SILLY SEASON CONTINUES!

OVERLOOKING THE POOL (CROWN PLAZA)
THE "GHAN" GROUP
BEFORE DINNER!

LAST WEEKEND WE MANAGED TO ROUND UP THE "GHAN" GROUP FOR OUR LAST GET-TOGETHER FOR THE YEAR,BECAUSE WE ALL LEAD SUCH BUSY LIVES ARRANGING EIGHT PEOPLE PROVES TO BE QUITE THE CHALLENGE!
QUINTON AND I STAYED AT THE CROWN PLAZA TERRIGAL WHILST THE OTHERS STAYED AT THE COUNTRY COMFORT,REASON BEING IS THAT QUINTON WON THE WEEKEND THANKS TO DIAGEO, AND JUST A LITTLE SCAMMING! AFTER A RELAXING FRIDAY NIGHT AND A GREAT SLEEP WE AWOKE TO THE SOUNDS OF THE SEA,AFTER A HEARTY BREAKFAST WE MET UP WITH OUR FELLOW GHANIANS,MORNING TEA,WALK,LUNCH,SHOPPING AND A SWIM BEFORE READYING OUSELVES FOR A SHORT WALK TO THE COVE RESTAURANT,WITH LOTS OF CATCHING UP AND A FEW HOLIDAYS PLANNED FOR 2007,2008 AND 2010 A (GHAN TRAIT) WE DON'T EVER MEET UP AND NOT ARRANGE A HOLIDAY OF SOME SORT!!!WITH THE NOISEST TABLE, LOTS OF LAUGHTER,GOOD FOOD AND THE BEST WINES,WE WERE ONCE AGAIN THE LAST TO LEAVE! SUNDAY BEGAN WITH BREAKFAST A GOOD WALK AND ANOTHER GREAT LUNCH......MERRY XMAS!

"TIME OUT"

ON THE BALCONY AT THE "BEACHCOMBER"
LOVE MORNING TEA!

THE RAINFOREST
THE BREAKWATER...we did'nt leave our mark.

A QUICK GETAWAY TO PORT MACQUARIE ON 18TH & 19TH FOR SOME WELL EARNED R & R; AFTER A QUICK BITE TO EAT AT BULAHDELAH,WE ARRIVED AT PORT MACQUARIE MID AFTERNOON,AFTER CHECKING IN AT THE "BEACHCOMBER" RESORT WHICH HAD A LOVELY VIEW OVERLOOKING THE SEA ON ONE SIDE AND A VIEW OF THE MOUNTAINS ON THE OTHER,WE MEANDERED AROUND THIS VERY CLEAN & PRETTY TOWN. SUNDAY MORNING A WALK ALONG THE BREAKWATER,THEN A GENTLE ONE HOUR STROLL THROUGH A MAGNIFICANT RAINFOREST,AFTER MORNING TEA AND LUNCH WE BOTH AGREED THAT A GOOD RELAXING WEEKEND WAS HAD, IT WAS THEN TIME TO HEAD BACK HOME.

"SILLY SEASON"BEGINS!

WITH THE FESTIVE SEASON ALMOST UPON US,FINDING SPARE WEEKENDS ARE FEW AND FAR BETWEEN, XMAS PARTIES AND CATCHING UP WITH FRIENDS IS PROVING TO BE EXHAUSTING! WITH BOTH OF US WORKING HARD & THE LONGER HOURS EXPECTED BY OUR EMPLOYERS THIS TRULY IS THE "SILLY" SEASON!
LAST NIGHT WE CAUGHT UP WITH PAT & BOB OUR "WALKING" FRIENDS,WE FEASTED ON SOME GREAT LOCAL THAI FOOD,THEN WALKED TO THE MARINA FOR A COFFEE BEFORE HEADING HOME.

COUNTRY V'S CITY

OUR COMPLIMENTARY PASSES !

