Sunday, December 30, 2007

4 Sleeps Past Christmas

Well, Christmas has come and gone for another year. We hope that you all had a good one and didn't increase the national debt too much. It was Stephen and my intention to forgo exchanging Christmas presents with each other this year and focus on having a lovely meal together with all our favourite Christmas foods (and drink!). I must confess that this was my suggestion but while out shopping for our Christmas fare on Christmas Eve, I felt very much like Ebenezer Scrooge. Perhaps it was the crowds of shoppers at Park Beach Plaza or the carols reminding me of the few minutes of happiness ripping open presents on Christmas morning brings, but whatever it was, I suddenly had the urge to go buy Stephen something that would be fun and relaxing. Nothing PRACTICAL!!! I found him the perfect presents....a hammock, a kite and a couple of movies. Next, I had to break the news to him that I'd changed my mind about the "no present" policy and send him out on Christmas Eve afternoon to find me something. He was not really surprised as he's always known I'm a bit fickle but wished I'd had this policy change a few days ago. He did a great job finding me something with the same fun/relaxation theme and I'm now the proud owner of an inflatable hot pink oval water lounger with a drink holder.

Christmas Day in the caravan park was spent BBQ'ing, eating and chatting with caravan neighbours Chris, Gill and family and the English family camped in front of us who were cooked their plum pudding all morning on their gas stove. Although the morning was grey and even rained a bit, the afternoon was lovely so we both got to try out our Christmas presents. We were able to hang Stephen's hammock between two trees near us just next to the tennis court. We nearly had to give out numbers as our neighbours wanted a try. The water lounge was christened in the creek and I let the current carry me along the "S" bends nearly all the way to the ocean. That's what I call going with the flow.

On Boxing Day we had to pack up the caravan and move to the Corindi Beach Caravan Park where we will be until 3 Jan. Luckily we started packing early so we were heading out as the hoards were starting to arrive. It was my turn to drive and tow the caravan (2nd time). The only part that I had been concerned about was having to pull out to make a right hand turn onto the Pacific Hwy in all the holiday traffic. The traffic all week had been very busy so I had expected Boxing Day to be the same. Thankfully, there wasn't much traffic so my slow right hand turn was easy to do. Reversing the caravan into the spot proved to be more difficult than I expected as it looked like such a straight forward site but I couldn't get the caravan far enough over to the right for the awning to go out. Finally, I got us onto the site from the rear thanks to the people beind us moving their car to allow us to drive through. I definitely need more practise at this. Corindi Beach Caravan Park is very different again to the other 2 we have been in. We're on a low headland overlooking the ocean and 2 beaches. Corindi Beach which is the one to the right, allows dogs off leash so this is where Stephen and Angel have been getting their daily exercise. Dogs are allowed on leash only on the beach to the left as it borders on the Yuraygir National Park. Corindi Beach has one general store with only the barest essentials, a post office come gift store and a motor mechanics. Our site is on the outer rim of a large grassy circle opposite the amenities block. Behind us is another ring of unpowered sites full of tents and camper trailers and a middle circle has thankfully been left empty so people can access their sites. There are some parts of the caravan park that look like a tent city but it's not too bad near us. Oh, by the way Boxing Day was my 50th birthday and it was spent just how I wanted - with no fuss, being in a new place, doing new things.

The nearest supermarket is about 10 kms away down in Woolgoolga. I took a trip to Woolgoolga the other day to buy a new front door step stool. We're higher up off the ground here than our last two spots. It's definitely a case of "watch that first step" as you get out of the caravan. Our little step stool which was only a cheapy, could only take one day of us both stepping on it before the top cracked. So I managed to have a good look around Woolgoolga before leaving but without a new step stool - they had been cleaned out by all the holiday makers. I ended up having to drive all the way back to Coffs Harbour to find one. But the one I found is great! It has a non-slip top and folds flat when it's not needed - perfect.

Anyway, that's lots to read for now. Have a look at the pictures opposite. We wish you all have a safe and happy New Year.

