More Sun and Surf
Well I have finally succumbed to this blog thing and have decided it’s about time to give it some testosterone input! My impressions of Australia are not quite what I was led to believe from my darling wife. She was psyching me up for being attacked by all sorts of creepy crawlies and I thought that camping would require someone on century duty fending off the wild beasts. Unfortunately it hasn’t been quite that exciting but I haven’t really been disappointed with the wild life encounters. What has been a bit off putting though is having screaming and hysterical females telling me not to go any closer, get out of the water and don’t touch it!!! We have seen some very large spiders but they have been pretty dopy (must be the Australian blood) and when I throw flies and bugs into their webs-they don’t care!! I have managed to bash a few cane toads though and today caught a few fish(more like a cross between a sprat and a frog) with the girls. By the way the Australians don’t think it’s funny when I joke about clubbing possums and I’m still on the lookout for a koala- I reckon the skin would make a great hat. Some cool animals I have seen are all the lizards including a giant goanna, bats, lots of interesting birds and weird fish.
We have camped at some great spots, especially in the National Parks which are more remote and very basic. At the moment we are really roughing it and staying at another bonus week time share, at a place called Pacific Palms- 3 hours north of Sydney. It is a very cool place surrounded by a large lake, a national park (Bootie Bootie) and amazing beaches. The climate is also a lot more enjoyable with highs around 28 and it cools off to around 22 in the evenings. It does feels like we are doing a bit of a beach crawl as we go from one great beach to another. Previous to this we have been at the iconic Byron Bay. This was a great place not just because of all of the bikini clad and not so clad backpackers but also the place I decided to take up surfing. I bought a surf board (8foot 3 mini mal) and with the girls, hang out the back waiting for perfect tube! It’s hard not to as the water is so warm and it appears that you are not complete unless you drive down the east coast with a surf board on your roof. I have been pretty persistent with the surfing and am starting to look less like a wally and have had a few great rides. (see photos above-doesn’t Kim look skilled). I was out tonight just before dusk but found it hard to get the jaws music out of my head as there was only one other surfer and I looked tastier than him!!
School work has at time been a bit of a battle but the kids have been pretty good at getting stuck into it. Can anyone help me with Michaella’s math’s question – “why do I need to know this”? Apparently stuff that she is trying to learn will never be used in the “real world”.
We’ve met a few other travellers including a cool American Family at church in Bryon bay who are also on a world trip and have just come from NZ. Maddie got on really well with their daughter and went on a “play date” back at their place, which was a house they had on home exchange. We also went there for dinner and may catch up with them again in Seattle if we get that far! The girls were like very impressed as the house was like the house that Cleo from H2O Just Add Water(If you don’t know who that is you’re like obviously not hip) lives in and they even like met her dad and swam in her pool-like wow totally awesome man!! Unfortunately Cleo herself was off filming in some other exotic location!
Our plans have changed a bit as we are no longer going any further south than Sydney. This is due to the huge distance in getting there and back to Brisbane (to return the caravan) and the cost of fuel has been more than we were expecting(the car is very thirsty towing). We will be heading inland(much to Kim’s disgust as she would like to continue the beachcrawl back from Sydney). I hope to do a bit of climbing in the Blue Mountains. They are not the Arapiles, I know, but they are also not in the middle of bushfire country.
I think I have written enough and will be surprised if anyone gets through it all. Michaella has just informed me that no one will be bothered to read all that- we will see!! Until next time –Cheers!!
Tags: Australia, Travel
kim
Hi Uncle Tim, I did read through the whole thing. Sounds like you are still having a great time. As for Michaella’s question about maths, I’m not totally sure what type of maths she is doing, but there are usually good examples of how maths can be used in real life in building. http://www.learner.org/interactives/dailymath/ is a relatively good site for giving some real life principles to maths.
Hi Wills family,
Finally found your site – thanks to help from Annie and Virginia. Great to see you are having a wonderful time. Your caravan etc looks very well set up. All is well here. I am supposed to be studying – and I will be very soon. I am enjoying less rushing with only working on a Wednesday. Had dinner with the Bennett’s on Saturday night – Helen’s Mum is over from England.
Love Claire
Hi Claire!Glad you found the site-have been trying to find your e-mail but couldn’t track it down. Hope the study is going well. kimxx
Well done Tim !! A lovely first Blog entry !!! All still sounds very ‘like ‘ totally cool !!!!
