Week 4 Omaha River Retreat.

Rob and Julie brought Danni and Jonny over on Friday evening and we had a good evening sitting on the deck and snacking. There are 10 girls booked into the house tonight and tomorrow for a hen party. Two of the girls arrived this evening and the rest will arrive tomorrow. Rob put Danni and Jonny to bed before he left – 2 very tired children!

On Saturday morning Danni, Jonny and I went into Warkworth. After going to the bank and the butchers we were going to the playground when they both raced off to see who would be there first. Danni's jandal broke and they both went flying. Jonny was fine, he bounces !, but Danni grazed her knee and was almost in tears. So back to the car and off to the supermarket to do some shopping. Danni complained of feeling dizzy and sick. I was worried that she may have banged her head when she fell but she assured me that she hadn't. She was sick on the way back home and when we got back she went to bed. After lunch we were booked to go riding but Danni said that she didn't feel well enough and went back to bed. She really must have felt bad to miss riding but I rang the stables and rebooked for Sunday morning. I think that Danni was just so tired and needed to catch up on her sleep. It turned out to be fortunate as it rained in the afternoon.

We were booked in for the 10am ride but had a call to say that as it was still raining at 8am would we prefer to go on the 11.30 ride as it was forecast to be fine by then. As usual Danni was ready in good time and keen to go so she must be feeling much better. One of the escorts on our ride, Liz, was from Maidstone and has lived over here, in Puhoi, for 11 years. We did a lot of chatting on the ride. Back in the paddock Danni was keen to do some more jumping but Buzz wasn't too keen and it was hard work for her trying to get him to do the jumps. When we got back to the yard Danni was able to spend some time grooming Buzz which she really enjoyed. I reckon he was the cleanest in the yard by the time she had finished. Whilst we had been away Nigel and Jonny had been down to the shore for Jonny to fish. Despite being over excited and making a mess of his line he had still managed to catch a fish much to his and Nigel's surprise! The girls from the hen party had left and had left the house very tidy but had left the kitchen windows open and the wind had broken the catches. I told Jill and Martin is going to come over and fix them. Danni and Jonny helped me strip the beds and put the first of several loads of washing in the machine.

We left here at 3pm for the drive back to Rob's work where I dropped them off and said goodbye for another week. Well actually 2 weeks as we shall be away next weekend.

As Rob had worked at the weekend he had Monday off and as the weather was OK he, Nigel and I were able to go out fishing. We put the boat in at the ramp at Scotts Landing and set off with no problems. It was a bit choppy but once again we moored up just inside the reef in the shelter of the Mahurangi peninsula where it was calmer. Then followed a very pleasant 4 hours. We did move a couple of times but not too far. We caught a lot of small snapper which had to go back but we did end up with 3 good sized ones and then not long before we went back Nigel caught a fair sized Kowai which put up quite a fight. At one point we had a cormorant circling and diving around the boat and he was very pleased to be able to grab one of the smaller snapper that we threw back. There wasn't a lot of water, about 3 feet, when we got back to Scotts as the tide was well on it's way out but Rob managed to get in without a problem. Back at Rob's and Julie was home. Rob and Nigel emptied the boat and I walked down to the bakery to get us some pies for a late lunch. After lunch I went down to the fishing shop with Rob to buy him an early birthday present – a filletting knife. Until now he has borrowed Danny's (Julie's son) which is a bit of a pain to go and fetch it every time. Rob filletted the fish and smoked the kowai for us before we left. A good meal of kowai, snapper and chips when we got back home.

On Tuesday Martin came over and fixed the windows and had lunch with us. I carried on washing and folding sheets and towels, thankfully it has been really good drying weather and by lunchtime all was dry and put away. I made up the bed in the master bedroom as there are people here next weekend.

Wednesday morning I went into Matakana for a few things and had a look in the charity shop. I bought a pair of ¾ jeans and several tops – a good haul! I had a chat with the lady who was serving in there and she lives near here and has asked me to call in and see her which I will once Easter is over.

Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday was really nice weather, warm and sunny and it has been nice just to spend time here and enjoy being in such a beautiful place. Rob called in on Thursday afternoon and we spent a couple of hours, on the deck, chatting.

