Visiting Iluka NSW

 We have gone to our first Coffs Coast Caravan Club Rally namely Iluka a riverside village, and a township that John's Mum and Dad retired to, from off the farm at Casino. It has been many years since we visited. 

 

We stayed from Monday night  and drove home Friday, and it is very much a group thing. Every afternoon at 4pm is the happy hour till about 5.30 - 6pm. A few jokes are told,  a skit was also done, and I know in the past a speaker of some interesting topic. 

Getting ready for Happy Hour.

 During the week was a  bowls sort of game with discs. A dinner was organized  on Sat. but we left before it. We enjoyed also a free Bacon & Egg Roll breakfast, with the leaders using the money raised from raffles. $160 was put into the economy of Iluka, plus the dinners purchased on the Sat., and of course the caravan park fees. I believe 22 caravans went.

The Disc Bowls Game.

First time I ever played, 2 to a team and we won 8 to nil, for this round.

 Also a ferry boat ride to Yamba for those who wanted to take it, a large group went altogether.

 

 

Marina at the Ferry Depot

John went to Casino to visit his brother, Tuesday,  to fix a computer problem and I stayed in the van drawing  the day away, which was great. We avoided the happy hour that night, as he was back late. Thursday night I also avoided happy hour as I was so tired slept in the afternoon to about 4.30.

Getting away though from the house I really enjoyed, I needed that more than I thought. We toured Iluka, which has grown and modernised so much, not many shops though and very basic, and  drove past the old house, which is nearly the same just a new paint job and larger windows.

The tree behind the van in the driveway is a huge avocado, mum H had, now bigger.

 The weather was fantastic, cold at night and I needed my hot water bottle, but lovely during the day.

 

We have now booked at Pottsville for the next Rally.

Till Next Time.

 

A Week at the Gold Coast.

We have been on holiday in Coolangatta for the past week, staying on the 12th floor at the Beachhouse. It was actually our Son's week but the Government suddenly decided to have the  Naplan tests for the children,  so they weren't able to go. 

We have had a very relaxing week doing nothing. We know the area well so no need for the touristy stuff. I did though bring some of my new art stuff and been having a lot of fun experimenting and teaching myself about watercolours.

The view has been very interesting with lots of things going on everyday. We had breakfast on the verandah each morning before the weather got too hot.

Left of the top one

Coolangatta Shopping Centre

The inside is just your normal small unit, but very comfortable. Meals have been very simple also, whenever we felt like it.

Very well equipped kitchen

Spinning turntable on dining table.

Lounge with View 

 I have been spending most of my time,  following several online classes

Watercolour beginner exercise

Feather exercise Watercolour.

Of course there is way more practice stuff, of which I am putting in a journal.

Pen and watercolour tulips

Our last night, was last Friday, and we had dinner at the Surf Life Saving club, arriving at 5.30 to get in early and it was packed,  also was very hot inside as was 35C all day, and no air con. I enjoyed a delicious lamb rump roast with a salad. We then had Tirramisu and coffee at an Italian restaurant, which was also super busy, but they had a local musician to listen too.

Abstract flowers in acrylic and gouache

Lincraft opened up a brand new shop round the corner, last Thursday,  with huge sales, so I got a few canvases( $10) for multi packs,  and a 3 tier trolley ($19) for my paints as I have decided to use the front bedroom. It is air conditioned and has mum's round table  there.

Acrylic, just for fun.

I start at the local Art studio next Saturday morn. Which is their no class morning, and I need to join the Studio for the annual fee, covering insurances etc.

 I am not sure what to do yet, but most likely will take my oils and a canvas to start with, as I am used to them for many years. I will try and start it this week.

I am not pleased to be back, there is still a great deal of work here, and after a pristine unit all I see is the mess. Oh well, time to make a plan

Till Next Time.

Sydney Trip to Mary Poppins

 The live show Mary Poppins and a stay at The Star in Sydney was my birthday present for this year by the children. What a luxury event it was .

This was the entrance to our "suite" with powder room

The main area was lovely with views over Sydney Harbour. The complex is part of the Casino and a Food Court plus the Lyric theatre where Mary Poppins was held.

We  were on the 10th floor, and as it was the end of the building walked quite a way to get to it.

