Italian Odyssey - 1.

After a hectic couple of weeks in and around Sydney catching up with family and friends, celebrating birthdays, John heading off down the Murray for his first Big Tour of golf with mate Pete, which was fabulous, the last week was frantic, as final preparations were made. We cannot thank Wayne &Debbie  enough for their hospitality and help, and for providing a home for our caravan & car whilst away. The weather for the week was most unkind, with Sydney experiencing the storm of the century, but we would not be deterred. We got it all done, and on our last weekend even found time to attend the inaugural Dawn Service at Menai, along with thousands of patriotic locals. The organisers were overwhelmed, and deserve credit for a moving and well done service to honour 100 years of Anzac history. John followed up, by heading out to the SFS with friends Wayne & Graeme, and others, for that other great Anzac Day tradition, St.George Dragons versus the Eastern Suburbs Roosters. What a bizarre match with hail storms, play suspension and other distractions making it the longest game in history! Dragons sent us away winners. Yay!!!!!

Next day we finished the packing, covered the caravan, and wonderful Wayne & Debbie drove us out to the Ibis Hotel at the airport, where we would stay the night with a 3.00am wake up call for our 6.00am flight!!! We had a very ordinary dinner in the restaurant, were woken at 11.30pm by the fire alarm, thankfully a false alarm, and then it was 3.00am and we were off to the airport. Pretty quiet at the airport at that time, and mercy be, the shops are shut!!!! We were soon on board our Emirates A380 Airbus, and in the air on the smoothest, quietest, most enjoyable flight we have had. Good food and great service. John slept most of the way, and Carolyn did the movie marathon.

I should point out at this point, that doing the blog on my IPad presents some challenges with putting up photographs, so there will not be many. Instead, we will be posting a lot of photos on One Drive. If you would like the link sent to you, send us an email or text (0481496016), and we will send you the link to share our photos.

On arrival at Dubai, the massive airport meant we went to immigration and baggage collection by train! It was quiet, and we easily met our transfer guy who whisked us away to our hotel for 4 nights, the Hyatt Place Hotel, in the old part of town. The room is huge, and the bed is comfy, and we were early to bed. Next morning, we were off on our first tour, the Al Jadeedah Tour to all the new areas around Jumeirah, The Palm, and the Dubai Marina. When we were here in 2008, this area was a construction zone. Now there are hundreds and hundreds of skyscrapers, Metro system, tram system. It would be like Sydney adding Melbourne CBD in 8 years!!!! We cannot believe the changes. First stop was Atlantis The Palm Hotel, a replica of the one in Bermuda, just bigger! It houses the world's largest Aquarium, and we have tickets for the Chambers of the Lost City. It is mind blowing. From here we are onto the monorail to get back to the bus! Then on to the Dubai Marina, WOW, then on to the tour highlight, the world's tallest building, The Burj Khalifa. This happens to be right next door to the world's largest shopping mall, Dubai Mall, and flanked on one side by the world's biggest musical water fountain. Getting the idea, that they don't do things by half in Dubai? Up we went in the world's fastest lift, to the viewing platform on level 125. The building goes up to level 155! Views are breathtaking, and as the man who hates heights, there was a lot of breathtaking! But it was worth it. Shame it was hazy, but still some amazing views. Then it was off to the mall! Time to start celebrating the girls birthday! we walked and walked and walked and walked and walked the various levels of the mall. We headed home late afternoon, to get ready to come back for the light show and dinner at one of the gazillion restaurants. The light show was just fantastic. The music of Andrea Bocelli & Sarah Brightman sang Time to say Goodbye, as the fountains of water danced around the huge lagoon.Dinner was at the Texas Roadhouse. We felt like steak & ribs, and it was delicious! One last long lap of the Mall, and then home to bed, as we have an early start next morning for our day trip to Abu Dhabi.

