We’re back! 

After 6 months sitting in our driveway, while we headed off to Europe, the GX was finally let loose. I conjured a foodie excuse to have dinner in Brunswick Heads, in northern NSW. It led to an 8 days meandering loop. From the lush Byron Bay Hinterland onto the Rainforest Way south to The Clarence River Gorge, and a detour to the beach in Minnie Water.

Nothing too challenging for the truck though. As usual, it was the main attraction in camps with people, dingos and cows!

Finding a free camp in NSW is becoming increasingly difficult, especially along the coast or close to towns. In the past, we have looked for out-of-the-way rest areas or hospitable pubs, but this time around we settled for paid camps with a mix of very pricey holiday parks and great value camps in NSW national parks. This was not quite the remote adventure of last year, but still a fun road trip full of spectacular scenery, historical references and food discoveries.

Let me take you thru some of the highlights of our NSW road trip.

48 hours in Brunswick Heads:

Brunswick Heads is a small coastal village on the NSW north coast, situated at the mouth of the Brunswick River. Commonly referred to as Byron Bay’s little sister, 15 minutes further north, it has a traditional seaside village vibe, where things have remained relatively unspoilt. The pace is slow, the atmosphere chilled, life simple. Commercial caravan parks are the only options in the area, so we are staying in the Reflections Terrace Reserve, which is one of the dearest places we’ve camped at ( $87 a night ). To be fair though, it is in a great riverfront location and within 50 metres of the restaurant precinct and the beach. 

No sooner have we set up camp that Mr T heads to Bruns Bakery for his customary pie tasting. The place is buzzing with locals and tourists alike. The open kitchen is in full view and puts out a myriad of pies, sweet pastries and breads. We pick Chunky steak for me, Pepper Steak for him. Oh, also a Creme Brulee Tart to share and enjoy back at the truck riverside. Mr T loves his, primarily because the gravy is super peppery and there’s plenty of it ( he hates it when a pie filling is too dry ). For that same reason, I am not so keen on mine: so much gravy I can’t find the chunky meat. Though the pastry is nice, I hand it over to him and turn to the sweet tart instead. Thoroughly enjoyed it, I forgot to share. 

A lazy afternoon follows, with a long walk along the beach to work up an appetite for later. I am looking forward to dinner at local favourite Cadeau. This family run restaurant has been on my must-try list since it opened in late 2019. It has developed quite a following amongst locals, with owners Georgio and Holly, bringing their fine dining skills acquired in Europe, to a casual bistro in the Northern Rivers. Somehow we managed to miss a table on a couple of previous road trips, as the place was either full or closed. When I heard that Georgio and Holly were leaving soon ( Dec 9th is their last day), I made a booking immediately.

The entrance is unassuming, but the interior is warm and casual. Chefs are busy on display in the open kitchen. Holly comes quickly with the offer of drinks and the menu. It all reads like a list of French and British classics, we can’t decide so opt for the banquet menu, a selection of 8 dishes picked by chef Georgio.

We start with snacks: Gruyere malakoffs with pickles and mustard, chicken liver parfait on sourdough toast with Earl Grey prunes, and Chickpea panisse topped with mushroom duxelle and raw mushrooms. In plain “non-foodie” language, these are swiss cheese fondue fritters, chicken liver pate on toast and chickpea flour fries with mushroom paste. Everything is delicious.

Next come the roast eggplant tortelli, with macadamia pesto and ricotta salata. Mr T calls it the vegan break, before we move onto meatier options.

My kingdom for the kingfish crudo, cucumber, Taramasalata and buckwheat cracker! So fresh, salty, crunchy… followed by the octopus “Barigoule” with fried sourdough and garlic aioli.

Then the pork arrives, with charred leeks and puttanecca sauce. The meat is ever so tender and luscious, elevated by the chunks of crispy skin judicioulsy served alongside ( Mr T, ever the gentleman, lets me have his share, he knows how much I love a crackling ). 

We finish with the most refreshing dessert of Rhubarb, lemon myrtle creme diplomat and strawberry granita. As we roll ourselves back home, I comment that Cadeau managed to serve all my favourite foods in one single dinner.

Next day’s plan to attend the nearby Mullumbimby farmers markets are derailed when we find out that said markets were replaced by the Agricultural Show. This week only!! We still drove over to the Biggest Little Town for a look, the showgrounds were open but none of the stalls were ready yet. We did come across the local brewery, Wandana, and Mr T stocked up on a carton of  roadies ( after sampling a few at Cadeau’s the night before ). 

