2nd to 6th Iluka to Tabulam (Bruxner Highway)

Tuesday 2nd
     Loaded up with Seafood from the fish co-op at Iluka this morning after it opened at 10am then headed for Ballina via Evans head.



Sun going down over fishing
boats at Iluka Co-op wharf

Sunrise on the Clarence river at Iluka

     Yesterday I took a couple of nice sunrise and sunset photos of the Clarence river in Iluka. The fishing boats at the co-op wharf looked stunning in the evening light through a stormy sky and the morning reflections of the yachts in the river looked equally as good.


We made our friends place in the early afternoon and set up camp in his back yard. He has one and a half acres out of town, so we get to miss the "seething mass of humanity" (to use the words of our mate) in Ballina to be at Cumbalum. A very nice place on a hill with lovely outlook.  We will spend a few days here relaxing for while and catching up with an old friend.

Friday 5th
     Drove a short distance to the Ballina Bicentennial Gardens for tonight, lovely time with our mate but want to keep moving. Will stock up in the morning before making our way west.

Saturday 6th
     Early shopping at Ballina Fair shopping centre to restock the larder and fill Dilligaf and headed out along the Bruxner highway by 9.30am.



Big Prawn Ballina

Passed these couple of monumental like pieces of art and building on the way out.



St Josephs School
Ballina

     We didn't keep to the highway for a some of the way and the scenery was delightful, the road a bit narrow at times but worth the effort of driving that way to have a look.
We rejoined the Bruxner highway just before Casino and continued on our way. The Bruxner isn't much of a highway to drive either, pretty rough and ready most of the way.

     We stopped at a 'blink and you miss it' place called Mummulgum

The Warren at Mummulgum
roadhouse

Outside the school at Mummulgum

(no relation to "Bubblegum I believe).
     Not much  here except for this run down roadhouse, a school, fire brigade and couple of houses or so, but you can't pass a place with a name like" Mummulgum" without stopping for look.

I bought the local paper for Jim and we went on our way.


view eastward from top of Richmond range

     Up over the Richmond Range, beautiful views and a coffee house at the top, down the other side to Mallanganee, the place of tall pines, (so the sign said) and on to Tabulam, 70 km east of Tenterfield.

     We called in to the shop on the highway to see about a key for the race course camping area and pay for a nights stay. $8.00 per person and $5.00 for power. It is quite a hike to the camp site from the town of Tabulam, maybe 2 or 3 km, beside the river which looks clear and cool, will check it out later.

Another great day and will blog again soon.