Türchen 10 - Road trip from Sydney to Bellingen

On July 8th, the time had finally come. We left our Airbnb at around 8 o'clock to finally pick up our beloved car. I had worked until the 6th to have a little more money in my pocket and was finally looking forward to escaping the most crowded city in Australia. The time had been quite nice and the city had many great aspects but the winter weather was getting worse and it was time to experience something new and finally find farm work. Our train to Newcastle left at 9 o'clock, the first stop on our journey. Immediately after arrival, we checked into our Airbnb and left our 3 million things that were not in the car yet, and started exploring the city. First a little hiking, then a brewery, and in the evening, a bar with beer from all over the world. The next morning, we set off early because our dear car wanted to be picked up after the fuel pump was replaced. The train left on time and a few hours later we reached Kempsey. Clara left me with all our stuff at the train station and hurried to the workshop. And half an hour later, she finally stood in front of me with the good old big green warhorse. Now the real chaos was about to begin. Two women had been on a road trip and now I was supposed to fit everything we still had into this mess. But for the moment, it worked, and when we finally finished, we set off. First a little piece south again, to Port Macquarie. There were two breweries here that I wanted to check out and also a nice spot by the water where we could stay for the night for free. In the first brewery, there was a great old English brewing system and after a little looking around, the brewer came over and we had a great, very interesting conversation. He even gave us a few beers at a special price and one for free. We visited the other brewery the next morning after a long walk to let the tent dry and to get our bones warm again after a 3° cold night. Here we bought 4 really good beers, all in Belgian style. Something nice, full-bodied to enjoy. Because it's not easy to find full-bodied beers in Australia. Then finally, we continued because we still had a lot of distance, experiences, and sights ahead of us. After a short stop and a little hike in South West Rocks on the coast, we made it to just past Bellingen on that day, to a small free campground. Before that, we had dinner in Macksville - great value for money - where Clara had already stopped on her way back from Brisbane. (And another extremely cold night, even colder than the one before...) The following day would change the entire plan of the road trip. In the morning, we set off to Dorrigo National Park, where we first saw a really beautiful waterfall and then what I think is the most beautiful forest in Australia. It's called Gondwana Rainforest and it is home to some unique trees and plants that date back to ancient times. Dense undergrowth, ferns, and gigantic forest giants have survived the onslaught since the 1800s and are a true paradise on earth, high up in the mountainous hinterland of New South Wales. It was a long tour and when we finally reached our car again, the still damp rooftop tent was finally dry, which we had set up again. We could pack up and head to Coffs Harbour, that was the plan. But Bellingen held us back. Actually a small, rather sleepy village, it was filled with an unnatural amount of life and colorful colors. We had to take a closer look. So we parked the tank and checked out what was going on. The answer was quickly found: It was the Bellingen Winter Music Festival with many street performers, folk music, street markets, and other shows. 4 days in a row. We both knew immediately that we had to take a closer look. The local campground was unfortunately fully booked, but luckily the lady at the entrance could help us out with a field in the village where some other people were camping illegally. Not entirely legal, but nobody cared during the festival. And a public toilet with (cold) shower was just around the corner (it's really fun in the evening at around 10° outside). The evening was beautiful with delicious food and 1-2 beers and the free program, of which there was plenty. The night was once again super cold, but we were already used to it. The next morning, we left the rooftop tent open and walked the 500 meters into town to check out the market. People from the village sold handmade things and various bands played music on the meadow. And Clara was amazed by all the things to see, constantly saying: 'My mom would love it here, she wouldn't want to leave.' Indeed, the community in the village is very nice and there are extremely many groups for common activities such as yoga, cooking, sports, with and without children, everything. It wasn't easy for us to tear ourselves away from the spectacle and pack up. But everything comes to an end and we had to continue heading north. So, in the afternoon, we left this beautiful and interesting village and made our way to Coffs Harbour, where we were actually supposed to be already.