We both slept well and woke about 6:30am and laid in bed and watched Kochie on Sunrise. As it was so warm, I decided to go riding early. I rode along the shared paths to Surfers first, there were only a handful of surfers out this morning, then retraced my steps and then along the coastal path to the Spit. There were 2 snorkellers at the end of the spit, but they didn't appear to be catching anything. Retraced back along the coastal path, looking for any reptiles, but didn't see any. Continued upto past the caravan park to my turnaround point at Anglers Paradise. On my return, I stopped at Labrador kiosk opposite where the Georges hangout and ate my bananas while I watched hundreds of cormorants that were herding the fish into the shallows. Then back to camp.
Latest riding update: Today's ride of 35kms brought my total at Southport to 621kms or 4,125km so far this year.

The rest of the day was spent relaxing around camp. The weather today was overcast and with a strong SE which caused a cool day. We actually had a few drops of rain overnight, and it threatened to rain all day, but didn't, because of the weather Marg didn't take Mont to the show.
Dinner was sausages and vegies and was YUMMA.

Tomorrow is Mont's birthday party.

We both slept well, except it was cooler than expected, so tonight the sleepingbag makes a return. I went riding around 9am, while Marg was relaxing in her chair, reading and playing with her ipad.
I rode along the shared paths to Southport YC then onto the Spit. I didn't venture down to Surfers, as being the weekend I have found that there are millions of people using the paths and it's no fun riding through them. At the end of the Spit, I saw about 40 outriggers who were racing in a Queensland Interclub Outriggers race. back at Southport YC, I saw Sean Langman's 60 foot trimaran "Team Australia", it is the fastest ocean racing yacht in Australia, reaching speeds of over 30knots. I then continued on back to camp.
Mum and Dad were driving over to us at 1pm, so I could drive the 4 of us to Mont's 6th Birthday party, which was held in a park near her home. They arrived and we were off in the mighty Navara, arriving at the park about 1:30pm, it started at 1pm, so everyone was there and the kids were having a ball on the swings. The weather was beautiful and sunny BUT with a strong breeze, but we coped. The park had a lake and plenty of grass areas, there were swans and baby cygnets as well as big eels in the lake. About 2:30pm, we sang "Happy Birthday" the wind blew out the candles, well actually, blew out the cigarette lighter, but Mont didn't complain. We left just on 3pm, which was the official end of party time, Luke was ready to go by 2pm, it was his first 6th birthday party that he helped organise.
On the way home, I drove Mum, Dad, Marg and me past Mont's school and house ,so Mum and Dad could see it in the daylight. We also called into Jay's home, as I had to pick up something, and so Jay could see Nanna and Grandpa. Finally, we arrived back at camp, Mum and Dad drove back to their apartment in Mermaid Beach.
Marg and I walked over the road to Maccas for dinner and then had a very quiet night, as we were both knackered.

Tomorrow, we die or at least rest.

We both slept well, I used my sleepingbag as a blanket and was warm as toast, until a strange woman next to me, pulled it on her about 5am, luckily, it is wide enough for the two of us, otherwise, that is grounds for divorce. I was up about 7am listening to Macca on the ABC and on the internet, while that strange woman was emitting sounds from her mouth that sounded to the untrained ear a lot like snoring. say no more.
As it was Father's Day, Jay rang me and Lukey rode around on his motorbike. Marg was going to the Gold Coast show with Mont and her other nanny, but as it turned out, there was a change of plans and no one was going to the show. Marg was disappointed, so me being a loving husband, I went for a ride. Even though it was Sunday and there are two million people out and about, it just meant that I had to dodge more of them. I rode my normal route out to the Spit along the coastal path, no reptiles sighted, due to the millions of walkers and back to camp. As soon as I got back I told Marg, as it is Father's Day, we are going to the show, so we changed and headed off. I expected parking to be an absolute bugger and said if we can't get a car park, we would go over to South Park for coffee and shopping. Well, I shouldn't have worried, we arrived at the show and was directed to the Griffith Uni carpark about 200 meters from the Show entrance, there were about 30 cars there. So heaps of room. We paid $10 for parking and $20 each for entry and walked in. It was a great area for the show and there were heaps of show stalls etc. It was great fun. We bought some 'exotic flavoured licorice', it was sweet and YUMMA, we also bought a 'dagwood dog' (that is a hot dog sausage in batter) each and I had a diary queen ice cream. All were YUMMA.

