A Food Fest

We seem to be eating our way around the Gold Coast lately, with all the major holidays now over, tourist season completed for yet another year and restaurant deals aplenty.  Yesterday was a perfect example of NINKERS waiting for a lovely day and ready to take on a bargain at Paradise Point, all the restaurants in the street were full of 50 plusers as the $17- $20 lunch deals where taken up - and to be honest you really can't go past them - 2 courses and a wine in a perfect location on the beach.  Great value, great location, good food!

Then

Now

We celebrated our 25th wedding anniversary and wanted to go somewhere a little more special so headed to one of my all time favorite places The Sheraton Marina Mirage at Main Beach.  They still have one of the best buffets around and right now they are doing their lunchtime winter specials at $45 a head.  Its hard to find any where in the world that has a view like this place and during the week there are not a lot of people around so the atmosphere for lunch is perfect.  Left there feeling a lot fatter than I arrived.  It was lovely to see them bring out our Happy Anniversary platter even though we hadn't arranged for it, when we arrived they just asked where we celebrating anything special and at the end of our gorging they arrived with yet another plate of yummies (I probably would not have had a plate full of delectable deserts if I had know this was coming).  So do you think we have changed much in 25 years!

Loving the High Tea we took D1 to Choccolato at Harbourside Markets for a 22nd Birthday lunch where once again we where filled with fabulous tastes and flavors.

Honestly if you think you will loose weight when you retire, I would think again!  

We had been planning to take our 3 month UK trip today but have been caught up in getting some major repairs done on our home which started to appear during the wet wet wet days in January.  I could easily begin ranting here on the inadequacies of BSA (Building Services Authority) and also of APIA the seniors insurer who to be honest both let us down - I have to laugh every time that APIA add comes on saying "call us for a chat", as communication is not a high point for this lot, but after nearly 4 months of trying to deal with both groups above, we just got on with the task of repairs so our house looks a bit like a war zone at the moment and of course having builders etc around for the last 3 weeks has meant we have not had as much time to get away as much as we would have liked and that we had to cancel our trip to the UK for now anyway, we really need to get everything fixed before we can embark on any major travels.  I can however feel a cruise somewhere in a warmer climate coming on as the days here begin to get too cold for me, but until these works are finished I can't really book anything.

It's Sanctuary Cove Boat Show weekend now so will be heading down there for a few days of great  fun - even if you are not into boating I have to say it is a great day out if you live in this area and always full of great food, shows and of course boats to drool over.

Hopefully by my next blog all the building will be completed and we have gone further afield than we have recently.

Stunning Stanthorpe - Queensland's Wine Capital

The past few weeks have seen us very busy with some great road trips and of course with the fantastic weather a lot of boating. Click here for the full Stunning Stanthorpe Album 

Toasting Marshmallows - Yumbo

Todays blog though is all about Stanthorpe and its surrounding areas, which make for a great short break at this time of the year, the days are so glorious with the nights being just chilly enough to enjoy a fantastic fire in the late afternoon.

It's a place I have always wanted to go to because over the years people I have known to go there love it so much and I can understand why, it really is such a great place for a long weekend and you do feel a million miles away - very similar to the Italian and French country areas we have been to with plenty of different things to do, see and experience.

After scouring through websites, we decided to stay at  Honeysuckle Cottages - taking my 81 year old Mum with us for her birthday, we wanted a 2 bedroom possie, plus why go and stay in a standard Motel , we wanted somewhere quaint and charming plus enjoy wood fires to ensure the break had all the trappings.  Honeysuckle Cottages didn't disappoint it was fantastic, their website and booking services are also outstanding allowing you to pre-book dinner at their own Restaurant The Rocks, order cheese platters and wine tours so costs where kept under control.

A short break in the rest area

The drive from the Goldy was great, even going through Cunninghams Gap seemed to be significantly better than it was years ago - the roads have been well upgraded in this area making the drive much more comfortable than in times past.  With the rain etc the countryside was at its best with lush green grasses and autumn reds, yellows and oranges everywhere. Simply Stunning!

