Q Station

On Saturday 30th August Tony and I celebrated 22 years of marriage. We usually try to mark the occasion by doing something special together (and without the kids). This year we decided to check out the quarantine station at North Head, near Manly.

We found a special on the web and book our weekend escape. I booked a Winter Special at the Q Station. Dinner, accommodation in a harbour view room and a show.

We dropped the girls off in late morning at my sister's (thanks!) and headed into town. We stopped in Manly for a quick look (oh oh - only 1/2 hour parking) and I got a peek at the art and craft markets, where I bought a gorgeous crystal and bead necklace. I wanted to do some more shopping, but our parking time was up. Bugger!

We then found our way to the quarantine station. They have done up the old accommodation and it's now quite sleek and stylish. We had to park our car at Reception and get an electric shuttle cart to our room. The verandahs were lovely and wide and we had a couple of comfie chairs and table outside our room.

After we put our bags in our room we wandered around to explore and take lots of photos. Tony has being buying SLR (film) cameras and lens on Ebay and he took the opportunity to play, even though it was cloudy and overcast.

The room of Middle Harbour was lovely. We watched ferries go past from Manly to Circular Key and watched rabbits hopping around on the grass below the verandah. We made a quick trip back in to Manly for supplies and then whiled away a pleasant hour on the verandah sipping champagne and enjoying the view. How hard is that?!

Dinner was down the hill in the old boilerhouse, that's been renovated into a classy restaurant. We enjoyed antipasto, delicious main courses and the yummiest lemon and lime tart for dessert, along with a bottle of wine. the tables were all on a mezzanine level and the kitchen was open on the bottom floor, so we could watch dinner being cooked. Great entertainment.

After dinner, we were booked in to Defiance, a moving and inspirational immersion theatre production. True stories of life in quarantine were amazingly portrayed and there were a few tears. My grandmother nursed her family through what she called the plague in 1918 (though far away from Sydney in a tiny community near Mildura), and there was a part of the production about that period in our history. I found it fascinating and really well done.

After the production we caught a shuttle bus back up the hill to our rooms, and snuggled down for the night - with no children :-) We were woken in the early morning by the rain pounded on the roof and a slow leak in the ceiling that drip, drip, dripped.

After check-out in the morning we headed back to Manly to find the markets cancelled because of the rain :-( even though it really was starting to clear, and why couldn't all those stall holders see that and come on down and open up just for me? Was I being unreasonable? Back in the car after a little, and retail-wise, disappointing wander, we headed home in a round-about way. Oh, we did remember to collect the kids on the way through. They had had a great time. My sister, her hubbie and our mum had taken them to a South American circus with lots of performers.

Everyone had had a great weekend :-)

Trip to Oberon

On Saturday we went up to Oberon and Jenolan Caves for a weekend trip. We met some friends on the road and made our way to Jenolan Caves for a tour through the Temple of Baal.

It was an hour long tour through a spectacular cave with some fantastic formations. The shawl formations were particularly impressive, especially the Angel Gabriel. Can you see him in one of the photos?

We then had to have lunch there at a cafe as they close the
road in to the caves and make it one-way only inbound so that tourist buses can negotiate the narrow, windy road in to the caves. We then had a bit of fun exploring some four-wheel drive tracks on the way to Oberon, were we settled in for the night. We woke in the morning to snow :-)

We had a great hot breakfast in Oberon and then enjoyed a day of four-wheel driving through Lowes State Forest. We have been there a few times before and it's a reasonably easy trip, but it was made more challenging thanks to the rain and the little snow that fell during the drive. It was a good weekend :-)

Treasure Hunt

On Sunday, we participated in the annual Blue Mountains Four Wheel Drive Club Treasure Hunt. It was based around the Wallacia/Luddenham area and proved to be difficult, challenging and fun.

We started the morning, before meeting everyone, with breakfast at McDonalds. We then all met up at the Penrith Rowing Club and were sent on our way with some clues and two pages of things to look out for during the day and a list of treasures to collect (but not before Tony and Tegan went back home to get chairs). We scavenged a wrapper from McDonalds - we needed a McMuffin wrapper, which we had already eaten for breakfast but threw away the wrappers. Little did we know that we would need it for a treasure. We had to find our way out to Wallacia and stop in Mulgoa on the way because Matt and Mick, the organisers, had a bright idea to hide something there. We found the light switch, but not the light bulbs.

We stopped off at the newsagent at Wallacia to purchase $2.70 worth of goods and collect the receipt and the next set of instructions. We made purchases that we needed for our treasure list, and continued on. It was a little frustrating as I was relegated to the back seat and couldn't really help too much. Tegan was navigator for the day. We had to look out for unusual things that you don't normally see. The gnome in the wreck stood out, though I was actually drawn to it the first place as we needed a wheel nut for a treasure and we got one off the wreck he was 'driving'. We continued following clues and collecting treasures until we met up at the checkpoint at Vickerys winery for morning tea.

