Well it is time to say goodbye to the blog - at least for the time being. We have had 3 fabulous days in Yamba, including Craig's birthday yesterday. The weather wasn't the best, but we still managed to have prawns for lunch by the beach, and a walk along the breakwater where we saw dolphins, and we went out with our friends Jenny and Bruce from the 'Firesiders' caravan club for dinner.
Today we awoke to the most beautiful blue skies, so Craig started the day with a bike ride as usual, I did the 'Holly Tri' again - though its a bit further here to the beach, but I get to have a coffee at our favorite cafe on the way back - and then we hired a boat for 2 hours and cruised around the Clarence River. After lunch we headed into town for a bit of retail therapy and afternoon tea, then we took the surf mat down to the beach, and while Isabella is still not keen, Craig and I were happy to catch a few waves on it, though I'm sure we look quite ridiculous! We finished our final day off with BBQ salmon, and the latest Indiana Jones movie at the van park - one of the perks of being in a flash van park is that they have a huge conference room that they show movies in every evening.
Isabella is tucked in bed, and it won't be long before the adults are too after a big, but absolutely wonderful last day. This has been an amazing trip. I feel very very lucky that I've had the chance to see and do everything I have, and that it has all gone so very smoothly. I did wonder how the three of us would go, spending 2 months together 24/7, but it has been very easy 99% of the time. And luckily we had Mum and Jarred at home to hold the fort - Jarred looking after the house and dogs - including cleaning up after Pele, who decided to show how much he misses us by pooping in various rooms around the house! And Mum has been great - keeping an eye on the house (and Jarred!), collecting mail, paying bills etc.
We are home for a few weeks and looking forward so much to catching up with friends, and then we are off to Bargara for 10 days at the end of January! Got to suck every possible opportunity out of these 3 months off that we have!
Thank you friends for reading the blog! MERRY XMAS!!!
Monday, December 22, 2008
Wednesday, December 17, 2008
Shoal Bay and South West Rocks
Shoal Bay is officially the most beautiful place we have stayed. We only had 2 days there and would have been very happy to have had a week or two. The caravan park was a council owned one without many 'bells and whistles' but it was across the road from the most fantastic beach - all aquamarine and turquoise colours with the striking feature of the heads in the background. I'm clearly no poet so look at the pictures and see what I mean. We got the surf mat out at one of the other beaches and I must have looked a complete sight daringly catching those 1/2 metre waves the 50 m to shore. Isabella woudn't have a bar of it, not being keen on the surf, so I had to make sure she was nearby so that it was clear that while I was sad enough to be using an inflatable surf mat that at least it was my child's.
South West Rocks is also spectacular, managing to combine a village feeling with an amazing headland and little protected beach called 'Horseshoe' due to the shape. I did the Holly version of a triathalon this morning - rode 500m to the beach, walked 50m down to the beach, jumped about in the surf for 15min. Then we all went for a drive and had a look at the ruined Trial Bay jail and the lighthouse. Isabella is now officially completely OVER looking at 'sights' and was slumping around the jail so I tried to make it more dramatic by telling her that 100 years ago, her Daddy could have been sent there because of his German background (his grandmother) (the jail was used to intern German citizens during WWI). This strategy was somewhat successful, but I think it's good that our sightseeing is officially over now - next stop is Yamba, which we have been to 3-4 times now, so no need to see 'the sights' any more!
Craig's birthday on SUNDAY for any who would like to ring and wish him well!
PS. Apologies to those who thought the 'Princess Toe' photo looked like Isabella's foot had been in a horrible industrial accident. Princess Toe is actually wearing a red scarf made of knitting thread - and a ring on her 'head' as a crown.
South West Rocks is also spectacular, managing to combine a village feeling with an amazing headland and little protected beach called 'Horseshoe' due to the shape. I did the Holly version of a triathalon this morning - rode 500m to the beach, walked 50m down to the beach, jumped about in the surf for 15min. Then we all went for a drive and had a look at the ruined Trial Bay jail and the lighthouse. Isabella is now officially completely OVER looking at 'sights' and was slumping around the jail so I tried to make it more dramatic by telling her that 100 years ago, her Daddy could have been sent there because of his German background (his grandmother) (the jail was used to intern German citizens during WWI). This strategy was somewhat successful, but I think it's good that our sightseeing is officially over now - next stop is Yamba, which we have been to 3-4 times now, so no need to see 'the sights' any more!
