Gloucester Easter 2013.

Milking time at the dairy.

For Easter, we left the madding crowd and inflated prices of the coast behind, and headed back to the farm, to spend a week with Lindsay, Myrelle and family and friends.

Driving out to the farm along Thunderbolt's Way, the country is looking fantastic. With all the rain through February/March, the place has greened up beautifully.

As you know, I'm a bit of a broken record when it comes to time at the farm. I love coming here. We arrived on Thursday and the whole week was terrific. Being a dairy farm, the cows don't know its a holiday weekend, so it is milking as usual twice a day every day, but in between there is lots of time for other activities involving neighbours, and family.

Margot, Adam,
Alby and Ellie.

Michael, Wendy,
Andrew and  Samantha.

For those who don't know the whole family, Lindsay & Myrelle, have a son Michael, who is married to Wendy, and they have two young children, Andrew and Samantha. They also have a daughter Margot, who is married to Adam, and they also have two young children, Alby and Ellie. Michael & Wendy have their own dairy farm just south of Gloucester, whilst Adam and Margot are School teachers in Gloucester. It is a busy life for all of them, but it is great for Lindsay & Myrelle to have the whole family so close. During the course of the weekend, we will catch up with all of them.

What an Easter weekend we had! It was non stop action from beginning to end. Thursday night after milking we were all quickly showered and dressed for town, to go to the opening night of a photography exhibition at the Art Gallery. Wendy is one of the exhibitors. She is extremely talented with her camera, and had a couple of lovely abstract photos in the exhibition. So it was champagne and canapes with the local Gloucester art fraternity, before heading across the road to "Roadies Cafe" for dinner. Huge servings are the name of the game at Roadies, which has quite a name among the Biker brigade, and has some fantastic old memorabillia on display.

Entree of Oysters Kilpatrick,
Lindsay style

Main course of Snapper.

Good Friday after milking we did the neighbourly thing and headed next door to Dallas and Larissa's farm to help repair all the fence crossings that had been washed away in the recent flood. They are great neighbours swapping their fresh eggs and vegies for milk. They run around 35 beef cattle on their farm, and as well they have an engineering business with offices in both Gloucester and Newcastle. They are fun to be around, and really bright company. We had them all done in a couple of hours, with only a bit of fine tuning to be done by Dallas at a later time. We also had time to agree on having dinner together on Sunday night, and mustering Dallas' cattle on Easter Monday. 
That night Lindsay was in the kitchen. Lindsay likes to buy his food direct from the source. I don't know how he meets all these people, but he does. He has an Oyster Farmer who has leases on Wallis Lake, a commercial fisherman who only fishes the rivers and lakes, and who is at Dunbogan, near Laurieton, and he always gets stuff at amazing prices. Tonight, we were having oysters from the oyster farmer, followed by a snapper that he had caught the previous weekend at Laurieton, fishing with his mate Al and son Michael. It was all delicious.

Alby, Pop and Rex on the quad bike.

Ellie, Nan & Carolyn.

Saturday morning after milking, the girls headed into town to the markets and shops, whilst Lindsay and I worked. Lindsay had to get some feed ready for the afternoon milking, so I volunteered to do a run to the tip. We loaded up the farm ute with all the recycle bins, and off I went to the tip near Barrington. All was going great until I got pulled over for a breath test on the way home. I wasn't at all worried about the booze, it was all the used and unused shotguns shells lying on the dashboard and floor!! The copper didn't even bat an eyelid! If I'd been in Greenacre, I'd still be looking for bail!! Saturday afternoon, Margot & Adam were dropping by to leave Alby & Ellie with Nan and Pop, while they headed off to  friend's 30th birthday. Alby can't wait to get on the quad bike. Saturday night was a family affair for dinner while we watched the football and entertained the kids.

Ex Girlfriend Heather,
second from right.

Official BBQer .

Sausage Sizzle for Ellie.

