With the recent completion of the motorway between Coffs Harbour and Ballina in northern NSW, the Pacific Highway is now a fast-paced ribbon of modern dual lane road. Kilometres zoom by through cane fields and forest with the punctuation of small towns along the mighty Clarence River, luring us to check out their slower-paced cafes and old-world stores.
While travel is now easier between Sydney and Queensland, for much of the journey, only 30 or so kilometres to the east is a world of serenity and beauty. Mind you, if developers and some local councillors had their way sixty years back, the road would run along the Pacific Ocean amid high rise and beachfront resorts.
“Through the early part of the 20th century, the north coast of NSW remained isolated and undeveloped”
Instead of the proposed strip development, we now have the hard-won Yuraygir National Park running for 65 kilometres between Red Rock and Yamba. This section is the longest stretch of preserved land on the Premier State’s coast. It is home to sleepy holiday villages, numerous caravan and national park campsites, and some
