224 - I Have Found My Long Lost Brothers

How emotional! My brothers, my 70's bond, my just everything. I'm about to cry. We have been seperated all these years. You all look so fantastic. Come 'ere and give me a cuddle!!

Hey Val, we are united to beat up the D Max

 

And bugger me....another brother has just arrived

 

 

What! how many more brothers have I got.Blimey!!!!!!!!!!!!!



  

 

Just goes to show that when I am threatened by a D Max, we all unite!

 

 

Don't worry boys about beating up the D Max.................the cops are here!!!! 

 

Stay toooooooooned as the Val will be undergoing surgery shortly.

 

 

 

 

223 - Aren't I Just Lovely

Aren't I lovely. Trim taugh and terrific. I might be old, but geeeeezus I'm good. Everybody wants me. Someone wanted to give old Green bucket loads of money, but young Greeeen was screaming from the bush nooooooooooooooo!!!!!! Go away it's mine!!!!

 

 What a beauty

 

So I am just hang'n around watching old Green make beds while I check out the inside of room one.

 

Gotta be better things to do.......like cruis'n around being a chic magnet, pulling the RetroLiner, coughing and farting with the bulldust in western Queensland, life's grand.

 

But in the meantime I will just sit, unloved, abused and neglected.

 

Get that DMax away from me!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

 

222 - What A Pussy!!!

 

 

 

I am The Mighty Val

 

Now listen you young buck, and before I start, we may have to share the same concrete at the moment, but don't point ya dish at me, you pussy!!!!

 

Yeah sure I am a bit tired, and I need a little bit of TLC, but I still go like the clappers, don't stop real good though. But geeeeeeeeeeeeeeezus when you have had 36 years up with the best of them, had the back seat rock'n and roll'n in me younger days, cruised around half the Oz block with a brick up me clanger, blasted off all the young punks in their hotted up vee dubs, and cruised the main streets of no where land posing for all the chicks. Mate I am a legend. A chic magnet to boot. A real Mopar Muscle car. 265 cubic inches of grunt. 4.3 liters of big block. A classic not plastic, so go and take all your computer crapp, and point ya dish somewhere else.

  

 

 

I'm Mean and Lean

 

A'h get a life old boy. I am much, much, much, much younger than you. What 36 years in car age, mate that has got to be an eon, and is so yesterday! Wot's this about inches and litres. Get over it! Keep up with the times. Kilowatts and Nueton Metres of Torque. That's real language you Douch Head. No back seat for the chickies for me, I have a full tray and a comfortable mattres. Iv'e got a bull bar, and a fancy camera on my bum. Bet you haven't got that, you old chunk of rust and dust.

 

Yep, not going to point my dish at you, cause I am going back to Yamba. Hope you get shot off to north Queensland, you has been! And who is the pussy now!

 

Stay tooooooooooned

 

 

 

221 - Here There and Everywhere

Hi there Boys and Girls, I bet you were wandering if the dreaded bug got me. Naaaaaaaaaaa pretty good these days, all is good. Back to my fighting weight, surviving on a diet of lettuce leaves, pumpkin seeds, and one glass of red at night. Feeeeeeeeeeeerk what have I done to deserve this!!! 

However moving right along, haven't posted much lately, as we (the bride and I) have been doing very little. The bride was cooking up a storm at Meals On Wheels, and me just pounding the grains of sand on sunny Sawtell beach daily, checking out the finer details of the female form.........I'm a boy that's my job.

We did catch up with our great mates Alan and Helen Satchel when they visited us. We have been mates with these two for thirty odd years, so it is always good to catch up.

 

Fine specimens

However apart from that , we were becoming very comfortable, tucked away in our little beach side bungalow, watching the world go by. One gets lulled into a life with the white picket fence, beach side living, close to the pub.........geeeezus suburbia was starting to look real good.

Our little beach side bungalow

But alas, just can't sit on my fat arse forever and get fatter, and watching the bank account in free fall. Tried working for the pensions department, even though the hours are fantastic, but the pay is up the shit!

Our backyard

 

What a body

 

But we are the Retro Roamers!!!!!!  We cannot be boring and sterile. We are not allowed to complain about our aches and pains. We must not check out our well worn dentures, count the never ending wrinkles, and dwell on how many times I dribble on the toilet seat in the twenty goes of aiming straight every night.