Taking our time to meander to Stanthorpe with some nice short coffee breaks in parks our cabin at Honeysuckle Cottages didn't disappoint - we even got a free bottle of wine for Mum's birthday.  Then along came our breaky basket - we weren't anticipating this but WOW heaps of bacon, sausages, about 2 dozen egges, milk, juice and a basket of spreads - more than enough to keep our strengths up over the days.  Its the small things like this that ensure guests have a great value for money time.

Being mid Friday afternoon by the time we got there and settled in we decided to hit the town and the museum to fill in the rest of the day before our dinner at the Rocks that night.  Must say some fabulous clothes shops in town especially if you are looking for something special in the jumper/jacket area.

At this time of the year it does start to come in chilly by about 4 oclock, so off we went back to our snug cottage to partake in toasted marshmallows and smores at the fire place - yummy!

The Rocks Restaurant a short stroll on the property from our cuddly cabin and was fantastic with a lot of ambiance, good service and food well worth it and of course fully included through our booking.

First Wine Tasting at Symphony Hill Wines

Next morning off we went on a full days winery tour of the region, with Filippo's Tours, good group of people and a great host in Tony for the day. We learnt a lot about the area, tasted fantastic wines everywhere we went, stopped at a few good specialty food shops (Mt Sterling Olives, Cheese Factory and a few others all with good sampling available) and of course a terrific lunch at Sheraz.  There is no shortage of wineries in this area with some 50 odd  of which we visited 7 so a full on day finishing up at around 5pm. There is plenty to do in this area - but be aware most places are not open during the week so it is really a long weekend town.

Having had the Town and Country experience, the Wine Touring we decided on Sunday to head to Girraween National Park for the bush experience.  There are some great walks in this area some difficult right up to Bald Rock, and others that are not so onerous which is of course were the ones we did.  The day was perfect for these nice easy bush walks and the views, scenery and landscapes where beautiful and refreshing.

Mum & Derek doing some Metal Detecting

On the drive back from Girraween we detoured via Storm King Dam - yet another little treasure in this area with beautiful picnic areas, lovely water and generally just a great outlook for a nice afternoon tea.

I would highly recommend Stanthorpe for a weekend with a difference at this time of the year.

200 Days of NINKERING

So today marks our 200th day of NINKERING!  YAY!  As I sit here writing this blog I started to think about how I feel and what we have done and have we used our time wisely, and also contemplate some of the questions I have fielded from friends, acquaintances and obviously ex work buddies given this small milestone in our journey.  What would we do differently if we knew what we know now?

So in answering a few questions that have been posed to me which may help other NINKERS.

Are you bored yet?

Sure there are boring days, but there always was and no doubt always will be.  Days when it pours with rain day in and day out get boring but again they do for everyone.  Other than those types of days where its just hard to do anything, go anywhere generally there haven't been too many boring days.

What do you miss most about working?

The salary of course!  The real issue for me on this for me is not money itself, but it's about not being able to be so generous and obviously needing to be more frugal.  I have always loved being able to be generous to friends and family in many different ways and spoil those I love and cherish.  Without a salary this takes a little more thought and you tend to loose the spontaneity.  In saying that there are ways you can be generous and time is one of those things - like helping Mum clean out her cupboards - once upon a time I probably would have paid someone to do this for her, but I have time on my hands now so off I went and did this job myself for her so the generosity just comes in a different format now and I got to spend a few hours having a chat to Mum which was nice.  So giving time to help others out is now the form of generosity we provide.

Are you sick of each other yet?

No not at all.  We always have some project on our plate, we are always organising something, planning things and of course doing - so there is always much to talk about and so far so good.

What do you hate most?

Large bills and especially those unexpected ones - we have had a couple of these and they can certainly destroy plans and make you nervous, however expect the unexpected I suppose and move on - they are what they are and they are there to remind us that being foot loose and fancy free has its moments.

What would you have done differently in planning for NINKERING?

Rid myself of money sucking assets and investments.  Negatively geared properties are great as a tax deduction when you are earning money, but they are money suckers when there is no income coming in - take your money and run would be my advice.

