We’ve had a number of really good meals in Australia – and, admittedly, a few dodgy ones. But these latter ones have usually been when we choose the cheap seniors meals! We had one of the good ones at Monica’s café in Malaney with Penny.
Glenda palled up with Penny years ago when I had to return home in the middle of a trip. She is known for a number of things, notably her extraordinary use of the English language (never use a short word when a really long one could be used and never use one word when twenty would be an option). Also, her total rejection of tech things like mobile phones stands out. In the past her calling card was her green push bike. Or was it pink? Memorable! She and Matt are now deeply involved in developing a 40 acre hillside some 15 kms south of Malaney. (See later!)
One afternoon, in Bunnings, while changing an empty gas cylinder for a full one, I bumped into two of the handful of people I know in the area. Brother John’s recent tenants and good friends – Craig and Pauline. They invited us to dine at Bistro Seven. They live in a penthouse apartment near the beach at Kawana, part of the Mooloolaba area. He is an ex restaurant owner and chef. Their residence is on the 7th floor. Hence Bistro 7!
He is one of those gifted individuals who cooks by instinct. And he can do it while talking and entertaining visitors who chat and laugh in the background!
Then some visitors crash the presentation stage and pretend they have been involved!
We visited a Teppenyaki restaurant early one evening (10% discount before 5 pm!).
Quite a flamboyant show but still well overpriced even with our magic 10% allowance. The youngsters seemed to enjoy the catching of wooden bowls thrown at them. The first three are empty and stack as they are caught. The fourth is full of fried rice. Tricky, but all who tried it managed to catch everything thrown at them! Luckily!
We had a nocturnal visit to Mooloolaba central for a walk on the beach and an icecream. A lot of the trees think it’s still Christmas!
By night, the esplanade transmogrifies into the place to pass a few happy hours strolling along the well kept beach-front road. The only occasional problem is with the electric bike and scooter brigade. Their speed is supposed to be limited to 25 kph, but that’s way too fast on pavements among very young and very old pedestrians. However, and we are getting on to another high horse here. Many of these virtually silent machines have had their limiters “modified” or just plain removed!
We had one of several farewell meals at One La Balsa near the mouth of the Maloolah River. Brunch! We had to have it early on a Saturday because Phroggy had a football match – which, in the event, was cancelled at short notice because the pitch was under water. But the brunch was great!
Robyn and Kevin (friends made on our Kimberley trip) drove up to meet us at Chill Café in Caloundra followed by a lunch at the Pelican Waters Tavern.
One evening, after watching a lovely sunset over the Maroochy River …
… we were overtaken by two lads on an e-bike. I was doing almost the speed limit (50 then 70 kph) and I couldn’t keep up. Unbelievable! It wasn’t an e-bike, it was an e-motorbike. Totally illegal. No insurance. No registration. No licence. No parental control! Legally in most of Australia, throttle-Assisted Bikes can be propelled without pedaling, but their motor power output is limited to 200 Watts and they also have a speed limit of 25 kph. Apparently, some bikes are upgraded to 2 KW power!
Easter came and went in a cacao/cocoa flavoured swirl. However Ben managed to eke out his supplies right up to the day of our departure almost two weeks later!
There were more beach walks on quiet beaches. This was Marcoola Beach. To be fair it was much more crowded than usual where we joined it at Mudjimba. But a short walk took us past the umbrellas and gazebos (which have suddenly become the must-have equipment for days by the seaside in this part of the world).
Now, for an update on the hooligans on scooters terrorizing us “seniors”. After a bit of discussion, we got to try Robin’s own scooter (fully legal, fully limited etc etc.) Oh well, if you can’t beat ’em, join ’em! Glenda stepped on and said how do you make it go? She stepped on and went! As she “hurtled’ off round the lake-side path, Robin leaned over and said “Did anyone tell her how to stop the thing?” !!! Well, actually, nobody had told her, so Robin set off running after her. About a km down the path he met terrorist grandma “hurtling” back past him shouting “This is great! I want one! I want one!”
