A toast to the new year and to new adventures....

As we finish the year out, we watched the last sunset fall behind the hills of Dorrigo.  We weren't the only ones there either, as two other couples also, watched the sun set on the last day of the year.

Life has been very good to us this year.  I can't really complain as we have had the opportunity to travel extensively this year.  From the Simpson desert, up to Cooktown and working our way back down through Queensland and New South Wales.

And while we might have missed out on our trip to the USA this year after watching the dollar fall. This also, was on our 'To Do'  list as well. So for us, it was a 'win win' situation.  I love Australia.  There's a beauty in the ruggedness of this country that I just adore and that's why I wish to share it with you.

I hope that when you reflect back on your year, that you have many good memories that you too, can share.  And as we go forth into the new year of 2009, I wish you all love and happiness.

The eagle has landed.....

The eagle has landed.  Okay,...maybe not.  I've discovered that one of the quickest ways to divorce is to own a caravan.  Well, maybe not OWN one, but trying to land one next to the cement pad that is going to be your patio for a few days.

Moving a trailer or caravan backwards is one of the hardest things to do for many people.  And this is where the husband and wife differ as the husband sits in his car and the wife is at the back of the caravan giving directions on where to place the caravan so that it's EXACTLY!! parallel.  Or at least acceptable for said husband.  So the husband patiently gives you directions on HOW to tell him left or right.  So while you're at the back of the caravan still figuring out if it IS left or right, he's driving backwards, but STILL expecting or waiting on instructions!  And as you watch his lips moving saying unkind words and exclaiming over '' how difficult can it be?!!!" all you want to do as you mutter under your breath is give him the "sign" that all is not well in YOUR world either.  And then add some rain to that and slippery wet grass and the tyres ON the cement pad,...and, well the situation increases tenfold. 

But once you've landed and hubby is happy.  Each does their own thing to get their little home settled.  And with either a beer or a coffee in hand (depending on time of day), tension then subsides as they each go to their own corner.  You hear about couples divorcing all the time after they've been caravanning.  And now I know why,..neither one forgave each other for that sniping and snarling that comes with 'landing' a caravan.  "It's okay honey,...I forgive you for being a cranky old fart.  I just hope you can forgive me that I'm still trying to figure out my left from my right."

The Computer Saga....

Four days before Christmas, Chris bought me a new computer.  We got it home.  I unpacked it and plugged it in, and fired it up.  ''ooh,...niiice...very lovely,....thank you oh so much...''  But when I tried to plug my Sierra Wireless card into the slot,...it stopped.  Half way.  uh oh.... This isn't good.  It doesn't fit.  Well, Chris put on his '' Wronged customer'' suit and ranted and raved for a few minutes about how he was going BACK to the shop and DEMAND to know what's going on.  Well, it worked out that we ended up at the Telstra shop where the Sierra Wireless card account is, and found out that we only need to get a new EXPRESS card.  It seems all the NEW computers have a different size card now.  The ''slimmer'' version.  And also, that we could possibly ring up and get it by mail, with no charges attached.

So!.. this morning I have spent the better part of an hour sorting out a new card to be sent WITH charges, only to have Chris say, well if we're going to PAY for it, we might as well pick it up at the shop.  At least that way we'll HAVE the card and it only needs to be processed while we're traveling.  So!!   BACK on the phone I go to CANCEL the bloody thing and start again.

We've been to several shops now.  Two of which were closed for the holiday period and one didn't handle Telstra's internet facilities.  I can't even pick it up from the original shop as it's on the Gold Coast, not local.  So it's been 3 days now and I still haven't been able to use the new computer.  But when I finally get my new card up and running...watch out.  There will be SMOKE coming out of this baby!!...For me, it's like getting those V8 pipes that all the guys sigh and drool over.

Quotas and Christmas.....

Well, I've run my quota for photos this month and missed one.  So here it is,...old man kangaroo.

 

Chris ran into him the other day as he was talking a walk along the ridge.  I'm not sure who startled who, but Chris was very impressed by his size, so he took a picture of him. Yesterday we came to the beach where the sun was shining and the sea was blue.  This morning we woke up to cloudy skies and a grey ocean and the rains are on the way. (again)

We've landed in Ballina now, ready to do the Christmas battle.  I call it ' battle'  simply because of the tension you can feel in the air as the moms and dads rush to get those last minute details ready.  Most businesses here will shut shop for a week or two, so there's lots to do before that happens.  It's the last weekend to finalize details and I got caught up in it.  Ah, well, Cet la vie!   Oh! and there's pictures on the right under ''more photos''.   These will be the last ones until the New Year or whenever I can work out what my cut off date is.  To everyone I wish a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

From the mountains to the sea......