Ensuite off the bedroom

Breakfast was included, and it was amazing also. The restaurant was divided into self serving stations. A full buffet style that included everything from chinese char sui and peking duck, pasta and antipasto meats and pickles, or we could choose salmon, steak, then of course eggs in any form, all sorts of breads, fruit and yogurts. There was even a chocolate fountain with mashmallows and fruit pieces.

Part of the eating area

Salmon and cold meats

Eggs Benedict

 

 

 

 

 

 

Chipolata sausages

 

 

Muffin selection.

 

Saw a few kids at this station.

So much food but it was 5 star dining, and of course we ate too much.

First night there, we had a fancy birthday dinner at the Flying Fish, so nice to dress up for a change. I tucked in to a delicious Barrumundi on a bed of buttered cabbage. Plus we had a side salad,  a pumpkin dish, plus chips. You have probably gathered we did nothing but eat.

Flying Fish Restaurant

Last Night there, (Thursday) we saw Mary Poppins, which was fabulous.

Curtain with moving smoke.

  The way the stage set kept moving props and walls creating the house, the bank, rofftops, or the street was very clever.. We were 7 rows back and had a fabulous view. The live orchestra was also very good. 

We weren't allowed to take pictures so I pulled some off the internet so you can see some highlights, but this first one is from the book we got,  of the whole family at home.

Nancy Hayes singing Feed the Birds.

Inside the Park picture.

Bert played by Jack Chambers, great Tap dancer and expressive Actor. Liked him a lot.

  Mary Poppins played by Stefanie Jones. also good.

They had 5 sets of children playing the kids, limiting  the amount of time they act, being so young around 9 - 12. All had acting experience and belong to some sort of performing arts school in Australia. Must be hard for the grown up actors having different children each night as they had a big act to play, in the show.

I can highly recommend Mary Poppins, but then any stage show is always good. 

We did visit our 2nd son,and stayed Friday night and had an Indian Dinner night with them and some good friends we have known since their school days plus the youngest son visited as well, so a great night.

Really enjoyed our 5 days away, been a lovely break in routine.

 

Till Next Time. 

 

 

 

 

Nundle Woolen Mills

 Nundle has been famous for the finest Merino Wool grown in the district and although the mill was first opened in 2001, it has antique machinery, some from Geelong in Victoria and I really enjoyed the tour. We watched how all the machines worked, and I learnt a lot, about how a simple ball of wool is produced. 

The mill also sells clothing, although very expensive in my mind, but the first thing that greeted me when I stepped inside was a wall of coloured wool. 

The mill is divided in two parts the 2nd room holds all the machines, in a downstairs area and more clothing, 12ply and 72 ply wool, plus bits and pieces to do with the wool, upstairs. So the tour is conducted with everyone overlooking the machines.

12ply and larger wool area

Looking from the 12ply area with machines down below.

Carding area of fleeces that are washed at Geelong, and rolled up onto large rollers at Nundle. The largest area of all.

Carded rolls into smaller bobbins

The back machines spin the wool, from the large carding rolls, onto the bobbins.

Bobbins being plyed

 The plied bobbins are then put onto a machine known as the hanker which winds them into the old fashion wool winding  hanks,we used to do around chairs when undoing an old jumper. This is done so it can be dyed. 

The wet and dyed hanks are spun in an ordinary washing machine and hung onto pvc pipes, to dry.They are then taken back to the machines and spun onto cones, and from there spun into balls of wool.

 Of course there is a lot more too it than that, they watch that the balls don't have knots or breakages, and if there is a knot when you are knitting it is the manufacturer trying to save money. The girls here pull the balls and put it into mixed bags for craft work, the quality of their wool is that you will find no annoying knots when knitting, or crotcheting.

Some of the left over carded wool is also put into what they call cheeses, for spinning. I got some to test out. I hope to spin a fleece this year but if I want to do more all of this is washed and carded, and ready for first spinning, without any hastle.

Will be an interesting experiment if nothing else.

So some of the highlights in the shop area. 

Washed, carded and dyed, but just weighed out clean fleece, ready for spinning.

Ashford spinning area with wool and silk hanks and patterns.

Sock wool ready for dying.

Sock wool I bought.

Nice apron with sheep on it.

It was a lovely couple of hours and have enclosed the link to all the machines videos in case you are interested. Scroll to bottom of  their page, to find them.

Wool Machine Videos

 

We didn't have any rain while away, so it is disappointing that back home again and it is still raining here, but occasionally a couple of hours of sunshine, so I hope it is moving away. The garden is a mess.

 

 

Till Next Time.