Briefly Bellingen

Laura and I met in Melbourne during our first weeks in Australia. We were a close group of four girls, one of which has headed North, the other we are meeting in Sydney in a few days. Laura met me in Byron Bay last week and we have decided to meander our way down the East Coast, stopping off in towns we wouldn’t have originally planned to and discovering places less highlighted on the map. Briefly Bellingen We have stumbled across Bellingen, a small town set 15km inland and six hours or so north of Sydney. It is set in a valley, surrounded by rolling hills painted a deep, lively green that can only be achieved after hours of solid rainfall. Stepping into this town is like stepping back in time; it is set firmly in the 50s and is free from any modern day pollutants. Independent shops and restaurants line the one main street; a church, a bank and maybe two or three bars – but that is just about it. We have explored the Promised Land and its crystal clear waters and the Never Never creek and its stunning beauty. If you ever want to feel like you’re alone on the planet go to the Never Never. You are high up on the mountain surrounded by rivers and rainforest, not a soul was there and it was blissful. True to its name, we felt like children again; jumping off rope swings into the icy waters. Altogether, we had only spent a couple of days exploring Bellingen but already knew it quite well. On this particular day, we decided to utilise a small window of good weather and explore the wider world.