Sydney Anzac Day 2016

Today I flew from Brisbane to Sydney for my interview in a couple of days at the US Consulate so I can obtain my 6 month Visa. Major stress out last night as I realised I had one vital piece of paper missing. When I went to the Consulate in 2011 for my last visa they were so strict. If there was anything not right you had to make another appointment - can be a month or so down the track. This would mean another flight to Sydney. Anyway - to cut a long story short - I had a panic attack and Lee located the form I needed and saved the day. Phew. Its just all been a bit much - selling all my stuff and half  moved out of my flat  and muscle pain in my arm at work again. Yikes.

Anyway today is Anzac Day and due to my early flight I missed the dawn service but we did have an Anzac treat on board.

Anzac Biscuit - yum

The flight was extremely bumpy and it was only my iron will and clenched butt that kept the bird in the sky. Was glad to land safely - although it felt like we had square wheels. Maybe it was being flown by a P Plater.

My plan was to locate the Consulate so I would know where to go on Wednesday - easier said than done. I chose my hotel as - according to Mr Google - it is an 8 minute walk to the Consulate and my appointment is at 8.15 in the morning.   Well if you add into the mix that roads were closed off for the Anzac Day Parade and the fact there were 12 million or so sailors, airmen and soldiers marching up and down everywhere and I have no sense of direction at the best of times and I know nothing of Sydney........! Two hours later I found the building I was looking for. Yes Mr Google, it IS in Martin Place but it is set back behind a plaza and cafe area and it looks like its on the next street Grrr.  Anyhoo....I now know - I think - how to get there but will try the 8 minute walk option tomorrow just in case :)

Wreaths In Martin Place Sydney

I stopped for lunch at the Lindt Cafe which is across the road from the Consulate. For my overseas friends, this was the site a year ago of a terrorist seige by a man who should have been already locked up years ago. The end result was a l6 hour seige with 18 hostages, the SWAT team finally went in and 2 hostages and the gunman died. All very sad and it was quite eerie seeing it today.

The Lindt Cafe

Gorgeous chocolates at the Lindt Cafe

I did sooo much walking finding the Consulate and wading shoulder deep in military personnel and was sleep deprived from late nights and early flight that I just  needed a nap and my room was now available at the hotel so had a few zzzz's

Struggled awake and went out in search of food and had  fish and chips in an Irish Pub around the corner. Again...yum!

Fish & Chips - didn't last long :)

I gave in to temptation and purchased a 12" Apple Mac for travelling and I am just loving it. It is an extravagance because less than a yer ago I got a Mac Pro but this little one is so light and so easy to travel with and I got it at a great price so the temptation was too strong. :)

My Mini Mac xx

Some of you know Jerome and he has joined me on this trip - here he is with his back pack. He is totally recovered from the broken hip he suffered in Iceland and tells me he is looking forward to his trip to the US - the land of his origin

Jerome

Day 4 Easter 2016

A quiet morning then I headed off about lunchtime for the trip back to Brisbane. It was overcast and still rainy after a humungous storm the night before. Very scary and very loud,  rain pelting on the tin roof. I had the TV turned up full volume and could still hardly hear and Bayley the dog was trembling. He wrapped himself around me and buried his head...poor thing.

Anyway I stopped off at Lennox Head to have a little poke around......what a great beach.

Still quite a warm day at Lennox Heads

Lennox Head

I got a bit peckish on the way and figured my diet had gone to hell the past few days so I stopped at the Yatala Pie Shop and hammered the final nails into my Weight Watchers efforts. Tomorrow is another day.

What can I say...i am a bad bad person

I'm now back in Brisbane with one day left of Easter. I will need to clean the car and do my washing and housework etc etc so I will sign off till late April when I am off to Sydney to the US Consulate for my 6 month visa interview and a bit of sight seeing

Day 3 Easter 2016 - Evans Head

Another walk with the dog and a lazy morning watching SuperGirl. I'm really not sure if its an ongoing proposition but I do like Callista Flockhart's character in it it.

I went to investigate Evans Head today and had a perfect steak at the RSL.

Pepper Steak yum!

Evans Head is a beautiful spot ...both the river and the sea and the weather was perfect.

Evans Head

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The chooks only laid 4 eggs today....that little one is from the Danny de Vito free range

We are now experiencing an enormous storm and I have the dog wrapped round my neck - poor little thing is trembling......and so am I.

Day 2 of Easter Break 2016 (Good Friday) - and it really was a good Friday

Had a bit of a lie in and took the dog for a walk. It was overcast and very humid but the dog had fun.

I spotted an old cemetery while we were walking so I will check it out later.

