• Carolyn Arch
jul. – sep. 2020

Bumper & Tin Tin Tripping

A trip up the east coast of Australia from Melbourne to Coffs Harbour.
Then to Daryl’s in Sandy Beach.
Then Woolgoolga Lakeside Caravan Park....
Possibly further north.
Meer informatie
  • Nice day

    7 september 2020, Australië ⋅ ⛅ 16 °C

    Up at 7am.
    Sun shining.
    Forecast 21 degrees.
    So lovely walking along the beach this morning.

    Did a load of washing.
    Started reading on the deck.
    I was starving.
    ( I blame that burger we had yesterday. Delicious. Want another one.)
    It was probably only 10am.

    Went into the bus to check the cupboards.
    There is certainly no interesting food in my van.
    I mean, wraps are good but useless when you are starving.

    “Hey ... when did you make pasta? More importantly, can I have it?”

    Had pasta for morning tea.
    I moaned all the way through it.
    Wonderful.

    More reading.
    Another walk.
    The beach was wonderful.

    Lunch was sausages and chops.
    Dinner was pork chops.
    A very food orientated day.

    Had fun talking to people from my deck.
    The rubbish bin collection guy and I are now on first name terms.
    He starts waving as he drives into the park.

    Emily and I sat outside tonight till 9pm.
    It’s usually too chilly to do that.
    We took Winston for a walk on his lead.
    He’s getting so much better at this.

    A lady arrived about 8.30pm and asked directions to site 72.
    I showed her the way by torchlight.
    Said she was a late arrival.
    That’s not all she said.
    I had her whole life story before we hit site 72.
    And I am on site 66.
    So you may be able to work out ... it’s not a long walk.

    I left her to it and went back to Emily.
    “ Mum, she’s high.”
    “ Is she? I thought she was just crazy.”

    Nice enough.
    Perhaps she’ll settle down.

    Great night.

    Xxxx
    Meer informatie

  • Hello from Paradise.

    8 september 2020, Australië ⋅ 🌙 16 °C

    We are having a wonderful time in Woopi!
    Sometimes doing stuff.
    Sometime not.

    Up at 7am.
    Sunny and still.
    We went for a walk on the beach in the sun.
    This time north across the creek where it meets the ocean.
    ( I wore shorts today. Yesterday I didn’t and the water was too deep to cross in rolled up jeans.)

    The depth depends on the tide, of course.
    Wonderful walk in the sun.
    Lacey greeting all her friends on the beach.
    The same people tend to walk at the same time and we know them, and all the dogs.
    Cody, a little terrier/ collie cross is Lacey’s special friend.
    They run towards each other at full speed to say hello.
    It’s lovely to watch.

    Emily had a few meetings so I headed to a vet near Mitre 10 to get some dog food for the trip home. We would have run short, I think.
    Then grocery shopping at Woolworths.
    The people who are camped next to us were riding their bikes through the car park there and we waved furiously.
    People in caravan parks are lovely.
    Everyone talks.
    This couple arrived yesterday and she came over as Emily and I were discussing the Iveco vans.
    “ Sorry. Couldn’t help eves dropping ... what are you going to convert?”
    We had a great chat.

    Back to camp with a hot chicken and salads ... as well as other things ... but we attacked this as if we had not eaten in years.
    All this fresh air and exercise, I think.
    Once again we were starving.

    I had seen some very nice cane baskets at the enormous $2 type shop here and mentioned them to Emily.
    So off we went.
    Got two.
    And Emily did some organising in Bumper.
    Looks amazing.
    Trying to have things in baskets ( which will be screwed to the counter top ) so she can just up and drive without so much packing up.
    Off to buy curtains tomorrow for behind the passenger and driver seats.
    ( Same shop. It is a great shop.)

    Read on the deck.
    Another couple of walks.

    Wonderful dinner, rolled chicken and veges.
    Followed by chocolate freckles.. also from that shop.

    Tomorrow’s forecast - 23 and sunny, may rain late afternoon.