Easter Sunday started with an Easter Egg hunt. Margot & Adam had arrived home late from their party, but still had time to hide Easter Eggs all over the place. The kids had a ball, and it was chocolate for breakfast, as the kids worked hard to keep the grown ups away from their eggs! After brekkie, we all piled into the cars to head out for a real treat, a picnic cricket and fun day, at Rawdon Vale, scene of the 30th birthday party the night before. Rawdon Vale is in a valley on the other side of the Copeland Tops. It is one of the most scenically beautiful valleys you will ever see. The venue for the event is a magnificent two story heritage home, built in the 1880's and retained in the same family ever since. We were treated to a tour of the home that is still retained with all the original artworks, furniture and photos. It was during the tour, that I heard Myrelle yell out "Hey John, one of your ex girlfriends is here!" I'm not sure who was most stunned, Carolyn, me, or the ex girlfriend, Heather! When I got back downstairs, there was Heather. We went to a couple of dances when I used to visit Gloucester as a teenager, and Heather even came down to Sydney and stayed at our place at Peakhurst. Heather even remembered that we went to the movies, and what's more, even remembered the movie we saw, The Graduate! Her two daughters thought the whole thing was hilarious, while I was hoping that her husband wasn't the really big guy across the room!! Her sister is the current owner of the Rawdon Vale property, whilst Heather lives over the range at Wallabadah.

Tug-O-War for the Girls.

Official scorer John with
Myrelle, Margot and Ellie

After the lover's reunion, we adjourned to the oval to start the other sports. The cricket match was a pairs event, partners drawn from a hat. Pair who scored the most runs in 4 overs wins. Lindsay was the umpire and I was official scorer and beer supplier to the umpire. Everywhere else, the kids and the girls played, ate, drank, and had a wonderful time. Country people always have a cake or biscuits or slice ready for any occasion! When the cricket ended, the BBQ lunch was had by all, and the other games commenced. Another Easter Egg hunt for the kids. Foot races for all ages, Tug-o-War for all ages, Footy kicking contests, Boot throwing and more. It was just a fantastic day. Lindsay & Myrelle had someone else milking for them, so everyone got a whole afternoon to enjoy the festivities. At 5.00pm, we packed up and headed for home as Dallas & Larissa were coming over for dinner!!

Carolyn with Tony.

Thankfully, Dallas and Larissa were fashionably late, so we all got home in time. Carolyn had pre-made a pasta bake for dinner, and Millionaire's Pie for dessert, so all we needed was a salad. Larissa brought over her new kitten Tony, which Carolyn absolutely adored, and hardly let go of all night, and Dallas had the wine covered. We had a great night, and eventually collapsed into bed. I don't know how Lindsay & Myrelle got out of bed to milk at 5.00am. All I remember at breakfast was Lindsay telling me he would be in bed at 8.00pm that night no matter what!!

After brekkie it was off to Dallas's to muster a few cattle and sort a few out. Some of Lindsay's and Dallas' had gotten mixed in with each other. Lindsay and Dallas chased up the cattle on their quad bikes, while Larissa and I worked the gates. Once in the yards, we put them all through their hoops, treating them for ticks, sore eyes and other ailments. It was all a lot of fun for the non farm boy. Back home for lunch and a nanny nap for Lindsay! Carolyn & I headed off on the quad bike to get the cows up for milking. Carolyn whooped and hollered, and I'm not sure if the cows understood or simply did what they always do, but they all got to the yard on time.

Dinner with Lindsay & Myrelle.

Farmer John slashing the paddock.

Tuesday was our last day. Carolyn and Myrelle headed into town to do some shopping and pick up some bolts for the tractor repair. The boys worked on the tractor. When the girls got back, the repair got finished. Lindsay was off to get some more feed ready for the afternoon milking, but not before he hooked up the slasher and set me on course to slash a section of pasture along the river. So off went farmer John, having an absolute ball playing farmer. That night, Michael, Margot, Andrew and Samantha all came out for dinner. Michael had been really busy over Easter with his farmhand on holidays, so it was great to be able to catch up before we left. 

We left on a misty morning.

So, all too soon it was time to hook up and head south. Retirement has been great for us, being able to spend so much time with family and friends. We are loving every minute of it. On the Wednesday morning, Myrelle was off to ladies golf at Gloucester Golf Club, Larissa arrived so Carolyn could get one last cuddle of Tony the kitten, and to bring us a dozen of her fresh eggs, which are so yellow and tasty. We hooked up and headed up the hill, having had another wonderful few days full of family, friends and farm life. 

Port Macquarie (continued).

Last seen entering Bogo Maze!

We're in there somewhere!

I'd have been back on the air sooner, if we hadn't gone to the blasted Bogo Maze! It was really hard!! 

