Firstly and most importantly we’d like to wish all our family and friends a very merry, safe and fun Christmas and lets all hope and pray that 2021 is a much better year than this year has been.
We apologise for the impersonal nature of our Christmas Newsletter but as you will know we sold pretty much everything we owned 3 years ago and since then we have been living a nomadic life. Trying to keep in touch while travelling is extremely difficult which is why I started this blog. So please accept this 2020 summary blog post as our very best Christmas wishes to you all.
Now on to the gallery which sums up our year since we got booted from Bali way back in February. (You can catch the early part of 2020 here.) Covid-19 sure has played havoc with us and our travel plans but then we just take solace in that there are many others much worse off than us.
Because of the hurried way we left Bali back in March the best flight we could choose was one that took us to Melbourne. I know it’s a long way from Townsville but it offered us a good opportunity to head up to stay with Karen and Stu in Albury. As luck would have it Kaz had just bought a new car and because of the lousy trade in she was offered she kept the old Triton for us. So from then on we had wheels!
The first picture is a doozy. On the way home from Albury we dropped in on an old mate I worked with in the Navy back in 1973/74. Both Shane and I were in his wedding party. We were able to grab a copy of this picture taken on his wedding day at Temora, NSW. Alan and Tracy still live in the same house. The next 5 shots were taken on the road trip back to Townsville some 2400 kms away.
Back in Townsville we spent some quality time with our grandchildren even having a week on Magnetic Island where Joy was ecstatic to catch her first ever fish. Another interesting item was the day we had a retired Mirage Jet Fighter ‘drive’ past our front door on its way to the RAAF base at Garbutt. This bought back some terrific memories for me as I was lucky enough to take a 2 hour flight in one of these way back in 1980.
The next 9 photos are more of the road between Townsville and Albury. We had stops at Emerald, Hebel and a few days at Lightning Ridge amongst other small towns. This trip we were headed south to assist Kaz and Stu as they became parents for the first time. We had hoped to be with them for the birth but the ultra-gorgeous Millie Jayne wasn’t waiting for us to arrive. Covid meant that the first glimpse we got of our newest grandchild was through the window at the maternity hospital in Wodonga. I have added a heap of photos from our stay and we were indeed sad to have to leave 3 months later when Covid restrictions were relaxed.
I can’t go on without commenting on how we have the 3 most beautiful grandchildren possible. Joy, Sonny and now their cousin, Millie Jayne are all terrific kids. Missing them while we are travelling is the one downfall that we’ll never come to grips with and we normally count the days when we’re away until we can be back with them. We love them dearly and of course their parents as well.
Once we were able to leave Victoria we had to stick within the safe ‘NSW/Vic border bubble’ which stretched to the S.A. Border and on up to Broken Hill. Our first week on the road we stayed in a terrific unit called ‘Capri Waters’ at Lake Mulwala on the NSW side of the Murray from Yarrawonga. Our balcony hung over a lagoon and we had the most wonderful skies at sunset and moonrise. Capri Waters is also directly across the road from a huge modern RSL called ‘Club Mulwala’. If you are ever in the area we highly recommend a stay here as the area has heaps to do.
After Mulwala we had interesting stops all along the Murray then turning north for a week in Broken Hill. We had never been to the ‘Hill’ prior to this but for us both the highlight was a visit to Pro Hart’s Museum/Gallery. We have always adored his artwork and to see the actual ‘Dragonfly on Carpet’ painting and his painted Rolls Royce’s proved to be a highlight for our year. Again we recommend Broken Hill for a visit but make it at least a week. Now the NSW/Qld safe ‘border bubble’ took over from Broken Hill up to the border then across to the coast.
Another favourite stop was in a lovely cabin on the north side of Charleville in Queensland. The ‘roos came up to the fence and the colours of the wild parrots is spectacular. There is a Cosmos Space Centre in town too which is well worth the visit. I think Shane really enjoyed here because of her Moscato and Connoisseur Ice Cream spider straight out of the bucket. From here we had a few days at Emu Park (east of Rockhampton) then 2 nights in Airlie beach where we witnessed another fantastic moonrise over the sea.
We’re back in Townsville now and apart from a short 4 day trip to Bundaberg at New Year we have no further trips planned but they will come. In the meantime we are enjoying time with family and we hope that you are doing the same.
By the way. I was experimenting with new fonts in the first two paragraphs. I’d love to know what you think. Colour? Easy to read? Too much? Let me know please. Until the next post which i hope will be at the start of a new better year than 2020 Take care and don’t let the Covid monster get you.
We may have passed each other as we were wandering in Western QLD and in the Twilight Zone of NSW around that time……….. I like the font, easier to read and the gallery loads and flows better than before…………….. revisit Dinosaur Trail next year and hopefully back out in Western NSW later on………. Stay safe folks.