Australia – the new normal
Julie and I enjoyed a couple of walks along the coastline in the national parks near Sydney
The last two and a half years Julie and I have been unintentionally redefining what ‘normal’ means to us. Is our new normal living in Tramp and travelling the world? Is it couch surfing with family and friends when we’re temporarily back in Australia? Is it being permanently retired? Is it being grandparents? Or perhaps in this mixed-up phase of our lives it’s just a little bit of everything. Whatever it is, we returned from a fabulous three months in southern Africa to reconnect with our new normal Australia, which above all else means family and friends. And didn’t we love it!
The most important feature of our new normal in Australia is a beautiful new granddaughter, a smiling and healthy Leah Katherine – who was born only a week or so after we had returned from Africa. Julie and I immediately went into our much loved grandparent role, helping Anna and Carl settle in with beautiful little Leah while supporting her 20 month old big sister, Abby. Grandparenting rocks!
Proud grandparents get their first cuddle of Leah on her first day
And then there were four…Abby says hello to her new baby sister
Little baby Leah loves her Nanna
We spent quite a bit of time in Anna and Carl’s granny flat, supporting Anna with her two daughters when Carl was out on his gruelling shift work. We enjoyed watching how Abby instantly became a loving big sister and relished watching another infant wondrously take in her new world. Great fun indeed.
Anna put me to work straight away with some painting and other odd jobs around their beaut little home
But it wasn’t all about grandchildren, although sometimes it seemed that way. Julie and I also spent quality time up at our property on the other side of the Blue Mountains and enjoyed our time around the fire surrounded by the stunning escarpments of the valley.
Ah, that’s what I needed, a little tractor time to reconnect with our property
Yes, well, not all our gear survived our prolonged absence, including our ancient farm ute
Cold mornings are best dealt with by a warm fire and an extra cup of coffee
I joined our two sons, Will and Zach, on a challenging exploratory overnight hike through spectacular countryside bordering the Wolgan Valley. It honestly doesn’t get any better than this.
Its easy to feel small amongst the grandeur of the bush, including these huge trees and the towering cliffs behind us
Our three packs enjoying the views from the valley rim
Climbing the rugged pagodas that cover the rim of the valley can be a little daunting at times but its all part of the fun
The three explorers enjoying the moment
We camped under a huge ledge at the base of the cliff line
And of course there was a fire to keep us warm
There’s nothing better than driving on good ole’ Aussie back roads, through small communities, past rich farmland or rolling paddocks with sheep or cattle happily grazing. We spent quite a few days on these rural roads as we passed between our property and our grandchildren. It was a great reminder that even though we have had an unbelievable time exploring the world our own backyard is pretty good too!
The quintessential Aussie bush setting, great to see on our long rural drives
The quirky village of Trunkey Creek features a number of interesting buildings and a historic pub with a great name
Every mail box deserves its unique features
We also caught up with family and friends, revisited some of our favourite Aussie restaurants, spent time bushwalking along the coast or up in the mountains and generally settled back into this life of leisure.
Good food, good company, good fun
In the summer this hidden-away little beach is said to be a nudist spot. Sadly it was empty on this crisp winter’s day
A fabulous reward on this short walk in the park
Through Julie’s sister we also had the chance to do a presentation at the local library about our Follow the Sun travels and were able to share some of our stories and adventures of 543 days on the road with a curious audience.
Up to 70 people came to listen to Julie and I talk about Follow the Sun…and everyone knows I love an audience
Another shot of the Wolgan Valley from the top of the escarpment
Mail boxes always feature in any Aussie rural drive
Loved this post Billl with the Australian countryside snaps. Thrilled for you both with the arrival of Leah. Hugs. Tracy and Les
Thanks Tracy, we’re loving our double grandparents time! Take care, Bill
You sure have covered some miles since you returned home, and the photos are just as spectacular…although nothing beats a good grandparents cuddle photo.
Have fun at all your destinations, and welcome back to your new reality (at least for a while).
Anne
xoxoxo
Thanks Anne. We look forward to catching up with you and Steve sometime soon.
Bill