Part of caring for someone with dementia is caring for yourself and that is what this trip to Sydney and up the coast to Eumundi was all about.
With our overnight bags packed with the basics in the way of clothes and more bags with water, snacks and food, we were ready to go. We took the train around 9:30 am into the city were Vi-Lay had booked the hire car. I’m glad we went early as Vi-Lay wanted to check that her travel insurance would cover the trip for accidents with the car if needed. This took ages and still we didn’t get a positive affirmation so we decided to take the hire car total cover which was only $60. It was worth the price for peace of mind.
While Vi-Lay was held up on the phone I was taken to our car with our luggage. It seemed that the car had not been returned with a full tank, which meant we either waited for it to be topped up or took another car. We took the alternative. We had wasted enough time and wanted to get going.
I had planned to catch up with my business partner, Grace enroute to collect some advertising postcards to give out to seniors along the way. We rendezvoused at Thornleigh McDonald – a good spot for both of us as well as a morning coffee stop before we started our journey north.
With 50 postcards and a few left from my efforts in Perth, I was now fired up to hand them out and started right there, having spotted a few seniors enjoying their coffee. I was glad they didn’t seem to mind being interrupted to hear about my new venture. I found most people I spoke to were very interested but it wasn’t till I had arrived in Eumundi that I realised I should have been more proactive, collecting names and email addresses to keep them inform of the progress. Never mind, the Lord will provide in His perfect timing as He has faithfully done in the past.
Vi-Lay had done her homework and mapped out our itinerary north. I had done a bit of a search to see what there was of interest along the way but her thorough planning had times and places noted along the way with destinations where she had booked our accommodation well in advance. I was blessed to have such a well organised navigator. I took the helm, being the more confident driver, which was perfect as I really enjoy driving. Which was made all the more easy as I didn’t have to try to work out which road or exit to take over some of the tricky intersections.
Our first planned stop out of Sydney was Karuah where we wanted to check out Munchies Café north of Newcastle. What a disappointment. There really wasn’t much to choose from in the way of lunch. We kept going up the main highway to Laurieton, just north of Taree, where we were booked into the motel. Before looking around the town we needed to check-in before a certain time. We found the Hotel and the Motel rooms out back where we could park the car. It wasn’t so obvious where the Motel reception was so we wandered around passing through the bottle shop. No wrong way. As we came back through we asked the attendant where to go. He said right here, he had our key! There was no reception and he was about to go off duty so we were just in time. We unloaded then came back through for the wifi password. We shouldn’t have bothered as it didn’t work in the rooms anyway. Shame! We then headed off to Camden Head by the sea for a spectacular sunset sky reflected in the river.
After parking the car outside our room we wandered down the main street looking for somewhere to eat. We ended up going to two places – an Indian and then a Thai restaurant for plate of fresh stir fried greens. We also stopped off at Coles which was just across the driveway from our room. I had a $50 Coles voucher which I had claimed from my online survey rewards that I was eager to use. But this was not to be as the girl at the register was unable to scan it. Never mind. Vi-Lay had found milk on special, with an expiry date for the next day. It was 14 cents. What a bargain!The motel room was a reasonable size with a small fridge and attached bathroom. The windows unfortunately let in a lot of light which is not so good for someone who doesn’t sleep well. Praise God I brought my eyeshades. Then at about 3 am our neighbour started packing his car before headed off. Little did we know this was going to be our most spacious and comfortable abode of our trip north.
As we were up early we decided to head up to Laurieton Lookout before leaving. From here there was an amazing view over all the lakes and inlets which glistened in the morning sun. Behind us was a rainforest which was still wet from the light rain overnnight. Vi-Lay and I decided to go for a bit of a walk along one of the tracks. We were joined by a bush turkey which scampered up the trail ahead of us. It was a trail, more than a wide track, as we brushed through the ferns and fought off the mosquitos. As it became a little more over grown, I was getting eaten alive, so we decided to head back and take a more open track which clambered down the hillside over rocks and then up the other side onto a wider paved track. We hadn’t realised I was not the only one getting eaten, when we got back to the car Vi-Lay felt a tickle and realised she had two leeches clinging to her legs! Don’t panic, just get back to the motel as quick as possible, where Vi-Lay had a little sachet of salt for McDonalds. This worked a treat as within seconds the leeches squirmed and dropped off leaving two itchy red spots. Thank God we hadn’t checked out as we thought we might. We were able to have a hot shower and tidy up before leaving.
