Just a short one to finish the sordid coffs ...
Trip Start
Sep 19, 2002
1
35
129
Trip End
Sep 22, 2003
Coffs Harbour, New South Wales, Australia
Sunday, December 29, 2002
So it's 27th December and we decide to spend the afternoon body boarding in our new Christmas togs (Pip in his rash vest (surfie te-shirt) and me in my boardies). We had loads of fun jumping about in the waves and I managed not to nose dive too much. The best bit was when we both caught the same sweet wave at the same time and velocity (very unusual) which meant that we surfed in all the way to the shore together just grinning like mad things and laughing so hard we couldn't breathe - definitely something I will remember forever. It ocurred to me then that sometimes the simplest of experiences are often the best.
Back at the hostel, all peacefull now, we watched a film and turned to see who the new arrivals were. HELL'S ANGELS!!!! We did laugh then and put the whole thing down to experience, after all, that's what travelling is all about!
28th In the afternoon we took the canoes out from the hostel into Coffs Creek. The water was fairly shallow in places and we kept grounding ourselves which was quite amusing. We paddled out to the bridge which marks the start of the sea and all around the different areas of the creek looking at the birds and fish. The water was so clear we could see the oyster beds below us and it was really peaceful and enjoyable to do something active while appreciating the environment. Getting the canoes back across the road was a bit of an ordeal because they were very heavy and the traffic was heavy too. I bashed my ankle and ended up with a nice bruise for my trouble.
For tea, the hostel invited us to a BBQ but still smarting from the Xmas day poop we decided to make for the yacht club instead (darling). To cut a long story short, Pip was mislead over the size and cost of his meal and then he had to send it back as it really was foul. They cocked up the bill and then messed up the change, so all in all not a good effort. We walked along to the main beach and visited Martin and Rachel in their plush motel room and we polished off all their Xmas leftovers in true Christmas buffet style (and of course got well and truly plastered. Well I did anyway.) At 2am we decided it was time to go back to the hostel and for once (Sod's Law) the place was silent and everyone was in bed! Oh how tempted we were to bang on the staff doors to wake them up and let them know how it felt!
Waking the next day we were pleased that the disaster that was Coffs Harbour was almost over. We popped down to the jetty again to do some scanning which sadly didn't work as the machine was broken. However, while we were trying to fix the scanner, Pip was asked to assist an elderly lady with her e-mails as she didn't know how to use it. She had various junk mails which Pip had to explain which was all very embaressing as there was one about penis enlargement which the lady found quite interesting, wondering why she had been sent it! Later in the afternoon it was time to leave (hurrah) and we chatted to a young lad who had spent one night at the hostel and checked out to go back to Byron Bay as he thought Coffs Harbour was dead. I don't think Coffs Harbour is bad at all, we just had some bad times there which was a shame. The final straw was when we came to board the coach and they had gotten us all mixed up and we weren't sat with our partners. We sorted that out and then had to get people out of our seats and shuffle everyone around so even our departure was tainted!
Hopefully Ballina will be better!