Actually it was a lot of fun. It is situated at the Bogo Winery, so once we escaped we were able to recover tasting some delightful local wines. It was a beautiful day, and the scenery around the winery was quite spectacular. For those interested, the Bogo Maze and Winery is about 15kms out of Wauchope, with the turnoff right in the middle of town at the roundabout.

Sundowner Breakwall Caravan Park.

Rainbow lorikeets feeding.

We had a great time at Port Macquarie. After all that rain, we enjoyed a lovely long spell of warm dry weather. We are finding that by staying a few weeks in a location, we get to know the town really well, and start to feel like locals. The added benefit around Port, is that we have a few friends in the area as well. Since last writing, management at the park has responded to all the complaints, and the lawn mowing brigade has been on constant duty, so the park now looks a picture. We have had some lovely neighbours come and go during our stay, especially Wendy & Barry, who stayed a couple of weeks. They come from Norahville, on the NSW Central Coast, and have been caravanning for 50 plus years. We had several happy hours talking over all our adventures. Another neighbour by the name of Jim, worked for the company that sends the tankers to pick up cousin Lindsay's milk at the farm. He was also a pretty good fisherman, and provided us with fresh bream for dinner one night!

Along the beautiful Coastal walk.

We caught up with Julie & Ron Daniel, the friends we met on the road in our first year, and who have settled in well at nearby North Haven. They drove up from North Haven, to join us for dinner and drinks one evening. We chose a lovely little Italian restaurant in town, called Cafe 66. It was doing a roaring trade on a Tuesday evening, due to its two for one pasta night. Washed down with a couple of bottles of nice red wine, It was all very tasty. Julie & Ron have really settled in well to the mid north coast lifestyle, both looking fit and well.

Rivermark Cafe.

Of course we sussed out the best coffee in town. We especially liked a little place called The Milk Bar, up on the hill under one of the new resort blocks. We would do our walk along the main beach and up to Flagstaff Hill, and then be really in need of coffee on the way back. It was always very busy, and sitting down looking out over Town Beach was pretty nice. The other one we liked, was Rivermark Cafe, where we went with Robyn & Margaret. This time we each had our own muffin, which was really exciting! It is a lovely spot beside the river, and those home made muffins are really good. 

Carolyn & Marg on
 the Lighthouse walk

Carolyn after the Lighthouse walk.

We spent a lot of time with friends Charlie and Marg, which was fantastic. It is such a nice benefit of a longer stay. For those of you who don't know, we purchased our business, Gaymoir Products from Charlie and Marg, and they moved to Port Macquarie, not long after that. They each 

have a brother who lives in the area, and have settled in fantastically. Marg is a ball of energy, and is into heaps of different activities, like long walks, badminton, table tennis, dancing and others, and she took Carolyn in tow. Morning walks that started at 6.00am, before the sun had risen, with Marg, her brother Arthur, and Carolyn off for two hours three days a week, and culminating in a huge walk undertaken by Marg and Carolyn, all the way to the Lighthouse and back, a total distance of 15kms. They literally packed a cut lunch. It is a serious walk with lots of steps, and they returned pretty exhausted.

John & Charlie off to golf.

Charlie and I chose less strenuous pursuits, namely Golf. We had 18 holes at Charlie's home course, Wauchope Country Club, and 9 holes with a bunch of guys, who play a fun 9 hole comp at Port Macquarie Golf Club, on a Monday afternoon. Both courses are in great condition at the moment, and very challenging. I won a ball in the 9 hole event for nearest the pin, so was happy enough with the way I hit the ball.

We had dinner at Charlie and Marg's, we had dinner at the caravan, and we had dinner out, giving Charlie and Marg their first taste of Mexican food. It was a great night and I think they'll go back in the future. All in all, we had a wonderful catch up with Charlie & Marg.

We also had Lindsay and Myrelle give us a call, to let us know they were coming over to Laurieton for a fast trip, to mow the lawn and tidy the garden at their holiday house. So we headed down to Laurieton for the day to give a hand with the gardening and then take in lunch at the club. Lindsay also took time to visit his local professional fisherman, to stock up his freezer with fresh fish, at unbelievable prices. He has got some contacts that boy!!

Artwork along the breakwall.