This leads me to the boat - an asset we get so much enjoyment out of, something we have had so many great weeks away in ...... but I would think about this asset more if I had my time over.  Don't get me wrong we love to go out for days at a time, waking up to beautiful mornings, fishing, swimming and long beach walks but it is in this style expensive.  Before NINKERING we didn't think too much about filling it up - but $1000 to fill up is expensive and when anything goes wrong it is always expensive ie:  when the fridge died it was $2000 to replace it (yes a small bar type fridge) boats are a bit like weddings everything costs more when its for a boat.  The jury is still out on the boat - when you are using it it is fabulous to be able to just get away but when its wet, raining and windy and you can't get out it seems like a big investment.

What do you love most?

Freedom, waking up everyday and feeling invigorated, never feeling sick and tired, never feeling like what battle will I be facing today and being truly happy every day - smiling and finding the funny side of everything.  I do feel the best I have in years like a burden has been lifted, but more importantly I am able to be the person I wanted to be - the fun loving person, the carefree person, the happy person and not the bitch, not the toe cutter, not the cranky bum.

So reflecting on 200 days - what have we done and have we used the time wisely?

Boating:  about 30 nights out, plus several day trips, fishing, swimming, walking the sand dunes so lets say 40 days have been spent boating.

Brisbane to Cairns 8 days of great fun and adventure and probably the best value for money week we have had.

Vanautu - 6 action packed days, pure fun and exhilaration - kayaking, snorkeling, jet skying and trying lots of new things.

Cruise Bangkok to Sydney:  20 days experiencing new cultures, new places, making new friends.  Bangkok touring, Veitnam, Singapore, Burnei, Darwin, Port Douglas and Sydney and of course that Harbour Bridge Climb - all things that evoke the senses.

Tassie 10 days of driving around Tassie and experiencing some of Australia's best landscapes followed by 3 days in Melbourne at it absolute most sunniest and spending time with good friends.

Day Trips:  20 days of general day trips around SE Queensland, going to the beach, metal detecting, going to the mountains - all things that are good fun, cost little especially if you pack a picnic but often you find the best little places for lunch that don't cost the earth which is nice, fun and adds to the days adventure.

Family Events 14 days - with Easter and Christmas shoveled in here we can say we have over 2 weeks served up at least 100 meals in just these 2 events - something we have really enjoyed so much, the ability to do this at your leisure and not hey I have to get this done in between working and then get it all cleaned up before going back to work.   

Lunches, Dinners and Parties 20 days - we have really enjoyed going out to nice places for lunch on beautiful days and entertaining friends or going out to dinner and or parties like Cup at the Cove, High Teas at Tea42 and other great days and nights out.

On wet days we have really enjoyed "Cheap Tuesdays" at the movies and cooking schools.  10 days

One area we have spent some time on is our health - after all this was what NINKERING was all about, doing and experiencing while we were young and healthy enough to do it, but also understanding our own health.  So about 10 days has been spent in getting blood tests, Mammograms  going to the dentist etc.

So that rounds out about 160 days out of 200 and at some point you do have to be at home to clean etc, but  have we used our time wisely - yes I think so!  I think we have done some great things but at the same time being comfortable with being at home and enjoying at home days as well catching up on things we had wanted to do for a long time - and while sometimes these seem mundane they are also good for the sole and you feel like you achieved something that had been annoying you forever.  

Has it cost more than expected, well yes and no, our day to day living is good, our holiday are in budget, we have enough thing that keep us busy without costing the earth, but bills are the things that are grey, but we always said this wouldn't last forever, but we would let it last as long as we could without leaving us broke - we will definitely see a year out and possibly more

We are now planning our UK trip (well maybe, but that's another story).

Are we having fun yet?  You bet and looking at this small collection of photos I think the smiles speak for themselves!

Happy Easter

It was great to see some decent weather this Easter.  Me I love to celebrate everything with everyone so Easter is no different as I set up for family days, Yummy Corner and all things to make everyone as happy as they can be.  We had a big one this year even though that wasn't originally planned, but it was great to have 4 days with family, eating and drinking together, meeting new members or ones we haven't seen for many years.

I hope you all are having or had a great Easter and where able to share the spirit of Easter with the ones you love.

The Easter 13 shots

Polishing Painting and Pruning

It sometimes just amazes me where time goes ... days turn into weeks, weeks into months so quickly.  We have been NINKERS now for nearly 6 months.  I suppose the old adage time flies when your having fun really is true.

