Things to do

Opals: Fossicking in Lightening Ridge.

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A little nightcap last night gave us s reason to have a sleep in so we wandered to breakfast around 8.30.

The town was waking and the sun was shining. Breakfast was at the Green Gecko 🦎. Another success! Delicious and served with a country smile.

We made our plans for the day and started with the Art Gallery across the road. The John Murray Gallery is a popular stop on the tourist trail. And with good reason.

The building itself screams outback. The paintings on the shed wall capture the outback in a humorous way.

Inside was just as interesting. We watched a movie with John Murray talking about his arrival in the Ridge and starting an art gallery. We saw his home with its natural materials. His art is colourful and fun and I couldn’t resist buying one or two small pieces.

No photo inside. 😫

We crossed the road walked past the emus on the wall and went into the opal cave. A renowned shop selling the famous black opal.

The shop is done out like a cave full of treasures. I spotted a beautiful black opal reflecting the most gorgeous colours. Not in any setting. A single opal for $12,000. Wow.

The sales people patiently explained how to spot a good quality opal let us look, examine and try various pieces of jewellery and good naturally farewelled us after we didn’t buy anything.

We tossed up over the next stop and decided on the underground mine. It was a few km out of town.

We hatted up and down we went. It was cool and a little claustrophobic. But fun. Another little movie explaining how to fossick. I think you’d have to be determined!

And you’d have to like being underground!

The owner of the mine was from Shorncliffe Qld. He told us if you worked hard mining you would make a good living. There are opals to be found. Perhaps a career change?

Above ground we decided it was beer o’clock. Michael promised us a tour of the 3 pubs in the scrub via the underground sculptures.

Today we could see the yellow car doors so followed them to the sculpture underground. Sadly closed for lunch. For 3 hours! So we continued heading out of town. Past the big emu.

A quick stop at the great church and then we spotted a sign. Yes it was the pub. Well one of them.

We drove across dusty, unpaved stony roads until finally The Club in the Scrub.

Such a great place complete with its own library!

We ordered food in the nick of time from the rather unsmiling waitress.

Helen ordered a large chips to share and boy …….. was it large!

What a place.

We loved it.

After lunch we decided to ‘blow this fox hole ‘. A rather fun saying meaning ‘that we got to go’

Back along some more tough roads past miners houses of varying quality.

Past a memorial to those who had died

And past Nashy’s thong tree whoever Nashy is!

And then a few dusty kilometres later the next Pub.

Disabled parking is provided with a smile.

Even bus parking!

We loved it all. Especially the friendly blokes , the miners enjoying a Friday afternoon beer. We joined them and had fun.

Before the dusty road back.

Back to Ridge and dinner at the Bowling Club. . Or as it’s known. The Bowlo!

Another great day in the big dusty outback!

Lightening Ridge: one pub at a time.

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The day started with a walk around the corner to a lovely country cafe with lashings of bacon and farm fresh eggs. Nothing like a country style breakfast.

After breakfast the team split! The boys went in the direction of Boomi in search of the pub. It’s about half an hour from Goondiwindi and is a tiny town but has a great pub.

The girls stayed behind to boost the economy. I had spied some lovely bamboo deck chairs in a lovely parrot print. I had to check them out!

Main Street browsing in a country town is always a treat. Everyone seems friendly, there are things you don’t see at other places – in the city, and it doesn’t take too long.

Like Inverell from a few weeks ago Gundi, as it’s known here has a good feeling. The shops are attractive, the street scape is well cared for and the Art Deco buildings add character.

We did our best to spend a $$$. Jill bought black pants, Helen a dress and I got those deck chairs. I bought the set. They are lovely !

The chairs squeezed into the boot and off we went. We headed towards Weengallon on h’way 85. We’d been told by the dress shop owner that the community had held a fundraiser lunch there for the 5th year in a row to raise funds for breast and prostrate cancer. Over 500 attended. It sounded like a wonderful community event.

