Blog - Page 2 of 7 - The Land Down Under

Gerry and South Shields

So after a night in Coogee we didn’t need to travel far , staying in Waterloo , still in the Eastern Suburbs. A weekend with Gerry the Jack Russell

Gerry’s owner hails from South Shields and supports the proper team

Now Gerry had some slightly strange habits and foibles eg on the chair behind us for meals

He was also a fan of the fountain in the local park

But we treated him to a trip up to the Northern Beaches

Meeting Max again

After the Hunter and Daniel’s first encounter with Roos , next stop was a reunion with Max & Tiger Boy in a very Christmasy house in Kariong

Jodie wasn’t sure where to put the 10ft 65kg statue after Christmas

Tiger with his Santa outfit

With the sun out the holiday crowds were at Coogee . Dropped Amy at her Kings Cross hairdresser and off to the beach

But Anita wasn’t hanging around as it was full of jellyfish!

Out for an evening stroll along the boardwalk with the new Converses

Went a bit further to check the bay out after an early rise

Back to the Hunter

So with the big bags with Ella and Charlie the rest of us set off for an Airbnb in the Hunter Valley

First stop on the way down , back to Port Macquarie to the Koala Hospital

All the Koalas are sick or injured, RTA’s or Chlamydia

The Air bnb was just outside the Hunter Valley so it would have been rude not to pop to a winery

Then picnic and a bit more tasting at the flat

Just a bit further on a family of Roos for Daniel

Christmas

So for Christmas we had a full house . Ella & Charlie had made a mad dash up the M1 from Manly with Daniel . So that made 6 plus Lucy & Marley

So the surfing crew headed off to the main beach , but someone had to take the dogs

The beagles aren’t allowed on the surfing beach

Jolly old Christmas Day , excited about the Hello Fresh chicken

Waiting for Santa

So with my arms getting longer , we spent the last few days waiting for family to arrive, along with our Hello fresh Christmas box

Fortunately the rain kept the beach quiet

Managed to get a helper when the rain had passed

Amy takes to the surf

As Christmas approaches, the weather heats up again . But, Ella and Charlie are coming so we can expect rain soon

The lively and lovely Beagles . Resting after a good long session of chasing and sniffing

I just put my ear buds in and listen to a podcast

Chill out , zone out and let them get on with it

After a big lunch and hard morning surfing , time to relax

Whilst I head into the local National Park for a hike despite the broken toe

And one nudist – old and possibly a looney hermit

Urunga Boardwalk

Sawtell is a typical NSW surf beach , so Anita had booked Amy in for lessons . We also took the chance of exploring locally with an afternoon trip to Bellingen and the famous boardwalk at Urunga

First thing first though , a dog walk down to the local dog beach at the Boambee river

A view up stream to the park under the railway bridge

The dog beach is accessed via the walkway next to the bridge . The dogs love the dog beach , many other dogs keeping them happy. I bottled out of releasing them as I probably would never have seen them again

That afternoon we headed to Urunga after a shopping trip to beautiful Bennington

Joining the local visitors from the Caravan ( holiday) park , who weren’t preparing for Christmas in the village hotel

Next morning Amy has her first Sawtell surf lesson. Mates rates , as Caspian our house sit owner also owns the surf club

That night after a trip to the local festivities, the dogs had had their own party

Sawtell & the Beagles

Christmas is going to be at Sawtell . A small beachside town in NSW just south of Coffs Harbour. A lovely two storey town house looking over the bush , with a pool .

Beagle 1 is Lucy , 9 months old – interests food , sniffing , more sniffing , biting and fighting

Our first night was interrupted by a tree frog , so far unnamed and unnoticed by beagles , therefore obviously odourless

Dog walking with two young beagles is entertaining

Sawtell has a long beach with multiple access points

A narrow path winds round the northern headland with multiple sniffing opportunities either side

Over the river , the enticing sight of the off leash beach

The southern headland also has a river , but south is National Park

Accessed from a caravan park the beautiful south side of the river for fishermen and paddleboarders

Maybe somewhere for Charlie to explore with his surf board

But all very beautiful, especially while the sun lasts . Rain is on it’s way

Back to Byron

After leaving Queensland and with Amy in tow we stopped over in Byron Bay at posh back packers

