Chapter 11: Port Macquarie

I took my time in the morning, as I intended to stop at Apsley Falls, and that meant waiting till the sun was over the mountains. It took just about an hour to get to the turnoff, a bit east of Walcha.

Apsley Falls are the first falls in a succession of dramatic drops in an area that has some of the most remarkable scenery in Eastern Australia. The first drop of the falls is about 65 metres in depth, and the second, which is about 800 metres further on, plummets 58 metres metres to the bottom of the gorge. There’s an iron staircase, built by the Lions’ Club, the height of the Falls.

It was truly gorgeous. The water meant for lush vegetation. I could see several types of ants and the fallen wood was termite-infested. I saw an echidna browsing for ants. It reminded me of the Dreamtime story.

The long-necked turtle and the echidna were two best friends.

The echidna had a puggle. Turtle and Echidna lived together near the billabong. They went hunting and shared their food together. One day they ran out of food. Echidna told her friend Turtle to look after her puggle while she went out hunting for food. Turtle replied, “Yes, I will look after your puggle while you go out hunting.” So Echidna went out. Turtle stayed to wait with the puggle.

After a long time had passed, Turtle was wondering what had happened to her friend Echidna. Turtle was getting very hungry. She couldn’t wait for Echidna to return with food from hunting, so she ate Echidna’s puggle.

Then Echidna came back. She gave some of her food to Turtle and asked her, “Where’s my puggle?” Turtle said, “I’m sorry, but I ate your puggle because I was so very hungry.” So Echidna told Turtle, “Wait here while I go and get some stones.” But Turtle didn’t wait. She went to get some spear grass. Echidna threw the stones at Turtle, and the stones stuck on Turtle’s back. Turtle threw the spear grass at Echidna, and the spears stuck on Echidna’s back. And they fought all day. So the stones formed into a hard shell on Turtle’s back. The spears formed into spines on Echidna’s back. After that Turtle told Echidna, “I will go and live in the billabong and never see you again.” Echidna told Turtle, “And I will go and live in the escarpment country, and I’ll never see you again.”

This is how the long-necked turtle got her hard shell on her back, and the echidna got her spines on her back. And this is why the turtle and the echidna live in different places.

I observed the wildlife for a while and returned to the Rover. Really interesting. All those “explain” stories. Patrick loved them. I suppose I still do.

I took my time the rest of the way to Port Macquarie, crossing the Great Dividing Range with the Cells River (a perennial river of the Manning River catchment) to the south and Cottan-Bimbang National Park to the north – it was too early in the season to see any lyrebirds.

Settlers Inn was easy to find and my booking was clear. I was told that if I wished to stay longer, I was welcome to just “let us know.” The young man also supplied me with about half a kilo of pamphlets about activities and attractions. Once I got to my room, I went back and excavated everything except the diesel cans, those water bottles that were still full, and a carton of books into the room.

I then washed up, put on a clean shirt and walked over to the Quay Lime Bar where I sat looking out at the water and had a pint of what I was told was “local draft.” There was a salty smell, but it was far less contaminated than Sydney was. I watched for a while, gulls begging and pelicans swooping past; boats of various sizes moving about. I’d been on the road for weeks, but now I was unwinding. Later on I’d lay out some of the pamphlets and try to set up some sort of programme. Nothing excessive.

I noted two signs for boat rental and for sport fishing. They made me think of Rob. He’d really enjoyed fishing. And there were two Upfields where folks do deep-sea fishing. Swordfish Reef and another one. I’d never even tried salt-water fishing.

The waiter asked whether I wanted another.

“I’d better not,” I said, paid and left. I walked up Park Street (there was actually a park on my right!) and came to Settlement Point. The was a sign for Duffy’s Electric Boat Rental, so I stopped and enquired. I mentioned that I’d never been a mariner and was informed that you needed no license; that boats could “handle” four or six; that they could be rented by the hour or the day; and that they were great on the river, but unsafe on the ocean. I took a piece of paper with rates – noting that there was another week until the “season” began in mid-month.

When I got back to the hotel, I asked about cruising the South Pacific. It turned out there were a large number of fishing charters and there was also a junk with fully-battened sails that took tourists on cruises along the coast. I said I’d never been salt-water fishing and wouldn’t know what to do. Apparently, there were charters for the ignorant, too. I was told I’d need trainers or cork-soled shoes as the boatmen wouldn’t appreciate my mountain shoes. I asked whether I could get a packed lunch, if I went out for the day and was told “Of course.”