We must unite, and raise our glasses (spectacle type) and look at adventure, fun, frivolity, and debauchery. After all we are Ageing Delinquents, time is ticking away, and of course no good being the richest person in the cemetery.

We did however sneak the long week end at Glenreagh.

The place was packed, very natural (he he!!!)

 For goodness sake, a board room decision was made, the next step of our adventures, has thrust us into the wilds of the thriving metropolis of Casino New South Wales, a whole two hours up the road from our last stop. What for!!!!!!!!!! Well we are doing some very casual consultancy work for a developer / investor, which will take us through to end January 2014.

A new hairdo for the bride to journey to Casino

So I guess, our postings will be a bit sparse, but stay tooooooooned you never know what the Retro Roamers come up with next.

CYA

220 - The Bug Man and the Retro Roamer

The day had arrived, the meeting with the bug fixer man was here at last. Eleven fifteen was the schedule appointment. Was I to dress in my Sunday best, or just slip on the boardies.

Opening the door of the bug rooms, I gingerly walked to the counter. "Hi...my name is Retro Roamer, and I am here to see the Mr. Bug Fixer." Take a seat Mr. Retro Roamer.

I sat down gingerly, broke out a recent copy of Marie Claire. Flicking through the glossy pages, I was starting to get engrossed in page 114,  "Why Old People Don't Have Sex Anymore," when I could hear the foot steps of Mr. Bug coming from around the corner.

Eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeek, here it comes with the news I was dreading. My mind was running rampant, do I pack up the BBQ, and bring the awning in. Do I tell the bride to get the tradein papers ready. Feeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeerk. 

There he was, Mr. Bug Fixer, a fine rotund man, with very little blonde hair............."Mr. Retro Roamer come to my office". Don't you just hate that just, when you are getting into an interesting story, especially this one........ Bugger!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The room was your typical medicos room. Full of  pictures of every part of the human anatomy. We sat down, faced each other like a couple of hardened gun slingers. The conversation was nil, the air was full of tension, Mr. Bug Fixer, ruffled through the reams of paper work with my name on it, saying nothing, just interrupting the thick air with the occasional grunt and mmmmmmmmmmm.

A pregnant pause was noticed, Mr. Bug Fixer raised his head from the reams of paper, and looked at me over the top of his half glasses, and moved his rotund body further into his executioners chair.

Was this it, the news about the unknown bug I got in Melbun.  

"Well Mr. Retro Roamer, all I can say is, your results have gone missing." What!!!!!!!!!!!!!! was the cry. How can this be. I am just a Geriatric Gypsie!   

"But in saying that, you are to bloody healthy at the moment, and if you had the bug that we first suspected, you would be on life support with days to live." Geeeeeeeeeeezus what a relief.

Mr. Bug Fixer, then proceeded to check out my vitals, and said, "Mr. Retro Roamer, all is good, however keep away from Melbun, their trams and their winter.

I dodged a bullet, however I did have a dose of phenomena. The bug who knows. The rash that looked like a chocolate freckle, the right foot that was swollen like a puffer fish, and generally looking like a horror victim, the results are, I guess in the don't know basket.

Leaving Mr. Bug Fixit Rooms, feeling pretty bloody good, so I flogged the Marie Claire magazine to finish the enthralling story.

A'h well, no need to put the BBQ away, or fold in the awning.  The Retro Roamers are back.

Must finish that story in Marie Claire!

219- Yooooo Hoooooo We Are Still Here

Well I thought it time to let you know, we are still in the land of living..........at times just.
 
On the home front, we are still at Sawtell, in our little niche of our beach front unit, and the bride is the "Master Chef" at Meals On Wheels.
 
But on the other side of the coin, yours truly, has been affected by some mysterious bug, that has all the pundits scratching their melon and reverting to the Guiness Book of Records for answers.
 
Seems our recent trip to Melbun..............geeeeeeeeeeeezus I hate that pace, through the delights of freez'n weather, being shoe horned into dirty trams, and inhaling the breath incredibilis of Curry Chops, Sweet and Sour everything, Rolled Over Hoopus Poopus and over done Rovioli, mate I got the bug big time.
 
