Musing Round Australia

Blue Mountains 7-8 October 2011

2011-10-10T18:04:00.001+08:00

Had a relatively quick run through Sydney, although Peter had to contend with wall to wall semi-trailers - what a change after the back-blocks of Dungog. Heather caught up with all her family and on Sunday we went to Judy’s 60th Birthday party. It was good to see everyone and Judy and Bill went to a lot of trouble to make it a special day. In the afternoon, we packed up and headed home. Ross and Heather had been house sitting for us and did a great job of looking after our home.

Mooney Mooney 6 October 2011

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In the morning, we had a wander around Dungog. While a small town, it seemed to have everything that you would, including amazingly wide streets that we could do a u-turn in. Drove onto Patterson and then onto Morpeth. They are peaceful little towns and still capture the essence of the country. To catch up on where we went back on the freeway and stopped at a campsite on the Hawkesbury River at Mooney Mooney.

Dungog

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Feed the Dog Meat

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Dungog 5 October 2011

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In the morning we had a look around Taree, got some baby clothes for Katie and found a little shop that sold delicious apricot and ginger jam. Decided to head south via Dungog, however we did not anticipate the appalling goat tracks we would have to travel over. In spite of the bouncy ride and a few hairy bridge crossings we enjoyed the drive through the green countryside – reminded us of Tasmania. Stopped at Gloucester, a small town that Heather compared to the Walgett of her youth. Stopped at the showground at Dungog and had a peaceful night.

Taree 4 October 2011

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Laura has finally received a job offer in Darwin, but not a starting date, so rather than wait she has decided to head off to Sydney. We stopped at Kempsey, put her on a train, bought more baby clothes and then wandered down to camp on the outskirts of Taree. Like most Northern River towns, Peter remembers helping out in a flood that had overtopped the levee – hard to believe it now looking at the peaceful scene we saw.

This was just the audience!

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Grace Barbe

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Oh the Mud!

2011-10-10T17:48:00.000+08:00

Bellingen 29 September – 3 October 2011

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Stopped at Maclean for lunch, where Peter showed us where the floods nearly topped the levee when he was last there in the SES. Got to Bellingen in good time and tried to find a spot to stay, but it is definitely not motorhome friendly and it was hard to find somewhere for the night. In the morning, we got up early to go into the Global, but we were directed to a spot where we got bogged in the mud and needed to be towed out! Finally settled in a drier spot, but unfortunately more cold rain meant the whole site became a quagmire with thick mud making it difficult to move around the site. As we were concerned with getting stuck again, we ended up moving out of the campground before the track became impassable. We bumped into old friends Lindsay and Sue from the Mountains. They have just got a 4WD camper and are looking forward to travelling in the outback. Also caught up with Dave and Tanya (from Wongawilli) who were playing at the festival. Amongst the musical highlights were John Cleary, Dirty Dozen Brass Band (from New Orleans), Frank Yamma (beautiful Aboriginal singer), Band of Brothers (with the Gorgonian brothers), Grace Barbe (from Mauritius), Sunas (a Celtic group), Suara Indonesian Dance Group (great interpretive dances) and Mama Kin (who had John Butler singing with her) . While we enjoyed the variety of musical acts, we were not impressed with the organisation of the festival and won’t make it back again.

A Bog Day's Night

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Settled in at The Global

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Ballina 28 September 2011

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Moved down the coast, heading for Bellingen to go to the Global Music Festival. On the way, we stopped into Newrybar, as Laura enjoyed staying there with Nat. It was a hamlet rather than a village, with a fancy cafe and an expensive antique store – you could imagine people from Byron Bay flocking there on the weekend for a cosy meal and an overpriced ‘bargain’. Stayed outside Ballina for the night. Ballina has really grown since we were last there and is now like a crowded Shellharbour. It is interesting to see how the once small coastal towns are developing and they way they embrace (or reject) change.

In a Pensive Mood

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A Kings Ransom!

