Author: Reen

Friday 5—Friday 19 June

We woke in Stanthorpe to a beautiful sunny day for travelling. The trip to Canungra Showground was through many different views including farming crops, cattle, sheep, horses, forests, mountains, lakes, winding roads and more—oh I forgot to say road works everywhere with portable traffic lights, this slowed us down by at least 30 minutes in the trip. We arrived safely and set up in a large open area with no neighbours close-by even though there were many campers at the showground.

On Saturday we spent the morning catching up with general upkeep. In the afternoon we had a visit from John (Dean’s youngest brother) & Hazel (J&H) and after lots of catching up we headed to the Canungra Hotel for dinner; quite delicious.

Sunday found us up getting ready to head to Genesis Church at Carrara where we caught up with J&H again for the service and then visited them at home for lunch, more chatting and dinner before heading back to our CARDIS (35 minutes away).

It’s Monday and we had a few jobs to do like find a Pathology Clinic for Reen’s tests, a Chemist for meds and a refill for our gas bottle. This ended up taking all the morning and our exploring didn’t start until around 1230 hrs.

We headed up Mt Tamborine with our first stop being the Eagle Heights Bakery for lunch which we took with us and ate as we enjoyed the views from the Hang Glider Launch and Lookout site. After lunch we drove to the historic St Bernards Hotel and walked through and out the back for the views of the valley. From there we drove to Curtis Falls where we embarked on a bush walk down to the falls, it was great—although fairly steep—and then slowly back up to Ivy (truck) and home.

On Tuesday we enjoyed a slow start to the day and headed to the Historic Rivermill at Mt Nathan for coffee on our way back to J&H for more catching up and then off to the Shearers Arms Tavern for dinner and an evening of Music Bingo; great fun. During the day we had 12mm rain which made many puddles all around the camping area.

We woke to rain on Wednesday and we had plans to visit Maud (Reen’s youngest sister) & Ian (M&I) for a catch up time and then dinner. We had a great time together with lots of interesting memories. Thursday was planned as a slow down house-keeping day, which was good because it was still raining. We have enjoyed our busy week out and about and here in the quiet showground with lots of trees around and birds singing.

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Friday was looking to be a busy day with an early wake up call as we needed to get ready to head to Tugun, near the airport and John Flynn Private Hospital for Reen’s doctor’s appointment (about 1 hour drive). We then headed back to the CARDIS because Maud was dropping in to visit and for lunch.

On Saturday we visited M&I; Kiely (Maud’s daughter), Pablo & Emilio were there for lunch also. We hadn’t seen Kiely in many years and had never met Pablo & Emilio and it was great to catch up.

Sunday was shaping up to be another busy day with family; we first headed to Genesis Church with J&H and then back to the CARDIS to meet up with M&I for a picnic lunch at Cedar Creek Falls picnic area on Mt Tamborine. We walked along the track down to the falls; we didn’t go the whole way down but close enough to see how the large falls fed the 4 lower falls. It was all quite beautiful.

The sun was shining as we woke on Monday and we ventured out to the Lahey Tramway Tunnel just out of town. It was a short walk from the parking area to the signboard with all the history info (including graffiti😪) only to find that it had been closed. Then it was time to stop at the Outpost Cafe for lunch; quite delicious.

Tuesday shaped up as being another busy afternoon with family. To change the trip to Ormeau a little we drove up the goat track (Tamborine Mt Rd), it’s a very winding road with great views and a few one lane sections. We were heading to lunch at Yatala Pies on the recommendation of M&I; they were close to the best pies yet. We headed to J&H’s for the afternoon and then off to dinner at the Shearers Arms Tavern and another night of music bingo where M&I joined us for a great night.

For a change of routine we actually managed to get some odds and ends of packing up started on Wednesday which also included fuelling up in preparation for Friday travelling.

