Ballina has always been just one of those towns we went through when driving between Sydney and Brisbane.  There didn’t seem to be anything remarkable about Ballina, except that it meant you were about an hour and a half from the Gold Coast.  Over the last few years this town has stirred my curiosity, to the extent that we have now spent a few lazy days and a recent weekend exploring the town.

Far from being “just a pass through town”, Ballina is a great place to spend some time with your family, particularly if you like the water, be it surf or still water.  There is far too much to explore in Ballina to do it justice in a weekend, so we will certinaly be heading back to sample some more of the areas natural playgrounds.

Our recent weekend was spent at the Gunundi Youth Camp.  5 Star it is not, but it does have all the facilities you would need for a camp or conference, the accommodation is clean and honest and the amenities are plentiful and clean.  Gunundi offers great value for larger groups and is also located within a short walk to the beach via a quaint bush track.

Ballina offers all the aminities you could possibly need for a family holiday, without the fuss and crowds that are synonymous with South East Queensland.  Accomodation is also comparatively good value.  There are two large shopping centres plus a main town square that offers shopping, eating and of course a couple of old pubs.

The only real disappointment for us was what looked like the beginning of the end for one of our favourite landmarks, the big prawn.  It’s funny how old landmarks like these are still great references for the kids.  When travelling the Pacific Highway we would pass through a hundred little towns, and the kids would barely remember any of them – but they always remembered Ballina and Coffs Harbour.  Hopefully the area is just being tidied up and given a coat of paint, but the construction barriers look ominous for our favourite crustacean!

If you are looking for an honest destination for a family holiday you could do alot worse than Ballina, particularly if you are lovers of the water.  Pack your surf boards, your ski boat or your tinnie and rods, and head of for a lazy weekend without the glitz, crowds and prices of South East Queensland.

Some places to check out before you head to Ballina.

Ballina Tourism Website

Map of Area

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A little piece of Dutch heritage in Coffs Harbour

Having Dutch in-laws means that I have probably stopped at The Clog Barn in Coffs Harbour more times than most would have.  There are plenty of reasons to stop, not the least the chance for a coffee and something to eat and a break from the driving madness.

For those visiting for the first time there is literally a whole world to discover at this attraction, namely the miniature Dutch world built on the other side of the gift shop.  Everything from old style Dutch buildings to windmills and a miniature railway has been lovingly, and no doubt painstakingly, created for the viewing pleasure of tourists.  Whether you have a Dutch background or not, this is a surprisingly interesting attraction for the whole family.  My kids seeem to love anything miniature and it proved to be a great way to show them some of the landscape that Oma and Opa recalled from their childhood.  

Perhaps the thing I most looked forward to over the years has been Big Omas Dutch Kitchen.  I really looked forward to my croquettes with mustard on a bread roll.  Truth be known, they are better with a decent Dutch beer, but as I was normally driving, coffee wasn’t too bad an accompaniment either.

I have to confess to being a little disappointed on my last vist to Big Omas Dutch Kitchen.  While the look and feel hadn’t changed much at all, it was a little disappointing to note that none of the staff spoke or understood any Dutch and the famous croquettes on bread rolls has been seriously downgraded.  While I can’t speak or understand much Dutch, it does make you feel a little more comfortable if the staff, or at least the cook, can speak Dutch in a Dutch kitchen.  To make matters worse, my much loved croquettes with mustard on bread rolls had been relegated to a single croquette with a squirt of mustard and half a slice of bread – seriously disappointing.

Having said that, the rest of the facility was just as good as I remembered, and the break was just as important.  I recommend it as a break location for anybody travelling through Coffs Harbour.

Grand old buildings are the norm for Ulmarra

Having managed to drive past this little town on previous Brisbane / Sydney roadtrips, I was feeling confident that I could again distract my wife for long enough to scoot past the turnoff.

I must confess to being the type of driver that plans his trip on an A to B basis.  That is I plan on getting from here to there and anything in between is merely a distraction and even worse, something that adds precious time to the trip.

Ulmarra was always one of those beautiful little craft towns that my wife often pinpointed as a must do, but invariably I was able to distract her for long enough each trip to sneak past the turnoff.

This time was different.  My wife warned me before we set off that we would be stopping at Ulmarra, and despite my best efforts at distraction, stop we did.

The first impression of this little town was one of heritage.  The main street was filled with shops and galleries that looked right out of the early 1900′s.   Straight away I knew that this would not be a five minute stop.

We ate at the local cafe, which had a surprisingly tasty and modern menu, and toured many of the art and craft galleries before buying a few gifts and piling back into the car.

As much as I hate to admit it, I quite enjoyed my brief visit to this little nostalgic town built on the Clarence River and highly recommend it to those travelling in the area.