This morning I met a dinosaur. Although ‘met’ is not the right word – more like ‘I was accosted by ‘.
After my pleasant morning coffee, I set off via back roads for Murwillumbah. It was a very pleasant drive – through orchards, sugar cane plantations, lush bush – despite the longer than planned route that I ended up taking!. I stopped in Tumbulgum – a lovely old village on the edge of the Tweed ( a bit like Nelligen) and had a little potter. Next stop was the regional information centre on the edge of Murwillumbah. It was a large place. I hesitated an instant too long as I entered, trying to quickly work out where the info I wanted was and was approached by one of the over-zealous volunteers ( the dinosaur). I explained that I was staying in Kingscliff for a week and wanted info on the area in particular walks on Mt Warning and cruises up the Tweed. Somehow or other he asked who was travelling with me – I said I was on my own - he took 1 step back in amazement and then 2 steps forward. Oops I thought as I took 1 step back. He then asked ‘How did you get here from Kingscliff? Do you have a car?’ Yes, I replied – well derrh – what planet are you from? I thought. It only got worse. He said ‘The walk up Mt Warning would be too hard for you – it is 4.5km up and 4.5 km down and steep and you need proper shoes”. I did not know whether to laugh, walk out or see if he would dig himself into a bigger hole. I smiled sweetly, and said nothing. He went on to point out on a map ( well, he scribbled with circles and lines on the map – and I hate that) several ‘more suitable’ – his words – walks, none more than 2km in length. I changed the topic. I wanted to confirm that the art gallery was along a road that I pointed to. He said yes about 2 km then said ‘ Ah, I forgot you are a woman ‘ and he went on to give a very detailed description of the things I would pass on the way . Did he think I did not know what 2km was? Then I asked about cruises on the Tweed. ‘There are none’ he said . I told him I had seen a boat with people on it at Tumbulgum – that jolted his memory and he produced a brochure and proceded to extol the cruises merits. If I wasn’t on holiday I would have complained about him – but I can’t be bothered – and he was a volunteer.
The Art Gallery was terrific. Wonderful views, good food, pleasant staff. Most of the entrants in the Blake prize were on display and there was another exhibition that I think may have been in Canberra earlier this year about the Mekong. A couple spent a year travelling along the Mekong and nearby towns and the exhibition was a collection of photos, paintings, sculptures that they had done. There were some interesting paintings in their usual collection too.
The drive back was pleasant.
Thursday, April 29, 2010
Kingscliff - view at dusk
Kingscliff Thursday
I am pleased at the location of this apartment. On the southern edges of Kingscliff there is a small river/creek that runs into the ocean and there are units along this water for several 100 metres. I took the photo from my verandah at 5.30 pm as the fullish moon was rising. The complex I am in has 28 units, some permanently occupied, and a swimming pool ( between me and the water). There is a boardwalk along the edge of the water into the main area. There are still lots of old buildings in Kingscliff- it is not all modern high rise. There is a fairly old caravan park in the middle of the shopping area and there are elderly normal ( i.e they look like they would belong more in Nimbin than the gold coast) residents wandering around.
The apartment is quite large – the living area is certainly bigger than my son’s apartment and much the same as my elder daughter’s. There are plenty of utensils and appliances in the kitchen – but the coffee plunger is broken – what a pity – I will have to wander into the shops for my morning ( and afternoon) coffee.
I slept in this morning - partly because my room is quite dark, there was no traffic noise and I had read in bed for quite a while the previous evening. I lay in bed listening to the different birds and there was another funny rythmical noise that I could not place. There was a swimmer gently swimming up the river. Over the next hour I saw a few more quite elderly looking swimmers. I also saw pelicans and , from my balcony, I could see fish in the shallows.
Later I walked to the bowling club which has a wireless network which seemed to work OK for me. The coffee was just OK . On the wall was a sign advertising their Sunday morning breakfast buffet. It cost $15 per person or $19 for the buffet and a ‘barefoot bowl’. I spent ages trying to think – does it cost more to have your breakfast in a bowl shaped like a bare foot? Is breakfast $4 more if you have no shoes on? I went and asked. Silly me – I had forgotten that I was in a bowling club – on Sunday morning after your breakfast you can have a bowl ( not a round shaped plate) on the bowling green with no shoes on for an extra $4.