Craig's birthday on SUNDAY for any who would like to ring and wish him well!
PS. Apologies to those who thought the 'Princess Toe' photo looked like Isabella's foot had been in a horrible industrial accident. Princess Toe is actually wearing a red scarf made of knitting thread - and a ring on her 'head' as a crown.
Saturday, December 13, 2008
Congratulations, Russian Bears and Princess Toe
To my sister Wendy on her engagement to David! They are in Hawaii on holiday and he 'popped the question'. No date for a wedding and I'm hoping there is no need for a 'matron of honour' because as David has no sisters, so I guess that would leave me in the role. Anyway whatever sort of wedding it ends up being it will be fantastic, even if Wendy makes me wear a shiny pink satin and taffeta frock that someone has decorated with a 'bedazzler'! Very pleased for them as they are both lovely people and I think will make each other very happy.
Meanwhile, back here in Kiama it's been a very mixed bag of weather from wet all day yesterday to sunny and hot today, but with gale force winds. I'm not exaggerating about that - the wind has actually torn our annexe off its mounting despite it being tied at multiple points to the ground! Luckily it only landed on the grass next to the van and didn't behead anyone.
In the interests of balance I'm including evidence of some of the things that happen when caravanners get wet weather. Little girls take to drawing characters on their toes, and big girls go shopping and come back with 2nd hand carved wooden souvenirs from the Soviet Union, thanks to St Vinnies. It's so ugly I HAD to have it. Craig is still perplexed, but given my collection of West German vases, I think he is starting to understand my love of 'unusual' momentos of countries that no longer exist.
Meanwhile, back here in Kiama it's been a very mixed bag of weather from wet all day yesterday to sunny and hot today, but with gale force winds. I'm not exaggerating about that - the wind has actually torn our annexe off its mounting despite it being tied at multiple points to the ground! Luckily it only landed on the grass next to the van and didn't behead anyone.
In the interests of balance I'm including evidence of some of the things that happen when caravanners get wet weather. Little girls take to drawing characters on their toes, and big girls go shopping and come back with 2nd hand carved wooden souvenirs from the Soviet Union, thanks to St Vinnies. It's so ugly I HAD to have it. Craig is still perplexed, but given my collection of West German vases, I think he is starting to understand my love of 'unusual' momentos of countries that no longer exist.
Tuesday, December 9, 2008
Made it to Kiama!
No photos this time - long, long drive to get here - drove from Apollo Bay to Wodonga in one day, then yesterday we had a day just lolling about at the shops in Albury and took Isabella to see 'High School Musical 3' - which we shamelessly all enjoyed!!!!
Today was another very long drive from Wodonga to Kiama - the last part down the most terrifying mountain road I have ever encountered - one corner was literally a 'hairpin' in shape and the caravan wheels on one side left the road as we turned it - thank God we were driving DOWN the mountain not up it - might have had to do some Flinstone's style foot actions out the door to help us up the mountain otherwise!
I've had 3 glasses of wine (yes still drinking the cheap merlot from the IGA! I'm so common that I LOVE it!) and Nigella is on the TV, so my nerves are starting to settle. Fantastic van park on the beach - now we just need the clouds to leave! Do my posts improve when I drink????
Today was another very long drive from Wodonga to Kiama - the last part down the most terrifying mountain road I have ever encountered - one corner was literally a 'hairpin' in shape and the caravan wheels on one side left the road as we turned it - thank God we were driving DOWN the mountain not up it - might have had to do some Flinstone's style foot actions out the door to help us up the mountain otherwise!
I've had 3 glasses of wine (yes still drinking the cheap merlot from the IGA! I'm so common that I LOVE it!) and Nigella is on the TV, so my nerves are starting to settle. Fantastic van park on the beach - now we just need the clouds to leave! Do my posts improve when I drink????
Sunday, December 7, 2008
Apollo Bay
It's been 5 cold/windy/overcast days here on the Great Ocean Road. Of course the 12 Apostles, London Bridge etc were all as beautiful as I'd hoped and the sun was shining as we spent the day driving from Port Fairy, stopping at every possible spot along the way to view them.
