This funny sounding place in Port Stephens is our last stop before heading home. Situated on a peninsula, bordering Tilligery creek (more like a river), it is beautiful. Blue clear water dotted with mooring boats and edged by green, treed hills. It feels like a quiet haven to end two months of travel.
"our yurt is closest to water"
Yesterday was Saturday, moving day, a strange phenomenon in caravan parks at this time of year. During peak times you have to book in week blocks, Saturday to Saturday. So on any given Saturday a good proportion of the caravan park is packing up and moving on, travelling on the highways and then unpacking at a new place (or going home). We joined the caravan parade yesterday and arrived around lunch time at our new destination. Not long after all the other new arrivals turned a sparse green camping area into a hive of activity. Arriving early as we did meant that we were finished as others were arriving and could sit back, drink in hand, and watch the goings on - who can back a caravan and who can't, who can put up a tent without resorting to four letter words, how hot and frustrated parents deal with tiresome children.....very amusing when it is not us!
"taken minutes before the storm"
The writing of this blog was just interrupted; I was sitting in the shade looking out over the water when the wind changed direction and started blowing a gale. Word on the ground was that a hail storm was passing close by - we prepared the caravan and tent just in case and then walked out on the jetty to watch the storm pass to the east of us - grey ominous clouds, lightening and a fierce wind moved quickly past.....
Johanna , not surprisingly, was generous enough to pass on her head cold, Rachel had a day or two with a sore throat, then Colin started yesterday (sore throat and blocked/runny nose) and Jess woke up this morning with the same. Luckily for her she was heading home today. We took her to Newcastle airport and put her on a plane for Melbourne and 15 minutes later welcomed another of Rachel's friends, Ella. Ella will spend the week with us and join us on the road trip back to Melbourne next weekend.
We are beginning, reluctantly, to accept that our time away is coming to an end. We have both begun to reflect on our experiences (I am sure there will be some writing about this) and emotionally and mentally prepare for the transition time that will come - the ending of one thing and the resuming/beginning of another.