Surfers Paradise to Sawtell

21 August to 14 September, 2008

From Sunshine to Gold ....

The drive from Sunshine coast to the Gold Coast is freeway all the way and an easy drive except for the roadworks that are being undertsken between the Gateway Bridge and the Gold Coast Highway.   Our destination was the Tallebudgera Creek Caravan Park which is a large park near Currumbin Waters.  We had made the booking earlier in the week and this seems to be advisable as a number of caravan parks were full with no vacancies.   So if you are travelling in this region during winter months it pays to make a reservation.  There are a large number of Victorians escaping the cool winter down south.

The Gold Coast ....

The walk along the beach is a must especially when the sun is shining and there is no wind, so we walked from Broadbeach to Surfers Paradise along with everyone else and returned along the streets.  There are old apartment blocks being demolished in the heart of Surfers and being replaced with new high rise apartments.  We felt that the main Cavill/Orchid Ave area of Surfers looks very tired and uninviting.   The place which we felt has improved and grown considerably is Coolangatta.  The beach is wide and long and there are many new apartment blocks.   It is a quieter than Surfers Paradise and probably more suited to Australians wishing to visit the Gold Coast for holidays.   Leave Surfers for the Japanese and other international tourists.  The commercial, educational and shopping heart of the Gold Coast is quickly moving to Robina and the construction and development going on just amazing.

We have been to the Gold Coast a number of times so this stopover was a catch up with Rob's stepmother, Loris and his stepbrother Steve and his wife Lyn.  We went out for a Thai dinner and caught up with all their news.

And on to peace and tranquillity ....

After three days we departed the Gold Coast and made our way to Broken Head which is approximately 10 kms south of Byron Bay.  Instead of following the motorway, we went the coast road and had breakfast at Kingscliffe overlooking the river inlet and then onto Brunswick Heads, Pottsville and finally Byron Bay.  It was Sunday and after setting up at the Broken Head Holiday Park, we went into Byron Bay and took the walk up to the Lighthouse and around Cape Byron.

The walk to the Lighthouse is not too strenuous, but it is a good fitness walk.  The views of Byron Bay, Cape Byron and the ocean with the sun shining were great.  Below us just in the sheltered waters were approximately 20 dolphins feeding on fish and frolicking in the waves.  You can watch them forever.  The Lighthouse is immaculate and there are a couple of lighthouse cottages for rental.  Everything has been restored immaculately.  Don't drive up to the small car park or you will be slugged $7.00 to park.

Broken Head ....

Broken Head Holiday Park is aboriginal owned and run by the NSW Parks and Wildlife Service.  It is not too big with clean amenities and right opposite the surf beach.  From the park you can walk along the beautiful Tallow Beach towards the Cape Byron Lighthouse or take one of the bushwalking tracks which overlook secluded beaches. Broken Head Holiday Park offers an opportunity to stay beside the sea in a quiet park surrounded by rainforest. The seven-kilometre beach is great for swimming, fishing, walking and is a very popular surfing spot.   There is also a gravel road that takes you to a couple of the beaches further south including a gay nude beach.  It's a quiet park away from the hustle and bustle of Byron Bay, but close enough to Byron Bay for a coffee or a night for dinner.

We walked the National Park track and came across the most friendliest wild bird.  It kept following us and Rob was able to get close enough to pat it. As you can see the view looking south to the nudist beach is stunning, but on this particular morning walk, there were no skinny dippers. 

Golf at Byron Bay ....

We booked in for golf at Byron Bay Golf Club.  This was a great course to play with some interesting holes.  We hired push buggies and walked the course for exercise. Rob was unable to beat Rob even though she was 3 up on the front nine.  Rob's birdie on the last hole, saw him win the match by 2 strokes. 

Rob has a step sister Maureen and Mick living at Lennox Head which is not that far from Broken Head, aproximately 11 kms. We drove there and visited them, but only Mick was home.  Maureen was on a training course on the Gold Coast, so Mick filled us in with all their news before we headed home.

On our last night we went into Byron Bay for dinner and found this quite small Italian Restaurant where we enjoyed an Italian meal over a bottle of wine. The weather had started to change with thunder and lightening hitting the coast and a huge downpour of rain.  Fortunately, the next day we were able to pack up in the dry and head further south to Darlington Park just north of Woolgoolga.

And on to Darlington Park ....

Darlington Beach Holiday Park, owned by NRMA is nestled on a 6km pristine beachfront just 25 minutes north of Coffs Harbour.  The 4.5 star park is surrounded by lush subtropical palms and the exquisite Weddings Bells State Forest.  The park spans 110 acres and includes a fantastic pool complex, bowling green, 9 hole golf course and what has to be the biggest caravan sites of any park.

The park has a number of permanent residence separate from the caravan resort and they enjoy the 9 hole golf course with a large number participating in the men's and ladies competition fields each week.

If there is a fifth Friday in the month they have a 4 club fun event and we happened to be there on a 5th Friday.  The course has a couple of short Par 5's and the rest are fairly short Par 4's and 3's but with some very narrow fairways and trees growing in quite interesting spots.  Liz played with two regular visitors to the park (been coming there for 20 years) and they knew the course really well and  Rob played with their husbands.  At the end of the round there was a sausage sizzle and drinks followed by a chipping/putting competition and then the announcements of winners.  We have never seen so many balls given out on one day to winners, runners up, NTP's, straightest drives and the chipping/putting male and female winners and runners ups.

And the winners are ....

Rob won the Visitors trophy of two golf balls with a nett score of 31, and Liz came in as runner up on a count back.  Rob also won the chipping and putting competition. Our names were placed in the Visitors Book by the handicapper in charge of these fun days and advised that our handicaps would be adjusted accordingly if we returned and played again.  It was a fun day and for $12 a couple including lunch, beer and green fees, you couldn't complain. 

And on to Sawtell ....

It was a very short trip to our next stop, in fact it was only 40 kms down the road to Sawtell 12 km south of Coffs Harbour.  We had stayed here on the way up north and liked the park and surrounds.  We booked in for three nights and chose our site (Site 38) overlooking the crochet club and lawns.  Sawtell Golf Club was holding a Medley Sunday so we put our names down on the list and ended up playing with the Club President Tony and another club member Helene.  This also is a good course to play, quite challenging and undulating.  We had a cart here and enjoyed the day with a 4BBB score of 40 points, not quite good enough to beat the winning score of 48 pts. 

Bonville, oh boy, what a golf course ....

The main reason for coming back to Sawtell was to play Bonville International Golf Resort.  On Monday 1 September we hit off at 10.00 am.  The only way you can play this course is in a cart as there can be anything up to 3/4 km between greens and tees.  The course has been cut out of a rainforest and is quite hilly.  Each hole is unbelievable and makes any other course we have played look easy.  You are penalised for good shots made and it is very unforgiving.  There is plenty of water, gullies, gorges and bunkers to make it a very difficult course if you are not use to playing it, but it was well worth playing and we thoroughly enjoyed the experience. We only lost five balls between the two of us so that's not bad.  Rob had 27 pts and Liz had 20 pts.  It shows you how tough it was.  

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