Northern Rivers

The year 2017 started off incredibly. I spent most of summer break travelling around the East Coast of the USA and then headed to China to visit my extended family and a few other cities I had not visited previously. It was a thrilling and hectic start to the year but one of the best I have had. Needless to say, I was exhausted from on-the-go regime and would have been content with lounging in my bedroom for eternity when I arrived home.

That whole 'resting in the comfort of my own home' concept did not last for long. I found out I was allocated a 7 week rural placement in the Northern Rivers of NSW alongside 15 others in my course. The week I arrived home I packed my suitcases, bought a not-so endless supply of green tea kit kats and drove 8.5 hours to the place I would call home for the next two months. One of my best friends and I said in first year of our degree that 1) We didn't want a long rural placement but if were to get one, the best place for it would be the Northern Rivers due to its close proximity to Gold Coast, Byron Bay and several national parks. 2) We really wanted to be placed rural together. As unlikely as those two points seemed, our wishes were funnily enough granted 4 years later.

As challenging as it was juggling full-time work, studying, adult responsibilities and a social life, rural placement was a really great experience filled with many good memories and learning opportunities. Fun fact: Sometimes we have to stop and wait for a herd of cattle to cross the road while getting to and from our placement site which was a 50 minute drive along a 100km/h highway. Something you definitely will not come across when living in Sydney hah!

Aside from the fact that we experienced an inevitable fortnightly torrential downpour and the region being labelled as a natural disaster zone halfway through placement due to the flooding which was an aftermath of the tropical cyclone up north a few weeks back, we managed to get out and explore the area most weekends. Byron Bay became our second home away from home and the group of us spent weekends at the beach soaking up warm temperature (perks of being close to QLD in the middle of autumn) and trying out all the hippie, vegan, paleo, raw cafes on offer in the area. Coconut cold drip anyone?  

Having been to the Northern Rivers twice before living there for two months, I would recommend the following: 

• Byron Bay - Wategos Beach is my favourite for swimming. Belongil Beach is also great - heaps of parking spots available and isn't as busy as the others. The Pass is popular among surfers and you are extremely lucky if you find parking but it is worth going up Fisherman's Lookout, a viewing platform offering panoramic views of the area. 
• Cape Byron Walking Track - 3.7km loop with great views of the rainforest, ocean, clifftops, lighthouse and grassland. Stop by the most easterly point of Australia for a picture (you won't miss the sign!) 
• Killen Falls, Tintenbar - A not-so- hidden gem any more. It is definitely one of the best and easy to access waterfalls I have been to. The track can get quite slippery at times but once you get to the bottom of the falls, it is so worth it. 
• Nightcap National Park - Get to the bottom of Minyon Falls. You won't regret it, trust me. 
• Two Sisters Walking Track - It is in Broken Head, south of Byron. The walk gives you a stunning view of south Tallow Beach and is a lovely mix of bushland, coastal views and beaches. 
• Ballina - Great place for seafood. You pass by the Giant Prawn in front of Bunnings Warehouse when you first enter the town. A few girls who I lived with had their placement in Ballina and would get our seafood there for Friday nights. The beaches are great but I didn't swim there this time round because there was a lot of sea foam as a result of the flooding. I really love Shelly Beach and Lighthouse Beach which are my to-go sunrise shoot locations. 
• Coolamon Scenic Drive - If you are driving to Byron Bay from Bangalow (the other route is from south - Ballina) on the highway towards the left (when you are almost at Ewingsdale Road) you will see parked cars and a very stunning view of the hinterland that is very hard to miss. The fourth photo from the end of this post is what the view looks like. You also have cows and horses on the other side too! I can't help but stop by every time for a photo. 
• Border Ranges National Park - I can't remember which walks I did because it was challenging navigating around the area as reception was limited and as a millenial I am hopeless without Google Maps. The view from The Pinnacle Lookout was incredible however. The park lies between the NSW/QLD border which is pretty cool in itself. 
• Have a picnic at Lennox Head. Park the car at Pat Morton Lookout and sit on the hill to eat all the carrots + hummus and brownies you desire.
• Mount Warning - Unfortunately we didn't get the chance to do the hike as the trail had been damaged from the floods. My placement supervisor told us it is best to get to the summit at sunrise as it is the first point the sun hits at sunrise.  
• Drive! You will pass the hinterland everywhere you go and it looks damn photogenic in every corner you turn. My non-photographer pals would often comment and say "wow this would look good in your photos." I am currently swimming in a pit of regret for not taking many photos of the hinterland. Particularly since the drive to my placement site was through a hilly and windy highway with plenty of photographic opportunities presented right in front of me. I drove through a dozen rainbows and several morning fogs - which would have looked sooo nice in a long exposure.
• Where to eat - Folk Byron Bay, The Woods Bangalow, The Belle General Ballina, Bayleaf Cafe Byron Bay, and Combi Byron Bay.