Lap Around Australia: Geraldton Part One

Geraldton: Part One

We'll be spending quite a bit of time in Geraldton.
Obviously arriving on the back of a tow truck to Belair Caravan park and then finding out that the gear box needs to be overhauled means that we are here for an extended period. We had planned to stay a week anyway (to see Prue), so that makes it a little less hard. Geraldton is actually pretty too, so we are just going to make the best of it.

 

 

Our friends Karen & Steve, and Ian & Kathy were very supportive and sympathetic to our troubles. They even delayed their own departure for a day so Steve could run John in to Hertz to pick up our hire car and to collect our stuff from the Jackaroo. We were extremely grateful for their help. It's been fabulous sharing our trip with these wonderful friends. Although we didn't know Ian & Kathy very well before the trip we've all bonded well and we will miss them greatly.

On our last evening together they shouted John and Barb to a beaut meal at Hogs Breath Café. The steak was wonderful and we had an evening full of laughs and reminisces. There were a lot of Birthday celebrations and a lot of tables full of kids around us at the restaurant, so we even got to meet the Hogs Breath mascot on the night. Then it was back to our caravan site to eat the pavlova with strawberries and blueberries and cream we'd bought before we realised we were going out for dinner.

 

 

It was very sad to wave them off in the morning. We all felt quite flat.

On a happier note. We had Prue (Barb's brother Rob's youngest daughter) come over to our camp on Wednesday afternoon after she'd taken Jade and Kara (her daughters) to a sandcastle building competition in the morning. Kara (16 month) was just waking up after a nap when they arrived so was initially a bit clingy and shy. No such problem with Jade! She is a very bright and bubbly and very self-confident young girl of ten. She'd won a prize in the sandcastle competition so was very excited about that. Kara loosened up considerably when Barb found the bubble wand and began blowing large bubbles. Always a winner!

 Then we went off to find Belair's children's playground. There were a number of older boys playing a rambunctious game of tag on the jumping pillow at the playground. Jade didn't let that stop her going on it, and Kara badly wanted to go on too. Prue picked her up so she didn't get trampled by the older kids and started jumping on the pillow with Kara in her arms. Kara LOVED it! So did Prue, judging by the big smile on her face too. It must've been pretty exhausting though, so we tried to interest Kara in the swings and slippery slide instead. She wasn't having it. Back to the pillow, Mum! It was great to see them and we hope to spend some more time together before we leave.