Stocked up, fuelled up and filled up after lunch in Mackay, we set off on a short drive north to Cape Hillsborough. Plans to spend only one night there changed at first glance and in the evening, we booked a second. On the second, we booked a third! What a place. Kangaroos and wallabies that come to the beach at dawn, stunning scenery with views to the Whitsunday islands, bushwalking, early morning kayaking, butterflies, countless birds (including the strange bush stone curlews) and an encounter with a snake that was far too close for comfort. I discovered a love for collecting sand dollars and the girls had a great belly-laugh at hundreds of blue soldier crabs scurrying across the sand as we made our way back from a low-tide walk to Wedge Island.
Reluctantly, on the third morning, we left for somewhere north and ended up at Bowen in time for lunch. We weren't all that impressed with Bowen, but decided to stay on anyway and found a caravan park on our second attempt (the first time on the trip we had been told a park was completely booked out).
After collecting some sand (as we have done at every place we have stayed) we were in the car again and heading to Townsville. We tried the Botanic gardens for lunch, but found the entrance closed, so attempted to find another park... eventually ending up close to the city and thankfully stumbling across 'the Strand' with its beautiful waterfall and water park for the kids. We loved Townsville, with its beautiful beaches, manicured gardens and historical buildings and decided to stay. Our plan was to make the most of the next day with a visit to the aquarium, before heading only an hour or two north, but as usual, our plans changed. After a fantastic morning learning about coral reefs, all the amazing fish and other marine life at the aquarium, we lunched on the lawn by the waterfall again and were about to make one last toilet stop before getting in the car, when Matilda fell from a ledge onto the concrete path. By the time Ben carried her to the car, blood covered his arm and Matilda's head, so we decided a trip to the hospital was required. The first aid kit got its first real work out and we spent the afternoon at the Townsville hospital emergency department. Thankfully the cut wasn't as bad as it first looked and a bit of 'superglue', rather than stitches, was all that was required. Matilda was a fantastic patient and lapped up all the attention. She got a sticker for best sense of humour when the lovely young doctor (about to do some neuro obs) said "now Matilda, I'm going to ask you to do some silly things for me..." and before she could finish the rest of her sentence, Matilda had pulled the biggest, silliest face she could think of! "Nothing wrong with her head then", the doctor commented.
By the time we had finished, it was early evening and, after much discussion, we thought we might try our first bit of night-time driving... all the way to Cairns. We figured the girls would sleep and it would be easier than setting up camp somewhere in the dark... well, that's what we thought... but my timed internet session is coming to an end, so you'll have to wait for the next instalment!
Thursday, 18 August 2011
Tuesday, 9 August 2011
Well, after spending two weeks surrounded by all that nature has to offer, the contrast couldn't have been more striking as we approached the Gold Coast! Initially, we were quite excited about making it to Queensland and the improvement in the roads was noticeable almost immediately. Our excitement soon turned to horror as we drove through the streets looking for a caravan park. We had stopped in Byron Bay for lunch and thought that that was busy!
We ended up pitching our tent (one of only two in the park) beneath two towering apartment blocks in an area near the only remnant of natural bushland in Burleigh Heads. Ironically, in pride of place in the office was a picture, showing the same park in the 1950s, covered in tents, with the beach and the bush in the background. Perhaps once, it was a place to come for a holiday.
We had dinner with my cousin and his young family and the following day, set off for Tin Can Bay. We passed through Maryborough and Nambour and were surprised to see train tracks passing right alongside the main streets. We began to see more and more sugarcane fields and pulled over to watch the trucks loading a train.
In Tin Can Bay we stayed in a caravan park that felt like it hadn't been changed since the 1970s and enjoyed exploring the mud flats while the tide was out. In the morning we hand fed the dolphins (for $5!) and were in shorts at 1030am! The weather had definitely begun to change.
From there we drove to our next farm stay near Agnes Waters and although the surrounding beaches were stunning, the dusty, sandy, cattle farm that we pulled into was far removed from the previous farm stay.
