24/11/16 Rocky Creek dam near Nimbin

  With our van undergoing surgery for a wheel alignment problem , we headed out & up in the hills toward Nimbin . 

  First stop was Rocky Creek Dam , only 30 klms from Lismore . The drive up was impressive , through a huge amount of Macadamia trees - the self proclaimed Macadamia Capital of Australia !!! there was even a sign saying so !!

 After driving down very narrow roads , we found the dam . Mown grass leading downhill to the water , great playgrounds for kids , Bbq’s , tables & chairs , it certainly gets looked after . Unfortunately they don’t allow swimming , kayaking , boating etc - it would be a spectacular place for a paddle .

 There are several walks you can do also , we chose one that takes you down & across the dam wall , around to the spillway , then down & along the creek on a boardwalk and then back up to the picnic area - only about 1.4klms .

 Views from the dam wall were great , as the dam wall is only about 3m above the water line.

 Around to the spillway - basically a sloping concrete pad the size of half a football field . One walk takes you across here and loops back around through the rainforest - it was 6.2 klms . After checking the spillway & creek out , something caught my eye , so I followed it across the rocks to get a photo - a gold coloured dragonfly !!! - it’s the first one I’ve seen that colour , and it was very impressive !!

 Further down the platypus walk , we reached the boardwalk and stopped and watched for a while to see if there were any there . We found ducks , tortoise and fish , but no platypus .

The creek has a large population of water lillies , a lot of which were flowering .

 The walk was all uphill from here , but it was a good track with steps , then a boardwalk . I heard rustling in the undergrowth and spotted a monitor - it was over a metre long - the biggest we’ve seen here .

 Back to the ute , we headed off to Minyon Falls . The road took us beside Nightcap National Park , and through some magnificient forest , Bluegums 50 to 60m tall stretched upwards through dense scrub & rainforest . It is pretty dry up here , they haven’t been getting all the rain other areas have been . There is a causeway that crosses the creek that feeds Minyon Falls - there was water there , but not flowing .

  The views from the deck were okay , but very hazy due to the strong sea breeze coming in. There is a viewing point called Minyon Grass , that looks straight back at the falls , it’s also a picnic area .The viewing platform is framed by gum trees , and gives a great viewpoint . You can see the volcanic history in the rock formations - it would be spectacular when it is in full flow !!

 From here we found our way to Mullimbimby and had lunch beside the Brunswick River , before heading back down the highway to Ballina and back to Lismore . A stop at the Macadamia Castle was called for - chilli , garlic , lime & pepper  and sour cream & chives flavoured nuts were tasted and purchased , as well as a macadamia & mango icecream - YUMMMMMM 

  Back along the new highway and through the new tunnel and we were back to Lismore in no time . Stopping at a park for a quiet read and pass some time before going back to the van . We got a free nights accomodation as it wasn’t finished yet - that was nice , as we were away from the highway and inside a huge factory unit - what was that noise - Oh that’s right , it’s called SILENCE , no traffic noise , what a good night’s sleep . Pity though , we were up at 6am to get the van ready for them to carry on with their work . 

 That’s it for yesterday , and you’ve got a bit of today already , here’s a map link :-https://drive.google.com/open?id=1vzj8TNDW5hsjCo5Ld_o0A6OdvHI&usp=sharing