129 - Maroochydore

Sunrise over Maroochdore Beach

On Friday 18th November we left the CP for our two day R and R to celebrate the bride's 60th birthday at Maroochydore, along with her younger sister (Coffs Harbour) and younger brother (Sydney), who organised the weekend away. The two elder brothers, couldn't make it, however we had a blast.

It was great to actually have two consecutive days off.......and the weather was just perfect for the two days.

We left the CP about midday on the Friday, and headed straight for our booked apartment. Of course our trusty GPS took us to the designated building....just love modern technology.

On our arrival we caught up with the younger brother Barry and his wife Vicky, who had the apartment next to ours.  As normal the ales were consumed along with the champagne and wine and we had a lot to chat about, as we haven't seen them for two years. Later that afternoon sister Julie arrived from Coffs Harbour along with her husband Colin. So it was off to the pool area of the apartment building to consume many more beverages.

The bride rustling up some grub as she does

The two days went very quickly, as per normal. We spent a bit of time just lounging about, going for early morning beach walks......geezers I miss that ocean. Drinking and socialising was the order of the weekend. There was a surf carnival at the beach, the first in 10 years they tell me. Evidently the beach had copped a hell of a hammering of recent times with foul weather, and with that all the sand was washed away, and all there was left was coffee rock. Well mother nature did her thing and of recent times has replaced all the sand lost. It was just magic walking along the beach and going for a body surf, although to many people on the beach for my liking.....but hey.......not every body shares our love of deserted beaches and our dress mode.

Before all the clubbies arrived for the surf carnival

On the Saturday night we went out to a Moroccan restaurant, just fantastic. I was a bit apprehensive about foreign food, especially with my Dicky gut, so I kept to the most simplest dish I could find, which was just delicious. As usual the surprise presents came out and the birthday cake, and more drinkies, lots of tears!!!!!!!!!! Being the Wally that I am, I didn't take our camera, however the photies that were taken from the sisters camera, will be sent to me, so I will post them at a later date.

Before we knew it, we were in the car about 11.30am on the Sunday, arriving back at the CP around 12:15pm, then back to the grind.

Here are a few pikkies of the weekend.

Sister Julie on the left, the bride in the middle, and the sister in law Vicki on the right

The surf carnival in full swing

The pool and the tennis courts from our balcony

The terrible two

The bride in the kitchen again!!!!!

And one more photie of the Sunrise

So until next time, cheers and beers.

128 - Plan 106 For Now!!!

This is where we will be spending Chrissy @ Byron Bay

Yep, we went back to the drawing board earlier this week to put together plan 106 for our escape.

And you guessed it, what was about to be set in concrete was scuttled in a simple phone call from the daughter of a very dear friend of the brides, a friendship that goes back 45 years.

You may recall on some past blogs I have referred to this friend, although has not been in the best of health for many years now, we have made several visits to her home on the Gold Coast and have on several occasions house sat the holiday home at Byron Bay.

To cut a long story short, her health has deteriorated to the point that she needs 24 hour care, and with her immediate family mainly based in Melbourne, and unable to provide same in the immediate future, the bride has come to the rescue.

So on the 29th of November, the Bride will leave the CP and take up residence on the Goldy to provide the care her friend needs - albeit only to Christmas eve. From that point her adult children will arrive from Melbourne, Brisbane, Sydney etc., to spend Christmas with her, and move her to Melbourne in the new year.

I will be staying at the CP (if it isn't sold) till the 23rd December, when I too will be leaving the CP, for the pre organised 2 week break, and will pick up the bride from the Goldie, and head to Byron for the Christmas break at the holiday house. How long we will be there for is an unknown. Each year the family from far and wide congregate at Byron for the annual Chrissy break, so the arrival of these troops is not quite known at this stage, so we will find out once we get there.

So we will just enjoy one of our favourite places in OZ, and of course being a stones throw from our well known haunt of Tyagrah Beach, and you don't need me to tell you why we go there, should be a fantastic break.

We still don't know if we will go back to the CP after our break, nor will we be carting the van with us. That is plan 107, so stay tooooooned.

Cheers and beers

127 - Crash, Burn And Slash The Wrists

Yep folks, after all the excitement of the final signature for the sale of the CP, the bean counters, decided to change the goal posts, and in their wisdom, made it impossible for the intending new owners to have finance approved......what a bummer!!!!!!!!!!  After all the huffing and puffing and verbal approvals, the whole thing falls over in a heart beat.

We feel for the current owner, who is desperate to sell. We on the other hand, will have another change of plans AGAIN!!!!!!....so it is back to the drawing board for round 106 of plans for our departure. We are awaiting for the current owner to arrive back at the CP today, to set a new course.

However as I posted a couple of issues back, the original punter, who has been lying in the trenches, has raised the attack flag.....so there may be hope yet, of a sale.

More on that sooooooon.

Thanks for the amount of requests for photos on the reno of the RetroLiner. Once it is finished, I will bombard you all with pikkies....just have to wait unfortunately.

However in the mean time we are off to Maroochydore, next week end (19 - 20 November 2011) for the bride's 60th birthday. Her sister and brother (Coffs Harbour abd Sydney) have shouted us an apartment at some flash high rise, and are coming up to the Sunshine coast for the celebrations. How good is that!!!!!! No doubt the odd beverage will be consumed.

You know this is the first two consecutive days we have had off since April.........geeeeeeeezus.

Stay toooooned!!!

126 - Another Extension

Blimey, the sale of the CP has more extensions than a telephone exchange. Every couple of days we wait for the phone call from the owner of the property, only to be greeted by, "they have asked for another extension." However today 11/11/11 Remembrance Day, 5pm. at the latest, should see the sale become un conditional. Once that is resolved we will have a definite settlement date.

As I have said a million times, at the latest we will be out of here 22nd December, if the sale falls over, however we tend to feel that an early December departure is on the cards. Waiting............waiting...................waiting.

Here is an up date of the Retro Liner.

Painted the ceiling over the last weekend, and it came up a treat, like a new one. However the bride was so impressed with the paint job, guess what, I am now painting all the crappy paneling in the whole van. Geeeeeeeeezus....I hate painting, however I am half way through the job, and doing all the easy stuff first. I should be able to tackle the "hard bits" over the next week or so. The trouble is with painting something, it's pretty permanent, so if you don't get it right the first time, it's all over Red Rover!!!!!

At first I didn't think much of an off white colour, however I am warming to it now, and now when one visualises that with all the crapp out, the curtains back up, new donna, the recliner chairs and table in place, should look pretty schmicky......I hope.

Well that's about it troops, stay tooooooned.