Happening 14 - 2008/09 December to March

Australian Holiday

Audrey hadn’t been back home in over a year and we were both chomping at the bit, keen to be back with family and friends, and the thought of a cooler climate, a large comfortable bed, western food plus plans for interstate travel all heightened our impatience. We needed a holiday from our job; the daily grind of simply messing about in boats.

December 1st 2008 finally arrived and early next morning our Air Asia flight landed at Coolangatta. Audrey’s mother Lavinia met us for we were staying at her suburban Kenmore, Brisbane house.

Back home again. Roast Lamb tonight!

Our little Pontiac ‘Fiero’ came out of storage and like headless chooks we raced about seeing friends, doing business, shopping, checked out our two rented houses at Karragarra Island and Cannon Hill, and the days raced by. But wherever we are our early morning daily walking exercise routine still continues, now for over fifteen years.

It was time to catch up with friends, so we drove to Yandaran just north of Bundaberg to spend a few days with fellow Rally cruising friends Wal and Robyn who, in their yacht ‘Annwn’, have since returned to Oz. They have five acres of lovely shaded parkland where bird life abounds and we marvelled at the brilliant red and green hues of the Australian Parrots and the blaze of colour of the Rainbow Lorikeets that came to the feeding station at their rear patio.

Rainbow Lorikeets

Wal recently bought a top-of-the-range zero turn ‘Fastrak Hustler’ ride-on mower for their five acres of lawn – told Bruce to give it a try; it was so much fun he spent the entire day mowing the whole property. Bruce is still puzzled how the ‘little boy’ in him got conned into a full day’s work!

The 'little boy' mowing

Worse still, Yandaran was suffering a caterpillar plague, as reported in the national media at the time, and for my joyful sins I spent the next week covered in itchy red rashes, removing invisible hairs from the pores of my bare arms and legs. Bugger!

Enroute home we called on Bruce’s Brisbane Boys College schooldays’ friend Ian MacLennan who, with wife Pam developed an old Burnett River cane farm at Wallaville, inland from Bundaberg, into one of Queensland’s bigger state-of-the-art Citrus Orchards, principally producing Mandarins and Oranges. It was a real treat to see them again after a few years, to reminisce the past and catch up on all that has happened since.

Before we knew it Christmas was upon us. Christmas Eve we feasted on seafood at Lavinia’s, the Napier clan joined us for breakfast next morning, followed by a traditional Christmas lunch with the Vidgen tribe at the Gold Coast.

Christmas Breakfast in Kenmore

During the week after Christmas, we had an overnight visit with long-time friends Ron and Margot Finney at their lovely Noosa Beach canal-front home, almost an annual occurrence which we greatly anticipate. New Year’s Eve was shared with old schooldays friends Peter and Barbara Eldred at their picturesque property adjacent to the scenic rim of Springbrook National Park, through part of which we enjoyed an early morning 4km trek that took us up hill, down dale and under waterfalls.

Trekking with the Eldreds - Springbrook National Park

Located high in the Gold Coast hinterland, with a clear mountain stream and fish ponds gurgling through it, their large acreage, in addition to natural bushland, comprises a productive well represented orchard and the grounds and gardens present as ‘open- house standard’; the stuff of many peoples dreams. Even the resident ‘vermin control’ officer, a robust carpet snake is a welcome guest sunning itself in the vegetable garden!

2 metres of 'vermin control'

Enroute home on New Year’s Day we lunched with other lifelong friends Anthony and Denise Goodwin at their brand new home in the newly developing, internationally acclaimed Currumbin Valley ‘Eco Village’ . Perhaps the largest house in the Village, it is attractively and intelligently designed - a beautifully built home with a difference, just so liveable, & no doubt the envy of many.

The Goodwins fantastic eco-house (we look forward to seeing it after landscapping)

Thus ended a truly marvellous whirlwind week that saw out the 2008 Festive Season.

We spent the next few days relaxing at Kenmore watching the South Africans whop the ‘invincible’ Aussies at Test Cricket, saw the movie ‘Australia’ at the cinema, mowed the lawn and other exciting things like that, and now it was time to travel farther afield.

So on 5 January 2009 Audrey and I headed out west on a six hour drive to visit my long time work colleague and our dear friend Margaret Neill at her ‘Newstead’, Surat cattle property. Our previous visit in June ’07 was during a serious drought but now the property was green following good rains, the river waterholes were full and running, the cattle were in good condition and the young calves were just superb. Following a working life career associated with it, ‘going bush’ nourishes my soul.

Marg then took us down to St. George to her sister Jo and husband John Knights’ huge Cotton farm. Cotton requires a lot of water and the extensive earthworks development in constructing above ground ring tanks, that hold 5000 mega-litres (five thousand million litres) of irrigation water, is quite mind-blowing (not to mention mega-bucks expensive).

