With a very busy year ahead of us, we decided it would be nice to have a small break and some quality family time before the year kicks off. We found a spare week at the end of the school holidays and started planning where to go.

Our first plan was to go back to Woodgate but with reports of the Irukandji jelly fish  around the area we thought it would be best we head south instead. Evans Heads was our destination. Neither of us had ever stayed here and I had only visited the town once a couple of years ago.

The in car selfie before we leave is a thing now.

A easy two and half hour drive from Brisbane makes Evans Heads the perfect place for a short getaway. We made good time traveling down the coast along the smooth four lane Pacific highway. Only a small section of road between Ballina and the Evans Heads turn off is yet to be upgraded. But work is well under way. 

We arrived and found the caravan park in Evans Heads, checked in and set up home. Well, once we sorted out sites. We weren’t happy with the first site that was given to us, but a phone call to reception quickly sorted it out.

The first two days was spent around Evans Heads. Relaxing, exploring and enjoying everything that Evans Heads has to offer all within walking distance from camp.

On this remote and lonely beach you can see the tracks of the allusive Hayden monster. This animal is fast and with her cuteness will snare her prey with no mercy. ( Read in David Attenborough voice. )

One activity in particular was a huge success. I took the kids fishing and we actually caught fish big enough to eat.

I had taken kids fishing before but nothing serious. I just used bread or meat out of the fridge for bait. I think the kids clued on and I was asked if they could use real bait this time. So a packet of frozen bait prawns were brought and the hand reels rigged with the correct size hooks and sinkers. We were getting serious.

It turns out using correct bait and rigging actually helps. We found a spot on the river and it wasn’t long before we got our first bite on the reel I was holding. Unfortunately I failed to bring in the fish. But it was a little bit exciting.

Not long after Alec got bored holding his reel and deciding to put it down on the rock next to him. Straight away the reel took off. I quickly grab it and I reeled in our first fish. With help from Alec of course. It was good size bream but I decided not to keep it and released it back into the water.

The action slow down a bit and I spent a lot of the time re-baiting and casting out the lines for the kids. I did try to explain to them you have to leave the hook and bait in the water to catch fish.

Then all of a sudden Siannah realised she had a fish on and all by herself pulled in a another bream. The kids really wanted to keep it so it was the end of the line for Nemo and in the fridge he went.

On our third day we decided to do some beach driving. Between Evans Heads and Ballina is one long beach that joins the two towns. It’s thirty kilometres long and open to beach driving. No permit required just the usual road rules and speed limiteds that have to be obeyed.

While we waited for the tide to go down we explored Evans heads and found a look out.

Not a bad looking crew.

Looking north. This is the beach we would be driving on.

The vehicle access to the beach is on the northern edge of the town. It was easy driving with the beach wide with plenty of hard packed sand.

Tyre’s aired down, hubs locked ready for some beach driving.

About ten kilometres up the beach we come across a rocky section. With the tide still receding it started to get a bit tricky to continue without sending the patrol in for a swim.

We decided this would be a good place to stop and have some beach fun. We put out the awning and camp chairs. Then set about the hard task of chilling out on the beach. Everyone had a ball swimming in the surf, exploring the rocks and playing in the sand.

After some lunch and with tide all way the down. We decided to keep driving up the beach. I have known for many years about the beach run between towns, and I have always wanted drive it. It being on my bucket list maybe a little strong but you get the idea.

We followed the beach all the way to the southern side of the Richmond river. Ballina town being on the northern side of the river. A large break wall protect’s the mouth of the Richmond river, which the two older kids and I explored while Miranda gave Hayden a feed. We then turned around and headed back down the beach to Evan Heads. A awesome day out. These sort of days are fast becoming our favourite way of enjoying the beach.

The kids on the break wall. Why is it so hard to get both kids looking normal and the same time in a photo.

The last full day at Evans Heads we spent doing what we did the first two day. With one exception. Miranda showed off her superb culinary skills and showed the kids how to gut and scale a fish. Nemo was getting eaten. The kids found this a mixture of interesting and gross, but the end result yummy.

That night we dressed up and headed to the local hotel for a final bit of fun before the pack up and drive home the following day.

It was great little break and Evans Heads certainly impressed.

The case of the missing Tooth.

I was playing with Alec in the water at the beach when I notice he was missing a tooth.

I ask him where his tooth was and he didn’t even realise he had one missing. After a bit of probing he told me the tooth must of come out when he was eating his sandwich he had for lunch. He remembers taking something out of his mouth that he thought was shell and threw it away.

Alec has had a couple of wobbly teeth for a while and has been super excited with the prospect of receiving a financial windfall from the tooth fairy. Now with the tooth lost he was a little upset.

So we suggested he find a special shell to give to tooth fairy instead. Surprisingly this worked. Alec received his loot for the shell and the tooth fairy even wrote him a letter saying how awesome the shell was.

So if you are down on the beach between Evans Heads and Ballina, keep a eye out for Alec’s tooth. Or a crab with a big tooth.