Got back and checked the chooks (a nice bit of alliteration) and they had been very busy overnight - maybe they were  just trying harder because of the whole Easter Eggs pressure. Three chooks - 5 eggs - one of them was slacking

Easter Eggs....?

 I went off to check out the cemetery and it was really really old and very quiet and quite deserted....except for its "inhabitants". A lot of the gravestones you couldn't even read but there were some long time tenants.

Been there a while :(

Maybe from Shrek.....?

How spooky is this?

No relation );

Back home....shower etc etc and set off for Ballina.......wonderful fish and chips at the RSL Ballina and a great view out over the river.

RSL Ballina

As I was leaving I put my ten dollars change into what I thought was a one cent pokie machine and pressed 5 lines. I won 10 free games on the first spin and then another 5 on the third spin. Then I realised it was a one DOLLAR machine and I had bet FIVE dollars OMG!! I won $184 and left immediately! lol

Still shaking my head

Flushed with success I went sightseeing around East Ballina and ended up on a bluff overlooking the beach - probably one of the best views in the whole town. You'll never guess what was up there and who gets to see this wonderful view each day....yup....another cemetery. I am not convinced the town planners put a lot of thought into this one.

A grave error,,,?

Now back home with the dog asleep on my foot again and the chooks pecking at the patio door. Very needy. I better take the dog for another walk........maybe in the opposite direction to the spooky cemetery though....its getting a bit dark out...

Housesitting in northern NSW- Easter Break 2016

Off to northern New South Wales to house sit for a friend of daughter Lee for three days. I was originally planning to leave Easter Thursday after work but that's statistically the most dangerous time of the year to be on the road......soooo.....I took Thursday off with the plan of heading off about 9am....after the morning rush and before the official Easter rush begins.

Started off well.......got up and got packed and headed to the local service station to fill the car up and put some air in the tyres. All sorted and I hopped in the car and tried to start it and the battery died. I guess if you are about to go on a road trip and the battery is going to conk out there is no better place for it to happen than the driveway of the petrol station. :) $150 later I was on my way.

The trip is 209 km heading south and the traffic was fine till I approached the border. By then I was beginning to feel pretty happy that I decided to go early. Very heavy traffic until I approached the Byron Bay turn off then it thinned out. (There 's a big Blues festival there this weekend)

I called in at Ballina  to visit Ballina Camper Vans.....I have one of their vans on my wish list for when I retire but I think its going to be over my budget. Maybe a second hand one....? hmmmm!

Below is a well known resident of Ballina

The Big Prawn

One I checked in and dropped my bags I went to another small town called Broadwater and had a late lunch at an old church turned restaurant called Our Daily Bread......seems appropriate seeing its Easter lol. The all day breakfast was enormous.

I'm housesitting in a small town called Wardell and my primary objective is to care for Bayley (the dog) and the girls (3 chickens). It quite hot and humid so I'm happy to be under the air con watching the telly for a while.

Bayley

The Girls

The dog is sticking to me like glue lol and is now fast asleep on my foot  and the chooks are all tucked in for the night. Tomorrow I plan to go back to Ballina and have a proper look around.

Scarborough Qld

Very hot today but went for an 8 km  walk along the seafront - Redcliffe to Scarborough - with friend Kate. Was a good time and ate an exercise cancelling but very, very nice dose of bacon and eggs.

Very interesting concept - could only work in the land down under

Hungry birds on the beach ...waiting patiently for scraps from the fisherman's catch below

Nice catch for the fisherman - in a tinny - 100 metres off beach - also nice catch for greedy pelicans

Time to re boot this blog cos there's good times coming

As of October 2016 I officially retire.   I will be poor but happy. Today I started the ball rolling,  traversing the worst website in history to apply for my extended 6 month visa to visit the USA. That's a long day I'll never get back. I have a Visa interview booked  for April for which I have to travel to Sydney to the US CONSULATE - and have booked hotel and flights etc for that.

I feel my journey has now begun and I can start planning and anticipating. Once the Visa is approved I'll purchase my ticket.

Last time (2011-12) - see earlier posts - I drove 45,000 km around mainland USA, stopping in every one of the 48 mainland states and have recently spent some time in Hawaii. This leaves Alaska so will hopefully fit in a cruise out of Seattle.

I know October is a way off but it is creeping up incredibly fast and I have a lot to do before then. I I I Will sell everything I own practically because when I do return my plan is to buy a camper van and do to Australia what I did to America in 2011.

When I travelled the US in 2011 our dollar was worth 1.08 US - sadly it now hovering around the 70 cent mark so I will be travelling as economically as I can. Also instead of driving as much I plan on traveling a lot by train. I do love trains.

Watch this space......