22nd August 2011
Well after much promised appearances and with only 4days of me zO adventure left, its chicken doing a much vaunted guest appearance on this much fabled blog! Apologies if I ramble or me spelling or punctuation is very poor!
So after 4 days in Sydney today saw the start of our road trip adventure up to Port Stephens on the East coast. We woke early well two of us did it was with some trepidation I returned to the room after breakfast fearing a severe beating if I awoke James but miracle of miracles he was up of his own accord! So as Luke brought us our chariot….a white Hyundai we loaded it up me baggsing the back seat (no one argued with me!) and sharing it with most of our luggage including a recently acquired deckchair and sun lounger acquired from someone’s rubbish the day before and it was all systems go as we hit the road…at first resembling a native kangaroo as Lukes clutch control left a lot to be desired after 6months off the road (not that I’m complaining I would have hated to drive). We hit the highway with a lot of greenery and interestingly huge boulders separating the two lanes which I don’t think would have absorbed much impact in the advent of a crash! James took the time for a snoo and then rather predictably my colander like bladder needed servicing so we pulled into a roadside café which was basically like a shed full of truckers still needs must! But alas no toilet so upon Lukes advice I went in a bush (overcoming me fear of snakes….have you seen snakes on a plane??) and we had the opportunity for a large portion of chips…large being the operative word as it filled the 3 of us and it came with gravy which would have supported my weight it was that thick I felt my arteries clogging whilst eating it but tasty all the same.
Then we arrived in port stephens an area that I lack the words to describe its beauty adequately suffice to say just wow!!!! It’s a series of bays and is where a lot of sydneysiders holiday and it was my suggestion but I think I did ok! I like a beach and these beaches are from another level! We found our holiday park and our outrigger lodge now I had been warned James likes luxury but he had excelled himself here it was very homely and then the key event of any new destination with these two the drawing up of an itinery and this was a particular frantic one…we managed to fit in diving (James) surfimg (me and Luke) dune surfing (30m high dunes!) possible whale watching…hence a trip to tourist information (Luke likes a good question) and a trip to Coles (tesco) for the obligatory salad essentials and goon (cheap wine!) and basecamp was set! Then we did what any self-respecting 30 year old would do went cruising round the bays with the music up loud (the aussies like Phil Collins mind!) and windows down getting our bearings witnessing some of the most spectacular natural scenery I have ever seen (and I’m from amble!) unfortunately we all forgot a camera but its all places we will visit again for various sporting activitie,s before returning to the ranch.
Then in the evening we decided to visit the RSL ( a retired service mens club) now I am from oop north and I love a good working mens clubs but I wouldn’t describe them as tourist friendly! So I approached with some trepidation (a common theme of me on this trip and life in general!) but it was like a working mens club back home on red bull with its best glad rags on…swish doesn’t do it justice! Upon entering only on showing our driving licence we were temporary members! And was it worth it…hell yeah $4 for a nice beer (wide range as well) cheap wine and food which was exemplary my burger was up there in me best ever and despite me toned physique I’ve had a few! So different to back home...but this type of club would not work back home…in fact society would probs go to ruin…why I hear you cry well… gambling…this place was a den of inequity…in particular one game which went by the particularly innocent name of ‘keno’ now this was addiction squared particulalrly for someone with my addictive personality! Basically its like the lottery you match numbers but there is like a game every 90seconds and you may think you don’t want to play but the numbers are everywhere on every screen you can’t escape it…there is also a heads or tails game where you bet a dollar and decide out of 20 numbers if more off the top or bottom of the board are drawn or evens… now I like a gamble and James was like a pig in shit! Good thing dad (Luke) had kitty’s purse strings firmly in his grasp allocating only $20 for the 3 of us good thing as despite a few wins we lost it all (but we knew it would!) despite james winning $10 on the fruities he lost it all on a spectacular last bet… now as the schooners flew down you could keep betting and it got more and more appealing so we retired at the heady time of 9.10 back to the ranch for a few more beers and a game of cards where incidentally I notched up me first win of the trip…all in all in a holiday of consistently fab days this was up there!
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