Week 3 Omaha River Retreat.

At last it's moving day! We spent the morning packing our things and putting them in the car ready to take them over to the barn. Stripped the beds and put the washing in the machine and cleaned the flat. Jill's sister, Ngaire is moving in there for a few days. After lunch Jill had everything packed and ready to leave and the house ready for us to move into. Although the flat is adequate it is so nice to have so much more room and finally be able to unpack our suitcases and store them out of the way for the next 5 months. Ngaire was taking Jill and Jess into Auckland to meet up with John so we said our goodbyes to them and wished them bon voyage. Strange to think that they will soon be in our house.

                                                   View from the deck

                                                       Sitting/dining/kitchen.

                                                           View from kitchen window

                                                             Our home for 5 months

                                                View from the barn to the house
The property here is extensive as apart from the flat there is a big house, sleeping 8 people, with frontage over the estuary. Jill lets both the house and the flat. Then a couple of hundred yards away, at the end of the drive is the converted barn which is now our home. Downstairs is a double garage, bed sitting room, laundry and bathroom, ideal for when Danni and Jonny are here. Upstairs we have a large open plan sitting, dining, kitchen area, bedroom, spare room (in which Jill has stored all her things) study and bathroom. There are 3 large French windows, one in the bedroom and two in the main room, opening out onto the deck which runs around 2 sides of the house making the whole house so light and airy with stunning views over the paddock and bush.

We have two forms of transport, Jess's car, an elderly Toyota Corona, which needs an outing every now and then and Jill's Honda SUV which is great on the many gravel roads in the area. Both cars are automatic which is the norm in this country.

I had done a big shop yesterday so it took quite some time to unpack it all and find a home for it in the kitchen cupboards. Finally we were done and we were able to settle down in our new quarters, pour a glass of wine, have a meal and relax.

Rob had picked up Danni and Jonny on Friday afternoon and they had stayed overnight with him and Julie. The plan was for the boys to go fishing on Saturday afternoon and for Danni and I to go riding. Sadly, for the boys, the weather was too windy to take the boat out. N and I went over to Snells Beach in the late morning. We had hoped to go to a car boot sale at the school there but it had been cancelled due to lack of support. For lunch N and the children walked down to the bakery to get some pies – such a novelty for us to be able to do that both pies and takeaways not being abundant in France.

                                                       Me and Girlie, Danni and Buzz.

Danni and I were booked on the 2pm ride so we left at 1.15 in order to get there in good time – the owners like everyone on the ride to be there half an hour before the appointed time. Danni was looking forward to riding Buzz again and I was quite happy to have last week's mount – Girlie. As we were the only two relatively capable riders on the 2pm ride we soon left the others behind and went the long way up and around the hills surrounding the stables before joining the others again in the paddock below the farm. I felt much more at home on horseback this week and thoroughly enjoyed the several good canters we had in the beautiful countryside. Once in the paddock Danni was asked if she had ever done any jumping and she said no but that she really would like to. Her face lit up as she was told to trot over a couple of small jumps. Even I managed to follow her over the jumps, a far cry from what I have jumped in the past whilst out hunting but an achievement after so many years doing so little riding.

Back at Rob and Julies we all had a meal and then we left to come back here bringing Danni and Jonny over for the night. After exploring their new quarters, having a cup of Milo and a biscuit they were soon ready for bed.

I left milk and cereals out for Danni and Jonny and by the time I woke up they had helped themselves to breakfast. We left here about 11am and drove down to Orewa, a seaside town between here and Auckland ,which is a popular tourist resort as well as being popular with retirees.We had hoped to have a beach day but although quite warm it was very windy and the sea was rough. It was a perfect day for the kite surfers and wind surfers who were having a great time. We spent a few hours looking around, having lunch and Danni and Jonny had a great time at the playground there. I walked up the road with them to get ice-creams (N sat in the shelter of a tree and watched the kite surfers) and as soon as Jonny got his he fell over with it!! Luckily I had lots of tissues so, after I had wiped it clean, he was able to eat what was left of it. Back at the car we headed south and dropped Danni and Jonny off at Rob's work as he was going to take them back home from there.

