Woody Point

Saturday 14^th March. 5pm

I am sitting at one of the most beautiful spots in our country, Woody Point near Iluka in N.S.W. It’s a National Park and the campground is relatively new or so the National Park booklets tell us. We arrived yesterday at about 4pm and to our good fortune we managed to score a fantastic drive through camping spot with ocean views, green lawn and beautiful trees. We seriously could stay here for quite sometime, unfortunately because it’s a National Park, Wendal has to stay inside. As I am writing this he has just emerged from his cave (Kens wardrobe) in time to see a huge Monitor Lizard hassling with our garbage, he responded by jumping on the table to help me write and I guess for protection.

We left Coomaroo Cres on the morning of Saturday 28^th Feb. Yes the same day the tenants moved in, in fact we passed them in the drive way much to their dismay. After taking yet another load of our possessions to the storage area and dump etc, we hooked up the van and headed to Cotton Tree Caravan Park where we stayed until the following Friday. This worked really well for us, in so much as it gave us a chance to tidy up most of our loose ends and to say goodbye to some of our nearest and dearest friends.

Friday 6th March we headed down to Brisbane and visited with our friends John and Marni for the evening. Saturday 7^th we were off to Southport where we managed to ensconce ourselves on parkland next to our friend Moira’s house. It was a lovely visit and were delighted that Freeman and Geordie and other friends and family were able to come and say goodbye to us.

Monday we headed south and took the coast road through Kingscliff, Pottsville and a place that has changed enormously in the last five years Bogangar. Our journey ended for that day at Brunswick Heads in a sleepy little caravan park on the river. Tuesday, Ken and I explored on foot some of the waterways that connect this town and make it a memorable place to visit.

Tuesday evening we booked into Suffolk Park Caravan Park and the following morning met up with Max, Ken’s brother who lives near by. Ken had the urge to visit the town of Nimbin so Max drove us through that beautiful country which borders Nightcap National Park. Nimbin as always lived up to its colorful heritage by allowing us to view many drug deals under way and also while having lunch an altercation between two female people in the main street with extremely colorful language etc. the police were finally called. We felt we were probably lucky not to have gotten food poisoning from our lunch, which was served from a kitchen that if there was a health inspector in town it seems either he or she must be on the take.

Thursday we were ambitious enough to take up the challenge of trekking up to Cape Byron Lighthouse. Thank god the road back was all down hill, because for me it really was a huge challenge. The views are spectacular however I remember going there with Freeman a couple of years ago and we drove all the way to the top and it was so much easier. It’s all about dicky knees and stiff joints, great to be old.

This now takes us to Friday 13^th, we left Suffolk Park and drove south through my old stomping ground of Ballina, Broadwater (where I used to live many years ago) and at Ken’s insistence a quick visit to Evans Head. Good to be from there not going too.

Now as I mentioned at the beginning we are at Woody Point and loving it. Wendal has surprised us beyond anything we could have imagined. He is so well behaved and just a delight to have along on this trip. Unfortunately we have yet to find a caravan park that is Cat friendly so we can only allow him to take a stroll outside at night (on a harness) but he appears to be coping very well with these new restrictions and rules.

I hope this email finds all of you well and happy and enjoying yourselves as we are.

I look forward to hearing from you and letting us know what is happening in your world.

Take care good friends and write soon.

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