222choppy: November 2018

We set off on Nov 2nd for 2 weeks in Australia. It was quite a social time as we waited at the airport as friends Bev and Graeme Miller were heading over to do a cruise from Sydney to the Melbourne Cup and Gavin (old vineyard employee) was heading up to Auckland for the V8s. After a good break in the Auckland Koru Club, we boarded the plane. My goodness what a difference from Singapore airlines! So comfortable. I watched Nothing like a Dame with Judi Dench and her acting buddies, while Duncan watched a few old episodes of Friends.

It was very hot when we arrived, and there was a slight delay as Duncan picked up his golf clubs and then his carryon luggage. We had arranged a private transfer as the last train for Newcastle had already left. Owen was our driver, and we were now snarled up in Friday rush hour traffic. Owen was a great talker and shared his wisdom on a lot of topics from the Rabboitohs to the state of the nation. Eventually it took us 3 1/2 hours, although it was suppose to take us just less than 2 and we finally made it to Burke St about 7pm. Just time to get the kids fed and into bed.

Next morning I was up early to play with the kids and by 9am we were along to watch Theo play soccer. It is a fantastic set-up for the kids - Simon seemed to have to take charge by default. You can see Theo just about to receive the ball and score a goal. He scored two. They had two games, and won one (even though his team is not all that talented) and lost one

Back home for lunch and then we got ready to go to Bar Beach. The weather was ferociously hot, but the water was quite cold.

Back home and sort out dinner for us and the kids while Jackie and Simon headed out to hit the town.

Sunday: Another early start and then we went for a walk along the waterfront of Newcastle. There was a constant stream of ships coming in to pick up coal, and although many houses have solar power in some areas there is not enough water to create hydro so coal is the back-up.

They were setting up for V8 racing here in a few weeks - Simon was wondering about the merits of taking Theo.

Looking across the harbour

Then we went to Foghorn brewery for lunch

Once we were home again we had a game of backyard soccer - Theo's rules. And after dinner we had a game of 500 - Theo's rules (and Oh, that temptation to pick up kitty!!)

Monday morning and Theo was off to school at 9.20am while Duncan and Simon went out to play golf as Simon had taken a day off. Duncan came back exhausted as it was hot, the course was hilly and they carried their bags rather than get a cart.

Newlambton Primary

The girls walked up to Newlambton for lunch and after kofta, wraps, dips and veges for tea we had another session of 500. Surprisingly for us - being November 5th, there were no fireworks. They have long been outlawed in Australia.

Tuesday: We packed up the Hyundai I30 rental car which is very good. We managed to get the directions working through google Maps on my phone, and it took us through Newcastle to the Pacific Highway. We stopped at Bulahdelah for morning tea - very small town, but Duncan recommends the coffee. The driving is very easy on the highway - almost too easy and we can see how easy it would be to lose focus. We had a late lunch in Port Macquarie and found a TAB to put our bets on.

View from the motel over the Harbour.

This guy - Mr Barton - drew up the founding documents for the Australian Commonwealth. Behind is the old pub where we watched the Melbourne Cup

To fill in time before the race we walked up the foreshore where all the huge boulders of the breakwater have been painted in hundreds of different ways.

Quite a big Lizard

Hi Mickey!

A kiwi entry

It stretches on for miles.

The units in the camping ground looked good

Duncan was the only one in the bar at Beach House to get up and rush to the bar after the race. Although we spent $35 on both our bets he made $176!

We had a simple Italian meal for dinner, and breakfast next morning in the El Paso Motel restaurant - basic, but adequate and FREE! We loved Port Macquarie and went on a little tour around the very fragmented coastline. It is on the Hastings River estuary and has posh marinas and quaint little baches.

