29th to 30th April - Bowraville to Ballina

We hit the highway – OMG!!  Too much traffic!!    From Taree we travel through Kempsey where we stop for lunch, then onto Macksville and Bowraville, to visit our friends Owen and Olive (Ollie) we met in Weipa.    They are retired dairy farmers, now living on a modest 90 acres overlooking the dairy property which is now owned by one of their sons.  We just called in for a cuppa but they asked us to stay the night so we did.

One of the views from Owen and Ollie's "shack" on the hill.    Yep them clouds are looking awfully gloomy, it did rain later in the night, but we were tucked up nice and snug in a bed in the house.

They took us for a look at the dairy operation.  The girls were all done and back out to pasture.  Check this rig out, it is all automated - 1 bloke can operate, just have to attach the milking cups.  Once in the girls get scanned, fed the required quantity according to the scan info, not sure how many spins they do on the turntable though.   The worker had just washed out after the milking so it wasn't too smelly.

The little ones not forgotten either.  They are weaned off their mums at 6 weeks, get a numbered tag in their ear.   This is an automatic feed system, two teats set up - the cavles walk in, get scanned the machine automatically allocates the required amount for that calf and they suck away.   They may come back for a 2nd go but they won't get milk if they have already had their allocated quota.  Takes all the guess work and hard yakka out of it doesn't it.

Great to catch up with them – they have just done a trip to Antarctica via South America and are now looking forward to making the yearly trip up to Weipa for a few months, to do some fishing and get away from the cold weather.  They take a caravan up there, they are better than us for doing that trip 5 years running.    We compared travel stories as they have been around Australia and done lots of smaller trips, 25 years ago in their magna, towing a caravan and back then most roads were dirt.  Makes us feel a bit better about being so adventurous in the ute, maybe we could’ve done the Gibb River Road after all……

My Darl making another friend, he just has the knack for it doesn't he?   Though Owen and Ollie are left wondering if they will have a dog after we leave.   No worries we don't have room for a dog.

Owen, Ollie and Barker - another view of their property, gees I wouldn't be running away from this for months at a time every year, it's a little patch of paradise they have here.   BUT I reckon it would get damn cold here in the hinterland hills.

I couldn't help myself taking a couple pics on the way out, how cute the little ones having a blow in the grass and the kooka looking on..... gees it's going to get a bit of getting used to getting back home again.

The view overlooking Terry's (son) and Owen, Ollie's properties - magic!

We had a look at Bowraville town before making tracks further via Nambucca Heads, Uranga, Coffs Harbour, Woolgoolga.   We had lunch at Grafton then headed to Ballina for the night.   Stayed at the top tourist park by the Lake, it was a full on resort – not expensive either, though I think it would be in peak season.   It had everything from pool, water park, mini golf, kids centre, biggest camp kitchen and more.    The weather still dodgy, we have had a few showers on and off over the last week, apparently it has poured down here in the last couple days, we might have to head west again back to the sunshine.

Bowraville village, nestled in the hills.

A drive by shot of Coffs Harbour, I missed the Big Banana, but I got the windmill - I think it is the Windmill Motel, south side.

Road works in full steam from Coffs Harbour, it went for kilometres.

How sad, the not so happy looking big prawn at Ballina - the roadhouse complex has been shut down, I always used to stop there for a feed, not this time.

Just when we think we have seen it all, check this out!    It is a bus with a roof extension, yes can you believe it and this is only half way up, it goes up that much again.   It is the teenage girl's room (with a view).  They had it all, motorbike, Forester, boat of some sort under the cover, push bikes, a couple kids - all setting off soon on their trip around Oz, another family that has sold up everything to go travelling......good on them!  Would have loved to have seen inside this one.

Just a view back over the lake - the van park we stayed at on the other side...... Burringbah here we come!!