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Redcliffe 27 September 2011

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After the interviews finished, we set off for Redcliffe and camped by a jetty. We meet a woman with another Longreach, who was still working out how to use it, so we were able to help her work out a few problems.

Maleny Sunrise

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Maleny 23 - 26 September 2011

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After not getting any feedback from her job applications, Laura now has 2 interviews next Tuesday, so we decided to stay at Maleny to give her a chance to prepare. On Friday night we went to the cafe to hear a jazz trio and have a meal. Peter got up early Saturday morning to go to a few garage sales but there wasn’t much around. On Sunday we went to the markets and then onto an open day at the local historical museum. There were lots of interesting things to see and one of the old houses reminded us of our old cottage. There was also an old car display and Peter saw a beautifully restored 1948 Vauxhall coupe, as well as an early Reilly. In the afternoon, we went back to Mapleton to listen to some folk music but didn’t stay long. Instead we decided to get some ingredients for a high tea and had a nice meal outside and watched the sun go down. On Monday, we helped Laura with her questions for her interviews for Tuesday. They seemed to go well, so now she just has to wait to see if she got the jobs.

Kenilworth

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Crystal Waters

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Mary River

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Singing For Her Supper

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Maleny 18 – 22 September 2011

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After a very step and slow drive, we finally got up to Maleny, a pleasant little town we had visited 3 years ago and settled into the showground for a few days. Maleny is nestled into a lee of a ridge that runs along the hinterland of the Sunshine coast. It is a friendly town, with a thriving co-op that runs a general store and cafe. They had a blackboard concert in the cafe on Monday night and Laura sang a few of the songs she composed. We had an enjoyable time and heard some great music. On Tuesday we had a look around the town and went for a walk in a rainforest. There were some beautiful large trees still there and we thought it was amazing that this area was spared the clear felling that occurred in surrounding areas. On Wednesday went for a long drive around the district and visited a number of the surrounding villages. At Crystal Waters, we stopped to have morning tea at Mary River and had a look at an eco-village and then went onto Kenilworth for lunch. Laura is still looking for a job and checked out some likely positions on the internet – nothing exciting, but she is still applying.

Maleny Rainforest

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Redcliffe Festival

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Flying High

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On the Beach

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Redcliffe 13 - 17 September 2011

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We have continued to enjoy Redcliffe and the surrounding area. Peter has been preoccupied working on a few problems with the Alpine, which unfortunately have not been resolved. Laura is still waiting for confirmation that she has a job in Darwin but came up from Hippy Land (ie Mullumbimby) and we went out to an interesting cafe on the water for lunch. She had been staying in a tree-house, so the motorhome was ‘luxury, lass, sheer luxury’. We showed Laura around the Redcliffe area and went for a few walks. On Sunday, they had a small festival and we went down to the waterfront and had a look at the markets. There was a speed-boat race on the bay that made lots of noise and sent spray shooting up into the air. One of the most amazing sights was a pair of helicopters who were filming the race and skimming just above the waves.

The Mousetrap

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Redcliffe 9 - 12 September 2011

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Spent the time doing some jobs around Jimmy and having a look at Redcliffe. There are lots of interesting walks along the bays and rivers, as well as some yacht clubs and marinas at the harbour, where we had a delightful morning tea. Have visited a number of markets and Peter went to a few garage sales and picked up a few antiques. On Sunday we went to see the play ‘The Mousetrap’, which we last saw in 1976. Notwithstanding our previous visit, we couldn’t remember anything about it, so it was like seeing it for the first time. Peter (Mr Smarty Pants) guessed the right murderer and on the slim off-chance that you may see it, we have been sworn to secrecy to not reveal the ending (a hint – it wasn’t the butler)!

