From Byron Bay to the Gold Coast: Whales, Wallabies and Our Final Australian Road Trip Stop

Eat Clean, Health and Dream | Melbourne to Brisbane Road Trip with Teenagers

After our incredible day of whales, dolphins, beaches and even a shark alarm in Byron Bay, it was time for our final morning there.

And then we would be heading north towards the Gold Coast.

Our last big driving stint in Australia.

But, as had become the theme of this road trip, we weren't in any rush to simply get from A to B.

There were still beaches to explore, wildlife to spot and memories to make along the way.

The reality of travelling while self-employed

As usual, I was awake at around 5.30am.

The joys of being self-employed!

Before anyone else was awake, I was sitting writing, catching up on general admin and trying to keep everything ticking over.

Travelling while self-employed definitely comes with it’s challenges.

There is always that balancing act between being physically present but also mentally present, which I always promote to clients and even to Craig.

Trying to keep work moving while also switching off enough to enjoy the adventure in front of you, can be a juggle.

I didn't want this trip to become me sitting behind a laptop while the boys were off doing things.

But equally, when you run your own business or businesses, sometimes things still need doing.

So those quiet early mornings became my little window to catch up, plus being my productive time in general anyway.

By the time it was getting light, the sun was shining again.

Coffee in hand, I sat outside and made the most of the beautiful bush setting around our cabin while waiting for Archie to wake up.

There was something very peaceful about it.

And I knew we were about to leave.

• 

• 

• 

One last visit to Cape Byron Lighthouse

I wanted to get on the road at a reasonable time, but there was one place I absolutely wanted to visit one last time.

The lighthouse.

I wanted the boys to get some movement in before spending a couple of hours in the car, and I was hoping that we might get one more glimpse of the whales or some other marine life.

Once both boys were awake, fed and ready, we packed the car.

Of course, there was time for one final visit to the pool.

And naturally, the playground had to get another visit too.

Then it was time to leave.

Well...

Almost.

Because first, we were heading back to the lighthouse.

Even though it was slightly later in the morning than the previous day, it was still surprisingly quiet.

And once again, it didn't take long.

The whales made themselves known.

Honestly, they were just as breathtaking as the day before.

"Mum, Mum!"

We started walking down the path again.

Albie had as usual excitedly ran ahead.

And then suddenly came running back towards me.

"Mum! Mum!"

He grabbed my hand and started pulling me around the corner.

There, sitting quietly on the grass, was a lone swamp wallaby.

It was timid.

Beautiful.

And incredibly close and best of all in the wild.

Those are the encounters I love most.

No barriers.

No enclosure.

Just being fortunate enough to see an animal going about its normal day.

Unfortunately, the moment didn't last very long.

A young girl tried to run towards it, and understandably the wallaby quickly moved away.

Albie wasn't impressed!

But he didn't have long to stay disappointed.

Because soon afterwards, a kookaburra landed on a branch right next to him.

So his attention quickly shifted back to another Australian wildlife encounter.

I was leaning over the railing, half my attention focused on the whales and ocean below, while the other half was keeping an eye on Albie.

Archie, meanwhile, had once again opted to wait near the car.

Fourteen year olds really do have very different ideas about how much wildlife watching is necessary!

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

Little Wategos Beach

I persuaded Albie to walk down towards Little Wategos Beach again, not that he needed any. As he is always keen for an explore.

And once again, it was stunning.

Quiet.

Peaceful.

And we had it to ourselves.

We stood watching the movement in the water and taking in the coastline.

It was the perfect final moment in Byron Bay.

Eventually, though, time was moving on.

We had a drive ahead of us.

And reluctantly, we began walking back towards the car.

But even on that final walk, I kept looking back.

There were more tail slaps.

More breaches.

More movement on the horizon.

The whales seemed determined to give us one final farewell.

Heading North

Eventually, we settled into the car and began our drive north.

We stopped a few times along the way to have a look around before continuing towards the Tweed Heads area and then onto Coolangatta.

I was trying to remember where we'd driven and parked the last time Craig and I had visited.

Coolangatta was somewhere that had been recommended to us a few years ago by a surfer friend from Whangamatā in New Zealand.

At the time, Craig and I had been travelling around the area and neither of us particularly wanted to stay in Surfers Paradise.

It was simply a bit too built-up for us.

So we had continued along the coast.

Coolangatta had stuck in my memory.

And as the boys and I arrived, I remembered why.

It was just as beautiful as I remembered.

Coolangatta: beach first, food second

We parked up and, naturally, headed straight for the beach.

The boys were happy.

I was happy.

And the coastline was stunning.

Of course, it wasn't long before another important issue arose and their tummy’s were calling.

