Oct 17 ... Mooloolaba

It is exactly 6 months today since we left home on this wonderful Winter Escape. As we think back on all that we have done it seems like a very long time has passed, but as we catch up with family and friends, and familiar places, it doesn't seem like long at all.
We have now been in Mooloolaba just over a week and for the most part we have enjoyed perfect beach weather. The seas have been calm and the winds minimal, just the way we like it.

The Spit, Mooloolaba

During the week we caught up on a few things like skin checks and a car service. We went to the movies, traded our "read" books, and sampled the flavours at the new gelato shop. Garry watched Australia win the Quarter Final, then lose the Semi Final of the Rugby World Cup, and we have laid in the sun and swum in the surf. Being here is always wonderfully indulgent and we still have quite a few things to enjoy this coming week.
One afternoon we spent some time watching the parasailers riding the wind currents that were coming off the cliffs. It all looked pretty scary to me.

After such a benign week, today came as quite a shock. It has been blustery, heavily overcast, showery and very cool ... and today was the day Maurn, Kerd, Lucy and Alex came to visit... at the van ! Socially it was a very pleasant day and really lovely to see them all, climatically it was challenging, resulting in most of us being in the van at one stage! It is only supposed to be like this for the one day ... and it had to be today !

Morning tea when the weather was "okay"

Afternoon tea when things were a little cooler.

This afternoon we watched yet another movie from our "collection". It has been excellent having this form of entertainment available to us during the trip and we were most fortunate to acquire such a resource. We have grown to enjoy listening to ABC radio, reading and completing crosswords. It has been especially nice to not be subjected to the commercial world. As we near the end of our trip I think it is the simplicity of this way of living that we will miss the most. For six months life has been exciting, interesting, varied and ... easy, and we really feel we have been very lucky on many levels.