Yamba – A Day to Stroll                                                              5^th October 2019

Arriving last night in Yamba after an arduous mucking around day assisting my younger brother carry out his installation work; we settled in to our Cousin’s backpackers for 3 nights (Yamba Backpackers). We had enough of the traffic hassles (3.5hrs) due to the enormous Pacific Highway upgrade roadworks. It’s been going on for 2 years now and has another year to go. From Woodburn to Yamba turnoff is basically 80klms/hr the entire way of some 60klms with no passing lanes or opportunity.

We awoke to a very cloudy day; something we in Queensland has not seen for quite some time in a disastrous drought. My brother set off early today for golf to test out his back-recovery issue so I lazed around the Block Café of the backpackers until a dear friend said she is sick in bed and can’t make our coffee catchup so I decided to take a stroll out to the nearby world-famous surfing town of Angourie.

Recently the township including Yamba was severely tested with very close bushfires to the adjacent national park. It was the first time large fire retardant water bombing planes were used, along with small fixed wing and helicopters. The locals were treated to very low flying in a smoke-filled atmosphere for about 2 weeks.

After donning on my trek pants, day backpack and my feet saving Salomon X Ultra Mid 3 GTX hiking boots I started out walking through the streets and the road into Yamba to the roundabout and head south into a blustering 20knot headwind. It was a good day for the walk, being on the cool side but could have done without the wind.

The traffic was very light on the way out and the only person being active was a runner, about late 20s and running … so that left me out. He acknowledged me and then some 10mins later he had returned and headed back to Angourie. He showed a good pace too! I was trying to do the speed limit but with the headwind it had me well below it (see photo).

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Along the way there is bushland both sides of the roadway with the left-hand side being the Pacific Ocean side and the western side national park and natural bushland. Here you can see the severity of the recent fires right up to the roadway and crossing it to the ocean. There are sections where the retardant bombing has still left its mark, redness powder tinge to the tree trunks in amongst the blackened burnt bush.

Some Australian native bushes require fire to burst their seed pods for new life. Unfortunately, we have the political parties of The Greens and Labor that prevent reduction burnoffs, so the fire severity is dramatically increased and some plant life cannot propagate. Stupid ignorant government parties. Our indigenous people have been reduction burning for thousands of years.

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In the blackened landscape you can see varying stages of life with reds, oranges, greens of tree trunks, some with ribbon formations on the trunks along with the blackened souls of bushland. Coming close to the Angourie township you can see in the far distance the vast plains of burnt bushland and it is known the fire came right up to the fence lines of some homes. The Rural Fire Brigade and SES personnel, along with the support aircraft did an amazing job in preventing further tragedy and damage.

Coming into the township the first turn to the left is Spooky Beach, a prime site but I’ll leave this area to when I do my return walk and headed further in to another left hand turn off to the Blue & Green Pools and picnic area. A gravel carpark first full of cars, campers and Winnebago’s and then a pathway skirting around the Blue Pool. The fire even reached to within this miniature coastal valley. Here you can see a range of beauty in the treescape with varying colours of fire touched and not touched bushland.

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These pools of fresh water are within 50 metres (Blue Pool) & 70metres (Green Pool) of the rockwalls and pounding Pacific Ocean. They originated I believe some 70 years ago where they were quarries for the rocks required to make the breakwalls at Yamba for the entrance to the mighty Clarence River (Big River). Rocks were excavated at these sites and carted by rail carts along a miniature railway all the way to Yamba and along the Clarence River where this is a concrete path behind the Calypso Caravan Park and out to the headland. Overnight the quarries conflicted with an underground spring and workers came across their new found ponds fully filled with fresh water. All the machinery remains underwater quite some metres down. One of the photos show some small remnants of the rail tracks in the rock pathway, albeit heavily corroded from the salt environment.

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The Blue Pool is usually everyone’s favourite as it is usually pristine water whereas the Green Pool can sometimes be affected by algae. Young boys were up on the Blue Pool cliff face ready to do their constant jumping with parents looking on. I have never been one for jumping off climbs whereas my children, nephews and nieces certainly have done it here. The Green pool had no jumpers present today. It is a vertical climb up the cliff face after you swim to the other side. Therefore, it is for the more advanced ages. These areas are well loved by visiting backpackers, once my cousin Shane does his world renowned “Shane’s Tour” with them, and has most of them jumping.

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After skirting some beach houses, including Mr Billabong’s $10Million house, I proceeded to do my walk back only to venture to popular cafes on the main road and my friends of some years Barbaresco Restaurant in between them. Adrienne and Davida were just getting ready for the night trade and were quite surprised to see my face after quite some time. The restaurant is of high quality and a definite must do (you might notice the bar mirrors and extra-large wall frame mirrors mounted). My brother & I delivered these and mounted them one morning of the NRL Grand Final many years ago which is also this weekend too. They’re still there. The food is amazing.

It was time to hit the road and upon walking out of the restaurant the weather has now changed to drizzle rain, something we haven’t seen for some time back home in the Gold Coast. I set up my Black Wolf Grand Teton backpack with its own raincoat. Luckily, I brought my rain jacket too. I’m now aware the wind has now dropped to around 5knots so I have been robbed of a decent tail wind. My Spotify music is providing the beat through my phone to keep up the pace. Getting closer to Yamba my feet are starting to say hello but as a recent book I read “Can’t Hurt Me” states most people only use 40% capacity pf their mind therefore, don’t continue the hard yards and give up. Not me … I’m taking one step after another. Please read this book … it’s amazing what the author, David Goggins was able to accomplish. Everyone should read this. After some distance I remembered I was to do the Spooky Beach view but the rain took over my mind. Well, that will now be for another day.

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I decided to walk along the pathway following the Clarence River estuary I spoke of earlier (the quarry railway route) so I can venture via the Calypso Caravan Park to the main street to pick up some valuable bananas to boost my recovery and also being well past lunchtime. The caravan park is home to my brother & I during the annual Christmas holiday period (3 weeks). I have been camping there for some 24 years I think and mostly taking our Mother, Win, along too.

Returning to our room I use my magnesium spray on my feet. This is so soothing and I’m sure my feet love it. I proceeded downstairs where cousin Shane organises a sumptuous burrito while I persevere with typing this blog.

Being a mature traveller (I’d love for my family & friends to fund me for more travelling … hint) I stick to walking when I can … are you??? Have a look at my screenshot of my walk today which means anyone can do this … try it. 13.2klms

I hope you enjoyed this quick blog? Any comments are warmly received.