They were hungry.

Again.

Travelling with teenage boys means food is always a priority!

So we headed to the surf club for a snack and a chai for me.

Sitting outside in the sunshine was exactly what we needed.

And then, before long, our togs were back on.

We were heading back to the beach.

We paddled, played in the white water. Dipped in and out of the sea. And generally mucked about.

The boys seemed particularly interested in the lagoon-style pool that had formed further back from the ocean.

It would have been very easy to stay there all day.

But we had accommodation booked for the next couple of nights.

Our final Australian base before heading across the Tasman to New Zealand.

Our final stop: Nobby's Beach Holiday Park

We showered, packed ourselves back into the car and headed north again.

The drive took us past Kirra Beach, and before long we were arriving at Nobby's Beach Holiday Park.

https://nobbybeachholidayvillage.com.au

When I was looking for somewhere to stay for our final two nights in Australia, I had a few things in mind.

I wanted a pool.

I didn't want a skyscraper.

And I definitely didn't want to be staying high up.

Anyone who knows me—or Craig—will tell you that heights and I are not friends.

I refuse to stay any higher than about the fifth floor!

With the boys travelling with me, I also wanted somewhere that actually gave them something to do.

Nobby's Beach Holiday Park had a water park on site.

Perfect.

A little poolside village

When we arrived, we were greeted by what felt like a lovely little poolside village.

Our accommodation had two bedrooms, which immediately made the boys happy.

There was a good-sized terrace at the front with a BBQ grill.

Inside, we had a full kitchen and a comfortable, homely bungalow-style villa.

It was exactly what we needed.

Family-friendly.

Relaxed.

Not overly busy.

And ideal for two nights.

We dropped our bags, had a quick look at what cooking facilities we had and realised we needed to stock up on supplies.

So it was back in the car.

Woolworths and the art of holiday food shopping

I remembered the Woolworths at Pacific Fair from a previous trip, so that's where we headed.

Supplies were starting to run low.

And because this was the final part of our eight days in Australia, I was also conscious of not buying too much.

There is nothing more frustrating than arriving at the end of a self-catering holiday with a fridge full of food you can't take with you.

I've done it plenty of times before.

This time, I was trying to be a little more strategic.

Flexible meal planning.

Buying only what we needed.

Using ingredients across more than one meal.

And gradually reducing what we had as the trip came towards its end.

New Zealand is slightly easier for us in some respects because Craig and I have a storage unit there and visit more regularly.

Non-perishable food can be stored in sealed boxes and used again on another trip.

Australia was different.

This time, whatever we bought had to be used.

I'll definitely be sharing a separate blog post—or perhaps a couple of posts—about our self-catering meal planning, reducing food waste and budgeting while travelling.

Because travelling doesn't have to mean eating out for every meal.

And travelling with teenage boys can or probably should say WILL become incredibly expensive when food is involved!

More Active Pool Time Before Dark

Back at the holiday park, the boys didn't take much convincing to try out the pools and slides before it got dark.

I sat and watched them.

Another moment where they were simply being kids.

Meanwhile, on the other side of the pool, I was watching some of the local birdlife cautiously moving through the shrubs.

It was a lovely, peaceful way to end another day.

Well...

Until the boys became hungry again.

Which didn't take long.

Dinner Time

Back inside, it was showers first.

Then dinner.

That night, I made a homemade butter chicken.

And it went down very well with the boys.

A win.

After a long day of driving, walking, beaches, whale watching and swimming, everyone was ready to slow down.

The boys were excited too.

Because we had something big planned for our final full day in Australia.

Another Snooze On Sofa

It wasn't particularly late after dinner when the house went quiet again.

I looked over.

And there was Albie.

Still wrapped in his towel after his shower.

Fast asleep on the sofa.

Again.

Clearly another successful day.

And, once again, I was thankful that he was still small enough for me to carry him to bed.

Archie wasn't far behind either.

An active day had caught up with both of them.

But there was also excitement.

Because the following day was going to be our final full day in Australia.

And we had two big things on the agenda.

Sea World.

And the Australian Pacific Airshow, which I didn’t plan for but it was a nice addition to our plans.

Not a bad way to end eight days of driving up Australia's east coast.

From Melbourne to Brisbane.

Through rain and sunshine.

Sydney and Port Stephens.

Wildlife encounters and rainforest walks.

Whales, dolphins and sharks.

Byron Bay and Coolangatta.

And now the Gold Coast.

The road trip might have been coming to an end.

But the adventure certainly wasn't.

Because next we would have Sea World and some time in Brisbane before we would be flying across the Tasman.

And the boys were about to experience another side of the world that has always felt incredibly special to me.

Aotearoa, New Zealand.