We've spent the first few weeks of our trip visiting very good friends that are like family to us and the last of these weeks catching up with a long lost cousin of George's and one of his friends from school. Both he hadn't seen for over 30 years.
Top corner: Kim and Lynne and view from Anzac Bridge, both in the rain
Bottom: George and I with Dorothy
Centre: Car ferry at Port Macquarie
Top: Loris and Lefty, Patrick and Julie
Bottom: Roger, Kathy, Lynne and George
First stop was Belmont in the Newcastle area to visit Kim, a very dear friend from the Station, who was the very best tourist guide. As usual she was full of energy and we talked non stop. We had no sooner pulled up than we were off to her place for a cooked dinner. The next day was a full day and night filled with conversation and fun.
First stop was out to the beach to relive some of her childhood memories, then a walk along a parkside area along Lake Macquarie and up to a viewing point. They walked and I rode my new scooter ! After lunch we headed into Newcastle to drive around the tourist sites along the harbour and cliff front, where the new Anzac Bridge is. This is a marvelous piece
of engineering that ends at Merewether.
Saturday was spent catching up with Julie and Ken who we met camping a couple of years ago. Julie and I got on like long lost friends right from our first meeting at Bretti Reserve
Camp. Ken showed off his new ' baby,' a sports car !
After a Sunday morning spent with Kim over coffee and cake we headed off to Gloucester where our new drawer system for the ute was being fitted the next day by Drifta. We
camped at Barrington over night awaking early the next morning to empty the ute back onto
the ground around us so George could drive into Gloucester to have the system fitted while I waited at the reserve with the caravan. Once he returned 4 hours later we had the job of organising our gear back into the drawers and top space before we could head off to our next destination that night.
This is a great system for a reasonable price. We had 2 drawers fitted, a drop down fridge tray and a rear water tank the next day.
First stop was out to the beach to relive some of her childhood memories, then a walk along a parkside area along Lake Macquarie and up to a viewing point. They walked and I rode my new scooter ! After lunch we headed into Newcastle to drive around the tourist sites along the harbour and cliff front, where the new Anzac Bridge is. This is a marvelous piece
of engineering that ends at Merewether.
Saturday was spent catching up with Julie and Ken who we met camping a couple of years ago. Julie and I got on like long lost friends right from our first meeting at Bretti Reserve
Camp. Ken showed off his new ' baby,' a sports car !
After a Sunday morning spent with Kim over coffee and cake we headed off to Gloucester where our new drawer system for the ute was being fitted the next day by Drifta. We
camped at Barrington over night awaking early the next morning to empty the ute back onto
the ground around us so George could drive into Gloucester to have the system fitted while I waited at the reserve with the caravan. Once he returned 4 hours later we had the job of organising our gear back into the drawers and top space before we could head off to our next destination that night.
This is a great system for a reasonable price. We had 2 drawers fitted, a drop down fridge tray and a rear water tank the next day.
At Bonny Hills in the Port Macquarie district we stayed with another very dear friend who we have known for years, Dorothy. When staying with Dorothy it feels like being home, we have
known each other so long that we are all comfortable in each other's company. So ... we relaxed and rested, caught our breath and did any of those mundane tasks we needed to get done while we could and ... talked and talked and talked... and cooked while we had a kitchen to cook in ! !
While there we had a day trip to Crescent Head, crossing on the car ferry from Port Mac to the north side, and picnicking on the way. Unfortunately our planned stop at the old Cheese Factory in Kempsey which was now an antique shop was thwarted as it was closed.
As usual at the end of the week it was hard leaving but leave we must for Brisbane and our next visit with friends. On the way we stopped overnight at Nambucca Heads and Maclean
Showground, the latter being a wonderful stop for self contained RVs. We also stopped at the Carobena Chocolate Factory just north of Coffs Harbour where we watched a demonstration of honeycomb making and George fell in love with their Chocolate Coated Ginger. This was worth the stop. We also detoured off the highway through Ballina and Byron Bay.
View from our camp at Maclean Showground
And our new home !
A side trip between Nambucca and Maclean - we left the M1 to drive around through Ballina and Byron Bay and stopped for lunch and a walk on the beach at Lennox Head.
Brisbane called ... Here we stayed with another pair of wonderful friends, Jim and Loris, who we met about 10 years ago through Tamworth Country Music. Our stay here was extended and they were fabulous hosts. George had some time out fishing and a night with Jim at the Logan-Beaudesert Country Music Club.
While there we met George's cousin Roger and wife Kathy and stayed overnight. Both men were very excited to catch up after more than 30 years and spent lots of time reminiscing. The same can be said for his reunion with an old school friend Patrick and his wife Julie who we had dinner with and spent a late night catching up with.
Our last day was spent at a pub where Jim and Loris were booked to entertain for the afternoon. George as usual barged in and sang for half an hour. We were lucky that his old mate Patrick and his wife Julie came along for the afternoon to watch so we had more time with them, finishing the day with another pub dinner with the four of them.
We have really enjoyed our time catching up and will include in the next posts some of the day trips we have done around Brisbane and the hinterland area.
By Lynne
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