On my return to Sawtell I was admitted to the funny farm, with every disease know to man, a rash that looked like every chocolate freckle was poured over me, barking like a drovers dog, and a temperature that went off the Richoter Scale.
 
Any way I have been released, with a diagnosis of "no idea" However in saying that even though I have had more blood sucked out me than ""Sooky" from True Blood ever needed, still one nasty is yet to be identified. The next two weeks will tell on that one, and if positive, it will be put the Barby away, roll up the awning, as we are in for a hell of a ride!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
 
So after a million more blood samples, the next two weeks will be interesting.
 
So stay tooooooooooooooooned 

218 - We Ain't Going'n Anywhere In A Hurry!!!!!

Hi ya folks

We have been back from Melbun for nearly two weeks, and moved back into our beach side unit that we have been staying in. In saying that we are doing another house sit from 02/08/13 for a month at the Brides sisters house, also at Sawtell. After that we will return to our house sit beach side unit, till who knows when.
 
The Bride has also taken on voluntary work at Meals On Wheels also at Sawtell. Me, well I will just hang around on the beach. The RetroLiner is still at Glenreagh, and the Val is slowly dying before our eyes. Come on Lotto!
 
So that is it, as far as posting and travel news for the time being.  Nothing is going to be worth reporting until something happens.
 
So all you travelers out there, I read all your posts that are linked to mine.................boy have I got the dribbles big time. O'h well keep on dreaming, dreaming.

For those I haven't contacted personally for a while, I lost all my addresses when my lap top crashed in Melbun. I am trying to get them back.

 
CYA

217 - How Much???????????????

Is this Squizzy's House?

 

Well after a  week in Melbourne, on the positive side the weather has been, well, very Melbourne in the depths of winter. Those who have visited this part of the world, will know what I mean. Clothing wise is black, black or black.

We are staying at Middle Park, which is only a stones throw from Port Phillip bay, St Kilda and South Melbourne. In saying that it is all pretty trendy. Reminds me a bit of my younger years in the eastern suburbs of Sydney. Lots of terrace type houses, back lanes, trams and one gets the feeling the "Squizzy" from Underbelly is going to jump out at any time from the myriad of lanes, with a machine gun. Interesting.

But the whole joint is sooooooooooooooo expensive, all to much for a couple of very poor Geriatric Gypsies, who now work for Kevin Dudd.

Of course the Bride is spending a lot of time with Ann in the nursing home. However one afternoon, we took the opportunity to catch a tram into the city, and check it out. The last time I was in Swanston Street Melbourne  was 40 odd years ago, with a couple of surfie mates,  Macca and Crowe, on our way the Bells Beach, in Crowe's trusty hotted up vee dub. 

Finders Street Rail Station

 

Of course Sydney and Melbourne are poles apart, and still are. However image three surfie dudes originating from Sydney eastern beaches around the nineteen sixty something, with blonde hair, boardies and pluggers, floating down Swanston Street full of bad manners, grooov'n out to music from JPY, Chain and the Loved Ones to name a few. It then becomes very scary when confronted with all types of weirdos, beggars, misfits and some real scary numbers, especially the skin heads, with their shaved heads, coloured hair, what was left of it, studded everything and steel caped boots.

Feeeeeeeeeeerk was this for real...........................well guess what, nothing has changed.
 
The big difference is the multi cultural population. Felt like the odd one out, if you get my drift. I couldn't understand what was being said for love nor money from anybody, Must be very Melbournian.

Yep I'm still a chic magnet (he he!!)

 

Anyway we wandered down Swanston Street and headed towards Federation Square to play "Tom the Tourist."  We didn't stay in the city to long, cause really we were out of our comfort zone, so to speak.

 

The only cheap burger we get was at a "chew and spew joint" down near the station. This is the first time ever, the bride and I felt really uncomfortable. Not only was the joint filthy dirty, but some eccentric wandered in with no shirt on, army camouflage pants, covered in tats all over the body, including his melon, and with the outside temperature about 40 degrees below zero, may I add. Feeeeeeeeeeeerk is this turkey is going to spray the joint with a M16. 