Weengallon consists of a lovely church and hall and not much more. The ladies (and men I presume) travel from km away to attend. I’d love to go but apparently it sells out in an hour!

Along the 85 we drove, anticipating our arrival at the Nindigully Pub. It’s quite famous. In a recent episode of Back Roads it featured mostly because it’s an amazing outback pub which serves up the worlds biggest hamburger. It’s as big as a pizza, costs $60 and sadly for us takes 2hrs to prepare. We didn’t order ahead so no big burger.

We did enjoy the meals we had though. Smaller burgers! And steak sandwiches. And the atmosphere of the pub first serving drinks in 1864.

The indoor dining room.

We enjoyed a beer and explored the pub both indoors and out. It’s a fascinating part of Australian history. And obviously very popular with travellers and the grey Nomads (retired older people who travel Australia in caravans)

After lunch we headed into Thallon. It’s become a tourist stop – (again seen on Back Roads) for its big Wombat and it’s painted silos. The wombat is hugh and has footholds up one side to encourage climbers. Such fun.

The silos are beautiful. They stand proudly against a blue sky and are just so Australian.

I have to share this joke at Thallon’s expense. Our friend Helen’s daughter sent a message saying ‘Nice place you’re in – is there a beauty thallon, hair thallon or maybe a nail thallon! ‘ 😂

Back into the cars we drove in convoy to our next stop.

The Hebel Hotel. This journey is becoming a pub crawl. And why not. There are some excellent pubs! This one is again not really part of a town. It’s a destination.

We had a drink – —drivers not enjoying a beer 😢 but able to enjoy the challenge of a game of darts.

Aware that the afternoon was passing and wanting to avoid the kamikaze kangaroos we tackled the last half hour into Lightening Ridge.

Driving into the Ridge we faced the population sign. Instead of a number it just had a ?

Anybody’s guess. People definitely come and go from the town as they try their luck finding opals. Especially the Black Opal.

The art around town is fun

We checked into our motel and had a drink as we were so dry! Then decided to drive to the ‘Night Sky Spectacular. ‘

It was 3 km out of town following the yellow car doors. Only problem, it was dark, we couldn’t see the car doors in the trees (a substitute for arrows) it was pitch dark. So we were late. It had rained a little so the show was moved into a shed. We crept in and watched a 30 min film about Lightening Ridge and fossicking for opals. Sadly no Night Sky Spectacular tonight!

Looking forward to fossicking tomorrow.

New York New York

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The words of the Frank Sinatra song sums up New York.

“Start spreading the news. I want to be a part of it…..”

New York is without a doubt a fabulous city. This time my visit here is different. Not just a tourist, I’m here to visit my son and his new wife and a group of fabulous swim trek friends.

We arrived very late after delayed flights from Havana to Miami and Miami on to here. So we knew it was too late to have dinner with Rob & Jordan.

Our air bnb in Charles Street West Village is in a perfect spot. It’s in a pretty little street between 6th & 7th which is in the heart of the West Village. It a good air bnb but not perfect! No washing machine and for me, not enough light or places to hang things.

I’ve started to become quite an expert on what the perfect air bnb should have. But it is NY and though it’s small it’s well located and no mountain of stairs to climb.

When we entered, there on the table near the door was a framed photo with a note. It was from Rob and was a photo of me looking up at him. Happy Mother’s Day the note said.

Needless to say I got teary.

We headed off the next morning for the FDR memorial.

I’ve never been to Roosevelt Island – in fact I didn’t really know about it. It’s an island in the river across from the United Nations building which is next door to Lynn and Lois’ apartments.

We got the cable car/ tram across river and walked along the river front.

Lois told us the history of the island. It was called Welfare Island and was home to the sick and destitute.

We passed an old hospital- no longer used but so lovely.

Lois filling us in on Louis Kahn the architect who designed the memorial to Roosevelt but died before it was started.

