September Holiday

Waiting for ignition. Bill stopped counting at 75.

Sandra and I decided that it was time to have a change. So a trip to Coffs Harbour and Batemans Bay was organized. As you all know thing have to be done, Bills Paid, Shopping Done, Lawns mowed, Sheds tidied and bags packed and finally people told! Very busy time. Then there were two other things.

Bill and Judy were not having a bonfire this year, just like last year, but they were having a BBQ. Relatives and friends rolled in to Bill and Judys from near and far. We, Paul and Sandra, waited for Linda and her mob to arrive and out to the Gores' we went. Food was eaten and people chatted. We even got to know Jackie, one of Uncle Tonys Granddaughters. Any way it got a bit cold so Bill lit a fire to keep us warm.

The Cake.

After the bonfire died down every one either went home or found their way to a tent, caravan, motor home or the back seat of a car for a nights rest. In the morning every one gathered again. For breakfast. Then a little later at Jacintas request everyone gathered around a table where Eleanor(Elly) was placing a cake. The picture and writing on the cake indicated that it was Iggys 50th Birthday. Everyone sang happy birthday and Iggy was seen to shed a tear or two. Adrian had expressly suggested that if he heard a birthday party was in the offing, he was off! Jacinta was happy. She made Dad cry, it was her job, she said.

The view from our Patio.

It was a cold morning. The body shivered in anticipation of waking up tomorrow in a warmer clime. We left and gave the Tart our orders for the day and headed for Bulladelah. It was a nice, but long drive and we made it as far as Gosford. Found a motel and had dinner. In the morning we were off again and had breakfast at Bulladelah, lunch just out of Grafton and finally made it to Boambee Bay just outside of Coffs Harbour. We booked into our room, had a brew and worked out our next move.

Boambee Bay, in front of our Resort.

Around Coffs Harbour there is plenty to do. A visit to the Big Banana was a must as was a tour of the Coffs Harbour area. A bit of shopping the gathering of some stuff for the granddaughters and a couple of Postcards was the go for this day. A walk along the nearby cliffs finished a lazy day. That was pretty much the routine for the next six days. Trips to Dorigo and Bellingen took us inland up into the hills. Even up there it was warmer than Wangaratta. The local RSL was a good place for a meal, as was the local leagues club. Plenty of places for coffee or lunch.

From our front verandah at Tomakin

Soon it was time to head South again. This time to Tomakin, near Batemans Bay. It was a 10 hour drive of some 520 Kilometres to Shell Harbour, where we stopped for the night. It had been like driving in peak hour traffic all the way. Next day, after another 3 hours of driving we made it. Booked in and settled down to recover from the drive. The name of the Resort was The Moorings. A bit old, but comfortable.