Peter at Redcliffe Harbour

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Heather and Nicky

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Redcliffe 3 – 8 September 2011

2011-09-08T12:59:00.000+08:00

Said goodbye to Kerry and Di and headed north to Redcliffe Showground. Redcliffe is an attractive seaside town that we have visited a number of times. Unfortunately, the showground was being used for a scouting competition, so we had to shuffle around to get a site; however we were in time for the Sunday market, which had lots of interesting goods for sale. Redcliffe was much the same, except for the foreshore, which they are digging up to ‘beautify’ so we should see the results next time we are here. Peter has been busy getting parts for the truck and sorting out a few problems – however we are very pleased with the Longreach and look forward to some longer trips in it. Nicky has been good so far – he sleeps all night and Peter takes him for a walk in the morning and he seems to have settled in very well. Have started to explore the area – there are many interesting walks along the river and coast and it has been lovely warm days so far.

Kerrie, Di and Heather

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View from K & D Porch

2011-09-08T12:57:00.000+08:00

Currumbin Waters 1 – 2 September 2011

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After a noisy night we were up early and decided to get to Currumbin that day. North from Coffs Harbour, the road gets very messy, with lots of speed changes, from 40 to 110 kph and Peter found the going difficult. Stopped at Brunswick Heads and enjoyed a peaceful lunch parked next to the river. This little town seems to have been bypassed by progress and we enjoyed showing it to Laura. Arrived at Peter’s cousin house and got the motorhome registered. Kerry and Di live on one of the canal estates and have done a great job of renovating their house. They have boundless energy and are always looking for the next project, so we will see how long they stay there. We caught up with family gossip and Peter helped Laura prepare for a job interview for a position in Darwin. Laura has finished her Masters in International Relations and is now looking for a permanent job, but has found the first one is always the hardest to get. The phone interview went well and she should know by next Wednesday (fingers crossed). She then headed off to Byron Bay to catch up with some of her friends and hopefully we will catch up before she heads to Darwin.

A Muddle of Motorhomes

2011-09-08T12:54:00.000+08:00

Some poor hitchhikers I Picked Up

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Brunswick Heads

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Laura and Nicky

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Little Italy 31 August 2011

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On the road early and headed north on the highway to make some miles. We stopped at Grafton for lunch and again encountered a low bridge (don’t you love your GPS)! Called it quits at a campsite called Little Italy, which was the location of an original Italian settlement, organised by Sir Henry Parkes. While we were looking forward to a magnificent Italian meal, the cafe doesn’t open at night, so Heather made an Italian dish in the Winnebago and we opened a bottle of red – the things we have to do!

Low Bridge at Wauchope

2011-09-07T09:16:00.000+08:00

Macksville Lunch

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Wauchope 30 August 2011

2011-09-07T09:14:00.000+08:00

As we were trying to get to Queensland to register the Winnebago Longreach, we headed up the highway and after stopping at Macksville for lunch, we set up camp at Wauchope for the night. We had planned to stay on the river for the night, but as we approached our site, we found a low-lying bridge that was 100mm too low for the motorhome. As we couldn’t reverse, we took it very slowly and with Heather on the roof guiding Peter, we just made it! A lesson (once more) in checking travel advice you get from locals!

Last of the Fibros

2011-09-07T09:13:00.001+08:00

Sunset at Entrance

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The Entrance 29 August 2011

2011-09-07T09:07:00.001+08:00

We haven’t been travelling that much the past 2 years, but we had made up our mind that we would start now or finish up our musings. We are conscious of how quickly life seems to be charging along and we have seen some of our friends that have left it too late to do anything, so we stepped into the breach once more and planned a trip up north. This time we decided to take Nicky, so we will see how we go with a dog. Had an unexpected amount of work to do around the motorhome to get it ready and so we didn’t leave until Monday morning. Laura is home at the moment (between travels) and had gone up to Sydney for a reunion, so we organised to meet her at Tuggerah. As we were already off the highway, we decided to continue on and stop at The Entrance. Like most of the north coast, it is quickly morphing into a ‘resort destination’, with McMansions replacing the fibro shacks of our youth – progress I guess. We stopped at a camp right on the water and decided to go for a stroll along the lake, however we were accurately dive bombed by a pair of nesting plovers, so we retreated and walked along the river and then back along the beach. There was a 4 story deserted mansion positioned right on the sand dune and when we asked a local how it was allowed to be built; he gave a wink and said it was who you knew in council! Went back to Jimmy and had a wine while we watched the sunset over the lake.

