If you are into Australian Cricket ... you've got to find time to visit Cootamundra. I recommend two attractions: 1) Sir Donald Bradman's Birthplace, and 2) The Captains Walk.

Bradman's birthplace is open to the public seven days a week from 9.00am to 5.00pm except Good Friday & Christmas Day. Admission is $3 for adults and children under 16 are free.

The cottage was restored and refurbished in 1991, and officially opened on 23rd October 1992. The birthplace contains memorabilia of Sir Don, of cricket and of the Cootamundra district.

The Bradmans Birthplace is situated at 89 Adams Street, Cootamundra and is complimented by the Memorabilia Cottage at 87 Adams Street.

Captains Walk is located in Jubilee Park in Wallendoon Street. Very unique is Captain's Walk as it features 42 bronze sculptures (busts) of Australian Test Cricket Captains. The captains include the more recent such as Allan Border, Mark Taylor, Steve Waugh, Adam Gilchrist and Ricky Ponting. Each sculpture is accompanied with details of Test Cricket statistics and major achievements.

For us, Clarkes Beach Holiday Park has one of :-
- the best locations in Byron Bay
- the nicest tent sites in Byron Bay
- the best camp kitchens / eating-shelters
- the cleanest and nicest bathrooms and laundry we know.

Free Wi-Fi access with plenty of power points in the Camp Kitchen/Eating Shelter to re-charge your mobile phone and laptop/notebook.

The park's location is right on Byron Bay beach, has possibly the best beach location and you are at the start of the great walk up to the famous lighthouse and most eastern land point of Australia. And .... an easy 5 minute walk to the downtown shops and restaurants.

If you bring your bicycle, there is a great network of bike tracks to enjoy.

We were fortunate enough to camp beside a great couple, Roy and Evelyn, who have been coming to Byron Bay each year over 20 years .... they know Byron Bay .... they've been coming to Clarke's for 20 years!

Shuuush.... we don't want everyone to find out!

If touring the coast of New South Wales, you may be interested in the New Italy Museum located on the Pacific Highway. We were touring north from Grafton to Ballina, and this provided a welcome rest stop with a picnic area and toilets.

The museum itself explores the story of the New Italy settlement in Northern NSW Australia. Admission to the Museum Complex is free, open 7 days a week from 9am to 4pm. There are many features and artifacts to see that represent the achievements and accomplishments of the past and present by the New Italy community.

There is also a cafe on site named 'New Italy Caffe' that sell a range of cakes, espresso coffee and an extensive lunch menu, all provided in a relaxing alfresco setting.

If you're heading north on the Pacific Highway in the Macksville/Nambucca Heads area, I recommend a stop at Sutton's Bananas. With really friendly staff, Suttons is a Fruit and Vegie Stall selling home-grown bananas and a large range of local fresh produce.

Really fresh produce at good prices!

Heading north, it's located on the left about 10 minutes before Macksville, or about 20 minutes before Nambucca Heads.

Sutton's Bananas (Highway Stall)
Pacific Highway
Warrell Creek

If you need value-for-money bicycle tyres and bicycle tyre repair kits, it is hard to go past Kmart. Very new store in a modern shopping complex.

Very large and modern complex containing all your library needs. Wide selection of fiction and non-fiction books for adults, young people and children. Children's section with books, CDs, DVDs, graphic novels and games. Newspapers and magazines.

I personally like the PCs with internet access and microsoft office, and the public wi-fi access. There are many sitting and desk areas for study.

Open every day. Mon-Sat from 9am, Sun from 12 noon.

Approximate cost: $0

I recently completed a 5 week trip by bicycle from Victoria to Queensland covering over 1800 kilometers, using a bicycle trailer to carry 40-50kg of gear, food and water. I used ozcamps.net to locate camping sites for the trip. The website is extremely useful as the camping sites are plotted onto a map of Australia using Google Maps.

I believe those travelling with a caravan or by motorhome will find this website extremely useful as its been designed with campers in mind. Details of camping sites have been entered by independent campers such as myself.

Note that commercial caravan sites are NOT listed. The information is more for independent campers who are prepared to rough it a little in return for being able to camp at some of Australia's unique spots at no or little cost.

Approximate cost: $0

I frequently use wotif.com to research accommodation options here in Australia. Their website is easy to navigate and it's easy to search by location for a range of accommodation options. The profile details, star ratings and pricing information provided per provider makes it easy to plan and book accommodation for your holiday.

I had a very positive experience at Bunnings (Southport).

Wanted to purchase a power drill for my father, fathers day coming up ... you know. Needed advice because of the range of product available, I wanted a good battery/cordless model so my father could use it on outdoor projects without frequent recharging. It had to be relatively lightweight as well.

Well the staff were terrific! They helped out immensely by explaining the features of the various cordless drills and the options available to me including warranty details. I got the gift I wanted and it met my budget also. Thank you to the staff at Bunnings!