Sunday, December 23, 2007

Two Sleeps till Christmas

We had a full day of being, today. Our next van neighbours are Chris and Jill and they are a really nice couple who have bought a bock of land at Saphire just down the road from Moonee Beach, which they intend to build on. Anyway, when we got up this morning it was high tide in the estuary and Chris asked if Rosy and I would like to go out in the kayaks. It was a nice thought and we took him up on it. Chris and I went out first. It wasn't so bad heading out as the wind was blowing me along, but the kilometer we travelled coming back was an uphill battle. Although I did see about two stingrays flapping around on the sandy bottom.

We got back to shore and then it was Rosy's turn. She wanted to take Angel so that she could see how she handled being on top of water, rather than swimming in it. Rosy had a lot of treats so it wasn't to bad keeping Angel in the kayak.

Really, Rosy and I have been in a two-man canoe and we wanted to see the difference between that and a one-man kayak. We are planning on buying one or the other when we get to Yamba. The end result was that we think with our (lack of) experience level it is better to have the two-man canoe. I think that Rosy wants to be able to slack off.

In the middle of the day the place we are staying at held a park get-together for Christmas, so guests could meet up with each other. Sort of like a street party. They supplied a huge wheelbarrow full of king prawns and a choice of a mocha, or fruit pavlova. The lunch was free and they just asked anyone who turned up to bring a plate of something to contribute. It was a nice experience. Mind you Angel was kept in the van with a bone. She behaved herself and didn't mess up the van.

Angel and I went on our daily vigil along the beach. I am trying to teach her not to be frightened about dogs running towards her, so we both go running along the beach, splashing through the water, chasing seagulls and getting some rays. The walk is about 4km's long.

Then for dinner Rosy BBQ'd some pork chops. I don't think either of us have mentioned on the blog before that we bought a Weber Baby Q a few weeks ago. They say it is the hottest outdoor camping BBQ you can get. It runs on gas and it is better to cook the food with the lid down to keep the extra heat in. Well, the pork chops that Rosy cooked were the best I have ever eaten. They were hot, juicy, melt-in-your-mouth and very flavourful. The Baby Q is great for just the two of us and we see more and more of them around the park. I can't wait for the next culinary delight.

On my way back from the amenities block, I met up with a boy we met at the lunch today with his family. He remembered me and said that he found a rock on the beach and he thinks it is for me. It's a special rock made up of two colours - black and white. I've never been given a rock before. It was getting dark and he wanted to go and get the rock from the beach. I said that I was happy that he wanted to give me the rock, but that it was probably meant to stay on the beach for other people to enjoy. Ti's the season for giving after all.

It's a little after 8pm. Angel is asleep on the lounge, which Rosy is also sitting on. I don't know who has the most space. All is quiet. The sound of distant discussions and laughter. Children are asleep, the air is cool and it's nearly time for a cup of Joe. Life is good.

I added this next bit the following morning.

At about 7am we were woken be a slight tap, tap, tapping at our front door. Angel started barking to wake us up, just in case we hadn't heard the knocking. Rosy got up and went to the door. It was the little boy from yesterday and his sister. Their names are Timothy (8) and Rebecca (7). Timothy had gone down to the beach as soon as he got up so he could get the two coloured rock and had brought it up to give to me before they headed off this morning. I went back into the caravan while they were outside patting Angel. I was quickly scouring the place for something to give back to them. Then I remembered the free Christmas cartoon DVD we got in last Sundays paper. I gave it to Timothy and then Rebecca said "Where's mine?" To which I replied "It's for you both to watch".
"Ok then" - and with that they both rode off on their bikes back to their caravan.

What greater gift could there have been this Christmas. And then it clicked how the universe conspired. Timothy is Tiny Tim after he gets better. The sick child that was within and is now out and about exploring, being with other people and speading good cheer. I have to go now and dry my eyes.

Wednesday, December 19, 2007

Thank you Teva!

I'm over the moon! Finally, I've made it across the creek and have been able to walk on the beach thanks to a pair of Teva sandals from Athlete's Foot. These sandals are designed to be worn in water and have a strong arch support. They also have a drainage system so water escapes though the soles of the shoe. Whilst they are not quite as good for my foot as wearing orthotics and joggers, I can wear them on a short walk without any ill effect (so far).