Its been over 3 weeks since I last blogged (again that seems incredible in itself as it just seemed like yesterday)  and as I think back on what we have done it seems a little hohum compared to other blogs I have written.

Are we bored yet?  With the weather as its been here in not so sunny Queensland yes I suppose there have been the odd day here and there where we have been - what can you do when it raining everyday?  There isn't much of the great South East, NSW which hasn't been devastated by storms, cyclones etc so it does make travel arrangements difficult, but February and March where always designated as Maintenance Months anyway - you can't travel all the time unfortunately and things don't fix themselves.

We have been busy with maintaining ourselves, our home and our boat - with a few small day fillers in between (more on that below) - you know health checks -  mammogram for her, prostrate for him, skin checks (being such a sun worshiper this one scared me more than the others), blood checks, dentists, loosing those few kilos gained from too much good food over 5 months.  Good news is clear bills of health for both of us at this point.  YAY.

Derek has also been having heaps of fun on the washed out beaches with his metal detector and over the last 3 weeks has found significantly more than normal. One day alone over 86 finds in just over 1 square meter including his first jewelry find.  What is amazing is the age of the stuff he is finding a lot of 1 and 2 cent coins so this shows how far the beach has eroded back to. 

The boat really need polishing and back in the non NINKER days this was as easy as paying $1000 to have someone do this.. alas the budget doesn't extend to outsourcing these things now, so off we went to Super Cheap to purchase a cordless polisher and all the necessary items to allow us to do it yourself.  Spending less than $200 we were ready to attack.  This was a great thing to undertake in between storms, wind and generally crappy weather and after a week of running down and getting sections done when the rain stopped our boat was shining and our shoulders where aching, but it felt great - an honest sore feeling, the sort you get only from physical labour and a sense of pride in having done it ourselves and saving bucks.  Of course years ago a polisher would have cost $500  but now less than $100 which makes the DIY much more cost effective.  

Feeling great from all of that we decided that the gardens could do with a good prune, so again off we went on the next DIY project - it was much cooler doing this in the overcast weather and again, all the bending etc  made muscles that hadn't been used for years tight and made for nights of undisturbed slumber easy - the sort of sleep that only comes from I  am so exhausted that you just fall asleep, where you don't wake up at all during the night, but the next morning you are so alive - so now the gardens are under control as well.  HIP HIP for us.

To be honest we are starting to feel great and all of this type of work has also aided in loosing those extra kilos so we decide to paint the front of the house .... me I have never been one for painting, don't get me wrong I actually enjoy painting but having built houses all our lives to me I always thought that you could tell DIY painting jobs.  Given our front fence and house are rendered though we figured it shouldn't be too hard. In our last house we watched the painters do the outside and they really didn't do anything special and with living on the coast paint fades pretty quickly we thought well it can't look worse.  

A quick trip to Bunnings and again less than $200 we started on the front fence and were very pleasantly surprised how quickly we did this and just how good it looked, so we thought to hell with it, lets do the whole of the front, we have the paint, we have the tools lets go for it and within 2 days we had finished the lot.

I must say that my shoulders have never had such a great work out from all of these jobs and they were all great things to undertake in the sort of weather we were experiencing - short bursts of sun followed by torrential rain, but it meant that we got small breaks in order to rest but where really achieving things.  While the rain fell, we undertook some of those other horrible jobs you keep putting off inside - you know cleaning the oven and cupboards, polishing the floors etc.

All in all we have achieved a lot over the last 3 weeks as well as getting ourselves and our home in tip top shape.

One of the day trips we did during this time was a fantastic cooking school at Mudgeeraba Spices.  We love cooking schools because you get to learn how to make some fabulous food, you get great company for a day and then of course you get to eat the fruits of your labour.  We find them great value for money and a great experience.  As the name implies Mudgeeraba Spices is all about Indian cuisine and our menu was very extensive and included:

Lamb Korma, Lamb Curry, Chicken Peralan, South Indian Chick Stew, Tamater Pulao (tomato rice), Tomato & Onion Salad, Pachadi (yoghurt salad), Semolina Payasam (a beautiful desert) and of course breads.  For $125 a head we had 5 great hours learning, cooking and eating as well as being given some great little tasters in between to keep up our strength (lol).

