We are at Moree participating in some wonderful heat therapy for our tired, aching bones. That aside, the social aspects of sitting in hot pools of Artesian water with about 20 strangers proved to be hilarious as the true Aussie characters came out of their vans and into the 4 x pools of 35, 36, 37 and 39 degree temps to also relieve their aching bones.
This morning we met Nola who told us she was '2 minutes away from 90-years-young'! And what a character! She bounced into the pool, complete with hairdo and make-up, rolled her eyes as she informed us that yesterday had been a tiring day because she'd had to be at the airport at 6.00am for her flight to Moree, booked into the park, did enough food shopping to last a week and then went to bed last night at 6.30 and slept soundly until 6.00am this morning. (We didn't get the chance to ask her how she got about in Moree but we assumed she wasn't driving!) Nola told us that she and her 'much younger' friend, Esme, who is only 87 years-old, apparently often travel together and have a great time wandering around the countryside. Moree is one particularly popular destination because they both love the benefits on their arthritis of the thermal pools.
Nola had us in hysterics as she sprouted on about the election result (or lack thereof), the lack of public transport, what an idiot she thought Peter Garret was because of the pink batt debacle, finally finding a good cup of coffee (yes, she drinks Campos Coffee - how good is that?) and telling us how she spends her Saturday's. Apparently her social activities every Saturday commence at 10.00am coffee with friends in Randwick, and because she is horse-racing-made, she places her bets at the TAB at 11.00am, onto 12o'clock mass at her local Catholic church and then home to follow the horses on Sky channel for the afternoon. Nola then told us that she had been betting on the horses since she was in Primary school and had done pretty well at it too. We could just imagine it!
So horse racing mad is she, Nola then told us about getting a phone call early one Saturday morning from Esme (my family know better than to ring me on Saturday mornings!!). Esme wanted to know, 'What's that stuff you put on roses to make them grow?' Put out because she'd been interrupted in her usual Saturday morning preparations, Nola's response was: Super Impose. It wasn't until Esme told her a couple of days later that when she'd gone to the garden centre, staff there said they'd never heard of Super Impose for roses. Nola then realized that she'd had horses on-the-brain, it being Saturday and all, and should have said Sudden Impact, apparently a specially formulated fertilizer for roses!
We didn't see much of Esme, she was off regaling folk in one of the other pools.
The Matilda
Friday, August 27, 2010
Wednesday, August 25, 2010
Fishing Tales continued.......
We received an email this evening from our very good friend Robin in response to an we sent him lamenting our lack of fishing prowess and suggesting that perhaps a hand grenade might be in order if we are to achieve our aim of 'catching' dinner. Robin's response is worth publishing!
"Ah, great minds obviously think alike - as if we didn't know. I tried to post something on your blog advising about the wonderful fishing properties there are in a very small lump of gelignite carefully place in blue-tack. But my ineptitude with blog postings resulted in my carefully considered fishing tips going the way of so many really constructive, imaginative and utterly brilliant ideas, up the chimney without trace."
So that's how it's done! Anyone else got any creative fish-catching ideas?
"Ah, great minds obviously think alike - as if we didn't know. I tried to post something on your blog advising about the wonderful fishing properties there are in a very small lump of gelignite carefully place in blue-tack. But my ineptitude with blog postings resulted in my carefully considered fishing tips going the way of so many really constructive, imaginative and utterly brilliant ideas, up the chimney without trace."
So that's how it's done! Anyone else got any creative fish-catching ideas?
Changed plans, because we can!
Yes, we've changed our minds again! Yesterday we decided we really should make the effort to visit Moree and environs despite having said a week ago that we wouldn't, just in case it is a few years before we head that way again. We will be home in (about) a week so this morning we left Nambucca Heads to head inland to Inverell for our first night's stay in the area before heading on to Moree tomorrow. And what a day of contrasting scenery it's been!