We enjoyed our time with Richard and BJ the dog and his cattle that came freely to the car or front door and met a couple more German backpackers. There was plenty of hard work to do, but made easier with visits to the surf beach in the afternoons. Our last night was spent at the 1770 caravan park, our tent pitched right on the beach! We enjoyed freshly caught fish and hot chips on the headland and watched the sunset from the comfort of our car. After dark, we chatted to family on the phone to the sound of a crackling fire and waves in the distance.
We set off reasonably early for another unplanned day and a spare-of-the-moment decision to follow the signs to the Rockhampton Botanic Gardens, led us to an amazing playground for the girls under towering Kauri pines. We ended up spending several hours there, wandering through the Banyan figs, exotic fruit trees and the zoo - complete with bird aviary, chimpanzees and dingoes - all free! With not much of the day left, we decided to stay near Emu Park and pitched our tent at another fantastic site... unfortunately ruined by the noisy campers next door, who have left us desperately hoping that not all Rockhampton residents enjoy burping, farting, drinking and smoking (in between bursts of violent coughing) until the wee hours of the morning!
We were up with the Kookaburras and after seriously considering egging their tent or telling Matilda she could yell as loud as she liked, we packed up as quickly as was humanly possible, determined not to let them ruin our experience of Emu Park. Brekky by the beach, a visit to the singing ship and the spectacular 'Shell World' was exactly what was required. We had a great time marvelling at the collection of more than 20,000 shells and it was nearly lunchtime before we set off for our next goal of Sarina.
We didn't quite make it. Everyone was feeling a bit ratty and after lunch at Marlborough, we encountered some signs to a caravan park at Clairview and decided to follow them. What a find! Nestled right on the foreshore on a largely untouched stretch of beach was a very authentic, no frills, u-beaut Aussie caravan park, complete with a bar serving beer and the main meal for the night? Corned beef and veges!
Ben got right into the swing of things and cracked open his first coconut that had washed up on the beach, but not before the conversation with Rob (from Newstead!) and some fishing (which only resulted in a snag).
A minor mishap involving a tent peg and a water pipe was averted with the help of two permanent residents 'Bunga'and 'Bill' (neither of which looked like they had shaved or worn shoes for the last 35 years) and we set off the next morning for lunch at Mackay.
Mackay seemed like a town on the move and overall we were impressed with our short visit, but it only convinced us more, that we are really enjoying the small towns - the less commercialised, the better. It is only then that we feel we are experiencing the 'real' Queensland and the characters that call it home.
One of the observations we have made is that, for all their rough exteriors - faces hardened by sun and tragedy and sheer hard work, the men that work the land or live closely with their natural environments seem, paradoxically, to be more open with their feelings and sharing their stories, than some of those we've encountered in our everyday lives. Is it, we wondered, that we model our own behaviour on what is around us? That, in a modern, electronic, mechanical world, we see death or loss or emotions as 'failure' or 'malfunctions' that need to be fixed, rather than a normal, natural cycle of life. Maybe. Or is it just that we have more time to listen?
We ended up pitching our tent (one of only two in the park) beneath two towering apartment blocks in an area near the only remnant of natural bushland in Burleigh Heads. Ironically, in pride of place in the office was a picture, showing the same park in the 1950s, covered in tents, with the beach and the bush in the background. Perhaps once, it was a place to come for a holiday.
We had dinner with my cousin and his young family and the following day, set off for Tin Can Bay. We passed through Maryborough and Nambour and were surprised to see train tracks passing right alongside the main streets. We began to see more and more sugarcane fields and pulled over to watch the trucks loading a train.
In Tin Can Bay we stayed in a caravan park that felt like it hadn't been changed since the 1970s and enjoyed exploring the mud flats while the tide was out. In the morning we hand fed the dolphins (for $5!) and were in shorts at 1030am! The weather had definitely begun to change.
From there we drove to our next farm stay near Agnes Waters and although the surrounding beaches were stunning, the dusty, sandy, cattle farm that we pulled into was far removed from the previous farm stay.
We enjoyed our time with Richard and BJ the dog and his cattle that came freely to the car or front door and met a couple more German backpackers. There was plenty of hard work to do, but made easier with visits to the surf beach in the afternoons. Our last night was spent at the 1770 caravan park, our tent pitched right on the beach! We enjoyed freshly caught fish and hot chips on the headland and watched the sunset from the comfort of our car. After dark, we chatted to family on the phone to the sound of a crackling fire and waves in the distance.