    Xxx

    Oh ... and if you enlarge the photo of inside Bumper, there are 2 photos on the whiteboard.
    One is Emily about 2 years old having a tea party with a Grandma.
    Unfortunately, Grandma is not in the photo.
    The other one is of Emily with my Dad, her Grandpa splashing in the paddle pool.
    Again, she’s about 2 years old.
    These were taken when Mum and Dad flew to visit when were lived in Bunbury, WA.
    Dad had this photo on his bedside table and kissed Emily goodnight every night for over 30 years.
    Meer informatie

  • Bit excited.

    9 september 2020, Australië ⋅ ☁️ 17 °C

    Roger rang.
    He likes Iveco Vans.
    This is huge.
    He can tell us in no uncertain terms what vans not to buy.
    He gave the OK on the Iveco.
    “Not a bad van out of all of them”
    I am taking that as a ‘Yes.’

    So onward and upward.
    Much planning.
    And a lot of designing.

    YIPPEE.

    On the other side, I think Emily is staying with Bumper for a while yet.
    She is bringing her car up here so can travel to places she wants to see.
    And she is thrilled to have her home base, Bumper, in Woolgoolga.
    So, after all that hard work, she is going to sit back and enjoy her home.
    Meer informatie

  • Bumper interior finished!

    9 september 2020, Australië ⋅ ☁️ 17 °C

    Beautiful sunny day today.
    Rhyll came with her dog for a walk with Emily at 9am.
    Lacey and I went for a lovely walk around the lake.

    Read until the girls got back.
    And then Rhyll left and Emily did some work.

    Then we headed to that special shop in Woopi to get curtains to divide Bumper’s front driving section from the living area.
    These were block out curtains and came in the most beautiful pale grey and white.
    We could not have got better colouring if we tried.

    Then to Burger Box again.
    Burgers for lunch at the table at Teabag Corner.
    Then off to Mitre 10 for dowel for the curtain rods.

    We haven’t got a saw.
    The young workman in the park agreed to saw the dowel to the correct length for us.
    Three cuts and we were set.

    Up went the curtains in the bus.
    They look fantastic.
    Then we took the insulated silver sun shield from inside the windscreen of Bumper, laid it on the next curtain and with 2 sided tape managed to exactly cover both sides.
    Back on the inside of the windscreen that went.

    Then 2 rods, one above each side window of the cabin.
    Curtains attached to those.
    Voila... total block out and sun protection for the whole front cabin which, in turn makes the whole bus cooler.
    And it looks great!!!!!

    Long walk over the creek in the sun.
    Chat to our lovely neighbour under my green sun shelter ...about vans.

    Dinner.
    Steak and veges.
    Started to rain slightly.
    Rain forecast all day tomorrow.

    Bed.
    Blogging.

    Great day!

    Xxx
    Meer informatie

  • It rained and rained ...

    10 september 2020, Australië ⋅ ☁️ 16 °C

    And rained.
    So much fun.
    Well apart from when the heavy rain stopped during the night but the drops kept falling from this magnificent fig tree on my site.
    Because they don’t fall in any regular pattern so you lay awake to hear the next ones on the tin roof.
    But the listening to them is nice.

    So I haven’t had to have my awning up.
    Well, once before only.
    The weather has been sunny and warm so I have only had the green sun shelter up.

    Anyway, this morning I had Lacey booked for her vaccination at a Vet in Woopi.
    9.45am.
    So Lacey and I went for a morning walk by the Lake in the rain and then sat tucked up on the step of Tin Tin and watched the rain fall.
    Emily and I decided to put the awning up after I had driven to the Vet.
    Off we went.
    Same street as Ground Earth cafe in town.
    3 minutes away.

    Lovely Vet, Jim.
    Had that opaque screening on his glass windows as he was set up in a shop really that faced out to a arcade.
    So funny.
    He drew diagrams for me on that opaque glass with a white board marker.
    I asked him when he discovered he could do that and just rub it off with a tissue.
    He said 3 years in.
    He was thrilled.
    Lovely man.

    We had quite a chat.
    Then I asked him if he knew the border collie breeder in Woopi.
    He didn’t but Kara, the vet nurse had a dog with a litter due next week.
    Much excitement.
    Turns out she was looking after this dog for the birth.
    She is a working farm dog and Kara is going to have one of the puppies.
    So I told her all about Emily ... ( you can probably imagine )
    And she said bring Emily in to see her.

