14.04.2026

The day is coming to an end, it's warm. We look over vast green meadows, hearing not only cars but also cows and gazing at mountain ranges. We will be staying at the Lodge Bellingen for 2 nights to explore the area.

In the morning, we first headed to Shelly Beach in Port Macquarie, the clearing by the shore. The entire town stretches along the coast with various beach sections. There are still plenty of parking spaces available in the morning. We hiked partially on the beach - it was low tide - or on the walking paths that ran directly along the shore. The thermometer climbed back to 28 °C today. Our destination was 'Tacking Point', an old lighthouse from 1879. Wonderful views, including the beach section where the surf school was practicing. From there, whales can also be observed starting in May. We were too early! But on the way back, we spotted a small group of dolphins! Upon arriving at the parking lot, we could observe a Goanna, a type of monitor lizard, that was feasting on leftovers in the picnic area. About 2 meters long. He knew the spot well. A few bush hens also came around looking for scraps. After all, it was lunchtime! We marched in the water for a bit in the other direction, passing by rocks covered in barnacles, various birds rested in the moist sand, and we've often seen the kookaburra with its fluffy head around. We just didn’t spot any koalas in the wild, although there are always signs in town pointing to them. In the early afternoon, we drove about 150 km further north to Bellingen, enjoying the open road at the mentioned speeds. The route was lined with many eucalyptus trees and plenty of farms.

Today - as already described - surrounded by nature. The pool is a bit chilly but the hot tub is pleasantly warm. The facility is quiet, and of course, it's dark at 6 PM...