After a long day yesterday, I finished writing the blog just after 12:30 AM, so I took the opportunity to sleep in a bit. The weather forecast had predicted some rain, which turned out to be accurate. It was the first rainfall we had experienced since arriving, and an interesting aspect of the rain here is the intense humidity that accompanies it. Originally, the plan was to spend the day at Umina Beach, enjoying the sun, sand, and ocean. However, with the rain setting in, a beach day was no longer feasible.
When packing for this trip, we had prepared for about seven days' worth of clothing. Now on our eighth day, it was time to do some laundry. We gathered our clothes, sorted them into two loads, and started the first one in our host’s washing machine. The cycle took just over an hour, after which we removed the clothes and hung them on the clothesline under the porch, where a second line had been set up. The primary clothesline was exposed to the rain, which was just beginning to subside. With the first load drying, we started the second load and then headed to Bunnings at McGraths Hill. Bunnings is like our Rona or Home Depot back home. Steve picked up a garden hose sprayer and a sprinkler.
From there we went to Dan Murphy's to pick up a couple bottles of wine and a case of Steve's favourite beer, and then continued on to The Butler's Pantry Cafe that is located in Redbank, a brand new subdivision full of beautiful homes. We had lunch at the cafe with Laureen and I sharing a club sandwich and I had a latte (dark roast - ewwww). If you know me, I'm a light-roast-pour-over kind of guy. The cafe was fantastic and the neighbourhood was just the kind of place I would chose to live in.
After lunch we went back to their home where the second load of laundry had completed and the rain had now given way to the sunshine. We could now hang the second load of laundry on the bigger clothes line so they would hopefully dry before it was time to bring them in for the night. With all the humidity, it might be close.
Later that afternoon, Margaret's sister Jennifer and her husband Tony stopped by for a visit. Margaret has invited a number of family to come by on Saturday but Jennifer and Tony have a previous commitment. It was a fantastic visit as they shared some of their travel stories. They are doing a South Africa safari in a few weeks, so we shared some of our African photo's and stories. Especially our challenging day leaving Africa. Jennifer relayed some stories about Margaret's childhood that explains a few things about what we have come to know about her. Let's just call her the chicken whisperer. 😜
We said goodbye to Jennifer and Tony and then started removing clothes from the clothesline. Not all of them were dry yet as thicker items (denim etc.) were still damp, so I removed what I could and left the rest. There are some clothes that seem to travel better than others. I'll have to take note of those items for any further trips.
We decided on pizza for dinner, so Margaret ordered from a place that they normally go to for this Italian delight - Aroma Pizza and Pasta. Steve and I jumped in his truck and drove to the establishment to pick them up. They were just in the oven when we arrived, so we waited for about 5 minutes before they came out, piping hot, in their boxes. The short trip home allowed them to cool just enough to make them the perfect eating temperature.
We then gathered the rest of our laundry off of the line and some of it what still not quite dry. I guess the humidity, the short amount of sun and the lack of breeze made it a challenging situation. We spread the ones out that were still a bit damp in the spare room with the fan going. I'm sure they will be dry by morning. We'll have to pack tomorrow during the day as we leave for Brisbane on Sunday morning. We'll spend four days (three nights) on our own there before we hop on a plane to Cairns and meet up with Margaret and Steve, and Alf and Di.
I took very few pictures today, except a few of the foliage in Steve's garden, so I'll share those here. His yard is quite beautiful.
Curt & Laureen in Australia
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