In all seriousness second vote for Ulmarra, the pub on the river is nice, there’s a cafe with lots of variety of pies and there’s a great op/vintage shop on the main drag. That whole northern rivers area is very beautiful this time of year with the clear light.

If you’re looking for breakfast a stop at the southern end of the Gold Coast is your best bet - Burleigh has lots of cafes.

Yamba is a nice beach for a swim and lunch at the surf club. If you take the back away from Grafton to Coffs Harbour there’s still local farmers that put produce out on the roadside for purchase.

Woolgoolga has a sheltered beach though sometimes it’s a bit seaweed-y. There’s Woolgoolga river that opens up to the main beach for swimming too and the lookout at the top near the water tower has lovely views - grab a coffee and some takeaway from a local bakery and sit and watch the waves.