M&M Smith: JANUARY 2021 : BROULEE, NSW : Summer holidays

Unlike last year with the bushfires, we were able to commit to our usual month at our coast house for the summer holidays.

For the first week we had four generations staying, with my mother (89), Mark and I, and our daughter, Ashley, and her four beautiful children.

A very festive atmosphere at Broulee, with lovely surprises like this Happy New Year mobile at the entry to one of the paths to the beach

The weather has been mild, the water warm but regular showers. Still lovely conditions for beach walks

A corella

King parrot on our verandah

Walking back from the beach along a bush track, we came across this striking male Koel. We’ve never seen or heard of them before. Friends have told us that they migrate from PNG during the summer months, take over wattle bird nests (just like a cuckoo) and return home for the winter. These friends have seen them in Canberra and Sydney, too. Picture supplied, of course.

Week 2 brought some visits from friends, some chance meetings and some planned. Jenny and my brother, Phil, arrived for a few days after being in isolation in Sydney. Julie and Bob, from the northern beaches, who could not stay in the caravan park with their family due to Covid protocol, so joined us in Elizabeth Drive. Fortunately, that meant time with Amelia and Simon and their 3 children.

Lots of colour in our little community here

A very creative cubby house in a garden nearby.

A traditional walk around Broulee Island

Meanwhile in Perth, on their unexpected long holiday in the West, due to the border closures because of Covid outbreaks in Sydney - Nick, Kristie and co make the best out of their change of plans...

But we are still in their thoughts...

Saturday 9/1. Two lovely surprises today. Mark suggested we ride our bicycles up to The Mossy Café, where we were meeting friends for lunch. Great ride even up the hills. Our friends, Teen and Don, had invited some coastal residents to join us as well. It just so happened that Roberto is Argentinian and speaks Spanish, so we’ve teed up another meal together this week so that I can practise my Spanish conversation.

A little more Spanish conversation

Sunday. 10/1. Perfect conditions for a paddle up the Tomaga River. I love the remote houses along the riverbank and their classic boatsheds. Lots of canoeists, stand up paddle boarders and fisher people enjoying such a stunning day.

Happy evening with David and Rhys who are at the coast for some paddling and fishing

And we were delighted that Shane, Kristen and cavadoodle, Axel, could come to stay for a night.

Wednesday. 13/1. Clear water and skies at the lagoon today.

Sunday. 17/1. Another item ticked off the bucket list. I paddled from the George Bass Road bridge up the Tomaga River to the Mogo Zoo - 4 hour round trip. No interesting animals to be seen or heard unfortunately. I was hoping to be greeted by a giraffe, with head leaning over the fence. Good clear conditions, mainly high tide.I particularly enjoyed the rural scenes with the dairy cattle along the riverbank.

I did see a fleeting view of a magnificent bower bird on a log (picture supplied) as I was paddling.

No Moruya races or ping pong comp this year, due to Covid, and we are missing our Melbourne contingent. Fortunately, the Slaters have made it and we had a quiet dinner with them, remembering all who usually join us in January. Fingers crossed for next year.

A little light summer reading

One of the books I’ve read in the holidays is Julia Baird’s Phosphorescence where she talks about igniting sparks of wonder to maintain our mental health. We have a little ‘spark of wonder’ in our back garden. Birds, we assume, have placed red fern seeds in a hollow, where a tree limb has been removed. Over the years the seeds have sprouted and there is a beautiful arrangement of plants taken root.

Wednesday. 20/1. Too windy for the beach this morning so I rode the popular bush track to the airport at Moruya Heads. 80 minutes round trip. It’s a mainly flat, sandy, stony path through dappled-lit bushland and with the sounds of crashing waves nearby.

We are still enjoying coffee and gallettes at Provisions in Braidwood when we have to, reluctantly, return to Canberra.

Dinner with neighbours, Lindsay and Karen

Last Thursday Steph and Charlie had a baby girl which gives our extended family the fourth baby in ten months. Four girl cousins producing these beautiful children.