When we weren't out with friends, we just settled back and took in the sights and sounds of the caravan park. Each afternoon, the Rainbow lorikeets would come flashing through the caravan park in their hundreds, flying like kamikazes, chirping like mad, and settling into the trees to feed on the fruits in the palm trees. The breakwall walk is always full of walkers, joggers and people just taking a stroll, and the evenings are always full of happy sounds.

Along the way we did manage to find a market or two. The Fresh Food Market at Wauchope was pretty good. They even had a Gospel Choir singing up a storm, and the adjoining Trash 'n Treasure Market must have sold out of Treasures before we got there! There was another Saturday market along the walkway behind the Westport Bowling Club, that had some interesting stalls. It also had some home made jams and sauces at outrageous prices! Small jars for $13.50. The guy looked horrified when I asked if they'd put the wrong price stickers on! Lucky we weren't charged a dollar a taste!

Doing it tough in Port Macquarie.

We celebrated a little anniversary on March 21st, 32 years since we went on our first date. So we took ourselves off to Port Macquarie's celebrated eatery, "The Stunned Mullet". It sure lived up to all the hype, and we had an absolutely magnificent dinner, showcasing the wonderful fresh seafood of the region. A glass of champagne, a view out over Town Beach, and 32 years of wonderful memories, with many more to be made. Our life is good!

We had a fantastic stay in Port Macquarie, and we did have time to get back to Miss Nellie's Cafe in Kendall, for one more of those delicious Finger Lime Cheescakes!

Now it is off to the farm for the Easter break. 

The Big Wet at Port Macquarie.

We are so sick of the rain, that I spoke to my old friend Noah, who has made us a really good offer on  a used Ark that's only done one big trip, and he reckons all the animal smell has gone after 2000 years! We are considering the offer as I write.

Cabins at the Caravan Park.

Actually, as I put fingers to keyboard, the sun is shining, or that is what we think it is. Today in caravan world, all the annexes are open and the air is full of damp smells, as everyone is airing flooring, annexe walls and countless towels. The laundries are full, and I bet Mr. Tightwad Manager is ruing the fact that he didn't get those washing machines and dryers fixed when we all asked, because now the sun is shining and all the washing and drying is going into the laundromat in town!!

This is a great location for a caravan park, down beside the breakwall, and only a short walk to the town centre and also to the beach. It is full of beautiful Norfolk pines, but since our last visit some two years ago, it has been poorly maintained and looks the worse for wear. Many of the caravanners have been before, and it is a hot topic of conversation. The manager and BIG4 should be doing something about it, before the patrons start voting with their feet!

Flood debris on the main beach.

For those that don't know, the north coast has had an unbelievable battering over the past 2 months. Towns like Grafton and Kempsey have had  some of their worst floods on record, and have been flooded two and three times, just in that period. We spent an extra week in Coffs Harbour, due to the fact that the highway was cut at Kempsey for 6 days, and then only opened via a bypass route, unsuitable for heavy vehicles (over 20 tonnes). The six o'clock news stops reporting the event once the floodwater has peaked and the last car has been washed off a bridge, but ironically, that is when all the hard work really begins. All around this area are inland seas, and sodden ground, where livestock will need to be rescued and relocated. You can only imagine the issues confronting farmers for weeks ahead.

First Coffee & Cake stop.

We arrived in Port Macquarie last Thursday, as mentioned, a few days late. We were met by a little ray of sunshine in the form of our friends Robyn and Margaret, who had arrived on the Wednesday, and were staying in one of the caravan park's riverfront cabins. This was a planned visit, except of course for the weather! They arrived in the sunshine, but it didn't last long! Carolyn of course made them wait until we were fully set up, before they could do the grand tour of the new caravan. Tour completed, we settled in for happy hour. Robyn is a seasoned campaigner on her third tour, but newcomer Margaret showed what a fast learner she was, arriving with local Cassegrain Wine. Over a glass of that delicious wine, we heard how the girls had visited the winery and had been given the grand two hour tour. Having seen the stash of wine they had in the cabin, I can see why they got the grand tour! However I am still puzzled by what Robyn, a non drinker, can do at a winery tour for two hours? She must have finished up with pockets full of cheese and crackers! Dinner that night was at Chateau Relaxeau II, where the hosts served Moroccan Lamb Cutlets served with a warm salad of Sweet Potato, Roasted Tomatoes, Pine Nuts with a honey vinaigrette dressing. It was yummo, washed down with one of those Cassegrain reds.

