A fortnight has gone and we haven’t moved the van from Peters’ front yard. Carol has enjoyed a return trip to Dysart to watch Isobel and Madelaine in their first Dancing Concert. They looked very cute and danced exceptionally well. The trip was an early Xmas present from Kirsty and much appreciated. Kirsty and Ben are busy with Xmas things, especially their Xmas lights as they are in stiff competition with a mate a few doors up to see who has the best display in Dysart this year.
2 very cute Grand-daughters and 1 proud Grandma - their costumes looked lovely and they both danced very well.
Carol also caught up with Fabian, Brendan, Michelle, Henry and Charlie in Tieri. They are all good and waiting for school to finish. Henry & Charlie were in the school concert last night and we have yet to skype to see the costumes. Fabs is all but finished in Tieri with Emily and the kids waiting for him down south. Their house in Mudgee settled yesterday the same day the furniture was packed in Tieri. Elliot and Violet (and Emily) are looking forward to catching up with Fabs at the end of this week. Kirsty had Fabs over to prepare another batch of "Grandma Wright's Mango Chutney" before he left. Isobel (with a little 'help' from mads) picked the mangoes from their tree and helped make the brew.
Fabs supervising the Chutney Chefs
The pergola roof timbers done!!
Peter & CarolPeters eldest Jackie - all grown up and about to start a new job in Sydney after a big driving holiday in the USA
in Jan 2012
in Jan 2012While Carol was in CQ Garry was helping Peter rebuild his octagonal pergola. That worked out well with two people to manage the larger timbers for the peaked roof.
Last weekend we spent in Sydney. Saturday was spent wandering Darling Harbour and taking a ferry to Circular Quay to then wander the Rocks area and browse the large markets operating. Beautiful weather. Sunday we spent at Homebush at the V8 Supercars. It was the first time Carol had been to the V8 races and she was impressed despite the freezing cold windy showery weather. The event at the Olympic area is huge with several pavilions and streets of car and bike displays. There were hundreds of cars displayed including some good oldies.
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Luna Park
Sydney from the ferry
Carol beside King Neptune made from a zillion Lego pieces glued together at the Aquarium in Darling Harbour.
Carol up close to the V8's - note the colour matching ear plugs.
As the greenhouse was finished awaiting more materials, we went for drive through the Barrington Tops Nat Park and Forestry area. The trail we followed went from Gloucester in the east to Scone in the west. The mountains are very high and while the road was gravel with quite a few potholes, it was an excellent drive through very different country. The east side is lush rainforest, across the top is thick snow gums and pretty mosses and algaes and down the west slopes are beautiful green hills. Lovely running streams through pine trees and over rocks made it very soothing. We were advised to pull in for a beer at an old pub on the western end of the track. The village is called Moonan Brook and the pub is very quaint. The village consists of the pub, a post office, restaurant attached to the pub and a house. It is on the banks of one of those beautiful white water creeks. It was a shame we had to drive home down the valley passed heaps of huge open cut mines. The mining boom is very evident.
Moonan Brook Hotel. I think the tree is from the 1800's as is the pub. Very friendly locals up for a chat with any visitors.
Today we are doing a tour some of the Hunter Valley Wineries and restaurants outside Cessnock. We haven’t visited the area for 26 years and things have sure improved. The Hunter Valley Gardens at Pokolbin are a spectacular 50 acres with 10 themed areas of privately owned Botanic Gardens and are well worth a few hours of viewing. Adjacent is a boutique shopping centre with wine, cookies, British Lollies, etc available as well as several eateries. Within a few hundred metres is the Hunter Valley Chocolate Co. and the Smelly Cheese factory both of which sell something to suit everyone. A quick trip up the road to visit Tyrell’s winery and their lovely rose bush driveway and then we completed the loop through historic Wollombi and back through Cessnock passing a couple of dirty coal mines on the way. I am surprised how many mines are in such a beautiful area and shake my head at the protestors against mines in places like CQ and Acland. Wollombi is a town of mostly historic buildings in the hills towards the Putty Road. It is on a neat little stream and looks very hippy-ish. The Hunter Valley Visitors is a very well equipped centre although a little hard to find. It is located about 6kms out of Cessnock towards Pokolbin and adjacent to the Cessnock airport. We found lots of useful info about the Hunter Valley and other places north along the coast that we are visiting next.
who have a great spot on a hill and maintain beautiful rose gardens along the entrance drive.
Wollombi shopping centre
Part of the Metal Art Trail around Woolombi
Having done our tourist thing, we finally left Paterson and headed for Forster on the coast. The rain had set in again at Maitland and was due to continue right through next weekend so after a night of steady rain we packed up in the wet and 3 hours later find ourselves in the warm sunshine and cool breezes of Forster’s Smugglers Cove van park. The park has great sites, is very close to town but on the water of the bay and quiet – except for a couple of FA18’s from Newcastle practicing dogfights overhead at the moment; they are fast and noisy.
hi its charlie
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