We had already planned a busy Thursday spending time with J&H and M (I was working). We all piled into J&H’s car and we headed up to the Lamington Plateau in the Lamington National Park (part of the McPherson Range) to O’Reilly’s Rainforest Retreat. While there we fed the king parrots & rosellas, saw the replica Stintson airliner and read about its history, did the Treetop Walk along the boardwalk through the forest and had lunch at O’Reilly’s Mountain Cafe. As we drove back to the showground we stopped at the Kamarun Lookout (beautiful scenery) and also found the Big Lamington (quite old and run down).

During our 2 week stay in Canungra Showground we have enjoyed the peaceful setting in the valley with lots of sunny days as well as having around 30mm rain. As we commence our pack up routine we reflect on all the amazing adventures we have had.

Friday 29 May—Friday 5 June

It’s Friday and it is raining as we wake and start packing up in preparation to leave. We left Armidale at 1000 hrs and travelled along the New England Highway to Stanthorpe, QLD which is at 840m elevation. It showered lightly, the wipers worked well, we drove in the clouds and into a strong wind the whole trip. During the trip we reached a new elevation, our highest, of 1420m. We stopped at a bakery in Ballandean to get pies for lunch, recommended by a couple we met on our waterfall trip. We finally got to the showground at 1350 hrs and set up in a spot overlooking the arena which has a circus set up until Sunday. This is the first trip for our 5R (CARDIS) to Queensland and it travelled well behind the Iveco. At 1258 hrs we just missed hitting a small kangaroo. Thank you Lord, for watching over us.

What a lovely surprise to wake on Saturday to a sunny blue sky, yet still a little cool with the breeze. We set out to visit the Visitor Information Centre (VIC) which also has the Big Thermometer and a path leading along the Quart Pot Creek to the Red Bridge (which isn’t red anymore) over the creek. We drove to the Washpool Supply Co. as recommended by the VIC for coffee (Dean says it was good coffee). We then had lunch at the O’Mara’s Hotel and on the way back to the 5R we visited the Mount Marlay Lookout overlooking the town. We took a photo of the mount from the showground.

On Sunday we woke to our coldest morning yet, 5.3⁰C; it was lovely to see the sun, a beautiful blue sky and again a not so good cool breeze. We got ready and headed out to Stanthorpe Baptist Church. We enjoyed the service with a difference and chatting with a few people. After church we headed to Aldi & Woolies for a few groceries. We also managed to find a mural to photograph of the emergency workers (how can I get rid of the bins?).

On Monday we headed out to Sutton’s Juice Factory Cidery & Cafe for coffee with scones with jam & cream and a slice of Dutch Creamy Apple Pie; all delicious. We also tried the Cloudy Apple Juice made on site. We then drove to Donnellys Castle Lions Park to have a look around. It’s a spectacular granite rock formation with massive boulders that are near Pozieres, north of Stanthorpe. We climbed the steep mountain path to the lookout for great views of the surrounding area. This was a hideout for the bushranger Captain Thunderbolt who roamed this area. On the way back to the 5R we stopped for lunch at Stanthorpe Cheese and had the Cheese Platter for 2 (cheese, fruits, vegies, crackers and warm bread) at Jersey Girls Cafe; very good.

It’s Tuesday and winter has kicked in with a vengeance, it was .1⁰C at 0600 hrs outside and 7⁰C inside the 5R. We were off for a drive heading east back into NSW to Liston to see the Cobb & Co Museum which was really interesting; we only managed a few photos as everything was behind glass. This is another area where Captain Thunderbolt roamed. From there we travelled south west back into QLD to Stanthorpe’s Storm King Dam. It was a lovely open area and we drove around the dam which feeds Stanthorpe. For dinner we ventured out to the Aussie Beef Steakhouse and had a delicious meal.

Our last day here has arrived, it’s sunny with a chilly wind blowing. We decided to go on a mural hunt in the main shopping street. Of course our first stop was at Foxy’s Bakery for coffee and cake, delicious. The murals and art are set up in a piazza area, Fromes Lane, tiles along the footpath and on sides of buildings on large wall areas. It was an interesting walk. On the way back to Ivy (Iveco) we grabbed some meat pies for lunch.

We have started to pack up in preparation for travelling tomorrow, we are heading north to Canungra Showground.

