Teewah beach March Trip, Day 2



Got out of bed about six thirty am. The wind had dropped right off, so the March flies were starting to swarm. Made some coffee then got the drone out for awhile to make use of the lack of wind. Did three flights with a fresh battery each time. First was a general fly around the camp taking some photos and videos.

 The bloody March flies make it hard to control the drone smoothly while taking videos. Then I did a hyperlapse flying up the beach to show the waves moving. Finally, Greg had seen some sort movement out to sea so I sent the drone out for a look. Didn't see anything but I got the drone out a bit over three Km and looking back the shore seems a long way away. 

Flew it back over the land and was flying it back to camp when I got a five minute battery warning so it's probably good I didn't push it further than the three Km. After brekky I pottered around camp for awhile waiting for the tide to go out. Took a few bird and reptile photos. 

 Then drove up to Double Island Point and went for a walk up to the lighthouse. Beautiful sunny day and that walk up the hill was hard work. Saw some turtles around the rocks but I didn't have the big zoom lens to take any decent photos. Got to the top and took a few photos then sat down to rest up for the walk back down and caught up with some emails and internet stuff. Then I walked back down, which is easier on the lungs but harder on the knees. Drove across the Leisha Track and found a nice shady spot out near the point to set up for a few hours of relaxing. Made some lunch and did some reading. Packed up and drove back to camp. Then spent awhile downloading images and videos from various cameras onto my MacBook Pro and freeing up space on the camera for more photos. Pottered around camp for awhile and read and may have even had an afternoon snooze. Then chatted to everyone for awhile over drinks before cooking up a steak and some veggies for dinner. Cleaned up and had a cuppa tea then had a game of cards and a chat before heading off to bed. More ocean noises that I never get tired of lulled me to sleep. 

Bye Jeff.

Teewah Beach March trip, Day 1



It was dad's 88th birthday so I fought with the M1 traffic and drove up to Caloundra to see mum and him for his birthday. Had some quite nice fish and chips for lunch and when he went for his afternoon nap I headed off back to the highway. Got in the wrong lane and had to turn north instead of south, 😊 so I just continued on and headed up to Cooroy and then  Tewantin and finally across the Noosa river on the car ferry. Stopped at the third cutting and dropped the tyre pressures down to 18 psi. Engaged 4WD this time and easily drove out through the rather soft sand. Just down the beach I saw a familiar looking Jayco pop top caravan, so I pulled up and had a chat to my brother and his wife. He can't/won't confirm getting bogged in the soft sand nor would he confirm getting towed out by a Hummer, unfortunately there was no photographic evidence of any of these alleged proceedings. 😊 I followed him down the beach which was nice and firm as it was close to low tide. At the north end of Zone 2 we found their friends and pulled in and setup camp for a couple of days. 

It was a full moon so I took some photos after heating up some chicken curry for dinner. 

We then had a friendly game of cards and chatted for awhile before heading off to bed with the sound of the surf lulling me to sleep. 

Bye Jeff.

Ballina & Northern NSW Beaches



Decided to take a little day trip down to explore some of the northern NSW beaches. Threw a few things in Blute and headed south. Lost an hour of my life going over the border, traffic nice and easy. Got off at the second Ballina exit and drove down to the car ferry across the river. $7 each way but it saves a long drive down the highway and back. Then over the river turned left and headed down to the mouth of the river. Parked up and wandered out to the end of the rock wall and back, about 3.5 Km all up. Took some photos and had a look around.

 Then back to the ferry and across to the main bit of Ballina, drove through the Main Street and onto the car park near the lighthouse, stopped and took a few photos. Then drove to the next little beach, Shelly beach, parked there and got a take away burger and chips from the restaurant there, a bit pricey but very nice. Also an iced latte. Sat down by the beach to eat lunch and watch the waves. 

After lunch drove north following the coast and stopped In To look at a few little beaches and to walk around and take some photos. Also had a quick swim to cool off as it was fairly humid.  Then onto Lennox Head where I stopped at the lookout just to the south of Lennox Head and watched a guy learning to fly a sail-type hang glider, he failed dismally. 

Then I walked up and over the headland taking more photos as I went. 

Was a bit tired when I got back to the car and drove down through Lennox Head, I was going to get a coffee at the cafe at the surf club but it was closed. I was then going to drive up through Broken Head and then onto Byron Bay and go and look at the lighthouse but I didn't want to deal with the people and the traffic and the parking so I just headed back to the M1 and headed north to home.

Bye Jeff.

Teewah Beach Camping Day 5



Woke up about five am for sunrise and there was some spectacular colours. Took a few photos and then went back to bed for awhile. 

Got up awhile later for some coffee and then made some bacon and eggs for brekky. The day was so calm, not a breathe of wind around so I got the drone out again and sent it out for another flight.

