FIRST VISITORS

This bloke, Owen Cooper, is one of the happiest blokes around. We were privileged to have Owen and his bro Logan and their Mum, Deb (our daughter) come and visit. Our first visitors here down the south coast.

Think Logan gets his sweet tooth from his mother and also from me.

The boys sure enjoy a bath. This little bloke is 11 months old. His big bro is 2 yrs and 8 months old. What was amazing is that our house handled these two little guys. Yep, our place is REASONABLY kid-proof.

SETTLED IN?

As you can see, we squeze the avan in beside the house. Vehicles just make it into the garages! Wish Ian would come and do some gardening! We've been here for 10 days!

A few trophies found during reopening of the boxes: my plate and sugar bowl tennis trophies from 1957, (won 3 comps and B2 singles, mixed and mens doubles), the Ingleburn Cricket Club pewter won by my Dad, Jack, for winning the 1952-53 Batting and Bowling Aggregates.

The "deck" is shaping up now with my USA collection up on view. A good area to hand the wet washing. Been a fair bit of rain here but also in many places throughout NSW. Thanks Lord.

Another view of the back deck. That's the dining room window closest (on left).

The treasurer busy paying the bills via the internet. She does a great job. She is at the kitchen bench... well at least she was when this photo was taken.

The sound and games cupboard should get sorted out tonight. Looks like a burglar's been through the place.... well, parts of it. Does that black record (vinyl) look familiar? Ferrante and Teicher EXODUS, then Don Costa NEVER ON A SUNDAY, then F & T again with theme from THE APARTMENT, then MAGNIFICENT SEVEN etc. The LP is over 40 years old. Still going strong through our sound system. Now, how can we put these vinyl music onto CDs or DVDs?

If you can help, please get in touch!!!!! [Should be easy these days!]

GUYS & DOLLS & THE ZOO

Sunday arvo in Sydney. Went to GUYS AND DOLLS at the Capitol Theatre. (Drinks beforehand at Paddy Maguire's Pub on George Street.) Here I find out (after the show) just how small Marina Prior is (... and maybe how BIG my son Jeremy is!)

Julia Smith (in red) is surrounded by our 3 kids at a Chinese banquet in China Town. Julia and Jeremy have been taking a more than average interest in each other of late!

If you have a chance of making the show, go for it! You won't regret it. Also starring Lisa McCune, Garry McDonald, Ian Stenlake, Shane Jacobson and Magda Szubanski. LAST WEEK!!!

A view of the city from the zoo. It is a lovely city.

The giraffes seem to like it here... but then they do have a good view.

These black cockies performed for us. Beautiful birds.

Tuesday we head back down the south coast to start unpacking the umpteen boxes strewn around our new home. Wonder how long that'll take us?

THE NEW HOUSE

Front door at 10 Cygnet Close.

This is the BIG ROOM! Lounge/dining. No chandeliers!! Think we'll fit in?

Roomy kitchen and eating nook, but we will miss our pantry from 2 Silkwood. Spacious and light. It's a dim day today in Cudmirrah too.

Back corner - dining room window and part of the "balcony".

More "balcony". Number plates yet to be attached.

Garage left, then path to front door - see first photo. Some garden eh?

Is this a bike shed???

Garage on the left, complete with fancy windows. Path to front door. Lounge window on right.

Anything else you'd like to know? There are more photos!!!

CLEANING HOUSE

I reckon cleaning house is a bit like having a baby! I mean the cleaning house for the last time because you've sold it and the removalist has taken all your stuff (I mean ALL your stuff) and you have to have a PRE-SETTLEMENT INSPECTION... soon.

So, we worked like crazy, dusting, sweeping, chucking, vacuuming, washing, scrubbing, scraping, wiping out cobwebs and all that sort of stuff.

Cleaning house, like having a baby, is best if both the Mumma and the Dadda are involved. They will then have ownership of the event.

