24/01 - Quiet Coffs Harbour

I woke up before my alarm just before 6am, sleeping in the bus was not that confortable... eventhough we manage to get a row each! We stopped around 2am for a toilet break and diner (for our driver). Once awake, I decided to look at the scenery, the sun was not up yet but it was light enough. On one side (seaside) trres and low white fog, on the other some hills and also morning fog, it was really pretty. 

We arrived in Coffs Harbour on time 6.25am with the sun up, it is already getting HOT... We took our time to leave the us terminal, we had a 3 km walk in the sun to do with our backpacks. On our way we found a Coles that was open at 7am, we bought "breakfast" (2 bread rolls and a chocolate muffin). We kept going at a slow pace, the heat and the night with little sleep was taking a turn on us. Near our destination, we found a café that seemed popular and decided to stop (anyway the YHA was closed until 9am).

I had AMAZING blueberry+hazelnuts pancakes and D. had a veggy bowl: super healthy and nice. After 1 pancake I was stuffed!! D. had one of them and we kept the rest in a takeaway box. By the end of breakfast I was pretty much asleep on my sit. By the time we were sure the hostel would be open, we resumed our walk.

 
We checked in but could not have access to the rooms until 12pm (bummer)... D. slept in the common area (loards of couches), I went in the pool then on the sun lungers, after a while it was too hot so I went back inside and fell asleep in the sofas. D. got up before me and got the keys + bed sheets. We moved in. D. used the laptop for a while and listened to music downstairs while I read upstairs in bed and eventually took a proper nap.

Around 5pm the heat was more manageable so we went to the beach, we stopeed at the supermarket on the way. The beach was nearly empty which was nice, and the tide low. After swimming (one after the other - the drawback of only traveling together), we dried in the sun, took a shower at the beach and walked on the pier. It seemed that some people spotted a dolpin but we missed it.

our empty afternoon beach

sand tiny balls made by equally small crabs

floor decoration - so cute!

other beach seen by D.

I finally went back to the hostel and D. kept walking to check the other beach. For dinner, D. the Chef made a delicious meal: Quinoa, butternut squash and nuts! So so so so so GOOD!!! We were so exhausted that we were in bed by 9pm.

 Walked around 3.5 km today.

Slept in a mixed dorm, in Coffs Harbour YHA