A Quick Break

April 14, 2016 / newlifenarrabri / Leave a comment

Thanks to the generosity of some friends, Margaret and I spent a few days in Pokolbin in the Hunter Valley.

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The area, of course, is famous as one of Australia’s prime wine-growing districts. Although it seems to me that tourism is now a bigger industry around there, wineries are still important.

The Hunter Valley Gardens are an impressive attraction. They were developed by the Roche family who made lots of money from the Nutrimetics brand before moving into property development in a big way.

The gardens consist of 10 separate themed gardens such as Italian, Indian, Chinese, formal and so on. The most intriguing one is the Storybook Garden. Pokolbin-Holiday-19 Pokolbin-Holiday-18 Pokolbin-Holiday-17 Pokolbin-Holiday-16 Pokolbin-Holiday-15

Topiary is a major feature of the gardens. It would be a full time job giving the various figures their regular hair cuts.

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There is plenty of opportunity for rest and reflection during the long walk.

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When you have a few million dollars and your daughter is getting married, the obvious thing to do is build your own chapel.

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Our accommodation package included breakfast at the on-site restaurant. Lunch was definitely not required.

We had a great time, but I always think “There is no place like home.”

Holiday Highlights

January 22, 2015 / newlifenarrabri / 2 Comments

We are enjoying a short break, a few days in Newcastle with Margaret’s mother. Tomorrow we return home to Narrabri and a busy schedule.

Yesterday we had to go to Shelly Beach, near The Entrance, to pick up a pram (of course). While there, we went for the obligatory beach trip. The water was wonderfully refreshing and crystal clear. Best of all, no sharks to be seen!

Shelly Beach is more southerly than we usually venture on these trips so we wondered if our pastor friend Tony Rae was in the vicinity. He normally hangs out at the southern end of the Central Coast, but I texted him anyway. Despite being officially on holidays, he was in a meeting with his church’s business manager just 5 minutes from where we were! We had a great time chatting about all kinds of stuff before going our separate ways.

Margaret had been checking out online “For Sale” ads and had come across a big play gym not far from Grandma’s place. A $1500 setup was on offer at just $100. What a bargain! How could you not buy it? The play gym in its destructed form fills up our iMax so it may be a while before we can get it all home.

This afternoon we caught up with our old friends Dan & Sue Armstrong who now live near the centre of Newcastle in an upmarket apartment complex. Dan & Sue are special people who have spent their lives serving the Lord including preaching the gospel in remote Aboriginal communities. We spent three hours there but the time flew past. Sue said that it is a joy having us visit because we always give them a lift in their emotions- we feel the same about them. In many ways they exemplify a life sold out to Jesus.

It’s been a good few days, catching up with friends and just relaxing. Now we feel refreshed and energised for a new year in God’s own country.

Report From the Front

January 29, 2014 / newlifenarrabri / Leave a comment

It’s tough here at Port Macquarie- so many potential activities battling the desire for a quiet week. Margaret’s been taking the morning shift and I take the afternoon shift for naps.

Tuesday night is the big special at Mike’s Seafood in the heart of Port Macquarie. The deal is you buy one serve of fish and chips at the regular price of $9.25 and a second serve costs just $2. You get very generous servings of well cooked battered fish and scrumptious chips.

So we took our fish and chips 50 metres to the Town Green, near the Hastings River. We sat down on the grass ready to be mean to the assembled seagulls which seem to believe that humans are there to feed them.

Then we were joined by a pelican which seemed determined that we would donate our fish. He landed a few metres away but edged closer and closer, until the tip of his beak was almost in Margaret’s dinner. Until you have confronted a pelican eye to eye over a piece of fish, you have no idea how menacing they can be.

I waved at it to send it away. It backed off a metre then edged closer again.

I was about to stand up to scare it off when a man behind me said, “I can help with that. I wasn’t sure if you wanted it there or not.”

With that he unleashed the secret weapon- a two year old boy! The boy wasted no time in chasing the birds. The seagulls and pelican headed out over the river and towards the boats. The seagulls regrouped later but the intimidating pelican was not seen again.

Tonight’s dinner will be pancakes at the Pancake Palace. This is Margaret’s favourite eatery in the entire universe.

Tomorrow we will be meeting old friend Kerry Medway for lunch at Sea Acres.

Friday night we will be having dinner with Margaret’s cousin Lorraine who lives in Port Macquarie with husband Chris. In fact we can see their flat from our apartment here.

Between our social engagements, morning trips to the spa and pool, and daily visits to the beach, we are also finding time to go shopping- a tea shop and several charity shops were on the agenda today. I believe Bunnings and Harvey Norman are expecting our attendance also.

It’s hard work, but we are managing to keep up with it.