Oct 28 to Nov 1 2010  Looked for a stop over on the way to Port Macquarie and decided on Brunswick Heads, just north of Byron Bay, 250 Kms south of Brisbane. This is a lovely, small unspoilt village on the mouth of the Brunswick river. There was lots of wild life. These were local neighbours who came to visit. Plus we spotted whales just off the coast heading back south to the Antarctic.

  

The family next to us had 3 small school-aged children who they were home schooling using the internet whilst they travelled around Australia for 2 years.

  

Took a trip to Byron Bay which wasn’t really what we expected (not many hippies around !). It had more modern shops and restaurants and was a very busy tourist town. The Byron lighthouse was certainly worth a visit with great views of the coastline. We then went inland up the Tweed Valley tourist drive and found Nimbin which is where all the hippies now live. Finally, played a round of golf at Ocean Shores which was quite a difficult course but very picturesque.

   

Before the trip to Brunswick Heads Bob organised a surprise night away in the Sunshine Coast Hinterland at Maleny for Siobhan’s birthday. The meal was at the Reserve Restaurant (a favourite) and the usual dozen red roses were waiting at the table !

  

There is a wonderful Aboriginal legend of the Glasshouse Mountains (pictured above).

The legend of the Glasshouse Mountains in Aboriginal told stories runs: Now Tibrogargan was the father of all the tribes and Beerwah was his wife, and they had many children. Coonowrin, the eldest; the twins, Tunbubudla; Miketeebumulgrai; Elimbah whose shoulders were bent because she carried many cares; the little one called Round because she was so fat and small; and the one called Wild Horse since he always strayed away from the others to paddle out to sea. (Ngungun, Beerburrum and Coochin do not seem to be mentioned in the legend). One day when Tibrogargan was gazing out to sea, he perceived a great rising of the waters. He knew then that there was to be a very great flood and he became worried for Beerwah, who had borne him many children and was again pregnant and would not be able to reach the safety of the mountains in the west without assistance. So he called to his eldest son, Coonowrin, and told him of the flood which was coming and said, “Take your mother, Beerwah, to the safety of the mountains while I gather your brothers and sisters who are at play and I will bring them along.” When Tibrogargan looked back to see how Coonowrin was tending to his mother he was dismayed to see him running off alone. Now this was a spiritless thing for Coonowrin to do, and as he had shown himself to be a coward he was to be despised. Tibrogargan became very angry and he picked up his nulla nulla and chased Coonowrin and cracked him over the head with a mighty blow with such force that it dislocated Coonowrin’s neck, and he has never been able to straighten it since. By and by, the floods subsided and, when the plains dried out the family was able to return to the place where they lived before. Then, when the other children saw Coonowrin they teased him and called “How did you get your wry neck – How did you get your wry neck?” and this made Coonowrin feel ashamed. So Coonowrin went to Tibrogargan and asked for forgiveness, but the law of the tribe would not permit this. And he wept, for his son had disgraced him. Now the shame of this was very great and Tibrogargan’s tears were many and, as they trickled down they formed a stream which wended its way to the sea. So Coonowrin went then to his mother, Beerwah, but she also cried, and her tears became a stream and flowed away to the sea. Then, one by one, he went to his brothers and sisters, but they all cried at their brother’s shame. Then Tibrogargan called to Coonowrin and asked why he had deserted his mother and Coonowrin replied, “She is the biggest of us all and should be able to take care of herself.” But Coonowrin did not know that his mother was again with child, which was the reason for her grossness. Then Tibrogargan put his son behind him and vowed he would never look at him again. Even to this day Tibrogargan gazes far, far out to sea and never looks at Coonowrin. Coonowrin hangs his head in shame and cries, and his tears run off to the sea, and his mother, Beerwah, is still pregnant, for, you see, it takes many years to give birth to a mountain.”