{"id":472,"date":"2020-06-26T21:39:45","date_gmt":"2020-06-26T11:39:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/arnobrok.com\/blog\/?p=472"},"modified":"2020-12-30T14:18:34","modified_gmt":"2020-12-30T03:18:34","slug":"nsw-country-trip-june-26-27","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/arnobrok.com\/blog\/blog\/2020\/06\/26\/nsw-country-trip-june-26-27\/","title":{"rendered":"NSW Country trip: June 26-27"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p><strong>Friday June 26<\/strong><br><strong>Grafton\/Port Macquarie<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>After a mild night, we woke to an overcast sky, which cleared up while we packed the caravan.&nbsp; Bye to our new friends Pam &amp; Mike, and also to Geri &amp; Michael going our separate ways.&nbsp; We took the scenic route to Grafton, a lovely town on the Clarence River. Jen\u2019s been wanting to see its famous <a href=\"https:\/\/images.app.goo.gl\/9Gd74RtwYZQzrKmS7\">Jacaranda trees<\/a> since moving to Sydney 30 years ago.&nbsp; Will have to wait a bit longer, as they don\u2019t bloom in winter! I have linked this to how beautiful it looks for those who are not likely to get there.&nbsp; We wandered around a little, had a coffee and took a few pictures. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-gallery columns-2 is-cropped wp-block-gallery-1 is-layout-flex wp-block-gallery-is-layout-flex\"><ul class=\"blocks-gallery-grid\"><li class=\"blocks-gallery-item\"><figure><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"768\" src=\"https:\/\/arnobrok.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/grafton-1024x768.jpg\" alt=\"\" data-id=\"478\" data-full-url=\"https:\/\/arnobrok.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/grafton.jpg\" data-link=\"https:\/\/arnobrok.com\/blog\/?attachment_id=478\" class=\"wp-image-478\" srcset=\"https:\/\/arnobrok.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/grafton-1024x768.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/arnobrok.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/grafton-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/arnobrok.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/grafton-768x576.jpg 768w, https:\/\/arnobrok.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/grafton-1536x1152.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/arnobrok.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/grafton-1200x900.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/arnobrok.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/grafton.jpg 1600w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure><\/li><li class=\"blocks-gallery-item\"><figure><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"768\" src=\"https:\/\/arnobrok.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/grafton2-1024x768.jpg\" alt=\"\" data-id=\"479\" data-full-url=\"https:\/\/arnobrok.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/grafton2.jpg\" data-link=\"https:\/\/arnobrok.com\/blog\/?attachment_id=479\" class=\"wp-image-479\" srcset=\"https:\/\/arnobrok.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/grafton2-1024x768.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/arnobrok.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/grafton2-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/arnobrok.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/grafton2-768x576.jpg 768w, https:\/\/arnobrok.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/grafton2-1536x1152.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/arnobrok.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/grafton2-1200x900.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/arnobrok.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/grafton2.jpg 1600w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure><\/li><\/ul><figcaption class=\"blocks-gallery-caption\">Grafton<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>On to Port Macquarie to stay overnight, where we arrived around 3.45 pm, dropped the van, and headed into the town and walked around the riverfront\/mouth around to the ocean side and enjoyed the sunset. &nbsp;It is one of the most popular coastal holiday destinations, especially for families. &nbsp;A few decades ago many Sydneysiders retired here, but just researching it seems that the average age these days is 47. &nbsp;A lot has changed over the past 20-30 years that\u2019s for sure \u2013 it seemed really quite busy for a mid-winter, off-season day.<br>A huge NRMA caravan park along the breakwater wall was completely packed -all cabins occupied, and caravans or tents on every available site which are close together. Have never seen anything that big and that crowded in Australia&#8230;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-gallery columns-3 is-cropped wp-block-gallery-2 is-layout-flex wp-block-gallery-is-layout-flex\"><ul class=\"blocks-gallery-grid\"><li class=\"blocks-gallery-item\"><figure><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"640\" height=\"480\" src=\"https:\/\/arnobrok.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/nrma-rotated.jpg\" alt=\"\" data-id=\"480\" data-full-url=\"https:\/\/arnobrok.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/nrma-rotated.jpg\" data-link=\"https:\/\/arnobrok.com\/blog\/?attachment_id=480\" class=\"wp-image-480\" srcset=\"https:\/\/arnobrok.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/nrma-rotated.jpg 640w, https:\/\/arnobrok.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/nrma-300x225.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><figcaption class=\"blocks-gallery-item__caption\">Sunset view for the campers on the first row facing out.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/li><li class=\"blocks-gallery-item\"><figure><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"768\" src=\"https:\/\/arnobrok.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/pm-waterfront-1024x768.jpg\" alt=\"\" data-id=\"481\" data-full-url=\"https:\/\/arnobrok.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/pm-waterfront.jpg\" data-link=\"https:\/\/arnobrok.com\/blog\/?attachment_id=481\" class=\"wp-image-481\" srcset=\"https:\/\/arnobrok.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/pm-waterfront-1024x768.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/arnobrok.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/pm-waterfront-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/arnobrok.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/pm-waterfront-768x576.jpg 768w, https:\/\/arnobrok.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/pm-waterfront-1536x1153.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/arnobrok.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/pm-waterfront-1200x901.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/arnobrok.