We also spent a day on the Otway pensinsula seeing both the lighthouse and the "Otway Fly" which is 600m of treetop walkway through beautiful temperate rainforest. The sun has shone on us intermittantly and Apollo Bay is indeed very beautiful when it does! Isabella has found many friends to play with here at the caravan park - including some kids from Wurtulla! Small world.
Craig had the biggest coup however - he went fishing with a great bloke called David also staying here at the van park, and caught 3-4 salmon, which we BBQd for lunch today and enjoyed greatly with a bottle of very cheap merlot from the IGA. We are right classy we are!
We also spent a day on the Otway pensinsula seeing both the lighthouse and the "Otway Fly" which is 600m of treetop walkway through beautiful temperate rainforest. The sun has shone on us intermittantly and Apollo Bay is indeed very beautiful when it does! Isabella has found many friends to play with here at the caravan park - including some kids from Wurtulla! Small world.
Craig had the biggest coup however - he went fishing with a great bloke called David also staying here at the van park, and caught 3-4 salmon, which we BBQd for lunch today and enjoyed greatly with a bottle of very cheap merlot from the IGA. We are right classy we are!
Monday, December 1, 2008
Hall's Gap - Port Fairy
'You must see the Grampians' says EVERYONE it seems. Being slightly contrarian by nature this almost made me NOT want to see them (I still haven't see the movie 'ET' for this reason!), but I'm not as dumb as I look, so off to Hall's Gap we headed. Fantastic caravan park full of kangaroos with joeys - so I'll include a photo taken by Isabella who was very taken with them.
We did a couple of short walks and of course it is very beautiful, or perhaps 'majestic' is a better word. My favorite part was actually the 'Venus Baths' rock pools at the base of the moutains where Isabella, like all the other kids, stripped down to her 'smalls + shirt' to have an impromptu dip. And on the walk back we were very excited to see an echidna on the path - we stood right next to it and watched it snuffle around for ants for about 20 min, then it waddled up to us, sniffed our shoes, and slowly ambled back into the undergrowth. Of course this was the one time I didn't have the camera, so no proof of our 'close encounter of the monotreme kind'.
We are now in Port Fairy which is such a beautiful little town. The weather has been rather 'English' but it cleared yesterday long enough for us to walk out to the lighthouse. Today we drove to Tower Hill, which is an old volcanic crater and the first national park in Victoria - here we saw emus wandering around in the flat area of the crater and were able to get quite close to a mum and babies, and then we rescued a turtle which was on the road.
I haven't seen 'Australia' the movie yet, but I feel like we are seeing the real thing - we've seen so many native animals now in 'the wild' so to speak, and such beautiful and diverse scenery. Port Fairy is the furthest point of our travels, so it's 'homeward' from here I guess - still 3 weeks to go though! Tomorrow we head east along the Great Ocean Road to Apollo Bay, which will be a trip highlight I'm sure as I've always wanted to see it.
We did a couple of short walks and of course it is very beautiful, or perhaps 'majestic' is a better word. My favorite part was actually the 'Venus Baths' rock pools at the base of the moutains where Isabella, like all the other kids, stripped down to her 'smalls + shirt' to have an impromptu dip. And on the walk back we were very excited to see an echidna on the path - we stood right next to it and watched it snuffle around for ants for about 20 min, then it waddled up to us, sniffed our shoes, and slowly ambled back into the undergrowth. Of course this was the one time I didn't have the camera, so no proof of our 'close encounter of the monotreme kind'.
We are now in Port Fairy which is such a beautiful little town. The weather has been rather 'English' but it cleared yesterday long enough for us to walk out to the lighthouse. Today we drove to Tower Hill, which is an old volcanic crater and the first national park in Victoria - here we saw emus wandering around in the flat area of the crater and were able to get quite close to a mum and babies, and then we rescued a turtle which was on the road.
I haven't seen 'Australia' the movie yet, but I feel like we are seeing the real thing - we've seen so many native animals now in 'the wild' so to speak, and such beautiful and diverse scenery. Port Fairy is the furthest point of our travels, so it's 'homeward' from here I guess - still 3 weeks to go though! Tomorrow we head east along the Great Ocean Road to Apollo Bay, which will be a trip highlight I'm sure as I've always wanted to see it.
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