The Kornies 5

The journey is not quite over for Kornies5. We have decided to set up a more permanent sort of camp in Bellingen, NSW and have leased a house for a year. We have had a wonderful few months here; the kids love their time at Chrysalis Steiner School. It is quite a magical place set on the edge of a hill in a forest near Thora. The view from the classroom includes waterfalls, mountains, rivers…not a building anywhere to be seen. When I was visiting Sam’s class, he introduced me to “Snaky” a friendly tree snake that they have adopted and acknowledge each day as he rests on the top branch of his favourite tree. Jojo has begun his Montessori pre-school, Adam has a job as Commercial Manager, Medical Lighting at Planet Lighting and I have ... read more

Charters Towers was a charming town and perfect for a two day stop to finish off school work, find the next Harry Potter book for Sam (he is devouring the series and is often glued to his chair for hours, ploughing through the chapters). We decided to head to Paluma National Park, north of Townsville, for a dose of tropical forests and quiet camping (except the birds who seemed to be nocturnal at this spot!) We were camped near some Canadian birdwatchers and as soon as Jojo saw them he dug out our binoculars and started following them. “Can I go hunting with them Mama?” he asked. Sam impressed them with his encyclopedic description of the local wildlife. He is able to speak on so many topics with such authority that he could convince the ... read more

Litchfield National Park was full of special places for Kornies5+2. Wangi Falls was a busy, but impressive waterfall. Florence Falls provided another picturesque spot for a swim and we met our first water snake…a harmless python, although I did not know this initially and was almost ready to evacuate the entire waterhole! We enjoyed a picnic lunch at Buley’s Rock Holes and I think even Hamish, our Kakadu tour guide, would have been proud of our spread. Nana Deanna and Papa Harry joined the rock jumping ranks, as they plummeted into a small, but deep pool. Even Jojo got some air! We enjoyed dinner each night at Lake Bennett Wilderness Resort, overlooking a serene sunset over the water. The kids’ meals came with ice cream, but, one night, the adults ended up with the ice ... read more

It has been a while since our last update… Nanny Rita and Papa Ami arrived in Broome with excited grandchildren hanging off their arms. We spent a beautiful afternoon on Cable Beach; the boys surfed and played with the tribe of children that they have befriended over the year. We were spoiled with great dinners that included entrées, mains and desserts but had to rely on Kathy’s macaroni and cheese one night, as darkness descended over Broome with a blackout hitting town just as we were about to “hit” some restaurants. Our back up battery came in handy. It was with great anticipation that we embarked on our Roger Chomley (or Chom Lee for those who prefer an Asian flavour) tour. Yes it was back to roughing it with catered morning teas, gourmet buffet lunches ... read more

Quobba Station provided some welcome isolation and a break from the school holiday crowds. Max, Sam and JoJo adopted Ginger and Peggy, the station horses, who received many treats of apples, carrots and green grass from our boys. Day trips snorkeling, fishing, visiting blowholes and bluffs kept us busy. At Red Bluff we met a fellow called Dave, who shared his freshly caught Tuna sashimi with us and then pointed out a beach shelter that he had made, hammock included, where we spent the rest of the afternoon. Marshmallows were on the dessert menu again, with fires lit nearly every night. Warrara Station was our next stop and we camped on 14 mile beach. The kids were happy to see some other instant friends and we hardly saw them for the next few days. Paul ... read more