We set off reasonably early for another unplanned day and a spare-of-the-moment decision to follow the signs to the Rockhampton Botanic Gardens, led us to an amazing playground for the girls under towering Kauri pines. We ended up spending several hours there, wandering through the Banyan figs, exotic fruit trees and the zoo - complete with bird aviary, chimpanzees and dingoes - all free! With not much of the day left, we decided to stay near Emu Park and pitched our tent at another fantastic site... unfortunately ruined by the noisy campers next door, who have left us desperately hoping that not all Rockhampton residents enjoy burping, farting, drinking and smoking (in between bursts of violent coughing) until the wee hours of the morning!
We were up with the Kookaburras and after seriously considering egging their tent or telling Matilda she could yell as loud as she liked, we packed up as quickly as was humanly possible, determined not to let them ruin our experience of Emu Park. Brekky by the beach, a visit to the singing ship and the spectacular 'Shell World' was exactly what was required. We had a great time marvelling at the collection of more than 20,000 shells and it was nearly lunchtime before we set off for our next goal of Sarina.
We didn't quite make it. Everyone was feeling a bit ratty and after lunch at Marlborough, we encountered some signs to a caravan park at Clairview and decided to follow them. What a find! Nestled right on the foreshore on a largely untouched stretch of beach was a very authentic, no frills, u-beaut Aussie caravan park, complete with a bar serving beer and the main meal for the night? Corned beef and veges!
Ben got right into the swing of things and cracked open his first coconut that had washed up on the beach, but not before the conversation with Rob (from Newstead!) and some fishing (which only resulted in a snag).
A minor mishap involving a tent peg and a water pipe was averted with the help of two permanent residents 'Bunga'and 'Bill' (neither of which looked like they had shaved or worn shoes for the last 35 years) and we set off the next morning for lunch at Mackay.
Mackay seemed like a town on the move and overall we were impressed with our short visit, but it only convinced us more, that we are really enjoying the small towns - the less commercialised, the better. It is only then that we feel we are experiencing the 'real' Queensland and the characters that call it home.
One of the observations we have made is that, for all their rough exteriors - faces hardened by sun and tragedy and sheer hard work, the men that work the land or live closely with their natural environments seem, paradoxically, to be more open with their feelings and sharing their stories, than some of those we've encountered in our everyday lives. Is it, we wondered, that we model our own behaviour on what is around us? That, in a modern, electronic, mechanical world, we see death or loss or emotions as 'failure' or 'malfunctions' that need to be fixed, rather than a normal, natural cycle of life. Maybe. Or is it just that we have more time to listen?
Monday, 1 August 2011
All good things...
It might seem ever so slightly improbable, but as we pulled into the driveway of our farmstay near Coffs Harbour two weeks ago, a double rainbow appeared from the clouds and seemed to end right on Rick and Annie's property. (I am not making this up!). It was to signal the beginning, in Ben's words, of the "best two weeks EVER".
The first word that came to mind, as we settled into our surroundings, was diversity. The huge number of birds was immediately apparent (Rick says more than 250 species frequent their property each year), as was the plant life, weather (everything from sun to frost) and people. In addition to Rick, Annie and their extended families, we met two amazing young women from Germany who were also staying on the property and thoroughly enjoyed the exchange of culture, language and philosophies that their presence made possible.
It was invigorating to work physically in such beautiful surroundings, with such inspiring people and we were convinced that we felt much better on a mostly vegetarian diet. Ben really enjoyed working with Rick and Richard (the carpenter) on such a unique home, with its enormous 500 year old turpentine trunk as the centrepiece of the frame, the curved ceiling and medieval doors. He also got pretty excited about using a broad knife and Rick's collection of musical instruments (including an Appalachian dulcimer).
I had a great time working in the garden and around the house and the girls had an absolute ball. In the first few days, Elouise kept saying "I've been here before, Mum. I really have. I remember everything". A sign she felt right at home. Matilda loved feeding the chooks through the wire, while chatting and singing to them, and Eli was always up early to help milk 'Surprise' the cow, with her new companion 'Eli' (coincidence) the dog right by her side. They learnt about bananas, paw paws and caring for horses, cows and poultry. Unfortunately, they also learnt about death as we buried a much-loved rooster one morning, following a probable visit from a quoll.
