We are feeling very lucky. We know there are so many people still under a lot of stress due to COVID-19. Here’s hoping that things will settle down sooner rather than later.
For now, the Eddingtons are still making our way around the country. We realised that at this time of year, we would usually be making our way back to Beijing to start preparing for the next school year. It feels quite strange not to be doing that, especially when we know our colleagues are already working towards a start up plan. We wish them all the best as they navigate restrictions and displaced teachers all over the world try to get home.
What has happened since we last wrote… We made it through the Queensland border, no worries. It took us 13 minutes, nothing like the 2 hours we were expecting. It felt good once we got through and were heading north towards Brisbane. We were excited about catching up with friends and experiencing warmer weather.
Our first stop was a stay with the Dorrs. Our good friends who we have kept in contact with since they left Beijing many years ago. The kiddies hit it off, as usual, and Mia and Oliver were particularly excited to be hanging out with people their own age. They haven’t spoken to a ‘real’ teenager face to face since leaving for Chinese New Year holiday mid-January. The Dorrs looked after us, and Cam helped us with some helpful tips on van maintenance and destinations.
On the Sunday, we trekked out to Kangaroo Point Cliffs for a day of city cycling. The city cycle hire was easy and fun. Brisbane is a great place to wander around and safe riding for the kids. We lunched at Southbank, then went over a few bridges to trek back to the cars. It was beautiful weather and showed us how vibrant and warm Brisbane is. A fantastic day for all of us. Thank you Dorrs!
After leaving the Dorrs, we continued on our BCIS family tour and headed north to visit Sally and Steve Allnut. We started early hoping to get a hike on the way. After a little research, we went seeking a tunnel walk. It ended up I didn’t research enough. We went down a no-through road with no turning circle at the end! The positive thing was we got to practice reversing the van. We still went for a small hike, but it wasn’t as exciting as trying to turn the van around on a dirt track.
During lunch, I researched more places in the area and found Kondalilla Falls. We checked to make sure it had a turning circle first. This was a beautiful walk, and we wished we had more time to explore the area. Even though we went through some scary, windy and steep roads to get there.
We finally found Sally and Steve, and had a small heart attack looking at their driveway. But we made it up the hill and into the their beautiful newly bought property. It was amazing with a huge garden, including a bamboo forest. Sally and Steve quickly moved us in and we relaxed into country life. We ate like kings and queens and cooked using produce from the garden. It’s been 12 months since we last saw them, but it only felt like yesterday when we arrived. Thank you Sally and Steve! Good times!
Then we got word that my dad had hurt his leg body surfing and that they were heading to Coolum the next day. So we went to meet them to make sure all was well. The rain came down heavy, which added to mum and dad’s predicament. The news was not good… a fracture! Poor dad. But he is in good spirits and will hopefully enjoy the sunshine as he heals.
Getting ready to leave Sally and Steve, Dean discovered our first flat tyre on the van. We (Dean) learnt how to change a tyre with the support of a cheering squad watching on. We decided to head into Coolum for the night to fix the tyre and see mum and dad one more time before heading west.
With all things fixed, except Dad’s leg, it was time to move away from family and friends and start travelling west by ourselves. I was feeling strangely apprehensive as we left the Bruce highway and excited to see what we would do next. So, Outback Queensland, here we come.
Highlights so far:
Dean – Big things, especially the Big Prawn.
Mei – Playing with friends, it’s not so boring.
Mia/Oliver – Steve and Sally’s house – cooking, relaxing by the fire pit and the huge garden
Megan – Seeing old friends and catching up on old and new times
Bloggingtons 