23rd July
I have had a very runny right sinus over the past two days
and it is causing me some grief.
Today we have arranged to go out and visit Darryl’s Aunty
Thelma so we left the van and headed out to Culburra Beach. We had been asked to arrive about 11.30 so on
the way we stopped at the coffee shop and the old mill at Jandy Andy. A lovely 180ish year old Mill. Finished in the 1830's. The brick work is 20inches thick and the
staircase and floor trusses are the originals.
We continued on our way to Culburra Beach and arrived at
Aunty Thelma’s just on lunch time. We
helped her reprogram her electronic door opener and then went inside for lunch.
After chatting for quite a while we went for a drive around
Culburra and then went to visit cousin Tracy - who lives about 5 minutes from
Aunty Thelma.
Apparently Darryl’s cousin Robert has a holiday home which
is just across the road from Aunty Thelma also.
We said our farewells at about 5pm and headed back to the van.
We will have to come and try and stay at one of the caravan
parks next time so that we can spend some quality time in the area and visit
them both again.
24th July
Today we decided to head out to the Coolangatta Historical
Village out near Shoalhaven Heads.
My head is feeling very full with a lot of pressure behind
my eyes and around my right ear - but will persevere.
We turned off the road toward Shoalhaven heads and then
realised that we should have continued on toward Berry. We had a nice little drive around the area
and there are about four van parks here and they all have a lot of PERMANENT
VANS/COTTAGES in them.
We then went back to Bolong road and turned left and then
turned right into the complex. They have
a HUGE bus/truck here called ‘BIGFOOT’ which takes customers up the nearby
Mount Coolangatta – 1000metres high.
We went to the cellar
and got a map to find our way round and then went upstairs to restaurant and
had morning tea. Whilst there I made a
comment to Darryl that if my head was no better by the morning then I would
have to see a doctor. The waitress
recommended a medical practice in Berry.
We went out to do our tour and were VERY disappointed that
ALL the buildings are now accommodation and we were not allowed to go inside
any of them :(.
We went back to the cellar and chatted to the chaps there
and tasted some red wine and a frizzante and got two bottles of each, and a
small book on the history of Coolangatta for $3,
On our way back we travelled towards Nowra and turned back
up the highway toward Bombaderry and Berry, got some chicken and chips for
lunch but I was feeling so sick that I asked to be taken to the doctors. Here I was originally made to feel I was a
problem but then the receptionist asked me to come back at 3.15. An hour away.
So Darryl drove down to 'The Treat Factory' and then back to the
van. I lay down for about 1/2 hour
before going back to the doctors. The
doctor was very nice and says that the clear loss in my nose is going to get
yucky in a few days so has put me on AB's for a URTI.
Back to the van and back to bed.
25th July
I have been on the antibiotics for 18 hours and can feel a
lessening in the pressure, but the drip is continuing L
We called Denise this morning and awaited a response ( this
is the lady whose name we were given from the lady at the Family History centre
on Sunday). John Dolan-Brown has rung us
and he will come to see us tomorrow although we said we would go to them.
Got a response from Denise and we are to go to her house
after lunch.
Went to Stocklands Shopping centre and had a coffee and some
lunch and got some groceries before heading out to Denise's residence.
When we arrived she showed us lots of information on the
PARRISH family. Louis Jane Parrish
married John Walker (b1887).
She also had more information on her immediate family and
some of her ancestors. Her mother is
Heather Jean SMITH nee WALKER. The
oldest living WALKER descendant. Heather is to celebrate her 90th birthday
tomorrow.
Denise gave us some information on the THOM family who were
Maori. She has leant us a chart of this
family for us to get copied on Monday and then we will come back and see her
again. She will have photos and
documents for us to scan and copy.
26th July
Today is Ben’s Birthday.
Such an ‘old’ one too – turning 32 today……
Have wished him a happy Birthday but he is at work today.
My head seems to be getting better too – so that is a bonus.
John and Joy arrived just after 11am. I had managed to get the washing done and
half of it dry. The other half is in the
dryer. We had a coffee and then they
invited us to go to Nowra to the Jayco outlet as John needed to find a
replacement LED globe for his bargeman light outside the van.
They have a Ford Territory and it is a very comfortable car
to travel in.
We went down to South Nowra and whilst there I remembered
about the clothes in the dryer. So after
John had done his business we headed back to the showgrounds so that I could
get the washing out of the dryer. 2
ladies were waiting to put their clothes in the dryer - oooooops.
We then went up the street and walked until we found a
café. We had a lovely lunch and then
went back to the van where John and Joy said their farewells before heading
back to Heathcote. This would take them
about an hour.
27th July
My head is much better today so hopefully won’t need as many
tissues J
Today we drove up to Warilla or Lake Illawarra and arrived
at about 9.40am. It was great to sit and
chat to Sharon, Greg, Krystal and Catherine.
Spent a lovely day in their company and Sharon had told me
to bring the washing so took up our sheets and towels and mats etc. We managed to get both loads of washing dry
before we were due to head back to the van :D
In the afternoon she took us for a drive up where they had
thought to buy and also past Greg's mothers place.
We also learnt on our arrival that Greg's sister Denise
passed away last night - sad times but thankfully Greg, Sharon and Krystal had
visited her at the hospital last night. Our deepest sympathies to Greg and his Mum and the extended family
We left there at 4.30pm and headed back to the van. On the way we stopped at the Berry Bowling
club for Chinese dinner. We had been
told it was very popular and that it was very good.
WELL.....
They made Darryl's soup order as a main meal and therefore
bought it out AFTER his real main meal. So
his Satay combination sat getting cold whilst he ate his short soup. My chicken and Cashews was ------ ok --- but
at least we didn't have to cook.