Abu Dhabi is the largest of the 7 Emirates that make up the United Arab Emirates. Dubai is the second largest. Along with Sharja, they comprise most of the wealth. The vision of these descendants of Bedouin Tribes is amazing. What has been created from desert in just 30 to 40 years is beyond comprehension. I could go on for days about what has been created. The cities are new and modern, and the diverse architecture is simply incredible. In Abu Dhabi on one of the islands, they are creating a Cultural  Space, with replicas of The Louvre, The Guggenheim and other museums. God knows what treasures they will fill them with!!! We stopped at the Yas Island F1 Track and Hotel. What a place. We did the Heritage Centre to learn a bit about the past, then we looked in awe at the 6 Star Emirates Palace  Hotel, and the equally impressive Presidential Palace. Abu Dhabi is beautiful, on the shores of the Arabian Gulf, and as we drive around we see palace after palace. It is clean, green, modern and spectacular. The best is kept until last. A visit to the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque. You cannot be prepared for this experience. If it isn't a wonder of the world, it should be. Eleven years to build, it is huge, and magnificent. We have to observe all the cultural rules of being covered and no shoes, and we had an hour to take in one incredible sight after another. The chandeliers are stunning! This place can hold 34,000 worshippers at once. What a way to finish the wonderful tour to Abu Dhabi.

Our last day is for us. We will take in the old town, the Spice Souk, the Gold Souk (of course!), and generally have a look around. We can only imagine what this place will look like in another 8 years! 

Tomorrow we are off to London. The trip is well and truly underway.

Coolum to Gloucester 2015

Italy Here We Come!

It is hard to believe that a quarter of the year has already gone, and that it is almost two months since I added to the blog!! But then, 2015 is not going to be a normal year for the nomadic Andersons. We have been busy, not travelling this great land, but lying low and planning the trip of a lifetime, when on 27th April, we take the Big Adventure Offshore and fulfil another lifelong dream, to spend some quality time in Italy. Three whole months of quality time!! Along the way, we will catch up with old friends Jim & Joan Griffith at their home in Wilmslow in the UK. We will take in a little romance in Paris and the south of France before hitting Italy. The odyssey will end with a cruise through the Eastern Mediterranean to Istanbul, before heading home at the beginning of August 2015. Yes folks, the old Bucket List is taking a beating!! They say you can't take it with you, and we have absolutely no plans to even try!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Carolyn with Kenzie & Harly.

Coolum Beach

But first, a recap on what has been happening in our life since the last Post. We set up camp at Coolum Beach. You all know what a favourite of ours it is, with the caravan park just metres from the beach and countless cafes. Friends Lynne & Paul and their puppies Kenzie & Harly live just up the hill at beautiful Maleny, and golfing mate Pete lives two streets away, so there are lots of excuses for coffee and golf! But before we can do anything, the storm clouds are brewing to the north, with Tropical Cyclone Marcia heading our way. The caravan park was emptying out fast, as

After Cyclone Marcia.

During Cyclone Marcia.

people sought sanctuary elsewhere. With so much conflicting information we decided to stay, rather that drive hundreds of kilometres inland. As things would turn out, our decision was vindicated, with lots of rain but no damaging winds. There were some strong wind gusts, one of which brought down a small branch that damaged our satellite dish, but that was quickly repaired, and the sunshine returned and stayed for the next few weeks. The crowds slowly returned to the caravan park over the next week, but generally the caravan park was never more that half full.

 

With Lynne, Paul, Kenzie & Harly.

Morning Coffee at Sunrise.

The beautiful beach beckons most mornings, with a long walk ending with coffee at one of our favourite cafes, Sunrise, opposite the beach, or The Caf, which bakes great savoury & sweet muffins, every day! The water temperature is around 25 degrees C, so it is just beautiful for a dip. Holiday planning is the task at hand, and countless hours are spent going over dozens of websites. You see, we are booking the entire holiday, with the exception of the cruise, ourselves. Hotel sites, B&B Sites, Cars, Trains, Tours. It is absolutely amazing what information is available.

A Great market!

Doing the Eumundi Markets.

