Five miles or eight kilometres from Gundagai, the dog is still sitting on his boss's lunch box but he is getting a new pond.
It used to be a thriving business with a service station across the road and 200 metres down the road was a cafe in an old train carrizge. Sadly they have closed down and in a state of decay.
We have had three nights in different motels and boy are they different.
No 1 $106 a night, wasnt sure what to expect at that price but large room, large bathroom would need at least two cats to hit the walls. Microwave, bowls, cups kfs, extra blankets and pillows, queen bed or two singles to choose. Only drawback was it was upstairs.
No2 $115. Wow, so tiny, probably a third the size of the one the night before. I sat on the toilet and my bum was touching the door! Two single beds and a dresser, two cups, one teaspoon. If one of us stood at the end of the bed, there was no room to walk past. Shower was tiny with a shower curtain and no light, only light in bafhroom was at the end wall.
No 3 $121 medium sized room, queen bed with sofa, bench with chairs. After Warren booked he received a lengthy email including their menu. Good marketing as we ordered dinner, whereas we did have dinner making in the car.
Rock on next motel room which is $150 a night, we are going up in the world.?
Travelling down the road and Warren needed a break. Ballinz was too far away but I saw a s8gn for Byron bay only 11kms. Okay so he turns off, we are looking for a park preferrily with toilets.
Nothing, suddenly we are in town and its busy as, no parking! Oh, theres a street market and it appears that everyone for miles around were visiting. Byron bay used to be known as the hippie/yuppie place. We folliwed a sign to the lighthouse, surely there will be parking and toilets for a break. No! Nothing and if there was a spot it was $10 to park, what! We got to the light house after negotiating a narrow windy road, thank goodness it was one way for a fair portion.
I took a quick photo of the tents set up on the fore shore, seemed to go on for miles. No choice but to retrace our steps back to the highway and continue on to maccas at Ballina.
It was a further 30 minutes and I knew Warrens leg/bum was giving him grief. We ordered, sat down and waited, our meal was called and Warren collected it then went back for the coffees. I couldnt see him but he had spoken to a couple of staff members then spoke to manager. A 20 minute wait after our food was really was not on.
My turn to drive and luckily, it didnt rain. Me driving and Ballina have history.
Warren had booked earlier in the day for a motel at Coffs, 0nly $106 for the night. It was a great spot, big room with a queen beds plus two singles. Bathroom was also on the larger size.
On our way to Hobart Tasmania. Lucy was picked this morning, her dog sitter drove and she was out the garage and into the van before Larelle could get out of the car. No issue at all about going without her.
After making a little detour and collecting two more back packs, our first break was a fuel stop and then a nearby park at Nerang.
Two guts were near the pucnic tables and I thought they were throwing a ball for a dog but couldnt see a dog.
Another four turned up 8ncluding a girl and they started to play disc golf. We have only seen the baskets before so it was exciting to watch them.
They each had a back pack with the discs standing like in a dish drying rack. The back packs would have been specially made.
Sun was very bright so I wasnt sure what I was able to a photo of. No caches were in the area.
Two nights ago, we were reading in bed when suddenly Warren says whats that nouse.
I didnt hear anything and told him he was hearing things. Besides Lucy who was sleeping on the floor at the bottom of oyr bed hadnt moved a muscle.
Five minutes later, we all heard a noise and Lucy raced out the room and through her doggy door. Warren followed at a slower rate and me even slower. I am more of the opinion, shut the door and hope for the best.
Warren calls out and says, theres a cat inside, we dont own a cat. It had apparently come in Lucys dog door.
With the activity, it had gone up into the top rooms but Warren couldnt find it. I suggested the bathroom and sure enough it was perched up on the wash basin. He said that it seemed calm so moved to pick it up and carried it out and placed outside. We had opened and propped open the front before finding it.
Very nice fluffy cat, obviously looked after but must have been prowling around, Warren reckoned the noise he heard was it moving Lucys dinner bowls out the back door. Of course she never lezves anything but a smell.
No often have I ventured into a mens toilet but in Maryborough, it is encouraged.
Last time I visited the public toilets, there was a couple of gentlemen using the facilities so I gave it a miss and only sighted the womens toilet which has a gold toilet.
The above too are in the baby change/feeding room.
We met the woman whose idea it was to have the paintings done. There are usually two volunteers outside who give tours and give the clear to the opposite sex to view either toilet.
Valentines day, which we dont celebrate, and we drove to Birtinya Islmand for parkr7n.It had rained quite heavily overnight and we were hop8ng that it would clear. No rain when we left and we had allowed an hour to get there but I guess at that hour of the morning and being a Saturday, our trip only took 40 minutes.
Warren took off for the start and a chat with other runners. I had found a cache, the only one on the island so I set off in the opposite durection.
Middle of summer and I wished I had taken a jacket.
Its been a week of meeting up with old friends, yes, we are all getting older but these friendships go back decades.
Sunday we travelled into town to met a couple that we used to work with overseas. They live the closest but it is still over a two hour drive to get there. Six of us had lunch together catching up on families and day to day happenings.
Many memories were brought up and many laughs were enjoyed. After a great couple of hours, we left to catch our train home and they walked into the city to catch their bus. Fifty cent fares for travel is the greatest.
Yesterday we returned to the same cafe to meet another couple who live interstate, that friendship spans about 35 years as we both moved around the country.
The beauty of these friendships is there is never any akwardness and the conversations pick up as though it was only last week we saw them.
