Our inland travels have been great, but it is really nice to get to the coast again! Especially after the heat of Tamworth!  And guess what? We are now witnessing the sun rising over the ocean! Geraldton is geographically latitude 28 and here in Coffs we are on latitude 30. There is a 'Latitude 30' Seafood Restaurant and Pete was the one to enlighten us with the geography lesson!  Raising our awareness! Check out the Travelpod map! We are close to being directly opposite home! And the TravelPod Statistics tell me that we have travelled 3,999 kms! Nomads Notes tells me the car has travelled 5602 kms so far.  Yes it is......'So Far - So Far from Home'! 

We are staying at a Big4 Caravan Park at Emerald Beach which is 17 kms north of Coffs Harbour. Not very many in the park, so it is nice and quiet.  Well it would be very quiet, if the Kookaburra's didn't start talking to us at 5.30am!  And they sing again on dark. Everyday it has been the same and at first we didn't think much of it!   But we have come to accept it and to a certain degree, appreciate the nature park for what it is. Lots of kangaroos come in to feed on the grass at dusk and then again, first thing in the morning. The Fiddaman Creek is beside the park and at times obviously flows into the ocean. From the dense growth on the side of the creek we have witnessed other wildlife.  Such as a big bungarra which was quite happy wandering under the next caravan. Thank goodness he chose theirs! 

The lovely beach and walking paths on the headlands are only a short walk through the natural bush. We have enjoyed evening drinks on the beach a couple of times whilst here. We have also had 38 ml of rain over two days, so that enabled or caused us to "vege" and catch up on some computer work!   We have enjoyed Coffs Harbour with its numerous market days and surfing beaches. We went to the Sunday markets at the old jetty and then found markets again by chance on Thursday, in the mall of the CBD.  We have done lots of walking on the headlands and the beach.  We've certainly found that at Emerald Beach, kangaroos with joey's are very much at home with the human race! 

  

 The road works and upgrade on the Pacific Highway from Sapphire to Woolgoolga has certainly been something to witness. We can very much see the need and wonder when there will be a bypass of the Coffs Harbour CBD! So many trucks travelling the Pacific Highway and they all have to travel through that CBD!  A very contentious subject we are told!  

A few statistics on Coffs Harbour:  It is 540 kilometres north of Sydney and 390 south of Brisbane.  It is said to have the most 'live-able' climate in Australia.  The towns economy was once based on bananas, but is now being superseded by blueberries, fishing and tourism.  In the early 1900's it was an important timber production centre.  Coffs Harbour owes its name to John Korff, who named the area Korff's Harbour, when he was forced to take shelter from a storm in the area in 1847. Its name was accidentally changed by the surveyor for the crown when he reserved land in the area during 1861. The population is over 46,000 and of the greater region over 72,000.  It is estimated to continue to increase. 

The 'Big Banana' is one of the first of 'Australia's Big Things'.  It will celebrate its 50th birthday in 2015.  It is the 'World's Largest Banana' and celebrates the region's best known export.  Of course we had to have a photograph or two!  Another one ticked off in the book of 'BIG Aussie Icons'.  It does get 10/10 on the Iconmetre!