Bumper & Tin Tin Tripping

July - September 2020
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.
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  • Day 6

    Wandering

    July 16, 2020 in Australia ⋅ ☀️ 19 °C

    Up at 7.30am.
    Not hard .... seem to be in bed by 8.30pm.
    Seems wandering along beaches is very exhausting.

    Off to Sandy Beach.
    Emily’s One Wheel got a lot of attention, mainly from surfers about Daryl’s age. All fascinated.
    Beautiful sunny day again and warm.

    Then a bit later, we headed out to do a rain forest walk near Woolgoolga but turned out dogs were not allowed.
    So back to the wonderful Woolgoolga Lake and beach.
    Picnic on the bank .... just pies.
    Then off for a stroll and paddle in the water.
    But I called into the caravan office to see if I could get 2 sites together for our stay.
    The lady was wonderful and after some juggling, we ended up with my original site 66 with the huge tree and #67 right next to it.
    Photo attached.
    So my van will pull in on the far right facing the tree. Bumper will drive in on the far left with her awning out towards my van and the sun shelter and my table and chairs will sit under the tree.
    Short walk to the lake for kayak launching!
    So with the 2 sites together, we will have a huge area.
    Just as well ... we have a kayak, a paddle board, Daryl’s push bike, a postie bike and a one wheel.
    ( I’m thinking of getting a pony.)

    Wandered the lake and beach.
    The sea was unbelievably warm.
    Daryl has always said that .... water temp today was 22 degrees ... and you can tell! It was beautiful.
    Home and read for the afternoon sitting in the sun in the back yard.
    Lovely day.
    Daryl put the 2nd coat of paint on the roof.
    A relaxing meal of leftovers.
    Amazing choice
    Spaghetti Bol
    Payola
    Roast pork.
    ( See how confused all this food is making me .... can’t even spell them.)

    The mechanic rang.
    Thinks he has found a part in Sydney.
    Fingers crossed.

    Great day xxxx
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  • Day 7

    Very lazy day

    July 17, 2020 in Australia ⋅ ⛅ 19 °C

    Woke about 7.30am.
    Daryl and Martine had already left for their morning walk on the beach.
    Emily and I headed into Woopi for Brunch.
    Very, very nice.
    At the same little cafe that Daryl and Martine were sitting at when they were waiting to hear if their offer on this house had been accepted.
    A bit of a cheer went up from their table when they heard it had ...
    And they have been friendly with the cafe owner ever since.

    Wandered the shops.
    I bought earrings.
    Love them.
    We looked for a stunning hat for Emily...
    She likes hats.
    Too hard to describe.
    Will take a photo when she finds one.

    Came home.
    And absolutely collapsed.
    I had to go for a nap.
    Emily too.

    We were worn out.
    ( Not normally a nap person. Think I could be now. Bit of a worry.)

    Helped Martine plant 6 palms at the boundary out the front.
    Huge difference.
    She is so thrilled.
    Lamb roast.
    ( Still emptying meat out of the freezer in Tin Tin.)
    And a very lazy night around the open fire in the back yard.

    That’s it.
    Getting very fond of my bed.
    Think I will live in the hammock at the lake.

    Xxx
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  • Day 8

    Water Feature Day.

    July 18, 2020 in Australia ⋅ ☁️ 11 °C

    So Emily was at the hairdresser.
    Daryl was painting the side of the house.
    Martine and I wheelbarrowed ‘brickie’s sand’ from Daryl’s Ute at the front of the house to the Outdoor Shower area in the backyard.
    ( They are both swimmers. Need this shower after the surf.)
    So sand all laid in the Outdoor Shower area.
    River rocks and a huge flat rock under the shower to be laid perhaps next week.

    Martine and I attacked the water feature.
    This is huge.
    About 200 years old.
    An old Japanese bath.
    ( Imagine a giant cooking pot that cannibals cooked up the terrified humans in, and you have the picture.)
    This thing is magnificent.
    So after fighting to get the 3 huge jasmine that were cascading down the sides of this pot out, we scrubbed and washed it out.
    Then .... there was an outlet ... to drain all the water away...
    We wanted the water to stay in there.
    So, luckily, Martine drinks champagne.

    So we had the occasional champagne cork on hand.
    We measured...
    Looked at one another ...
    And hammered this cork into the outlet pipe.
    Worked.
    We grinned.
    Then rolled this enormous, very, very heavy cast iron, cannibal cooking pot into position under the wonderful paperbark in the back yard.
    Levelled.
    Bricks placed inside to support the water pump.
    Hose on.
    Filled it with water.
    Turned the pump on.
    ABSOLUTELY SPECTACULAR!!!

    Check out the photos.

    Sat round the open fire in the backyard, admiring our day’s work.
    Poor Daryl came off second best with his painted side of the house... but we did all stand and admire it.
    Just not as effective as running water.
    Dinner by the open fire.
    Not saying what it was because, again, didn’t know it and can’t spell it.
    Delicious.
    It’s got so they no longer ask if I like something, they just feed me.
    Works very well for me!

    Early night 7.30 bed.
    Kayaking tomorrow.

    Should be interesting.
    Apparently the sea dumped heaps of sand at the entrance of Woolgoolga Creek where it meets the sea.
    So it cannot flow into the sea.
    The creek is still flowing but cannot get into the sea.
    So the Lake is really filling up.
    Not so shallow now.
    Will be interesting to see if it has cleared tomorrow.

