Travel Biography - Week 90.

 Continuing in Coffs Harbour.

The last-but-one stop in Australia before arriving in Sydney remains a haven for nature lovers, especially when seeing species not found in my home country of Britain. In these cases, I include the Traveller's Palm, the Mangrove and its varieties of species, and the Banana plantation. As I travelled further south along the East Coast and deeper into the Australian winter, I came across tropical vegetation rather unexpectedly, adding what I consider a bonus.

As I had already mentioned and focused on last week, my highlight in the New South Wales town of Coffs Harbour was the Mangrove Boardwalk. Beneath the wooden platform, the breathing stems, or the pneumatophores jutting out of the root system formed a spikey carpet covering the riverbank. I include an extra photo I took from the boardwalk after accidentally leaving it out from the previous week's blog. Along the boardwalk, I followed the Creek until it emptied out without any fanfare into the Southern Pacific some distance north of the harbour.

Pneumatophoras form a spikey carpet.

Coffs Creek empties into the Ocean.

Muttonbird Island.

The town was located about two miles inland from the coast from where the harbour, whose breakwater connects Muttonbird Island to the mainland. The island itself was designated a nature reserve, and it's accessible to the public. One afternoon or early evening, I stood above a rocky cove at the seaward end of the island and watched the waves dash against the bare rocks. Further out, I saw a pod of whales emerge from the surface playfully as they swam on their annual migration northward from the Antarctic region to the tropics.

Watching the waves of the ocean crash against the immovable headland demonstrates the powerful force of nature and how small and insignificant we humans are, along with our achievements. Indeed, in this part of the world, the huge island Continent might have been colonised by the British a few centuries ago and is now part of the Commonwealth, but as I watched the waves crash against the rocks, I knew that this power of nature could never be conquered. On the contrary, the number of shipwrecks the ocean has claimed throughout the history of marine navigation is without number.

It was on one of these coastal walks when, once again, the heavens opened. Like at Byron Bay, this was no light drizzle but a heavy downpour. In Britain, a heavy downpour usually is of short duration, and it's classed as a shower by the Meteorological Office. Here in NSW, the heavy rain continued on and on, with no sign of letting up. With a desire to return to the hostel, I stood under a shelter and waited for the rain to ease. But it didn't. The downpour continued without any lightning or thunder.

After sheltering for a considerable while, I knew that I would have to accept that I was in for another soaking as I walked the 45 minutes back to the hostel. And so, I took the quickest route along Harbour Drive back into town and to the place of clean clothes, warmth and comfort.

A Visit to a Banana Theme Park and Plantation.

Although I affectionately refer to the town centre of Coffs Harbour as "Bracknell-With-Palm-Trees" for its near-identical development and precinct architecture to that of my home town, Coffs Harbour still had much more than Bracknell could ever offer! My home town of Bracknell began as a rest stop inn for horse-drawn travellers on the road from London to Reading and beyond. The original inn is still there after several centuries - The Old Manor Inn. The road, now the A329, passed through forest and open fields before any development. There never was a major river around the Bracknell area, but a stream, or creek, known as Bull Brook flows northward to this day to eventually join the River Thames at Bray, near the Maidenhead area. Today, Bracknell is a New Town, one of several of the New Town Scheme to relieve London of its residential population. Yet, as I walked through the Coffs Harbour shopping precinct, I couldn't help but feel that I was back at home. The two town centres being so identical at the time yet so far apart geographically was remarkable.

Coffs Harbour from Muttonbird Island.

From Muttonbird Island, a view of the Great Divide.

The Seaward end of Muttonbird Island

Coffs Harbour not only has a river passing nearby, but it's close to the coast, it's the home of mangroves and other tropical vegetation. It also boasts a theme park, known as The Big Banana, and it's located next to a banana plantation. I thought it was worth spending a few hours there on a dry day.

In 1997, the Big Banana was supposed to be "the exciting, unmissable venue" as our hostel once promoted the site. Instead, visitors before me dubbed it as a let-down, a waste of time and money. When I arrived there after a long walk from the hostel, indeed, all I saw was the entrance gate, over it was a giant, five-metre-long banana, hence the name of the park. Within was an open field, some stalls, and a roller coaster at one end.

Earlier this week, I checked out the Big Banana theme park on the internet to refresh memories. I saw that, like at Sentosa Island, the Big Banana had undergone some big changes throughout the last 26 years since my visit. At present, there is a toboggan ride, an ice skating rink, an XD theatre, a giant slide, mini golf, and a water park. None of these facilities existed in 1997. Indeed, The Big Banana could now be seen as "the exciting, unmissable venue" in Coffs Harbour. It has become a smaller version of Singapore's Sentosa Island.