Friday 22—Friday 29 May

We woke on Friday in Muswellbrook to a grey day and the sound of birds chatting all around. It was time to pack up an get ready to leave for Armidale Showground. The last thing to before hitching up is the slide rooms. As normal the small slide worked like magic BUT the big slide caused us bother again and finally after 30 minutes it worked. So we were on the road at 1030 hrs.

It wasn’t long before rain started but thankfully it only lasted minutes and didn’t slow us down much. It was beautiful to see the cloud resting over the tops of the mountains. As we travelled along the Great Dividing Range we continually climbed and before Tamworth we were at 693 m above sea level. Then as is often the case, Google maps took us on a (bitumen, dirt, bitumen) “bypass” road around Tamworth. Thanks Google 🙁

Eventually we turned back onto the New England Highway and continued our trip to Armidale, climbing still higher to 1120m. We found the showground, chose our spot and set up for a week. Armidale is Australia’s highest town, built on top of the Great Dividing Range at 980 m elevation and has a population around 24,000.

On Saturday morning we ventured out into the cool wind; to the Visitor Information Centre and collected flyers of attractions to see and had a great chat with the lady working there. We then drove to the Drummond Apex Lookout, which overlooks the town. We headed out to refuel the Iveco right near the airport; where we saw planes taking off and landing including a Qantas flight taxiing for take off.

On Tuesday we headed out for a day of waterfall chasing. Reen was excited and hoped to see our first waterfall since we started travelling. After refuelling and grabbing lunch (Subway foot long, for later) and coffee; we headed out of town to Dangars Falls (1060m); but it was closed for upgrades, a sad🙁 start to the day. After speaking to the guy managing the upgrades to the park, who told us that there wasn’t much water around for the falls, we rethought our travels. On the way we stopped at the Dangarsleigh Memorial which was designed and built by a local farmer in recognition of the local soldiers killed in WW1. Then we headed to Ebor Falls (1371 m, the highest we have been in our travels this far) which is 80 km along the Waterfall Way. Just out of Ebor we were actually driving through clouds while it showered us. As we carried our lunch to the picnic table we could hear the thunder of the waterfall. After lunch we walked to the viewing area for the Upper Falls and its was spectacular and then we drove to the Lower Falls viewing platform and again it was spectacular. We loved😍 it and before we left the area we decided to drive through the town of Ebor; it was a very quiet town and everything seemed closed.

On the way back to Armidale we stopped at Wollomombi Falls (960m) which had a long thin waterfall (supposedly the second highest waterfall in Australia) running into a gully at the base. From the viewing platform we drove up to Edgars Lookout platform which showed great scenery of the mountains. As we continued back we visited Bakers Creek Falls, which was great scenery of mountains and gully but sadly🙁, no running waterfall.

In support of our country towns we enjoyed lunch at The St Kilda Hotel (sadly no connection to AFL). Dean enjoyed a Mixed Grill and Reen had Rump steak, quite delicious.

We ventured out on Thursday to the Armidale & Regional Aboriginal Cultural Centre & Keeping Place which we really enjoyed. The outside area was beautifully designed and the museum and art gallery are very informative and lovely to walk through. It was also great to chat with the Director and his wife Rose (Aboriginal) about the history and role of the centre in town.

For most of our stay each day we have had light showers on and off, which is great because the district is in need of rain. On Wednesday we had 9 mm rain and today is raining again. It has been an interesting week and now it’s time to pack up and get ready to move on tomorrow morning.

Wednesday 20—Friday 22 May

It’s time to pack up and leave Granville for our next adventure. We travelled north to Muswellbrook Showground. We were are here for 2 nights and 1 day, just like back in September 2024. The showground seems a popular stopping place for vans with around 50 or more (some could be semi permanent mine workers).

Being a coal town means we heard many trains day and nights. On both mornings and afternoons we were entertained by a cacophony of hundreds of birds all around. We even had magpies warbling and galahs on the grass outside the 5R.

We saw the sights last visit, so today was a rest day, with shopping at Aldi and refuelling in preparation for leaving tomorrow.

