Last 2 weeks

18 August Saturday

We are leaving Fraser today, it has been a good last week camping. Ronnie and Laurie up early again and fishing opposite camp, they are reeling the fish in. After breakfast we did the dunny and rubbish run whilst the others continued with their packing away. Left site 12.50, great drive along the rocks on the beach

 past the shipwreck

, which we can now see at low tide. Laurie had a tyre blow out a few hundred mtrs before the barge. Once off the barge we stopped and aired up the tyresbefore meeting the others at the fuel stop at Rainbow Beach. We have no headlights so will follow Laurie

 and hope we get home before dark. Arrived home at 6.30 so driving on side lights, very long day. Didn't bother unpacking and had sandwich for dinner, all of us too tired for anything else.

19th August Sunday

Colin slept in, Rose up at 6am wide awake. Erica(the lady who looked after the cats) came round and stayed for a cooked breakfast, we then piled into the clothes washing , cleaning the vehicle, emptying the fridge into house fridge also canned and packet foods into larder. Sorting stuff to go back into vehicle. Very tiring day but good to make a start.

20th August Monday

Colin went with Laurie to get 2 tyres for his ute, ready for selling. Rose spent the morning uploading photos and bringing the blog up to date.

21st August Tuesday

Colin and Laurie did a scrapyard run whilst Marion and Rose picked up Leigh from the airport. When we got back Colin had cleaned the LRover ready for the trip back home. Another busy day doing bits and pieces. Colin rang Jerry who lives in Dayboro(Nth Brisbane) and we will visit tomorrow, he used to live in Northants and is fitting a 300tdi into his series 3, hopefully it will help seeing one already done.

22nd August Wednesday

Up and away early for us,. First stop is Wynnum to close the bank account, it was very easy. Then onto Rothwell, a northern suburb of Brisbane, we stopped at Westfields Centre and visited BigW to exchange our faulty airbed, we had to have our money back as they have stopped selling the Colman airbed(result). It was a short drive to the outskirts of Rothwell

 for the photo opportunity. We ate luncheon on the run, a cheese and onion naan followed by a very sticky blueberry bun, yummy. Driving to Dayboro to meet Jerry, we couldn't find his place initially and had to ring for directions. He originally came from Northants and moved to Oz 6yrs ago. He has built his own house and it is gorgeous. He bought a 1976 series 3 Land Rover Dormobile

 and wants to replace the engine. Colin told him about the way he did it, and let him take photos to aid the memory. We took some photos of his vehicle, and when it is finished it will not only be very rare but stunning, he really wants to be able to drive round Australia as we have done. We finally left just after 3pm after a good visit for the drive home. Marion went to physio today and is moving a bit better.

23rd August Thursday

A hot sunny day. Colin spent the morning varnishing the new woodwork in the kitchen, whilst Laurie is spraying his Ford Courier ready for selling, Marion is doing her phone calls and reports, Rose is dogsbody today.

24th August Friday

It is hot today but cloudy. Late morning the four of us went our for a drive down the coastline

 from Wynnum to Manly and ending at Wellington Point past the mangroves. The view is a bit hazy across the water to Brisbane so the skyline is blurred. We passed some beautiful big houses adjacent to the water. We stopped for lunch at a pub overlooking the water, it was a good meal in a nice surroundings. We popped in to see Marion's mum, who has not been well, before picking up Abbey from school. We had a movie fest night watching Burlesque starring Cher and Christina Aguilera the Red Dog, the true story of a dog in the 1970s living in a minigh community in Dampier. A statue was erected after Red Dog's death as a memorial. Good evening.

25th August Saturday

Rose went with Abbey to dancing and then went shopping a bought a pair of trousers in a size 10 (yippee). Whilst, Colin stayed at home with Laurie and made brackets to fit a new awning to the roof rack of Land Rover. Car awnings are one of the items that are cheaper in Australia, and we are hoping to buy one before we return home. Went to Ron and Deb's for dinner, it was a hilarious night, they brought out a game called Imaginiff. The object of the game is to imagine what other players are most like. Marion was laughing so much she was crying. Didn't get home till late but the time went very quickly, great night.

26 August Sunday

Colin and I went to Manly Market in the morning, bought a couple of bits. The stalls were a mixture of craft, clothes, toys, souvenirs and fresh food. We had a walk in the town and found the visitor centre and picked up info about public transport in Brisbane. Nice mooch, shame we didn't take the camera. Back home Marion's mum is at home for a visit to get her out of the house for a while. Leigh brought her cat Bella over as she is staying a few days whilst Leigh has a flat inspection. Found an awning on ebay in Brisbane, Laurie sent a message to seller asking if we could pick up and pay on collection.

27 August Monday

Lauire had a reply about the awning, we can pick up tomorrow and pay on collection, only $190.

28 August Tuesday

Laurie and Colin went to Coopers Plains to pick up awning. It looks good, just what we wanted. Marion and Rose found out about getting into Brisbane by ferry and home by train.

29 August Wednesday

Laurie drove us to Bulimba

 to catch the City Cat

to Brisbane ($5.20 each). We stayed on the ferry till the end stop at the University of Queensland and then returned to the city. It was a lovely way to see the city, some of the waterside houses were lovely,

 with their own boat jetties.

We passed a big yellow rubber duck

 moored up, which is used to promote rubber duck racing. Near the uni there was a beautiful white house set amongst the trees.

Once off the ferry we walked through the open air fresh food market to the Queen St Mall, where we had a wander and picked up a clock in the shape of the island of Australia, for ourselves. We walked over the Victoria Road Bridge to South Bank. Wewalked through the gardens

 past several theatre venues, in the formal garden was a statue of Confucious.

  Found our way to the station and caught the train back to Lindum which is a 10 minute walk to home. It was a nice day out, would recommend the City Cat as a cheap river cruise.

30 August Thursday

When Marion got back from the doctor's we set off for Mount Tamborine. We first stopped at Cedar Creek Falls,

 walking through the forest

to the Falls and Pools,

 it was lovely and lush. Drove on up the Mountain to the Skywalk. The walk is partly on a metal bridge through the tree canopy

 and partly on paths through the rainforest. We saw palms, tree ferns,

ghost gums and many other trees,

 if it had been bit later in the year would have seen lots of flowers, it was beautiful. We stopped for lunch at a pub called the Bearded Dragon, very nice meal in a good setting. A lovely trip out. Back at home Colin and Laurie doing mechanical bits on Laurie's ute. All very tired, a full fay.

31 August Friday

FRIDAY FACT- BRISBANE HAS MORE SUNNY DAYS THAN FLORIDA


Checked we had put everything in the Land Rover, before we drove it to the shippers to be packed into the container. I drove Marion's Mazda, not driven for 12 months, it was a lovely car to drive. It appears the Carnet will have to be posted back to the UK to us. We drove to Carseldine to meet Dee, great to see her. She is staying with her daughter-in-law Jen whilst her son is serving in Afghanistan. Yesterday there was news of 5 soldiers killed, Dee and Jen had a rough night as the news was released by the Americans before the families had been informed, they had news at 4am from Rene that he was ok. We went to a local garden centre (Eden Gardens) for lunch, beautiful setting with frilled lizards and fairy wrens wandering through the outside restaurant, very nice meal. It was great catching up with each others' news. Dee has been to look at a house in Connundra and Al has started his training in Darwin for the Immigration Service. Time went so quickly, we will be email and skype pals till we next meet. Back at home a Kookaburra

 came into the garden and Laurie fed it some chicken, it was so close.