    Xxxx
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  • Day 9

    Kayaking day.

    July 19, 2020 in Australia ⋅ ⛅ 14 °C

    First time on Woolgoolga Lake!

    Magnificent sunny day, about 20 degrees.
    Daryl loaded up his Ute with 3 kayaks ...
    Mine, his and Martine’s for Emily.
    Lovely public park in a forest of paperbarks.
    Small boat ramp into the lake.
    People picnicking, fishing, kayaking and paddle boarding ...
    And we joined them.
    Daryl taught me how to get into the kayak ( Straddle it, one foot either side, and simply sit down.)
    More importantly, he taught me how to get out of it without falling in the water!
    Same process, a foot out either side and stand up.
    Easy.
    (I have fallen in the water twice already as I got out of the kayak, placing one foot in the water and slowly doing the splits as your other foot still in the boat pushes it further and further away, until you have no choice and simply fall in the water, bottom first.)
    Emily and Michael found this absolutely hysterical, both times!
    Lousy buggers.

    It was so much fun!
    And so easy.
    And sooooo relaxing.

    The water is crystal clear and you can just drift along.
    Lacey sits on point on my kayak.
    Absolutely love it.

    The Lake (creek) is still blocked by huge amounts of sand from flowing into the sea.
    So as the water is still coming down the creek, no sandbars at the moment.
    Daryl said it will remain like that until the next storm or king tide.
    Bit of a shame really.
    But an awful amount of sand to dig out a trench....
    We’ll enjoy it as it is.

    Fish and chips eaten at the Sunken Chip.
    Walk along the beach.
    Some one wheeling...
    A bit windy on the beach so headed home.

    Reading on the back lawn in the sun.
    Dinner (Daryl made Fish Curry .... delicious)
    Bed.

    Lovely day.
    Getting a bit antsy for the caravan park, lake and beach though.
    But practising religiously each day!!!

    Xxxx
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  • Day 10

    Fun day

    July 20, 2020 in Australia ⋅ ☀️ 19 °C

    Well how about that then?
    Writing in 2 blogs.
    What a dill.
    Created one at home called “Bumper and Tin Tin Travels.
    Didn’t like that name.
    Wanted to call it “The Adventures of Bumper and Tin Tin”
    But too many letters... it wouldn’t let me.
    Anyway .... decided not to use that one.

    Created “Bumper & Tin Tin Tripping” (liked that much better)
    But didn’t realise that some days I wrote in one ...
    Other days I wrote in the other.

    Have to work it out later.
    Will try to stay in this one now!

    MAGNIFICENT DAY!!!!!
    So sunny and warm.
    Emily and I headed into Coffs to lingerie shopping.
    Too scared to go to Fountain Gate the last few days before we left .... too many people.
    So we shopped here.
    Then Emily bought t-shirts and trousers .... and a great hat!
    Then I bought boyfriend jeans that are sooooo comfortable... and I can lounge at the caravan park or on the beach in them.
    And I bought a hat , not as nice as Emily’s, but a hat just the same.

    Home excited about shopping.
    Then off to Sandy Beach for a long walk along the sand and in the water.
    And played in rock pools.
    Lacey had a ball.
    She runs wonderfully along the beach and pelts back to us when whistled or called.
    She simply flies!
    And, as it was a bit windy, turns out she is great at chasing hats as they tumble along the sand.

    Reading again in the sun.
    Daryl finished the 2nd coat on the side wall of the house.
    Painting is all finished now.

    Daryl had a phone call from the police to check if he was at home and isolating.
    And would call in to check before Thursday.

    Dinner on our laps watching “Call of Duty”
    ( How the hell did that happen? I’m ‘binge watching’)

    Great, great day.

    Xxx
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  • Day 11

    Pancakes!!!!

    July 21, 2020 in Australia ⋅ ☁️ 14 °C

    Daryl cooked pancakes for breakfast!
    I was excited.
    Daryl and Emily were horrified when they saw the vegemite on my pancake.

    Hey!
    Each to their own!

  • Day 11

    Emily’s Postie Bike arrived!

    July 21, 2020 in Australia ⋅ ☁️ 14 °C

    Wonderful delivery guy.
    Said he was embarrassed to be carting a Postie,
    ( His number plate was YAM 650 ....)

    Check out Woody and Buzz Lightyear on the back bumper.
    His mates at work did that to his truck.

    Great fun....
    Lots of talk and laughs.
    Man walking past offered his battery charger.
    He lives just down the street.

    It’s here.
    And there is one excited girl...
    Plus one jealous brother.
    Me?
    I like the colour.
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  • Day 11

    She’s excited!

    July 21, 2020 in Australia ⋅ ☁️ 14 °C

    Really excited.

    Out the back, washing it as we speak..

    Well she was.
    Then we shot into Coffs for a helmet and jacket, and a new battery.
    And she was off!!!!!

    She is loving it!!!

    And the job her work thought they had for her in Lismore fell through.
    Terrible shame, we don’t think.
    Yah.....
    Working from the bus at Woopi caravan park .....paradise.

    Bike seems to be named “Burner”.....
    She likes the ring of Bumper and Burner.

    😎
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