    So off I raced, so excited.
    It was 10.30am and Emily was in a meeting.
    So I paced outside her door, in the rain.
    ( She said later that she didn’t think getting the awning up was THAT important.)

    The meeting finished and I grabbed her and said, “ Get in the car. I’ll explain on the way.”

    I explained on the way.

    Emily met Kara.
    They got on like a house on fire.
    The puppies are due Wednesday or Thursday next week.
    ( Thursday is Emily’s 41st birthday!)
    They are going to do an ultrasound early next week.
    They think she has a few puppies in there as she is quite big.
    ( Vets know these type of things...)

    Anyway 5 puppies have owners already.
    Emily is claiming the 6th, if there are 6 puppies.
    Fingers and toes crossed everyone.

    Kara invited us to meet the mother dog on Sunday.
    Both Mum and Dad are working border collies.

    So I really, really, really hope all goes well and there are lots of puppies.
    Imagine Emily walking the beach with a puppy.
    Riding the paddle board with a puppy.
    Snuggled up on the bed with a puppy.
    Oh....

    Don’t imagine life in the bus with a cat and a puppy until they get to know one another ...
    Or the manoeuvring involved getting a puppy in and out the door of the bus while keeping the cat inside.
    It will be an absolute nightmare.
    But she’ll have a puppy.
    And a companion on all those beach walks.

    She is also bringing her car up so they will go on trips together.
    I am so glad she is getting a dog.

    Then, we put the awning up.
    A 2 minute job.
    And so much fun to see it up.

    Read for the rest of the day, in between walks.

    Rain due tomorrow as well.

    Having an absolutely wonderful time.

    Fingers crossed everyone.

    Xxx
    Meer informatie

  • Just enjoyed the camp today

    11 september 2020, Australië ⋅ ⛅ 16 °C

    Rain had cleared up overnight.
    Went for a walk around the Lake this morning.
    Fixed the microphone in Tin Tin so people will be able to actually hear me talk when I ring hands free.
    When the radio was fitted the microphone was way too low and all anyone heard was engine noise.
    It’s now right in front of me on the steering column.
    Worked out the radio.
    Probably seems strange but I had planned to do all that before we left.
    Because we left in such a hurry, it didn’t get done.
    AND ....
    I got the car owner’s manual out of the glove box and worked out where to fill the water for the windscreen.
    Not the first place I would have looked.
    Open the passenger side door ....
    There is a step.
    Next to but slightly under is the spot to fill the windscreen water.
    Got it now though!

    Walked into Woopi for the chemist and a pie for lunch.
    The News Agent man came racing out of his shop after us along the footpath to say hello to Lacey.
    We had met him last week.
    And made an impression!

    Walked back past the house on the beachfront that is for sale for $2.63 million dollars.
    Wow.
    That’s a lot of money.
    Right next to it is a very old beach shack.
    Emily wants that one!

    Lovely afternoon.
    Read in the hammock.

    First time ever, we didn’t go for a beach walk this evening.
    Just relaxed.
    Then we joined Mark’s Zoom music party and danced in the bus.
    Waved continuously to Luisa and Steve.
    It was wonderful fun.
    Lovely to see everyone having an absolute ball.
    I gave up early.
    I have Daryl and Martine’s party tomorrow night.

    Great night.
    I haven’t done a Zoom Party before.
    I want to do it again.
    Thanks everyone.

    Xxxx
    Meer informatie

  • Beach Party.

    12 september 2020, Australië ⋅ ⛅ 20 °C

    Woke up.
    Emily was home.
    She went out partying last night after the Zoom dancing.
    She was home but fast asleep.
    Lacey and I headed off.
    Crossed the creek.
    Bit overcast.
    But headed along the beach to the second creek.
    And the steps that lead up to the small settlement of Safety Beach.
    Walked the magnificent path through the bush from Safety to Woopi Creek.
    Love this walk.
    The tide was so low in the creek that we paddled and waded back and forth across before we headed back.

    It warmed up to be quite hot as the day wore on.
    At some stage Emily woke up, about 9.30am I think.

    We walked into Woopi for another burger for lunch.
    They are very addictive.
    I’m not really sure why we go grocery shopping at the moment.

