New fuel filter

The red light kept coming on so Toyota in Inverall are replacing it.....but just as well Reece is a good boy scout and well prepared.. he had a the part...lucky coz Toyota didn't. On the road soon to free camp nr ashford then Kyogle tomorrow and pack for Italy.

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Gwydir river camp

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Roxy theatre at Bingara north of Tamworth

Lovely country town on the banks if Gwydir River. We have a beautiful campsite . Quiet, sift breeze no flies no neighbours....just Reece and me. Doesn't get much better than this. A dip soon.

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Milkshake at Bingara

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Better pic

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Sunrise Tamworth

Beautiful cool morning. Imagine how stunning this would look if out in the bush. This was taken just outside the van.

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New sign

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Main street Tamworth

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Italy details

Hi to those who need to know the details of Italian Trip

Fly Malaysian Airlines business class 

depart from Brisbane Mon March 4 at 2330 hrs

 fly via KL an Heathrow arriving Roma March 5 at 2200hrs. 

overnight at Hilton Hotel at Rome (Fiumicino) airport then train march 6 to Paciano.

Depart Roma April 17 British Airways to Heathrow then KL and arrive Sydney April 18 at 1915hrs.

Will be staying with Keith Bowden phone +37 254 532 152

and Chris Jackson phone +39 342 9301 441

I will have my phone but probably cheaper to SMS. 

Also use penelope5153@gmail.com 

We are in Tamworth and just finalising travel details. Got the travel card and bookedHilton hotel in Roma airport overnight on arrival as we arrive late. Keith has given us very clear instructions how to get the train etc. He is a fantastic tour director.

On return to Sydney Reece will stay  a few days then return to our friend Ray Bland at Kyogle where we are leaving the van while in Italy. Reece and ray will have a llittle holiday together in the van and I will stay in Sydney .Mum is arriving on 23 April to see her sister Diana and get lots of hugs from her great grandchildren Emily and Lucas. We will stay in Coogee in an apartment. Mum returns to Perth may 3 and I will return to Brisbane where I will meet up with Reece again and we will continue our travels. Will probably see a little of Qld but not go to the top.

Mote rain

We had a lovely evening last night by the lake ... then the wind came in so inside we went. Today drove here to Tamworth. To the Paradise caravan park.... not really sure if it is paradise. Bit sad this am as anniversary of our beautiful boy Tony. Sometimes it hits hard.... always think what would have been.  But not so. Anyway we are about to have corned beef and beg and more wine for dinner. And we have mite rain...... it has followed us all the way.I see cyclone rusty is off wa.... love Pen  

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Lake Glenbawn, nr Score,NSW

What a beautiful spot and we have it all to ourselves.  We left Harrington this morning but had to change our route due to road closures at Kempsey,  port Macquarie and flooding. So we drove south on the Pacific highway nearly ti Newcastle then onto the new England highway. Came through some pretty country in the Hunter Valley. Very surprised ti see so much and really huge open cut coal mines. We turned off the highway and the road to the lake very pretty. We passed many horse studs. Apparently this is the second biggest horse breeding area in the world after Kentucky. All the fence posts painted, special shaded areas for horses and magnificent houses. We are right on the lake. So nice. Weather sunshine,light breeze and not too hot. Byee.
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More Rain and floods in Nth NSW

Wow what a ghastly summer it has been. We are in Harrington in the Manning river area just north of Taree. (the manning Valley area) It has been raining ALL night and continues today. It is very muggy and my face is dripping....there are evacuations happening north of us, and flood warnings. we are very safe in the caravan park and nowhere near the river ... so we will be staying tucked up here until the warnings are over. There are many road closures Oxley highway, Pacific highway Gwyder Highway so nowhere to go. Fortunately we are not in a rush and do not have far to get to Ray at Kyogle. They have had heaps of rain also. Ballina very badly hit. Truly amazing weather.
SO I have changed sheets and will do some tidying then more reading and perhaps watch a movie later. Am right into my book which is Batavia by Peter Fitzsimon. Lucky to be here with friends. We will dine together.
We are safe and sound.oh a nice little breeze is wafting through.
Good luck to all those in the Rotto swim.
I see a cyclone is up north wa!!!
Love Pen

Emily is 1

Myall lakes

Mungo Brush Camp at Myall Lakes

Wet in Harrington.

Hi Readers, Well what a wet old time we are having. We left Mungo Brush Camp on the Myall lakes yesterday and arrived in beautiful sunny weather at Harrington, just north of Taree to catch up with Jill and Joe Poupe who we met in Sydney. Joe has given Reece another really good haircut this afternoon under the awning and out of the rain. Fortunately yesterday I had a lovely swim in the lagoon and the pool at the caravan park before the rain hit today. Harrington is a lovely spot on the coast with river to the ocean like Denmark and the regular problem of where and when to cut the bar. I was chatting to a man who had lived here for some time and he said the beach had completely changed over the past few years. We are off for a night out to the pub with our new best friends...The rain started early this morning and hasn't stopped. A big squall has gone in at Ballina and flooding is expected. We are leaving here tomorrow and will head west on our way to Kyogle.

We really enjoyed the 2 days at Myall Lakes. At dusk other campers are out with the drag nets getting heaps of prawns... just like the Swan River ones ..so sweet. I was lucky enough to chat up a couple of young fellas who gave us a heap which we have enjoyed between some soft white bread. so yummy

Mungo beach

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On the ferry

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Waiting for ferry ay Myall Lakes

Had a lovely time at Mungo brush camp with the dingos and bush turkeys. Also had some delicious river prawns .

