Epilogue - an eventful trip home!

Life is never boring for us at least.  Boring would be good.  Boring would be much, much less expensive!  As I said, boring would be good.

We set off from Stuart's point on Thursday and got as far as our younger daughter Kirstie's place.   It was a great evening with her and her family - her husband was home from work, and her four precious children were very excited to see us.  They had been waiting for our arrival.  Her family has our youngest and oldest grandsons and our only two granddaughters and they are growing up far, far too fast.  We had booked into a  caravan park for the night even though Kirstie thought we'd be able to park in the driveway of their new house.  She was correct, we could have but it would have been quite a hassle setting up electricity and water.  It is easier at the caravan park.  They had visitors too, a couple they have become friends with and the wife's parents who were over from Singapore.  The parents were very interested to see how people lived in a house, because they were used to apartment living in Singapore.  Kirstie put on a lovely dinner and we had a great evening then came back the next morning to spend more time with the family.

We wanted to also call in to see a friend on the way home.  She only lives a couple of hours from Kirstie, and we stopped at Cessnock which is quite near Cooranbong where she lives.  After spending Friday night and Saturday there we were ready to set off on Sunday morning, went to start the car and - nothing.  The starter motor wouldn't turn over.

We called the NRMA, the roadside assistance and while we were waiting for them we took some photos of these Eastern Rosellas, which were having a great time on the grass opposite us.

The NRMA mechanic arrived in fairly good time, and he just tapped the starter motor and it started fine.  Something loose, he said. So we figured that we'd still visit our friend and just give it another tap when the time came to start up again, if we had problems.  So off we went and had a great time with our friend Karen.

But poor thing, she got more than she bargained for when we came to visit!  Time to go, Peter said (at 2.30).  Okay, and off we went.  All settled in the car, turned the key - nothing.  Tapped the starter motor - nothing.  Tried again - nothing.  Called the NRMA again, the mechanic arrived and gave the verdict - the starter motor was dead.  Whatever was just loose before was now totally broken.   So they called for a tow truck - but because there are three of us it had to have a dual cab instead of just an ordinary towtruck, so that the three of us would fit into it.

Finally it arrived - at 6pm.  He lives at Stockton Beach, on the northern edge of  Newcastle, over 60 kms away but had come from another job in Newcastle proper.  He hoisted our car onto the rear of the truck and hooked the caravan behind and towed us all the way home to our place - 127kms.  We have a premium level of membership with the NRMA so it is free, thank goodness.  We just used our eTag for the tollway because that isn't covered by the NRMA.  This morning we called them again and another tow truck came and took our car to the autoelectrician.  A new starter motor is not an inexpensive item ;-(

So - as I said, boring would be great!  This trip we've had the awning and annexe damaged and now need a new starter motor.  So it has been quite eventful.   We are grateful however, that it didn't start at our friend's house then decide not to start when we stopped at the service station a few kilometres away to fill the car with diesel.  Imagine how popular we would have been if we'd broken down at the only diesel pump and blocked  the way through :-)

It was a slow trip home in lots of rain, a late night to bed and I woke up at 5am.  Thankfully it is fine and sunny today and I have been feeding our washing machine continuously all day.  Then I will tackle the pile of minis that my nephew has piled haphazardly onto the lounge 'so that he could do some housework' and see how many of them are damaged!  So far I've found two.    But the first thing I did last night was to open the five parcels waiting for me: some kits from Petite Properties, some furniture for the Fairfield, some fabrics and two absolutely gorgeous dolls that I had commissioned.  But you'll have to read the Fairfield blog to see all of those - when I get the energy ;-)
Blessings
Sandie

Last day at Stuarts Point - and something a bit different for you

The last day here at this lovely place and I feel really sad.  I wish it was the start of a big trip for us as it is for so many of the campers here.  The people opposite for example are heading off around Australia for a year or maybe two, depending on how they feel.  They are fortunate indeed.  But we have our Tasmanian trip next year to look forward to!

I have something a bit different for you this time - sorry it's so amateurish!  I wandered around this morning with my little camera taking a video of the bird calls.  It's not the best quality but it does give an idea of what I mean.  Please pardon the wobbly photography - I am not the steadiest of people when it comes to taking a video!  Just fast forward when it gets boring. I also call my son Nathan to say g'day, and Peter too and there's another short one later on where I say goodbye , although my grandson tells me that it's not what I really sound like :-)  Thank goodness for that, is all I can say lol!  I have since found out that 75 different varieties of birds have been identified on the campground, and 5 species of birds and animals that are 'at risk' are happily living there.  It has taken me several days to get blogger to accept this video - I shortened it and had to teach myself how to do that, then teach myself how to save it in a different format.  Finally, it took over an hour for it to upload, so I had to wait until I had time for it to do that.  Whew!

In case you happen to wonder about the 'stuff' around our caravan, we were drying things out ready to pack them away.

Peter and I also drove over to Stuart's Point and as we arrived a chap was cleaning some fish opposite a caravan park there.  As if by magic a whole group of pelicans arrived from the sandbank way downriver and I took heaps of video of them carrying on while waiting for him to throw them some scraps, as well as some still photos.  I love this shot of one of them coming in for a landing.

Some of them came quite close to us, eyeing us off to see whether we had anything tasty to offer.  One in particular came really close to me and he was a good 4 foot tall, edging closer and closer.  A bit too close for comfort in fact, considering that huge bill of his!

We then walked back to this footbridge and over it.  On the other side is a track to yet another beach, but by this time I was weary.

It's quite a long way over the bridge.  Before camp I could barely walk around the house, so I've made great progress.

We enjoyed having lunch with our friends back at the caravan.  We're the last two campers left in the park now and we watched the caretaker and his assistant move all the vans that were still here, with a forklift.  We were intrigued - they hook the fork under the A-frame at the front and drive off in reverse, towing the van.  Those that are stored there are put in a large area at the rear of the campground and those that are being picked up soon are placed in another area ready.

Later in the afternoon, Marilyn and I took a long walk around the campground.  There are 7 long avenues for caravans and the same for tents, plus a lot of unpowered sites as well.  So it was a long walk.  I was really tired by the time we got back!  But our walk gave us the opportunity to have a talk to Neil, the Caretaker and have some questions answered, especially about the caravans and wildlife.

Now to say farewell for this trip have have another very short video for you.  Really unglamourous too - well, I am still in holiday mode after all :-) but heartfelt nevertheless.  Even if I did have to guess where to aim the camera - not as easy as it is with a video camera.

Hope you'll visit next holiday - cheerio!
Blessings
Sandie