Cassegrain Winery.

Friday morning, in steady rain, we headed off for a day's sightseeing. After three minutes and twenty eight seconds, we reached our first coffee stop. This was a new record for shortest drive to a coffee spot, and I was completely unprepared for this stop as it was not on the itinerary!! Still, I dutifully turned around and parked at our riverfront cafe, which given the height of the river, was almost river front and back. Still the coffee was excellent, and it was another record, as I have not previously shared a single muffin between four people! Judging by the look on the waiter's face, neither had he! I said, "don't ask to split the bill!!"

Clearing the landslide near Comboyne.

We continued on our way towards Wauchope, and our first destination of the day, Ellenborough Falls, which is one of the longest single drop waterfalls in Australia. I was quite excited, as we usually visit famous waterfalls following the driest spell in 20 years, so the prospect of seeing a waterfall in flood, seemed worth the drive. By now the rain had started to pelt down. As we climbed up the range towards Comboyne, we could see the evidence of recent land slides. We soon came across the workmen clearing away the red mud, and washing down the roadway. We drove through the quaint little village of Comboyne, but nothing caught the eye to entice the girls from the car, so we continued on. The turnoff to the falls saw us onto dirt, actually mud, for the last 19 kilometres. There were farms with cattle, and a number of macadamia nut plantations, and even though the hills were shrouded in mist, the scenery was pretty spectacular. By the time we got to the falls car park, the rain was even heavier.

Ellenborough Falls.

Margaret & Robyn at the falls.

Margaret searching for leeches.

Fresh landslide near the falls.

Even without opening the doors, you knew you were at the falls. The noise was deafening, but the sight was worth it. Robyn saw the sign to the base of the falls, and the three girls headed off down the slippery path in the pouring rain. I waited in the car to call the rescue helicopter! I heard them coming back over the sound of the falls, which was really something, but soon discovered that all the noise was as a result of someone finding a leech. Actually all three of them were covered in leeches of all sizes. Robyn was obviously the tastiest flesh, and bled the best. Lucky she's a nurse! We all had to agree that the sight was worth the drive and the blood sucking!

The drive back down was even more treacherous, as the road had turned to a river. There were more landslides, and I was glad to reach the bitumen road again at Comboyne. We took a slightly different route home, heading for the poet's village of Kendall, and a lunch stop at a cafe called Beetroot'd, as we were all now famished and desperately in need of quarter of a sandwich, assuming we would be sharing! Well we found that Beetroot'd was in fact that, and now went under the quainter name of Miss Nellie's Cafe. Nellie and her mum looked the goods (never trust a skinny cook!), in their pretty little aprons, and the food smelled great as well. Sharing was not an option! Once Carolyn got over the fact that soup was not on the menu (Carolyn craves soup when the weather turns wet and misty), we all ordered tasty goodies off a good menu. The food was terrific, and when we went in search of some of those wonderful looking home cooked sweets, that were weighing down the front counter, we were immediately pushed towards the individual lime cheesecake, "our signature dish". So we all got autographs and can herewith add to the legend of Nellie and her mum, and the lime cheesecake! We finished off the drive back through Laurieton, North Haven and Lake Cathie, before arriving back at base. Dinner that night was served at Chateau Relaxeau 11, following the obligatory happy hour drinks, during which time another leech hitch hiker was found and dealt with! The menu tonight was Roast Chook served with Carolyn's delicious oven roasted vegetables. Perfect for a wet, miserable evening. That night we all slept nervously, not because of the thrashing that Margaret had given us at Scrabble, using all those medical terms that no one else knew, but fearful of finding another dreaded leech!

Strawberry picking at Ricardoes.

Scones with Jam & Cream.

Saturday morning Robyn & Margaret headed out for a little retail therapy. The economy of Port Macquarie is now much improved. The weather had gone from worse to worser, so we opted for a visit to Ricardoes Tomatoes and Strawberries. Wow I hear your all saying. But this is a bit of an icon around these parts, and well worth a visit. It is a very impressive hydroponic farm. Their motto is don't get screwed by the big supermarket chains, value add and sell direct to the public. The tomatoes and strawberries are so full of flavour, and they have a shop choc full of value added pasta sauces, jams, chutneys and so much more. And the best thing of all, it is all undercover, including the pick your own strawberries. Of course there is a cafe, and it is very good, the specialty being scones with cream and home made strawberry jam. AND, praise the Lord, Halleluleuh, they had soup!! You guessed it, tomato soup. So Carolyn did her excellent tomato soup, I did the pumpkin scones, whilst the girls did the plain ones, and all agreed it was excellent fare.