Thursday 30 April—Wednesday 20 May

On Thursday 30 April we packed up and headed down the M1 to the driveway in Granville where we will be for a few weeks. We have enjoyed the last of the autumn sunny days and it is slowly cooling down in preparation for winter.

It has been quite busy this visit with a fairly major incident occurring; our TV decided to die so we went looking for a replacement, which all took a few days before everything was doing what it should. We carried out a few minor jobs around the 5R including rearranging and cleaning out the overhead kitchen cupboards, we installed mats on the front steps and the cabling work needed to get the TV working well.

Reen enjoyed spending time with Andy doing some Diamond Art and Harry doing a puzzle. She also got to watch Hunger Games III-Parts 1 & 2 movies with the kids. They have now started reading #4 in the series, the prequel (The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes). Each Sunday they read 2 chapters together, taking turns. We have also spent time with Harry doing his Commerce assignment. Another event this trip was celebrating Jack’s 17th Birthday.

We got to assist with getting Vera to dance and then had dinner with Joel, Beck & Vera for two Thursdays. We also went out to the Thirlmere Festival of Steam with them. It was a great afternoon with an evening steam train ride and also sat on the back of the truck to watch the fireworks.

We celebrated our 47th Anniversary during our stay. Nyssa made us Chicken Laksa for dinner, it was delicious. On Friday evening we went to NaWa, a Thai Restaurant with our friends Richard and Heather; a lovely meal and great company.

Again, while we were in Granville we attended Granville Community Baptist Church and caught up with long time friends. We assisted in a small way at their working bee.

Thursday 26 March—Thursday 30 April

On Thursday 26 March we packed up to leave Granville for our next visit to Tea Gardens. The trip north went well and there was lots of traffic the whole way, even considering the fuel shortage/overpricing issues occurring at the moment. It was a beautiful sunny day and the area where we set was very green and dry, a nice change to our last few visits. The birds were really enjoying the trees with lots of chittering happening. I couldn’t believe my ears when I heard thunder and then rain early evening. We had quite a vicious storm with strong winds and headed off to bed listening to raindrops on the roof.

We enjoyed a few slow days recovering from the busy time with family and friends and on Sunday we enjoyed a morning at Tea Gardens Baptist, catching up with our friends and meeting new people and had a delicious lunch at the Country Club. After lunch we drove to the river front where we ate ice cream while enjoying the scenery and activity of the river.

On Monday afternoon Reen visited Léonie and spent time with the ladies making cards and on Tuesday we were able to catch up again at Bible Study and then off the club together for dinner. Reen also got busy scanning photos for the Hammers which was going to take a while (actually took 2 weeks). Dean got busy installing the new water filter, he got the first part done but needed to find a couple of fittings to complete the job. He managed to complete the job and get the UV filter added with no leaks about 2 weeks later.

We got involved in the church’s Trash & Treasure sale on Easter Saturday with setting up in the hall on Thursday, then all day Saturday and on Monday we did the pack up. It was a great time of fellowship and meeting people of the community. It made for a busy weekend with great church services on Good Friday and Easter Sunday.

It was great to able to assist the Pastor and team in replacing a paling fence with a colourbond fence which took us 2 days. It was a job well done and looked terrific. Dean said he felt quite achy at the end of each day and that he did enjoy the company while working. Reen assisted with food and drinks and also cooked a cake each day for morning tea and she also helped with raking up twigs on the grass in preparation for mowing.

On Friday night we got to socialise over a delicious dinner cooked by Darryl & Caroline and share with Pastor Len & Sue; a great time of fellowship. On Saturday we drove to Forster Tuncurry along the scenic Lakes Way which ran through mountains and lots of small towns; it was quite pretty with water on both sides of us. It was great to see through David & Lynne’s new unit; they had spent 2 days finding all the needed things with their son and daughter-in-law’s help. After coffee and a chat we ventured down to the Tuncurry Beach and to the Rockpool Beach Cafe for a delicious seafood lunch of fish, prawns and chips. After lunch we wandered along the beach and then decided to go for some sightseeing around the area. On our way back to the unit we stopped at the Sinners and Saint Ice Creamy Shop for ice cream, of course. We spent the afternoon together having a great time catching up and left early evening to head back to our home.

