The trip north, farewell Sydney

The day has come we wake with a very excited, daunting and almost nervous feel to both of us. It's Friday the 10th of May. The date we have been talking about for so many months has finally arrived. We run through a fairly normal morning routine even sitting for coffee with Desley.

Then the packing begins. We pack and shuffle and pack and shuffle and well you get it. The bikes go on the roof. All doors and windows are closed we are FULL. It's now 10.15am and we are sitting in the car ready to pull out. Around to the fuel station we go. Then out of Sydney. James is driving and though a little slower its a very relaxed drive out of town. My mind is full of memories and as we pass roads and icons they flood back. 

I'm surprised at how clam, relaxed and at ease we feel. We head north and don't stop till Tamworth. It's a quick fuel up and grab a sandwich then push onto camp. We know at this point we will pull into camp in the dark we just don't want it to be too late. 

We arrive at Guyra and find Mother of Ducks Lagoon relatively easily. It's cold and dark. We don't unhitch we just set up the trailer tent. We heat soup and have bread and soup for dinner and then climb into bed by 7.45pm. We were pulling out the next morning and with it being cold there was no need to get out chairs etc. We laid in bed playing games on our tablets and iPads but it was too cold to have our hands out so by 8pm we snuggled in and had a peaceful nights sleep. 

We woke early and were packed and back on the road by 8am. Today we were going to make it to Kenilworth and get to camp before dark. We had booked our spot at Booloumba creek camping area 4 and the Hammo's were meeting us there. Allison and Neil were also bring Scarlett out and staying with us for the night. 

As we headed further north the weather turned and we drove through several hundred km's of rain. Yuk not what we had wanted to start out trip out on. We arrived at camp at 4.15pm and found the Hammo's and the Bunney's waiting for us. They had held our spot as the area was packed. Mum and Dad followed in shortly after, it was so nice to see everyone. 

We picked our spot and in unhitching and turning the trailer in the soft ground the jockey wheel snapped straight off. Crash went the trailer :(. Luckily Neil had his chain saw. He found a neighbour with a log and cut us a piece to use as a stand. We managed to get the height set and tent up before dark. With the rain persisting we set up the awning. The boys got a fire going and dinner was cooked and enjoyed. Not long after dark the rain stopped. As I sat cuddling Scarlett till she fell asleep, around her first camp fire I really relaxed and let the road stress pass. 

Sunday morning Mother's Day we had a relaxing start. Mum, Dad, Rod and his kids, Daniel and Ria and their kids were all coming out to spend Mother's Day together. Neil's Mum and Dad also joined us. The Picnic area at the creek is nicer then the camping area we were at so we set up there for a few hours. We had a relaxing day with family enjoying the company and the area. Mid afternoon they all set off home and we returned to camp. We had the fire going early so we could roast. Mmmmmmmm roast pork in the camp oven. Almost all other campers had left so we had a quiet night with the Hammo's enjoying our respective roasts. 

Monday morning we had a slow pack up letting everything dry. I went for a swim with Hammo while Di had a wash in the shallower water. The water was so clear and fresh. Yes cold but not Bendethra cold. We visited my sister in law and nephew on our way to mums. We arrived mid afternoon and the unpacking started. 

Hitting the road north was enjoyable and getting straight into camping really set in motion what's to come. We are settling on the Sunshine Coast for a few weeks with work commitments. We are now itching to get going again. 

Our next big destination is Birdsville then onto Mt Isa. Lots of exciting times ahead. 

Time to leave.

The months have flown past. It really only feels like a few weeks ago that we were 5 months out from leaving. We have lived with Ron and Desley for 5 months. We have farewelled Hammo and Evil. We have hosted our own evening to see our friends now the day approaches to actually pack up and head north.

It's no longer as daunting or scary the excitement really is setting in. I have had my last day at work and James is winding up and setting up to work remotely. We are packing, packing and repacking. Oh boy the car and trailer are going to be FULL. It's going to be a very slow trip north. 

There are moments where I come unstuck and cry spontaneously but it passes and the thought of what's out there waiting brings a calming feeling and to the middle of my core it just screams yes this is right keep going it will be all ok. 

Girls weekend away in Katoomba

With our departure date becoming increasing close one last girls weekend away in the Sydney region was essential. We worked on setting a date for some time finally agreeing to a date in early April. Effie did the organising this time and she found a great house in Katoomba which was a close walk to everything.

Effie and I set off Friday afternoon and picked up Connie on the way. We picked up keys and groceries and arrived at the house about 6.30pm to find Monica had arrived just before us. We set up house and Mel was next through the door. We were having a few power issues which saw me resetting the switch about 10 times. We never did work out what exactly what was tripping the system but we had the main heater going and the appliances. We ordered in some dinner and not long after it arrived Jen showed up.  

We had a quiet night keeping warm, playing cards and having a few drinks. 

Monica had mentioned only 4 doors up was a chocolate emporium. So about 9.40am we set off to investigate options. We found out it opened at 10am. So we kept walking and headed for the 3 Sisters look out. It was only about another 500m down the road. It was a cool foggy morning. I enjoyed the walk as did everyone else. 