    I bought a beautiful brown swede type short jacket.
    Love it.
    Jackets are a real love.

    Sat on the grass at Teabag corner, watched the surfers and ate burgers.

    Relaxing afternoon then onto Daryl and Martine’s for dinner.
    Given a colourful lai as I walked in.
    Everyone was in Hawaiian shirts.
    Looked amazing.
    ( I hadn’t packet mine!)

    Sat outside round the fire for a hour or so then inside for dinner.
    Daryl cooked paella ....
    So much talking and laughter.
    Great night.

    Met the owner of the Sunken Chip!
    She’s lovely.
    She and her husband were there.
    Two of Martine’s cousins and their husbands.
    And a surfer friend of Daryl’s and his wife.

    I was going to stay the night in the van out the front.
    But decided not to.
    Drove home and was so glad that I had light to set everything up to go to bed.
    That was a good idea.
    Meer informatie

  • Shell hunting and surfie watching.

    13 september 2020, Australië ⋅ ⛅ 20 °C

    Very pleasant way to spend a warm sunny morning.

    A man in one of the cabins had told me about a beach called Shell Beach that you could access by going up to the Headland and taking the path down and around and up and down again.

    So off we set.
    Emily turned right in the van, not left.
    “ Hey. Where are you going??
    “ I know a shortcut.”
    Emily has explored all around on Burner.

    We turn towards the sea down a dirt road which opens into a huge grassed parking area.
    My Tin Tin fitted in with all these surfie vans perfectly!
    Felt like he had come home.
    A lovely sandy walk to another absolutely perfect beach.
    Surfers everywhere.
    Surfers’ dogs running free everywhere.
    Having an absolutely fantastic time.

    We wandered along the sand for a while.
    Lacey having a ball.
    Then headed towards the headland to see if we could cross to Shell Beach.
    Stepped over one large rock and there were shells as far as the eye could see.
    Piled on top of each other.
    There were huge rocks between this area and the sea.
    We think that in rough weather, the shells are dropped here by the waves.
    Then cannot be washed out again.
    Anyway, we had a lot of fun finding some lovely shells.

    I drive Emily crazy as we walk along the beach into Woopi.
    I stop dead in my tracks, or even backtrack, to pick up a shell.
    So I have a jar almost full of shells from Woopi Beach.

    Sat on the rocks and then further along on the sand to watch the surfers.
    A guy waved and sat hello as he walked towards us.
    He was one of the gardeners from our caravan park.
    There with his family.
    Lacey visited them of course.
    Even checked out what they had in their cooler lunchbox!

    Back home.
    Emily went off to visit Rhyll.
    I had a wonderful walk around and in and out of the creek.
    I thought I was going to swim but the wind was very strong down there and I passed.
    Wading is fun though.

    Quiet afternoon.
    Drove into town for an ice cream.
    Only the ice cream shop open really.

    We haven’t heard Kara with the border collie yet.
    Were hoping to meet her today.

    OK.
    My shell jar is now full.
    98% Woolgoolga Beach shells from my wandering.
    And 2% Shell Beach shells.
    So now the jar is full, I have to leave.
    Only 5 more nights.
    I am very sad.

    Xx
    Meer informatie

  • UPDATE ON THE PUPPIES!!!!!!

    13 september 2020, Australië ⋅ ⛅ 18 °C

    Jessie, the mother Border Collie had 8 puppies on Friday 11th September.
    Four girls and four boys.

    So Emily gets one of the boy puppies!

    Talk about excitement.

    So very, very thrilled for her.

    A puppy!
    A Border Collie puppy.

    And an absolute best friend.
    Meer informatie

  • Wonderful day today

    14 september 2020, Australië ⋅ 🌙 17 °C

    Sunny.
    26 degrees.
    Not a breath of wind.

    Up at 7.30am.
    Off for a walk, in shorts, left across the low tide creek.
    Magnificent.

    Talked to our regular dog walkers.
    Cody is unrecognisable.
    She’s been clipped.

    Emily worked.
    I went grocery shopping at Woolies and got some extra stuff for her birthday.
    I am going to have fun with this.

    We walked again, in between Emily’s meetings.
    OK.
    Emily back to work.
    Me?
    I am kayaking.
    The lake was as smooth as glass.