Thursday 12 February—Thursday 26 March

Here we are back in Granville with what looks like a very full time of being with our Granville grandies and weekly visits to Silverdale to catch up with Vera. It has been very hot and also wet throughout the visit.

With Nyssa and Brad both being on afternoon/evening shifts we have been spending most afternoons in the house and staying until the two youngest head to bed. Both of us have been involved in assisting with high school assignments; that’s an experience. We have also helped out around the house as needed—sorting cupboards, gutter work, clearing can collection, getting the kids to different activities, etc. Reen was also busy with Charlize and Harry constructing 3D Puzzles, lots of fun. It all keeps us busy. We got to spend time with both Nyssa and Joel for their birthdays which was great; are they getting old or are we?

During this time on each Monday and Wednesday morning we have been assisting friends from GCBC pack up their home of 34 years to get ready to move into a retirement village. Reen has also been scanning photos for them.

It is always good to catch up with our friends from Church while we are in town and catch up on their news and activities. Our Friday afternoon/evenings each week are times of catching up with Richard & Heather; which we enjoy.

Dean has also managed to do some jobs around the 5R as needed. He and Richard worked hard one Tuesday to run cable under the 5R from the router to the Starlink dish which will be positioned on the back corner of the 5R roof. Dean also added in a new power point for connecting the dish to power. It sits really well on the roof and everything works. He also installed a 12V fan in the back corner of our bedroom which cools us really well.

Reen has been busy sorting out medical appointments, scans, referrals, tests, etc. Our future travels at the moment are fitting around doctor visits.

It is not often that we travel on a Sunday but after Church on 18 January we left Granville heading to Travelhome in Cardiff. The traffic going north was quite good and we travelled well and were able to park in their front car park and set up off grid for the night. We were back there for some planned work on the lounge slide room and also having a diesel heater installed.

On Monday morning we had a visit from Bryn (original builder) who advised that we move into the shed for investigative work on the slide. After exploring the issue and taking the workings apart it was found that one of the cogs had two broken teeth so a replacement was ordered (arrived the next day) and installed; still no joy. Early Friday morning Jim K (original Summer Life owner) visited and investigated the issue and suggested another idea to try to solve the issue which meant more parts to be ordered; hopefully they arrive on Tuesday.

After googling for activities occurring in Newcastle over the Australia Day weekend we booked tickets on an Adrenalin cruise for Saturday morning. On a lovely sunny day we climbed on board the boat and sat at the front (supposedly the thrill seeker seats) and for the next two hours enjoyed cruising south along the coast just past Caves Beach. We saw some of the magnificent coastline, beaches, desalination platform (under construction), caves and many pods of dolphins; it was great.

A second week of work by the Travelhome guys was somewhat frustrating—although we did discover quite a few things that *weren’t* the problem😉 We had a day-trip back to Sydney (Villawood) to collect some parts from the distributor and snuck in an early dinner with some of the grandkids.

It did mean yet another weekend at Cardiff, so we took advantage of the Newcastle Caravan Camping Lifestyle Expo and had a morning out looking around at what is new and trending. We must be getting old, ‘cos we “ran out of steam” well before we ran out of exhibition!

Another week in the Travelhome shed and still more parts that didn’t really solve the issue—this time handed over via a chain of friends/family and another day-trip; this time to Wollongong for the funeral of a former pastor.

Into our fourth week at Cardiff and a final lot of parts (by mail this time): we seem at last to be making real progress (which is a really good thing, as we’re pretty much out of parts to replace!)

Celebrations all ’round as the slide mechanism goes back together and works perfectly! At last we’re out of the shed and into the driveway and then the front carpark for finalisation of the trim fixing—and testing the new heater (bet you forgot that this was installed a few weeks back 😀).

All is good and we head off back to Granville on Thursday 12 February after nearly a month in beautiful downtown Cardiff!