We returned to the Chocolate shop to have warm drinks. Desiree and Jo showed up for the day. It wasn't long before we headed back to the house to freshen up and Melinda turned up with baby Lucas. 

We were keen to go explore Katoomba and find some markets. Even though the weather was not nice we pulled on jackets and rain coats and set off on foot. We had the funniest time visiting op shops and antique shops searching through some splendid clothing. People gathered the things they needed and by early afternoon we strolled back to the house for a later lunch. 

Leah turned up just as first drinks were being poured and then Mumma Vella arrived also. We had a fantastic afternoon and into the night drinking, nibbling and chatting. We decided to order in again as we were all very comfortable in the warm house. Melinda, Desiree, Jo and Mumma didn't stay the night but they left late. We sat talking and drinking till the very early hours of the morning. 

We had to be out by 10am so we had a few hours sleep then packed the house. We headed into Leura where we had to return the keys. First stop was a coffee shop for a little wake up coffee. We then strolled through Leura then down to the school for a look through the markets. We arrived back at our cars not long after 1pm and said our farewells. 

I had a very memorable weekend and very much look forward doing more in the coming years. Thank you to all the girls for coming along and making memories. 

Easter in Bendethra 2013

We decided to take one last trip to Bendethra as it could be a very long while before we get to return.  With the Easter weekend free it was posted in the club calendar and off we set. We had 10 cars in total coming with each making their own plans to come in so no convoys were needed.

I had the Thursday afternoon off so we were lucky enough to be able to set off about 2pm. We were fully loaded and used this as a practice run into 4wd terrain. We filled up in Goulburn pushed onto Braidwood for dinner then down to Moyura. We wished Hammo and Mumma happy birthdays as they were having their birthdays over the weekend and set off into the bush. 

We arrived at camp a little after 10pm. We opened the camper up to discover we had a really bad ant infestation. The only stuff we had was insect repellant so we did the best we could with that and the dust pan and brush to kill and clean up.  That night we slept on the mattress on the floor after cleaning out the bedding. We were fortunate that the ants had not gotten into the bed or bedding. We knew we hadn't got all the ants and didn't want them on us through the night. It was after midnight when we retired to bed. 

We had a little sleep in Friday morning. We woke to a glorious day and set about setting up camp. With the awning up and tables set more friends arriving we relaxed into the comfort zone. The boys collected fire wood and we just had a very relaxing socialising day. 

Saturday morning almost all of our group slept in till nearly 10am. It had been a very cold night and we were all tired from the previous nights lack of sleep. After a late brunch we headed to the river for a dip and James played with his boat. The water seemed colder then previous years but we found a spot to sit in and have a quick wash.  We collected firewood and had a relaxing afternoon in the sun. Tonight was our turn to give out a treat. We had bought 4 ltrs of ice cream and ice magic topping. We shared it out with our whole group with a few Easter eggs thrown in. The fire was warm and the company enjoyable. 

Sunday (Easter) morning. We had lots of Easter bunny friends visit us with gifts. It was another stunning warm day. We had decided to head home today with Rhys and Effie to help build their deck. We packed up and headed across the main river. James and I decided to stay for another hour and go down to the swimming hole. I swam while James played with his boat and fell in. We dried off put on fresh clothes and set up out of the valley. We headed up to the trig and then down the fire trail out. We stopped at the big hole camping area for a look. We aired up had lunch and then pushed on. One more quick stop outside of Braidwood to fuel up then we pushed onto Rhys and Effie's. 

Bendethra Valley is one of our favourite spots and we will return. I only hope it stays open for all to enjoy it really is a spectacular spot. 

Under 12 weeks to take off!!!

2013 is the year we have been working towards. We paid off our car in 2012 and the trailer has had many modifications to "get it ready". Last August we took it to Cameron's Corner to try things out and see what things we need & what is surplus. This trip was invaluable to us for working out many things we need and to also give us a greater sense of distance and obstacles.

In December the sorting/packing began. We are very fortunate to have wonderful family & friends who are storing some of our precious things and now us. We took a furniture trailer load of things to Qld at Christmas time and on our return we packed to rest of our things. We sold and donated all the furniture we no longer wanted or needed.

On the 13th of January we packed the last of our things into the car & camper and headed to Canada bay to live with the fabulous Ron & Desley until we head off in May. We farewelled our wonderful little unit 29 on Friday the 21st. It was very hard to leave our home we truly had made it home and loved where we were & how it all worked. We had lived there for 5 years and in that time gone through so much, so many memories. 5 years may not seem long to many but if you take the fact that together we have lived in 11 different places in 12 years you can see why and how it really felt like home. This little unit really helped me in particular feel like Sydney is my home. Other then our childhood homes it is the longest place we have lived anywhere.

With only 11 weeks till we leave its now all becoming very real. We are madly saving and planning the last modifications to the trailer. My thoughts are consumed with what to take and how to pack. Not carrying excess items is high on the priority list as it means weight which is money and also frustration when setting & packing up camp.