    So I tow the kayak on wheels across the sandbar to our launch site.
    Lacey is attached to a belt around my waist.
    I tow the kayak.
    She walks ahead of me and leads the way.
    She absolutely knows the difference between this, and a walk.

    Into the lake.
    Lacey on point.
    I rowed close to the edge of the sandbars where the water is 12 inches deep.
    Much better.
    I really cannot get the thought out of my head that something big lurks beneath that calm water.
    So we had a wonderful time.
    Nothing could leap out of the water and get us, so we relaxed.
    ( Well. I don’t think Lacey was worried at all. But she hasn’t seen Jaws.)

    Had a wonderful time.
    Then pulled into the sandbar.
    Put the wheels back on the kayak and towed it where I could relaunch and paddle towards that magnificent turquoise water near the sea.
    Skimming across the water here.
    It was only 9” deep most of the way.
    (If there were any fins, I would have seen them!)

    This area is magnificent.
    Pulled into shore.
    Clipped Lacey’s lead to the kayak, stripped off and swam.
    I floated.
    I swam .... backwards ... the tide was coming in fast.
    I played for about half an hour.
    Then relaunched and let the tide race us back into the lake.
    This was so much fun, I did a u-turn, paddled against the tide, u-turned again and happily floated back into the lake.

    Back to camp.
    Rinsed Lacey in the dog wash.
    Showered.
    Wonderful steak and salad for dinner.
    Outside.
    Such a balmy evening.

    Wonderful, wonderful day.

    Xxx

    ( Probably not sleeping tonight. Just ate so many choc peanuts while typing.)
    Meer informatie

  • Lovely Tuesday...

    15 september 2020, Australië ⋅ 🌙 17 °C

    Walking the beach over the creek in the morning.
    Beautiful day.
    23 degrees and sunny.
    Did the washing while Emily worked.
    Lunch then down to the turquoise water and rocks in the creek for a paddle.
    We decided to take the boogie board for Lacey in case we swam.
    A little windy but we both swam in the water.
    Lacey was a star on the boogie board.

    More work for a Emily.
    Then back to the creek with the kayak and paddle board.
    The tide was just coming in so we could paddle the shallow water towards the sea, do a u-turn and let the tide take us back to the lake.
    We did this many, many times.
    It is so much fun.
    I even managed to catch a wave into the creek.

    I am so glad that I bought this kayak.
    Best thing ever.

    Watched a Toyota Bus pull in.
    The young guy driving, as he pulled past us yelled, “Toyota Brother!” and waved.
    He came over to say hi later with his little 3 year old daughter.

    Steak for dinner.

    Xxx
    Meer informatie

  • Took my dining room down today ...

    16 september 2020, Australië ⋅ ☀️ 22 °C

    It’s been up for 6 weeks, give or take a rainy day or two.
    Didn’t want to take it down.

    It’s Emily’s birthday tomorrow and she is moving Bumper to this site #66.
    It has the magnificent Morton Bay Fig that will give her lots of shade until she has to move to Sunset Caravan Park on 1st December.

    I will be on her site #67 with a great view of the wrong side of her bus ... until I leave on Saturday morning.
    I am writing this sitting on my deck looking at the lake.
    I will miss this.
    Meer informatie

  • Early walk, then paddling the creek!

    16 september 2020, Australië ⋅ ☀️ 22 °C

    Beautiful day.
    24 degrees.
    Creek was way too high to cross so we wandered by the turquoise water.

    Emily did some work.
    I washed the doona cover.
    Then kayak and paddle board in tow, we headed for the Lake.
    The tide was just starting to go out.
    Had a wonderful time.

    I paddled too close to the sea and got stuck in the kayak.
    No matter how hard I paddled that tide was taking me out.
    ( I was in 9 inches of water)
    I paddled and paddled.
    Gave up.
    Got out and towed the kayak to calmer water.
    We paddled back into the Lake.
    Had a bit of a lie down ( Emily )
    More paddling.
    Then back to camp.

    Noodles for lunch.
    Then I packed up the hammock.
    And packed away the green sun shelter.

    Off to Daryl and Martine’s for a birthday BBQ tonight.
    Meer informatie

  • Emily’s Birthday Dinner!