Between hours of holiday planning, we still had time for visits to Eumundi Markets, and some long lunches. John also got into a golf routine, heading off with Pete most Thursdays and Saturdays, to play in the member's comp at Pete's club, Mt. Coolum. It is a challenging course, with lots of water & trees, narrow fairways, all in the shadow of the looming Mt Coolum. There is heaps of bird life. It is a lovely place to play. On my first outing I burgled the comp with a net 64, eight under par!!! There was quite a bit of good hearted heckling from Pete's mates at the presentation. They didn't have to worry, I didn't get close

Coffee at Eumundi.

again!! It was a huge amount

Great colour along Maleny Road.

of fun playing with a variety of Pete's mates. There  are some real characters among them, though I'm not sure I'll forgive Pete for sending me out on Monthly Medal Saturday, with an 81 year old guy, slightly deaf & suffering early Dimentia, his 79 year old mate who warned me his sight wasn't great, and 91 year old Tom, who played a very private game, completely oblivious to the movements of the rest of the group!! It was more like Search & Rescue than golf!!! I was exhausted having followed the flight of four balls on every hole, usually into a forest or a lake, keeping score for everyone, "have I had 5 or 6? No I think it is 8!! No, that was the last hole! And so it went on!!! I think our 4 ball aggregate would have made a new record somewhere close to 600 strokes!!

Shopping in Montville.

The Brisbane Skyline.

Carolyn & Lynne took a day trip in to Brisbane by train for a look around. Carolyn couldn't remember the last time she'd been in Brisbane, and with Lynne having come from these parts, she had the perfect guide. From all accounts, they had a lovely day, walking, using the free ferry along the Brisbane River, and enjoying a lovely lunch at Southbank. Brisbane has changed so much over recent years, and Carolyn wants to head back again. Next time I will be going with her! She was a tired little tiger, when I picked her up at Nambour Station.

A day at Kenilworth.

Lunch at Montville.

On another day, we met Lynne and took a lovely drive out to Kenilworth. Paul had taken himself off to Melbourne as a Volunteer at the Avalon Air Show!! We took the scenic drive down the mountain from Mapleton, and it is a spectacular drive. With all the recent rain, the country is so green. When we reached Kenilworth, we headed out to the famous Cheese Factory for some tasting, and you know what happens when you taste, you buy!! Lovely tasty cheddar!! The little town has a surprisingly good selection of quality shops, so the girls had a good time! We found a café for lunch, which was just OK. It was for sale, and I think the owners and staff had their minds elsewhere. Anyway, the  drive back up the mountain soon made lunch a distant memory, with the wonderful views at every turn. Later in the week we were out to dinner with Pete and his sister Lynette and partner Graeme. We went back to our usual haunt, Castro's, where the pizzas are great, and everything else is equally as good. As usual, we were last to leave!

Jill came to Noosaville.

Happy Hour!

During our last week at Coolum, niece Jill flew into town. She has an investment Studio Apartment up at Noosaville, and decided to take week off work.  We enjoyed a long lunch at Noosaville, in an establishment with the quaint name of Corner On Thomas. It was lovely, looking across to the river. Next day, we took in an afternoon movie followed by Italian at a nice little family restaurant in Noosaville. The girls proclaiming the Tiramisu as World Class!!! Our last social event was the celebration of our friend Paul's 70th Birthday. How can our friends be turning 70!!! The card we found along our travels said it all - "HOLY CRAP YOUR OLD!!" Lunch, sitting out on the deck at the Kawana Tavern, was excellent. Really good pub food at reasonable prices.

Here's to 34 Years together.

Romantic dinner at Blue Scooter.