As for a plan we are going to set our travel plans as we go. It will be something we look at far more once we leave Sydney. For now we know where we are starting and the direction we want to head and that's enough for us.

I had another hurdle to get over I had to tell the kids I nanny that I am leaving. Last week I told the kids about our trip. They all took it really well. They had some questions but generally they were excited about meeting up with us in June when they are heading to Darwin. Saying our goodbye will be very hard but I know we will be friends for life so it's only farewell not goodbye. I have been their nanny for the last 7 years and seeing them grow has been one of my greatest pleasures. They are all truly amazing wonderful individuals who I love dearly.

The coming weeks are now all about enjoying Sydney and our jobs and our lives with our Sydney family. To all our SF you will be hearing from us more seeing us more you are all so important to us and we are cherishing our last weeks here.

Camping at Mogo river!!!!

For about 4 months we had been trying to get a trip to a local camp ground organised so Anna & Keith could come and Jemma & Jeff could join Rhys & Effie. We all finally found a weekend where we were free. Well you couldn't pick our luck when a severe weather warning with possible cyclone conditions was predicted.

We were not going to let a "little" bit of rain stop us so with rain jackets & gum boots packed off we set. It was a bit of a bumpy start when Keith slept in & we had to go back to the house twice as we forgot things. We met up 30min late but still we forged on.

We met Rhys, Effie, Jeff & Jemma at Mooney Mooney and headed north. With a quick stop for ice we made it to camp at 11.30am. Surprise surprise we were the only ones there!!!! Unfortunately for us the bollards had all been replaced so we couldn't camp next to our cars & the shelter. We chose to set tents near the shelter & when the rain eased or briefly stopped we gathered things from the car.

The rain would go from drizzle to absolutely pouring. We were so very fortunate to have the shelter with the 1 solid wall. Without this shelter we couldn't have camped as most the rain came from that direction so having this wall kept us drier then any other shelter. The shelter floor was uneven so many times the fire wood was used to push out the puddles. It was going ok until it absolutely bucketed down at about 2pm and the water rushed down hill & into the shelter we were then in the middle of Mogo creek sitting in 2inch deep water.

From here on it rained on & off but Anna looked increasingly worried & after dinner opted to pack up & head home. We fare welled them & got a great fire going to keep warm. Thank goodness the shelter had the high set BBQ/fire place as it was about 9pm when the heavens really opened up & we got torrential rain for about 20min and the water again rushed down the hill & into the shelter only this time it was double the depth of earlier & kept coming for a longer time. There was a space of time where we couldn't tell the shelter from the grass as it was so deep.

When it let off we decided to check our tent. We had never had it out in rain let alone now sitting in the middle of Mogo creek. We had picked a great spot to camp right where 2 streams had formed and met right at the front of our tent. Luckily the tent design was brilliant and nothing inside was wet. We pulled up pegs & moved higher up stream where it was slightly drier.

About 10pm the rain eased off & then stopped. We were fortunate & had only caught the edge of the storm.

Sunday we woke to the birds & brilliant blue skies. After a yummy late cooked breakfast we decided to head home past St Albans Pub. The road was washed away at some points and we were not far from St Albans when we came across a tree blocking the track. We tried to winch it out of the way but with further thought Rhys dragged it off the track.

On we pushed until we came to the river crossing. The boys were smart and walked it. The depth was up to their thighs but it was the current that they all agreed was flowing too fast to risk crossing. So we turned back and made our way out.

We decided to drop past Mangrove Dam for a break, then turned for home.

We had a brilliant weekend even with the rain/river/flooding. It was a good test for bad weather to come.

A trip home for new year 2013

After Christmas we joined Rhys & Effie at a great camping spot for 1 night between Grafton & Armidale on the waterfall way. We had a relaxing evening around the fire & even saw glow worms. The next day we moved west into Armidale stopping at Wollombi falls on the way. After fuel food supplies and lunch we set off to find camp. We headed south to Walucha then across towards Wauchope on the Oxley highway. We first looked at the Apsley falls camping area then moved onto the Tia falls area. We found a place to camp set up and hit bed fairly early.

The next morning we set off early to do the 5km return Tiara falls lookout walk. We found it enjoyable and the breeze & view at the end was great. We had a lazy day at camp reading and keeping cool. We fit in a swim and if the flies had not been such a pest it would have been even more pleasant.

We did another approximate 3km walk in the evening to the Tia falls lookout. It was nice to get a second walk in but we were all exhausted at the end of it. After dinner we relaxed with a fire and headed to bed before 2013.

New Year's Day we packed early before it got too hot then hit the road home.

Google + Photo Walk Sydney Harbour

Chris and Linda invited me to join them on a Google + Photo Walk around the Harbour.  I had the afternoon free so I joined them at the Cruise Bar and from there we joined about 40 other people and walked around capturing the beautiful city we live in.

Here are a few of my Fav shots from today.