JUNE 2021 : CENTRAL COAST, NSW

The Queen’s Birthday Long Weekend and a chance to catch up with friends and family.

We left Canberra on a frosty Canberra morning and stopped for a warming lunch at the Eling Winery in the Southern Highlands.

Sydney was complaining about its coldest day in 25 years.

After spending a night in Newport (Sydney) with our family we set off north up the Wollemi Valley Road, taking us 4 hours on a winding country road to our friends, Julie and Bob’s new farm in Paterson north of Maitland.

The farm is 65 acres with some fruit trees, a dam and a large section of bush up a steep hill at the rear of the property. 

There are two comfortable houses on the block and they have set themselves up very efficiently and economically with secondhand furniture. A warming wood fire welcomed us and we enjoyed some sunny spots on the back verandah for lunch and breakfast.

5 kms away from the farm is the small village of Paterson. It is situated on the Paterson River and originally was timber, citrus and dairy country. The population is about 900. We had a little walk around the town and found some architectural gems.

A special birthday lunch for Barb in Lorn at Muse.

Meanwhile the Smiths were at a Giants netball game. Mitchell and Harriet carried on the ball. They met us later at Raffertys  Resort on Lake Macquarie, south of Newcastle.

Rafferty’s Resort. We booked two units for the weekend. It has excellent facilities - pools, tennis courts, access to boats and lots of paths to scoot on.

Five minutes away is Caves Beach. Perfect for a surf for Nick and a sunset play on the beach.

Dinner at the Caves Hotel



On Monday after a happy breakfast together, the Smiths headed back to Sydney and we travelled north for an hour to Newcastle. Julie and Bob have a unit on the Esplanade, which we were lucky to use for the night.

The apartment has spectacular views of the ocean and is near to lots of cafes and eateries.

From our arrival there were whales travelling north and dolphins in clear view. 

We had a fascinating walk along the coastal path, past the beautiful old baths, around the historic surf club and dressing sheds at Nobby’s Beach and along the newly renovated walkway towards the lighthouse and the breakwater. 

Meanwhile in Broulee (near Moruya), Ashley was hosting a house party, including 11 kids.

A happy weekend for all!

M&M

MAY 2021 : SNOWY MOUNTAINS, NSW : Thredbo walks : 16 kms

We had another window of opportunity for another walk in the Snowy Mountains before the ski season begins in a few weeks time. We stayed again with our friend, Julie, on Lake Eucumbene and decided to do a walk out of Thredbo Village.

Again, we were lucky with our choice of day, fine weather forecast.

We left Julie’s lodge about 9am. A clear day with no wind.

Not wanting to tempt fate with the weather and arthritic knees, we decided to do the Thredbo to Bullock’s Flat river walk - 16 kms.

When we arrived in Thredbo we discovered the walk was under maintenance. We walked about a 1 km along the path to the Thredbo River crossing, hoping we could avoid the sections under renovation, but came to a grinding halt at the end of the bridge. It will be a relaxed walk to do on a later date.

We walked back to the village, deciding to investigate another trail.

We decided on the Dead Horse Gap trail which is one of the most popular walks in the area.

Only one chairlift, Snowgums, was in operation. We took it to the beginning of the Mt Koscuiszko Summit Track. $25 a ticket for seniors.

We walked 400 m up the track until we found a sign for the Dead Horse Gap Hike (altitude : 2019m) at about 12.30pm.

We appreciated all the warm gear we carried - just in case - as it was 2o with a biting wind at the top.

Stunning, stunning views on the Ramshead Range

We were surprised at the amount of snow and increasingly, the perilous icy track.

Lunch out of the wind on a sunny branch

Resilient plants shooting through the snow

After slowly making our way down, avoiding the slippery ice where possible, we came to a flat grassy section, hoping that this was the end of the ice and mud. Our walking poles were invaluable.

Unfortunately the shaded winding path of the last section was the worst of all, proving quite a challenge and with some minor falls.

We reached the trail’s end and the Thredbo River Track at 4pm.

Glimmering icicles by the riverbank

Even along the flat Thredbo River Walk ice had set in long sections, making the path impassable. Mark suggested we climb to the road, as it was getting late, and walk on a safer surface to Thredbo. We walked into the township about 6pm, with a full moon, guiding our way.

M&M

A few glimpses of animals and birds, mainly around Lake Eucumbene - parrots, a lyrebird and young deer. Many deer crossing the road in the dark as we drove along the highway.

MAY 2021 : CANBERRA : Mother’s Day

Another fabulous week of Autumn colours in Canberra in the lead up to Mother’s Day

I had a week of culture. First the Spanish Film Festival, which I attended with a fellow student from my Spanish class. The stand out movies for me were Rosa’s Wedding and One Careful Owner. I’m not sure how much it improved my language understanding but it was a very enjoyable experience. I particularly love the setting of the stories as it’s  nearly as satisfying as a holiday.

It was also the week for the Canberra International Music Festival, held nearby. I attended three very different concerts. Do I matter? A percussive, choral piece on the frustrations of being a woman. A fabulous Waltz to Tango repertoire with a stand-out accordion maestro, James Crabb and finally Heartland by the didgeridoo specialist, William Barton and a violinist, Veronique Serrat, inspired by a beautiful poem written by Barton’s mother. I took Dakota to the Heartland concert, which she found fascinating. During the weekend we hosted one of the tenors from the Song Company, which was an interesting insight into the festival..

Dakota and Koby’s school had a Walk through their Artwork in their school hall to celebrate Mother’s Day. Dakota’s class had been studying Van Gogh paintings and Koby’s class did interpretations of The Elephants by Salvador Dali. Very well organised. Next morning we watched Koby play with his very enthusiastic school soccer team.

Meanwhile in Sydney, the Smiths attended the Giants’ Mother’s Day netball game, which the Giants won.

Harrie doing handstands at Palm Beach

Picnic at Bowen Park with Nana ...and a bike ride with Koby

Some great activities to look forward to, according to these vouchers.

M