Feb to June 25 th 2020
Time between travels and covid lockdown .
How times have changed and certainly not for the better, of course we are very disappointed about not going to France this year and bored with lockdowns and anxious over uncertain times, so we change plans again and make the best of the current situation.
The brief blog that is following is time spent through lockdown and family times, a trip to Nelsons Bay and then the following blogs will be back to travelling , we hope!
After our return from the 2019 the trip ending in February we have had many stops and changes.
First stop
Was at Kriztina and Jj , a nice catch up after not seeing them for a long time.
Second stop
Home to Port Macquarie staying for two weeks at the Breakwall van park. The new annex arrived and the annex was put up, but we found the floor hadn,t arrived. This was investigated and we will receive it later.
It was nice to be in Port and it was good to catch up with friends and my mum at the nursing home, appointments and business.
Third stop
We booked three weeks in Wangi on Lake Macquarie the purpose of our stay to see more of the grandkids and check the area out for a possible future place to live. However we ruled this out and will look to another area.
Arriving we put up the annex and new floor on an extremely hot day with the annex facing the lake a great view.
The floor of the annex didn’t fit so a new measurement was needed and a new one ordered.
I was only in Wangi one day when the phone call came that mum was no longer waking up.
So
Forth stop … back to Port
I returned home the next day to only get less than half way home to get the phone call that mum had passed away. This was very sad but also a relief as her last two and half years in the nursing home had been awful for her and everyone else.
So three days later we buried mum with a small service and family in attendance. RIP mum , I always loved you.
Fifth stop
Back to Wangi with visits to the grandkids
And a boys weekend for John playing golf and a weekend to Brisbane for me
Sixth stop
Brisbane to see Dan and Tina.
A lovely weekend with me exploring kangaroo point on the Friday by foot and then taking the ferry back to South Bank and walking back to Dan and Tinas unit.
Saturday we attended a exhibition at the museum
Back to Wangi to find Covid has taken off and a lock down is inevitable.
Covid and lockdown
Seventh stop
We spent six weeks at Johns mum ensuring she had someone to look after her through this time
Lots of chores were achieved, gardening,
a house spring clean and John organised the new car fridge and freezer into the car boot space including solar panels on the roof to charge it and a box around it for other things to be packed round it in the car
Paul was a frequent visitor over covid lockdown and some fun nights were had around the dinner table
Jigsaws and puzzles helped pass the time and lots of Netflix and golf sessions on the PlayStation
The final three weeks of lockdown were spent in port Macquarie but now we were allowed to see friends in small groups
So nice to see people again and Dan visited form Yamba for a weekend
Below catching up with Gain and Sue fellow canal boaters who live out of Port
June1 lockdown finishes
The van and car are packed and we are off south, as Qlds is still in lockdown and by the time we would of got far north the weather wouldnt be right to be be far north, so, not pleased with travelling south into the cold but at least we are moving.
First
11 days in Nelsons Bay
Jackie and Mark from Sydney came to stay in their holiday unit there. We celebrated Marks birthday, did some sight seeing around the local area and had a few boozie nights together.
Lots of nice times catching up
Including a walk to Toamaree lookout
Paul came for his two days off and we went sight seeing and to the Murrays brewery for lunch
sight seeing was around most areas around the bay including the stockton sand dunes and lookouts
We caught up with Doug and Jackie who took us out in their boat for a great day to the Myall lakes from Tea Gardens
the scenery and the reflections on the lakes and river amazing.
we really liked the Tea Gardens area and house pricing is much more in line with our budget. An area we will look further into when ready to settle down from travelling.
From here it was back to kriz for a few days and game of golf and family time.
Then back to Johns mum again for a week while the van had the lino fixed , caught up with Paul , Lyn and Johns kids and grandkids.
Finally with family catch ups done and the van sort of fixed we are on the road again
Next blog stays at
Kiama, our first official stop and on the move again.
