I was woken up very early in the morning by the screeching of the smoke alarm.  I spent a few, panicked seconds looking for the fire, until I realised it was probably just telling me the battery was low.  I pulled the battery out of it, had a quick check around to make sure nothing was smoking, then retired to bed until a more civilised hour.

After breakfast, I went on the Kyogle koala drive, a little road up into Homeleigh Mountain that gives you the best chance of spotting koalas.  And it’s no wonder – look at it!

Does seem like a koala habitat, doesn’t it?  But luck wasn’t with me – no koalas for the whole hour.  I did see a wallaby by the side of the road, but that was about it.

Well, and this galah, poking around in the middle of the road.

I took the picture because I was able to slow down to a stop without it moving.  When I rolled the car forward, it hopped out of the way very begrudgingly, and not an inch more than it had to.

I did get some nice views, though:

Then I went back through Lismore and out the other side to Summerland House Farm.  It’s a macadamia and avocado farm.

They also grow hydroponic tomatoes:

They have a café up there, so I had a very unhealthy afternoon tea of a chocolate and macadamia brownie.  It was served hot, with whipped cream – delicious!

There’s also a water park and mini golf, but I wasn’t very interested in those things.  I had a brief look at the history of the place – apparently it was established in 1972 as a regional operation for the House with No Steps organisation.  The House with No Steps creates opportunities for people with a disability, and was founded by Frank Lionel Watts in 1962.

Watts was 28, with a wife and two daughters, when he contracted polio which left him a quadriplegic.  He started the Motorised Wheelchair Club, which was later renamed The Wheelchair & Disabled Association of Australia.  The final name change came after a member requested a house with no steps to live in.

After my meal, I went back to Lismore, stopping on the way to pick up a smoke alarm battery.  I put it in, tested it, and put the smoke alarm back on the ceiling, where it’s stayed nice and quiet since.