Bass Point Reserve

Today, Sunday 29th of September, we had again perfect spring weather: Sunny, in the low twenties, no wind.

Too beautiful to stay home all day. I said to Peter let’s go somewhere where we can enjoy this beautiful sunny day!

So we ended up driving to Bass Point Reserve. But first we stopped at Shellharbour Village near the swimming pool where we bought some lovely ice-cream and took some photos.

We were extremely lucky to find a parking spot right in front of this place. It is unbelievable how many people had come today to this beautiful spot by the sea. Today is the Sunday before the long weekend, which people always love for a bit of a break. The school-kids are on holidays already. Lots of families go with them on some holiday outings. It is vacation time and lots of holiday places are booked out at this time of the year. Next weekend the crowds may be even larger with people having a long weekend, meaning they don’t have to go to work on Monday. I hope the kids are going to have as fine a weather as today for the rest of their holidays.

We finished our ice-creams and then we headed towards Bass Point Reserve.

This may be the spot where the ship had been sitting on the rocks. All American seaman were rescued, but some Australian rescuers lost their lives in this terrible night in 1941.

We found this sign a bit further on where we could park our car again.

From there we followed the signs hoping we’d end up at that little beach as indicated on one of the boards.

This sign was near the rocks. However this little beach must have been somewhere else. We decided we’d look for it another day. We had been out for nearly three hours and felt like heading back home for coffee and cake.

Many years ago we visited Bass Point Reserve quite often. It was great that today we could refresh our memory a bit. However we still aren’t quite sure which path leads to that little beach. I hope we can soon go back there. I really do want to see this little beach again!

Sunday with the Family

The guests arrive for my birthday supper on Sunday

Monika and Caroline spread out food and drinks for ten of us.

Granddaughter Krystal had baked a cake for the occasion.

I received some beautiful gifts:

Twenty Years ago

Peter with Caroline, Uta, Troy and Ryan in September 1993 in the park at Moss Vale Station — Peter with Caroline, Troy, Uta, and Ryan in September 1993 in the park at Moss Vale Station

Troy and Ryan are the twin sons of Monika.

The three sisters: Gaby, Caroline and Monika, as well as Monika's daughters, Tashi and baby Roxy. August 1993 — The three sisters: Gaby, Caroline and Monika, as well as Monika’s daughters, Tashi and baby Roxy.
1993

This picture was taken in front of Gaby’s house, probably on Gaby’s birthday

which was on the 28th of August.

Our Rental Car

How wonderful it was to have this rental car for a period of twelve days! What did we do with it? On the pick-up day, Tuesday 9th April, we travelled in it around locally. The following day we started our big trip through the outback of New South Wales and from there into the state of Victoria, where we first stayed at Mildura and then we travelled on to Melbourne.

On Wednesday, 10th April, we started before sunrise. We went up Macquarie Pass. Macquarie Pass is an 8 kilometre long section of the Illawarra Highway passing through Macquarie Pass National Park. It was opened in 1898. It is a very winding steep road through this beautiful National Park. Peter knows this section well for he travelled up and down this path every day when he worked at Robertson Station which is at the top of the escarpment. We went through Robertson on the way to Moss Vale. Moss Vale was our first stop. We had a lovely breakfast up there on that Wednesday morning.

There’s one picture of Moss Vale Station. The train from Sydney stops at Moss Vale on its way to Melbourne! We took a few pictures in the vicinity of the station. First of all we went to have some breakfast not far from the station where we stopped.

Inside the cafe where we had breakfast were some remarkable posters. The service was very friendly. The owner agreed to have his picture taken by me.

A beautiful restaurant near Moss Vale Station

THE ILLAWARRA

In April 2013 we hired a car in Wollongong for a period of twelve days. The first day Peter took the car for a test drive along the coast North of Wollongong. We drove across the Sea Cliff Bridge up to Bald Hill. When we arrived at Bald Hill we saw some signs out that the hang gliding would start soon. From Bald Hill we could see the Sea Cliff Bridge. We could also see the little beach that we always see from the train on the way to Sydney. The picture below shows the sandy way that leads to that little beach. We had stopped our car nearby. . On that day in April 2013 we drove up the escarpment for lunch. Near Bulli Lookout is a very nice place, called the Cliff Hanger Cafe. Yesterday I did publish a blog about this place!

Cliff Hanger Cafe

I mentioned the Cliff Hanger Cafe already in another blog. We had scones with lovely fresh cream there! It was great to have lunch in a place like this with a beautiful view down to the coast. Can’t believe nearly half a year is gone since this day of driving around in the Illawarra and having lunch at the Cliff Hanger Cafe.

Sea Cliff Bridge

The Sea Cliff Bridge as seen from Bald Hill

On Tuesday, the 9th of April 2013, we picked up a rental car in Wollongong. Our first stop was for a cup of coffee at Austinmer Beach.

This is the place where we had coffee right opposite the beach. — Here we had coffee right opposite the beach.

There's a Swimming Pool at Austinmer Beach. — There’s a Swimming Pool at Austinmer Beach.

And here I am being photographed with a happy young woman from China! — And here I am being photographed with a happy young woman from China .

This young woman had come with a lot of other Chinese people on a tourist bus that stopped near the beach just for a few minutes. This friendly young woman asked Peter to take some pictures of her. And she also wanted to be photographed together with me! After this interlude we drove further up north. There is this little beach that we can always see from the train on the way to Sydney. We stopped briefly near that little beach. Then we drove up to Bald Hill where we could see this little beach from the top and we could also see the Sea Cliff Bridge.

This is near that little beach where we had just stopped the car.