Back in Bruns, it’s a wet and windy day. The surf is too dangerous to swim, what to do? There’s a swags of vintage shops to wander around, you can take a splash in the river or stroll on the long windswept beach. The renovated 1950’s picture house hosts popular live performances on weekends, as a matter of fact this Friday night’s show featuring Tom Gleeson is sold out. We end up on a pub crawl ( no surprise there ), starting at La Casita, a cheery Mexican cantina serving the coldest cerveza and perfect cocktails.

Sipping on a Tepache Margarita on the deck, watching the sunset I get a feeling of Tulum deja vu… tacos beckon but it is too early for food and Mr T wants to move on.

Next, we join Happy Hour and live music in the ponciana shaded beer garden of the landmark Brunswick Hotel. It feels like the whole town is here, including the kids! We don’t stay for food, as we have eaten here on previous occasions, and we have our minds set on Pink Lotus, a Vietnamese eatery across the street from the park.

All day, queues have been lining outside of this offshoot of the popular restaurant established in Mullumbimby a decade ago. The venue in Bruns tends to cater more for take-away options rather than dine-in, though there are high stools and counters inside and outside seating available. The menu covers all basic Vietnamese favourites: banh mi, noodle salad, Pho, curries, fired rice and spring rolls. We order pretty much everything but the banh mi, looking forward to find a picnic table by the river. Except the heavens opened, and we end up running in heavy rain with our loot back to the truck: the smell of lemongrass, garlic and curry wafts thru the whole cabin but neither of us care.

The scenic drive to Mebbin National Park:

Located a short drive from Mullumbimby, Mebbin NP is a nature conservation area with some of the oldest rainforests on earth. We took the long road south from Bangalow, and winded our way up thru macadamia and coffee plantations in the Byron hinterland. The scenery then changed to dry eucalypt forest before reaching the rainforest section.

We hiked along Byrrill Creek thru some of the most primeval habitat, with giant fig trees and tentacles-like vines. Overnighting at Cutters Camp campground, a clearing in the forest, allowed us to catch a glimpse of wildlife such as wallabies and goannas, and listen to the calls of frogs all night! This is a great spot for nature lovers.

Camping at The Gorge Clarence River

The Gorge is a unique area where the Clarence River and the Mann River join upstream of Grafton in northern NSW. It then continues eastwards to the ocean, in Yamba. 

To reach this amazing spot, you need to travel about an hour west of Grafton, 45 minutes of which are on dirt roads, thru private properties including The Gorge. This is a private campground, set up on a 8000 acres working cattle station. You’re greeted by the host, Belinda, and her little dog, George. She has at least 5 campsites that we saw, scattered all over the property.

Each site is located in a paddock or clearing, as large as a football field, and far enough from each other that you have total privacy. The views over the Clarence river and mountains are incredible. The 420 cows have free run, some are very curious and come close for a look but they’re harmless.

You can hike along the river to the actual gorge and the waterfalls ( it took us 6 hours for the return 10km trek ), or paddle your way if you have a kayak ( I wish we did ). The river is good for fishing too ( catch and release ) and there are plenty of swimming holes to cool off. Also, it is pet friendly, so we’re thinking of coming back with our Labrador so he can meet cows and smell the fresh air !! 

This is perfect for fans of back-to-basics camping as facilities are limited to drop toilets and the chance of a hot shower at the main house. Being self-contained, we fended for ourseves at the campsite, enjoying a bit of rest, relaxation and digital detox, since there is ZERO reception.

Chilling in Illaroo 

Illaroo campground is part of the Yuraygir National Park, 40mn east of Grafton. The park boasts the state’s longest stretch of undeveloped coastline with no shortage of idyllic picnic spots and campgrounds. 

This coastal camp is amazing, many of its beachfront sites come with unobstructed ocean views ( and are so popular they are booked well in advance ). Facilities are very well maintained by an onsite caretaker. The beach is only steps away, you can walk on it for hours, or take the GX on a 10km beach drive north to Sandon if you feel like it ( we didn’t ).

It is only a couple of km from secluded Minnie Water, a little gem, one of the oldest fishing village in NSW. You can drive there or walk the Angophora track that takes you from the camp thru the bush to the edge of the village.

The General Store there is awesome: we went for coffee, stayed for lunch. The Slow cooked Tooheys Old chunky beef pie was to die for ( all their pies are made in house and baked daily)  and Mr T’s seafood basket also got the tick of approval. They also sell an interesting selection of craft beers and boutique wines, gourmet items and the usual beach paraphenalia. We’d happily come back and make a visit a daily ritual.