So, it was time to start heading south. The holiday plans are well underway. We were very slow getting going on the morning of departure, with one last walk along the beach, one last coffee and muffin at The Caf. We finally got out the gate at around 10.45am! We were only driving down to Kingscliff, another very favourite spot. Crossing the border back into the Daylight Saving of NSW, brought us back an hour, so we weren't very late at all!! We had managed to get into the Kingscliff Beach Front Caravan Park, right in town. It is very similar to Coolum, with a long sandy beach on one side, and lots of cafes and shops on the other. The weather was stormy, but warm. It was a lovely stay of 10 days, during

Farmer John.

which we made

On the farm at Gloucester.

more steady progress with the holiday plans. Our favourite coffee spot in Kingscliff is Choux Box, who make great coffee and some very good cakes. The banana toffee cake is fantastic! The old Kingscliff Hotel has undergone a transformation, and is now a modern beach themed establishment, with the outdoor area having the biggest TV screen we have ever seen! A great spot to watch the last few games of the Cricket World Cup! On our last Saturday night, we took ourselves out for a special dinner, to celebrate 34 years to the day, that I knocked on Carolyn's front door and took her out for the first of countless dinners. We went to Blue Scooter, an Italian themed seafood restaurant, right at the roundabout in the middle of town. Joe was playing guitar, providing a terrific background with all those old surfing instrumentals from the '60's and '70's. The food & wine were great, and it was a very special night for us.



Leo the Kelpie.

Taking Leo for a walk.

From Kingscliff it was off to Coffs Harbour to get our annual caravan service done. We also had a list of minor repairs we needed done. It is only about 4 hours down the road, and true to form for Coffs Harbour, storm clouds were building! We have never been in Coffs Harbour when it didn't pour with rain! We took the caravan into Watson's early Monday morning, and the team did an amazing job, getting everything done in a day. It was late when we drove out the gate, and we got back to the caravan park just in time to get the van parked and the

Milking time.

awning out, before the heaven's opened. It was torrential for

Mist over the Dairy.

a couple of hours and eased off to a torrent! When we awoke in the morning we were surrounded by a lake!!! We have friends in Coffs Harbour, Lesley & Jim, and on our last night went around to their home for a delightful home cooked meal. It was a long and lovely evening. The Spanish Mackeral that Jim had caught was just delicious! On the morning we left town, it was back to Watson's for one last time. Our leaky awning was still leaking, so it was now Plan B. With the repairs done, we were on the road to Gloucester and the farm, for the Easter Break.

Feeding the new calf.

Feeding time.

With a late start and heavy Easter traffic, it was a late arrival at the farm. It is a lovely sight coming over the hill into Gloucester and the drive out to the farm is a joy following all the recent rain.  We set up in our usual spot next to the house, and are met with the news that Lindsay & Myrelle are soon to be rid of all the Dairy work. They are planning to sell the dairy herd, and lessen their work load, by raising beef cattle. Farmers have to plan retirement too!! So this Easter break could well be our last Dairy experience. We had a lovely weekend catching up with all the family. Michael & Wendy came out with their kids

Leo gets a cuddle.

Andrew & Samantha, and the following day Margo & Adam came

Galahs amidst the fog.

out with Alby & Ellie for an overnight stay. So we got to spend some quality time. Carolyn was cooking up a storm to give Myrelle a break. There were so many visitors camping on and around the farm. The dairy resembled a football match with kids perched all around the railing fences of the dairy, straddling the quad bikes and begging rides. I've never seen it like this. The poor old cows were wondering what hit them!! Add in a wet Easter, and it was bedlam! The wet weather drove some campers away early. Carolyn was in heaven, as Lindsay has a new pup, Leo the Kelpie, just 12 weeks old. What a livewire. Carolyn took him for walks up the hill, or was it Leo taking Carolyn! They both had heaps of fun.

The dairy cows may soon be gone!

Four gorgeous Grandkids.

And so the Easter weekend came to an end. We stopped by Margo's house to pick up some home made goodies, had one last coffee with Margo, at a new place in town called The Fox Den, and then it was on the road headed for Shellharbour. The holiday is getting closer. We have ten days in Shellharbour, during which time I will be heading down along the Murray River with my mate Pete and 22 other blokes to play some serious golf for 5 days. It is an annual pilgrimage for Pete, but my first "Big Tour". Should be a lot of fun. Carolyn is looking forward to some "quiet time"! When I get back it will be all systems go for Italy. D Day is 27th April!!

This will be the last full post for some time. I will try and keep the blog going while we are away, using my IPad and the Blogger App, but the presentation will not be as detailed or contain as many photos, but I am sure you will enjoy our holiday with us!

