A little bit of a big bit

 

Hervey Bay

Wally on the beach

Hervey Bay

So here I am in a campervan a long way from my little village. It took three days to get here - Hervey Bay - a small town on the east coast of Australia. With a big thanks to Mark who drove us to Heathrow early on a Monday morning and that wasn't an easy drive thanks to Google taking us round the back roads from MK to Heathrow. So from Heathrow via Changi to Brisbane and then driving a campervan up the coast, it was quite a trek.

Australia is massive and feels even more so when you hit the road. There is a big emptiness. Thanks to Google once more for taking us on a circuitous route to our little campsite, it seemed even further into the wilds. Driving a campervan takes a little getting used to but we conquered that pretty quickly. We are working out the quirks of life in a van too. We squeeze past each other in the small space and have managed cooking and sleeping arrangements - Yay! Sophie and I have been in situ for a few days now and we are getting into the local way of life and practicing the local lingo!

As with all people who live in a different country to their birth, there are things we miss. Mine was always Marmite! Doug, my cousin, likes Piccalilli so I packed some especially. To protect the jars in my suitcase, I made sure I had my trusty orange hard shell case for the trip. It is a bit cumbersome in the van so I huff and puff every time I need to get into it. This old case now has dodgy locks and the strap I put round it to ensure it remains shut, also has a dodgy lock. As I slip the plastic prongs into the lock of the strap, the numbers slip round and then I need to spend an age trying to work out what the new release combination is. Errr. Now the jars are no longer in the bag, a hard shell case is excess to needs. 

So, on first impressions Hervey Bay is lovely and, as the locals say; it is full of the newly wed and the nearly dead! We came all the way here for Doug's 80th birthday. And what a great night it was - or should I say a great three nights of celebrating. I have met up with cousins from all over and I am so honoured to be a little bit of a very big family that knows how to party!

 

The beach here at Hervey Bay is quite spectacular. I have dipped my toes in the waters and also kayaked - it is years since I did that but, like falling off a bike, you never forget how to do it. I have also got Sophie on a bike and dragged her on walks through woods with big bats hanging from the trees. I am giving her the typical Woolhead treatment, except I haven't got her lost as yet. There is time for that. This is just a little bit of our big adventure!