One issue I noticed was the present absence of the roller coaster. Apparently, it was dismantled since my visit. After all, it was rather small and "tame" compared to the modern versions found in the USA. During my time at the Big Banana, there were so few people there that when I boarded a car on the roller coaster, I was offered a second ride for free. Even after the second ride, I was asked by the staff member whether I would like a third ride, also free. This time I declined.

I couldn't help but compare this place with Disneyland, the yardstick of all theme parks. I felt that the Aussies needed to visit America to learn all about theme parks, what they were about, what facilities would draw the crowds, and how to lay on inspiring entertainment that would delight children and adults alike - while making a profit and keeping the business running smoothly. Before the redevelopment, during my visit, the whole site was insipid and practically deserted. For example, mine was the only moving car on the roller coaster, and as if in desperation, I was offered multiple rides. Its modern redevelopment has got me to ask where its owners received such a vision for improvement. Judging by what I read on the Internet, they might have visited Sentosa Island rather than California.

Next to the theme park was a proper banana plantation. Also according to the Internet, the same plantation is thriving to this day, and the public now has access to its grounds. But not in 1997. I was alone back then, and the only one who could see into the plantation as I stood just outside, looking in. The trees had a strong resemblance to the Traveller's Palm, and who knows, the two species might have been related. For some reason, special plastic bags were placed over the green bunch of banana fruit, but with no one around I could talk to, my journalistic instinct remained idle.

Overall, I was impressed with Coffs Harbour, perhaps even more than with Byron Bay. This, I believe was due to the presence of Mangroves and the long boardwalk which gave the visitor a first-hand view of this fascinating vegetive phenomenon. According to my observations, there were no mangrove trees in the Byron Bay area, although I did see a variety of pineapple trees. But, having seen different species of mangroves off Arlie Beach, Brisbane, and Coffs Harbour, along with a hint also at Port Douglas, so far, together with an insight of a banana plantation, this backpacking trip to Australia proved to be educational as well as enjoyable.

A Traveller's Palm, Coffs Harbour.

Approaching the Banana Plantation.

Looking into the Banana Plantation.

Preparing for Sydney.

After three or four days in Coffs Harbour, it was time to move on again. The Greyhound Bus Pass was still valid, but its time was running out. I had to get to Sydney before it expired, as I would be taking off from there for Los Angeles.

Therefore, after three nights spent at YHA Coffs Harbour, I made an advanced booking for a bed at the YHA City Hostel in the heart of Sydney. The journey to get there was an overnight trip, 532 km or just over 330 miles over approximately seven or eight hours including service stops. 

And so, after vacating the YHA Coffs Harbour, I made my way to the rather small bus station which was nearby. That evening, I boarded the bus for the final leg of the journey on the Indo-Pacific Highway.

Dawn was breaking when the bus stopped at Newcastle for a service stop. It seemed strange to me, as I always associate Newcastle, Tyne and Wear, with the North. But where we are, Newcastle NSW is in the south, a city blessed not so much with heavy industry as with the UK's version, but with palm trees. However, it does feature a major port accommodating cruise ships within the River Hunter estuary, according to Google Maps. However, I didn't alight to see the city. Instead, I felt hard-pressed to arrive in Sydney.

Later that morning, the Australian countryside gave way to urbanisation, and it wasn't long before the bus crossed over on Sydney Harbour Bridge. I gasped as we passed the famous Opera House, reflecting a culture of arts which seemed at odds with the classic image of the masculine outback rancher.

Where the bus journey ended in Sydney was something of an anticlimax. I was expecting a huge city bus station. Instead, the bus pulled kerbside on one of the streets, its journey completed, and we all alighted, collecting our luggage and rucksacks.

What I quickly realised was that the bus stopped at a very convenient spot. It was right outside Sydney Central Station. And just across the road from the station was an old office block. Although its exterior looked to be one of many Victorian buildings, its interior was thoroughly modernised and converted into the City YHA. It was here that I had a bed booked already for the next ten nights before heading for the international airport.

I entered the building and arrived at the newly installed reception. The popularity of the hostel was hinted at by the three or four receptionists serving and meeting the needs of all the guests. There was no queue, so I approached one of the receptionists and after submitting my name, I was assigned a bed in a dormitory on one of the upper floors. From the dorm window, I had a good view of the Central Station with its supply of trains from across the continent feeding it.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Next Week: I burst an inflated ego as I prepare to visit Blue Mountains National Park.