Most people associate Pelicans with the seaside, and quite so. But many Pelicans fly to the outback to breed before returning to the coast. Here in the shallow backwaters of one of John Knights extensive dams we counted over 300 Pelicans in a single flock. Amazing! (Grab a book on early Australian verse and read Mary Hannah Foote’s poem ‘Where the Pelican Builds its Nest).

About one-third of the flock, St George, SW Qld

Four days later we were back on the road again, on a 1060 km run from Surat, SW Queensland to the old distinguished town of Bowral in the New South Wales southern highlands. We departed ‘Newstead’ at 4am, cautiously on the lookout for kangaroos ‘til daylight, travelling via St George, Moree, Scone, Putty and Penrith, arriving late afternoon at Audrey’s aunt June’s ‘Culreuch Cottage’ in Bowral. We spent four ever pleasant days with June, enjoying dinner parties there and with retired naval warship commander David Farthing and wife Judy in their nearby Mittagong home. Bruce also made a short day trip to Canberra for lunch with PNG days’ friend Roz Murray and Hector.

Aunt June's (2nd from left) Dinner Party

There’s not much fun having a seriously nippy sports car if you don’t give it a run occasionally, so on a quiet, flat, secondary road between Quirindi and Scone in central NSW I asked my Pontiac ‘Fiero’ to show me its stuff, which it did for a couple of kilometres – flying smoothly at 166 k/hr and still more squirt left in the tank. No doubt about it, the aero-dynamic rear spoiler keeps the car firmly on the road.

The Pontiac Fiero - our Lunch spot at Bermagui, NSW

Departing Bowral we took the scenic route through Kangaroo Valley down to Nowra, then along the New South Wales southern coast through the stunningly picturesque towns of Ulladulla, Bateman’s Bay, Moruya, beautiful Narooma and Bermagui, where they filmed that delightfully funny movie, ‘The Man Who Sued God’, and where we ate lunch on the knoll above the river mouth. On through Merimbula and stayed the night in Eden. As a parochial Banana-bender I readily accept the beauty of this southern coast.

Bermagui River - Scene of lightening strike in Film 'The Man Who Sued God'

An early start next morning finds us in Victoria travelling the Prince’s Highway through Cann River, Lakes Entrance, Sale, Leongatha, and into the Mornington Peninsular arriving at our new friends Geoff and Sandra Spinks’ lovely Mt Martha home, where we enjoyed four days of wonderful hospitality with them. They showed us all the local sights including the high peak of ‘Arthur’s Seat’, then we spent one day sight-seeing in Melbourne where we enjoyed the 88th floor view from the Eureka Tower, the highest viewing level in the Southern Hemisphere.

The Spink's lovely home and garden - Mt Martha

We farewell Mt Martha mid January and head for Sorrento to take the Car Ferry across Port Phillip Heads to historic Queenscliffe, from where we travel the coast road through Torquay to Lorne, then veered inland via quaint tiny Birregurra, (where we had a super hamburger lunch for $6), continuing on via Colac, Camperdown and Warrnambool, arriving at Port Fairy, south western Victoria, at 5pm. Along much of the way from the NSW/VIC border we remarked how dry the countryside was, not the usual lush green pastures one associates with Victoria, but very dry drought-stricken forests and grasslands.

We’d been invited to visit fellow 2006 Sail Indonesia Rally participants John and Joy Marwood, owners of the swift yacht ‘Touché’, by now good friends with whom we’ve cruised SE Asian waters, at their Port Fairy home. Named after an old sailing ship named ‘The Fairy’, this very pretty river-port town is bathed in both history and charm and the local hostellery, “The Stump”, boasts to being the longest continually licensed hotel in Australia, which was reason good enough for us to breast the Bar.

Charming Port Fairy - SW Victoria

The surrounding districts around Koroit were settled by Irish immigrants and still reflect their distinctive character, with much local industry centred on dairying. The area’s colourful history includes stories of bushrangers and illicit whiskey stills, and the Marwood’s son Tim, who makes high quality boutique ice cream, also runs a legal whiskey distillery in his nearby Timboon village restaurant. Fascinating!

With John and Joy Marwood in son Tim's Restuarant/Distillery, Timboon

Not far from Port Fairy is the western end of the well known scenic wonder, ‘The Great Ocean Road’. We’d purposely bypassed it coming down since John, who grew up there on a dairy farm quite close to the ocean frontage, suggested they accompany us on our return to point out all the best spots, which is exactly what happened --- spectacular picture postcard ocean coast scenery, culminating in the famous ‘Twelve Apostles’, spectacular limestone rock stacks that rise up to seventy metres from the sea.

Spectacular scenery along the Great Ocean Road

By the time we got to what is left of the 'Twelve Apostles', there was a southerly change and the mist rolled in from the Great Southern Ocean

We said farewell to John and Joy at Lavers Hill near Apollo Bay, then skirted around Melbourne and continued on up to the Yarra Valley to visit Gary and Sue Richmond, whom we met in 2006 on the Rally in Indonesia. They have a lovely hilltop home at Launching Place, were great company and generous hosts. The following day Susie took us sightseeing around much of the upper Yarra Valley, including the tranquil ‘Cement Creek’ Air Walk, a high boardwalk through the forest canopy with the clear running creek below, and we lunched at the upmarket Tokar Winery with its fine Rose Gardens.

