Blogs from Bellingen, New South Wales, Australia, Oceania

See previous post for more of an introduction, but after our first night staying with Chris, we decide to just embrace the fact that we are staying with a 60 year old nudist pot farmer and make some plans for the day. We convince Chris to take a "sickie" and skip work so he can serve as our tour guide. It really didn't take that much convincing. We take off for Crowdy National Park and Diamondhead. I had found the parks randomly in my travel searches, and Chris was the only Aussie who had ever even heard of them. There are 700 national parks in Oz, compared to the 40 or so in the US, so it really isn't too surprising. We pack up and head off in the car, and immediately spot two koalas in ... read more

Well we have left Mike's daughter and family after 3 weeks staying with them. I think they need an award or do I mean we need one as we laid a block patio, build a gazebo and also laid a lawn of fake grass and whilst doing this looking after a fabulous 20 month old little girl (or Mike's granddaughter to put it correctly) called Sophia. So we make a 7 hour ride down past Coff's Harbour where you might remember a few weeks previously there was a young lad who died from a shark attack so I think we might keep away from here. To be honest though driving through Coff's Harbour on the Pacific Highway all I can say is a bit of a posh Blackpool. If you like Blackpool then visit if you ... read more

Bellingen has a reputation as a rural centre for the arts, and Camp Creative is its January tradition.All participants jump in feet first; their aim is to participate and have a go. Bollywood Dancing. Hip Hop. Aboriginal Dreaming. Beginners' Wind Instruments. Advanced Guitar. Travel Writing. Life Writing. Poetry. Acrylics Bootcamp. Mood in Water Colour. Acrylics Beadwork. Solar Etching. Portraiture and Still life. Wood and Stone Carving. Photography. World Cookery. A retired musician ran a music camp in 1986; it flourished and other disciplines clustered as if it were a magnet. Last January was Camp Creative’s twenty-sixth year and the biggest camp yet. Over one thousand participants spilled out of Bellingen High School, into the Primary School and other community venues in this small rainforest to... read more

Today we had a swim in the pool at the caravan park. Dad and I threw the ball to each other. From one end of the pool to the other. Our record was 25. Dad's skills were amazing (yeah right). We went to Sawtell beach. It was fun (not). When we got back our friends Belinda and Luke came over to visit us. Luke is great. We had so much fun. He likes Skylanders too. We played Skylanders, played at the park and rode our bikes. I am hoping to see him again tomorrow. Bye Billy... read more

Well we are all packed, said our goodbyes and are off on the first leg of our trip. Bellingen here we come. We are staying there for 2 weeks. We will be able to catch up with some mates from St Joey's and will be there for Christmas. Gee ...I hope Santa finds us there. Photos will be posted soon.. Billy... read more