We learnt lots from Annie's 11 year old son, Brennan, about the local (and not so local) flora and fauna and I was particularly embarrassed when I asked, while sipping my coffee one morning, what the red berries were that he was picking. "Coffee beans" he said, perplexed.
We encountered an antechinus, satisfied a leech and supported the life cycle of a couple of ticks, marvelled at a pair of Jabiru storks and even convinced ourselves of the existence of the 'Glenreagh Gimp' (a two-footed, child-sized, hairy, half-man, half-possum that danced on the roof of the caravan each night).
The highlight of our stay though, was a 50 minute walk through largely untouched bush to get to a beautiful waterfall and rock pool near Glenreagh. Metaphors were in abundance as Elouise refused guidance and was determined to choose her own path through the rugged terrain, often proving she had more sense than me and only occasionally requiring assistance to negotiate a particularly difficult obstacle.
We really did not want our stay to end, as all good things must. All in all this two weeks was everything we had imagined it might have been. It fulfilled all our hopes of revitalizing, refuelling, reconnecting, remembering, exchanging, creating, learning and living. Rick, Annie, Briony, Brennan, Frauke and Lena, we cannot thank you enough.
The first word that came to mind, as we settled into our surroundings, was diversity. The huge number of birds was immediately apparent (Rick says more than 250 species frequent their property each year), as was the plant life, weather (everything from sun to frost) and people. In addition to Rick, Annie and their extended families, we met two amazing young women from Germany who were also staying on the property and thoroughly enjoyed the exchange of culture, language and philosophies that their presence made possible.
It was invigorating to work physically in such beautiful surroundings, with such inspiring people and we were convinced that we felt much better on a mostly vegetarian diet. Ben really enjoyed working with Rick and Richard (the carpenter) on such a unique home, with its enormous 500 year old turpentine trunk as the centrepiece of the frame, the curved ceiling and medieval doors. He also got pretty excited about using a broad knife and Rick's collection of musical instruments (including an Appalachian dulcimer).
I had a great time working in the garden and around the house and the girls had an absolute ball. In the first few days, Elouise kept saying "I've been here before, Mum. I really have. I remember everything". A sign she felt right at home. Matilda loved feeding the chooks through the wire, while chatting and singing to them, and Eli was always up early to help milk 'Surprise' the cow, with her new companion 'Eli' (coincidence) the dog right by her side. They learnt about bananas, paw paws and caring for horses, cows and poultry. Unfortunately, they also learnt about death as we buried a much-loved rooster one morning, following a probable visit from a quoll.
We learnt lots from Annie's 11 year old son, Brennan, about the local (and not so local) flora and fauna and I was particularly embarrassed when I asked, while sipping my coffee one morning, what the red berries were that he was picking. "Coffee beans" he said, perplexed.
We encountered an antechinus, satisfied a leech and supported the life cycle of a couple of ticks, marvelled at a pair of Jabiru storks and even convinced ourselves of the existence of the 'Glenreagh Gimp' (a two-footed, child-sized, hairy, half-man, half-possum that danced on the roof of the caravan each night).
The highlight of our stay though, was a 50 minute walk through largely untouched bush to get to a beautiful waterfall and rock pool near Glenreagh. Metaphors were in abundance as Elouise refused guidance and was determined to choose her own path through the rugged terrain, often proving she had more sense than me and only occasionally requiring assistance to negotiate a particularly difficult obstacle.
We really did not want our stay to end, as all good things must. All in all this two weeks was everything we had imagined it might have been. It fulfilled all our hopes of revitalizing, refuelling, reconnecting, remembering, exchanging, creating, learning and living. Rick, Annie, Briony, Brennan, Frauke and Lena, we cannot thank you enough.
Friday, 22 July 2011
Some photos
Thursday, 21 July 2011
Delight and discovery
What a week! This time we left (shock, horror) to the sounds of Matilda screaming in the back seat as we waved goodbye to Uncle Peter in Tumut and set off for Kiama. Why were we doing this again? Sometimes it takes a few hours travel, a beautiful day and some spectacular scenery to remember. Our first stop was at the Big Merino in Goulburn, which surprisingly wasn’t the highlight of the week, but more about a place to stop for lunch. The Fitzroy Falls were well worth the visit and we found our first camping spot in Kiama just as the sun set over the beach last Monday night.
