Caloundra is another beautiful little town. We planned to come back and stay a bit longer next time.
Hervey Bay
Our next stop is Hervey Bay where we were planning to stop for a week or so. Jenni has some family there we are going to visit. We are also now working on progressing the new big deal we just won, so we expected there to be long days. We’re not camping this week, we’re in the Mantra Hotel near the marina. But, you’ll have to wait till the next blog to read about our Hervey Bay adventures.
Till next time.
Walligans Travels 