 

The  bride outside Federation Square........bloody expensive if you

want to look at anything.

 

Maybe we should go there to save us

 

 Hey Lady, maybe you know where the noooooooodie beach is

 

We wandered around for only a short time, and decided to head back to catch the tram 112 back to our residence.

 

Where have you two been. I have been worried sick!!!!

 

Stay toooned for the next adventure in Melbourne.

 

 

 

 

 

 

216 - One Day At a Time

A great Eagles classic, "One Day At a Time".

Left Coffs Harbour on the Virgin big bird at 22 degrees, and landed in Melbourne about 7 degrees. Feeeeeeeeeeeeerk how do you expect an old fart like me, to handle a drop of temperature like that. I can guarantee every bone in my body is screaming for respite.....more heat..............save me!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

A perfect left hand at the back beach at Sawtell, via Coffs Harbour

 

A perfect, well sort of, right, left, dunno really at St. Kilda Beach.

 Now where is that nooooooodie beach???

 

Can you take me back to Queensland Mister. Just have to do a left hand turn out of the heads....please Mister!!

 

This is Buddy the Wonder Dog, who took me for a walk this morning

 

Is it a bird? Is it a plane? Is it Superman?

 

Stay toooooned for more adventures of the Retro Roamers in Mexico. Well you know what everybody sais about south of the border, "Down Mexico Way". The bride's favourite saying, "get a life and get over it" Do you think she is trying to tell me something (he he!!)

 

 

 

 

215 - You Are Going Where!!!!

Here we are in the depths of winter.

Every Geriatric Gypsie, Blonde Haired Fossil, Grey Nomads, Nuters, Do Gooders and hoards of noooooooodies, have undertaken their usual migration from the freezing depths of mother Australia, to the warmer climes of OZ.

So what are the Retro Roamers doing…………………..going the other way aren’t we! Are you for real, the cry went up!

Yep, afraid so. So on July 4^th we are heading out of Coffs Harbour on the Virgin big bird to Melbourne. Eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeek!!!!! Now I haven’t been to Melbourne, since Molly Meldrum interviewed Prince Charles, John Farnham was hanging out with Sadie the Cleaning Lady, and Glen Shorock from the Little River Band had hair. 

Our time there, round about two and a bit weeks. A compassionate reason takes us there. Might have to catch up with my great rugby league mates, Billy, Cam and Cooper. We will just hang out together, and sink a couple real beers, xxxx of course. I am sure they will be chuffed to see me.

Now I could be in trouble here however.  My  wardrobe consists of three pairs of boardies, two Tee shirts and a pair of thongs.  How good am I going to look at Spencer Street Train Station, in my best Billabong boardies, Byron Bay Tee Shirt and the only pair of Havies, I own.  I will probably get arrested for indecent exposure. O’h well, looks like I will have to go to Vinnies..

So stay tooooooooooooned

214 - Sawtell

What again!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!. Yep always seem to gravitate to this part of the world.

Well what are we doing............................sort of house sitting. We were here 12 months ago, so it is basically a repeat of that session in 2012. The RetroLiner is all tucked away and in storage, and the Val, well the Val, is screaming in pain to be retired. Suffer!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

So until something happens, which Centrelink is doing everything in their power to continually beat the bride up, which keeps us here for the foreseeable future. We are land locked till further notice.

Might have to come out of retirement and go back to relief management. Ho, he, ho, hum, so much for being retired, and travel this brown land.

Stay tooooooooooooooned but don't hold your breath.

CYA

213 - Is This End Of The Retro Roamers

O'h no not the Val

 

Is this end of the whole show!!!!!!!! The Retro Roamers, the adventures, the fun….….we must have run over a Chineman.

For whatever reason after our six nights at Copeton Dam, our future movements, were surrounded by a haze of doubt. Was it 20 star camping? Was it a sense of further rotten luck? Was it an another option for the bride to get to Sydney and Melbourne?