Trip North, February 2015

After a wonderful few weeks in and around Sydney catching up with family and friends, it was time for us to head north to catch some sun, and relax by the beach in search of that Endless Summer. Along the way, we reflected on how lucky we are to have such an amazing, and ever growing, network of family and friends, that make our travels all the more special. Still the most asked question we receive is, "how long do you think you will keep travelling?" After four years the answer remains the same, "until we stop enjoying it!" There is no end in sight!

The Lake Entrance Forster/Tuncurry.

Dinner with Dianne & Peter.

The first stop on the trip north was Forster. There can be no doubt that the waters around Forster, make it one of the prettiest spots on the NSW Coast. As you drive across that long low bridge that separates Forster and Tuncurry, the water just sparkles, framed between the rock walls of the breakwater. We are again staying at the Forster Beach Caravan Park, purely on the basis of its wonderful location, wedged in between the breakwall, the surf Beach and town. Sadly, the same manager is in residence. Our booking has been lost, our

Forster to Tuncurry Bridge.

Breakfast at Tartt Cafe Forster.

requested large site with no trees, is in fact a small site surrounded by trees, so after three goes, we finally tell him which site we will be on, and get settled in. We are only here for 3 nights. We want to catch up with Dianne & Peter Balle, who we met when staying here, back in year 2. They have been holidaying here for years, and have now settled in Forster. They are a lovely couple, and such fun to be around. They have now retired, and just traded in their old van, on a new Retreat Off Roader, and will be hitting the great out doors later in the year. We enjoyed a visit to their lovely, newly renovated home, and a nice dinner down by the river. It was quite funny really. We arrived at the restaurant around 7.15pm, just as the owner was closing up! Said she had no bookings, but gladly opened up for us! We were also pleased to find that the lovely Tartt Cafe, was still churning out excellent food and coffee. Great breakfasts!!

Marg & Carolyn at Badminton.

Picking strawberries at Riccardo's.

Next stop wasn't far up the road. Port Macquarie is another favourite. We got a good spot at The Sundowner Breakwall Caravan Park. We like this park, even though it has gone downhill a bit as regards presentation. At least this time the ground maintenance was being done! We like the walks along the river and the coast. There are heaps of good coffee spots, and of course there are Charlie & Marg to catch up with. It didn't take Marg long to get Carolyn organised, and next morning they were off to

Along the Hastings River.

Surprise visit with Lindsay & Myrelle.

Badminton. The weather sparkled while we were in Port Macquarie. We walked, and took a drive out to Riccardo's Tomato & Strawberry Farm. We just have to go here. The tomatoes are to die for, as is Grandpas Tomato Chutney, and the strawberries you pick yourself are just yummy. Talk about smart marketing, letting you pick your own! We always pick too many, but they are so sweet, we have no trouble eating them. On the Saturday, Carolyn announced that she needed to go back to Forster. For some

The Coastal walk.

Sundowner Breakwall Caravan Park.

strange reason, she had shown restraint whilst shopping, but had now been overcome with grief, and needed to rectify this sudden lapse in concentration. I agreed, but only if we could have breakfast at Tartt Cafe! God, we can justify anything!! So off we went. The clothes were still available at the shop, and breakfast was sensational. Mission accomplished! On the way home we decided to detour through Laurieton & North Haven, and in one of those "it was meant to be moments", drove by Lindsay & Myrelle's holiday

Chinese with Charlie, Marg & Arthur.

The lighthouse.

home, and there they were, mowing the lawn and doing the garden!! I don't know who got the biggest surprise! We stayed for lunch, and had an unlikely catch up.It was their first weekend off from the farm for 16 weeks, so Carolyn's late decision to go back to Forster was meant to be! That night we enjoyed a lovely Chinese meal with Charlie and Marg and Marg's brother Arthur. As usual, we were the last to leave. We tried to get a coffee, but no one in Port Macquarie was serving coffee at 9.30pm on a Saturday night, so we adjourned back to the caravan where John did coffees all round. It was lovely sitting down by the river on a warm balmy night. For our last night in Port Macquarie, we had a Mexican fix at a delightful little place called Poco Loco, out at Flynn's Beach. It was delicious, fantastic food.