A brief visit to the Blow Hole the following morning (and a small incident involving a one way street) started the next leg of the journey over the Sydney Harbour bridge, through Newcastle to One Mile Beach for our next overnight stop. We explored rock pools at Fisherman’s Bay with the NSW Park Rangers and then travelled to Forster-Tuncurry for a 6 day stay involving whale watching, plenty of beach combing, a day trip to Taree and a step back in time to have tea and scones from the CWA ladies at the local market in Forster.
All in all it’s been a wonderful week, but particularly great for discovering...
- Discovering that a whole 6 days in one caravan park is too long
- That 5pm is far too late to arrive at your camping site
- That (according to the kids) Mum’s showering habits are exceptionally entertaining
- That going to bed with the kids and rising with the sun is fantastic
- That the evening meal is much better and much more easily cooked in the middle of the day when you’re not relying on LED lanterns for lighting and the kids are not so tired
- That the tent can withstand wind gusts of 60km/hr without blowing over and that it keeps us dry when it rains
- That, as quaint and appealing as a town might seem at first glance, it will lose its appeal quite rapidly if you stay too long
- That Ben and Matilda make a very good sand castle
- That Elouise loves collecting shells
- That if it has two dorsal fins, it’s not a dolphin and you should get out of the water
- That Goulburn is freezing in winter and 3 degrees can actually feel like -8 degrees in the wind
- That you can’t get pepper on a sandwich if it’s blowing a gale
- That exploring rock pools near massive seas is a recipe for disaster (but averted if you have a Matilda to yell “WAVE”!)
- That seeing a whale up close is AMAZING and well worth the rough ride and being covered in someone else’s vomit
- That you can’t keep kids out of a resort style pool, despite inappropriate temperatures for swimming
- That the ‘scenic’ drive is usually not very scenic
- That sometimes a wrong turn can provide unexpected delights ... as someone once told me – that’s exactly where the adventure is. In the unknown, the unplanned, the unexpected. So glad we didn’t plan every inch of the trip!
Sunday, 10 July 2011
Chilled out.
Our first week ends as it began. Wintry. Other than freezing, it's been largely enjoyable and mostly uneventful - unless of course, you count me wearing my jumper inside-out to the supermarket as an 'event' or Ben and Matilda setting off the alarm at All Saints Church, Tumut, as they investigated what hid behind a particular door.
We set off from Bendigo last Monday, stopping in Violet Town for morning tea (and a chance meeting with another family from Bendigo), Albury for a very chilly picnic and Tarcutta for an emergency toilet stop, arriving late afternoon in Tumut, NSW, to stay with my extended family for the week.
We've ticked off visiting the snow from our 'must-do' list, with a stop near the Yarrangobilly caves in the Kosciusko National Park to make a snowman and have another very chilly picnic. So chilly, in fact, that the girls had barely taken a bite before we bundled them back to the car.
We've seen the Tumut river rise rapidly after water was released from the Blowering Dam and wildlife encounters have been frequent. Hundreds of kangaroos, plenty of kookaburras and even a few emus have crossed our path.
The highlight of the week, though, must go to Albert the talking cockatoo who lives across the road from the public amenities block in Tarcutta. Who knew that an emergency toilet stop (which very nearly ended in disaster) could end up being so enjoyable? Both girls thought Albert was the most hilarious cockatoo they had ever seen.
Already we find our trip evolving though it has barely begun. Our original plan to head towards Orange has been scrapped after a quick check of the forecast - a nippy minus 3 degrees overnight, with daily tops of around 6 degrees. Bit too cold for a tent we think! So now we are aiming for the coast where it's slightly warmer... though, judging by the response of the park owner, apparently unpowered tent sites are still not in demand. "No need to book, darl, there's plenty here" she said when I rang yesterday. Hmm. Trips to the shower block will be very quick indeed.
