We left this morning and at Cooma tonight. A good drive,no rain, but overcast. Difficult to think we are heading into an apocalypse.
On the way, I had a phone call from the archivist at Hamilton College. I had left a message about our grandfather's/great-grandfather's books.
He told me that he had found his record, as well as the details taken when he enrolled. We will see him (the archivist I mean) at the end of next week. Pics to come!
Kin Mun's cold was lingering - not getting worse but not improving either. We decided to cut our losses while I was still well and able to drive. So we will be home early. The Brisbane folks were understanding - they had had their share of colds and flu, of the non-COVID variety.
BTW, all KM's RATs are negative - and there has been enough time for the viral load to build up.
But we have seen new things. Today we went to Southport so we could drive up the Gold Coast. What a change. And a light rail to boot. You do wonder how lockdowns affected the tourist industry. It must have been a blow. But in today's sunny weather, it all looked glorious.
Our visit to Hinze Dam was accidental. We were looking for Binna Burra until we realised how far away it was. We drove past a Hinze Dam signpost and decided to have a look. Those of us of a certain age recall the dreadful Russ Hinze who together with Joh, presided over a government that turned a blind eye to police corruption.
I was pleased to find no description of this man. Later, on the internet I found that it was named in honour of his grandparents, and their grandson was noted to be corrupt. The dam was opened by Joh - say no more.
But the dam is impressive. Much was made of the new spillway, stepped designed, so fish could continue to go over it, without plunging to their deaths. I think manual intervention can be involved, if needed. Fish fatalities were monitored. Such environmentalism was not a feature of Joh's government.
Stepped spillway.
Doesn't always work, from the fish's point of view.
More views of the dam - lovely weather.
Our plan was to go north for Stephen's 40th birthday party. But en route, Kin Mun's cold didn't disappear. This required decisions at every stop, but here we are at Mudgeeraba for 2 nights. Next stop is a hotel in Brisbane, but we have cancelled appointments etc for the next couple of days. Plan C is for me to go to Stephen's party on my own if need be - so long as I remain well.
Life in a pandemic requires flexibility!
So today we unexpectedly saw the Hinze Dam, found myself with time to visit the biggest fabric shop I have seen (apart from New York) and came back to our accommodation to find a funeral in full swing. Pat told me about Japanache in an email, so will see that tomorrow morning.
We were so puzzled at the spelling and pronunciation of Mudgeeraba that I had to make a special effort to learn to spell it, and ask a local how to pronounce it. Well, a local who had been here 3 years, presumably from the UK. Her advice - Mudge-re-bar - all said really quickly! In my youth, my parents said Mudge- er-ree-bar. Spelling? Think Mudgee with raba on the end.
We became tourists in our own city - and could use up our soon-to-expire vouchers - courtesy of Dom and Gladys.
Taronga Zoo is inseparable from its wonderful harbourside location. When you tire of the animals, there is those lovely views to occupy you - and the views distract you from the animals. Little wonder that the Impressionists set up camp near here - Curlew Camp. Melbourne artists, Tom Roberts and Arthur Streeton were among those did. They were there long before the Zoo was!
But back to the Zoo.
We have seen plenty of koalas so we didn't go into the enclosure. But this one made it plain what he thought of everything.
But my favourite - the meerkats. There are 9 at the Zoo.
There is always a sentry
There is a heat mat under that fake grass, and their burrowing was to keep warm. They are not stupid!
Another pic. If I am re-incarnated, I want to come back as a meerkat - the ultimate socialist paradise!
We had lunch at Rick Stein's restaurant at Mollymook. Of course, he wasn't there, but his presence was everywhere. Firstly, his books were for sale in the lounge! A good chance to look at the ones I was interested in and come back to order at 2/3 the price online.
Secondly, we were told there was a staff briefing daily. And dishes came with Rick's advice on how they should be eaten.
But it was a lovely experience. We sat on the open terrace, looking over the sea. The rain had gone, and it clear and cool enough.
Some pics
And finally - dessert. Mine required some assembly, but didn't need special instructions from Rick this time! A variation on affagato.
We had lunch at Shellharbour.
And this is the latest gadget in this COVID era. It measures CO2 levels in the air, a proxy for expired air that potentially contains viruses from other lungs. Trouble is, according to Kin Mun, other things, including pizza ovens can also increase CO2. This was at lunch - very good - and so it should be, we were outside. It is a lower CO2 level than our house at Cheltenham. The food was also good!
COVID has provided endless opportunities for the obsessives!
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Our first road trip since going to Queensland in 2021. A Delta and Omicron wave since.
Anyhow, this is before Wollongong. Lovely shot of the trees beside the highway, most likely burned in 2019.
Then we went over the sea Cliff Bridge. You will have inadvertently seen this in car advertisements. Pics below.
Not strong enough?