Then came the deluge!! It started raining heavily on Monday, a slow moving sub-tropical low apparently. It carried on raining, at times torrentially, until Wednesday morning when after a brief respite another low, fast moving this time passed over bringing more torrential rain. It seems that we escaped the worst of it as there was a lot of flooding both further north and south of here. There wasn't a lot we could do apart from sit it out. We did go into Matakana on Monday afternoon, to the cinema, but I had got the wrong day and time. We made another sortie on Tuesday afternoon, right day, right time, to see “We need to talk about Kevin” a very good and thought provoking film.

We had a chat on skype on Wednesday evening with Jill and John who had arrived in Castandet the previous day. They had a good journey, no hiccups and love the house. It seemed strange to see them sitting in our sitting room! Our friends, Jane and Michael, had opened up the house and put the heating on which really did need doing as it had been empty for 6 weeks and then Michael had picked them up, in our car, at the station in Mont de Marsan. It's pretty chilly there at the moment but it is forecast to warm up by the weekend.

Ngaire left on Thursday afternoon and in the evening we met up with Rob and Julie at the Rusty Pelican – why the pelican is rusty I don't know!- for the curry evening there. A good and reasonably priced meal and good to go out for the evening with Rob and Julie.

Week 2 Omaha River Retreat.

.

Well, Friday was the day that I finally got to see Danni and Jonny again albeit briefly. We went over to Rob and Julies and saw Julie before she went off for the weekend. She was spending a “quiet” weekend, on Kauau island. Julie is a signer for the deaf which is why it was a quiet weekend. Rob and the children arrived home about 6.30 and it was oh so good to be able to give them a hug again! After making arrangements for the next day we left to come back over here, picking up Jess and a couple of friends in Matakana where they had been to the cinema.

We were invited over to Jill's for a BBQ as John and his friend Martin were here for the weekend.

John has a refurbished Massey Ferguson tractor, his pride and joy, and he has fitted a sofa on the linkbox! I joined Martin on the sofa and, glass of wine in hand, set off for a drive up the road to the top of the hill where there was an amazing view of the lights from Omaha glittering on the water. Back to the barn and then for a spin around the paddocks before I got off and Nigel went off for a short trip. We had a good BBQ and chat and made it back “home” by about 12.30am.

Plan A, for Saturday was for us to be at Rob's for 8am and for Rob, N and Jonny to go fishing and for Danni and I to go riding. However, as the weather didn't look too promising and N wasn't feeling on top form we had to move on to Plan B which was for Danni and I to go out fishing with Rob and Jonny and to delay our ride until later. Danni was not happy about this and sobbed that she didn't want to go but we managed to persuade her, reluctantly, that she should go. Now, many years ago we had a small boat at Seaton in Devon and I have to say that I didn't particularly enjoy going out on it but the boys, who were quite young then, enjoyed it. I hadn't been out to sea since then, apart from a cross channel ferry, so was somewhat apprehensive as to whether or not I would be sea sick. We went down to Scotts Landing where there is a boat ramp so launching the boat was relatively simple. We were all fitted out with life jackets, four fishing rods and bait at the ready. Once aboard Rob turned the starter and it took quite a few tries before the engine started. Not a problem he said, it's just that it hasn't been started for a while. Off we headed quite slowly at first then we were told to hold tight as he was going to give it more welly! Suddenly I was propelled backwards in my seat as the back of the boat went down and we hurtled (or so it seemed to me) out into the bay. It wasn't particularly choppy in the bay although it looked much choppier out to sea. Thankfully we didn't go too far out and anchored in the lee of one of the many islands where it was relatively calm. Rob put down a “burley” which is a bag of minced bait that leaves a trail in the water and attracts (in theory) the fish – see I have already learned something! Then he baited up our rods (more fishing lingo) and showed me how to lower my bait to the seabed. It took a bit of getting the hang of but as we got loads of bites and lots of fish I soon got the hang of it. Most of the fish that we caught were snapper and a lot of them were too small to keep – there are stringent rules re the size of any fish that can be kept. I think that it was Danni who caught the first fish which cheered her up tremendously but as it was undersized and the first to be caught it had to go back in. Then followed a very busy couple of hours, I caught the first “keeper” a good sized snapper and the others caught several snapper as well some other fish that went back into the sea. Rob was kept busy unhooking the fish and baiting the rods but we soon learned to do some of this ourselves. Jonny is a very keen fisherman and after today I suspect that Danni is going to be keener to go out as well. Rob decided to move on but picked a place where the current was strong as the tide had turned and was going out. We didn't stay there long and went back to a place not far from where we had been previously. We caught a few more snapper, some of which were big enough to keep and then it all happened! Rob threw his cigarette end in the sea and a large kingfish surfaced and swallowed it! Great excitement at seeing the kingfish but then as it circled the boat, just below the surface, it seemed that we might have a chance at catching it. We all dangled our rods in the sea and suddenly Danni shouted that she had hooked it. This wasn't such good news as she had lost the hooks off her rod earlier, when she had hooked the anchor, so she was using a spare, lightweight rod. Not the best rod with which to hook a big fish. Rob took over as there was no way that Danni would be strong enough to reel it in and the fish then began circling the back of the boat trying to escape. Rob quickly lifted the prop out of the sea so that the line didn't get tangled in it and then spent the best part of 10 minutes reeling in the fish. It was very hard work and we were all hoping and praying that the fish wouldn't escape. When it was almost at the surface I passed him the net and he managed, one hand holding the rod and the other the net to net the fish. No mean feat and once he had the fish in the net I grabbed the rod so that he could lift the fish, in the net, out of the water and into the boat. Rob was trembling, shaking and panting with the effort and I wondered briefly that if he collapsed what would I do, out at sea with him, 2 children and a boat! Thankfully he recovered and measured the fish at 85cms (the legal size for a kingfish keeper is 75cms)