As we left behind the lush greenery of the many trees, bushes, flora whose botanical names escape us, the ocean, rivers, lagoons and lakes of the the coast and the hinterlands behind the Coffs Coast, we were greeted by a profusion of colour of different sorts as we drove into dense rain forest along the Gwyder Highway lined with tall palms, huge orange gums, bright yellow and silver wattle and stringybark trees, all followed by the alpine grasses of the farming country around the New England region. Today saw us travel from sea level to 1068mtres above at the highest point over the Gibaltar Range National Park with its very deep, beautiful valleys and giant granite boulders. We passed through the Mann Valley which was absolutely wonderful but because of the the steep, winding road were unable to capture any good photographs. On cruising into the New England farming countryside we were again greeted with colour though with a winter-tinge still quite evident, something we really noticed because there was such a Spring-feel on the coast. The small selection of photos below don't really do the day justice but you may get some idea of our experiences.
We're camped the night in the Fossickers' Rest Tourist Park, in Inverell. It is a small town, with a population of 10,000, on the picturesque Macintyre River and we have just discovered that Inverell is called the 'Sapphire City' because of the prevalence of the gems and minerals to be found in the district. (In the office at the caravan park there are 10kg bags of 'sapphire' gravel for sale - and T. is sooooo....... tempted! It'd be good for a giggle anyway, and you never know your luck do you!!)
As we left behind the lush greenery of the many trees, bushes, flora whose botanical names escape us, the ocean, rivers, lagoons and lakes of the the coast and the hinterlands behind the Coffs Coast, we were greeted by a profusion of colour of different sorts as we drove into dense rain forest along the Gwyder Highway lined with tall palms, huge orange gums, bright yellow and silver wattle and stringybark trees, all followed by the alpine grasses of the farming country around the New England region. Today saw us travel from sea level to 1068mtres above at the highest point over the Gibaltar Range National Park with its very deep, beautiful valleys and giant granite boulders. We passed through the Mann Valley which was absolutely wonderful but because of the the steep, winding road were unable to capture any good photographs. On cruising into the New England farming countryside we were again greeted with colour though with a winter-tinge still quite evident, something we really noticed because there was such a Spring-feel on the coast. The small selection of photos below don't really do the day justice but you may get some idea of our experiences.
We're camped the night in the Fossickers' Rest Tourist Park, in Inverell. It is a small town, with a population of 10,000, on the picturesque Macintyre River and we have just discovered that Inverell is called the 'Sapphire City' because of the prevalence of the gems and minerals to be found in the district. (In the office at the caravan park there are 10kg bags of 'sapphire' gravel for sale - and T. is sooooo....... tempted! It'd be good for a giggle anyway, and you never know your luck do you!!)
Monday, August 23, 2010
Fish Tales
Two nights ago we had a delicious dinner of an over-sized blackfish, grilled a la natural on our hotplate, unadulterated by herbs or spices, and as fresh as it possibly can be. Who said we couldn't feed ourselves?
Having said that, the fishing hasn't been quite as brilliant as we'd envisaged. Despite the best fishing advice from our fishing-legend brother-in-law Terry, who has been known to catch enough fish to feed the multitudes using a bent pin and a piece of string, we've not had the pleasure of those much anticipated, longed-awaited fish dinners each night, despite the smorgasbord of bait we've been feeding the fish. We've got a range of venues to choose from by way of a breakwater, pontoon, river and lagoon, all without any reel (pardon the pun!) success. That's not to say, we haven't actually caught fish - we most certainly have. However instead of being fingertip to elbow in size, it's been more like fingertip to palm, so of course they've been sent back to their mothers! Those cans of sardines in the pantry are going to come into use after all!
The Excuses:
Tide: too high; too low; too late; too early; too fast; too slow.
Bait: Long green weed (supposed to send (black)fish 'wild' definitely sent them (into the) wild); cabbage weed; beef strips; chicken strips; bait prawns, and 4 new bright, shiny lures, (designed we were told to catch just about anything), 2 of which have found watery graves somewhere in Numbucca!
Gear: Rod too long; rod too short; rod too flexible; line too light, and definitely too many tangles!!!
And today it's raining!
By the way, the fish we had for dinner the other night was given to us by an 'ancient angler', fishing about 10 metres away, who obviously took pity on a couple of 'youngsters' struggling to make a catch. His generous gesture came with the words, "I just caught this so it is perfectly fresh. They're not biting much and I've only caught this one. I can't be bothered cleaning it......... would you like it? "
Would we like it? Is the Pope catholic?
