Day Eleven - Berry to Woolamia

The rain has arrived in Australia. Of course it has I have arrived.  The place we are taking at is lovely, so light and airy and it was lovely lying in bed just

View from the balcony of our apartment

listening to the rain getting louder and louder.  We decided to have a late start as there was no point sticking to our original plan of going up the mountain to the view, as we would not have seen a thing. Our host had provided us with one home made muesli, yoghurt and poached pears, all washed down with some coffee.  We at a outside, under cover, listening and watching the rain whilst eating our breakfast. It was time to check out but in Berry, there was absolutely nothing to do.  It was time for Plan B.

We packed up and got in Bonnie and decided to go to Nowra, another small town nearby.  Kylie, the sat nav, who Andy I in love with a she gets us

everywhere, but for me, her voice I grating on my nerves, was programmed and we were off ……… in the rain.  Nowra was another small town.  We found a place to have some good coffee and sour dough crumpets which were really lovely.  I stood and had a great chat with the young woman serving me and the menu at Hunt and Gather, the name of the cafe was amazing.  In fact, as I told her, I could have done with that kind of food in Sydney.  Fed and watered (again) we went for a stroll around the town then made our way to the local cinema.

We had looked on line and found The Roxy cinema and I had great expectations about this, particularly after my recent visit to the art deco 1930s cinema in the suburbs of Sydney.  From the outside, like many things in life, it looked so

Choc-Tops!

lovely; but when we got inside I was very disappointed.  In fact, it reminded me of Bentilee Youth Club where I used to work.  We were going to see a film called Miss Fisher Investigate and the crypt of tears.  Now, we had seen some of the Miss Fisher on Netflix which shows the ‘normal’ tv show, which is Australian produced.  Andy was the youngest person in the cinema followed very quickly by me!  The rest were very old, very old.  The film was terrible.  Most of the audience sat spoke through it all. The murderer looked like Jimmy Savile.  The whole thing was a treat!  What was a treat was something that I first had in New Zealand. At the cinema they sell an ice-cream called a Choc-Top.  We both thought this sounded like a Grindr name and not an ice-cream.  Basically, it I a cone, filled with vanilla ice-cream and a solid, chocolate top!  As they are frozen solid, they take a long time to melt in the heat!  Excellent idea and really enjoyable; unlike the bloody film.

We left the cinema and decided to make our way to our next stop. Jervis Bay.  The weather was not brilliant but the rain had eased off and the boy, Kylie and Bonnie did a good job.  We saw a sign that told us to beware of wombats and

kangaroos!  How brilliant was that.  However, the thought of a full grown male kangaroo jumping in front of Bonnie is quite terrifying.  I am pleased to say we arrived safely at our next accommodation which, once again, really lovely.  This time we both have our own bedroom and our host Alan met us and gave us some idea of things to see.  We decided to go into ‘town’ which is basically one road with a handful of shops, and get some early dinner.  We walked along the non-extensive high street and opted for The Bay View Club!  I had it in my head it was going to be like Phoenix Nights.  We had to become a temporary member which was free then we could enter the establishment, which was based right on the shore line.  Jervis Bay looks like Amity, the town in Jaws.  I had a lovely conversation with Stacey who worked behind the bar.  She was really interested in my life in London and told me how much her rent was.  It transpires that her rent approximately a quarter of my portion of the monthly rent.  When I told her my rent she said that was six months rent for her!!!  She then said to me why don’t you come and live here which I said I would love to, but because of may age the country doesn’t want me.  We had a lovely chat and we were both as interested in each other.  The restaurant opened and we ordered our meal.  I cannot tell you what lovely food it was.  In fact, I think it was the best meal I have had here.  I had bruschetta with avocado and tomatoes and then, for my main, I had Fisherman’s Basket which I have to say  ……….. what a basket that fisherman had!  The whole meal cost me approx £25!  I managed to eat it (just) and waddled out of The Bay View and drag my sorry carcass into the car (Bonnie).  

Our host, Alan, was telling us before we left to go to dinner that the last bushfire has just been put out in the country after a continuous 265 days of fires.  Can you imagine that?  I knew Australia had a problem back in our summer as Stuart (remember him, my Australian friend who lives in London just around the corner from me) was showing us pictures of the smog and charred leaves that had landed in his parent’s garden in Wollongong which is about 30 miles south of Sydney, way back in July/August last year.  The news of the bushfires did not hit our mainstream news until December.  I was talking to Stacey in the place we went to eat and she was telling me that the crematorium where her Nan is buried was taken out by the bushfires and she had to go there and rebuild the memorial for her Nan.  These are the things we do not get to hear in the UK and it just makes you realise the devastating affect the bushfires have had on so many communities.  Both Stacey and Alan said that the next leg of our journey will take us through where the bushfires took place.  We have seen some damage in places, but nothing too bad (well in my opinion anyway).  It is such a shame as Australia is such a beautiful, vast country.  These small towns I am visiting make me think how people live here.  What do they do? How do young people cope with it all? I can now appreciate why there are so many young, Australian, people in London.  On the other side, the countries is beautiful.  I am sitting here writing this and you can hear all kinds of noises: birds, insects other animals, I have no idea what they are, but they really do sound so beautiful.

We decided to go back to our digs and chill out.  On the way back I saw two kangaroos in a field just sitting there.  I never thought watching all those episodes of Skippy when I was a kid would result in this!  Back to the accommodation and I am pleased that whilst I was out, I purchased some mosquito repellant as they seem to be around.  We have a net door that stops them from coming in but I know what I am like.  I will get eaten alive.  That will add to the swollen feet and prickly heat, which is, finally, starting to go down.  Mind you, it will probably turn into trench foot now because of the rain.

Tomorrow we have an adventure, but more about that later.  Therefore, until then.

As always, with my love x

What we found when we arrived