Do you remember taking road trips as a child? I do.

My parents would load up the family car (in our case a station wagon) with every imaginable item they thought we’d need for the next few weeks.

My family didn’t own a caravan or a tent. We’d head to accommodation and stay in motels en route to whatever destination my folks had chosen.

Road trippin’ in 2023 is a little different. My kids have all grown up. I’m now a solo traveller with my four-legged companion (a young puppy) and have plenty of destinations to choose from.

During the cooler months, when the nights are chilly, but the days are balmy and warm, I like visiting beaches – not for swimming, but for long ocean-side walks.

So, I booked some overnight stays in New South Wales and set my GPS.

My first day was an easy drive from Brisbane to Brunswick Heads Ferry Reserve Reflections Holiday Park (142km).

There’s plenty to do in this small coastal village at the mouth of the Brunswick River – including fishing, kayaking tours and whale watching (in season).

From here you can explore Byron Bay’s hinterland, including the Crystal Castle and Shambhala Gardens, and the Byron Bay Wildlife Sanctuary (formerly known as the Macadamia Castle) which has many varieties of Australian wildlife.

For art lovers, consider the Tweed Valley Regional Gallery and Margaret Olley Centre.

The Clog Barn at Coffs Harbour.

Five kilometres from Brunswick Heads are the beaches at Ocean Shores.

Not all beach access allows dogs – some are protected for the migratory shorebirds – but farther up there’s a path leading to a dog off-lead area, where long strolls on stretches of white sand are the order of the day.

En route to Moonee Beach Reflections Holiday Park (227km from Brunswick Heads) you can stop at the coastal towns of Ballina, Evans Head and Yamba.

On the mouth of the Clarence River, the small seaside town of Yamba is a popular holiday destination. It has been declared by scientists as having the best climate system in the world.

Between Yamba and Coffs Harbour is Yuraygir National Park – one of the most diverse bioregions in Australia.
Inside this protected area, are walking tracks with scenic coastal outlooks, rainforests, woodlands, wetlands, rivers, lakes and estuaries.

There’s plenty to see and do around Moonee Beach.

Flopping at the Moonee Beach Reflections Holiday Park isn’t a bad option, but if you can drag yourself away, one of Australia’s iconic ‘big’ attractions is at nearby Coffs Harbour.

The 13m Big Banana is also a fun park, with an indoor giant water slide, a laser tag arena, ice-skating rink and 36-hole mini golf course.

A little farther up, on the opposite side of the Pacific Highway, is The Clog Barn. Walk through the shop, (literally) packed to the rafters with everything Dutch, then outside into the garden to discover a miniature village with replicas of buildings and cultural attractions from Holland. Each piece was lovingly handmade by retired builder, 91-year-old Thomas Hartsuyker.

A morning view at Lake Keepit Holiday Park.

Thomas’ son John demonstrates the unique art of clog-making in the store daily at 10am and 2pm.

From Moonee Beach, I drove inland to the sleepy town of Nana Glen. Keeping an eye out for local celebrity Russell Crowe, I had coffee and cake at the Idle In Cafe.

Returning to the coastal road, I popped into the quaint town of Bellingen.

The vibe was friendly at The Old Butter Factory Cafe and I couldn’t resist stocking up on sweets at Sweet Bellingen on the main street.

New South Wales’ second largest estuarine salt marsh, Lake Cathie (pronounced ‘cat-eye’), is 12km south of Port Macquarie, but it was getting dark so there was no time for stopping.

I checked into my luxe premium cabin at Bonny Hills Reflections Holiday Park after dark (winter means early sunsets).

The following morning I was gobsmacked to see stunning ocean vistas from my cabin’s front deck.

A path on the ocean side led to a secluded, dog-friendly beach.

From Port Macquarie, I drove inland to Tamworth via the B56 Oxley Highway. A local in a coffee shop at Kew informed me the highway has 78 bends.

The GPS blue line remained squiggly for some time, but it was an epic scenic drive. From Wauchope to Mount Seaview, and Yarrowitch to Walcha East, the landscapes morphed from open farmland, to rolling hills, to mountain vistas.

The Gunnedah maize Mill featuring Dorothea Mackellar's poem, My Country.

Lake Keepit is 56km west of Tamworth and six hours north-west of Sydney.

This large reserve is popular with water sports and fishing enthusiasts, nature lovers and bushwalkers.

The dam’s water surface is 4,370ha and its capacity is 425,000 megalitres and supplies water to the Namoi Valley.

Upon checking in, the Lake Keepit Reflections Holiday Park Manager Lauren Hockley informed me the storage capacity in the lake was equivalent to Sydney Harbour!

The regional town of Gunnedah is 39km north-east of Lake Keepit.

Pick up directions at the Visitor Information Centre (181 Chandos Street) to the town’s highlights, including the art silo – a 29m sepia mural on the Gunnedah Maize Mill featuring the famous poem, My Country, penned by Dorothea Mackellar.

Nearby is the Water Tower Museum with murals depicting scenes from the Vietnam War on its circular walls.

Return to Lake Keepit in time for sunset and set the alarm to catch a multi-hued sunrise over the water.

There are so many incredible destinations out there, so pack your vehicle and get on the road.

STORY JENNIFER JOHNSTON

The writer was a guest of Reflections Holiday Parks.

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