Berry Rally April 2011

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My Humber Sceptre on a short rally around the Berry country-side. Beautiful area!

Home 28th April 2011

2011-04-29T20:03:00.000+08:00

We decided to return home via Braidwood, as Peter was told that the road was now much better and had been sealed (hint- never take advice from a toothless man named Draino). Stopped at Queanbeyan and had a look around – while certainly an authentic town after Canberra, it also appeared rather run down, with boarded up shops and sparse streets. Then onto a pretty little village called Bungendore, which reminded us of Berry – wouldn’t like to visit it on a weekend – standing room only! After lunch we set off for Braidwood, only to discover that the road was still a muddy, slippery, windy and rocky road that we remembered from yore. It was only after we got to Nerriga that the road improved and we could breathe easily. We got home tired and wet just before dark, but very happy to have gone to the National Folk Festival.

Campbell soaring to new heights

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Wongawilli in full flight

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Canberra, National Folk Festival 22 – 27 April 2011

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Having stocked up on essential provisions such as wine and beer, we settled in at the folk festival. There are about 55,000 people who visit it over the 5 days, and most of them seemed to be camping next to us! However you soon get to know your neighbours and everybody helps each other out. The opening night concert was held in Budawang, which holds about 1,500 and it was packed. The next 4 days have been a whirl of music, songs and dancing. There are about 12 venues going continuously and it is impossible to see all the groups that interest you, so you just ‘go with the flow’. We did catch up with some old favourites, such as Margaret Roadknight, The Bushwackers, Wongawilli and The Larrikins. As it was the 45th anniversary festival, they also had a tribute concert for the musicans that played at the first festival, including Phyl Lobyl, who is one of our neighbours. But this is not just a nostalgia trip – it was great to see so many young people here, enjoying the music and playing on stage. It is a fantastic atmosphere just walking around, with lots of interesting stalls and street theatre, including our old favourite – Campbell the Swaggie. Peter is now on the organising committee for the Illawarra Folk Festival and was full of admiration for the way this festival runs so smoothly, with no hitches so far. He has been attending the early (frosty) morning sessions with his autoharp; while still a beginner, he enjoys playing in a group (Heather thinks it’s because it drowns his awful playing).
On Tuesday, we set off for our volunteer role – cleaning up after the festival. While not a challenging role, it gave us the opportunity to enjoy the festival without rushing off to do a volunteer duty. After another exciting day of cleaning up, we caught up with Jon, an old friend of Peters, who shared a house with him in Armidale. Jon has had an eventful life and is now enjoying his retirement by playing in a blues band.

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Canberra 17 – 21 April 2011

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Filled the fridge with ice and continued onto EPIC where the National Folk Festival was being held. Settled into a camp spot and we were surprised how many people were already there. We also discovered that there was a water leak and the electrics weren’t working! Went down to the War Memorial to carry out some research on Peter’s dad, who was in Darwin when the Japanese bombed it, however we will need to go back again to do some more investigation. The next day we investigated how to fix all the issues. Peter fixed up the leak and booked Jimmy in to check the fridge and electrics. Wednesday was full on getting the problems sorted out and while there is still some electrical work to be fixed, the fridge seems nice and cold! In the evening we wandered over to a session to hear some beautiful singing. Everybody had to take turns at singing, however as we are both tone deaf, Peter read some poetry and then told some stories about his father’s misadventures in the bush – seemed to go down OK. On Thursday we walked around their botanical gardens and enjoyed the wildflowers that were out – amazing considering how cold it is here. We then visited Peter’s cousins – Peter and Phyl. We caught up with all the family gossip and just when we were leaving, Carmel arrived with Betty, who we hadn’t seen for years.