Flooded road to Crescent Head.

Robyn, land surfing at Crescent Head.

After brunch, and loaded with goodies, we headed up the road to Crescent Head, one of Australia's iconic surfing locations. The rain just kept pounding down, and the roads were just above water level, and in fact in one location there was a traffic control in place as half the road was flooded. So the trip to Crescent Head was quick, to ensure we would make it back! The ocean was brown from all the flood water, and the pub and cafes were full of of soggy surfers with sad looks. Robyn did a little land surfing, and so as to ensure the day wasn't a total loss, we did what all true surfers do when you can't surf, we headed for the bakery for a pie and sauce!!

The Koala Hospital.

Feeding a little orphan.

We made it back through the flooded roads, and headed for our last stop on the days tour. The Koala Hospital. Entry is free, which is really clever, because when you get amongst those cute little sick bears, you just feel so guilty and start dropping coins in donation boxes and buy up big in the shop! It was feeding time at 3.00pm, and we got an enthusiastic volunteer guide, who gave us a rundown on how the hospital does its work, all with no government assistance ( can we give some boat people money to the koalas Julia?). They do an amazing job, and if you can make it through the presentation without feeling some emotion, you should be feeling for a pulse! We met one little guy who had been hit by a car and had a back leg amputated and was blind in one eye. He is one of the best climbers at the hospital, and will never be released back into the wild, which is what happens to most of them when recovered. It was a truly lovely experience.

Break up Party at the Town Green Pub.

That night we decided we needed a break up party at one of the local pubs. Happy Hour tonight was at the girls cabin, where John served cocktails, Mojitos, pre prepared  by Mr Dan Murphy. We headed for the pub we booked at, which was really quiet, and decided to quietly relocate to the pub next door which was really bopping! The Town Green Inn, served us up a nice feed in bright surroundings with friendly staff, and proved a good choice for our last night.

Sunday morning dawned like every other morning, bleak and wet, and Robyn & Margaret came over for a hearty breakfast of scrambled eggs with smoked salmon, to sustain them on their journey south to a somewhat sunnier Sydney. We waved them good bye, and as is usual when visitors leave, we felt a little flat, so sat down with the Sunday papers and reflected on a lovely few days with friends. 

Robyn retires after 30 years as a midwife.

Happy Retirement Robyn. Hope you enjoyed your first taste of retired life!

They'll all be missing you already!!!

See you again soon.

For us, we have another three weeks here, to hopefully soak up some sun and catch up with some more friends who live in this area.

Nambucca Heads

My My, how time flies!! Where did that month go?

We have had a lovely time in Nambucca Heads, getting to know our new caravan, and we are loving it!! Luxuriating in all the extra space. Lounging with our feet up, as we watch TV. It is all an absolute delight.

But first a bit of business. You will remember the recent wedding of our friends Mark & Jodie, who we featured in a recent post. Well Jodie has been selected as a candidate for "Bride of the Year" in the magazine "Bride to Be". You all have to vote for her.  You can vote once every hour as many times as you like. Here is the link so get voting! 
brideoftheyear.bridetobe.com.au/vote_year.php?show=2774&year=2012

The White Albatross is a favourite.

So, what have we been doing in Nambucca Heads? Well, the answer as usual, is lots. Lots of relaxing, lots of friends, lots of sightseeing, and lots more. We are in the White Albatross Holiday Park, which is a real favourite of ours, with its big saltwater lagoon, the breakwall along the river, and a leisurely walk to the river or the beach. Oh, and it does have a pub right at the front gate! We couldn't get a lagoon front site, which shows how popular it is, as we booked months ago, but we still have a great big site, one row back. We arrived last week of the school holidays, so kids everywhere. The poor old manager is run off his feet trying to stem the flow of bikes, skateboards etc. A few days later, and all the kids have gone, replaced by the serious caravanners, and they are here to stay, most of them for weeks. School holidays impacts us caravanners too, you know. Outside school holidays, our powered site costs $35.00 per night. In school holidays its $75.00 per night!! Thankfully, we arrived just as the rate had come back down.