Like having a baby, this doesn't happen too often (I mean cleaning house as desribed above), although some folks are a bit greedy in this regard.

I kinda think that as you get a bit older you oughta give such activities a miss or you could do yourself some permanent injury.

Of course as many of you will agree, the woman is the key player in both these events and should automatically be selected as the best and fairest at the conclusion (of both the giving birth and the house cleaning).

One thing is for sure - both having a baby and cleaning house then limit the chances (hopefully temporarilly) of having.... of making love. You will need to wait until both parties have recovered fully.

It's now 12:41 am (after midnight). Fay is washing the laundry - I'm pooped and am in bed (in our avan in the back yard). I'm knackered! I'm stuffed! Think the having a baby takes it outa blokes a bit the same. G'night.

PS Fay came to bed at about 1:47 am. The house looks magic. She reckons she's got an hour still to put in tomorrow. Last time we're movin'!

PPS Due to put furniture in at Cudmirrah on Friday 22 May.

Couldn't resist putting this guy in. He lives at Brocklehurst just out of Dubbo. Neat eh? Wonder how many times he moved house?

MOVING HOUSE

Leaving this house.... (above)

For this house..... (below)


From Dubbo to Cudmirrah (down the South Coast of New South Wales near Sussex Inlet). We will be 2.5 hrs south of Sydney - 200 km. This will be our first house with a tiled roof! Yeah does have a bit of garden doesn't it!

Removalist (Central West Removals) coming Tuesday 19 May and putting our stuff into the house down there on Friday 22 May.

Meanwhile, I gotta get back to the garage and chuck out, pack and all that yucky stuff. Helps you focus on what's important in life.

Don't worry, there is certainly some sadness in leaving Dubbo where we've lived for 11 years.

AVAN RALLY - COFFS

The 10th National Avan Gathering was held at Coffs Harbour/Sawtell on Nth Coast of NSW. They do things like games, trivia, make avan models or kites, movies (The Castle), have a market day (see photos of Fay's clever Aussie scenery placemats), have a 10th Anniversary Dinner, have zillions of lucky prizes provided by generous sponsors (no, we didn't get one this year), have a jam session, a hootenanny night, a brekkie put on by the campgrounds, and all that sorta stuff.

Everybody is over sixty - well they look like they're over 60 anyway!

Vans come from NSW, Vic, Qld, WA, ACT, SA and Tassie. About 290 of them. Think there were about 550 people that sat down for the annual dinner at the Coffs Ex-Services Club on Saturday night. That's a world record for the number of Avans assembled at one place - although we were really at 2 places! We chose to stay at Sawtell Beach Caravan Park. If you stayed there you'd know why!

Here you can see folks having brekky amongst the trees, avans in background. They even have an avan member singing a few numbers while they're into their pancakes or whatever. It could only happen at an avan gathering.

Fay did pretty well selling her placemats and bags (below). One lady was hoping Fay lived in Tassie so she could take lessons with her! Sure made Fay smile.

Would you believe the couple that started the Avan club 10 years ago as Pres and Sec are still in those positions! They must both be over ..... well, they're even older than us! Congratulations on a great job Joan and Brendon. Bit like the Queen, how she just keeps on doin' the job. Same with Bren and Joan.

We've owned our avan for about 8 years now and been member of the avan club for maybe 6 or 7. We've travelled about 50,000 km in the avan.... well, towing the avan behind our car. Sure helped us see quite a bit of this great land. Next year... they say the annual gathering will be held in South Australia.

MAJOR SPONSORS INCLUDED:

A'van Campers Pty Ltd, Pakenham Vic,

Amazing A'vans - Seaford Vic,

A'van Adelaide

A'van Guildford WA

A'van NSW - Morisset, Nowra, Penrith

Coffs Coast Holiday Parks,

Hayman Reese

Harbour City Caravan Park, Coffs

Kratzmanns, Qld

Nissan Motor Co.

Unreal, and we didn't snag a thing! Maybe next year.