Exploring the hinterland

Byabarra Cafe

I had always wondered what the hinterland was.  It seems that it is the bit of land a few kilometres inland from the sea before the Great Dividing Range.  Beyond that is the Outback where you find the black stump. 

Bev wanted to call into a café at a little national park on the outskirts of Port Macquarie for a coffee.  It was a very nice peaceful place in an area of remnant subtropical rain forest.  After our coffee Bev decided we should take a walk around the forest on the elevated boardwalk.  It was quite beautiful.  We heard a few species bird calls none of which we could identify, saw a reptile that looked like a snake (called a land mullet) but in fact has little legs.  We were also told there were monitor lizards around and brush turkeys (which Bev spotted two of).  The bush is so unlike the NZ bush, and despite recent rain there was not the same wet smell you get in NZ.  

After our walk we headed off to Wauchope on what was described as a tourist drive.  The town was described in the brochure as being a full of cafés and interesting shops.  It was Sunday and most of them were shut and there did not seem to be many cafés – it was a bit underwhelming.  Of course there were a couple of large clubs - one related to sport and the other and RSL.  They are very much part of the fabric of Australian life.

As we left the village we got hit with a tropical downpour.  The rain battered the car for a few minutes then it was all over.  Our next stop was to be Comboyne for lunch.  The road we were on was very much like one in the Waikato countryside, all rolling hills and lush green paddocks broken up by stands of eucalyptus trees. 

We slowed to pass through a little place called Byabarra when we both spied an interesting looking café with lots of cars.  We decided that it must be reasonably good so called in and despite looking small from the outside it opened out into quite a large venue with expansive views over a very green valley.  The village consisted of the café, a church and a few houses.  We had some rather nice food sitting outside looking out at the view.

The road from there took us up the side of an escarpment, through a forest recently devastated by a fire onto the Comboyne plateau.  Apparently caused by a person tossing out a cigarette while waiting at a stop/go light.  This was dairying country, and it certainly was lush and green from the recent rain.  However, we were told that many farms were diversifying into other things such as avocado farming and pigs due to water issues and climate change. 

Bev wanted to call into a place called Larrikins Gaol where there was coffee and gifts made by local artists as well as garden centre.  I ended up having a long chat to the woman owner of the place who said she had bought the gaol and done it up with recycled local timber as the building was run down.  She even had photos of it from the past into including one showing its derelict state when acquired.

After a walk around the cute little village which even had a police station we headed off toward a place called Lorne on a gravel road that was in rather good condition.  We never did see Lorne despite us having been through it apparently.  We went through another place called Laurieton and climbed up to a view point called North Head in the Dooragon national park which was one of the higher points around the area at 480 metres.  There was a very good but hazy view of the surrounds including the coast both northeast and southwest. It was also a location for hang gliders but there were none to be seen today.

Our day ended with another barbecue meal sitting on our little deck. 

Views from North Head looking toward North Haven (top) and Northeast to Lake Cathie