AND WHAT A TERRIBLY MISERABLE WEEKEND IT WAS ON 3/4/TH! ONLY BLACK SKIES,CONTINUAL HEAVY RAIN,LOW TEMPERATURES,DOES'NT SOUND TOO MUCH LIKE PARADISE DOES IT,I MEAN WE ARE NOT EVEN ON WATER RESTRICTIONS HERE,SO WHY DO WE HAVE A HIGH RAINFALL IN PARADISE...WHO KNOWS?? SYDNEY ALSO HAD VERY WET WEATHER..SO WHAT IS IT WITH THE CATCHMENT AREAS???THE WEATHER MAP SHOWS RAINFALL ALL OVER...EVERYWHERE;I'D LIKE TO KNOW WHO THE HELL IS PICKING UP WARRAGAMBA DAM AND PUTTING IT IN DARWINS DRY SEASON EVERY TIME WE HAVE A DAMN GOOD DOWNPOUR,WHY DOES IT NEVER RAIN OVER THE DAMS? IT'S A CONSPIRACY I SAY!!! ANYWAY NOT MUCH YOU CAN DO IN SUCH DISMAL CONDITIONS OTHER THAN "GOING TO THE MOVIES",WHICH WE DID;YES FOUND A NICE MOVIE AT THE "LOCAL" ONLY $9 IN THIS NECK OF THE WOODS...OFF WE WENT TO SEE (MY CHOICE) "MRS PALFREY AT THE CLAREMEONT",A NICE FEEL GOOD MOVIE! THIS IS WHERE COUNTRY V'S CITY OR VISE-VERSE.MMMM WELL 45 MINUTES INTO THE MOVIE WHEN LOW AND BEHOLD THE PICTURE FROZE,CAN YOU BELIEVE IT!!!WELL WE KNOW IT'S PARADISE AND ALL,BUT I DON'T THINK THIS WOULD HAVE HAPPENED IN DOWN TOWN SMOGGY OLD SYDNEY! WELL OUT EVERYONE CAME TO THE FRONT DESK WHERE WE COLLECTED OUR "COMPLIMENTARY PASSES"? ON SUNDAY MORNING WE WENT BACK 45 MINUTES INTO THE PICTURE (REMEMBER WE DID SEE THAT MUCH YESTERDAY)AND MAY I SAY WE THOUOUGHLY ENJOYED THIS NICE FLICK WHICH FEATURED JOAN PLOWRIGHT AND THE "HUNKY" RUPERT FRIEND.

"OUR SYDNEY HIT"

NO TIME FOR SATURDAY SLEEP-INS LAST WEEK...DESTINATION....SYDNEY! WE WERE INVITED TO ROSEHILL RACES BY OUR LONG TIME FRIENDS CHRIS & GRACE,WHO ALSO KINDLY PUT US UP FOR THE NIGHT.
THE 9 A.M. START FOR OUR TWO HOUR JOURNEY PROVED TO BE UNEVENTFUL,NO TRAFFIC OR ROADWORKS ...AMAZING?...YES! ARRIVING AT CHRIS & GRACE'S AT APPROXIMATELY 11.A.M. WE UNLOADED,HAD COFFEE & DONNED OUR RACE CLOTHES READY FOR THE "MEMBERS" LOUNGE AT ROSEHILL RACE COURSE.
WHAT A GREAT START FOR ME,NOT BEING A PUNTER SO MUCH AS I'M A LITTLE NERVOUS AS HOW TO PLACE A BET.HOWEVER VERY THANKFUL TO QUINTON,(MY TOTE BOY") AND HOW DO YOU "STUDY THE FORM"?,WHO WANTS TO KNOW ALL THAT WHEN I CAN CHOOSE MY HORSE AS IT IS PARADING AROUND RIGHT IN FRONT OF ME & IF I LIKE THE NAME I THINK YOU HAVE HALF A CHANCE! YES I BACKED A WINNER! A LOVELY SLEEK BROWN HORSE NAMED "AT THE ROXY"..HOW COULD I POSSIBLY GO WRONG!!! IF ONLY I'D PUT A LITTLE MORE THAN $2 EACH WAY? THEN THERE WAS "RED-N-RICH" I PROBABLY WOULD BE HAD I INVESTED A LITTLE MORE THAN $4? AFTER A FEW WINS & A TRIFECTA SHARED BETWEEN SIX OF US A GREAT DAY WAS HAD.
LATER THAT EVENING WE RELAXED OVER A HEARTY ITALIAN MEAL & A FEW BOTTLES OF CELEBRATRY WINES.