The next leg was a little easier, following arrows spray painted on the road and stopping at particular points to answer questions and/or collect treasures, all the while looking out for questions and treasures from the two-page list. It became a little competitive amongst some of the boys, with some impressive slides from Shane. Even though we arrived at the memorial with two other cars - Shane and Teresa, and Steve and Connie - we had to take photos of our own crews as no-one would do it for each other :-) We got back to Vickerys, where we had left Shelby with Andy for this leg, and started off on the final leg. Shelby stayed back again, riding on Thomas the Tank Engine and playing with friends.

The last leg led us to Silverdale and Warragamba and a quick tour around the towns. We had a variety of clues to follow and the highlight of this section was visiting the dam information centre, collecting instructions and questions from the volunteer that worked there. Tegan had great fun at one of the stops, where we had to provide photographic evidence of the navigator playing on the swings. The end of the hunt led us to Wallacia golf club, where we had to buy a drink and get a receipt as the last treasure. Then we had a few drinks, enjoyed a scrumptious dinner and checked in with the organisers.

Overall, a frustrating, tiring, busy, fun day.

Funkhana

Last weekend, the 28th and 29th June, the Blue Mountains Four Wheel Drive Club had their annual Fun Day (or Funkhana). We set off Saturday morning up the Putty Road to a property owned by one of the members, set up camp and got started.

The activities were all great fun - they were all easy and based on skill and having fun. There were about twenty cars competing - some came up for the day, while others camped for the weekend. The Saturday night was cold - we woke up to a good frost. We were all rugged up for the cool mornings and nights, but the sun was lovely. We had glorious clear, crisp days.

Of course, catching up and chatting with friends was on the agenda :-) As you can see from the photos below, we did fit some driving in too. The left-hand photo is the start of the ball and pole event, where you have to drive around a somewhat circular course and the driver has to place a ball on each pole and then drive around and knock them all off again. The right-hand photo is an event where you have to roll balls down the pipe attached to your car and try to get them in the containers (I am REALLY bad at that).














Our camp site. We have a good size camper trailer with a swing out kitchen. It was the sunniest spot, so we had sun most of the day. In winter that's great. Below lft, is my sister Andy and I. Below right are my two girls, Shelby and Tegan.














This is me driving a full pelt and then stopping quick enough to touch, but not knock over, the post. Just like trying to get a parking spot in the shopping centre :-) You can just make out me in the driver's seat.

Every event attracted a crowd. Besides competing, watching is the next best thing!

Shelby was Tony's navigator for this event. You had to hold a full-to-the-brim container of water while the driver drove up a hill, around a loop and back down, without spilling the water. Hilarious stuff.

All in all, a great weekend :-)

Magic Festival

Tegan and I in the main street of Katoomba

My sister Andy and I at the top of Katoomba's main street

On Saturday, my sister Andy, my oldest daughter Tegan and myself went up to Katoomba to soak in the sights and sounds of the annual Winter Magic Festival. As usual, there were lots of fantastic costumes and wonderful people. Tegan had never been before and didn't know were to look next.

I bought the hat that I'm wearing in the photos and a couple of recycled tops, and gloves for Tony and Shelby. Tegan got herself lots of badges, a CD from a band playing there and a celtic-style cross pendant (needless to say, she owes me money). On the way home we stopped at Glenbrook and I bought the most wonderful candle that makes the house smell like I've just baked sticky date pudding. Absolutely scrumptious!!

For more photos of the parade, visit my Flickr page.

Girls Weekend in Coogee

My little sister, Andrea, two friends - Audra and Jenni- and myself headed off to Coogee for the weekend to celebrate Andy's birthday. First stop was Paddington markets where we had lunch and picked up a few pretties. I can never resist jewellery and bought a gorgeous beaded bracelet. I also got a silk velvet jacket with purple lace around the collar - still not sure about the lace; may replace it. I also bought the most hideous witch mask. It will a great addition to my dress-ups for work.

Andrea, Audra and Jenni at Paddington Markets

Andy as the Wicked Witch

We then checked in to a lovely two-bedroom, two-bathroom apartment a block back from Coogee beach and had cosmopolitans on the balcony. Then off to dinner at an Italian restaurant and then some pool and dancing. After midnight pizza back at the apartment and a chat, off to sleep. Next morning we enjoyed breakfast at a cafe down the road and then off home.

A GREAT weekend! Thanks girls :-)

Me, Jenni, Audra and Andy off to dinner

Andy playing pool with Jenni