Wooli May 2013

May 7^th, It was an easy pack-up this morning, mainly to pull down and pack up the Annexe walls, which doesn’t take all that long. I even had plenty of time to drive into Nambucca and fill the car up with petrol, so avoiding having to do it with the Van in tow. We realized that Wooli was a very small seaside Village, so we would need to stop at Coffs Harbour to do a shop and stock up on supplies. Our first stop in Coffs was at “Spotlight”, so Val could buy some sponge brushes for her painting work and she needed some invisible zippers, for cushion covers that she is making for Steven and Ed. We then went to Park Beach Plaza for lunch and food shopping. Val fitted in a haircut at Just Cuts and bought a replacement strap for her breathing mask from Terry White Chemists and while we were shopping, they did a free check and clean on Val’s breathing machine. We arrived at Wooli Caravan Park at 4.45pm and booked in for a week. We are on a waterfront site No. 1, which we now know everyone in the Park thinks that this is the best site. How lucky are we! We did come through some rain on the way but it stopped long enough for us to get settled in. All the Park residents gather in the Camp Kitchen from 4.30pm every day, for “Happy Hour”, so we went along to meet some of our fellow travelers. They have a good open fire going, to keep out the chill of the night air. It’s simply an old washing machine bowl sitting on a cut off metal keg and the wood for the fire is supplied by the Park.

May8th, I finished setting up our site after breakfast, and we had decided not to put up the Annexe walls on this occasion. Our imitation grass slab is parallel to the roadway, so we can sit under our Awning and look at the Wooli River and all the passing traffic. Being a friendly little community, everybody who passes by, gives us a wave. After lunch we went for a drive around the area, to check it all out. We started by driving down to the river entrance and saw a few fishermen trying their luck off the rock wall. We drove back past the Caravan Park into the shops, consisting of a Post Office, Newsagents, combined with a Restaurant and Takeaway food outlet. Next door was an Oyster Farm shop, which was closed. We paid them all a visit then drove out of Town and went down to Minnie Waters. There was a Caravan Park just before the end of the road, then at the Beach there was a General Store with fuel. Adjacent to the Store was the entrance to Yuraygir National Park, which surrounds this whole area. On the way back home we stopped at the Service Station come Supermarket, which has a Hotel next door, and then lastly, just on the edge of Town, we dropped in to the local Bowling Club for a Chardy and flutter. We were back at the Park in plenty of time to go to Happy Hour at 4.30pm.

May 9^th, We have taken a liking for this area and the people, so after breakfast I went to the Office and booked an extra week, so now we will be leaving here on the 21^st. We were impressed with the amenities here, very clean and first rate. I took the boat off the car and set it up ready to go into the river to-morrow. It was a bit windy today so Val took her painting gear up to the Camp Kitchen to carry on with her artwork. At 6pm Val went off to Bingo, at The Bowling Club, with Anita and they arrived home at 9pm after having a great time, due to a group of ex. Sailors who provided amusing entertainment with their antics. After Happy Hour I made myself toasted sandwiches for dinner, No! I didn’t go to Bingo.

May 10^th, We had very strong wind blowing up the river today. We had waves with whitecaps, more surfing weather than fishing. A great day to catch up on reading and puzzles. We went up to the Bowling Club for dinner and raffles and sat with Anita and Roger, also staying in the Park near us. They had already eaten so minded our spot on the table while we went into Harry’s Chinese Restaurant. We shared dim sims, Deep fried Duck in plum sauce and fried rice. It was delicious, the best Chinese meal that we have had in a long time. Val and Anita didn’t win anything in the meat raffle and once again the Pokies didn’t provide much entertainment.

May 11^th, Strong winds and rain to start the morning off and then stayed with us through the day. Val made Pizzas for tonight’s get together, after Happy Hour. Each couple makes and brings their Pizza to the Camp Kitchen, to be cooked and shared around. They do this once a month and this time the Park Manager had bought a proper gas Pizza Oven from Bunnings, which cooks 3 Pizzas at a time. The Oven was purchased with the money made by collecting all the cans from the Park and cashing them in. Two of the residents brought along their Guitars, so we had music, singing, pizza and drinks and all had a great evening.