Back on the road again we skirted around Port Macquarie to avoid traffic, heading for Nambucca Heads, where we planned to take a stroll along the Boardwalk from the Visitor Information Centre. It was a lovely stroll along the river mouth towards the ocean, chatting to some locals fishing off the boardwalk along the way. At the mouth of the estuary there was a rocky pier where people had painted messages on the rocks. Very colourful and quite interesting to read.
Next stop was Coffs Harbour where Wi-Lay dropped in to visit her new boss who’s located at the regional office, where I went in search of a neck massage. It was quite a walk; I found out after asking people on the street, that the original place had closed it had moved. When I eventually found it at the other end of town it was closed for the day! Blow! I walked back towards the car, found a park where I could wait for Vi-Lay and relaxed.
We continued north through Maclean which is a Scottish town displaying their heritage with tartan light posts and on shops. Next we wanted to try the infamous Woombah Coffee. We had to get there before 4:40 pm when it closed. It didn’t take us long, arriving at 3:30pm. There was no one there! We stopped to ask the volunteer firemen across the road and were told that it had been quiet so they went home early! Such is life in a country town, so we missed out. We drove a little further into town to see if we could sample the coffee there but again, one place was closed and the other didn’t serve Woombah Coffee! What! That seemed a bit strange being so close! Never mind it was obviously not to be.
Evans Head was our next destination, Hotel Illawong our resting place for the night. Before we checked in we wanted to check out Elm Street to see if the seafood at the Marina was worth a taste. It was closed! So off to the hotel to book in, unload our bags and open the window for some fresh air. The room was piping hot with no cross ventilation unless we left the doors and windows open which we couldn’t do unless we were there. Thank God we were able to leave one window open as it had a fly screen and opened onto a balcony.
We checked out the hotel food then wandered around the town looking for something enticing. In the end we gave up, I wasn’t in the mood to go any further as I had a headache and was exhausted. We took the advice of a local, for the Chinese food at another pub. Wrong move! It was terrible! That is for two women who know what real Chinese food is like! There was quite a selection on the menu but glancing around at the other tables it was obvious the same thing just with different gluggy sauces! Not at all what we were used to!
Back at the hotel one good thing was the woman’s bathroom was just across the corridor from us and it seemed we were the only women around, at least for a moment. We left our room door open to make the most of the cross ventilation till the men started wandering up and down the passageway. By then the room had cooled down quite a bit, although we did leave the outside door and windows open all night. In the morning I noticed the occupant next door had his dog tied up on the balcony. I seemed there were quite a few construction workers in town camping at the hotel.
Friday, we were off early again after collecting things we had left in the hotel fridge, including our milk on special which was lasting well even though it was now past the expiry date. It shows you can’t trust expiry dates. My theory is that if it smells and tastes ok, then it is ok. These were all wrapped up and put in a box in the boot of the car for safe keeping before heading to Shark Bay which is 5 minutes away and as we walked along another pier, we met another fisherman. This time as I was approaching him I noticed something jump out of the water and thought it was a flying fish. I followed the dark shape as it swam towards the pier when I realise it was a stingray. Wow! What an amazing experience. I had never seen a stingray leap out of the water before, it was truly incredible.
We then stopped off at Razorback Lookout for another spectacular view. Not much of a drive today after the 5 hr trip yesterday it was a great relief. I don’t mind driving but my neck doesn’t like it.
Broadwater was our next stop. We passed our first cane fields and had to stop for photos beside the wall of tall sugar cane. Our Daily Bread Café was our next stop where I ate my breakfast and Vi-Lay her scones, jam and cream. They did look very nice. We even met the café owner. I had been told by staff that I would not be able to eat my own food but when told it was a special diet they said that was ok. There was a guy sitting at the next table who mentioned I was not permitted to eat my own food. I explained that the staff had given me permission. Later the staff told me he was the owner.