Peter at the War Memorial

2011-04-29T19:47:00.000+08:00

Burradoo 16 April 2011

2011-04-29T19:46:00.000+08:00

After an eventful start we set off through the rain for Canberra. While we have been looking forward to seeing the National Folk Festival, we had quite a bit of stress in preparing for our trip. We had ongoing problems with our fridge, so we took it to the local Dometic dealer – Best Country Caravan Repairs who said we needed to replace the cooling system - $1800! We said OK, paid a deposit and expected to get it installed the next week. Nothing happened so I rang him up and after 2 days of ringing got onto him. Sorry, hasn’t been ordered but will do so now and expect it in 2 days. Another week passes – this time 4 days to answer phone - sorry still chasing it up! By this stage the trip to Canberra was next week, but we were assured that it would be ready early next week and he would ring me. Next week he didn’t ring, so after only 1 day of ringing I got an answer. Sorry, they can’t find it – it is somewhere on the road but expected the next day. In desperation I took the motorhome up and left it there – no worries, it would be ready by Wednesday. On Thursday I rang all day and no answer, so I drove up to see what happened. They were still working on it but ready soon. When I asked why he didn’t answer his phone, he said he was too busy to answer!
Unfortunately it didn’t stop there – 1 day to go and we put the fridge on gas, only to find it wasn’t working! Back to the repair guy who spent a few hours fixing it and said it was right to go. Loaded up the fridge and set off through the rain, stopping at Burradoo for the night, only to find (yes you guessed it) the fridge wasn’t working again! AAAAHHHHH!

Motorfest

2011-01-27T20:28:00.002+08:00

I was lucky enough to be invited to the NRMA Motorfest as part of Australia Day celebrations, so I drove it up to Sydney the day before. About 1,000 cars were assembled along Macquarie St - far too many to appreciate in one day. I meet Heather and the family in town and we walked along the street admiring the great variety of vehicles. There were too many cars to mention, so I have just posted some photos of red cars! I had some positive

NRMA Motorfest

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Illawarra Folk Festival 13th - 18th january 2011

2011-01-17T12:27:00.004+08:00

After a long break we cleaned up Jimmebago and head north to the Illawarra Folk Festival. Peter had been shanghaied into the marketing role when the previous Marketing and Media Manager had resigned suddenly. So this time we were very involved with the organisation of the festival for the past few months – reminded us of working for the jazz festival!
We camped up there early, as Peter had to organise some media interviews with the 2 headline acts – Eric Bogle and Ted Egan. We had last met Ted at the Darwin festival many years ago, when he was still the Administrator of the Northern Territory and he had put on a bit of weight since then (but he still manages to make fun of his size). While we were very busy running around, we still managed to hear a number of great acts – some old favourites (The Pigs, Neil Murray, Dave De Hugard, Wongawilli, John Broomall) as well as some younger performers (Orange Blossom, Ami Williamson, Richard Perso, Tracey Bunn). Richard Perso, who is only 19, his strong blues-influenced singing of standards and his own compositions, along with his superb slide guitar playing, kept the enthusiastic crowd on their feet.
Peter had spent a lot of time in publicising the festival, especially on the internet and he was perhaps too successful as they had a record crowd (about 10,000 visitors over the 5 day festival) and had to turn people away! They are already talking about limiting the number of people for next year. After 4 days of non-stop music, we gratefully packed up and headed to the beach to take advantage of the warm weather. We travelled up the coast to Coledale looking forward to a swim, however we awoke to a cool, cloudy day accompanied by blustery winds. After a walk along the windy beach we settled done for a buffeting night.
That next morning we awoke to a much calmer and sunnier day. We went for a drive along the coast and popped into a number of antique/junk shops. We had forgotten how beautiful this part of the coast is – different from our area, but just as dramatic. The drive home was without drama and we felt that we had been away for weeks.