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/pm-waterfront.jpg 1599w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption class=\"blocks-gallery-item__caption\">Town beach (with surfers)<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/li><li class=\"blocks-gallery-item\"><figure><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"768\" src=\"https:\/\/arnobrok.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/pm-waterfront2-1024x768.jpg\" alt=\"\" data-id=\"482\" data-full-url=\"https:\/\/arnobrok.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/pm-waterfront2.jpg\" data-link=\"https:\/\/arnobrok.com\/blog\/?attachment_id=482\" class=\"wp-image-482\" srcset=\"https:\/\/arnobrok.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/pm-waterfront2-1024x768.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/arnobrok.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/pm-waterfront2-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/arnobrok.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/pm-waterfront2-768x576.jpg 768w, https:\/\/arnobrok.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/pm-waterfront2-1536x1152.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/arnobrok.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/pm-waterfront2-1200x900.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/arnobrok.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/pm-waterfront2.jpg 1600w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption class=\"blocks-gallery-item__caption\">Hastings river mouth<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/li><\/ul><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Went for a drive along the coast up to the Lighthouse, and caught the last light over the beautiful hilly landscape Lighthouse Beach (did some camping there in the 90\u2019s).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-gallery columns-2 is-cropped wp-block-gallery-3 is-layout-flex wp-block-gallery-is-layout-flex\"><ul class=\"blocks-gallery-grid\"><li class=\"blocks-gallery-item\"><figure><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"768\" src=\"https:\/\/arnobrok.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/e692caa3-0af1-45b0-ac56-f6531132f99f-1024x768.jpg\" alt=\"\" data-id=\"476\" data-full-url=\"https:\/\/arnobrok.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/e692caa3-0af1-45b0-ac56-f6531132f99f.jpg\" data-link=\"https:\/\/arnobrok.com\/blog\/?attachment_id=476\" class=\"wp-image-476\" srcset=\"https:\/\/arnobrok.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/e692caa3-0af1-45b0-ac56-f6531132f99f-1024x768.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/arnobrok.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/e692caa3-0af1-45b0-ac56-f6531132f99f-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/arnobrok.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/e692caa3-0af1-45b0-ac56-f6531132f99f-768x576.jpg 768w, https:\/\/arnobrok.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/e692caa3-0af1-45b0-ac56-f6531132f99f-1536x1153.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/arnobrok.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/e692caa3-0af1-45b0-ac56-f6531132f99f-1200x901.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/arnobrok.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/e692caa3-0af1-45b0-ac56-f6531132f99f.jpg 1599w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure><\/li><li class=\"blocks-gallery-item\"><figure><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"768\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/arnobrok.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/lighthouse-768x1024.jpg\" alt=\"\" data-id=\"477\" data-full-url=\"https:\/\/arnobrok.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/lighthouse.jpg\" data-link=\"https:\/\/arnobrok.com\/blog\/?attachment_id=477\" class=\"wp-image-477\" srcset=\"https:\/\/arnobrok.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/lighthouse-768x1024.jpg 768w, https:\/\/arnobrok.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/lighthouse-225x300.jpg 225w, https:\/\/arnobrok.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/lighthouse-1152x1536.jpg 1152w, https:\/\/arnobrok.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/lighthouse.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px\" \/><\/figure><\/li><\/ul><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Had a recommendation for a nice seafood restaurant which happened to be a 2-minute drive from our caravan park. Reviews were excellent, so we made a booking and had a surprisingly delicious seafood dinner in a beautiful place on the river (which was dark though) on our last night.&nbsp; Guess it would be a top spot for lunch as well. Last night in the van for a while&#8230;. We can start thinking about the timing of our next trip.&nbsp; While we can&#8217;t leave the country, we may as well enjoy it.  Until then!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><br>A few maps:<br><a href=\"https:\/\/goo.gl\/maps\/HXSaBh4ZXp3nCGzD7\">Woody Heads to Port Macquarie via Grafton<\/a><br><a href=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/maps\/dir\/Port+Macquarie+NSW\/Booker+Bay+NSW+2257\/@-32.5082209,151.2396894,8.41z\/data=!4m14!4m13!1m5!1m1!1s0x6b9dff5c34ecc9c1:0x50609b490442e40!2m2!1d152.9!2d-31.433333!1m5!1m1!1s0x6b72b4a093283881:0x5017d681632d700!2m2!1d151.346!2d-33.508!3e0\">Port Macquarie &#8211; home<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Friday June 26Grafton\/Port Macquarie After a mild night, we woke to an <a href=\"https:\/\/arnobrok.com\/blog\/blog\/2020\/06\/26\/nsw-country-trip-june-26-27\/\" class=\"btn btn-link continue-link\">Continue Reading<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[7],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-472","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-nsw-north-coast"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/arnobrok.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/472","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/arnobrok.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/arnobrok.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/arnobrok.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/arnobrok.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=472"}],"version-history":[{"count":9,"href":"https:\/\/arnobrok.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/472\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":488,"href":"https:\/\/arnobrok.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/472\/revisions\/488"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/arnobrok.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=472"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/arnobrok.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=472"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/arnobrok.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=472"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}