Family & Friends

Hostess Audrey Putts out
Happy 86th Birthday Aunty Dympna

Trish, Mark, Helen holding grandaughter, Murray & Michelle

L-R Benn, Daina, Sam, Peter, Peter, Ret, Dympna, Tony, Yudian & Murray

Sun Princess - our home for the next 13 days

It is February already - the year is really zinging along for us and I daresay for you as well. We have had several family get togethers and some delightful catch ups with old friends. First of all we celebrated Australia Day (26 Jan) with the annual Watson golf tournament at our friends Audrey & Grant Watson's place -they have landscaped their sloping front yard and built one grass green and 4 tee-offs. Quite a challenging course but with a fantastic view.

On 30 January we celebrated our Aunt's 86th birthday with a family lunch at Lennox Heads. It is one of life's pleasures for me to dine while looking over water, and this was no exception. The ocean was beautiful.

Friends of our from our Point Cook Air Force days, Helen & Mark, were in the area visiting their daughter Michelle who we hadn't seen for about 18 years. Benn & Kim used to play with her when they were all around 10-12 years old. She now has a son and daughter of her own and it was lovely to catch up with them all. The Ballina RSL Club catered for our lunch well, with the added advantage of the lovely view over the Richmond River. That same day we also had a family dinner there to welcome friends Bev & Keith from Alice Springs. Bev & my sister Gemma went to school together and have been good friends for over 50 years. They are visiting Ballina for a while, and in fact they are houseminding our B&B while we are on the cruise.

Cruise you say, what cruise? My aunt, her school friend Dorothy, my brother Tony his wife Yudian, my sister Loretta (Ret) and her husband Peter, plus Murray & I are heading off today for a 13 day cruise from Sydney to New Zealand and return. We stop at 6 ports and cruise the Bay of Islands up north as well as the Fjordlands down south. Last night my son Benn, his girlfriend Daina and Ret's son Peter and his fiancee Sam met together with all the cruising party for dinner. We had a sumptuous feast at a Chinese restaurant in the heart of Sydney. A great prelude to our coming adventure on the high seas...well, let the seas be high, but please let them be calm......fortunately our cabin has a balcony so we can get fresh air. Watch out for photos from the cruise on the next blog.