Singing Between the Canvas

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Brisbane 17 September 2010

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Got in early in the morning in record time and checked up on Nell. There had been a delay in having an operation, so after getting some repairs to the electrics, we decided to drive straight home, rather then hang around in Queensland. It was a very hectic trip home as Jimmy doesn’t go too fast but we made it back by Saturday night in time for Nell’s operation. We found a campsite in Wollongong and stayed there for a few nights. When we got home on Tuesday, we found there had been a very strong storm and a number of trees had come down. Peter took a few days to clean up the mess but by the end of the week, the garden was looking good.

The Future World Chessman

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Sanur 11 – 16 September 2010

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Said goodbye to the wonderful staff at Agung Kahila and set off for Sanur and the Sanur Beach Villa. The villa was a bit run down but everything was working and it had A/C so we were glad to settle in for a swim. We meet Ron (an ex Aussie) who owned the place and gave us some local drum. Even though the weather was quite hot, we decided to go for a walk along the beach and look at the sights. At first glance, the beach is not as nice as Jimbaran and quite a lot dirtier. Peter got up early the next morning to catch the sunrise over the water, which was very scenic. After a refreshing swim, we wandered up to the local markets and the girls took part in their favourite sport – shopping! Laura was going that night, so we settled for a quiet evening around the pool, catching up with the other guests. On Monday morning, we went up to the north of Sanur Beach and had a relaxing time on the beach – seems a nicer area than the southern part. As it was very hot, we headed back to our villa for a refreshing swim in the pool.
Wednesday morning we got up early and decided on a smorgasbord breakfast on the beach with lots of the ‘wrong’ food we had been craving! Had some bad news from home – Nell had fallen and broken her hip. She had been taken to Wollongong Hospital and Michael and Sandra were looking after her. We were heading off that night so did a last minute round of bargaining for trinkets and back to the villa for another swim. That evening we walked up the road and had a drink in one of the fancy hotels and a meal in a local café. Said goodbye to Katie, Carl and Xavier and headed for the airport and a very straightforward trip to Brisbane.

The Idea of North?

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Sanur Beach

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Sanur Sunrise

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Harvesting the Rice Fields

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Farewell to our Villa

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Ubud Villa

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Ceremony at Ubud Market

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Ubud (Bali) 5 – 10 September 2010

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On Sunday, we woke up early (curtesy of Xavier) and went off to explore the beach. It was such a gorgeous morning, so we decided to stay for something to eat and have breakfast right on the beach. After catching up with Wyang and his family, we were picked up and taken on a pretty drive to our villa in Ubud. This was planned as the highlight of our trip and we were not disappointed. The villa was enormous and looked onto an aqua pool. All around us were vivid green rice paddies with the local farmers tending their crops. On Tuesday Katie, Carl and Peter went into Ubud. Peter explored some of the art museums and admired the traditional Balinese paintings. On Tuesday evening Peter, Heather and Laura went to the Ubud jazz Club to hear Jim Larkin backed by some fantastic local musicians. He sang funky R and B songs that everybody enjoyed. We got up early on Wednesday with Katie, Carl, Xavier and Peter going to see the monkeys at the Monkey Forest while Heather and Laura went off to a live drawing class. Xavier loved the monkeys, especially the little ones clinging onto their mothers. Coming home, we stopped at the markets and saw a local ceremony, with the men and women dressed up in their finest clothes. Although it has been unusually wet, we still enjoyed ourselves staying at the villa. On Friday, we went for a walk down to the village and we were lucky enough to see the farmers harvesting rice in the fields then laying it out to dry. That night we had an enjoyable last dinner on the terrace overlooking the pool.