A few other adventures into Brisbane, the Mountains a quick day trip to Sydney have rounded off our 3 weeks since our Tassie trip.

So not the most exciting of times, but fruitful and it beats doing nothing or whinging about the weather, you have to keep having projects and things to do.

The problem with doing nothing, is that you never quite know when you are finished!

Travelling Tassie and Meandering around Melbourne

Thank God all the school holidays are over and we were once again able to get out and about on a touring course.  It seemed liked the first week of February all the NINKERS and those foot loose and fancy free began their travelling as the plain was full of people our age and everywhere we went it was all 50 plusers.  Why because its cheaper and obviously no kids. To view all of our Photos from Tassie click here

Why did we choose Tasmania?  Well Derek had never been there and me well I went in 1976 as a part of a school excursion so along time ago and we wanted to do travelling in a car, just being able to stop where ever when ever with no real plans no bookings and to explore, experience, taste and see somewhere with out being on any real schedule except we get there on one date and leave on another.  This was also to see what planning we might need to do for our Europe trip as well so a bit of practice.

So how was Tassie?  Lets say Tassie does rustic really well - everywhere you drive you see beautiful rustic old homes, sheds etc, they do views to die for really well - every corner there is a view  that you just have to get a picture of, but for me they really don't do quaint all that well.  I was really expecting to drive through towns and villages and have beautiful little cafes and restaurants that served Devonshire Teas,fresh local Tassie food (you know seafood, lamb etc) fire places, nice old furniture but in the main that wasn't to be.  We did however eat a lot of toasted ham and cheese sandwiches.

Our travelling started in Hobart the only place we had booked accommodation - and just as well as the Wooden Boat Festival was on - this was fantastic and made the Harbour come alive,  full of beautiful wooden boats of all types and a real fun and vibrant feeling - well worth being there at that time.  The weather was fantastic, clear blue skies (if you exclude the smoke from the fires on Mount Wellington that were burning that weekend) and nice and warm to take your time wandering around the water front.  I can only image the buzz that's there when the Sydney to Hobart is on.  The whole precinct was alive and it made for a fantastic start to our holiday.  We stayed in cheap and cheerful accommodation as we didn't want this holiday to break the bank (after all we have bigger and better things coming up in the near future) - Hotel Collins was within a few meters of the water front and I will say the room while just a little tired was very clean and the staff probably some of the best I have ever experienced anywhere - so nice, so friendly, so helpful and they looked like they loved their jobs - well done Hotel Collins it was a great way to spend Friday afternoon and Saturday afternoon and evening.  Can highly recommend the seafood at Flippers a takeaway caravan on the water - the trevella was to die for and all of their various offerings were tasty, well cooked and served up so that taking them to the various tables around the harbour easy.

Next day was Port Arthur day - a nice drive and through some great scenery, unfortunately much of this area had been devastated in the Xmas Fires and it was heart breaking driving past miles of burnt out homes and forests, however the drive was still very pleasant with good look out points along the way (Devils Kitchen and others).  I liked Do Town - just a lot of houses who have names with the word Do in it on their letter boxes or houses - that made it fun when driving through - our favorite was Do F#ck All, it was a unique and fun town to drive through - well done Do Town.

Port Arthur itself was good and the admission prices included a boat trip and a tour - we obviously did the boat trip, but elected to just walk around at our own pace (you could spend a good day here) we ended up getting there around 11 and leaving about 2.  Me I personally loved the historic gardens which were alive with color and fragrance as you walked through.

Next day we decided we would head for the Franklin-Gordon national park area and head for Strahan - WOW a big drive through mountains over 400kms we did and most of it was not at high speed.  The views where however fantastic in a lot of places and we got to Queenstown as the Queenstown train got in (a tourist train) and the only thing really in Queenstown to do.  It did seem we did a lot driving this day and there wasn't a lot to do along the way nor was there anywhere really to stop and have taste Tassie.  We got into Strahan around 5ish and stayed at the Strahan Motel - another lovely cheap and cheerful, large room, bath, nice mini bar (which was full of Tassie delights including full bottles of Tassie wine, Tassie cheeses and other nice things) and again great and cheerful service.  We choose Strahan because when we drove into town there were several restaurants  take aways, cafes etc and lots of activity on the waterfront - unfortunately none of those where open at 6.30 when we went down to explore and dine - well only 1 and of course it was the 5 star $100 a plate type place which wasn't in our budget.  It was a shame especially given it didn't get dark until 9 pm and there where literally 50 other couples on the waterfront disappointed - the IGA did well that night for ham, bread etc.