Bruce with Sue Richmond, Yarra Valley

Tokar Vineyards and Rose Gardens

Like millions of others around the world, that evening we watched President Barack Obama’s inauguration ceremony, and wondered how Martin Luther King Jr. would have felt to be there!

Early next morning we bid the Richmond’s farewell and headed north for Bowral, driving through Healesville and other areas that two weeks later were to become the horrific scenes of this nation’s worst ever natural disaster, the February 7 ‘Black Saturday’ bushfires which claimed over 200 lives.

Three nights were spent in the garden town of Bowral with its leafy avenues and many stately old homes. Built on what was originally the grazing property of surveyor and explorer John Oxley until 1863, it is more readily identified through its most famous son. Though born in Cootamundra, (Sir) Donald Bradman spent most of his youth and played his first cricket here as a boy, and a visit to the local ‘Bradman Museum’ reveals a surprisingly in-depth history of the game of Cricket in Australia and England, together with fascinating memorabilia, and honours ‘The Don’s’ amazing career as the world’s greatest ever cricketer.

Vineyards and their Boutique Wineries are prevalent throughout the southern highlands, many with restaurants, so we lunched once more at Mittagong’s Buusaada Winery. My experience with many fledgling wineries is that their wine is both over rated and over priced.

Bruce with June and Lavinia - Buusaada Winery, Mittagong

Departed Aunt June’s Bowral home in the dark at 5am on Sunday 25 January and driving slowly through built-up nearby Mittagong in the early morning dewy mist, veered to avoid a kangaroo sitting on the street-lit road, which decided to about turn my way and subsequently bowled him over at about 2kph, fortuitously leaving neither party damaged.

We took the New England Highway back to Kenmore, Brisbane where we arrived late afternoon to conclude a most enjoyable 21 day three State tour.

The following three weeks were spent doing nothing in particular apart from visiting friends at Mooloolaba Beach for lunch, researching what government benefits I could expect upon turning 65 on 13 February, and celebrating that significant event with a dinner party at Kenmore with twin brother John (who attained this milestone 20 minutes before me) and twenty two close friends, mostly all from childhood days. Audrey and Lavinia catered magnificently and a great night was enjoyed by all!

65th Birthday Boys

A quick day trip across to Karragarra Island to leave my car (with Alan “Mr Fiero” McClelland who imports them from USA) for service during our impending absence in New Zealand, to where we flew on 18 February to visit our good friends Ralph and Yvonne de Gruyter, sailing friends whom we met in Brisbane on their world circumnavigation some years ago.

Ralph and Yvonne with dinner on the super-yacht

Ralph was there to meet our mid afternoon Qantas flight and, after collecting Yvonne from her office we went for cocktails on the luxury yacht of which Ralph is paid skipper. It is reputedly the second largest mega-yacht in Auckland and Ralph’s job as Master is to cruise her with owner and guests around the Pacific. We had the privilege of meeting the (local) owner who joined us for Sundowners. This USA built beauty is luxury plus, with large cabins and all the trimmings, and the engine room is awesome – appliances of every sort everywhere, a million wires, pipes and tubes, and so clinically clean you could eat your food off the floor.

Caught 6 Snapper

We spent only one week in New Zealand but packed each day full, including a weekend ‘down the Bay’ on Ralph and Yvonne’s sailing yacht “Aureo”, where we caught and ate Snapper fish and met up with another kiwi couple, Bill and Josia Whall, with whom we cruised the Pacific in 2003. Some days we took Ralph’s car and drove all around Auckland, recalling memories from our stay there in 2002, and revisited the Australian Gannet colony at Muriwai Beach on the west coast from Auckland.

From left: Bill, Josie, Ralph, Yvonne and Audrey

Gannet Colony, Muriwai Beach, NZ

Most nights we ate out at restaurants or with their families, other than when we cooked BBQ’s on the deck of their superb hilltop home with its commanding views overlooking Maraetai Beach and Waitemata Harbour. Since this home was undergoing extensive renovations Audrey and I stayed in their other Maraetai house nearby, having it all to ourselves, just as we did back in 2002/03.

Maraetai Beach and Waiheke Island - view from Deck

The New Zealand week was over in a flash and we were back at Kenmore where we spent the next ten days leisurely preparing for our return to ‘Envy’.

After 14 weeks back in Australia, on Friday 6 March we spent a happy last night with Anthony and Denise Goodwin in their modern spacious and airy Currumbin Eco-Village home, and they drove us to Coolangatta Airport for our 9am Air Asia return flight to Langkawi, Malaysia next morning.

We now have our cruising hats on once again, living our other life, and working hard at losing the extra weight we put on Down Under.

(PS: We have each lost over 10kg since returning here 10 weeks ago!!)

Cheers til we meet again in ‘H-15’.