Don’t know……….but instead of heading west to destinations and excitement unknown…Na…didn’t do that. Believe it or not, with the pending possible gloom and doom, it was decided to return to the mid north coast, back to Glenreagh. Now go figure that one!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

So we packed up, taking our usual two hour episode, and then headed east, not west. So we just simply just back tracked the same route we had just taken two weeks earlier, with no stops. So three hours later we were back at Glenreagh. Now go figure that one as well!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Well with great expense of fuel, just gotta win lotto and retire the Val, we arrived at Glenreagh. Did the usual two hour set up……… over this packing and unpacking big time, and just sat and wondered, why did we do all that!

To continue on, I did notice the Val expressing its disgust, in doing a torturous journey, up and down mountains, and was complaining with bubbling, groaning and farting. Put it bed however, with the bride and me settling in for the night. In saying that, I dreamt of that Chineman…mmmmmmmm.

The next morning guess who knocked on the door. Yep you guessed it, the Chineman we must have run over, and said the Val wouldn’t start. Sure enough, plenty of fire in the starter motor, but from there nothing. So with enormous amount of testing, with the help of others, it felt the problem was the coil. Now you just don’t buy a coil at Glenreagh do ya.

So we decided the best bet was to get the NRMA out to the property. Surprisingly they arrived within an hour of the call, coming from Coffs Harbour, however after much testing, it was decided the Val needed to be towed into Coffs…………feeeeeeeeerk!

To cut a long story very short, the Val was towed into Coffs, with the repairer, giving us a loan car, thank heavens. Twenty Four hours later, the verdict….a burnt out electronic ignition system, stuffed coil and a few bits and pieces for the dizzy. With great expense to the management here, the fantastic plastic groaned under the weight of the out going funds, coupled with the cheering of the banking moguls, ripping more interest out of us. The Chineman kept laughing, the bank account hemorrhaging big time.

 

Was this the result of the haze of doubt? Was it the 20 star camping scenario? Was it the sense of pending problems? Was it the other option for the bride to get to Sydney and Melbourne? Or just the Chineman with the shits.

Whatever it was, the end result was expensive. We are going no where extra fast, but as the bride said, it could have cost us big time if we were out in the scrub. We can argue that one, till the cows come home…..ho..he.. ho.. hum.

So at the time of writing this blog, we have come to a dead stop.

To be continued maybe., cause now I've got the shits!!!! 

212 - Inverell & Copeton Dam

Having a bludge @ Inverell CP

 

We headed off to Inverell, as our plan was to go west then down the Fossickers Way to Tamworth, then maybe onto Sydney. Well the later part of the plan as per normal, didn’t happen, however let’s talk about Inverell and Copeton Dam.

Well what can I say about Inverell. A nice friendly country town, and about 10 degrees warmer than Glen Innes. When we left Glen Innes we were given a few tips on places to stay, albeit no free camps, “not having a bar of that,” said the bride in tones that one has become very familiar with. We checked into Inverell Caravan Park, nice spot, small and sunny. We had about five days there and scouted around the town as we do. Did the usual walk up the streets, checked out the newsagents for the bride, went to the pub, and do what we always seem to do, is sit in a CP. I am sure we are doing something wrong here!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

A gazillion flying foxes, that nicely shat over the cars and vans.

 

During our stay, were told about Copeton Dam. That seems good to me!!!! Now Copeton Dam is very popular with locals, campers, geriatric gypsies, fisherperson etc. The long side as they call it, is for the rich people, very expensive, and has all the bells and whistles. The short side is for the poor people like us, and then there is the other side, where there is nothing but bush camping. “Ain’t goin’n there” was the cry from the 20 star camper. So a couple of days before we were to leave the CP, we took the 14kms drive out to the short side, you know the poor people’s side to check it out.

 

The view from our camp site @Copeton Dam

 

My my! what a neat joint. Bush camping with power and water, a couple of dunnies and showers, for both sexes, and the views were to die for, and only a tenner a night. So we had a bit of a chat to the other campers, well spaced apart may I add, and it was decided, to head there for at least four nights before heading west. Even the 20 star camper was impressed, well, as impressed as a 20 star camper can be. (he he!)

Great spot

So after our five days at the CP at Inverell we headed to the short side of the dam, for the poor people, and 4 nights went to 6. What did we do? Nuth’n!!!!!!!!!!!!!. Just lazed around like a couple of couch potatoes, sat in the autumn sun, checked out the awesome view, joined the odd happy hour camp fire, and consumed copious amounts of chateau de cardboard. Gotta stop drinking this stuff. Now is this what we should be doing???? Even the 20 star camper is comfortable.