In a small way I have experienced the disappointment and frustration of not being able to go somewhere because of a physical injury and my deepest admiration goes out to those who have to experience this on a daily and permanent basis due to a physical disability. I know that my injury will heal EVENTUALLY however it did leave me feeling quite depressed at times.

Over the past 4 months since re injuring my foot, I had often thought that someone should invent shoes with arch support that can be worn on the beach and in the water. To my amazement, someone has. There is quite a range of "water shoes" available on the Internet available in the US. Thank you Teva for making shoes available in Australia! I'd love to hear if anyone has bought any other types of water shoes with arch support.

Now after boring you with stories of my footwear, onto something else.

We will be moving further up the coast on 26 Dec to the Corindi Beach Caravan Park. Although a site became available here so we could stay until 3 Jan, we have decided to move on to experience somewhere new. Weeks and weeks ago, we sent emails to a number of caravan parks to see if anyone had vacancies from 26 Dec but most came back with "Sorry, fully booked" or "Sorry, no dogs allowed during the peak period". However, the caravan park at Corindi sent us an email today to let us know they had a cancellation and asked if we were interested. "Which one were they again?" I thought to myself. But after a quick look on their website, they are a nice little caravan park right on the beach. So off we go again next week.

There was a bit of excitement in the caravan park here today. 2 horses had decided to go for a run down the road and as we are at the end of the road, decided to run around the caravan park for about an hour. They were finally caught on the grassy slope just behind us after their owner finally arrived. All the rest of us could do was watch them run about and get out of their way. One of the horses had a couple of cuts on it's legs but on the whole I think they had a good time visiting us.

Bye everyone, Rosy

Sunday, December 16, 2007

Knowing who one is..

The modern day media and pop psychologist have a lot to say about finding oneself. I used to think that it was about reminding yourself of who you were, before family, community and the government got involved with our individual lives. But I have discovered that it is not about that at all. It goes deeper than that. For me, it is about realizing what my role in life is and to honour it. It's not husband, brother, son, Manager, supervisor, web developer, marketer or any of the other jobs I had in corporate land. It actually came to me in a dream about a very early job I had in a bank - a 'teller'. In the land of symbols and metaphor I understand that as being a teller. Like a storyteller, or like Jessica Fletcher in Murder She, Wrote. Using my intuition I gather my observations on a situation, let them mull around in my head for a while and then a movie/fairytale/book that I have watched or read will pop into my head that provides the basic outline of the difficulty I or someone else is experiencing. This is what makes me whole as a person. I also understand now that it's not how I write something that is important, but what I am writing about. That is where the gem is. Storytelling is not just about grammar, but the emotions that let fly with the words. Just ask J K Rowling.

So there you have it. I don't have images to put up on the post, but I can tell you how I feel. Like Scrooge after meeting with the three spirits and like Tiny Tim after Scrooge decides to help this family. God bless everyone, and to all a Merry Christmas.

p.s. And just to think. I didn't need to buy anything to feel like this.

Tuesday, December 11, 2007

Tripping about

We've been here at Moonee Beach for 2 weeks and I've got to say this is a great caravan park (which will now be abbreviated to c/pk as I'm sick of typing it out in full) especially if you have dogs. A few more caravans and campers are starting to turn up and I suspect this will increase as we head towards the busy Christmas holiday period. We're confirmed here until 26 Dec. but may have to move to another c/pk as this one is fully booked to fill the gap until we head to Iluka on 3 Jan. Fingers crossed there is another cancellation at Iluka and we can get in there earlier than 3 Jan. We had no idea just how booked up ahead these c/pks get during the Xmas school holidays.


Anyway, more about what we've been doing since you last heard from us.


Last Friday we put Angel into the local kennel for an overnight stay so that we could spend the day at South West Rocks to see Stephen's sister, Robyn sing at the local country club with her quartet Sharp Focus. The 4 girls sang up a storm with their barber shop harmonies of Christmas songs to an auditorium full of local senior citizens. They even managed to get 3 of the male seniors to dress up in drag as part of the act. The notion of prim and proper little old ladies definitely went out the window when they roared with laughter seeing the men strut their stuff on stage. As Robyn and girls had to make tracks back to Sydney immediately after the show, we explored the little village and had lunch at the local Seabreeze Hotel (across rd from C/pk and beach). I highly recommend their fish & chips - best I've had in ages.