Nambucca from the lookout.

Breakwall artworks.

Weather on arrival was lovely, and Nambucca really shines where the river meets the sea. We set up with the new full annexe, to make sure everything is working well, and because the weather forecast is not good, with the aftermath of cyclone Oswald on its way with big winds and flooding rain. Lovely!! We make the most of the couple of good days, taking leisurely walks along the breakwall and boardwalk which winds its way along the river for 3.5 kilometres back to the Visitor Information Centre. The breakwall itself, is a feature with its brightly painted rocks carrying messages of recent (and not so recent) visits, love, births, deaths, inspiration, and prophecies from around the world. When do theses people arrive here with their paint and brushes? We didn't see one work in progress, and many of these are not 5 minute jobs.

Shrimp on the BBQ.

The coffee scene isn't great. It lacks the refinement of Sawtell. I just wanted to get behind the coffee machine!! We worked out that the Wild Terra bakery was great for bread and sweet things, with OK coffee, but the best coffee was undoubtedly at the Take Away opposite the Golf Club entrance. But mostly, just headed back up the road for 30 minutes to Sawtell!! As usual, the food scene at Chateau Relaxeau II was first class. The local seafood shop along the river, is first class, and what better way to celebrate Australia Day, than to throw some shrimp on the BBQ.

Inside looking out at "Oswald"

"Oswald" arrived with a vengeance. We got a real test for the caravan. One leak in the hatch at the toilet cassette, which I was able to temporarily fix, but thankfully that was it. We caught up on a lot of reading and thank heavens for Foxtel, and all those movies that Carolyn had recorded! Our cosy little home was a safe haven.

A day at the Bowraville Races.

When the rain finally stopped and the sun came out, we resumed normal activities. Huge seas pounded the breakwall for a few days and the previously blue waters of the river were brown and filled with flood debris, but after a few days it seemed all was back to normal. We had seen a sign advertising the Bowraville Picnic Races, and decided that it sounded like a lot of fun, so we got dressed up (no thongs!), and headed out to Bowraville, just 25 kilometres away, in bright sunshine. We had a great day. There were 5 races. You wouldn't have seen the fields at the TAB, but all the horses had four legs, and real jockeys, and with our picnic table right beside the track near the winning post, we were right in the action. The track went up hill and down dale. In fact the hill at the back of the course was really quite steep! We picked 3 winners and two seconds from the five races, which only proves that if you follow the local money and back the track specialists, you have some chance, but will never get a good price! The catering won't rival Royal Randwick, but hey, there is nothing wrong with a sausage sandwich, especially when it has lettuce, tomato and beetroot, and you get a choice of sauce,  all for $4.00! Bloody beautiful!

With "friends" at Licks Ice Cream.

We booked the car in for service, and had to drive down to Port Macquarie to get it done as the Coffs Harbour Toyota dealer, was booked out for weeks. They were very efficient, and dropped us into town. We had a look around. Some Sushi for lunch at a new Sushi Train restaurant, that was quite good, and then back to pick up the car. On the way back we stopped at the little town of Fredericktown just north of Kempsey. "Fredo" is famous for two things, Fredo Pies, and Licks Ice Cream. Having sampled some of the dozens of varieties of pies (even crocodile!), on a number of occasions, we decided to give Licks a go. Great decision! All the furniture is moulded fibreglass in the shape of Waffle cones, animals and ice cream, and some of the huge animals are even for sale. The place is a fun stop, and the ice cream is delicious. Looks like another regular stop from here on in!

The Island Golf Clubhouse.

Golf at the Island Golf Club.

We had a golf fix at the Island Golf Club at Nambucca. It is really quite unique course, built on an island in the Nambucca River. The course was in excellent condition, and is a challenging layout, with quite a bit of water to contend with, as you can well imagine.
After the round, there can be no better clubhouse to sit back and have a cold beer, looking out across the river and the course. Lunch was also very good, with an excellent $10.00 lunch menu. We had a really nice day, and didn't hit the ball too bad, just too often! As the guy in the clubhouse lamented, "when I played cricket, all I wanted was to get a century. Now I play golf I get one every week!"

Happy Hour on the veranda.

Week three, and our friends Bev & Fred arrived for a weeks holiday. Fred towed the boat up, and they took up residence in one of the Deluxe Lagoon Front Villas. Their back veranda, looking out over the lagoon, was the perfect place for Happy Hour.