So Robin had to borrow a friend’s scooter and we sourced a couple of cycle helmets from Robin’s garage and we were off. For our second mission, we started in the car park of the Pelican Waters’ Tavern car park and scooted a five km circuit of the canals …
On another occasion, we loaded up the car with a bike, two scooters and two children, and borrowed a second bike from one of the boys’ friends. With Jack and Ben we made a five km trip round and down Lake Kawana. Beautiful weather. Almost no roads or pavements involved. The area has an amazing network of paved cycle trails. We stopped at the Green Zebra for coffee and light refreshments, and again at the shops to buy a box of icecreams. Robin phoned to ask where we were. “There’s a storm coming your way. It’ll hit in 15 minutes! I’ll be there in five!” It’s still beautiful weather to the north. Glenda said she wanted to carry on. North is the only way we can see from outside Coles. To the south, it transpired, was a threateningly menacing outlook. It’s going to deluge! Glenda said she still wanted to carry on. Robin won the (short, sharp) discussion! One scooter and one bike in the boot. Robin took the other. Jack took his bike. They rode frantically north. We drove the car. And yes, as we arrived at the scooter “borrow” place, the heavens opened. We sat it out in the car for 10 minutes. Luckily, Robin and Jack had made it home just ahead of us. That was the end of the scooter-riding era!
Now, back to the school pool at 06.30 for Benji’s first lesson in surf life-saving. First, line throwing.
In competition, the event entails coiling rope out of the water. Throwing it out 12.5 metres to a partner in crime. Then pulling rope and “casualty” back to the pool side. If you have never seen this in anger have a look at:
https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&opi=89978449&url=https://www.youtube.com/watch%3Fv%3D5_RQcoudpiI&ved=2ahUKEwia14_k__mMAxUwnP0HHbUOFgcQwqsBegQIFRAG&usg=AOvVaw2YaB5mC8ffGpw3NH_DPVyu
Or similar. It’s absolutely stunning! The world record for line throw is just over 9 seconds!
… and what a stunning pool the school has! When we arrived at 06.30, all the lanes were in use as swimmers were getting to the end of their training session!! Dedication, or what?!
Moving swiftly on. Lots of things were happening in our last week in Queensland. We had been invited to inspect Penny and Matt’s place out in the hills south of Malaney. On the way, morning tea – as they call it out here – had to be taken in style at Spicers Clovelly on Balmoral Road. (The main road along the ridge between Mapleton and Malaney.) You are allowed to have coffee, hot chocolate or even possibly a gin and tonic at morning tea. We chose coffees. All very salubrious! Very refined. Almost French in poshness.
Then onwards branching right onto another ridge road. The snappily-named Malaney Stanley River Road via Wootha and Booroobin. Don’t you just love these place names? Our hosts for the afternoon own 40 acres of hill-side. They have three bits of level ground. The top section has spectacular views out over the surrounding hills and the Conondale forest and valley.
About 500 m virtually straight down a 2 in 1 slope, we arrive at level two. Here we find a beautifully comfortable (if a little bijou) residence with a delightful covered terrace. An appropriately named “Tiny House”. Perfect for “Smoko”. That’s another word for “Morning Tea”. Except we plan to have it in the afternoon. You just have to be flexible – and keep up!
I’ve now discovered that there’s a town in Victoria, (Australia) called Smoko. It gained its name in 1865 because gold seekers regularly stopped here for a smoke and a rest on their way to and from the goldfields.
Another 500 m of almost vertical loss of elevation brings us to a whole new estate. Another micro-home …
… a chicken house labeled the “Palazzo dei Polli”, tool sheds, storage barns and a sheep stable under construction.
The ground here is almost what you might call level. Cleared of lantana in a major operation involving a tractor with a front blade – and months of effort. There is a natural spring and a dam in the bottom corner. Lots of grass growing in the cleared area. Perfect for the sheep-people when they are installed. Except the grass and flowering shrubs are being consumed by the local escapee deer population!
What a fabulous, if challenging, place on which to establish a super off-grid homestead! (But don’t tell Penny that I got a fairly good mobile phone signal at the top two levels! So not quite so off-grid as she thought!)
Before I end this episode (written largely on the flight to Singapore!) I will leave you with an “observation” I picked up during the floods.
With all this rain a big muddy puddle had formed outside the Pelican Waters Tavern. A wizzened old man was standing beside the puddle holding a stick with a bit of string tied to it. He was jiggling it up and down. Kevin asked him what he was doing. “Fishing”. Kevin took pity on the poor old man and invited him into the Tavern for a drink. While sipping their Bundaberg rums, Kevin started a conversation. “How many have you caught?”
“You’re the eighth so far today!”