My only regret is that each couple live considerable distance from us, one in another country, one in another state the other on the other side of city.
Our ferry ride.
We have ordered goat curry at the local Indian place and enjoyed it with rice and naan bread.
While on holidays, I went to a market and there was a butcher selling goat meat, I thought I would buy some. Unbeknown to me it was already packaged and frozen in kilo lots. I was also taken aback when the woman said it was $35 but paid the mobey as I had already committed myself.
We bought it home and put in our freezer until a later date, a kilo of meat is like four meals for just us. Had visitors staying and I thought what a treat to share one of our favourite meals.
I defrosted the pack and tumbled in into the slow cooker, on reccommendation from seller, we went out for the day. Six hours later, meat seemed tough and so many bones.
I changed my menu and cookedgoat meat went in the fridge.
Two days later when it was only us at home, I used a curry sauce, mild one and put the goat into it.
Well, the mild curry was HOT! I had some sour cream to tone it down. I served some up saying that it may or may not be good. If not good, maccas wasnt far away. I think we only had a couple of bites and yep maccas won out.
The sauce was still too hot even over rice, every piece of meat was attached to bone and it was tough and very chewy and basically tasteless. Doesnt even look appatising.
S
Not me but I was asked along on a training course purely as a passenger.
I was a little unsure at first then bit the bullet and said yes. After all it was a training course.
I must admit I had forgotten the date, it had been put in the diary but on a tablet which did not transfer to our phones. Thank goodness for ak reminder phone call them night before. Once reminded, I recalled that I offered to make lunch for both of us.
Hum, no bread left so sandwiches were not an option. I did have a pack of sausage rolls so at 8.30pm, I am cooking them and boiling some eggs and some chocolate bars make lunch for two.
Pick up was 7.30am as we had a two hour trip to get to the beach. Coffee at the meeting place and when all thirteen Jimny's were there, all women, training commenced.
Tyres were let down and then it was follow the leader on to the beach. Big dip and soft sand, yay made it. All vehicles had a radio and there were many cries of "made it" as each one got onto the sand.
L
The board game has been made into a musical and it had been advertised for awhile. I hinted for a birthday gift, then suggested a date and time for tickets.
Unfortunately the show was the day after the tennis and Warren felt that he would never be able to sit through it without being in pain.
After some plans being changed Aidan took his ticket and accompanied to the theatre. We had lunch beforehand, just as well as there was no intermission. I was starting to wonder where they could possibly break but no break, just ninety minutes full on.
Very enjoyable day out, I left home at 9.30am, home by 5.30 with the smell of dinner cooking when I opened the door.
This month is all about the tennis here down under. The United Cup is in Sydney and Perth, many countries have a team and it is countries against countries. One men's and one women's singles then a mixed doubles.
Brisbane International tennis started on Sunday and we got night tickets then Warren decided to buy a ground pass as well so we could go anything during today plus have our ticketed seats for Pat Rafter arena.
We watched two sets on an out side court, first in best dressed for seats, then we went over to the other show court and watched two young Aussies play there. One was ranked 76 and the other 111, Rinky was 111 and won the match fairly convincingly, it was good to watch. He is a bit of a doubles specialist.
This one was inside and Grigor can't remember how to spell his surname, he's Bulgarian and has won the tournament a couple of years ago. Probably slowing down a bit but still great to watch and hear the ball being knocked around.
We caught the bus and train back after his match. Great day out, long journey of ninety minutes each way, thank goodness it's only once a year. We will watch the rest of the matches on TV.
I ironed my donation sewing this morning ready for delivery in a few days. I had used the same pattern for several dresses, even though they were all different. Different fabric, different pockets, different buttons, I try to make them individual.
I had made several pairs of shorts as well plus bucket hats.
Time for a new/different patterns. Patterns are some expensive now, last ons I bought for myself was $20 and whilst it looked simple, it wasn't and after two goes to make it, it went in the bin, and expensive exercise. Pattern was half price with purchase of overlocker and 6 metres of fabric was bought at an op shop.
Many kids patterns I buy at opp shop, always a concern that some pieces may be missing but that has not been the case so far.
Not a very good photo, it's a cross over top, plain ambulance uniform in bottle green, looked too plain so applied two groups of the owls on the front. Somewhere in my sewing room I discovered a card with 3 metres of pink bobbles. I decided that I may as well make use of them. I do not remember buying them at all and I dont usually sew in pink, anyway hopefully some kid will enjoy it.
I will use the pattern again probably next time without the ruffle sleeves, they take a fair bit of material and are time consuming to do.
Earlier in the week, we visited the coast. Lucy loves the beach and when she spends time with the dog sitters, they go out most days to the dog off leash area.
The off leash area is down south of the houses and then there is a swampy spot where mangroves are, although now it's off limits.
Anyhow, I dont know why but there is always a lot of crabs there, small ones and they scurry along the edge of the water.
The tide was out when we were there, water was only ankle deep for a long way.
The dark patch by the water are the crabs, thousands of them. Very hard to take a photo as they move fast.
Son, Rob put up a board the other day with his lunch. I can't spell it but decided to make something similar.
Boiled eggs, avo, tomato and cucumber, kiwi fruit, brie, salami sticks and pickled spring onions. This was not just for me.
I didn't put up a Christmas tree and decorations, haven't for a few years as it's a lot of time and effort.
I did however put our Christmas cards and stuff on small table which used to hold our second TV. That has gone out into the caravan. Nice idea to have a kitchen TV to watch while preparing a meal but it was rarely used.