Happy Hour at the Caravan.

Lunch with Fred, Bev Lesley & Jim.

It was a huge week! Fred and John got to do a bit of river fishing, which is Fred's least favourite. We caught some fish, but seeing as we didn't have any tins with keys on top, we decided to throw them back, and wait until they grow up! Fred has promised some real fishing when we get back to Shellharbour in April. The bar at the entrance to the Nambucca River is notoriously dangerous, and with the heavy seas, we decided that it was not worth the risk to get outside to fish. The girls got in some retail therapy in Nambucca, which took 5 minutes, and then headed off to Sawtell and Coffs Harbour, for the more serious stuff. We also got to catch up with Lesley & Jim, who have been friends of Bev & Fred for more than 40 years. It now seemed as if we've known them all our life as well! We visited their new home in a wonderful over 55's Lifestyle Centre called Lakes Village in Coffs Harbour, and then followed up with a fantastic lunch at The Yacht Club, where the restaurant has the wonderfully nautical name of "YKnot". The food was excellent, in a great location looking out over the harbour and the surf beach. Later in the week, Lesley & Jim came down to Nambucca Heads, where we did it all again at The Island Golf Club.

The new annexe worked a treat.

Valentine's Day fell during the week. We all headed to the RSL for a romantic dinner. Now romance didn't seem to be really big in Nambucca Heads. The night started with a meat and chook raffle, which really set the mood. But all wasn't lost, as a waiter kept bringing out trays loaded with free champagne! We didn't win a meat tray or a chook, but we did have a wholesome meal and a lot of fun. Seems like Burger and Fries has knocked Strawberries and cream from the top of the Food of Love list at Nambucca RSL! Highlight for me though, was the brightly dressed lady with mad hair, who was trying to give samba lessons to an amazing array of  participants. If this was Dancing with the Stars, it closely resembled the meteor crash in Russia!

On our last day, we took a leisurely spin up the river in the boat, a rare nautical outing for the girls, but it was a lovely smooth day. We followed it up with a break up party at the V Wall Tavern, perfectly placed at the entrance to the caravan park. Dinner was good, and a fitting big end to a big week. We waved Bev & Fred goodbye early the next morning.

Dinner with Ian, Lynette, Belinda & Nathan.

Our next visitors arrived the same day. John's brother Ian, his wife Lynette, and their two youngest kids, Belinda and Nathan, were in Coffs Harbour for the Combined High Schools Inter zone Girls Cricket Carnival. Belinda is in the Sydney South Western Zone team. It was a shame that the weather played havoc with their cricket schedule. 

Ian, Lynette, Belinda & Nathan.

On the Monday night they drove down to Nambucca Heads to see our new home, and join us for dinner at the V Wall Tavern. Belinda's team had had a rain interrupted win, but the next day was a total washout. They did get some cricket in on the Wednesday, and remained undefeated. They were unfortunate to just miss the final on a count back, but went on to easily win the playoff for third, which was a great result. By the afternoon, the rains had really set in, and we were forecast to get another drenching over the coming days. Boy were they right!! We enjoyed a last dinner together, where Nathan devoured another chicken parmigiana, followed by some gooey chocolate brownie with ice cream. That boy's got hollow legs. It had been lovely to catch up with family again. They headed back to Sydney on Friday morning, and it was just as well they did, as the rains come and the wind blew, and by night the highway was cut at Macksville and Kempsey.

Fallen tree next door to the Showground.

On the Thursday morning we had been up early to get the caravan to Coffs Harbour to get the leak fixed. We had booked a few days back at the Coffs Harbour Showground, where we knew we would be out in the open and away from large trees. We battened down the hatches, as the worst weather we have ever encountered, hammered us day and night for two days. The showground resembled a lake, and we were safe from attack as we were surrounded by our own moat! In the middle of the night, there was an almighty crash, and a giant gum tree had come crashing down in the caravan park next door to the Showground. Thankfully, it missed everything, but it was a good reminder that big trees and caravans don't mix.

We are due to head down to Port Macquarie on Monday, but the highway is still blocked by floodwater. We will wait it out here at the Showground. The rain has eased a lot, and the floodwater are receding but it will take a couple of more days to get back to normal.

What happened to summer?