Amy’s board proved to be a little to advanced

Where all the heavy rain had wiped out trails

And brought plenty of trees down the creek

Still had to rush back to Byron , so it was a good job the hike was shorter . Cocktails were on the menu for happy hour

End of Brisbane and Queensland

After 3 weeks in Ashgrove and Brisbane it’s time to leave and head South . NSW is colder and a hour ahead

It was sad to leave Coco and her comforter

She was our second favourite dog after Max the Groodle

Brisbane was a city to meet up with family and friends

The final dog walk with Coco took me past the Brisbane Broncos training

And one last Queensland bush walk on a hot sunny day

Looking forward to coming back to Queensland

Big Wednesday at Surfers

So with a keen budding surfer now with us , where better to go than the aptly named Surfers Paradise . Of course the oldies were happier on the beach

Whilst the girls relaxed on the beach I hobbled down the promenade. My big to was injured tripping at the airport on Sunday

There was a folk singer in the other half of the bar , but poor fella had only sold 2 tickets . We didn’t make it 6 !

Matt , Heather and Amy

So a busy weekend with a few trips to the airport. Which by the end of the weekend we still hadn’t mastered

First of all Coco was happy . A regular morning run for almost a week , rather than being dragged along by me

Saturday we followed the well worn path through Southbank , Market etc . Followed by crossing over the river to the Botanical Gardens. Resisting queuing for the popular Lord Mayor’s carol service.

Night out up the road at Ashgrove East . A Tapas bar owned and managed by a Englishman from Gotts Park , Brantley , Leeds

Sunday , another relaxing day , meeting up with Heather and Anita’s old friends Phillipa and Adam at Kangaroo Point and then on the ferry to the Felon at Fortitude Valley , before shooting off to get Amy from the airport

As usual the heat wave eased with a noisy thunderstorm. Coco is not a fan . As I write this a few days later , the thunder again rumbles about us and the days are sticky . We had a few days off before the weekend guests and England took on France . On ITV , a channel with a poor record of English victories

In the gap , the heat returned, Anita headed of to the hairdressers and nail bar and I out into the bush

Enoggera dam , 11k walk through the bush . Busy near the car park with picnickers and swimmers

But, only a few slow coaches further out on the trail

Trespassers will be shot , mustn’t have been an official route and needed a scramble under the fence to escape

Coco and I discovered another creek route along with Cormorants, unperturbed by our pres

Heat wave

I suppose it should be obvious that Australia is hot . Well it is . Pretty hot . Brisbane is cooking and the storms are brewing

Santa is coming , but his Reindeer ain’t

After a mile down the pool it was off to Simpson falls for a picnic, kindly supplied by Nige and Ali

Sarnies , Christmas cake and Aussie Champagne

Before the slow climb up to the waterfall

So after swapping the empty barbie gas , Barramundi, fresh prawns came off it beautifully ,followed by Christmas brandy baskets with ice cream , strawberries and Bundaberg Rum Balls

But , the star of the show was Coco .Some how she managed to steal cheddar from under our noses of the cheese tray .

Brisbane River

Ella joined us for the weekend. The first of a few guests flying in for a visit

Southbank , Brisbane’s cultural and family entertainment area , on the river , with an inland beach and markets

After exhausting the markets and culture, nothing better than a river trip

On the way to the Eat Street Food market

Another day . Fortitude Valley , on the way to the airport. Two options shopping or checking out the Stone and Wood brewery

The heat wave is on the way

Brisbane

So Brisbane should be 3 weeks of relaxing, living like a local , plodding familiar walks with Coco and knowing how wet it is , it’s still better than at home

Coco relaxing by the pool , still really only of potential benefit as we joined the local 50m pool and swim 32 lengths 3x/week

The cooling off veranda for when the heat returns

First bit of tourism, the botanical gardens , Brisbane but not city – spot the lizard

Real bats evidently. Waiting like us for the weather to improve so we could do our Christmas shopping

Ashgrove

So we headed back South to Brisbane , Anita in the car and I in the train . I had to pick up our Maleny hosts from the airport and they dropped me at Nambour station for the slow express train to Brisbane . It became an express train for short sections , missing out a few stations