http://www.fishing.net.nz/kingfish/.

Once the fish was killed and bled we all decided to call it a day and head back home. Danni and Jonny were over the moon with the excitement of the morning's successful fishing and will remember the day for a very long time if not for the rest of their lives. It was quite an experience for me too and I was so glad that I had been able to share this memorable moment in their lives. Of course, once we were back home, Rob with Jonny's help had to fillet the fish and clean out the boat. Rob put half of the kingfish that he had filleted into the smoker and the rest of the fillets of the kingfish and snapper went into the fridge for later.

The day though was far from over, for Danni and I, as we were booked in to ride, at Warkworth, at 3.30pm. We were there at 3pm in readiness and once we were sorted out with our mounts we were off. I had brought my hat and chaps from home so it was much better than having to borrow a hat. Last year Danni had requested that she ride Black Beauty who she had ridden the year previously but this time she requested another horse as she had found Black Beauty to be rather unresponsive. This time she was given Buzz, a nice bay gelding, who she was much happier with. I had Girlie who was OK, she has a nice trot but a bumpy canter. We had a nice ride around the hills on the farm and then down to the paddocks to do a few circuits at canter. I really enjoyed being on a horse again but at the moment an hour is long enough. I hope that apart from riding most weeks with Danni that I can find the time to go during the week as well.

We then came back here to pick up Nigel before going back to Rob and Julie's for a welcome meal of fresh snapper, smoked kingfish and chips. Then back home for a relaxing evening after such a hectic but enjoyable day.

Sunday was a bit of a letdown after such an exciting start to the weekend as it was wet and windy. Rob brought Danni and Jonny over here at 9am as he was working and we spent the day here. We had fresh kingfish for lunch, surprise, surprise followed by pancakes so the children were very pleased with that. Then back over to Rob's to meet up with Julie who was back from her weekend away and Rob who was home from work. We were glad to get back home and relax!

Monday I went over to Rob's and about midday we took the children back to Auckland and then came back to Snells Beach and had lunch at the Salty Dog before I said goodbye to him and came back home.

                                                             Pakiri Beach

                                                         Pakiri church

On Tuesday the weather had picked up and it was warm and sunny. I decide that I would like to take N to show him the beach at Pakhiri where I have been riding several times. We packed a picnic and set off for the drive there. It's not too far away, about 20kms I should think, but the last 10kms or so are on a gravel road that is extremely hilly, quite exciting driving!! We sat on a sand dune to eat our lunch and watch a couple of surfers in the distance. I, of course, had to have a paddle in the sea and marvel at the sheer beauty of the place.

