Crusty is right here 31° 53′ 36.7926″ S 152° 30′ 17.39024″ E https://www.google.com/maps/place/-31.893553501325087+152.5048306211829 — Sent using GPS Share: http://goo.gl/VOcnaD Sent from portable device. Please make allowances for predictive txt

This morning we headed to Scotts Head surf beach, around 20km south of Nambucca Heads on the coast from Macksville. Macksville, along with Port Macquarie are renown shockers of holiday bottle necks on the Pacific Hwy.   Port Macquarie is bad because the dual lane highway reduces to single lane.   Mackville is horrible because there is only single lane bridge over the Nambucca River and there are 3 sets of traffic lights in the small town.   with both bottle necks there are no other viable ways to bypass to dreaded gridlocks. Scotts Head turn off is about 5km south of [ ... ]

Ross’s mate Bluey came down to Nambucca Heads with his family from Sapphire Beach north of Coffs Harbour. We caught up at our camp then all headed down to the inlet at the Nambucca River inside the river entrance where there is a safe kids beach.   Barb hire a standup paddle board for Daniel, which he mastered really quickly. The hire boards are soft foam and a little too flexible for Ross, but he managed to paddle it around kneeling down. The beach close to shore is very protected and very safe, but swim out about 20mtrs and running tide is very strong. After [ ... ]

Early start for Ross around 5.30am.  We’re leaving Evans Head today and Ross wanted some drone footage of the beach, and river bar. Unfortunately the sun was already up with a lot of glare, and nowhere for Ross to hide from the sun.   In full sun its impossible to see the drones FPV screen and what the drone camera is capturing.   Full sun also makes flying difficult and capturing footage very hit/miss We broke camp, headed out to the Pacific Hwy and south to Moonee Beach to meet a mate of Ross’s Bluey (Matt) at the Tavern for lunch. We spent a [ ... ]

Crusty is right here 30° 38′ 13.51005″ S 153° 0′ 48.58368″ E https://www.google.com/maps/place/-30.637086125873093+153.0134954676032 — Sent using GPS Share: http://goo.gl/VOcnaD Sent from portable device. Please make allowances for predictive txt

The NSW Dept of Primary Industries has commenced a trial program using drone operators to patrol popular beaches after last years shark attack, and the significant increase in shark sightings particularly in NSW.   Theres a few other efforts being trialed at the same time. Signs are dotted about informing people of the drone trials Daniel went to the skate park this morning, which is just behind the caravan park.   Daniel is taking as much advantage as he can of the skate parks near the caravan parks we’ve stayed in.   He can go to the skate park, give it a good nudge [ ... ]

Boxing day here at Evans Head, the traditional day where families who have tooooo much time together like to fight and box each others ears.   Its still very quite with a few vacant sites dotted around the caravan park The bar entrance into the Evans River, and its not really rough today either.  Would be very entertaining watching boats coming in on a really rough day The safe little beach on the Evans River There are a lot of very elaborate tent and caravan camp set ups Some of the camper trailer tents are enormous.  This one has 6 rooms Not sure having a slide [ ... ]

Ho Ho Ho …. merry Christmas 2016. Daniel was up at about 5.50am and that was a close to his 6am rule as he was ever going to get.   Daniel was beside himself, he was bursting at the seems.   His Christmas was as much about the trimmings as it was about the presents.   Ross and Barb, mostly Barb (ok; all Barb) managed to get it just right. The Christmas card Daniel made for Barb Fred Flintstones manky feet have taken a genuine beating over the last 12 months We went down the beach later in the day.   Now and Aussie Christmas doesn’t get much [ ... ]

Christmas Eve, 2016.   We’ve downloaded a raft of Christmas music and we have it playing outside through the vans outdoor speakers.   No hip hop for us, we have Elvis, Michael Buble, Frank Sinatra, Tony Bennett, Neil Diamond and Andy Williams.   Pity Ross couldnt find any Bing Crosby or Ray Charles. We managed to download Mr Hankey’s Christmas Album, which puts a very different spin on Christmas Daniel has gone crazy this Christmas.   He’s made his own countdown calendar which he checks off each morning.   He has planned his wake up time, present opening schedule, breakfast, lunch and dinner.   He has [ ... ]

As we broke camp at Main Beach and old guy rode over on his bike and started to chat to Ross about the phenomenon that occurs in caravan parks where people approach anyone who packing up and want to chat.   We’d seen this old dude every day we’ve been here and he’s not so much as nodded his head. We headed into Surfers and took a photo of both our most favorite vacation accommodation venues side by side; our Expanda and the Peninsula Apartments. We headed south toward the QLD/NSW border and the closer we got the more agitated Ross became. Its been [ ... ]

