Drove the short distance back into Dorrigo township this morning to get a fix of coffee and fruit toast before completing our second stage of the Waterfall Way.

Cast off with the expectation of stopping to check out Crystal Shower Falls. A national park path that promised a suspension bridge, boardwalk and side track sneaking into a rocky cavern behind the waterfall itself.

However, we were so busy discussing our plan that we totally missed the turnoff and didn’t realise until we were committed to a steep descent punctuated with frequent roadworks and tight single lane sections, making any attempt at about-face perilous.

Bitter disappointment and bad language ensued, then dissolved like Aspro Clear into the beautiful morning and spectacular drive. I would say one of the most pleasing driving sections I have travelled in Australia.

The Waterfall Way squiggled through the rainforest with sights and sounds demanding 3rd gear mostly. A couple of small falls actually fell through tunnels cut directly under the road.

This was a road trip. So….windows down, appropriate music selection (Today: Chili peppers, Pearl Jam, Trevor Hall and a moment of Dixie Chicks) playing loudly.
There may have been bad but enthusiastic singing.
The steering wheel was a bongo drum.
Journey over destination and all that.

As we soaked it all in, we inevitably amassed a convoy of cars and trucks snaking back behind us. We tried to slow them down so they could also enjoy the way of the falls, but they mostly had other places to be.

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At the bottom of the descent, our momentum (spirit not speed) carried us victoriously through a tunnel of flowering Jacaranda trees and out into the town of Bellingen just in time for lunch.