Thursday 28 March 2013

Day 23... Easter 'Bonnet' Parade...











Day 23... Easter 'Bonnet' Parade...

Another no drive day... between sickness and mummy responsibilities... I really don't think that I am going to reach my goal ... 8000kms.... BUT.... I wouldn't let anything get in the way of being able to be there for these special moments with my girl.

All the kids were so cute... and I was so proud of my little Immy... She has been practicing her easter songs at home for the last couple of weeks and she made her hat all by herself (besides a tiny bit of tricky cutting)... I loved seeing her creative process... from imagining how she wanted her hat to look...through to the practical application of her creativity and her drive to create what she had originally imagined. :)

xo



Wednesday 27 March 2013

Day 21... Redcliffe


















Day 21... Redcliffe

Well today was one of those days where I got the distinct feeling that I shouldn't be on the road!

I had planned to revisit Toowoomba today... but instead got stuck in terrible traffic... so eventually I gave up on the idea of going to Toowoomba and decided to head up towards the Sunshine Coast ( I was thinking I could visit my Mum at work... for a lunch date).... but instead I got stuck in terrible traffic...ARG!! It took me almost 2 hours to get out of Brisbane... and it seemed that every new road I tried to take... to avoid traffic... lead straight into more traffic! SO... running out of time... because of course I need to be back in time to pick up my sweet pea from school... I ended up heading to REDCLIFFE.

The weather today was perfect... as I drove into Redcliffe I thought 'Hey this day might just be turning around'.... the sky was blue and clear... the water was sparkling... and then CRUNCH!!!! A BIG 4WD backed into my tiny little car... and then took off! I followed close behind until he pulled over and hopped out the the car. Jean-Paul expressed that he was not trying to escape but rather find somewhere safe to pull over. He gave me his card and said sorry... and then we both looked at my car... (I was expecting the worst... it was LOUD crunch!)... miraculously there was no obvious damage to my car... no scratches or dents... no flames shooting out and enveloping the car... Thank GOODNESS!

So by this point... I wanted out and home! I quickly ran around and took some photos... it really was a very idyllic kind of day in Redcliffe... I grabbed a coffee... and headed home (and I made it safely... without anymore dramas).
 
22,315kms down...  5,370kms down...

xo

Day 20... Still Sick!


Day 20.... Still Sick!

Ok... So at this point I am well and truely over being sick!!! arg!! Luckily for me Jess had a PDO today and was able to do the school drop off and pick up... :) He is a good man!

My ears are blocked, my throat is sore, I have a temperature and I feel generally under the weather...

The power went out last night during a storm... hence the photo of candles...

xo

Day 17, 18 and 19... Bunya Mountains & Kingaroy































Day 17, 18 and 19... Bunya Mountains & Kingaroy...

Yay! I had been looking forward to this trip for a while now... and it not disappoint!

Jesse (my husband) and I dropped Immy at school (my darling Dad picked her up in the arvo), dropped our other car at a friends house and set off towards the Bunya Mountains... Jess and I always have so much fun on long drives together and spend most of it acting goofy, singing and laughing (that full on laughter that makes your tummy hurt and your eyes cry)... I love my husband so much and getting alone time with him is so... wonderful!! We stopped in ESK (mainly because I love it there) had a quick lunch break and then finished our drive to the mountains.

When we pulled up at our camp sight... we were immediately charmed.... it was right on the edge of the rainforest... it was super green, peaceful and we were the only campers there!! We set up our camp site, chatted to some friendly wallabies (well I did) and went for a little walk to explore our new environment. The rangers at the camp site warned us about some plants to avoid... always good information to know... especially because I am a very tactile person and touch EVERYTHING!!! Jess and I had an early dinner and then had a quick walk in the rainforest before the sun went down... it was so beautiful and the sounds of nature were so rich and fragrant... and the rainforest was incredibly lush and dense... sigh. When night fell... it was sooooo dark and misty (beautiful but creepy)... Jess and I played cards, rugged up and drank hot tea... it was everything that camping is supposed to be. :)

The next day we headed off to Kingaroy... about an hour away from the Bunya Mountains and a town that Jesse, Immy and I had previously holidayed in (at a little BnB called 'Mulanah Gardens'). We had such pleasant memories of that holiday so we were keen to revisit some the places that we had enjoyed so much 4 years previously. First we had brekky in a 'half way there' cafe and then we went on a search down nostalgia lane. On our previous visit we had tasted some amazing cheese at a cheese factory... it was a brie with grape vine ash swirled through it... unfortunately we discovered that it no longer existed... SOOOO... then we went to visit a restaurant, just out of town, that had a little fudge kitchen attached to it... and once again discovered that it had closed down. The final place that we wanted to visit WAS still open and it was 'Pottique' a lavender farm and shop full of all things lavender!!! Lavender, gardens, mossy timber, ornaments, liqueur, soap, oil, furniture.... sooo many things and all so pretty (and delish). After our visit there (and a taste test of the lavender liqueur, lavender syrup and red dirt port)... we headed back to the camp site... had lunch... Jesse got ready for a hike and I got ready for a rest (I was still quite sick from earlier in the week)... and we both thoroughly enjoyed our afternoons! That night we drank wine, tea and played cards...

While we were camping... I had the most vivid and crazy dreams... I think because of all the unusual noise while I was sleeping... birds, frogs, insects, wallabies etc etc... There was this one bird... a lyre bird... that kept repeating the sound of a car alarm... and then the sound of our wind up camping light... it was so funny.

Two nights in the Bunya Mountains just wasn't enough but we had a fantastic time... and I think Jesse wants to move there!!! EEKK! NOT HAPPENING!!! haha!
 
22,147kms on the dash... 5,202kms down...

xo