    16 september 2020, Australië ⋅ 🌙 17 °C

    Wonderful, wonderful night at Daryl and Martine’s.

    We arrived at 5.45pm, right on the dot.
    Drinks and nibbles on the back lawn around the fire pit.

    Daryl had made hamburgers and cooked those on the BBQ.
    Lovely salad.
    The BBQ hamburgers were delicious!
    We ate on the wonderful back deck.

    Then candles on a tea cake ( DELICIOUS ) for Emily’s birthday cake.
    Hilarious selfies taken.

    Told them my layout of the Iveco.
    Played them “I’m gonna get a wino to decorate our home.”
    Silly but funny country song.

    Daryl and Martine are joining the ‘Woopi Lake Society’
    Emily too, now that she knows about it.
    Apparently it is a ‘Save The Lake’ thing.
    Trying to get action so it does not completely fill with sand.
    Dredging needs to be done.
    People used to waterski on the lake 20 odd years ago.

    Great company for Emily’s Birthday celebration.
    We just had the best time.

    Emily’s Birthday tomorrow!!!!!

    Xxx
    Meer informatie

  • Moving sites!

    17 september 2020, Australië ⋅ ☀️ 22 °C

    This is a bit exciting.

    Bumper is moving to this wonderful site.

    We had packed away a few things from both sites, eg ... we moved tables and chairs and mats and kayaks and motor bikes and paddle boards and buckets and dogs and dog runs etc ...
    And placed them all to one side by the huge Morton Bay Fig.
    It looked like we were having a garage sale

    I moved Tin Tin to park next to the cabin, right next to the garage sale items.

    Emily drove Bumper forward, then backed him back across onto the next site.
    A bit of straightening up, and she was done.
    We then placed all Emily’s things on her site.
    And I backed Tin Tin into her old site and moved my gear to that site.

    We wound out Bumper’s awning and stood back to admire.
    It looks wonderful.
    It’s shady where you need it.
    She has a boundary with the fig.
    And there is shade on the roof of the bus.
    Brilliant.

    Then I bought out the balloons and huge Happy Birthday banner.
    I needed her help to stick the banner across her windscreen.
    And I blew up the balloons and tied them to the front bumper bar and the awning ropes.

    No one was going to miss the fact that it was Emily’s Birthday.
    Just in case, I wrote “ It’s Emily’s Birthday” on the blackboard.
    People driving in and out waved and called out “Happy Birthday.”

    ( Job well done.)
    Meer informatie

  • Emily’s 41st Birthday!

    17 september 2020, Australië ⋅ ⛅ 18 °C

    We were both up about 7.30am.
    Magnificent day.
    Already felt hot and the forecast was for 27 degrees and sunny.

    I bought all of Emily’s presents out to her table outside Bumper.
    Lacey, as always, ripped the paper off the presents.
    I gave Emily a dog lead, dog bowls and a REAL Pony stuffed toy for her puppy.
    ( I bought Lacey a stuffed toy when I got her and we play with ‘Pony’ all the time.
    It took Daryl to point out that it was actually a Cow.)

    So.... I found a REAL Pony for Emily’s puppy.
    ( Daryl would be proud!)

    And a lovely sterling silver necklace and chain.
    She loved everything.

    Then we headed for our walk around the lake and towards the beach.
    It was hot and just wonderful wandering the water.

    The tide was high but still coming in.
    We watched the huge rush of water coming into the lake.
    It is fascinating.
    “ Do the little fish want to go out to sea or are they fighting to stay in the lake?
    “ How do the crabs make all those round balls of sand and toss them out of the hole in a perfect star pattern?”
    “ Why are there circular depressions in the sand, under water, 12” diameter?”

    We have so much fun wandering.

    Back to camp.
    Emily had a couple of meetings.
    Would be free after 11am to move Bumper to Site 66.
    Meer informatie

  • So then I invited the whole park ...

    17 september 2020, Australië ⋅ ⛅ 17 °C

    To party with us under the awning at 4.30pm.
    BYO
    I went from van to van and just invited people.
    Mainly, the people I knew from the park, but I am sure I invited some total strangers,
    They were very polite and quite a few turned up.