The next day we took a drive to visit the Dorrigo National Park, which is another reason why we needed to have Angel doggy sat for the day. The Dorrigo Rainforest Centre has a spectacular skywalk going out above the rainforest treetops which I had been keen to see. We were not disappointed - the view was MAGnificent (see photos). We headed into Dorrigo to take a look around and stumbled across the Dangar Falls just a km or 2 out of town. The falls were definitely falling which probably is thanks a lot to the heavy rain which fell the previous day. While we were there a guy and his wife struck up a conversation with us. It turned out that Phil and Jan have been travelling around Oz for the last 8 mths in a caravan and were also staying at Coffs, so we stayed talking to them in the carpark for ages getting lots of good travelling tips. Really nice people.

On the local side, we've been exploring the shops up here (of course). Coffs Harbour has a CBD area just off the Pacific Hwy with a pedestrian friendly, flag lined shopping street. Then about 1km up the Pacific Hwy heading north you have the Park Beach Plaza, full of boutiques, shoe shops, Target, BigW and Woolworths. There is a Homebase shopping area just across from the Park Beach Plaza with all the furniture stores, auto parts, pet stores, etc. So everything is conveniently laid out. On the approach into Coffs there is a big Bunnings and all the auto mechanical places. I've also found quite a few recycled clothing shops which I love rummaging through.

Emerald Beach is the next headland just to the north of us. We took a drive up there the other day to take a look back at Moonee Beach. It was a fantastic view looking back but also looking out at one of the 5 Solitary Islands which has the white lighthouse. The headland area is called the Moonee Beach Nature Reserve (National Park) and we got to see 3 kangaroos who were grazing in bush just next to the car park, they seemed used to people being around as the surfers come up there all the time to access the beach. There is a paved walk around the headland which we'll do another day when the feet aren't so sore.

Nearly forgot, we couldn't resist calling in to the BIG Banana for a banana split each. Just as nice as I remember but not as cheap. There is a great puzzle shop there which had the largest jigsaw puzzle in the southern hemisphere on display 18,000 pieces. Sadly, it is now no longer the largest as someone has now put out a 24,000 piece puzzle. Anyone got nothing to do for a couple of years ???

Anyway, that's all for now. Bye, Rosy

Saturday, December 1, 2007

Dog Walk/Swim

I thought it was time that I added some content to the blog. Rosy can't have all the fun.

The big challenge of late has been getting Angel used to swimming so that I can take her for a walk along the long expanse of beach here at Moonee Beach. It's actually like getting back to nature keeping an eye on the tide, because we can only cross the river when it is low tide and even then Angel can't touch the bottom. She still has to swim across (I'm not going to pick her up as I have my hands full with thongs, doggie treats, doggie bags and sometimes a camera). Anyway, for the past few days, Angel has hesitantly got in the water and started the dog paddle. I have her on her lead as there is a strong current. It's quite funny as she starts on my left hand side, starts paddling and then crosses in front of me and has the lead extended all the way as the current drags her along. Poor little thing. She is almost out of breath when we get to the other side. although, yesterday, she went across the river before I could put the lead on. She sort of went diagonally, but nevertheless made it across.

The beach itself is about 4km long. Today was the first day that Angel and I made it all the way to the end. It's quite a dramatic coastline when you get up close to it. Angel continues to boss other dogs around, even German Shepherds, but they seem to just be curious about what this noisy little thing is that runs like the sugar just kicked in. She came across a puppy Jack Russell mix, today and they followed each other for quite a long time.

Due to her encounter with the tick, I have been trying to keep her out of the surrounding bushland. The message seems to have sunk in. She doesn't go into the bush and now returns to me without have to receive a command - just a treat. Now I can enjoy my walk as well, without having to be anxious about where she is.

Cheers
Stephen