My jungle adventure at Port Macquarie had come to an end and it was time to move on. Coffs Harbour was our next stop. It was another destination that was suggested to us by people back in Sydney. I was only too happy to comply as long as we stayed somewhere that didn’t involve me running around like a loon and screaming until my throat seized up.
It looked like the camping Gods were listening as the site we stayed at in Coffs Harbour was awesome. The area looked more like a beach resort than a camp site. They had a huge pool, a games room, a TV room and something called a jumping pillow. Intrigued, we questioned the receptionist about it. Although it sounded like something for kids, we had no shame. The receptionist told us we could go on it and we grinned like Cheshire cats. We sped over to our camping spot which just happened to be right next to the pillow. Imagine our disappointment when we saw a deflated pillow and diggers moving dirt when we arrived. I felt robbed.
We set up camp as usual. It’s funny as, even though it’s only days into the trip, I actually enjoy camping and would even go as far to say that I prefer it to hostels. The facilities are better and cleaner, the occupants are made up of retired couples and families more than thieving smelly backpackers and I’ve been sleeping better. The latter is more thanks to the air bed we bought. I snapped that up after the first night in Port Stephens. Sarah was reluctant but there was no way I could last on that camp mat.
A brief tour of the place certainly sealed this place as being the best so far. The games room was a blip but the camp kitchen was immense. It was indoors for starters. There was a microwave, two giant fridges, hobs and an OVEN!! I felt like lifting my top over my head and running around the room like a plane in a mad football-celebratory-gesture to sum up my excitement. Instead, we walked up to this almost alien appliance, opened the door, closed it, turned to each other with massive grins and squealed. Those around us looked at us like we just got off the special bus but I didn’t care. Bar Christmas Day, I had not used or seen an oven whilst travelling. It’s a rare sight. We planned on using this bad boy later.
Other than that, our first day wasn’t that eventful. Sarah had been in quite a bit of pain lately from a lump on her underarm. Sarah admitted defeat and needed to see the doctors. Before we could do that, she needed to register with Medicare. That took up most of the day driving around trying to find each place. It was a good job we did though as Sarah had a skin infection.
We chose to chill out for the rest of the day instead. Steff went off for a surf and us girls decided to relax by the pool. For some reason Steff and I weren’t getting on at all that day. He wasn’t his usual cheeky self. This all came to a head later when he stomped back from his surf. He wasn’t happy as the waves were rubbish. I tried to cheer him up by starting a water fight. He fought back but I took it the wrong way and stormed off like a spoilt child who didn’t get her way. Even as I was doing it, I felt ridiculous. I don’t know why I was acting out. I guess my past frustrations bubbled to the surface and decided to rear its ugly little head. I just wished they could have aired in a more graceful way!
Mel took me to one side and asked me what was wrong. I couldn’t even explain my absurdness. Mel then took me by complete surprise and suggested that we might have to part ways. We’d still drive together but do our own thing instead. Tensions were high and it’s not worth us all having a lousy time. We’ve all paid a lot of money to get here so maybe it would be the best in the long run. I tried to fight back the tears but I couldn’t. I hated the fact that I wasn’t being myself anymore. I think we all felt that way in some part. Heads have clashed needlessly and this was definitely the wake-up call we needed. Steff and I hugged things out and we all took the next day as a fresh start.
Perhaps a good hearty meal could make things better. Sarah and Steff confidently told Mel and me that they’d make potato hash. It’s a dish suggestion that Steff always throws out to Mel but it never gets made. This time we decided to give Steff the chance. Unfortunately the guys couldn’t get the hobs to work so the potatoes were hard. The mince was alright though! It was my turn to redeem the moment with dessert. With an oven, I could finally bake. Well, it wasn’t exactly baking. The kitchen was bare so, with no mixing bowl or scales, I was restricted to Betty Crocker’s pre-mixed cookie pack. I combined the ingredients and kneaded the dough. It tasted alright but not the same as my cookie mix. Into the oven they went and we all waited….and waited…and waited. The pack said 10-12 minutes but it was half an hour later and the cookies were soft. I preheated the oven so it should work ok. In the end, the cookies weren’t the soft and gooiness we expected. We tucked into chewy slightly burnt circles of sugary nightmares. I hope this doesn’t count as a blemish towards my reputation! I can bake…honest! Oh well…there’s still tomorrow…
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