                                                          Mathesons Bay

It turned out pretty warm and I was a bit miffed not to have had the forethought to take my swimsuit so we came back home, picked up swimming gear and chairs and went to Mathesons Bay. It was quite windy there so we found a sheltered spot to put our chairs and I went and had a swim. We then sat for a while before we both walked along the beach before coming back home. Before dinner we were invited to share a glass of wine and chat with the couple, from Somerset, who had been renting the house adjacent to our flat for the week. After dinner I went over to Jill's to sit on the balcony with her, her sister and Jenny her friend to have a glass or two of wine and a chat.

On Wednesday morning I decided to go and explore the native bush on Jill's land. She has made a bush walk which is delineated by red ribbons tied on the trees. It was a bit damp underfoot so I gingerly made my way through the bush on the barely visible path. The cicadas were making quite a racket but apart from that all was quiet and I felt a million miles away from civilisation. Walking through tree ferns and looking up at the kauri trees, some of the tallest on earth was a magical experience.http://www.doc.govt.nz/conservation/native-plants/kauri/

                                                               Bush walk at ORR

In the afternoon we drove to the Tawharanui national park which is virtually on our doorstep and involves another exciting drive on hilly gravel roads. .http://www.arc.govt.nz/parks/our-parks/parks-in-the-region/tawharanui/

This week there is an art exhibition in the woolshed there which we wanted to see. It was well worth going and had I had the wherewithall I would have been very happy to buy quite a few of the works that were on show. An added bonus was that there was the man with van who is often in the area providing very good food and who makes amazing Cornish Pasties so I took the opportunity to buy a couple for our evening meal.

On Thursday we went into Warkworth to do a major shop in readiness for moving into the barn tomorrow. Before we shopped we went into the charity shop there and I bought a couple of tops for 50 cents each which will be very useful for when we start gardening here. I also bought a game which I think that Jonny will enjoy. We had a big breakfast and coffee at the dairy where we ate last week, good food and good value before hitting New World and stocking up for the next couple of weeks.

So endeth week 2 and we are looking forward to moving day tomorrow when we will finally be in what is to be our home for the next 5 months.

Week One at Omaha River Retreat

By the time we surfaced on Friday morning Julie had gone to work but Rob was still at home having taken the day off. We went into Warkworth at lunchtime and I went to the bank, where I have been able to open a temporary account, to sort out details. We then met up with Julie for lunch at the Bridge before doing a small shop at the New World supermarket and going back to their place.

There had been major weather warnings in force on Friday night for heavy rain and winds up to 150km an hour over the North Island. Luckily, although it had been pretty windy, it seemed that the worst of the storm had been south of Auckland. The weather stayed pretty blustery so we had a lazy day and Rob cooked a delicious piece, at my request, of corned beef (salt beef) for dinner.

Rob was working on Sunday, Julie and I went into shop in Warkworth in the morning and in the afternoon we packed up our bags again and Julie brought us over to the Omaha River Retreat which is to be our base for the next 51/2 months. John and Jill don't leave until the 16^th so until then we are staying in the flat which was our “home” for 6 weeks last year. It's good to be back and I have to say that when we left I never thought that we would be back again! After a chat with Jill and John we were soon settled in and enjoying knowing that we had finally come to rest after all our travels.

It's now a week since we arrived in NZ and we are feeling more and more at home. It's been a bit of a lazy week and we are now looking forward to moving into Jill's converted barn when they leave next Friday.

                                                             View from ORR across the estuary to Omaha

                                               Down by the jetty

                                                        "My" seat

We walk down to the estuary every day and admire the view from the seat down there. It's an ever changing view depending on the tide and one that I never tire of. A couple of New Zealand harriers mated and nested on the property and have raised 2 chicks. It's good to see them circling around.

We went to the cinema in Matakana, on Wednesday, to see The War Horse which we both enjoyed. The cinema in Matakana comprises of 4 small cinemas showing up to date films and I am sure that we will be visiting there most weeks. It's never very busy and we always like to get one of the very comfortable, reclining seats at the front. In the evening we went over to Jill's and sat on the deck with her and John chatting about their forthcoming trip.