28th July
Got an email from Aunty Margaret last night saying she had
spoken with Heather and that we were to go and visit her.....?
So we rang this morning to confirm that she would be
available and off we went at 9am arriving at her room at 9.35am. We spent a great 1 1/2 hours with Heather and
it was lovely to meet the oldest living Walker Descendent.
We then went to go to her daughter - Denise BEU - but had to
have a relief break. So rang Denise and
she said - where the bloody hell are you!
We explained about our visit to her Mum and the need for a ‘pee’.
Had morning tea and lunch combined and then headed over to
Denise's home.
She had lots of documents available for us to scan and lots
of family photos also.
As we all sat chatting I did a lot of scanning and
documenting and finally left there at 7pm.
We drove back to Berry and decided to get something to have for dinner
BUT all the shops/cafes were closed and only the pubs were open - but neither
of us wanted to go to the pub :D
So back to the van and a ploughman's dinner it was.
I then spent a few hours down-loading the photos and
labelling them so that we could find them later.
29th July
Today we travelled for 5 hours and made it to Bermagui. They are predicting some very wild weather
for us over the next couple of days so we have decided to stay put and go
touring tomorrow so that Darryl can then do some fishing.
The Zane Gray park has changed managers and some big changes
have occurred.
The amenities have been refurbished inside and out - but
they have taken out the music :(
The camp kitchen is all on its own on a hill with no
protection. It too has been refurbished BUT is VERY open and nowhere to get out
of the wind. VERY disappointed. All the permanent vans with the annexes have
now had roof's put over them to make them look more like homes.
Not many people here to keep us company though.
30th July
Took Darryl for a walk down the street and got a sinus
washout system for him to help with his stuffy sinuses.
Well I finally pulled the sewing machine out and started to
sew the table protectors for the craft stall.
Got five of them quilted when the walking foot made a loud noise - the
pressure foot sprang up and the walking foot looked like it was missing some
parts. :C
Took the walking foot off and put the bias on with the
normal foot.
Now have to sit and handstitch the bias onto the wrong
sides.
31 July
Today we went up to Narooma to the quilting shop as my
walking foot decided to die, but found
they weren't too helpful as to the cause and would you believe - it worked fine whilst we were in the store.
We then drove back down to Central Tilba and spent a lovely
couple of hours wandering around the National Trust town. Another lovely day but they are predicting a
cold snap for this afternoon and VERY strong, destructive winds for this
afternoon evening.
We then went on to Tilba Tilba and then down to
Cobargo. Here we stopped and got some
lovely pork chops and GF sausages.
2nd august
Today we are moving on and travelling from Bermagui, back
out to Cobargo and then down to Bega. We
stopped at the cheese factory for morning tea and got some cheese and then we
drove down to Eden going via Merimbula and Pambula. This is the way of the OLD
highway and quite scenic.
We are now in the Garden of Eden van park.
We have been for a trip out to three lookouts and to Aslings
Beach.
We then stopped at the 'Hooked on Seafood' take away and got
fish and chips and drinks for dinner.
VERY nice fish. I had
Grenadier and chips. Darryl had Warehou
and chips.
3rd August
Not a good day for me today. Woke with Meniere’s spins and
was in bed until 1.30pm.....
It appears that today has been a lovely day MINIMAL wind and
the sun is shining but Darryl has been inside all day playing his game :C
I have made him take me for a walk [albeit a wobbly one] and
he is now sitting in the sun reading some magazines from the laundry. The area here is lovely. It will look really pretty in the spring with
the new leaves coming on the weeping willows.
We have decided to extend our stay here at Eden and will now leave on
Wednesday morning.
4th August
Today we were up at 8am and it was MINUS 1.4 degrees
outside. Burr
We then got ready and decided to go down to Wonboyn
Lake. A cute little fishing village with
a very tight caravan park. You would
need to have lots to keep you entertained here as unless you are a fisherperson,
there isn't anything else in the village.
We then went back to the highway and found a nice little
rest area on a creek. There were two
vanners there, fires going and look set up for the time being.
We then went 4.5km back up the road toward Eden and turned
into Edrom road, heading to Green Cape Lighthouse in Ben Boyd National
Park. We stopped at the Disaster Bay
lookout and paid our $7 entry fee for the day and then continued on our way to
the lighthouse. A Lovely lighthouse on
the point and still being lived in today and now run on Solar Power. Lots of wrecks in the harbour over the years
- hence its name of Disaster Bay. One of
the main wrecks was the Ly-ee-mon and there is a cemetery for the 70 odd people
who did not make it out of the wreck.
From here we went to Biggangbee bay where you are able to
camp - with tents or trailers NOT vans.
Lovely shaded areas BUT would be hopeless trying to get enough sun to
power up your solar panels. Lovely walks
through the bush to several bays and the ocean.
Back into the car and we headed back to the asphalt and out
to the Chipmill (passing lots of log-trucks with lots of wood on them) and
turned off to Boyd's Tower. Built in the
early 1800's to watch for Whales and signal the whalers when there were whales
of the headland.
Back to the main road and turned down to the 'Davidsons
Whaling Station and Historic Buildings'. Once we were here Darryl's camera
battery died so there won't be any photos :(
It was now getting close to 4pm and we still had to have
Lunch!!!!! Ahhh well will have to have
an early dinner :)
Back out to the highway and heading up to Eden and into the
Bi-Lo to get some groceries before heading back to the van.
We have decided that we will have Pizza for dinner as one of
the local stores does Gluten Free Bases - and they make their own.
We are now sitting in he camp kitchen, have got the fire
going and there are about 8 of us here.
Darryl and I have had our Pizza which was very nice indeed and now we
are trying to catch up on our emails.