From the mountainous highlands to the deep blue sea.  We cut across the Great Dividing Range and we're now down on the ocean front tonight. The day started off slow and easy and it seems to be ending that way too.

We headed out through Jackadgery on the way to Grafton.  We stopped in to see Boundary Creek Falls.  Now THAT was a spectacular find.  It was like a faerie oasis in the forest with it's own water fall and swimming hole.  There were tadpoles galore and the odd fish or two.

 

 

 

Very picturesque.  The stairs however were extremely steep and after stopping a couple of times on the way up, I think my heart was having a tough time slowing back down.

After that we headed down along Mann River and stopped in at Jackadgery for an ice cold drink.  It was very warm there so we didn't linger too long.

 

 

 

We ended up along the beach front after deciding on Minnie Water to stay over night.  And that's right next to Hiawatha Lake. (Somebody's been reading up on their classics)  However, the spot that was available was downwind of the public facilities and I wasn't too keen on that spot.  So we headed further south to Wooli and found this wonderful spot that sits high on the edge of the ocean.  We've settled everything down for the night and a cool breeze is coming through the van.

 

So!...with saying all that,....the sun is starting to set and we haven't been down to the beach yet.  So I'm off to get my swimmers on while the meat thaws out for dinner.

19th Century to the 21st Century.....

My first thought is to say thank you to all those inventors out there.  After going through the historical village yesterday, it really comes home to roost about how hard life was in those days for the early pioneers.  I think I could handle living in a slab hut with either dirt floors or timber slab floors.  I could also handle cooking over the fires.  The beds?...well,...I DO like my comfort there.  I can even handle not having indoor plumbing.  But it's the back breaking work, like getting the timber for the fire, having to wash clothes BY HAND, in a wringer and copper tub, having to make all of my family's clothes, and bringing the water up from the creek/river/dam, and tending the garden, so you can have vegetables.  And the slab walls (with gaps in between) would be really great....in the summer!,...add a cold, windy and frosty morning to that,....well,....you can see what I mean.  So to all those inventors out there, I thank you from the bottom of my pampered heart.  We really DO have an easy life.

We sometimes forget about the hardships they've had to endure as we have our romanticised views of what " life was like" back then.  Part of me would like to have that lifestyle and part of me would not.  (I think this is where I'd like to have my cake and eat it too).  I like the fresh air, and country lifestyle, but I also like the mod cons, like refrigerators, washers, comfy beds with lots of linen and blankets, running water, and indoor plumbing.  So to all those inventors out there, I thank you.

Views of Rocky River

This part of Australia has been awesome. The recent rains have left this place so green and cool. Yesterday, we went through another valley. This one is Rocky River Rd. It meanders down through a beautiful valley and then climbs up into a rain forest and out the other side to a small country town. The cows and sheep wander on the road and most of them had found shady spots under the trees. The river that ran alongside the road, was filled with granite boulders all through. This road is not listed as a sight seeing tour, but we found it by pure accident. It actually cuts through farming properties.
I saw the road on the map, and we hemmed and hawed about whether to take this road or not, but in the end, we are so glad we did. The sites are so BEAUTIFUL. Both Chris and myself just love the country atmosphere and this area had it in spades.
We saw one of the biggest bulls I've seen in quite a while. The blue sky reflecting on the running water and the water courses that ran over the road many times through out, were just beautiful. The day itself was just glorious and you couldn't have had a better day to tour.
As we came out of the forest, we came across a hidden valley and both Chris and I started thinking of the Ponderosa, from the show Bonanza. (boy!..THAT was many years ago!)
This is a tour worth seeing again if you like the country side.

Over the border.....

We're over the border into New South Wales. (NSW)  The clocks have been turned over for the extra hour, (daylight savings) and because we're in the Great Dividing Ranges, there's a chill in the air that we didn't have up north.  We pulled out the extra blankets and long pants and even put the heater on last night.

This morning I woke up with the roosters crowing, a chilly 9 deg C, and the fireplace on.  Okay,..maybe not the fireplace, but the 3 gas burners on, warming the front half of the caravan up.  This.... is the country life I love.

And after a very refreshing night's sleep, I'm ready to tour the countryside.

Clear skies in Tenterfield....

Well, it's Sunday.  Still.  We've lobbed in to Tenterfield a few minutes later after packing up from Stanthorpe. I think it took us longer to PACK up than to actually DRIVE to Tenterfield.  But, we're now resting.  We bought the groceries,..I'm washing clothes,..AND...I got to use my oven for the first time.