Thursday we went into Warkworth and had lunch there as well as doing some shopping and looking around. Rob called in, on his way home from work, and we had an hour or so chatting. It's good that he is so close and can call in, it's the sort of thing that we haven't been able to do for so many years.

The weather has been very mixed with quite a lot of rain one day. It seems that they haven't had a good summer here so we are hoping for an Indian summer now that autumn is just around the corner.

Hervey Bay To Auckland

Hervey Bay to Brisbane to Auckland.

Finally the last leg of our trip on the 1^st March. A short journey to the small airport at Hervey Bay to drop off the car and catch the 9.20 flight to Brisbane. A short ride on the shuttle bus from the domestic airport to the international airport and going through immigration and into the departure lounge. Then followed a wait of 6 hours before it was time to board our flight to Auckland. It's a beautiful airport and it was very quiet for such a big airport. Not that many flights arriving or departing. Lots of room and comfortable seating unlike Heathrow where the chances of finding any where to sit are slim. Finally we took off, at 5.30pm and landed 3 hours later (but with a 3 hour time difference) in Auckland at 11.30pm. Miraculously our bags, which we had last seen in Hervey Bay, were among the first to appear on the baggage carousel and we were off through immigration and customs. A small sniffer dog was very interested in my handbag thinking, apparently that I may have fruit in it. It is an offence to import any fruit or veg into NZ. The nearest thing to fruit that I had in my bag, and had declared, was green tea and lemon tea bags and it was decided that the dog had smelled the citrus in those. Then it was out into arrivals to be met by Rob, my son. The airport is to the South of Auckland and the drive to the Northern motorway is usually quite busy but at midnight it was blessedly quiet and we made good time up to his home in Snells Beach. Julie was in bed as she had to work the next day so we moved around quietly and were soon in the land of nod. Such a good feeling of homecoming and to be here after 9 flights around the world and Australia over the last 4 weeks.

Sydney to Hervey Bay via Brisbane

                                                       Beach at Hervey Bay

                                                          Silver Sands

                                                       Pool at Silver Sands

                                                                 K and I

                                                     Our plane from Hervey Bay to Brisbane

We are now getting pretty expert at checking in and tagging our bags, they have a very good system here which cuts down any queuing. We left Sydney in bright sunshine but by the time we landed in Brisbane the sun had disappeared and the sky was grey. After a short wait it was time to board our flight to Hervey Bay. Our transport was a 48 seater, twin propeller Dash 8, a marked contrast to our flight from London to Singapore in the huge A380! Although it was only a 50 minute flight we were served with nibbles and 2 generous glasses of red wine so we were feeling pretty happy when we landed! Although we had booked a hire car for the week we weren't able to pick it up at 5.45pm as the hire place shut at 5.30pm! I had booked a seat on the shuttle to our accommodation and the car was to be delivered there the next morning. The shuttle was just a small bus and there were only four of us on it so there was plenty of room for all our baggage. We were soon at the Silver Sands which was to be our home for the next week. I had booked it online and looked at its situation on Google Earth and happily it all looked good. Silver Sands is a small block of just 10 2 bed apartments with a pool and BBQ area. It is situated in the Torquay area of Hervey Bay and is just over the road from the beach.http://www.herveybay-silversands.com.au/default.h tm We were just a short walk from a couple of restaurants so were able to have dinner at an Italian restaurant after sorting ourselves out.

Next morning we were surprised to find a note on our door to say that our car had been delivered (before 8am!) and to call the hire company who would come back with the key. Once we had the key we wanted to go to the supermarket and get in some supplies but could not start the car. After seeking the help of the owners of our apartments and some of the other residents we still could not find a way to start the car. I rang the hire company again and was told that they had forgot to tell us that it was a childproof precaution and that we had to depress the clutch when we start the car. A quite frustrating start to our day.!!

Hervey Bay is made up of 4 areas, Uragan, Torquay, Scarness and Pialba. Pialba is the main town area with a shopping centre, supermarkets and lots of shops. We went to Woolworths supermarket and shopped for supplies before going back “home” for lunch.

