After leaving Alstonville we headed down the coast to a remote little spot called Minnie Water. It is 30km off the main drag but based on a tip from a local we decided to give it a try. The advice was beautiful, good surf and very remote.
We checked out accomodation options and discovered that the NSW National Parks wanted to charge us $30.00 for a night in an ‘unpowered site without water or showers, but we could book into the local caravan park with all we need for $24.00/night… Someone has their price planning a but skewed! In fact we have found that all NSW nat parks are ridiculously expensive. I rang about a place called ‘Point Plomer’ today and was told you could only book Sat-Sat and that the low season rate (for an ‘unpowered bush site with no water or showers) was $770.00! What’s with that?!
Minnie Water was a beautiful spot – quiet – secluded and the surf looked like it could be great. Unfortunately for us we didn’t score it that way. We got it big, lumpy and messy. My second wetsuit zip snapped just before I paddled out to the beach break so I did it in boardies and only lasted 45 mins before chilling up.
The caravan park was a really good one and one of the best value we have hit on the trip. I’d definitely go back there both for it’s beauty and for it’s value. The surf looked like it had great potential – but then the whole NSW north coast is pretty amazing in that regard.
From Minnie Water we headed on down to Coffs Harbour and stayed in the Split Solitary Caravan Park right on the beach and about 9 km out of town. It was $36.00/night and pretty good value with lots for kids to do and it was also clean and small.
At first I thought we had lucked out with location in regards to surf, but when I ventured out on our first morning I was greeted with a 2-3ft beachie that looked a heap of fun. It’s one of the lesser known spots in the area, so I enjoyed a couple of great surfs there in my shortie wetsuit -which I worked out is over 18 years old, as I had it before getting married. When you compare that to the lifespan of the two I have just bought it’s quite amazing
From Coffs we headed about 80km south to Scotts Head as we heard there was some great surf there. (yes – this is a recurring theme) Sadly the swell is on the wane but there were still some little 2 footers pulsing thru into the bay in the late afternoon. So despite it being cold and grey I headed out again and had a bit of fun. It’s a classic longboard wave and my 7’2″ was a little undergunned but I managed to get a few long rides before hypothermia took over. The caravan park here isn’t cheap $43.00/night but it is right on the beach, so we’re prepared to spend a little extra for a couple of nights.
I’m writing these posts from the Mackville Hoospital where I have been sitting for 90 mins waiting to get seen. It seems my day at Lennox has left me with an infected foot – almost inevitable… The funny thing is that three or four of the cuts have all flared up simultaneously. After threatening ‘to stick a needle in it’ and try to get some pus out the doc discovered he was too busy and just handed me a bottle of antibiotics – everybody is happy now…
I came home to hit the water only to discover the disappearing swell is further on the wane. I paddled out and sat and chatted with two other blokes for an hour. We caught two waves total and ended up having to paddle in. It was like someone hit the ‘off’ button on the wave machine!
Tomorrow we hit the road, possibly to Diamond Head or anywhere there are waves. Its my final few days of being in the water before we take a break from surfing and head inland to Danelles sisters place in Muswellbrook.
As we travel we regularly apply the ‘could we live here?’ test and so far northern NSW is a clear winner. It’s a beautiful place, great climate and the surf is pretty damn fine too. If we didn’t have commitments back home I think we’d have to look at finding a way to slot in over here