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.

More family visitors

Mum’s 90th birthday

A fabulous lunch to celebrate a remarkable life

Another summer holiday over...

M&M

DECEMBER 2020 : CHRISTMAS SEASON

Our Christmas Album

A dinner at the Wild Duck with our Domain Divas from our apartment building

Christmas drinks in our communal courtyard

A lovely lunch with friends in Bundanoon. Amanda and Colin have recently bought a holiday home backing on to a national park.

Dinner at Joy and Monty’s. Our first Christmas without our dear friend, Irene.

I sing with the DFAT choir. We’ve managed to meet through most of the Covid restrictions. We had enough of a repertoire for a short Christmas performance in the Department’s foyer one lunchtime.

Daily yoga

An exciting semester of local Spanish lessons and on-line learning- my special Covid isolation project. 

Feliz Navidad y Próspero Año Nuevo!

Every year I get a summer season pass to Manuka Pool, 5 minutes from our apartment and try to swim every day. It is heavenly!

For the past 12 years we have met with Helen and Graham Yapp, sharing stories of our walking adventures, after being brought together by the Society of St James in London when we first both planned to walk the Via Francigena, a part of the Canterbury to Rome pilgrimage. This year we shared a Thai meal. Earlier in the year in March we were invited to Graham’s 80th birthday celebrations.

The Covid virus reared its ugly head on 12th December in the Northern Beaches, where Nick and Kristie live. As luck would have it, Nick had taken the children to Perth to be with Kristie as it was the end of the school year. They escaped the lockdown in Sydney and decided to stay in the West until the crisis is over. Disappointing for us,as we were looking forward to being at the coast with them over the summer holidays. But obviously a happy compromise, as they have lots of support over there and their own apartment to stay in.

Luckily for us, we will still have the company of our other grandchildren during the summer restrictions.

Just to add another interesting dimension to our ever-changing Christmas plans we had two hospital admissions to enliven our week. I had cataract surgery in 22/12 - miraculously painless, efficient and effective. Then our little granddaughter, Indiana, just 11 weeks, was rushed to hospital with a bronchial virus and dehydration. Fortunately after 24 hours she was taken off oxygen and able to breathe independently and was discharged on Christmas Eve. Such a worrying few days. Her siblings were very brave and responsible and a delight to look after.

Midnight Christmas Eve service with a difference this year, observing all the Covid requirements. Pre-booking, social distancing, carol singing only by the choir, only bread at communion and no congregating at the end of the service.

Christmas lunch at a Sri Lankan restaurant for the Canberra-based family

Indiana’s first Christmas

Lots of communication with our extended family today - last year we were all together here. Hopefully, Sydney will be out of lockdown for the family party we are planning for Nana’s 90th birthday in February,

A very merry Christmas and happy New Year from all the Smiths!

M&M