Cradle Mountain was next on our calling list so after a few hours we arrived, it was quite cool when we got there so had legs and jackets on, but the day warmed up later in the afternoon to be quite hot - so had to get changed into shorts and T's to continue our exploring of this wonderful, picturesque  location a must see while in Tasmania.  The parks do charge a fee to enter but at the top part of Cradle Mountain there are shuttles to take you to all the major walking tracks - some go for days and others only a few hundred meters, but there is a walk for everyone as well as the convenience of a shuttle to take you from one station to the next.  They also have a nice cafe with a good selection of foods.

We had now completed the south and south west regions (all of Tasmania is broken into tourist trails which is good - we completed a few in these few days) but don't be conned, there is a lot of driving to do in Tasmania especially if you take the tourist routes and even with 6 days there were areas we didn't get to.

After leaving Cradle Mountain, we headed North through Sheffield, Railton (the home of the Topiary  Deloraine , Launceston and onto the North coastal town of George Town.  Where possible we did take the tourists drives and stop at look outs or places of interest as pointed out in the various tour brochures.

George Town was another lovely little coastal village and quite a big bigger than Strahan, we decided we had had enough of driving hundreds of kilometers each day so decided to stay here for 2 nights.  Staying at the Piers Motel we had a water front view and they also had a nice restaurant  pub etc so it was nice to be able to just walk and have a drink and feed.  We spent the next day doing the town and local areas museums (there is quite a lot in this area)  and they have quite nice beaches so guess what Derek did - yes metal detecting for half a day and didn't do too badly either.  We also did a Fairy Penguin tour that night which was so fantastic and probably a highlight for me of the trip.  Watching these little penguins waddle up the beach was so beautiful and they came right up to us (not that we were allowed to touch them, but they did walk right over our feet).  It was a great place to relax after such a hectic schedule and rejuvenate, however it too lacked any real charming and quaint restaurants serving local cuisine unfortunately, nice food, great service, everyone so friendly, but we were wanting to taste Tassie as much as see it.

After feeling a bit more relaxed we headed North West to Stanley - for our last night and I am glad it was here we were having our last night as this place really delivered on everything which was probably why it was booked out - although we did secure a fantastic studio room at the Sea View just outside of town, but with great views of the town and sea.  Stanley really has everything, great views, Nut Hill Chair Lift (a fabulous way to get up the top of Nut Hill), quaint streets full of interesting shops, some great eateries and guess what serving local food and other good tours (Seal and other type tours) so all in all a great place.  After securing our nights accommodation we were starving and headed into town for some lunch and scored - I wish I could remember the name of the cafe (but its in the main street and has fabulous views) but here they had perhaps my most favorite of dishes ever - Scallops in Pernod Sauce and served with risotto style rice for $22.50 each - not just 3 or 4 scallops but I must have had a good dozen fresh Tassie scallops in a beautiful sauce with some lovely Tassie wine - I was in heaven.  The service by the owners was impeccable and we stayed much longer than we had originally anticipated, but this was what we had hope to experience along the way.  After lunch we slowly meandered around the town which had some great shops I of course enjoyed the local providore shop that sold great Tassie foods, chocolates, fudges etc, I love these types of shops.  

With the afternoon setting in I went back to Motel while you guessed it Derek went off down the beach for some more detecting - I enjoyed sitting on my veranda with a good wine watching the world go by.  We had booked into the motels restaurant for dinner as the menu was also full of local foods.  Given neither of us had ever tried Abalone we decided to start with this - what do I say, didn't hate it, but probably wouldn't go for it again - but it was beautifully served.  We followed this with their Grim Beef Rib Fillet - superb so tender and just melted in your mouth this was what we had been looking for all holidays and Stanley didn't let us down.   Well done Stanley.

