Blogs from Port Macquarie, New South Wales, Australia, Oceania - page 5

So the last week has seen a change of scenery for us as we've been residing in the bush! We stayed with our first Wwoof hosts, lived on their 400 acres of land and worked on thier projects with them. Our hosts have three mahussive plant nurseries and sell their plants at the Farmers Market in Newcastle; they are also herbalists who specialise in treating incurable diseases through herbal medicine and have created their own cosmetic range too. They are both very anti orthodox medicine and believe it is the drugs that pharmaceutical companies make that create illness and disease. To begin we found their views quite hard to digest and their way of talking about those who do take orthodox medicine a little condescending. We questioned the things they said that we couldn't quite comprehend ... read more

HI everyone Sorry to hear lots of you are snowbound .... while I am in rather muggy ( rainy today) hot wearing my shorts weather - but mustn't grumble!!! Haha. Yes I am leaving Port as it is called- Port Macquarie- and yes I will be leaving a bottle of Port ( half drunk) behind too. So the last few days have been a hectic social whirl with Jenny, Michael's cousin styaing with me and also meeting up for an event almost every day with all my new friends here. Culminating in a curry night last night followed by a swim in Susan's HEATED pool around 11.30 pm...then of course we sat round chatting and drinking mugs of Milo - bliss. I didnt get to bed until 1.30 a. and had to trundle the bins out ... read more

well we arrived in Port Macquarie to broken sunshine and was intrigued seems this is meant to be one of the most popular tourist destinations on the NSW coast and evidence of the convict history........although the first night was dedicated to getting straight on the old faithful "goon" once again!! Since we thought we were been spoilt with this place having 9 or more beaches, our first day was spent site seeing them all and absorbing the fantastic coastal views, scenery, dolphin spotting opportunities (once again amazing to see them) white sands, crystal waters and the beautiful lake consisting of numerous elite boats. There appeared to be more to do here than Coffs Harbour and this place felt more alive although we need a torch at night as the street lighting doesn't quite seem to be ... read more

Gday to all of you. It is supposed to be hot and sunny for me - and it was but today down came the rain in torrents just after I had hung out the washing - had to put itback in the spinner. But enough of domestic chores... last time I blogged I was in Sydney and after a lovely Sunday ferry ride from Double Bay via Watsons Bay ( famous for Doyles fish n chips resto) Angela and I strolled along the Quay in the Harbour, past the Opera House and through the Botanic Gdns. As my Suzanne will remember there are lots of bats hanging in the trees by the coffee shop ( she hates bats!!) and there are also pesky white ibis pecking around everywhere like bloody seagulls at home trying to eat ... read more

I spotted the giant “Big Prawn” as I left Ballina and 3 hours later the Greyhound bus skimmed past the “Big Banana” at the side of the Pacific Highway as we entered Coffs Harbour. There are dozens of these giant edifices all over Australia usually attached to cafes or pubs, which is about as exciting as they get unless you are strangely turned on by tons of gaudily painted fibreglass. Thankfully I had booked my first night at a hostel that picked us up from the bus interchange, as it was a good 12 kilometres to the Jetty area where I was staying. Its quite a way from the CBD but its right near the beaches, the harbour, a shopping centre and a whole street of great restaurants with every type of cuisine you could wish ... read more