Crusty is right here 29° 6′ 52.26773″ S 153° 26′ 0.15786″ E https://www.google.com/maps/place/-29.114518812615053+153.4333771839738 — Sent using GPS Share: http://goo.gl/VOcnaD Sent from portable device. Please make allowances for predictive txt

Daniels pick of the activities today.   We thought it may be a cultural excursion, maybe a trip to the museum or the Opera.   Timezone came completely out of left field. Pacman has made a triumphant return to the pinball parlour (oinball parlour is old speak for Timezone).   Although Pacman is much bigger, the controls have changed its still resembles Pacman 3D roller coaster ride This one is sooooo politically incorrect its astounding there isn’t a team of protestors encircling it.   Pick the species of deer you want to blow away with your pump shotgun …. and then enjoy spunky scantily clad chic when you [ ... ]

There a “photo frame” on the steps under the famous Surfers Paradise arch leading onto the beach at the end of Cavil Ave We found that the Bread Top shop in the Centro centre in Surfers sells his favourite Pineapple Cake that he was introduced to by our Taiwanese daughter, Mei Li. The Hari’s are making a very regular appearance.   Its like an endangered specific coming back from the brink.   One day there were none, next days there’s way to many, no-one cares anymore and they start to become annoying.   Piss off Hari’s

We headed into Surfers Paradise today for a look around and see if we could get some more Christmas presents for Daniel. Daniel has been very very specific with his Christmas requirements this year. He’s given Ross and Barb detailed instructions about the running of the Christmas ‘thing’. Daniel requires his gifts to be wrapped in Christmas paper that he hasnt previously seen. He requires a menu for the day and an itinerant of where we will be. He’s left nothing to chance and if Ross and Barb balls this up, we’re going to be in huge trouble. Surfers Paradise is a [ ... ]

Quiet day around camp today. Barb spent most of the day trying to find places for us to stay on the way south from here. We wandered about a bit, had a look at the beach but did do too much. The Chinese youngster behind us was still making a loud whinging racket, but they packed up this morning and left to be shortly after replaced with a another screaming youngster. Apparently avocado was the culprit … dont try to feed the kid avocado, because she will go absolutely ape shit for hours We headed down to Pacific fair shopping centre in Broadbeach to finish [ ... ]

Barb had a Endota Spa voucher she has been carting around Australia for a year, and shes finally booked a massage for today at the Surfers Paradise Endota.   Both Ross and Barb have both been to Surfers Endota before, in fact there probably isnt too much around here we haven’t done over the years Its difficult to imagine why someone whos been swanning around and mooching their way around Australia would require a relaxing massage … and more relaxed and you’d probably stop breathing. Whilst Barb was getting rubbed up by Sven the spunky Swedish masseuse, Ross and Daniel headed for Draculas, [ ... ]

Arrived at Main Beach and had a bit of a nothing sort of a day.   We spend a lot of time on the Gold Coast so to us its a lot like a second home.   Although Daniel may have something different to say, Ross and Barb enjoy just walking around through familiar surroundings. Although Surfers Paradise is a high energy tourism epicenter, to us its quite a relaxing place because we are so familiar with it. A new massive Cotton On store has opened in Cavil Ave, and a first for us has a thong dispensing machine in the wall outside the [ ... ]

Ross got a call this morning from the dive shop.  The shop required Ross to do a refresher course … yeah right.   Ross has a dive qualification, there’s no requirement to update that and the refresher is not a recognized course. We broke camp and maneuvered the van out of the small, compact site.  Drove back into the caravan park, to give us enough room to reverse the van and drive around to get out of the gate and out of the park to head south Main Beach on the Gold Coast A familiar site to us, driving into the Gold Coast It [ ... ]

Crusty is right here 27° 58′ 38.70675″ S 153° 25′ 41.71861″ E https://www.google.com/maps/place/-27.977418542843175+153.42825517058372 — Sent using GPS Share: http://goo.gl/VOcnaD Sent from portable device. Please make allowances for predictive txt

After breakfast was walked up toward the entrance to the river and checked out what yachts we might like to purchase at the 2 brokers at the Marina.   The Mooloolaba marina is pretty big and fully occupied.   A large berth is around $11k per years and council only allows a total 30 live in berths out of 265 berths which are constantly squabbled over. A 12 berth at the Kawana marina is around $90k and has a annual rental of $7500, so whilst its not the greatest investment going around its certainly not too bad either. The Mooloolaba Marina is on the [ ... ]