Farewell Anna Bay

Before we report on the next leg of our journey north, here are more pictures from Anna Bay where we spent two months.

We were delighted to have Carolynne Gorman, an old schoolmate of Carol’s (All Hallows, Brisbane) visit in her powder blue Jag. Thanks for raising the tone, Carolynne!

We got together with old friends Bob and Judy Bottom at the Nelson Bay Golf Club for dinner. Bob and Judy have retired in Port Stephens and it has been a delight to reconnect after almost 30 years. I met Bob when we were journalists on the Daily Telegraph in 1969. We became firm friends, as did Judy and Carol and the kids, but later lost touch as we pursued different careers.

Bob went on to become a highly respected investigator of, and author of books on, organised crime while I branched into PR.

Our final farewell was by niece Mary Dique (not pictured). She crashed her car on the way up from Sydney, switched to the train, only to find there was no connecting bus to Anna Bay after arriving in Newcastle. After SOS’ing us on her mobile we met for a great cheer-up lunch at The Brewery on the Hunter. By the way, Mary survived the crash uninjured.

Our final picture is of Carol in her element atop an enormous Aboriginal midden at Birubi Point carbon dated at more than 1200 years, an area once occupied by the Worimi tribe.

More news soon.