Tomorrow it is the start of February 2020...how did that even happen?! I am sure it was November a day ago and yet, here we are. So, how exactly have we managed to fill the last couple of months? (I am aware Dennis completed a blog in January but he has a different view on our world and may not have recognised it was Christmas or, even, the start of 2021).
Whilst trying to remember December all I am able to recall is a great deal of rain. In fact, after departing Queensland and getting into New South Wales I am pretty sure it has not stopped raining...
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| A typical van view in December! |
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| But we did manage to catch up, and stay with, the Tylers near Ballina. A day trip to Byron to spot the movie stars (we did not see any and want our money back...) |
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| A birthday Custard Slice and Flat White for Shazza |
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| Although the great thing about rain is that it can create the most amazing sunsets. This one in Yamba. |
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| The Urunga Pier (in the drizzle)(later seen on Griff Rhys Jones TV programme about train journeys) |
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| This fab 'Gaudi-esque' wall in Nambucca Heads - want one! |
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| Koala spotting (in the rain) at the Koala Hospital in Port Macquarie |
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| This koala as fed up as us with the rain! |
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| The sun came out in Gloucester! Pretty ironic given the nursery rhyme... |
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| Clouds of doom over the Barrington Tops |
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| But that's okay as there was a rather good brewery in Dungog |
We arrived back in Kangaroo Valley on the 20 December and then Christmas was spent with Irene and Derek. An outbreak of Covid in Sydney's Northern Beaches rather put a dampener on the extent of the celebrations as Irene's brother and sister were supposed to be joining us but travel restrictions and a sense of 'carefulness' meant it was just the four of us (and the Big D). Despite the reduced numbers we were still able to tuck into a massive ham and eat like we might not get fed in the coming year. The eating was interspersed with games and creating new camping spots around the property...
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| Hanging out in the veggie garden |
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| Sunlight on the Escarpments |
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| Dennis demonstrating his excitement... |
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| You cannot beat a good Prawn Cocktail at Christmas |
You may recall from our early blogs our friends, Sam and Jan who lived in Sydney and the proud parents of Ted, the beagle/labrador cross (and Dennis' best buddy in Oz). Towards the end of 2020, Sam and Jan made the momentous decision to depart Sydney and, instead, move to their seaside house in Culburra, which is about 40 minutes away from Kangaroo Valley. Given we spent New Year 2019/2020 with them we decided we might do the same for seeing in the 2020/2021 New Year (given that 2020 turned out to be such an amazing year...oh). Anywho, via Nowra Farmers Market for snacks and supplies, we spent the New Year and first part of January down in the 'Burra. A New Year's Day walk along the coast turned into a bit of an epic after Jan decided to go for a swim and, inadvertently, cut open her hand on oyster shells. Mmm, spending a few hours in Shoalhaven Hospital A&E wasn't quite what they had in mind but was interesting none the less! We stayed home to watch the dogs and drink wine - that's us, always willing to take one for the team.
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| Festive lights in Greenwell Point (after we'd had a night at the Bowlo)(Oh yes Sir, we can party) |
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| Dennis on Ted's Bed... |
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| Ted on Dennis' bed. Mmm, I wonder who got the better deal. |
After our January experiences from 2020 we knew the camping areas tended to be very busy with families and big groups and certainly 2021 was likely to be even busier given that Aussies are not allowed to leave the country at the moment. (Australians have to apply for Government dispensation and the criteria is incredibly strict..."needing" a holiday does not factor, a far cry from the situation in Europe). So, rather than get a bit frustrated with masses of holiday makers and even more frustrated with increased prices we asked Derek & Irene if we could hang out with them for the month of January (and a teeny bit of February as the van is booked to go to Trakka for some Warranty work on 17 Feb)(ok, that's a bit more than a teeny bit but we felt we should ease D&I into us being around for a while). However, this then also gave us the opportunity to catch up with people who we had not managed to see last year, due to the fires, or have them come to KV.
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| With Lee & Fiona Evans at their house in Appin (we did not take a photo of Dennis looking very interested by the rabbit hutch...) |
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| Shazza ready for 'slashing the paddock' |
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| More handicraft; a rebuild and paint of the skittle game |
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| A day at the beach (another one of those really crowded beaches) with Sam and Jan |
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| The Yamasakis ran an indigo dying workshop in Berry and we helped out on the fabric stall. Because we know so much about Japanese fabric and quilting. |
And, of course, the time has also provided opportunity to help Irene around the property.
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| Helping Irene to extend the chicken run. The fencing is what we built! |
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| The formal opening with Derek officiating. The chickens are thrilled. |
There are still jobs to do and people to see but we are cracking on with The List.
The time 'alongside' has provided the opportunity to reflect on 'where we are at', metaphysically as well as geographically. There is no doubt the constant changes to Border rules is starting to wear us down a little, despite our resilience, and it's difficult to maintain enthusiasm for travel when the dastardly Covid can spring up at any moment like a maniacal game of 'Pop Up Pirate'. The Federal and State Governments have done a good job in bashing down said Pirates (to take the analogy far too far) but we live with this constant thought (and threat) that our plan could be scuppered just because I went into, say, a certain Coles Supermarket at a certain time.
All that said, we are not quite ready to put Cilla onto a ship bound for NZ and book ourselves a Quarantine Hotel just yet. (Do you know, if you want to fly into NZ you have to book your quarantine hotel BEFORE you even book your flight? And that is why NZ is at number one in the 'Dealing with Covid' charts). But, back to our plight. There is still much for us to see and do in Australia and do it we will. Our general, sort of, maybe, plan at the moment is to leave KV via Trakka in mid February and then mosey on down to Canberra. Family Yamasaki and museums and breweries will feature. We will then head into the Snowy region, or High Country, to do a bit of exploring and, with luck, see more museums and breweries. From there we will 'go west' into South Australia as we have just secured our first House Sitting jaunt in the Barossa. Wine region you say? Oh, why not. And that is where the plan stops. After having a good look around SA our options will be to continue west into Western Australia, head north to the Northern Territory (I tell you, the imagination that went into naming the States is extraordinary) or call it a day, and book the ship and the hotel and the flight home to NZ. We shall see.
In the meantime, our reflections also include the recognition that we are so very lucky; lucky to be in a country that has 'front footed' this pandemic, lucky to have amazing friends, lucky to have supportive family, lucky to be solvent enough, lucky to be healthy. Luck we will never take for granted.
Keep safe everyone. Kia kaha.
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