Now for that inevitable fishing joke: Did you hear the one about 2 men sitting out on a frozen lake all day ice fishing? One has been having no luck at all, while the other has been pulling fish after fish out of his hole in the ice. The man having no luck finally leans over and asks the other what his secret is.
"mmmmm mmm mm mmm mmmm mmm mmm." is the reply.
"I'm sorry, what did you say?"
"mmmmm mmm mm mmm mmmm mmm mmm." the successful fisherman repeats.
"I'm sorry, I still didn't understand you."
The man spits something into his hand and says very clearly, "You've got to keep your worms warm."
Having said that, the fishing hasn't been quite as brilliant as we'd envisaged. Despite the best fishing advice from our fishing-legend brother-in-law Terry, who has been known to catch enough fish to feed the multitudes using a bent pin and a piece of string, we've not had the pleasure of those much anticipated, longed-awaited fish dinners each night, despite the smorgasbord of bait we've been feeding the fish. We've got a range of venues to choose from by way of a breakwater, pontoon, river and lagoon, all without any reel (pardon the pun!) success. That's not to say, we haven't actually caught fish - we most certainly have. However instead of being fingertip to elbow in size, it's been more like fingertip to palm, so of course they've been sent back to their mothers! Those cans of sardines in the pantry are going to come into use after all!
The Excuses:
Tide: too high; too low; too late; too early; too fast; too slow.
Bait: Long green weed (supposed to send (black)fish 'wild' definitely sent them (into the) wild); cabbage weed; beef strips; chicken strips; bait prawns, and 4 new bright, shiny lures, (designed we were told to catch just about anything), 2 of which have found watery graves somewhere in Numbucca!
Gear: Rod too long; rod too short; rod too flexible; line too light, and definitely too many tangles!!!
And today it's raining!
By the way, the fish we had for dinner the other night was given to us by an 'ancient angler', fishing about 10 metres away, who obviously took pity on a couple of 'youngsters' struggling to make a catch. His generous gesture came with the words, "I just caught this so it is perfectly fresh. They're not biting much and I've only caught this one. I can't be bothered cleaning it......... would you like it? "
Would we like it? Is the Pope catholic?
Now for that inevitable fishing joke: Did you hear the one about 2 men sitting out on a frozen lake all day ice fishing? One has been having no luck at all, while the other has been pulling fish after fish out of his hole in the ice. The man having no luck finally leans over and asks the other what his secret is.
"mmmmm mmm mm mmm mmmm mmm mmm." is the reply.
"I'm sorry, what did you say?"
"mmmmm mmm mm mmm mmmm mmm mmm." the successful fisherman repeats.
"I'm sorry, I still didn't understand you."
The man spits something into his hand and says very clearly, "You've got to keep your worms warm."
Thursday, August 19, 2010
Gone fishing!
Don't let anyone tell that this Grey Nomad stuff is relaxing! We've been so busy we need a holiday! We were delighted to have spent the past week and half visiting friends and family in Bundaberg, Buderim, Maroochydore, Nerang and Pottsville and whilst we've enjoyed every minute, we're exhausted! We're done visiting so now we're going fishing!
Drove from Pottsville (near Murwillumbah) to Nambucca Heads yesterday and have a great camp site almost on the waterfront at the White Albatross Caravan and Camping Park. The park is well away from the highway, trucks, noise and only rolling ocean and bird call in the morning to wake up to. Ah..... peace and quite at last!!!! Will post some photos of the area later.
Our kilometres to date: 5,321 (not bad for 4 weeks huh!)
Drove from Pottsville (near Murwillumbah) to Nambucca Heads yesterday and have a great camp site almost on the waterfront at the White Albatross Caravan and Camping Park. The park is well away from the highway, trucks, noise and only rolling ocean and bird call in the morning to wake up to. Ah..... peace and quite at last!!!! Will post some photos of the area later.
Our kilometres to date: 5,321 (not bad for 4 weeks huh!)
What diet?
Whilst visiting the Gold Coast with C., C. & S-J, we had ice cream that blew the calories off the map for the week. At Baskin-Robbins Ice Creamery in Broadbeach where we ate a 2 scoop bonanza so disgustingly delicious it was worth every calorie - rich chocolate with peanut butter; and vanilla with cookies, in giant sugar cones. mmmmm.......OMG!
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