Nambucca Heads

You may recall that we stopped briefly at Nambucca Heads on our way home from Dorrigo in January. The beauty of this coastal town impressed us so much that we declared we’d return for a proper visit. With state borders still opening and closing without warning we decided we’d spend Easter within New South Wales. We’d seen some superb campground cabins on the shore of a tidal lake at the mouth of the Nambucca River. After discovering one was still available booking it was an easy decision.  I've highlighted the location of our cabin in one of the images below.

We set off early on Good Friday. It took almost six hours to reach our destination. However, there it didn’t take long to settle in and unwind. The weather proved a little inclement during our stay up North. However, Garry squeezed in a couple of hours of productive river fishing one evening on the Nambucca River.

We also enjoyed a couple leisurely walks around the headlands at the river’s mouth and a couple of awesome breakfasts at the nearby Wharf Street Café. Even better, the café accepted the NSW Government’s Dine & Discover discount vouchers, so our meals were incredibly cheap.

If I had to pick one highlight from Nambucca Heads it would have to be the promenade walkway that follows the mouth of the Nambucca River out to its coastal heads. One side of the path opens out to a tidal lake while the other is protected from coastal erosion by large, irregular boulders.  Over the years locals and visitors alike have taken to decorating these boulders. Some celebrate love and family vacations, while others immortalize those who've passed away.  It's a fascinating and eclectic gallery of the human experience.

After six relaxing nights in Nambucca Heads, we made our way south to spend a further three nights at the Meridian Beachside Apartments in Old Bar. I stumbled across this venue by chance after searching the central coast on Google Maps. Our well-appointed apartment was located on a coastal rise overlooking the beach.

Garry then spent several days fishing along the beach. He caught quite a school of fish in the end which we took home and froze for another day. I went for leisurely walks along the foreshore, including one excursion as far as Wallabi Point, approximately 2km down the coast.

Old Bar was an interesting location. This small town is overshadowed these days by the more impressive urban development happening in Harrington Waters, ten minutes up the coast. However, somehow, it’s still large enough to sustain a small Coles Supermarket and several impressive restaurants including Sai Thai (where we enjoyed a memorable meal one night).

My most abiding memory of Old Bar will always be the emergency locksmith incident that occurred on our first day. After returning from a drive into town we went to open the door to our apartment. However, to our surprise, the entire lock tumbler started rotating as we attempted to unlock it. We were essentially locked out.

The onsite manager came to our rescue. He broke into the apartment via a window to let us in and called a locksmith. We later learned that the corrosive salt air along the coast destroys locks and a host of other mechanisms on a regular basis. The views from our apartment may have been impressive, however, they apparently come with a hidden cost.