The next day we started to Devonport where we were going to board The Spirit of Tasmania for our trip back to the mainland.  Taking the scenic route from Stanley to Devonport is a fantasic drive don't take the highway as this part of the journey is lovely.  

Getting onto The Spirit of Tasmania in Devonport was sort of a let down - if you ever go ensure you take cash - their ATM only gives out $50 at a time and charges $2.50 for each transaction.   To be honest this was a big let down and quite an expensive way to get to Melbourne.  After leaving Devonport at 7pm, you head for something to eat and there is expensive and a chew and spew type cafeteria - the rooms were small and after dinner we went to bed, waking up at 4.30 so you can disembark at 6.30.  I really would not recommend this at all to anyone.

For me one of the things I love most is taking photos of the flora and Tasmania didn't disappoint with beautiful flowers everywhere The Tassie Flora Collection

We finished up our trip with 3 days in Melbourne, given we were in so early at the Motel by 7am,  our room obviously wasn't ready so we spent the morning walking Melbourne and back to our Motel in St Kilda (apparently about 10kms we walked) so a well earnt afternoon snooze was next on the agenda.  Met up with old work mates for dinner which was fantastic and got back to our motel at 3am so a big day.

Other friends joined us at the motel for Saturday and Sunday and we had a great couple of days touring St Kilda and Port Melbourne, drinking, dining and generally just having a great time.

Would I be going back to Tasmania in the near future, probably not, but generally it was quite a good holiday I would give it 3 smiles overall.

Celebs, cruising and cyclones

Its been an exciting 2 weeks in the NINKER house.  After finding those guns on the beach Blog on Gun Find, we were for a few days inundated by media - radio interviews, news interviews , news papers couldn't seem to get enough, then generally people calling to chat about this unusual detecting find from all over Australia and even some relatives OS saw it , which seemed a little strange to us - obviously no news that week. Here is one of the many articles on the find . The GC Bullies Article   It was all very exciting although it would have been better if we had found a gold nugget.  That filled in though a few exhausting days of being celebs.

 

I was also asked to be a guest blogger on Open Forum Bloggers which added a little more excitement to the week here is the feature for all those who missed it Guest Blog.

 

After all that excitement we decided now that the fridge in the boat was fixed, it was time to head out and get away from it all, especially given the main school holiday period was finished and the waterways were a little quieter.  We headed out on the Saturday and returned on Thursday as we began to feel the weather changing as Cyclone Oswald started to make it move down the coast of Queensland.  We had a great week out, the weather was peeeeeeeeeeeerfect -water was peeeeeeeeeeeerfect and I was able to sit and watch the tennis while sitting on the back of the boat so with wine in hand, sea at my feet, tennis on the TV and Derek off finding riches ($6) life was pretty good. When the weather is great one of the things I particularly love are the sunsets but of course being able to jump off the back of the boat and swim in cool clean waters is one of the best things about the boating life.

 

It was just as well we headed back on Thursday because by Friday morning our seaways and coast had begun to change as Cyclone Oswald got closer and while they were no longer calling it a cyclone, it was a close to it as you could get.  Of course our heart goes out to all those people who where so badly affected by this event, it was once again heart breaking to see what the weather was serving up.  For the full weeks photos click here

 

While we were not overly affected, living on the water always makes you nervous especially high winds, combined with high tides and then 600mls of rain on the mountain above you is a combination for some heart in mouth syndrome.  We were extremely lucky though and other than getting more water frontage than we normally have, somehow the Gold Coast got off lightly once again.

 

 

Yesterday Derek was desperate to get to the beaches after such wild weather as his is apparently the best time to find things on the beach.  Our beaches certainly took a battering and that foam and bubbles where still in abundance.  The humidity was 100% over the last few days causing the GC to have a blanket of fog that looked like it was raining and cold, but in fact was soooooo hot.  It was sad to see the beaches in such a state, only a few weeks ago I took some photos of a perfect GC beach and now they look far from that.  The surf was still big and looking quite dangerous.

 

Here are a few comparisons in a few week

 

A few weeks ago

Yesterday 

Booked a trip to Tasmania yesterday for next week (2 weeks in Tassie and Melbourne) and also finally booked our flights to the UK from May to August - looking forward to that trip just over 2 full months of driving around the UK will be heaps of fun.