Now that I have realised that a blog is a bit like keeping a diary that is shared with family and friends I have made a page to do just that.
Today I have been re-orientating myself to life in Nelson and life at the Arrow Motel after a very pleasant break in Australia. John and I returned last night at 10.15pm. I have to say the most noticeable feature immediately was the cold as when we left the local temp was 28oC,
We left NZ on 5th June via Sydney to Coolangatta. We then transferred to the Mantra-on-Salt resort where preparations for the Host Accommodation conference were well underway. John had a Board meeting to attend the first afternoon so I set out for a walk. A very lovely area but it got very hot and I had been up very early so I returned to our room and had a little rest before going to the little seaside cafe for dinner.
Next day we were fully into the conference. Very interesting speakers, good chance to meet new people and to catch up with friends who we only talk to no the phone the rest of the year.
Sunday at the conclusion of the conference we collected a rental car and and began the long drive up to see Tim and Jen In Cairns. First evening we went as far as Maroocydore to see our friends Marianne and Bill. After catching up on all their news and sharing news from Nelson we set out 2 days later getting as far as Hervey Bay. A lovely spot, very pleasant stay. Next day was the big one. We set out early and drove for many hours to arrive at Airlie Beach. It was dark and raining but the motel was very comfortable and after we had eaten a very reasonably priced roast dinner at the local club we felt much better. We left the next day in beautiful weather. First we visited Hideaway Bay an eco friendly resort on the beach. It was lovely walking on the sand and enjoying the good coffee. We then made our way up to Townsville stopping for food and petrol along the way. Townsville was a bit busier than we anticipated so we booked in to a motel on the Esplanade as soon as we saw one with a vacancy. It was cheap and very well used but clean. There was a big refurbishment in progress so next time it will be fabulous. We treated ourselves to a lovely meal at a Greek restaurant in the evening as there were no cooking options. Friday was another great day weatherwise with not too far to our destination so we visited Reef Headquarters before we left Townsville and made the acquaintance of a number of species of tropical fish and coral. Further up the coast we visited a sugar museum as we were by now driving through acres of sugar cane. Reached Cairns in the early evening and settled into our apartment which was just perfect for our week in Cairns.