Today has got to be the CLEAREST day I have seen for a while.  Usually there's some clouds around building up for a storm, or sea mist hanging around, but not today.  The winds are strong which is keeping the air clear.  This is one of those most fabulous days where the sky is brilliant blue and, the grass and trees are as green as can be.

Tenterfield is the name of this town we're staying at.  It's an old town built around 1833.  It has an old world country charm to it.  This is one of those places that I could quite easily settle down in.  Similar to Toowoomba, but not quite as busy.

And today I made some of those Coconut Macaroons. Niiice.  The oven, although VERY small, worked like a treat.  It's good for baking a potatoe, or baking scones, or biscuits.  It would be lucky enough to be only 450mm or 22 inches.(square) I'm so pleased that it was so easy to use too!

Well, while we wait for the clothes to finish drying, I'll throw in a game of Scrabble or two, and maybe even read a book.

Time for a Sunday rest.....

It's Sunday morning.  I think the driver is worn out.  So it's time for a rest now.  And after his ''ordeal' working with his lackadaisical sidekick, who wasn't very good at helping with the placing of the caravan.  He didn't know whether to laugh or cry.  Now THAT'S tired!.....( well!...it WAS on the cement pad!!,...just not parallel...oh look!..it must time for a coffee!)

And now he's battling computer and TV reception.  Not good.  I tuned all the channels in, but we only have one or two stations available in this hollow just outside of town.  So he's into reading a book right now.  Me on the other hand, well,...I'm willing to ''work'' (aka patiently fight) with the computer reception.

Stanthorpe is a nice place.  It's cool, but a bit breezy at the moment and the nights make for GREAT sleeping!! We've had a bit of a drive around through the national parks.  We drove along Shearer's Way and had a look at some old time shearing sheds and even some rather large ones which are still in use today.  We did call it an early day yesterday as the rains came down in the early afternoon.  So we had video night last night watching Kung Fu Panda and Lethal Weapon.

Today, we're having a slow morning as we start to pack up and head out for Tenterfield which is only about 50 klms down the road.  Maybe today, the sidekick, will do better, after all, a happy driver is a FUN driver!

There's photos in the 'more photos' area (on the left) to have a look at from our day out yesterday.  Enjoy!

Leaving the Gold Coast for God's green country......

As we packed the caravan up in the rain this morning, Chris and I both were looking forward to moving on into the inland areas that we HAVEN'T seen yet.  We said goodbye to the Gold Coast and started heading west.

 

 

We've lived in southeast Queensland for over 30 years and I have never been to Rathdowney.  I've been AROUND it, but never through it.  This valley is one of those magical places you need to see.

We've had a LOT of rain recently and you can see that this valley got quite a bit.  The creeks were flowing, the cows and horses were knee deep in grassy pastures.  And the clouds were so low across the tops of the mountain ranges that you could almost touch them.

 

We had lunch at a little place called Woodenbong where there were movies being shown on Friday night at the town hall.  As we continued, the roads are rough and narrow, but we made it into Killarney to see the Queen Mary falls.  The last time we were here, was in 1990 when Chris's aunts and uncles came out from the USA.  Eighteen years ago.  My,.my..doesn't the time fly by when you're having fun? 18 yrs.  Hard to believe.  Liz was 5 yrs old. which means Jenny was 10 yrs old and Robert was 9 yrs old.  Some of us went down into the rocky valley to look at the falls from the bottom, while the others stayed up top. We had a picnic and the weather was cool.   But this time around,.. we could only share it with each other.  Some family members have since passed on and the kids have grown up now and moved on to their own lives.  But our memories will always be with us.

And as we made our way back up the path, Chris pulled me back about 3 feet to spot a body hiding in the forest.  A rock wallaby was silently munching on some greens and watching us as we noisily walked up the path.

We've settled in tonight, at a place called Stanthorpe, home of granite boulders, orchards, and many wineries.  So tomorrow we're off to some wineries and a visit through some National Parks.  We'll probably have a look through town, since we haven't been here for nearly 16 years now.  And the weather is SO MUCH cooler here.  It's THE coldest place in Queensland, but fortunately, we only have to put long pants on, not the heater. (yet)  Thank goodness for summer!

Coconut Macaroons and memories......

We recently had a Christmas party with the Scout club.  And Margaret fixed these Coconut Macaroons.  They were delicious!  So much so, that I'm sure Chris and I devoured far too many.  And while there was talk about this and that floating around the room, I was listening to Margaret give the recipe.  4 Cups of coconut, a tin of condensed milk, and some maraschino cherries chopped up.  Place in the oven for 12 mins and it's done!  Too Easy!

