Toowoon Bay and the run home - 4 - 23 January

Toowoon Bay is our end of Christmas school holidays annual pilgrimage.  We had some time to kill, however, before our booking there commenced and so spent some time in Corlette with Jada's sister and partner, then in Newcastle with Jada's folks.  Jada also spent a couple of days in the city with Laura and her kids (from Melbourne and who we caught up with in Lorne on the Great Ocean Road a year earlier).  Jada's friends Lindy, Sarah and Helen came to visit us in Newcastle which was great.

At Toowoon Bay we have the company of other families from the Gordon area including the Sweeneys, the Heaps, the McWilliams' and the Thompsons.  The kids look forward to the fun and freedom each year - long may the tradition continue!

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I had been harassing Ali from day one to learn the Banjo Patterson poem, The Man From Snowy River.  By July she had it wired but would not let me post a recording on this site.  I convinced her to recite it around a couple of campfires and on one occasion in front of a large gathering at the Undara Lava Tubes.  Unfortunately I was concentrating on coaxing her to do it and did not record that recital.  I recorded the below video at Canungra in Queensland where the cicadas and I were the only audience.  Much to Ali's annoyance I now feel compelled to post a copy here both for prosperity and to acknowledge my admiration and pride in her.