Ubud Markets

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Barong Ceremony

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When the Boats Come In

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Jimbaran (Bali) 1 – 4 September 2010

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After a long but uneventful flight, we arrived in Bali in the afternoon and set off for Jimbaran. The beach was a surprise and much prettier than Kuta. We enjoyed getting up early and watching the men haul the fishing boats up the beach. As Jimbaran had limited facilities, we went into Kuta to get some supplies and change some money. From our view, Kuta has deteriorated into a down-market Surfers Paradise. Aside from a local supermarket and department store, the rest of the shops consisted of expensive upmarket brands or tourist ticky tack. So, for the rest of the week we hang around Jimbaran and enjoyed the local ambiance – including a great massage.
While we were wandering around the village on Saturday, we found the villagers preparing for their local ceremony and we met Wyang, who offered to fit us out with the right clothes so we could see it. In the afternoon, we went to his home (a family compound) and got dressed up. The ceremony was fascinating, with the women dressed in colourful skirts and the men dressed in white. They had people dressed up as a Barong (lion) who were opposing the evil spirits. The Balinese seem a very spiritual people, who make offerings to the spirits many times a day. This is reflected in the way they treat each other and even the numerous tourists (who must often try their patience).
Went out to dinner to a resort on the beach on Saturday and watched the sunset while having a drink. Late Saturday night, Katie, Carl and Xavier arrived and Laura was meant to arrive after midnight but her plane was delayed and didn’t get in til 2am – much to the relief of her worried parents.

Peter, Wyang and Heather

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Sunset Dinner on Jimbaran Beach

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Coffee on the Beach

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Redcliffe 29 – 31 August 2010

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Camped at Redcliffe Showground, a place were we had stayed before and prepared for our trip to Bali. While it may seem strange to be going to Bali from Brisbane, we had won a holiday prize last year while touring around the Murray River and decided to take Katie, Carl, Xavier and Laura to Bali with us. (Yes, we know what you are thinking and you are right!)

A Campsite

2010-09-10T16:15:00.004+08:00

The Big Concert

2010-09-10T16:15:00.003+08:00

Gympie Muster 26 – 28 August 2010

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While we were enjoying our time by the water, we decided to make a run for Gympie to catch up with Kerrie and Di at the muster. For us it was a long drive, (the last 20km along a rough, dusty track), but when we found the festival site, they wouldn’t let us go into the campground until the next morning – we were not impressed!! Luckily, we were able to turn around and we headed back along the track until we found a campsite in a forest reserve. This was the area where Jim would have been involved in timber cutting. Early Friday morning, we bought our tickets and drove in to look for a campsite. There were thousands of people with all sorts of weird and wonderful campsites. Luckily, we were able to squash in next to Kerrie and Di as we wouldn’t have found a spot otherwise. The Gympie Muster is predominately a country music festival and we were not sure what to expect once we got inside. The organisers had set up about 10 stages in the middle of a forest reserve and there was plenty of variety in the music. While there weren’t many Dry-as-a-bones, there were lots of 10-gallon hats and young blokes in blue singlets, with a XXXX in one hand and a Bundy in the other! However, in spite of the mountain of empty cans, everyone seemed in good humour and ready to enjoy the music. One of our early highlights was hearing Harry Manx, a Canadian blues singer who we had caught up with on a previous tour. He has a voice half way between Dylan and Cohen and the most soulful lyrics and an insightful quote on the blues - “We’re not happy til you’re not happy!” We enjoyed wandering around, listening to the music and ended our night in the blues tent with Glenn Cardiner. The next day we wandering around again and caught up with John Williams and ended up listening to Jimmy Barnes from our campsite! After a Sunday morning catch-up with Kerrie and Di, we set off for Redcliffe.

