Tuesday (3 May) the weather was inclement so we had a lazy day indoors while the family were at school and work so, trying to help out a bit, I prepared the family dinner for the evening. Having eaten we had a quiet night in.

Wednesday morning we awoke to a nice day so Richard and I headed out to Soldiers Beach to have a look out for humpback whales as they have started their annual northerly migration. Sadly none were spotted but we enjoyed just watching the water, the surfers and the kids having a surfing lesson. Lots of fun was obviously had by all.

Moving on we headed around the coast to Avoca Beach. We were surprised by how busy this beautiful spot was but then realised that teachers, employed in state schools in NSW, were on strike so the kids were enjoying an unexpected day off LOL. We watched some intrepid kids jumping off the rocks into the water – they were clearly having a lot of fun too. And check out these youngsters heading out to sea in their kayaks to go fishing – they start them young here! Eventually, having walked for a while, we had a late lunch out on the waterfront before heading back to Green Point.

Back at home we welcomed the family back from work / school (the boys were not impressed that their teachers didn’t strike LOL) and had a movie night in.

Thursday was a bit of a rainy day so we stayed at home sorting out more of our belongings in the garage – still puzzling over what to do with the dive gear – and sorted out clothes in preparation for our holiday to Tasmania. We also did some admin and chased up the Hope Island hire car company as they had not refunded our bond – they said that our card had been declined (really, for a credit not a debit?!?) so we supplied another card and this went through. Phew! And that was about it for the day apart from a bit of shopping and cooking the family dinner again…

Friday we awoke to another lovely sunny day – although a bit chilly in the shade – and headed out towards Terrigal. As we walked down the drive we realised that there was a kookaburra sitting on the postbox. He wasn’t bothered by us at all so we sat and watched him for a little while before he flew away. Just lovely to see him…

On the way to Terrigal we visited another laundry in Kincumber to get our fleeces and winter clothes refreshed in time for our trip down south.

On arrival we wandered the board walk followed by the promenade and stopped for a drink overlooking the bay just enjoying the views plus some lovely pelicans. Checking the horizon it was obvious that the sea was running really hard so we checked out the swell to find it was 4m which would make pretty feisty conditions out there, so didn’t miss our sea-going days at this point LOL. Was a really lovely day.

In the evening we had a fun time after dinner watching Adam – who was playing with his new hoverboard. It was so funny – Budd didn’t know what to make of it so backed off when Adam approached him – then peeped round the corner and chased him until Adam chased him back and then Budd run off again. Absolutely hysterical! Here is the young man having fun….

Saturday morning we did some packing in preparation for our departure tomorrow for Sydney airport whilst the family took Budd out for a long walk. Here he is enjoying the view out over the water.

On their return we all headed out to the nearby Japanese botanical gardens for a look around – fed the koi carp and tried not to feed the very greedy ducks; enjoyed the serenity of the place; encouraged a bit of silliness; and admired the local art and pottery exhibited before having a bite to eat in the on-site cafe. And Richard definitely made the best choice with his huge piece of cake LOL. Was a really nice way to spend a few hours with the family.

Back home now and the kids are reconnecting with their friends online, Richard has washed our hire car, and Hayley and Jamie are on a clearing out spree! Tonight is take away and movie night so looking forward to our last family night here in Green Point before we leave here tomorrow to go to Sydney Airport; return the hire car; and check into the nearby Rydges hotel. Monday morning we fly to Tasmania. Woo hoo – I am very excited about this trip. We will be gone for 12 days and with a pretty full-on itinerary I’m not proposing to blog while we are away, although might tease with the odd photo on FaceBook LOL. So this will be it for a little while – more blogs to follow on our return to New South Wales.

Take care everybody and see you all very soon!

Jan