After the show, we went to South Park for a coffee and food shopping and then had an easy afternoon back at camp.
Dinner was pizza. Yumma.

Tomorrow, Dad and I plan to ride in the morning.

We both slept well, I used my sleepingbag as a blanket, but I was too warm and threw it off and put on my blankets, early morning I threw off my blankets and put my sleepingbag back on. I awoke around 6am, laid in bed listening to my radio headphones and got up about 6:30am. I was expecting Dad to ring about 8am to say that he was about to leave Mermaid Beach and ride to Surfers to meet me.
He rang, so I left the Caravan Park at 7:55am to meet Dad at Cavill Ave and the Beach about 8:15am, as I arrived I noticed the 'real old fart' riding towards me, so the timing was spot on. We continued along the shared path overlooking the ocean from Surfers to the Southport YC and then rode along the Seaworld Drive all the way to the Spit, as Dad didn't want to get his new black bike covered in gravel dust, so no gravel tracks, he is also not rapt in Monty and his little 'brown cousins'. At the Spit, I rode Dad's new 'power assist' bike. What a bloody ripper!. He said he will put it in his will for me. What a great guy!.
After I gave his bike back, we rode out to the end of the Spit, there were 2 other people there, a bit different to the weekends. I took my usual photo with Surfers in the backgroud, when I turned around "Oh Shit", there were 2 hump back whales (we assume a mother and calf) only 200 meters off the Spit, slowly heading North towards Stradbroke Island. So I tried to photograph them. Dad said that he has been coming to Surfers since 1955 (I told you that he is a real old fart) and that he has never seen a whale off the beach. After they swam out of range, we rode back to Southport YC where I showed him Sean Langamn's Team Australia trimaran, this is the fastest racing yacht in Australia. We continued on to the Kiosk in the Broadwater Parklands opposite Australia Fair and had a coffee and then I rode with Dad back to Surfers where we sat on a bench seat overlooking the ocean (Just a tad better view than my benchseat opposite the Black Rock LSC overlooking Port Phillip Bay), before saying our Goodbyes. Dad then rode back to his apartment in Mermaid Beach and I rode back to the Broadwater Tourist Park.

We did plan to drive to Harbourtown this afternoon, but we didn't feel like it, so we didn't. Maybe tomorrow.
The rest of the afternoon was spent talking to Len our new neighbour who owns a 1,000acre farm at the Rock, 30kms SW of Wagga Wagga.

Dinner was be steak, onions, gravy and vegies. Yumma.
TV is only Big Brother.

Tomorrow, Bingo.

I went to bed using my sleepingbag, but it got to warm, so I ditched it and went back to my blankets. I awoke around 6:30am and Marg woke a bit later. When I got up, I packed my sleepingbag away again.
This morning is BINGO at our club, so we were in no rush to get ready and leave. I spoke to our my neighbours who live in Wagga. We did leave camp at 9:45am and drive to our club. The crowd waiting for the doors to open was the smallest number so far, I thought great we have a better chance to win a game. It costs us $42 for our tickets and Marg decided to use an electronic machine today, supplied by the club, all you do is click on the number and it is programmed to do everything else. Great for the old farts, like Marg, who said that? Anyway, Marg won 2 games totalling $17 and I won 2 games also, totalling $30, so we made a profit of $5 today.

