We left home and via Walcha we went to our Fav place, Point Plomer. Setting up on the "heights" we cracked open a drink and celebrated the start of our adventure. The weather was beautiful, the fire was crackling and we awaited for our friends to arrive the following day.
Waking on Saturday, the weather had changed,but no rain. The surf was ok and after a few frantic txt's from Paul and Alison, they arrived the same time the rain did! But in true Plomer style,it held off long enough for us to light and enjoy a fire! Lou turned up and we all had a lovely night around the camp fire.
That night it bucketed down but we all kept dry and had a good nights sleep. The Wally-Bacons headed off late morning, once they could drag Finn and Kurtis out of the surf. Daniel joined in the Mal comp and came 2nd a good effort with the wind and rain messy surf conditions. We had our last night with Lou and then we were just us!
It was still raining and we were concerned as to what our next move should be. Do we stay and wait it out,thus setting back our plans, do we head back up the Oxley and head north inland or do we do a runner?
That night the weather was insane, I don't think we have ever camped in such conditions. The wind was whipping the tarp around us and Ivan was getting rocked about. Daniel slept through the whole thing!! Luckily only minor damage was done to the tarps. After the cyclonic conditions on Monday night, we spoke to what was left of the other campers,who were leaving, and they heard that the roads out of Crescent Head were closing, we packed up in the rain and headed out via Crescent toward Kempsey. The bridge out was flooded but after watching other 4wd's we followed and got through with ease.
We decided to check out Scotts head but as we passed the Stuart Points turn off we remembered we had camped at Grassy Head once and liked it., so we turned off to check it out. It was under water! Off to Scotts and we checked in to the caravan park and were put into the camping area which was dubiously close to becoming flooded it's self! Once set up, in the pouring rain, Daniel and I went off to check out the amenities and the path was under a raging torrent of water, man, we almost needed the ses to get us to the loo! We found out that Scotts head was now completely cut off and so was Kemspsey we had only just made it in. Every thing was wet and dirty, so Daniel was to bunk in with us, but first off to the Bowlo for a drink and a feed. We walked through hard rain, got to the Bowlo even wetter to find out it was shut!! My face said it all, as I tried to keep up the happy camper persona! We trudged back to camp and it was an early night for all, after James cooked up a feel good meal.
That night the rain, thunder and wind shook the Tvan constantly and it was a nervous sleep for me.
In the morning, it had eased but getting out of Ivan the ground around us was mostly flooded and very muddy, and we knew we had to stay because the highway was closed so we made the most of the situation and set about cleaning and drying everything out.( Those extra towels came in handy! ). The lady who ran the park was sorry for sending us to the flooded area so gave us a free cabin and a powered site for the night, and a hand full of coins to use the washing machines! We got clean and dry and all was good, so off to the Bowlo for dinner and watch the State Of Origin...the bistro was closed!! Tinned spag that night....a far cry to the lamb shank stew with garlic mash we had at Plomer!
The next morning it was raining again, but the roads where opened so we headed off and spent the day driving to Broken Head, there was hardly any traffic on the road which gave us good time but it was quite strange, almost like we were in time warp of how the roads would have been 40 odd years before and the closer we got to Byron the better the weather became. THANK GOD!
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