Forster, Australia

Dear Ethel, Family and friends,
Just a quick email to report that nothing has happened in the last week... except Louise’s Birthday and another few hundred kilometres of scenic coastline. However we stayed 3 nights in Iluka followed by Wooli, Sawtell, Nambucca Heads, South West Rocks and Port Macquarie and today we are at Forster. We are on a nice site here overlooking Cape Hawke Harbour with the bridge and fish markets opposite. The boat ramp is within sight of here with 20 or 30 Pelicans permanently parked on the grass waiting for the fisherman to return. Some of them look way too fat to fly.

We are quite settled into our van now and don’t mind the routine of packing and making the bed everyday. We have an annex for the side of the van and a second to move around depending on where the sun is. The weather is cooling down fast now with the evenings cool enough for blankets. We are enjoying the cooler temperatures as we have been chasing the heat for the last 12 months or so.

We have changed our plans slightly and are now heading towards Canberra for fireworks night on 21 March, so we now have 2 weeks to get there and will pass through Newcastle to Sydney and down to Batesman’s bay before turning in towards Canberra.

So all the best till next timeRic & Louise

On the Road Again - Iluka, Australia

Dear Ethel, Family and friends,

After a busy 2 weeks work back on the Sunshine Coast fixing up our unit, we are now free again to pursue our wanderings as our house is still rented out until November. We bought ourselves a campervan and are now travelling the east coast of Australia, heading towards Bathurst, where Louises’s Mother lives. It is a 1000km of coastline and we have covered about 300km in our first week. We have been staying in caravan and campgrounds along the way. We figure that after 10 months out of a suitcase, the campervan is sheer luxury.

We didn’t stay on the Gold Coast as it is too expensive and started our new trip in Fingal Head, just across the New South Wales border. We are still amazed at the cost of everything since we have arrived back and are fitting the Grey Nomad profile very well, studying the price of everything in great detail and driving slowly on the highway to conserve fuel and save money. Still a very pleasant existence, stopping at every small bay and headland along the way.

All the best for now and we will let you know if anything interesting happens.
Ric & Louise