After Bingo, we drove to South Park and had lunch at Michel's and then did some shopping, before heading back to camp. While Marg relaxed and read, I went for a ride out to the Spit. I noticed some spray about 2 kilometers to the North, I thought that it can't a boat and tried to photograph the area, as you can see, there was some spray and after blowing up the photo, you can see the whale. Unreal.
Latest riding update: Today's ride of 20kms brought my total at Southport to 721kms or 4,225km so far this year.

Dinner was one pan dinner and was Yumma.
We only watched Big Brother and then I went to bed and read more of my Michael Jackson ebook, I am nearly 85% finished and he is one sick puppy.

Tomorrow morning I am meeting Dad at Surfers about 8am and then we intend to ride to Anglers Paradise and back to Surfers.

I went to bed using my blankets, but I was cool around 5am and thought of taking Marg's spare blanket, but thought better of it. So I got up about 6am, Marg slept in until approx 7am.
I left the caravan park at 7:30am to meet Dad at Cavill Ave and the beach at 8am. Dad was riding from Mermaid Beach, we again both arrived about 7:55am and headed North along the esplanade shared path to Southport YC, then continued to the Nerang River bridge and then north through the Broadwater parklands, past my caravan park, past Labrador upto Anglers Paradise where we did a U turn and headed back to Cafe Rockpool opposite Australia Fair, where we had a coffee. After coffee, we retraced our route back to Cavill Ave, where we said our goodbyes and Dad headed back to Mum, who said that he must be home by 11am, he should be home about 10:30am. I then rode back out to the Spit along the coastal path, no reptiles today, and then back to camp. My total was 50kms, where Dad's should be about 40kms. While riding near the Spit, my mobile rang, it was Marg's eldest brother, he and his family are staying at Chevron towers in Surfers, so we arranged to meet them for dinner tonight.
Latest riding update: Today's ride of 50kms brought my total at Southport to 771kms or 4,275km so far this year.

Marg walked to and from our club today to play the pokies, she lost, but as usual it took awhile to lose. She arrived back at camp about 1pm. After having lunch, we drove over to South Park and did some food shopping for tonight's BBQ dinner. We spent the rest of the arvo, just relaxing before leaving about 5pm to find a car park near the Chevron Towers in Surfers, will report more later.
We arrived at the Chevron Towers and drove past the public carpark, which was underneath, so we did a lap off the block. There was roadworks in every street that we drrove down, it was unbelieveable. We eventually parked the mighty Navara and rang Ted, he came down to reception and took us to his room. His room was on the 9th floor and his 2 daughters were there, we all sat on the balcony and took in the view. Ted cooked diiner on the apaartments stove, it was sausages, cooked beetroot and salads from Woollies that we brought with us. We ate dinner, it was Yumma and chatted until 8pm ish, then drove back to camp.

Tomorrow nothing planned as yet.

It was a mild night, so my blankets did the job, I awoke around 6am and laid in my bed and watched Sunrise, while Marg slept a bit longer.
I left camp about 8:45am and rode towards the Spit, as it was a hard Northerly, I didn't ride any further. I didn't see any reptiles today.
Latest riding update: Today's ride of 20kms brought my total at Southport to 791kms or 4,295km so far this year.

My bike is covered in dust and dirt, so I have been wanting to clean it for a while, so today before lunch, we drove to a CarLovers car wash and I sprayed the bike, we also sprayed our rug in the van, it worked a treat. Both the bike and rug were clean as, but the rug was dripping wet, so when I got back to camp, I laid the rug over the tub of the mighty Navara and by the time, we left for the club, it was dry. A very windy, warm day.

We had lunch at home and during the arvo I got out my foldup lounge and laid on it reading my Michael Jackson ebook (92% finished), you guessed it, I fell asleep, so after waking, I laid on my bed for a nanna nap. Lo and behold, Marg was already there. After waking we got organised and left about 4:15pm and drove to the club. Marg went to the Pokies area and I sat in the lounge area with my laptop and a chilled refresher or two, until 5:30pm, when the bistro opens and Marg also leaves the pokies area.

We both had roast beef and pork with vegies with cracklin' and apple sauce. It was Yumma.