    Emily worked again til 3pm.
    We wandered the water again.
    Thought we were going to swim, but played in the creek instead.

    Emily cooked a few sausages.
    ( We had forgotten lunch.)
    People walking past were stopping to talk.
    One lady told her husband that is exactly what I want my caravan to look like on my birthday on Monday!

    A couple I talked to turned out to be the parents of one of Meagan’s best friends.
    It’s amazing how the conversation seems to work it’s way round to something like that.
    Having a good time?
    Berwick.
    Oh. Narre Warren
    More stuff....
    Then, my children probably went to school with Emily. No they are a bit younger.
    They went to school in Pakenham.
    My niece and nephew went there. Meagan and Nathan Street.
    MEAGAN...... MEAGAN STREET?
    She’s best friends with our daughter, Anna.

    Wow.
    We could have just talked about the weather.

    People started to arrive.
    About a dozen or 14 came in the end.
    We had a great time.
    Much laughter.
    Caravan park recommendations.
    What site have you got for next year?
    And a rather rousing rendition of Happy Birthday was sung.

    As it drew to a close, Reece the young man in charge of the park tonight came up and wished Emily a Happy Birthday and said he was glad most people had left because he was going to have to remind us about social distancing otherwise.
    And just chatting was much more fun.

    The last people left about 6.30pm.
    It was a lovely, friendly afternoon/evening.

    Pork chops for dinner.

    Much hugging.
    Great day!

    Happy Birthday Emily xxxxxx
    Meer informatie

  • And lots more ...

    18 september 2020, Australië ⋅ ⛅ 21 °C

    Photos.

    Packed Tin Tin to within an inch of his life.
    Anything that moved was packed away.
    So all I have to do each morning of my home journey is ...
    Get up ..
    Have breakfast ...
    Push the bed back into the couch ...
    Put the extra mattress on top of the bed ...
    Load the 2 kayak pieces ...
    And drive away.

    Emily and I went to Woolies.
    Forgot our list.
    I got all my stuff.
    Emily forgot to buy her salt.

    Filled up Tin Tin with Petrol.
    I drove back to the Service Station later to pick up some Coolant for the van.
    And a pie each.
    We had forgotten lunch again.

    Emily finished work and we went for a walk.
    Crossed the creek.
    Beautiful afternoon.
    Daryl rang.
    He was at our site.
    We headed back.
    Saw Daryl walking across the sand towards us and tried to point him out to Lacey.
    But she, very determinedly, kept racing towards another walker.
    ( Her long vision may be a touch impaired.)
    We kept calling her back.
    Then she saw him.
    And she absolutely flew across the sand and leapt straight into the creek and swam across to jump all over him.

    All 4 of us wandered and had that last look towards Woopi.
    Meer informatie

  • And a couple more ...

    18 september 2020, Australië ⋅ 🌙 19 °C

    Last night at Woopi.

    I have had the best time.

    Just lots of talking.
    I was telling Emily that my Grandfather, Dad’s Dad was nicknamed ‘Poet’ when he served in the First World War .... lots of stories told...
    We talked about what a great name that is.
    And after a bit of ‘trying the name on for size’, Emily is naming her puppy ‘Poet’.
    Great sounding name.

    I have absolutely had the best time.

    Get the names of places VERY wrong....
    But ...
    Then I had this awful realisation.

    I turned to Emily and said, “ My new van is going to be called ‘Dorringo’, isn’t it?”

    We both collapsed in hysterics.
    Daryl took us somewhere ... 3 different places actually ... and I could not get their names right.
    One of them, I kept calling ‘Dorringo’.
    Daryl and Emily keep bursting into song ...
    “ Dorringo .... dum da da da da da da ... Dorringo “
    Like a Western movie.
    I’m sunk.
    The van’s name is Dorringo.
    Meer informatie

  • And lots...

    18 september 2020, Australië ⋅ 🌙 17 °C

    Of photos.
    Early morning walk.
    Beautiful sunny day.
    Watching the tide race into the creek.
    This is our favourite thing!!!!!

    Turned around, and there was Scout racing towards us.
    Martine on her Friday off, coming for a swim in the creek.
    She is a water baby, this one.
    Meer informatie