Road Trip

I'm so excited I just can't hide it! Yesturday we bought a 1973 (yep same age as me) Jayco pop-top camper trailer for our road trip. This year instead of our annual pilgrimage to Europe, we're heading over to 'the big island' for a six week road trip. We have absoluetly nothing planned and that's where you lovely peeps come in to my master plan. I need your help!!!!

Whenever I travel, I can't bear the thought that I may have missed something hugely spectacular. I always like to do heaps of reading about a place and jot down the places that shouldn't be missed; beaches, shops, markets, cafes etc etc. That way you get to sample the best. You need a coffee - you go to the best coffee shop where the beans are roasted then and there (not just a dodgy highway road house). You wanna shop - you go to the best vintage clothes shop reccomended by Carrie Bradshaw. You wanna eat - you go to the cafe that has the best spaghetti in Venice. Whatever it is, why go to some rubbish place when with a little investigation, you can have a truly memorable experience. Don't get me wrong, this has nothing to do with price - just purely reccomendation. It's often the dingiest cheapest places that are the best!

Usually I'm ok hunting down these places, but when it comes to Australia, I really struggle. I need help here, please help me out. Which little treasured towns should I visit? Where are the best markets, curiosity shops, charity shops, vintage shops, fabric shops, cafes, restaurants, bars etc etc? What is not to be missed? Kim knows the coast and the best beaches so that's covered I just need to find some places to go inbetween surf breaks or whilst he's surfing.

So, we're travelling between Melbourne and Byron between mid August - end September. Do you have somewhere you can reccomend? Please, please, please share and I'll try to share my stories along the way. It would be much appreciated. More sneaky caravan photos to follow as I start to 'play house' inside.