Our main reason for coming here was that when I had finally found my birth mother she was living in Pialba but had died just after I had found out her whereabouts. I had always wanted to visit the place where she had spent her final years and at last I had made it. Before we left France I had e mailed the editor of the local paper asking if he could be any help in tracing anyone who had known her. He put my e mail in the form of a letter to the editor and a couple of weeks later I received the following e mail.

Doreen,

I don't know if you received any response to your letter in the Fraser Coast Chronicle 29-12-11 but I read it and have kept it to reply.

I did not know Dorothy but for the past 14 years I have run an annual get together of original bayites called the 'Golden Originals' held at and supported by the Hervey Bay RSL.

If you want to contact me, I can send you an invitation for the next 'GO's' to be held on Saturday, 11th February and we can ask the audience if anyone knew and can tell you about Dorothy.

The 'GO's' has grown from a small crowd of 38 people in June 1998 to 250 plus in February 2011.

I can understand your desire to learn about your Mum and if you cannot attend I could ask on your behalf and pass any information, names etc on to you.

Bev Cornwell

As we were not going to be here on the 11^th I asked her if she would ask on my behalf and whilst we were staying in Olinda I received another e mail from Bev.

Hello Dee,

I read your request at my Golden Originals function last Saturday and no one put their hand up when I asked the question, "Did anyone know Dorothy Knight?"

But people talk and I have had several inquiries from two people and the last one was spot on, she was Dorothy's best friend.

Her name is Kay Clarke, Unit 1, 14 Beach Road, Pialba, phone number 07 41 243418 and the discription I gave her of your Mum from the photo in your email matched her perfectly.

I could tell you more of my conversation with Kay but I would rather you heard it from her, a lovely story and I am so excited for you and so pleased that I have been able to help.

I am sure when you visit Hervey Bay later this month you and Kay will have a lot of catching up to do.

Regards

Bev Cornwell

I phoned Kay on Friday afternoon and she suggested that we went for morning tea on Saturday. OK I said we will see you about 10.30 tomorrow, oh no she replied morning tea is at 10 o clock! Oops!. We were there at 10am prompt and were welcomed by Kay and her little dog, Tillie. Kay is a lovely lady, 84 years old and as bright as a button with a good sense of humour. She is a Kiwi but has lived in Hervey Bay for 19 years when she and her husband, who has since died, retired there. We soon felt at home and, over tea and home made pikelets, she started reminiscing about my mother who she had known as Dottie. Dottie had lived just over the road from Kay and several “girls”, including Dottie, met up at Kay's most afternoons for a chat and a glass or two of wine. Kay said that Dottie enjoyed her wine so that enjoyment of wine must be in my genes! It was so good to meet someone who had such good memories of my mother. Kay gave me a lovely framed photograph of Dottie that she had standing in pride of place in her sitting room, such a lovely gesture. We visited Kay again later in our stay and we both felt that we had been honoured to have met such a smashing lady.

The first four days of our stay here were quite dull but still very warm and plenty warm enough to make use of the pool. Pleasant enough too to walk along the beach and paddle in the shallows. The sea was very warm, warmer than the pool so I spent quite some time in the sea as well. One morning we had a tremendous tropical downpour which didn't last very long but we heard reports of flooding in NSW and in SE Queensland so that it seems that we were just on the edge of the bad weather.

We visited the botanical gardens which were, of course, much smaller than those in Sydney but never the less still very interesting. A lot of their area was just natural bushland and at one point a very large goanna (monitor lizard) crossed the path in front of us – quite a shock! There was a large lake with turtles and wetland area as well and of course the ever present Ibis.

The rest of our stay the sun came out and it was very hot so we were content to just enjoy our surroundings of the pool and the beach but we did make a trip to the Bayview Memorial Gardens

where there is a plaque in memory of Dottie.

Coogee Bay/Sydney

Sydney/Coogee Bay.

