With COVID-19 community transmission in NSW registering zero for a week the other states are gradually opening up to its residents, but not fast enough for these school holidays.
So here we are back in Coffs Harbour, hopefully Covid free and not harbouring coughs.
The traffic wasn't as bad as Good Friday last year, but as we approached the intersection of Stacey Street and the Hume Highway, not far from home, a young lady decided to change lanes right in front of a truck. It clipped her tail and she was spun around, fortunately away from our lane.
It think she should have been okay, but we heard mention of it on the radio shortly afterwards.
The remainder of the drive was without incident, but no without idiot drivers. I love empty roads, not holiday traffic.
The exit to Port Macquarie was jammed, so I continued on to the next one, doubling over the Hastings River. This proved a better decision anyway, as we ended up not visiting the town at all, taking lunch at the Big Oyster besides the river.
There wasn't actually an addition to catalogue of Australian big things, just a fresh seafood store mounted on a jetty over the mangroves. We ordered a seafood basket and fresh prawns, which we ate on a wobbly pontoon. The real fun was feeding the scraps to the fish, thrashing in the water beside us.
Then we continued on to Coffs. After being trapped at home for so long I felt like a bit of luxury, but that is not an Australian motel. Still, the location is good.
A short walk down to the jetty, the marina and the Muttonbird Reserve.
As we walked along the breakwater a QantasLink Dash-8 descended overhead, flying in from Sydney. I wished I was aboard. I miss leaving the transport to others, the joy of flight and trains.
We climbed up the steep path to the top of the headland, the burrows of the mutton birds dotting the grass. Behind us, the late sun highlighted the edges of the afternoon clouds over the city and ranges behind.
Out to sea, a whale danced, near the fishing boat that had just left the safety of the harbour.
Last time we had to race a downpour to find shelter at the base of the reserve. The weather was more pleasant today, but the pandemic meant that the board walk along the marina was closed. We could still see the schools of fish darting around by the rocks in the clear water below.
Though it was early, we were hungry, which was useful because the restaurants were mostly reserved out for the night. The Sakura Japanese restaurant opened a little early for us to order noodles. Not quite being back in Japan.
Now all that remains is to decide what to do for the next few days.
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