The view that met us as we arrived at our rented apartment was just as stunning as it was last time we were here.
It’s pretty good at night too…
But the real reason we are here is to see these fellas…
And they are the main reason I’m so far behind with this blog! Our days are getting into a routine. Up about 6 am. Walk until it gets too hot (about 8 am). Then shower, breakfast, coffee, possible snackette, possible second shower, off to school to pick up one, other or both boys, transport home, possible after-school activity, games, tea, story, and bed for boys. We then drive 20 minutes home, third shower and collapse into bed! So I don’t need to repeat that for every day. I’ll just add the different things we manage to squeeze in.
Tuesday’s are Soccerdays. Not football, around here that conjours up AFL – Australian Rules Football (a weird cross between soccer, rugby league, handball and volleyball with probably a couple of rules adopted from tennis, golf and mahjong! Sorry Kevin!). Jack’s soccer team will be playing for his school on Saturdays from now on. And Robin is a coach for one of the groups. That’s a bit of a joke. He never liked it at school and now plays touch rugby and Ultimate (sort of American football – without the violent physical contact – played with a frisby). So he’s going to have to read the book of rules – or maybe (and this is more likely) just bluff it!
Wednesdays are Swimmingdays. Jack’s grammar school has a fabulous pool complex…
(Obviously the pool is not really curvy.) And Jack is a little fish. (See also the FISHY story later!)
Thursdays are Gymdays for Ben.
Trampolining with balloons!
Good landing off the “spring board”. Right on target!
At the weekend we had a play-date at our place. Lots of Lego, stories and pizza. We also fitted in a trip to the park one day…
In between all this activity we managed a coffee at Alexander Headland Surf Lifesaving Club with a superb view. You can just see our tower block in the far distance. We are in the short, right-hand end block!
Come to think of it, we’ve had the “occasional coffee” every day! Our caravanning friends at home would be proud of us! We’ve tried out two local places within walking distance of our flat, one at Mapleton in the hills, one at Yandina, another at Malaney … Noosaville … etc etc. The one at Perigian Beach came with one of their notoriously, scrumptious vanilla slices. (They make just five a day – and we got the last one!)
Our stop for refreshments in Bli Bli at the Maroochy River Golf Club gave rise to a certain hilarity with the staff. First, you should understand that golf clubs here are generally very happy for total strangers with no interest in golf to walk in for a coffee and cake or a meal and a beer. Very much more socially integrated than many clubs at home.
The view over our coffee cups to the 18th green with Mt. Coolum in the distance.
Anyway, we managed to leave Glenda’s pink cardigan on her chair when we left. Of course, at 30°C any form of second clothing layer is, to say the very least, totally unnecessary. Hence it was over the back of her chair. At the end of the day, the absence of pink cardie was noticed. We compiled a list of all places it might be and started ringing round. We decided the golf club was the most likely as that was the COOLEST place we had been all day (everything here being relative!). And, as luck would have it, we needed to ring no further.
The conversation went something like this: “Have we left a pink ca…..” “Ha ha ha! Yes, you have!” “How did you know what I was going to say?” “Ha ha! Well, that’s the first one of those ever to pass through our lost property department! Everyone here including the pastry chef knows about the famous pink cardigan! Ho ho!”
In Glenda’s defence, I have to point out that it’s really just a net-like wrap. More of a fashion accessory than a garment worn for warmth! If I hadn’t mentioned that, she would have! Although she strenuously denies the “fashion accessory” label!
OK. Moving on. Car registration “numbers” here are quite interesting. Any previously unregistered combination of up to seven letters and numbers – provided the result is neither too rude or offensive – can be used. For example, today Jack and I saw “CAKE” – for the second time… We had a lot of fun looking for “Icecream” and “Biscuit”!
We also saw “JAG-U-R”. But the best on this trip so far is an astonishing “1”. A car belonging to one of my sister’s friends has the number 1546 which was apparently originally attached to the 1546th car registered in NSW. I think number “1” beats that!
Obviously this car is not owned by anyone from Myanmar! Remember our Myanmar language lesson?
When we were in Mapleton, having a nosey tendency, we drove out on Delicia Road to see if we could spot the house belonging to Penny and Stuart (of Myanmar cruise fame). At the time we didn’t know their address. However, we did have a few clues we remembered relating to their view, size of property, distance down road and simplicity of house design. These, combined with determination and help from Mr Google Maps in “satellite mode” we were able to narrow it to three possibles. And it turns out one of them was it!
Delicia Road is one of those roads that starts like Old Nelligen Road if you remember. This time the paved section was much longer. The first part of the gravel road was actively being worked on by graders and other heavy-looking kit. Like ONR, the surface quality soon declined, especially on the steep sections where recent heavy rains had washed out gullies along the road. We had vaguely hoped that the “No through road” sign at the start of the road had been put there to stop people using the road to get down to the Obi Obi Valley. However, this road definitely didn’t go anywhere useful like that. So, about turn!
The Obi Obi Road is one of our favourites. Largely gravel downhill and sealed back up. We always used to like to hear the bell birds dinging away in the forest here. However, having had four days of them going all day long at my sister’s place, we are (slightly) less enthused now!
On over the Mary River to Kenilworth. To be continued…
A FISHY STORY
A game warden catches an unlicensed fisherman in the act.
“You’re going to pay a big fine for all those fish in your bucket”
“But, officer, I didn’t catch these — they are my pet fish and I just bring them here to swim. When they’re done they jump back into the bucket.”
“Oh really? This I’ve got to see. If you can prove it, I’ll let you go.”
The fisherman empties the bucket into the lake and waits patiently. A few minutes go by and nothing happens.
Game warden: “So where are the fish?”
Fisherman: “What fish?”