Monday the 20^th February and we were up at 6am in readiness for the drive to the airport. We said our goodbyes to Miryl, Josh and Livvy and set off at 6.30am hoping that the traffic into the city wasn't too bad. It seemed that we were lucky with the traffic and got to the airport at 8am. Rodger insisted on parking the car and helping us transfer our luggage into the airport.It was sad to say goodbye to him and to see him leave to make his way back home. We had checked in the night before and Miryl had printed off the boarding cards so all we had to do was to print off the luggage tags and send our bags off again. Through security and then we found a seat and had some breakfast as our flight wasn't until 10am. After an uneventful flight we landed in Sydney at 11.30am and retrieved our bags, it's always a relief when one sees one's bag arriving on the belt!!

                                                       Coogee Bay Hotel and Beach

                                                A welcome beer at Coogee Bay Hotel

After a short taxi drive we arrived at our accommodation in Coogee Beach. Both my sons, Rob and Steve had lived in Coogee, at different times, during their stays in Australia and I had stayed at the Coogee Beach Hotel 10 years ago on my first trip here. This time we were booked in b and b accommodation just over the road from the beach. We had a good sized room with a sitting area and a balcony overlooking the beach and cricket ground. http://www.airbnb.com/rooms/170509 The weather was hot and sunny and there were a lot of people on the beach and in the town. We had decided to spend the afternoon in Coogee and to leave visiting Sydney until the next day. In the evening we had a beer in the garden of the Coogee Beach Hotel and a meal at a Thai restaurant.

                                                        Fruit bats in the botanic gardens

                                                            Scavenging Ibis

Our breakfast was left out for us each morning in the kitchen. With a choice of cereals, fresh fruit, croissants and toast we had a good start to the day.

Next day we caught the bus into the centre of Sydney, Circular Quay, and commenced our sightseeing. There was a huge cruise liner, the Costa Delicioza, moored in the harbour and we both agreed that we were happy not to be one of the people on board! There are lots of ferries coming and going from each of the 6 quays and it is a very busy area. A short walk took us to what must be one of the most famous views in the world with the Opera house in front of us and the harbour bridge to our left. When I was last in Sydney I had been impressed with the Botanic Gardens and I was eager to share them with N. We entered them by the gate near the Opera house and spent a couple of hours wandering around, marvelling at the many different plants and trees. The flying foxes that I remembered so well from my previous visit are still there making their distinctive screeching calls but are sadly becoming a problem as they are destroying many of the specimen trees.

It was getting pretty warm and we were becoming footsore and weary so we made our way to the oldest part of the city, The Rocks, for lunch. After lunch we explored the Rocks where there are still a few of the old, original buildings still standing in stark contrast to the skyscrapers of the CBD close by. Then we caught the bus back to Coogee, passing the famous Randwick racecourse, to rest our weary bones before a short walk to an Italian restaurant for our evening meal.

Next day N gave in and didn't feel like doing any more sightseeing so I left him, happily relaxed, in Coogee and took the bus into the city again. I caught the ferry over to Manly, a half hour trip that provides stunning views of the city from the water. After a wander around Manly, a look at the famous beach and lunch, it was back on the ferry to the city. To me it seemed that tourists far outnumber the residents but I suspect that the areas that I had been in were the most popular ones with the tourists. I was saddened to see, on the quay, a couple of Aborigines playing traditional music. They were accompanied by a man (non Aborigine) touting for them and encouraging tourists to put money in the hat and have their photo taken with them.

Back in Coogee for our last evening there, N was rested and we went for a walk along the beach and cliffs before having our evening meal. Our waitress was a very voluble Scottish girl who spent a long time chatting to us and telling us how much she was enjoying her stay there.

I had been for a walk each morning and evening sometimes walking in the surf at the waters edge and was beginning to wonder if I was the only person who wasn't jogging or power walking! The ones who were jogging in the sand appeared to be the ones who were suffering most, with a dogged expression on their faces as they struggled backwards and forwards along the beach. Quite a few mums were power walking and pushing a baby in its push chair . Other people were jogging with their dog alongside them. Although I love swimming in the sea I hadn't been tempted as it was very busy and there was a lot of surf.

Next morning we packed our bags once again and left them at our accommodation whilst we took a short walk along the cliffs and then sat and watched the world go by until it was time to return to pick up our bags and take a taxi to the airport.