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Rain forest

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Mungo Brush Camp

First thing we saw here was a dingo wandering around the campsite. We are just near Elaine Bay. North if Newcastle. Am in the hunt for dingoes. Now in a rain forest walk.....mozzies.....

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He didn't jump......

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Don't jump Reece

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Sydney today

Reece and I had a lovely day with Emily and Lucas at the park. We are now in our way home in the traffic after dinner at a local Malaysian restaurant.

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A girl can never have too many shoes

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Sydney traffic

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Just anither day in Sydney

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Bendeela Campsite

Enormous campsite. 

Brdaman Museum at Bowral

We really enjoyed the museum yesterday at Bowral.... esp Reece. fabulous modern building with lots of interactive stuff and huge memrabilia. Right next to the cricket ground with a little white picket fence all the way round. Reece is attaching a sticker to the rear window from the museum.

A pic of the river at Bendeela Camp.

Mum take it easy at home. Such a bugger to have a broken bone in your foot, tough way to get a couple of days rest in Hospital.

Sending big hugs to you all. Love Pen

Bendeela Camping, Kangaroo Valley

Am going backwards. Bendeela was a great spot as we were free camping ie now power or water and yes is was free. so we save money when free camping. It is an enormous site with lots of wildlife which included the wombats which came out at nightfall. They come out of their very big holes and plod along quite quickly and fossick about . 

Mittagong

We are now in the very pretty town of Mittagong, the Gateway to the Southern highlands. Quite a cramped caravan site especially after the wide open spaces of Bendeela Recreation Park in Kangaroo Valley. but it is OK we had our neighbour Shane (tree lopper from NZ) in for dinner the other night which was fun to have some company!!!!! We have done a big drive around yesterday  the country very pretty, green rolling hills, magnificent trees and huge hedges around the most spectacular houses and estates. The entry statements quite speccie. We stopped at Berrima where these 2 pics are outside the now empty Berrima Jail beautiful sandstone buildings. We understand the locals are very keen to utilise the building as a tourist attraction but the authority not agreeable  The jail is on the main street as are the shops. fabulous touristy shops full of lovely home wares, coffee shops, perfumery (you can make your own) and chutney pickle shops. and they are so well planned and laid out. Margaret River has a lot to learn!!!!!!!

Berrima

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Off Air

Hi All, Sorry not to have been in touch. We are at a fantastic campsite near the village of Kangaroo Valley. No phone connection and i know there are a few messages on my phone but i cant get them SORRY. Leaving tomorrow for Mittagong. We will visit Pia Riley on Wed in Bowral. We will be back In Sydney on Thursday at Lane Cove,.

This campsite is enormous. It is an a valley, beautiful hills around, quite a windy road to get here from Berry, Lovely river used by kyakers etc a lot. a big rope swing that young kids swing from and hurl themselves into the water. Really nice spot. Grassed, no power, toilets only.The area is run by the Sydney water catchment and it is FREE. there are people who stay here or ages, cannot stay longer than 50 days. This is wombat territory. At dusk they come out of their very large burrowing holes and wander across the campsite.   actually they move very fast. they are like bulldozers.... One was scratching about under the caravan last night, i put my head out of my window and there he was.i tried to get a snap but he was gone by the time i got there. This morning our neighbours called us over to see a nice snake sunning itself near the bushes not too far from us....so eagle eyes out all the time. 

We stopped at berry on the way here. boy what a charming town it is. the main road still goes right through the town. It is full of beautiful shops selling aa variety of thins from wool, trinkets, clothes beads amazing grog shop with a selection a Italian Beer. 

Sorry battery getting low. gotta go//   

Mum the travel dates are great. it will be fun to have some time together in Sydney. I will investigate finding a 2 bed apt for us. Possibly in Coogee. 

Anth  oh boy am missing not being able to play words with friends!!!!!!

Rozza hope you are going Ok now back at work.

Madgie could you send some snaps of the house.

Love Penelope

Good book

New Home

He has a fantastic new house to move into at any time we have guests. A lovely Swag  double so I might be able to sleep in there but it will be tight. 

Hopefully we will collect our new credit card from the bank at Shellharbour tomorrow. It seems to be a terrible problem with skimming at the ATM.The computer is very slow at downloading the picture so I am just dribbling about nothing.

We are now hooked onto Homeland series 2 that rich has downloaded for us. we allow ourselves just 2 episodes per day. althought we are enjoying it I feel it is becoming a little too far fetched.......but don't let that put you off if you are going to watch it. 

Who is watching MKR. we watched the Indian girls the two smarty spice pants ..... boy they got slammed... such fun.

We leave Killalea Park on Friday and go to kangaroo Valley for a few nights then up the hill to Bowral. We hope to catch up with Pia Riley and Reece keen to go to the Bradman Museum.   

Bye for now

Love Pen

6 Feb 2013 walk

We had a lovely walk today on a much easier track than yesterday. Down to the ocean and the river. There are now only 2 campers here now.... us and another so it us very nice. A day at home today after an explore around Shellharbour yesterday. Here we look across to see lively hills and rolling green valleys. Everything soooo green and lush. Mangrove country at the river. Plenty of good surf at the beach.

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