Cranking up the fire for happy hour

A bit chilly dear

 

Can't beat a good campfire and the odd red or 400

 

After six nights it was time to continue our journey………………………………..but as per normal with the Retro Roamers, there is a twist, and that twist is bigger than the plot out of Downton Abby, and I hate that show!!!

So stay tooned

211- Glen Innes New South Wales

Once again, we are way behind on our blogs, and where we are at the moment, just can't get any photos up because of poor internet reception. Hopefully the story will post and will try to up load photos when we get to a better spot.

For those who like old buildings, there you go

Anyway enough of that! After our last post we limped into Glen Innes into a CP. However the choice was a good one, after all the poor decisions made of recent times. A neat park, quite small, very friendly, but “Stone The Flam'n Crowe's,” it was bitterly cold. So cold in fact, all the brass monkeys had their unmentionables frozen off. How anybody can live there, beats me! But I am a sook, anything below 30 degrees, and it is good night dick for me, let alone trying to find it.

A bit fresh dear!!!!

 

So two nights, and one day was more than enough in Glen Innes. We did the traditional walk around the town, a little tired to be kind, and not being into old buildings as such...the walk around was quite boring. We have been to Glen Innes quite a few times, traversing the New England Highway from Brisbane to Sydney. Of course Glen Innes has a very strong Scottish heritage, known as Celtic Country.

 

 

The bride a bit warmer now, hang'n out at the Australian Standing Stones

 

We did however visit the “The Australian Standing Stones.” They are known as the national monument to Australian Celtic pioneers. If one wants to look up their history, “Google It” as I won't bore you with the details. However it was so cold while we were wandering around, even though the sun was out, my bloody teeth were rattling so hard, every time I spoke to the bride, the dribble coming out froze like the mist of the English Moors.

Now if I can get this sword out of here, You're going to wear it Pauly Poos

 

After two nights of temperatures that were unbelievable, we high tailed it out of the thriving metropolis of Glen Innes, and headed to warmer country @ Inverell.

More on that next, so stay tooooooooooooooned

210 - A Day To Remember Or Maybe Forget

Over the Great Dividing Range

 

Okay, the time was right to move on from Glenreagh. Can’t hang around sunning the bods for ever. As usual packing up was a nightmare, a two day jobbies. We are notoriously slow when it comes to packing up.

Where to from here……………north, south, east or west? Go west young man was the cry, so it was decided to go over the range, and that meant going through Grafton, up the Gwydir Highway to Glen Innes, and beyond.

Still going over the Great Divide

 

So off we go, with the Val bulging at the seams, the RetroLiner weighed down with so much crapp and 40 ton of water, geeeeeezus how I am going to get this combo over the range. For those of you who are familiar with the old movie about Lucille Ball and Desi Arnez on a caravan holiday, well this was the 2013 remake…….Holy Moly!!!!!

We were going to free camp at the bottom of the range, but we were only an hour into the trip so it was decided to keep going. We did contact a few National Park camp sites, but they want big dollars, and that’s without power or water………………get a life.

So we decided on a FREE camp at Natures Bend or something like that. Now the bride being the 10 star camper she is, once I decided that we should try this site, I got the usual “whatever” and a the mandatory stare out of the passenger door window……….I knew all was good (he he!!!)

Got over the range okay, strangely enough, and only a half a tank of juice……..I was now starting to doubt my wisdom of going west. A’h the sign to the free camp was upon us, and turning off the highway…………….free camp here we come, with more “”whatever’s” from the bride.

Well the Camps book doesn’t tell ya, that it is about 20kms off the highway, nor do they tell ya that the road is steeper than the mountain we just climbed, and with a combination of gravel and tar, and close to being single lane to boot. Holy Crapp Batman!!!!! So off we go………….down, down, down, round corners, down, down, down, our ears are popping, our undies are soiling, did I pay the funeral insurance this month!!!!!

Going dooooooown!!!

