Diary of Christmas 2013

On the morning of Christmas Eve we went first for a swim at Port Kembla Pool. Then we stopped at a park near the Lake. Caroline tries to decipher what it says on this stone. — On the morning of Christmas Eve we went first for a swim at Port Kembla Pool. After our swim we went to a park near the Lake Illawarra. Caroline tries to decipher what it says on this stone.

Here it says what these two islands are called.

The fourth Sunday of Advent this year was on the 22nd of December. As I mentioned before, Martin and S were with us on that day as well as on the 21st of December, our Wedding Anniversary. On Monday, the 23rd, Martin and Peter took S to the airport in Sydney in our rental car because S had booked a return flight to Melbourne for that day.

Then it was Caroline’s and Matthew’s turn to be picked up in Waverly, an Eastern Sydney suburb of Sydney, where they live.
Soon Martin and Peter arrived with Caroline and Matthew at our place in Dapto where we spent the next few days together. The busiest day for us was of course the 24th. A lot of preparations were made for Christmas Eve. We were in the end fifteen people (including little Lucas, who was asleep on his mum’s lap by the time a group picture was made).

Here now is a picture of all fifteen of us.

This is one of the pictures that Caroline took. So she is not in this one.

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

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. .

Our Rental Car

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.