And while she was rattling off the recipe, my mind flickered back to a time when Dorothy, my mother in law was looking for that recipe.  You see, coconut macaroons were her FAVOURITE, but she never found the recipe.  She knew the basics of it, but didn't know the measurements of it.  I had never heard of it, so I couldn't help her.  And now, out of the blue, I have the recipe.  So in memory of Dorothy, I'll be making these.  Unfortunately, she won't be able to eat them, but I'm sure Chris will help in that score.

It's funny how little things like that trigger moments in our memories of loved ones.

Catching up at the Gold Coast......

Well, things are certainly happening now.  We've landed on the Gold Coast, our old stomping grounds.  We reluctantly dropped Tillie off to the Pet Motel.  I still have twinges of guilt, but I know it's for the best.  A year is a long time.  I just hope she's okay and still knows me when we get back. 

We have doctor appointments and VA appointments and catching up with the family to do.  And if you were ever going to stay somewhere, this is a great place.  You should see the view from our caravan.

 

First of all, congratulations are in order for Rob and Casey.  While on their cruise, Rob has proposed to Casey and she's accepted!  Both Chris and I are ecstatic.  Casey is a very lovely girl and we welcome her whole heartedly into the family.  Now I just have to keep Chris at bay so that he doesn't hound the poor girl for grandkids.

And while we were in Brisbane, we went to dinner with Liz and James.  They're both doing very well.  Getting used to the domestic life and the responsibilities of adulthood.  They found out that you have to keep tabs on the LP gas so you don't run out at the most inopportune time.  I believe they had cold showers for a few days.  Thankfully it's summer.

Also, Jenny and Camille made an impromptu visit from Ballina today.  Camille is growing by leaps and bounds.  Grandpa played with Camille in the sand and water.  We had lunch at McDonalds today as well.  We're so looking forward to seeing them again at Xmas.

We've also found that the fridge wasn't working, and then it WAS working.  So we weren't sure what the problem was.  But we found out what it was and it's now happily fixed and working.  We also have worked out how the hot water system works too as it wasn't heating up properly either.  Ah,...you learn something EVERYDAY  and LOOK!   We learned TWO THINGS in one day.  Okay, we're off now, to have a Vietnamese dinner.  Last night it was Mexican, tonight Vietnamese!  Oh yeah.

Visiting old haunts and catching up with old friends in Toowoomba.....

We used to live in Toowoomba.  As a matter of fact, Toowoomba is the ONLY place we lived in for over 2 years (12 years).  We DID however,  move 5 times WITHIN the Toowoomba city area.  But this is the only place we stayed in long enough, that I was able to make friends.  Lifetime friends.  And that's what we did.  We stopped in to see those friends. 

We got in late yesterday. (Mon.) We went to Jeanette and Merv's house to take them out to dinner.  We also caught up with Tillie, my 'well loved' poodle.  Tillie has been with Jeanette and Merv for about three weeks and I'm sure she's gained a kilo per week.  Jeanette adored Tillie by giving her lots of cuddles, cookies, and liver treats,.. and Tillie adored Jeanette by melting into her and giving lots of cuddles.  But unfortunately, Jeanette has found out that she's got an allergy to dogs.  Well, I should say she's KNOWN about this allergy for quite a few years (they call it denial), but it's now been CONFIRMED that she's got an allergy.  So here we are,  picking Tillie up and taking her to a new home back down on the Gold Coast much to Jeanette's sadness and distress over losing her new mate.

And today, we caught up with Mary and Tubbie.  We ''did'' lunch at a beautiful restaurant that borders Queen's Park. We caught up on the current stories of what's been happening in our lives and what we're all doing for Christmas this year.  It's so wonderful to see them again.  We talked about what the kids are doing and how they're lives are going while reflecting back to the 'good ole' days.  I really do miss their company.  I miss Toowoomba, my friends,  and what it represented to me.  It's the only place that I felt 'connected'.  But our journey could not end there, it must go on.  So here we go.

We have one more day here just to catch up on some rest and to restock and re-sort.  And then with Miss Tilliebillie in tow, we'll head down to Brisbane to fit out the Cruiser with drawers and a water tank.  Well now, it looks like we WILL be taking the Cruiser on the Canning Stock route in 2010 after all.  (YES!) But in the meantime, as Chris gets doctors appointments organized and visits organized for the Brisbane/Gold Coast run, we'll have a momentary pause to catch our breath, catch a movie and an ice cream afterwards.