Continue to travel safe & have fun !!
Love the Woosters
Finally an update!! Firstly – to answer Michaella’s question – you don’t need to know this – you will probably never use it again – I certainly haven’t. It’s just that the teachers need to know that you know that – unfortunate really – especially considering right now you are blood relations with your teachers!!
Kim – I think you look very impressive on the board – you will have to show us your moves next year at the GWoF (only 2 sleeps to go!!)
Sounds like you are having a ball – Have fun climbing those mountains (I can’t believe anyone would give up the beaches to climb a mountain!)
Talk soon
Leighxx
PS: Charlotte – Ems & Offie got your postcard today – they were very excited!! They have put it on the fridge and get me to read it to them often. We will miss you at Offie’s party tomorrow.
Tim is that really you on the big wave?
I’m offended you have to ask. What do you think?Tim
Well done Tim, you may get to do the blog permanently. Not that Kim isn’t doing a good job!! Thankgoodness you message arrived as Dad keeps asking if there is a message and I am also pleased to hear what you have been up to.
Yes the National Parks are great. We stayed mostly in them when we were in Qland with the Poles in 2005.
Hope Michaella gets here maths sorted.
I finished my first half marathon in 3hrs 30mins and was pretty pleased with myself. Training was hard at times as I was was troubled with lots of blisters on my heels and then got an infection on the heel from a small rub 3 days before the event inspite of taking all precautions.
Love to you all Mum
Cheers for that.Will try to update a bit more often since people seem to be interested!Will call you soon. love from us all.
Tim, if she doesn’t need it now, she doesn’t need to learn it now! When she DOES need it, she’ll learn it so fast you’ll wonder why you ever tried to make her. Is that what you wanted to hear? It’ll make your job much easier if you ponder it for a moment!
Hiking in the blue mountains is great, enjoy!
Sounds like your having a great time, hey Tim bring me back one of those Koala hats.
Hi!Yep having a great time-can’t believe how great the beaches are.Hope you’re all good-sounds like you had a great day with Pat and Sid.
I bet going by Helicopter to the top of the Blue Mountains is even better!!
Hi Guys, Lyns gave me your blog site so I have been reading up on your travels and wanderings in Oz. Sounds like you are having a great time. By the way I read all of Tims ramblings just to keep encouraging him to write. Take care, look forward to the next blog!!
I’m not going to make another piece of contact – this is my first through the blog – until I find out if the picture of someone surfing in huge waves is one of you Wills’ or is it nicked from another website.
Woody, remember that time I walked up to the crag and you were doing an amazing overhang climb and I was totally blown away! Well, read between the lines and you’ll find the answer!!!
Hi Glenys great to hear from you. Are you coming to Easter? Cheers Tim
Anne told me I shouldn’t have even asked if it was you Tim, cause then you at least think that I think that there is a possibility that it is you!!
Tim, I believe that photo is one you took of me a couple of years ago at Eliotts Bay. Great photo of Kim collecting pipis, did she get many?
Looking at our latest house plans and all the odd angles makes me wish I’d payed more attention during maths. A good practical application of trigonometry – relay that to Michaella.
How long did it take you to type all that? This took 15 min.
See Ya
Paul
Tim says…….To all those who entertained the idea that it could be me surfing the big wave, thank you! I’m pleased you hold me in such high esteem. Especially thank you to Leigh who actually had to ask. And Anne, I’m sure you had to check in with Murray for confirmation. Paul, I’m sorry that is not a photo of you at Elliots. There would more likely be one of you being catapulted head first from the Hobie Cat! P.S. this didn’t take any time at all to write-I have a secretary who is very good at dictation while I sit in the Blue Mountains thumbing through my rock climbing guide. Hahaha.
No Tim I did not have to check with Murray ,there are some things i am capable of doing on my own ,spotting you on a surfboard is one of them !!!! &
How rude it submitted my comment before I had finished !!!!! I was going to say spotting a downloaded picture is another one !!!!!!!!!!
Hope you are still having fun !! Missed Kim @ GWOF XXX
Good on you Anne, you tell him!Yes I thought of you all at GWOF.I’m sure there were lots of laughs! I’ll be there next year!