From Bald Hill we had a great look at the little beach.

The Sea Cliff Bridge as seen from Bald Hill

On that Tuesday we also went from Bald Hill up the escarpment to Bulli Lookout where we had something to eat at the Cliffhanger Cafe. All these places are in our area. .

Father’s Day last Year

On Sunday, the 2nd of September 2012, Peter and I had a lovely day with our youngest daughter. This was Fathers Day here in Australia!

DSCN3532 — We took a walk to this lovely lake site.

Last Tuesday, 17th September 2013, we took a walk to this part of the lake. It rained a little bit. We mentioned to Martin, our son, who was with us, that we had been here last year on Father’s Day with daughter Caroline. On that day last year there had been glorious sunshine as can be seen on these pictures from last year.

Martin found out later, that this spot was actually on one of the two arms of Mullet Creek which both go into Lake Illawarra.

DSCN3533 — Peter took this picture of Caroline and me on Father’s Day in 2012

DSCN3525 — Along this footpath we walked back to where the car was parked

DSCN3547 — At Forest Grove we were being served beautifully brewed tea which was being kept hot with tea-lights.

Peter on Father’s Day 2012

Sea Cliff Bridge, Monday, 16th September

We had dared to leave the car to take a walk across the bridge. It did not rain very much, just a drizzle. Three people, one man and two women, came along the footpath of the bridge from the opposite direction. They stopped at this spot where some beautiful fresh flowers had been left. People leave flowers near the road where an accidental death has occurred, do they not? In this instance when we spotted the flowers we were thinking maybe someone had committed suicide by jumping off the bridge into the ocean underneath. This bridge seems to be an ideal spot for people wanting to jump. We had seen ‘Help Signs’ along the bridge where suicidal people are encouraged to use ‘Lifeline’. When I passed the three people who had stopped near the flowers, the man turned around and looked at me. I asked him whether he knew what had happened, whether someone had jumped. He answered. it had been an accident on a motorbike. Happened only two days ago on Saturday. He explained his 39 year old son had been speeding and was thrown out of the curve on the road of the bridge. Of course this man looked very distressed telling me this story and I said how sorry I was. Later on I told our son and Peter about it. Our son Martin, who had been driving us, said there would probably be some marks on the road where that motor-bike rider had been thrown out of the curve. And true enough when we looked for these marks on our way back, we could see them. They were still there despite the rain.

Martin and L had been visiting us from Sunday till Tuesday. Martin had rented a car at the airport. On that Monday he drove us first to the Bridge and then to Bulli Beach where we had a look at the Tourist Park. It was getting close to lunch-time. So we had some hot drinks and some fair dinkum Aussie food at the Tourist Park Coffee Shop.

We had a wonderful long weekend with our visitors. Our two daughters came to visit with their partners. On Sunday we went out for lunch, on Tuesday we had a home cooked meal with sauerkraut which everyone liked. The weather was terrible. Especially on Monday it was turning into a huge downpour all afternoon and right through the night. We were lucky that very early in the morning we had managed to go to Dapto’s open air solar heated pool. L swam 20 laps and Martin ‘only’ 12. He said he was a bit out of practice. I also had a lovely swim. Peter did not want to go to the pool. That meant he had a chance to sleep in a bit.

On Tuesday we went for some beautiful walks along the lake. The rain had eased off, just a bit of a drizzle from time to time. No sunshine whatsoever. Still we enjoyed our walks. Only Tuesday afternoon, when Martin and L had to leave for the airport, the sun finally came out to brighten the day.

Diary, 10th September 2013

I wrote the following during the last weekend in July.

“I had taken the painkilling tablets the doctor had prescribed for me. I was supposed to take three times two tablets per day, however not more than six a day with intervals of at of at least six hours. For three days I took the six tablets per day. On Friday I already felt much better. I walked a lot in the sun. The right hand didn’t feel as painful any more. There was still some feeling of pins and needles, but I was able to do a lot more house-work than during the past few weeks. Friday afternoon Irene and Marion came to my place. We played a game of scrabble as we always do when we meet on a Friday afternoon. Then we had our coffee break. And after coffee and cake it was time for some games of Rummy. Irene said she’d have to leave early for her son was to come to have dinner with them. She went home just before five. We had had three hours of togetherness. For me three hours was plenty. I honestly felt very, very tired and was glad when Marion decided to go home too. Maybe she would have liked to stay a bit longer. I don’t know. However I did not hold back and proclaimed that I felt dead tired and desperately needed a bit of a rest. I did lie down on the sofa in the living-room.”

When I go over this what I wrote in July I can see that really not much has changed. The doctor recommends an operation. It looks like I may have to go along with it. Tomorrow week I am going to see the specialist. He is probably going to book me in for this operation on my wrist. It is a pinched nerve I have in my wrist. There is a waiting list. I have been warned that it may take more than six months before I can have the operation. Well, I think my condition is not life threatening. However it can be rather painful at times. I can cope with a bit of pain, especially since I do take these pain killing tablets it is really not so bad. I feel always better when I can take relaxing walks, swim a bit and have a few laughs in good company. I also love to eat mostly vegetarian food adequately spiced with lots of different herbs. Everything I eat has to be soft enough for me to chew. This coming Friday I am going to get my new dentures. I am very much looking forward to this!

And I am looking forward to a great family reunion next Sunday: Our son from Melbourne is coming to visit us with his wife. They can stay for two nights only. Then they fly back to Melbourne. So on Sunday the whole family wants to meet somewhere for lunch.

I often go for walks along the reserve behind our house. The other day I took some pictures again while Peter did a training run on the grass around the whole place.