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......

Pearl Harbour - Pacific Aviation Museum - USS Missouri

Day 8 - Tuesday 26/5/15 - up at 6 am (was a struggle) to go on day long tour to the above places. I loved it all and found it fascinating and extremely sad. So many lost lives at Pearl Harbour .

That's a bed right next to the torpedo - not for the faint hearted

Submarine Bowfin

Lunch - was magnificent

Who knew they had nuclear warheads way back then?

Honour list for the dead from USS Arizona

After Pearl Harbour it was on to The Pacific Aviation Museum - this was really interesting and the planes were spectacular.

Bullet holes from Japanese aircraft :(

Next on to the USS Missouri and the Memorial site for the USS Oklahoma

20 storeys high and three football fields long!!!

This is where the surrender was signed 

Letters from Kamekazi pilots to their parents just before doing the deed

All in all it was a great day and I thoroughly reccommened it to everyone if they get the chance to go

Day 7 Monday 25/5/15

Got up early...about 9am ....wahahahaha and headed off for Diamond Head. It was very hot and took about an hour to just get to the base and then THE CLIMB began. It started with a nice paved footpath which turned into a rugged windy upward path which turned into a TUNNEL and just when you thought it couldn't get any worse there were...THE STAIRS.....278 of them.

This is just some of them!!

Met a couple of nice guys whose names I couldn't pronounce so I called them Billy Bob and Jimbo. Very nice ..in every way. Hmmm maybe I should have called him Jumbo!

Billy Bob & Jimbo

Hmmm Nice view - scenery isn't bad either

Now getting back to THE CLIMB - talk about face your fears.....heights and tunnels!!!

This was the big tunnel - they others were much much smaller and claustrophobic

Was worth the climb - gorgeous

On the way back to the main area there were 2 Japanese boys - one on each side of the road like they were holding an invisible rope. It was so funny - nothing there but all the cars slowed down so they didnt hit it.

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This is a soft serve banana Ice Cream - for those who remember it tasted a bit like a banana Hi Top - but had a peppery taste. Was lovely

The round trip took 4 hours and was 15 kms so pretty well bushed by the time I got back.