"No matter where you go, there you are."

YAMBA

Saturday 26^th May:

We took our time packing up camp and didn’t hit the road until 10am. It didn’t take us long to get to our next destination, Yamba. We are staying at the Fishing Haven Van Park located on Palmers Island which is about 5km out of Yamba. We have the best spot in the park overlooking the Clarence River. From the comfort of our annexe we have views up and down the expansive river. We popped into Yamba in the afternoon to check out the bowls club.

Sunday 27^th May:

We awoke to pouring rain this morning but thankfully it had cleared by 9am. Ferg got the fishing rods out and threw a line in off the jetty. Unfortunately my reel has been broken so there will be no fishing for me for awhile. The Yamba markets were on today so we took a drive in to check them out. They are very good markets, lots of stalls. We played bowls later in the day and met a lovely bunch of locals. They were a very friendly lot. Back at the van we enjoyed the most magnificent sunset while chatting to our neighbours.

Monday 28^th May:

We went into town early and Ferg got a haircut while I wandered round the shops. Most of the day was spent around the van. We fished and just relaxed soaking up the peaceful atmosphere and enjoying the view.

Tuesday 29^th May:

I went to bowls this morning and played triples with the ladies. It was good fun but as usual there was too much rubbish about following traditions. (eg. You must play with your hat on; you must stand when the president enters the room; you must not ask questions out of turn; etc, etc.) It’s a load of rubbish, we should be there to have fun and play bowls. Anyway enough of my soapbox! Ferg took Twistie for a walk along the beach while I was at bowls. We enjoyed another beautiful sunset over the Clarence in the evening.

Wednesday 30^th May:

We took a drove over to Iluka today. The town is on the opposite side of the river to Yamba. Iluka is not as developed and is a little isolated. We had been told about a good fish and chip shop there so we decided to have an early lunch. It only cost us $5 for an ample feed for both of us. We sat at the waters edge and took in the view across the water to Yamba. Ferg played bowls with the men in the afternoon.

Thursday 31^st May:

Off to ladies bowls again, sucker for punishment I guess! It was “Birthday Bowl’s Day” so everyone had to bring a plate for a luncheon after the game. Ferg took Twistie for another walk then hung around the van. We had a lovely dinner out at the local Mexican restaurant in Yamba.

Friday 1^st June:

We had a springclean of the van this morning. Vacuumed throughout and rearranged the cupboards. I dropped Ferg off at bowls in the afternoon. Twistie and I enjoyed a lovely walk along the beach. I cooked up a chook for dinner and watched the Friday night footie.

Saturday 2^nd June:

We drove into Yamba this morning and parked at the marina. From there we walked along the river, out to the breakwater, then up to the lighthouse. It was a beautiful day, we watched the surfers catching waves. It was a good long walk but poor old Twistie was very tired by the time we got back to the car. We both went to bowls this afternoon. The Yamba Bowls Club was holding its annual “ Shirts versus Skirts” comp. It was a fun afternoon, unfortunately the Shirts beat the Skirts by 13 points.

Sunday 3^rd June:

It’s our last full day here in Yamba. We spent the morning doing some more maintenance around the van and updating the blog on the net. We played “Jackpot Pairs” at the bowls club in the afternoon. We have met some really friendly people here and will definitely return. We are off to Murwillumbah tomorrow to spend time with Pete (brother) and Marlyn.