With Julie & Ron at Hat Head.

The Inlet at Hat Head.

Leaving Port Macquarie, we were on our way to Hat Head for an overnight stop. Our North Haven friends Julie & Ron, were there, giving their caravan a shakedown trip after it had undergone a major repair resulting from severe hail damage last year. We had never been to Hat Head, and were pleasantly surprised at what a lovely spot it is. The caravan park is right on the beach, and wasn't very crowded. The sites were very poorly marked. We had booked a sight so we wouldn't have to unhook from the car for just one night. It was hot, and I had just finished hooking up power and water and putting the support legs down, when one of the staff who had been watching and talking to a guy across the road, came over and told me I would have to move the caravan one metre to the right! I said you've got to be kidding, the park is less than half full and we are only here for one night. He wasn't kidding. I hate people like him. Thankfully they are a minority, and probably trained by the guy from Forster!! The scenery is much better than the staff!! There is an inlet, a very protected beach, and a

Walking along the Inlet.

Protected corner of the beach.

Bowling Club right next door! There isn't much in town, not even a supermarket, but South West Rocks isn't too far away. We had a lovely catch up with Julie and Ron, who are loving their North Haven life. We enjoyed a swim in the warm waters and a walk around the beach, the inlet and the caravan park, and contemplated a week or more relaxing here at a future date. Unfortunately, we couldn't extend our stay as we were booked in at Coffs Harbour the next day to have our annexe repaired. We had to book well ahead for the appointment, and couldn't afford to put it off.

River front at Hacienda Holiday Park.

A great site on the river.

After a leisurely breakfast of tea and toast, courtesy of Julie, we were off to Coffs Harbour. Tony and the team at Coffs Canvas, needed o make some changes to our annexe, as a result of us having the awning replaced under warranty, after it got a small tear in it. The new awning was both longer and wider than the old one, meaning our walls had to be adjusted. Tony quickly did the measurements, and asked us to give him a couple of hours so he could cut and sew the walls. We headed down to the Marina area

More interesting locals.

Some interesting locals.

and had a nice lunch, then we were back to collect the annexe walls and back on the road. We were going to stop overnight at Coffs, but decided we would press on to Kingscliff, three and a half hours away. Friends Kerrie and Gary, with whom we had spent the Australia Day weekend, have a holiday unit at Kingscliff, at the well known Salt complex, and were there for the week. The further north we got the worse the weather was getting, and by the time we got to Kingscliff it was bucketing down.

With Kerry & Gary at Kingscliff.

From Kerry & Gary's balcony.

 We had phoned the caravan park we always stay at, but were surprised to hear that it was closed for a makeover! We phoned 4 other parks before finding a spot for two nights at Chinderah on the Tweed River, at the Hacienda Holiday Park. Being dark and after hours, our keys were under the mat, and it was teeming with rain. We backed in blind, hooked up power and water, and got the legs down in record time. Nonetheless, we were drenched. Carolyn managed to cook up a storm, the stormy weather was playing havoc with the satellite, so it was early to bed. In the morning we were surprised by a mostly fine day, and a lovely river view out the back! Our site was lovely, a River Frontage, with a lovely lawn area and gardens right to the river edge. There were also lots of water dragons of all sizes scurrying in all directions! A walk around the park revealed it to be a residential village, more akin to a movie set for a B grade movie! I was hearing banjo music at every turn!! We called Kerry and Gary, and headed over to their place for lunch. The weather was playing havoc with our plans for a swim, but it improved as the day went on, and culminated with some good take away Pizzas, courtesy of Galileo's Pizza Bar, at the picnic table behind our caravan, on the banks of the Tweed. We had a lovely long day with Kerry and Gary.

In the morning we were not in a rush. With no Daylight Saving north of the border, we were turning back time, and heading into Queensland, and the Sunshine Coast.