I looked in the shops in Kingscliff but nothing in my size caught my fancy. I went to Salt – 1 ½ km south of here – a recently built suburb built in the middle of nowhere on the edge of the ocean with streets of huge homes and large apartment blocks with a central group of a few shops and a few restaurants. It felt weird, all the houses were the same – colour and very similar architecture - but the coffee in the coffee shop was nice. I had fish and chips for lunch in the bistro / pub.
I bought a few magazines yesterday and a book of Australian cryptic crosswords and I have sudokus on my laptop and I have several books to read and plenty of knitting – but I do not have to do any of it! The challenge will be not to worry about what I do not do.
Friday morning
I walked to Salt this morning for my morning coffee – a very pleasant walk along a bike path in the coastal scrub. Plenty of birds and flowers. I stopped to talk to some council workers having their morning tea. They said that there were only a few permanent residents in the huge houses and mentioned some famous Australian business identities who had holiday homes there. I said – the nearest airport is at Coolangatta isn’t it. One of them replied – yes, but many fly in in helicopters. There is a helipad over there ( pointing away from the water)
I am pleased at the location of this apartment. On the southern edges of Kingscliff there is a small river/creek that runs into the ocean and there are units along this water for several 100 metres. I took the photo from my verandah at 5.30 pm as the fullish moon was rising. The complex I am in has 28 units, some permanently occupied, and a swimming pool ( between me and the water). There is a boardwalk along the edge of the water into the main area. There are still lots of old buildings in Kingscliff- it is not all modern high rise. There is a fairly old caravan park in the middle of the shopping area and there are elderly normal ( i.e they look like they would belong more in Nimbin than the gold coast) residents wandering around.
The apartment is quite large – the living area is certainly bigger than my son’s apartment and much the same as my elder daughter’s. There are plenty of utensils and appliances in the kitchen – but the coffee plunger is broken – what a pity – I will have to wander into the shops for my morning ( and afternoon) coffee.
I slept in this morning - partly because my room is quite dark, there was no traffic noise and I had read in bed for quite a while the previous evening. I lay in bed listening to the different birds and there was another funny rythmical noise that I could not place. There was a swimmer gently swimming up the river. Over the next hour I saw a few more quite elderly looking swimmers. I also saw pelicans and , from my balcony, I could see fish in the shallows.
Later I walked to the bowling club which has a wireless network which seemed to work OK for me. The coffee was just OK . On the wall was a sign advertising their Sunday morning breakfast buffet. It cost $15 per person or $19 for the buffet and a ‘barefoot bowl’. I spent ages trying to think – does it cost more to have your breakfast in a bowl shaped like a bare foot? Is breakfast $4 more if you have no shoes on? I went and asked. Silly me – I had forgotten that I was in a bowling club – on Sunday morning after your breakfast you can have a bowl ( not a round shaped plate) on the bowling green with no shoes on for an extra $4.
I looked in the shops in Kingscliff but nothing in my size caught my fancy. I went to Salt – 1 ½ km south of here – a recently built suburb built in the middle of nowhere on the edge of the ocean with streets of huge homes and large apartment blocks with a central group of a few shops and a few restaurants. It felt weird, all the houses were the same – colour and very similar architecture - but the coffee in the coffee shop was nice. I had fish and chips for lunch in the bistro / pub.
I bought a few magazines yesterday and a book of Australian cryptic crosswords and I have sudokus on my laptop and I have several books to read and plenty of knitting – but I do not have to do any of it! The challenge will be not to worry about what I do not do.
Friday morning
I walked to Salt this morning for my morning coffee – a very pleasant walk along a bike path in the coastal scrub. Plenty of birds and flowers. I stopped to talk to some council workers having their morning tea. They said that there were only a few permanent residents in the huge houses and mentioned some famous Australian business identities who had holiday homes there. I said – the nearest airport is at Coolangatta isn’t it. One of them replied – yes, but many fly in in helicopters. There is a helipad over there ( pointing away from the water)
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