Lois, a landscape architect , was one of 5 women out of 500 students, taught by Kahn. She found that glass ceiling.

Photo: Lois,Betty, Steve, Bill, Lexie, me and Barry.

We walked along the paths towards the point of the island. Like a ships prow.

It’s so good being back with the group we met in Galapagos. Betty from LA, Lexie from Mexico City, Bill from London, Barry from Toronto and Steve & I.

We puttered along after the memorial and took the sky tram back to the mainland for lunch at Moonlight on 59th street. a typical NY diner – a bit upmarket and great lunch food.

Then for some speed shopping.

Why is it that men can shop so quickly ? In about half an hour Steve bought 4 pairs of pants and 2 beautiful Ralph Lauren jackets and a belt! He headed home and I went shopping for myself.

I had about an hour, got locked out of dressing room and bought one pair of black pants and had very tired feet.

Finally caught up with Rob & Jordan after they finished work.

WWe headed up to Lynn Sherr’s apartment near to the UN building opposite Roosevelt island where we’d been this morning.

The apartment on the 16th floor is amazing and the rooftop had the most fabulous views.

The swim group were all there and we had the most wonderful fun night.

Beautiful food, great company and so many laughs. Very special.

Che Day

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Today it was all about Ernesto Guevara. Or Che as he has become.

Our hotel last night was great and we had a lovely breakfast in the dining room. A smooth Alex arrived and gave is the run down on today’s activities.

We were to drive to Santa Clara about an hour away, but before that we visited the town plaza. Around a central garden stand some very grand colonial buildings. They are painted in different pastel colours and have colanades running along them which is handy in the hot sun.

We went into the arts co operative and loved the various arts and crafts. So bright and happy. Cuba certainly is colourful.

Then we tried to climb the building on the edge of the square with a high tower and a look out. Only problem no one arrived at 10 am to open up!

Next up was the theatre. It’s a really lovely building built by a wealthy sugar farmer back in the 1890’s. It’s still used for performance each weekend and us open to view for $5.

Unfortunately it’s been subject to the same decay that so buildings have been in Cuba. There hasn’t been the money to pay for restoration. So even though the whole square is Unesco listed they are in bad condition.

Last stop was the church. Very plain and in need of paint.

Paint can be hard to get apparently. Alex has bought an apartment with his wife and is trying to do it up. He can’t find any paint. He’s got the money but there just aren’t the supplies readily available.

Victor arrived with the bus and we got on for the hour long ride to the Che Guevara memorial. During the hour we watched a documentary on his life. He was certainly charismatic and driven and in the minds of the Cuban people he would be forever young.

In my opinion he seemed attracted not just by the cause and helping people overcome dictators but driven by the adventure.

We visited the museum and the memorial and it was quite moving.

Back in the bus we stopped next for lunch at a hotel. Quite attractive with a large empty pool.

Then it was across the mountains through sugar country to Trinidad.

The forms of transportation are varied – not many private cars, just taxis , tour bus, bikes and horse and cart.

This tower is not a church. It’s a tower that was used for watching slaves.

Until next time. Leave a comment!

sorry if the photos haven’t loaded. V slow internet.

Barcelona. A favourite 

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Today we disembarked at Barcelona – this beautiful city that was home to Rob for 5 seasons of waterpolo.
It’s lovely to be back. The buildings are amazing. The weather fantastic and the food. Yum.

So far we haven’t done too much. The children chased the pidgeons in Placa De Catalunya whilst we waited to get into our hotel.


Then lunch in a nearby tapas bar before a walk to my favourite food markets.


Now we’re at the Hotel Lleo a rather nice modern hotel chosen by Berti. Great wifi! And a pool for the kids.


Tonight a vegetarian tapas bar!

Barcelona I ❤️you. Despite there being warnings to stay away from La Rambla tonight as there is another protest over the proposed Catalan separation.


Tomorrow la Sagrada.