Coffs here we come!

So an early rise in our ‘Pet Friendly ‘ Motel.
What a beautiful view of the Lake.
Emily headed off in Tin Tin to talk to the mechanic.
And then to a pet shop to get a cat cage for Winston.
Figured he’d be safer and more comfortable in that for the trip up the highway.
Emily had spoken to RACV Total Care....
Will pay for the motel.
And a hire car for the time it is needed.
And accomodation until Bumper is ready to go again.
So we searched and searched for accomodation to (seriously) take advantage of this offer.

Unfortunately, all wonderful beachside cabins or BnBs were either booked solid, not pet friendly (understandable) or way too expensive.
Dammit!
Really thought that was going to be another side to this trip.
I rang car hire places while Emily was gone.
Found a car ...
Packed everything I owned and all Emily’s that she might need from Bumper into Tin Tin....
He was pretty full, let me tell you.
Just as well we were only 2 and a half hours from Daryl.
Sleeping in Tin Tin was no longer an option.

Off to Taree Airport to pick up the hire car.
I love country airports.
They are so small.
And just so perfect inside.
While we waited for the hire car to be filled with petrol, I wandered inside.
Used the hand sanitiser in the bathrooms and commented to Emily how ‘foamy’ it was on the hands.
She collapsed in hysterics.
What I finally managed to get out of her was that wasn’t hand sanitiser, it was liquid soap.
Yep, hands very, very sticky for a very long time.

Car’s ready.
No pets.
Of course not.
(Well if you are already running, one more offence is no going to make that much of a difference, is it?)

It’s a silver 4 wheel drive, auto Nissan Xtrail.
And we were off.

Now when you are as car savvy as I am, and you are used to following a large bus with perfectly painted back window and rubbers, I could have lost the Xtrail as easy as blinking.
I stuck to that car like glue.
She was navigating after all.

Wonderful trip up the highway.
Perfect roads.
We have had some bumpy rides along the way but this was great.
And magnificent blue skies as far as you could see.
And I was driving in a t-shirt!

The miles slipped away....

And then we were parking in front of Daryl and Martine’s house in Sandy Beach NSW!!!!!!

Wonderful greetings.
Lacey and Scout, Daryl’s dog checked each other out, decided that they were OK.
Did a tour of the house after the renovations .... looks absolutely magnificent!

Then a Daryl drove us to look at the beaches.
Up to the tower as we watched a whale breech...
Many more whales spouting....
And the occasional fin.
The whale pass Sandy Beach each year, thousands of them.
Checked out Woolgoolga ( Woopi) to the locals.
Emily bought knee and wrist pads to wear when ‘One Wheeling’ .... more to follow on that.

Then food shopping.
Back to put in a pork roast ( I didn’t do that. Looked crowded in the kitchen with Daryl and Emily in there.)
Lovely night sound the open fire in the back yard.
Then wonderful dinner.
Then absolutely hysterical night on the back deck.
It poured with rain.

And then instantly stopped.
And we we undercover the whole time, just lapping it up.

Bed time.
Emily is sleeping in Tin Tin as Winston is living in there at the moment.
Both Daryl and Martine are allergic to cats.
Safer for Winston too.
He’s very comfortable and has a 360 degree view and sleeps with his favourite girl.
He’s OK.

Great, great day.
And lovely to be here.Read more