Day 24 Gulmarrad Sunday 1st July 2012

Hi folks,
Our day off!  Although I did feed the animals and Susan popped a quick coat of varnish on the window frames.
Susan had the luxury of breakfast and a cup of tea in bed today. Only because the exit to the tent was blocked when she wanted to get up. I had all the chattels to go up in the roof bag (including the roof bag) stacked in the doorway so I could reach them without tramping mud in or taking my boots off. With the goods loaded I took advantage of the sun to paint on some canvas waterproofing to our little trouble areas inside and out.

Looking South from Iluka Bluff towards Yamba (click for the big picture)

With that completed we headed up the highway to Iluka a seaside town on the north side of the the Clarence river opposite Yamba. We parked at the fish co-op which had a fish and chip shop. However after viewing the queue I decided we would go back to the main street where we had 4 pieces of flathead and a good serve of chips for $9.30. After coffees made with local Wombah coffee beans we journeyed to the Iluka Bluff car park.
We strolled around the headland and then back up to the bluff. From there we took the track into the coastal  (littoral) Gondwana rain forest (World heritage listed) significant not so much because of it's beauty but because it is unusual being close to the sea and is the largest example of it's type  in NSW.

Iluka fishing fleet

Iluka Bluff

Looking back towards the Iluka Bluff from the breakwater

An unknown big fruit on a tree

Segment of big fruit

Epiphytes on the rain forest walk

Groovy fungi's (Just like me)

For some reason this trunk was wrapped with blue wool!

The shadows were already lengthening when we finished the walk so we returned home on dusk for Susan's "impossible quiche" and a few laughs over dinner and the evenings TV viewing (The Block finale - yawn).
We will be doing our own version of "The Block" this week as we try to get the renovation finished before we leave.

Night folks

Cheers Simon