 Then I started the slow and boring task of packing everything up so I could head off home. There had been several hours of sun by this time time so the gazebo and toilet tent had dried off nicely. I had trouble with the toilet tent which is supposed to fold up flat after a few twists but I couldn't seem to get just the right twists, but I got it flat enough to stuff into the storage section in the camper and I'll sort it out when I get home and can watch a YouTube video or two on how to do it properly. Then with everything packed and me a sweaty mess I went for a quick swim to cool off, very pleasant. Back to the car where I got changed and ready to head off down the beach until I realized I'd misplaced the car keys. After about fine minutes of frenzied searching I remembered where I had put them when I went for the swim and all was good in the world again. It was about three hours after high tide so the run down the beach was pretty easy, but the exit at the third cutting was a little tricky as a car and caravan where stuck on the exit coming onto the beach. I had to maneuver around them losing my run up and coming to a stop in the soft sand. However, a quick reverse and then a little more acceleration and I was up and out. I pumped the tyres up to highway pressure and headed down to the Noosa river where I stopped off for some lunch. I kept going south down to Coolum where I stopped at one of the lookouts for a cold drink and to finish off my blog post for this trip. 

From here I'll drop into to see mum and dad in Caloundra on my way home. All up a very pleasurable way to spend the last five or so days. 

Bye Jeff.

Teewah Beach Camping Day 4



Woke up about six am and after the overnight storms had gone past, the wind has changed to a south easterly. Had some coffee and then made some bacon and eggs for brekky. With the wind change it seems like there are not nearly as many March flies about. Read for awhile until the tide dropped a bit more then drove up to Double Island point for a look. No climbing up to the lighthouse today. 

Then back to the Leisha Track and across to the other side of the point. I drove out to the end and found a shady spot to set up for a few hours. 

Had morning tea and then caught up on some internet stuff. Not sure what is happening with the weather, the radar suggests I may get rain this arvo before it clears for tomorrow which is when I pack up to head home. Then made some lunch and finally headed back to camp for a lazy arvo. It had started raining by the time I got back to camp so I settled in for an afternoon of reading. In between showers I pottered around camp tidying up and then about four pm the weather cleared up so I went for a walk on the beach. Lots more campers have appeared but there's still plenty of room for everyone and I can't see another camp from my camp site. The wind had dropped off a bit so I got the drone out and had a fly around, taking some photos and videos. 

As it was getting dark I cooked up some dinner, steak and salad and then the showers came back, nothing too heavy but enough to make you wet. After cleaning up from dinner I settled into some reading under the gazebo watching the waves as the last of the sunlight faded away. Then an early night in bed with the sound of rain on the camper roof competing with the sound of waves to see which can put me to sleep the fastest. 

Bye Jeff.

Teewah Beach Camping Day 3



Got up and had coffee with the March flies about 6 am. Had a hearty breakfast of baked beans before settling in to read for awhile until the tide went out a bit. Then after a morning swim I headed north to the Freshwater track dropping my rubbish off at the bins as I went past. The track was its usual condition a bit rough and bumpy but not challenging in any way. I thought it may have been more cut up as I suspect it may have seen more traffic since you can't drive down the beach to Rainbow Beach at the moment. Got back to the main road and put some more air in the tyres for some bitumen driving. I headed down to Searys Creek day use area and walked down to creek.

 Had a quick swim in the fresh water to wash all the salt off from my recent ocean swims. It was coolish but very refreshing. Then I drove into Rainbow Beach and had a coffee and a sausage roll at  the bakery in town. Caught up on some internet things and went for a walk around town.

 I had an early lunch at one of the cafes. The seafood basket was very nice. Walked around a bit more and headed back to the car and out of town and towards camp. It started raining while I was on the Freshwater track and the wet sand was a lot different to drive on, not to mention the gloomy outlook in the middle of the forest. When I got out onto the beach the shower had passed by and was heading south with blue skies above me. I got back to camp and settled in for another lazy afternoon of reading, snoozing and downloading photos to the computer. Then a storm came through and dumped a fair bit of rain but I was nice and dry in the camper. After the rain I went for a stroll along the beach, it was very pleasant as it had cooled down a bit. 

Just had some nibbles for dinner as I had eaten too much food in Rainbow Beach. As it got dark the March flies disappeared but the mozzies came out with a vengeance. I got the Bushmans out and that worked pretty well. Then spent an hour or so trying to take some long exposure photos of an erratic lightning storm far out to sea and failing dismally. 

Then I had to go to bed smelling of DEET. 

Bye Jeff.

Teewah Beach Camping Day 2



Woke up about six am and got up for some coffee. The March flies also thought it was a good time to be up and about. Thankfully the screen room kept them at bay. There was no wind about so I thought I might try the Thermacell mozzie repeller to see if it works on March flies. So far tests are inconclusive, as I think the number of March flies was reduced but certainly not completely eliminated. Then after breakfast I had a quick swim. Then went for a drive up to the Double Island Point Lighthouse. 

The walk up the hill gets steeper every year. It was a little windy at the top to fly the drone so after wandering back down to the car, I headed to the Leisha Track and across to the Rainbow Beach side of the point. Drove out to end of the point and found a shady spot to set up for awhile and have some lunch. 

Then on the way back to camp I went and had a look at the beach track to Rainbow Beach and it is blocked by a lot of trees from what looks like a recent landslide. So back to camp. The wind is still from the north and I think it is getting stronger. The advantage of this is that the March flies have disappeared. Had a lazy afternoon alternating between reading, snoozing and having a swim to keep cool. 

Around four pm the breeze started to drop off and the March flies starting coming back. Went and read in the screen room then cooked some steak and salad for dinner. Waited until the March flies went to bed then washed up and tidied up. Went to bed early with the sound of the ocean in the background. Tonight the cicadas were competing with the waves to see who could be the noisiest. 

Bye Jeff.