The Young and the Restless

Wildest Dreams

It's only been three months since we were in Australia, and already it feels like a life time away. I am trying my best to hurry and put my memories into words before the small details fade away. We ventured back inland a little to visit the Dorrigo Rainforest, a World Heritage rainforest that has been millions of years in the making. The Rainforest Center didn't hold their attention the way I thought it would, but the canopy boardwalk offered some incredible views.

We decided to do the Crystal Showers Fall hike. We were equally thrilled and scared at the possibility of spotting an elusive rainforest python. With all this talk about exotic and dangerous Australian animals and bugs, I don't know if we were disappointed or relieved that we didn't see a single thing. But the forest itself was mysterious and beautiful, with a misty haze in the air and a muffled silence.

We've seen our fair share of falls, but this one stood out because it had a boardwalk that lets you venture behind the falls. It was all so secretive and Fern Gully-ish.

We were warned that there wasn't much in Coff's Harbor, I would halfway recommend the jetty and boardwalk, only because it was a nice place to get out and stretch your legs, but besides that there wasn't much to see or do. It didn't even pique the interest of the kids enough to pry them away from their electronics. But the sea air was particularly heavy and salty, and the skies were just the right kind of ominous, the kind that you just stare out on the horizon until the sky and sea become one and all of the sudden feel so small and insignificant in this great big world. So yeah, I would recommend Coff's Harbor for deep thoughts and introspection. 

Coff's Harbor boasts a botanical garden that's home to a colony of koalas. I was so excited to see them out in nature, but everyone else was skeptical. I was all "eyes to the sky" the entire time, constantly scanning the treetops for bushy tails while everyone else made fun of me. It was actually pretty funny and made for some good laughs. There were no sightings, but I did get a picture of the cool tree roots. Which is pretty much the same, right?

But screw the koalas. This next stop blew my mind. You know it's always been my dream to see a kangaroo in the wild, so when I heard there was a possibility of a kangaroo sighting at Emerald Beach I was all over that. After our failed koala attempt everyone else was skeptical and relentlessly teasing me, but they were quickly inserting their foot in their mouths as we pulled into the parking lot and saw a half dozen kangaroos hanging out. Everyone piled into the front seat, heads hanging out the window, feet getting stepped on, ribs getting elbowed, squeals of excitement, fingers pointing and a smug look of "I told you so" on my face with the zoom lens documenting every glorious moment.

If I thought the parking lot was amazing, I was only kidding myself. we walked out onto the headland and were met with not only the most breathtaking views, but herds of kangaroos grazing along the steep cliffs. I had to stop and catch my breath which was quickly escaping me as I couldn't believe I was actually standing there in that moment. The pastel sunset and crashing waves was the perfect back drop for these adorable iconic creatures, and being able to share it with my heart and souls was definitely a moment for me.

 I wanted to get a closer look, but the poop was enough to keep everyone else at bay. They laughed at me as a trekked through the poop, but I came so close I could reach out and touch them. Which I didn't, but I was tempted. 

And to top it all off, there was a little Joey hiding in there!

It's like the yellow brick road leading off into the sunset. Our own little slice of magic in the land of Oz.