We set off from Bendigo last Monday, stopping in Violet Town for morning tea (and a chance meeting with another family from Bendigo), Albury for a very chilly picnic and Tarcutta for an emergency toilet stop, arriving late afternoon in Tumut, NSW, to stay with my extended family for the week.
We've ticked off visiting the snow from our 'must-do' list, with a stop near the Yarrangobilly caves in the Kosciusko National Park to make a snowman and have another very chilly picnic. So chilly, in fact, that the girls had barely taken a bite before we bundled them back to the car.
We've seen the Tumut river rise rapidly after water was released from the Blowering Dam and wildlife encounters have been frequent. Hundreds of kangaroos, plenty of kookaburras and even a few emus have crossed our path.
The highlight of the week, though, must go to Albert the talking cockatoo who lives across the road from the public amenities block in Tarcutta. Who knew that an emergency toilet stop (which very nearly ended in disaster) could end up being so enjoyable? Both girls thought Albert was the most hilarious cockatoo they had ever seen.
Already we find our trip evolving though it has barely begun. Our original plan to head towards Orange has been scrapped after a quick check of the forecast - a nippy minus 3 degrees overnight, with daily tops of around 6 degrees. Bit too cold for a tent we think! So now we are aiming for the coast where it's slightly warmer... though, judging by the response of the park owner, apparently unpowered tent sites are still not in demand. "No need to book, darl, there's plenty here" she said when I rang yesterday. Hmm. Trips to the shower block will be very quick indeed.
Monday, 20 June 2011
Cleaning and clarity...
With each wring of the mop, another memory emerges from the murky depths of my subconscious and the tears flow. It's a good thing I'm working backwards. I find myself wiping away tears from the floor as I go.
Usually I'm not too sentimental about houses. I've lived in about 18 of them, making the average stay less than two years. At five and a half years, this one was the longest stay to date. Maybe it's the length of stay or maybe that we designed and built it ourselves. Maybe it's because both girls were born while we were here, took their first steps, uttered their first words. Our first family home. Maybe it's because I'll miss our great neighbours, the street parties or the one-hundred-plus-year-old tree in the front yard. Or maybe it's just that I'm tired. It's been a big few weeks and I find myself cleaning at 9.30pm on a Sunday night in a cold, empty house that will, soon, no longer be ours.
The flip side to all this self-inflicted stress and sadness is that the very process of sorting and packing and cleaning has provided some unexpected clarity. It’s as if the joy of discovering long lost treasures in the far corners of cupboards has uncovered some forgotten truths in the far reaches of my own mind.
When you are left with nothing except that which will fit into an overnight bag, suddenly all that is important to you becomes very clear. The things you value in home and in relationships, in life and in a material sense, all become strikingly obvious. Only when missing, do you realise they were unappreciated every single day.
So here’s to not necessarily selling your home or quitting your job, but sometimes sorting all your ‘stuff’. To discarding the old, unused and unwanted, discovering hidden treasures and occasionally living without, in order to appreciate the answers within.
Usually I'm not too sentimental about houses. I've lived in about 18 of them, making the average stay less than two years. At five and a half years, this one was the longest stay to date. Maybe it's the length of stay or maybe that we designed and built it ourselves. Maybe it's because both girls were born while we were here, took their first steps, uttered their first words. Our first family home. Maybe it's because I'll miss our great neighbours, the street parties or the one-hundred-plus-year-old tree in the front yard. Or maybe it's just that I'm tired. It's been a big few weeks and I find myself cleaning at 9.30pm on a Sunday night in a cold, empty house that will, soon, no longer be ours.
The flip side to all this self-inflicted stress and sadness is that the very process of sorting and packing and cleaning has provided some unexpected clarity. It’s as if the joy of discovering long lost treasures in the far corners of cupboards has uncovered some forgotten truths in the far reaches of my own mind.
When you are left with nothing except that which will fit into an overnight bag, suddenly all that is important to you becomes very clear. The things you value in home and in relationships, in life and in a material sense, all become strikingly obvious. Only when missing, do you realise they were unappreciated every single day.
So here’s to not necessarily selling your home or quitting your job, but sometimes sorting all your ‘stuff’. To discarding the old, unused and unwanted, discovering hidden treasures and occasionally living without, in order to appreciate the answers within.
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