 

What’s that smell was the cry from the bride, receiving a back hand?????? O’h nothing dear, just the brakes, nearly on fire?” Holy Crapp Batman again.” So the “whatever’s” went into more colourful description of the decision to free camp…………..my ears were burning not from the backhands but the colourful description of our journey. I was bleeding from the eyes, my arms were screaming, I need “Huey”  

Of course there was nowhere to stop, to turn around,………..look out Desi and Lucy, as we are about to crash off the mountain…………………feeeeeeeeeeeeeeerk!!!! Will we be ever found, I hate snakes and creepy crawlies, didn’t want to share my last hours on this earth sharing the Val with them. Golly Gosh we are in low, low gear, standing on the brakes, is this the end!!!!

Yaaaaaaaa, and luckily we spotted a turn off area, on our out of control decent…….phew!!!!!!!! So we managed to pull out of this nightmare wild ride, and try to bring the rig to a halt, Not much room, lots of gravel mounds and the cliff, the feeeeeerk’n cliff ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooh, sheeeeeet.……………..but with skilful driving, and a bruised head from the back hands, we came to a halt.

Yaaaaaaaa! I'm still here!

 

After a few “Hail Mary’s” and a few more feeeeeeerks, we adjusted our state of dress, checked the rigs, and had a stiff “water.” It was decided not to proceed any further, and return to the highway. That means back up the mountain. So off we went, and yes, all I got was “I told ya so, and to add to this Pauly Poos, I am now a 20 star camper, and you can stick this free camping in ya “didgeridoo!”

So we climbed back up the mountain in first gear all the way, and nicely blew the remaining half tank of fuel I had left.  So we limped into Glen Innes and found a really neat caravan park. More on that and Glen Innes next blog.

To conclude this eventful day, the brides star rating for camping went from 10 stars to 20, and not to take a lot of notice of the free camp book. O’h well see what comes from the next adventure in Glen Innes…………………..so stay tooooooned

209 - Glenreagh Getaway 2

Aaaaaah the morning view from our patio deck

 

Before I start with this post, we are a little behind due to poor internet reception. We are currently at Glen Innes in the new England High Country, and we are feeeeeerk'n feeez'n. From sunning the buns only days ago to being covered neck to knee with enough regalea to feature in the Sydney Gay Mardi Gras. Not happy Jan!!!!!!

Anyway after two weeks at Glenreagh, we decided to stay for another week or so, even though our mates Geoff and Helen moved on for family reasons. So we promptly moved to their site, better known as “Glenreagh Heights”. Great views from here, and with the morning sun streaming onto the patio deck, makes for a glorious way to start the day. All the other guests at the camp, who were here over Easter, have also moved on leaving us “home alone.

The rain doesn't come that way, silly moo!!!!

 

What a fantastic place to have to our ourselves.  However, in saying that, we have wandered down to Coffs Harbour / Sawtell a couple of times, mainly to see the bride’s sister and family, as well as my brother and partner, who live only streets apart. Also another important part to our visit to the big smoke, was to visit the crematorium where my parents are “in residence” and resting in peace.

Our visit was a fairly moving, as you may remember the passing of the bride’s nephew in June 2012, and we visited Sawtell Beach Headland, where his ashes were scattered, over the back beach, where Josh (the brides nephew) had spent many a day surfing the back beach break. There has been a memorial stone laid, overlooking the surfing break, however we couldn’t find it, although our thoughts were passed on.

Sawtell headland and back beach.......Josh's second home

Had a couple of days at Sawtell, did the shopping thing,  hung out at Bunnings, Auto Barn, Camping World, Clarke Rubber to name a few, and our favourite place…………not…..Park Beach Plaza. After two days we had enough of the big smoke, and glad to head back to our getaway.

One of the locals at Glenreagh Retreat coming up for happy hour

Another reason for our extended stay here; we have been waiting for a former employer of our ours, who was to purchase another motel, and we were to do some very, very casual consulting. However that “tour of duty” has finally fallen over, so we will make plans to wander off somewhere in the future.

I want to head west, then North West, and loiter around south west Queensland, however the bride wants to go to Melbourne to see her beloved Annie. I don’t have an issue with that, however not the best time of year to head to down there. To feeeeeeeeerk’n cold for the old fart here.

Stay toooooooooned!!!!!!!!!!