Side Show Girls

2010-09-10T15:45:00.004+08:00

Harry Manx

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Birds of a Feather

2010-08-25T13:33:00.000+08:00

View From Bedroom Window

2010-08-25T13:32:00.000+08:00

Pottsville Beach 25 August 2010

2010-08-25T13:31:00.001+08:00

After a short drive through lush green countryside, we turned off the highway and set off along a coastal road, hoping to visit some of the isolated fishing villages Peter remembered from his youth. Alas the developers beat us and have erected a series of ‘Shellharbour’ hamlets that have devoured many of the little fishing villages, complete with interchangeable Lego shopping centres. Thankfully there are still a number of nature reserves that separate the expansive developments and we enjoyed walking along some deserted beaches. Camped at Pottsville Beach on the Mooball Creek that meanders along the coastal sand dunes.

Elijah - The Youngest Truckie in the West

2010-08-25T13:30:00.001+08:00

Rhubarb Girls

2010-08-25T13:28:00.000+08:00

Lismore 23 August 2010

2010-08-24T09:58:00.003+08:00

We woke up to steady rain on the roof – so different from the sunny days over the weekend. Said goodbye to Bellingen (and the uncertain election results)and set off for Lismore. Had an uneventful drive and settled into the showground for the night. Heather caught up with Natalie and her new boyfriend Brendan for dinner.
The next morning it was bright and sunny and we strolled down to the organic market to catch up with Natalie, Brendan, Miriam and Nathan for coffee. Got some fresh vegetables and fruit and then did the rounds of the op shops. Peter had to do some work on the motorhome and got new house batteries as well. Camped just outside Lismore on the road to Bangalow.

2010-08-20T10:09:00.000+08:00

Jazz and Blues

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Bellingen 18 - 22 August 2010

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Drove onto Macksville for morning tea. Peter remembers the floods that isolated the town, but there was no evidence of the destruction now and today Macksville seems a prosperous farming town. A short drive saw us at Nambucca Heads, a hilly but beautiful spot, with many attractive beaches and a wide river scattered with sandbars. Vowed we would come back and spend more time there. Drove onto Bellingen and camped at the showground. Bellingen was another area where Peter has vivid memories of the dramatic floods that literately tore the town in half. We both enjoyed Bellingen and found it a relaxing town with a variety of services. Went to the pub to hear some local jazz - heard some excellent standards. On Friday morning we wandered up to the park to listen to some local jazz by the Blue Pegs and the Manouche Allstars – both good bands. Had a walk around the town and it reminded us of Berry – lots of old weatherboard cottages with magnificent gardens.

Bulahdelah

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Kempsey 17 August 2010

2010-08-20T09:59:00.002+08:00

Stopped for morning tea at Bulahdelah, a pleasant spot leading to the Myall Lake region. Drove straight on to Kempsey for lunch. Wandered around the town, but little had changed since our last trip – a few more vacant shops and more people drinking in the park.

The Faded Rock

2010-08-20T09:56:00.001+08:00

Ayers Rock, Tea Gardens 16 August 2010

2010-08-20T09:54:00.000+08:00

After spending all day looking around Newcastle, we set off late in the afternoon for Ayers Rock – no not Uluru but the mock rock built by Mick and Mal, the original croc hunters. Unfortunately one of the iconic ‘big things’ is now a shabby relic that is slowly falling apart. Still a good overnight stop.

Everybody Sing - "On the road again!" 16 August 2010

2010-08-16T08:57:00.004+08:00

Well after a long break we are back on the wallaby. Headed up to see Heather's family and morning tea at Colins with all the family. After 12 weeks of our liver cleansing diet, we felt like a conspirator co-opted into a mad hatter’s tea party, as the food kept appearing on an already groaning table. Bundling Laura into Jimmy, we set off to visit her friend Jen and her family at Cooks Hill in Newcastle. In the morning we went for a long walk around the foreshore. Although there are many ugly high-rise apartments springing up, there are still plenty of lovely Victorian buildings scattered around the beaches. Surprised at the number of vacant shops and offices in the CBD - everybody seems to have moved out to the shopping centres.

The Bedroom

2010-05-04T05:48:00.000+08:00

The Garden

2010-05-04T05:17:00.001+08:00