Another full house on New Year’s Eve with the Smithers and White families, including Leon. I threw a football and tennis ball too often and too hard with the boys and I now have a strained rotor cuff for it.
When it got dark we moved indoor for games until the countdown for the eleven midnight jumpers (a new record).
Malley's Eleven
The Smithers headed off after the bubbly toasts and celebrations.
The remainder of us played the Newlywed Game which was filled with laughs. Once again the unmarried couple won.
We broke up at 1:30AM as poor Susi had to get up early and go to work. Here's hoping that we can do it again next year with "Malley's Twelve".
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On the 16th of December we made our way to Bonny Hills and the Seawiew B & B.  Big let down from web description. No staff, just Nasa (Egyptian lady).
No bottle of champagne, just a glass of cheap red. No chocolates. No internet. In fact, hardly anything as described. We had a swim in the pool - bit dodgy as the filter not running. In the evening a thunderstorm with lightning raged.
17th: A big breakfast of fried spiced eggs with bacon, sausages and veggies was cooked up by Nasa. Way more than the two of us could eat.
We checked out Port Macquarie, a short drive north. We drove aound the residential area three times which was painful for me because of the large amount frangipani and their heavy scent.
Walked around the lovely business district and did a little shopping. We did a stretch of the Kooloonbung Creek Nature Park walk.
After supper we drove south to Laurieton and up onto North Brother Mountain in Dooragan National Park for a lovely view of the coast.
18th:
We had a rest day and only ventured from the house to walk down a trail to an isolated beach.
After awhile on the beach we climbed back up and drove down to a more populated beach (5 people and 5 dogs).
19th:Up and out of Seaview, but rain cancelled our waterfalls walks so we headed north. Stopped at Kempsey where a wiry Santa was making the rounds.
Eighty-year-old Eileen helped us at the Nambucca Heads Info Center where we got a pile of material to sort through at the Marcel Towers, in our 4th floor apartment and a view of the estuary.
We walked along the V-Wall with its painted rocks.
Then a steak meal served outdoors at the Bluewater Brasierre.
20th: 
We drove 40 minutes north to Coff's Harbour and strolled the main shopping center. Then we wandered about the Botanic Garden
where we observed birds from a blind on the river, crabs in the mangrove mud and plants and flowers from around the world.
We also checked out an art display and loved Alan Chapman's pieces made of wood.
After supper we walked down to the rocks and I painted Goofy. Several people took photos of me in action, quite a few stopped to chat.
21st: 
We went to nearby Faringdon Village where Jasmine pretty much convinced us that Nambucca is the place to retire. If we had the money, we would have bought a house on the spot.
We drove South to Scotts Head, walked the extremely long perfect beach as it was too windy to go in. Gail went for a swim in the river just across from the apartment.
22nd: 
We drove to Dorrigo National Park.
Quick look from the Sky Walk as it was extremely windy. Walked a kilometer to the Glade and from there did the Stainbird Stroll and Walk With the Birds boardwalk up in the tree tops.
Then we did the long hike to Crystal Shower Falls.
23rd: We were on the road by 8AM and 7 hours later we were in Sydney. Stopped at Karuah for a quick lunch. |
Laurieton
Big let down from web description. No staff, just Nasa (Egyptian lady).
No bottle of champagne, just a glass of cheap red. No chocolates. No internet. In fact, hardly anything as described. We had a swim in the pool - bit dodgy as the filter not running. In the evening a thunderstorm with lightning raged.
17th: A big breakfast of fried spiced eggs with bacon, sausages and veggies was cooked up by Nasa. Way more than the two of us could eat.
We had a rest day and only ventured from the house to walk down a trail to an isolated beach.
After awhile on the beach we climbed back up and drove down to a more populated beach (5 people and 5 dogs).
19th:Up and out of Seaview, but rain cancelled our waterfalls walks so we headed north. Stopped at Kempsey where a wiry Santa was making the rounds.
We drove to Dorrigo National Park.
Quick look from the Sky Walk as it was extremely windy. Walked a kilometer to the Glade and from there did the Stainbird Stroll and Walk With the Birds boardwalk up in the tree tops.
Then we did the long hike to Crystal Shower Falls.
23rd: We were on the road by 8AM and 7 hours later we were in Sydney. Stopped at Karuah for a quick lunch.
Ne picked us up at the airport around 11PM on the 24th and so we just made it home for Christmas. We had a quiet gift opening, before going to bed.
Elaine came over on Christmas Day with a basket of goodies. Ann and Russell were with us on Boxing Day. And Trish, with David, came on the 30th, more for a “belated birthdays” celebration than for a Christmas one.