Cofts Harbour for Lunch

Wednesday 7th November: Grafton. It is now 41 degrees so I have sent Duncan out to hunt for a restaurant - he likes the heat.
After touring around Port Macquarie we join up onto the Pacific Highway again. After a less than satisfactory coffee at Kelmsey we head into Coffs Harbour for lunch. We had thought we would have lunch by the beach but the dune restoration program means that there are no beach views - but lunch was lovely fresh bruschetta and tomatoes. We walked through the wooded area to the beach - the sea was rough and a storm was forecast. We could see the plethora of masts in at Coffs "Harbour" - but no boats out sailing today.
It was a short push on to Grafton where we are staying in the Abbey Motel - rather pretentious as it is next to a church. Grafton has just finished it's Jacaranda festival, but the trees are still putting on a wonderful show against the leaden grey skies.

Drifts of Jacaranda trees.

Grafton Bridge - the old version

The railway track has two widths of rail as NSW and Queensland used to run their trains on different widths! You can just see the cranes starting to build the new bridge.

Duncan has returned from his excursion - with good wine, but not a restaurant for tea. We walk up to a local Indian through heavy hot raindrops. It an old Queenslander with broad verandahs, Ionic Greek pillars, Victorian Dado a picture of the Taj Mahal and a Bollywood movie on screen. Excellent food.

Grafton is a charming town, with its curbing around the roundabouts painted lilac - or should that be Jacaranda Blue? In Queensland they are trying to ban jacarandas as they are not natives!
Thursday:
We had a little drive around Grafton and set off with our first stop being MacLean - a town with a Scottish heritage. By now we had found out that my google maps weren't working, and we had no Sat Nav. We attempted to get it fixed, but I believe the computer services were as old fashioned as the rest of the town

Gum-nut tea cosy! Little store flooded with a group of elderly yoga ladies, which had Duncan a bit on edge!

All lamp-posts dressed in kilts!

The instructions to April and Gregs seemed quite straightforward, so we pushed on up the Gold Coast. The roads are undergoing major work here. We only get lost on Tallai Rd which is in the block that their house is on. April is still away at the Community Law office where she volunteers, and Greg gives us a cuppa and the grand tour - they have done heaps of work in the gardens - the property is quite large but a few decades old.

April, Greg and Cooby - dog inherited when kids left home.

Quite a bit of wine later, we trundled off to bed and awoke to a leisurely breakfast and after a quick trip to Robina town centre to look at (and buy) togs and Sketchers we he set off for Brisbane. We managed to have fixed maps, but no directions and were surprised how easy it was to get to Robin and Chris's.
We go and visit Monty - the new addition to the family, Hannah and Jim's baby at 3 weeks old. He is a bit spotty, but very alert and well muscled. Robin has got me an appointment with her doctor to aspirate my seroma. She doesn't seem to have much experience at doing this, and although she draws off a massive 520mls, she manages to spray the serum all over the place as she is emptying the syringe.
Dawn and Jerry Brady (Nick's inlaws) join us for a beautiful slow roasted shoulder and some excellent wine.

Breakfast on Saturday morning

On Saturday we head up to Maleny where Nick and Michelle live - unfortunately they are not there as they had to go and see an elderly relative, but we see their block of land, Michelle's business - Sow n Sow which distributes seeds - often as part of a birthday card present. Robin and Chris have a caravan up there too. Still some thought to go into what they will do with the land. It is in the Sunshine Coast Hinterland near the Glasshouse Mountains.
Phoebe and her fiance Shannon join us for lunch at Maleny. They are living in Rob and Chris's next project at Yaroomba. At present they are putting in a swimming pool so it is a bit messy. We had discussed that we might travel down there, but I am still a bit tired after yesterday's doctors visit.
After a bit of a rest we are ready to go to Il Posto, and Italian restaurant for dinner. Very pleasant sitting outside - but it gets dark very early as they have no daylight saving in Queensland.
Sunday morning is quite cloudy but we head down to South bank for a leisurely stroll.

This is an very intriguing sculpture by Michael Parekowhai. It is called The World Turns. Just on the other side of the elephant's head is a local native rat sculpture (small), just going about its business, while all around the big stuff is trying to change - not always for the better!!