Ballina


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Oceania » Australia » New South Wales » Ballina
February 16th 2012
Published: February 16th 2012
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Total Distance: 0 miles / 0 kmMouse: 0,0

Sleepy Hollow to Ballina


I forgot my joggers. They are sitting at the front door of the house. That's a really stupid thing for someone attempting to rediscover waistline to do. My solution is to walk in my hiking boots, not only are they heavier, they make me look like I have cankles 😞 Guess that's punishment for forgetting my joggers.

Tonight I'm sitting at Ryan's computer typing, in a vain attempt to stop Noah from crying as he falls asleep... they are probably the wrong words as they make it sound like NOah is drifting off into a peaceful dreamland. In reality he is fighting every step and cries if I leave the room... yay me.

We have had a couple of fun days though. Yesterday we went for a proper swim in the pool and had our first experience of a jumping pillow! Coolest play thing ever. It's like a tramp and a bouncy castle all rolled into one. Watching a toddler, who thinks jumping involves crouching down and then springing onto your tippy toes, on one of these things is hilarious. Thankfully he didn't end up rolling down the side, but I got a few giggles out of it.

Today involved the lake. We are staying beside a kind of lake (that is tidal) and we went for a wander down there this afternoon. Noah discovered chasing seagulls is fun, but falling into the holes filled with water is not so great. I learnt that the lake has stinky sand and that a child covered in sand is not so fun.

Our toilet is broken, which is not a great thing when you are planning on at least 50% of your accommodation on the trip being free camps (see last post to understand why a caravan toilet is necessary). The 'black hole' into the scary holding tank doesn't open anymore. With luck we will have a new one on Tuesday.

The oven, in comparison, works a treat. Ok, so I've burnt the last two things I cooked in it, but I'm putting that down to adjusting to cooking in an unfan forced gas oven for the first time ever. Zuchinni slice from tonight was in much better condition than the bread from yesterday....

I wanted to make bread, wholemeal to be specific. So, I mixed water, milk, honey and yeast as the recipe directed. Open my wholemeal flour and I'm faced with a horde of weavels. No worries (well apart from feeling itchy) I figured I'd just make white bread.. quick check and no weavels... yay. Unfortunately you don't use the same yeast mix for white bread, but I'm a penny pinching nomad now. so I decided to use the yeast mix and see what happpens. Let's just say what happens is not good. After lots and lots of added flour and a mountain of kneading it resembled bread dough. Then I burnt it. Still tastes nice, but not a successful first effort.

The dogs are surprisingly well behaved and Noah and I have been taking them for walks during the day. I think they are both happy to be traveling again and getting loads more attention.

All in all it has been a fairly successful start to the trip... now to figure out where we are going next.

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