Stopping along the way for a coastal walk along Wategos Beach, we took and some beautiful photos before heading to Byron Bay and cruising up to Cape Byron Headlands for a look at the Lighthouse. For a tourist attraction, the parking was very expensive, so we decided not to park. Instead Vi-Lay jumped out for a quick walk towards the lighthouse and for a few photos as I double parked with the parking attendant’s permission.
A little further up the coast was our next abode at Varsity Lakes were we stayed at a private home advertised through Booking.com (but more like Airbnb). After dropping our things, we headed to Southport where I had an appointment with a tattooist. I had heard about this lady from a friend in Sydney. She works part-time with plastic surgeons so I knew I was in good hands. We had to wait a bit for her to arrive as she was just coming back from a holiday with her daughter. I would have preferred Vi-Lay to be with me to decide on the shape, which if first drawn on, but she wanted to get to Seaworld for a 3:30 pm Dolphin show. As things were dragging on we decided it was better for Vi-Lay to do her thing and I could send her some photos to peruse and comment on. This worked out well as it took quite some time to choose the right colour and draw the shape. There was a bit of adjusting then the real thing. By this time the local anaesthetic cream had worn off but because it could rub off the drawn brows I had to withstand the outline being tattooed before relief came. It wasn’t as bad as I expected. Vi-Lay arrived just before the completed work to watch. It must have taken a few weeks for me to adjust from having no brows (Halipasia) to such dark ones. Thank God they wouldn’t stay dark!
Enroute back to our accommodation we stopped off at a delicious Thai Restaurant in Southport. When we arrived back, the other boarder had locked himself out of his room and the hosts were in Brisbane. There was quite a hullabaloo trying to find the spare key as the hosts only wanted Vi-Lay to look for it as they were in the back of their linen cupboard. It was lovely they felt they could trust her. I was exhausted and stayed in our room getting ready for an early night.
Saturday, we were on the road for the last time. We drove north, bypassing the toll roads as we entered Brisbane. This was quite a manoeuvre, I was so glad to have Vi-Lay navigating the spaghetti intersections! Safely out the other side, we took the highway to Maroochydore, where we dropped off the car near the airport, remembering to fill the tank first. We had to go back twice as, after filling up the first time, the gauge didn’t register full and we didn’t want to pay the extra for a partly full tank.
My sister Jen picked us up and drove to Eumundi, dropped us at her house and showed us our rooms before heading off to work. The Eumundi Markets are basically across the road from the house. We were just in time for a late lunch. We couldn’t believe our eyes when we saw a vendor selling Rotti Chani just like in Malaysia! They were just about to close by the time we found them. The markets were an amazing array of stalls selling local produce of all sorts. I hear it’s quite famous throughout the world as a tourist destination.
Photos: 1. Camden Heads and a spectacular sunset reflected in the river 2. Laurieton Lookout 3. Panoramic sunset 4. Painted rocks, Nambucca Heads 5. Razorback Lookout 6. Cane fields 7. Our Daily Bread Café 8. Cape Byron Headlands lighthouse 9. Under the ink
Prayer & Praise Points:
Praise the Lord for His help with Mum especially during my time in Sydney. Praise Him for Kat being able to stay with her during this time away.
Please continue to pray for the right residential home for Mum when she eventually needs to move out of her home. She is on several wait lists but these can take ages to work through the list. I’m believing the right place will come up at the right time. It’s always the Lord’s perfect timing I have found. So I’m just trusting Him to make a way where there seems to be no way. Amen!
Please pray for Trisha who has not been communicating with any of us sisters since the tribunal. Please pray for reconciliation and peace between us.
I appreciate your ongoing prayers for the business, Senior’s Benefits and Rewards. We are still looking for someone to assist us with marketing ideas but things are moving on.
Thank you once again to all my supportive friends and prayer partners, knowing you stand with me in prayer is a real encouragement and strength.