May 12^th, Mother’s Day. Steven had been communicating with me to arrange a surprise day out for Val, from all the family. Val knew that something was being organized but had no idea What, and I had managed to keep it that way. She had plenty of possibilities to think about all week but was way off the mark and it was killing her not knowing. Steven had transferred some money into our bank account to pay for the cost of out day out. We left Wooli at 10.45am and drove 50 minutes to our destination. All the way, she was making comments and questions at me, and when I pulled into the car park at the Yarrawarra Aboriginal Culture Centre at Corindi Beach, the look on her face was one of disbelief. I handed her the email from Steven which explained it all. As Val has been getting back into doing “dot Painting” again and interested in getting ideas for designs, Steven and Ed thought that she would enjoy looking through the Indigenous Art Gallery and sampling some bush tucker for lunch, from the Bush Tucker Café. The whole Cultural Centre is set out on a huge block in pretty bushland and has a huge Accommodation and Events Centre, a Cultural research Unit, as well as the Gallery and Café. We Thoroughly enjoyed the tour of the Gallery, which had a good selection of all forms of Indigenous Art and then moved out to the seating on the verandah for lunch, with a pleasant view of the surrounding grounds. A Kookaburra joined us to eat some bread scraps that had been thrown out onto the grass, just in front of where we were sitting. Val had the Vegetarian Hamburger with chips and salad and I had the Kangaroo Pie with a bush tomato sauce and chips and salad. Absolutely delicious and I finished off with Strawberry Cake, strawberries and lemon myrtle cream and a 2^nd cup of coffee. A great outing for Mothers Day, so a big “thank you” to Steven, Ed, Greg and Dianne from Mother. We went home via Grafton and did a bit of shopping, then stopped off at The Wooli Bowling Club for a drink and a flutter to finish the day. I went back to the Club for Dinner and brought a takeaway home for Val. The food there is very good and huge servings. Around 11pm Val went off to the Amenities Block and in the dark, tripped over the drawbar of our Caravan. I heard the almighty noise and went rushing out to see what happened and  I also ran into the drawbar in the dark. Val was on her bum on the ground and had pulled the clothesline down with her. I picked her and the clothesline up and after she had calmed down, she carried on to the amenities. I could feel blood running down my right leg and when I went inside the Van, in the light, I couldn’t believe the damage I had done to my shin. I had lifted the skin off, about 3 inches long, and was bleeding profusely. My sock and jogger was covered in blood and while I grabbed a pile of tissues to stem the flow, I had a huge puddle of blood on the floor. Holding numerous handfuls of tissues wasn’t stemming the flow of blood, so I grabbed the box of band-aids and started putting them on my leg. It took 4 wide band-aids to cover the wound and stop the bleeding, and then I had to clean up before Val got back. I checked on her injuries and other than hurt pride she only had a couple of spots of missing skin that were not bleeding. Not the way I wanted to end this day.

May 14^th, Did nothing yesterday, stayed in PJ’s all day. Had to keep my leg up, as ordered by Dr. Val. It was raining this morning and the boat was still not in the water. Mid afternoon we had a sunny break, so I put the boat into the water, took a rod and bait and was only out for a short while and an Electrical Storm started heading up the river, thundering away, so in I went. Shortest fishing outing ever and not a bite!

May 15^th, Went out fishing this morning and caught 2 bream and a flounder, all undersize.

May 16^th, there is a local Medical Clinic in the Community Hall which is manned by Nurses a few days a week. So, on the advice of Val and the other Ladies in the Park, I went up at 9.15am for them to check my injuries and redress them. As well as the big raw patch on my right shin, I also had a previous wound on my left shin that was still in the healing process. I came back home with both my shins cleaned up and dressed and under waterproof plasters, so showering will be a lot easier, and an appointment to go back next Monday for another dressing. I went out for a fish after lunch and put down a crab pot, Val had been told they were catching mud crabs out front. I caught 2 undersize bream and I’m beginning to think that there is only little fish in the Wooli River! Val went off to Bingo at the Bowling Club, with Anita, while I went to Waves Café with a group of 13 from the Park, for the $13 Thursday night meal deal. It was a great meal, I had my favourite “Lamb Cutlets, with chips and salad” and enjoyed it and the company. This would be the most “Social” group we have ever come across at any Caravan Park in the 6 ½ years that we have been on the road. We all came back from dinner, re- stoked the fire at the camp kitchen and had a drink to finish off the night.

May 17^th, Checked the crab pot, no crabs, so re-baited it and put it down again. Fished for a while and caught my first flathead (37cm keeper), poor fish was obviously in the wrong place at the wrong time. We went to the Bowling Club for raffles, with the group from the Caravan Park, and Val won a meat tray.

May 18^th, No fish or crabs today, but it was very pleasant out on the River. This river is not very deep, lots of sand and oyster leases. The deepest spot I’ve found so far was only 7ft. at high tide. We all took our BBQ stuff up to the Camp kitchen and all had dinner together after our normal “Happy Hour”. Happy Hour is on every night and starts from 4.30pm and can last 3 hours or more.

May 19^th, It’s Sunday and all the week-end fishermen are out. We have had boats going up and down all day. I only went out to check the crab pot, no crabs, before going up to the Camp Kitchen for Happy Hour.

May 20^th, Went up to the Medical Clinic at 9.15am to get my shin sores re-dressed. The right shin bled freely, when the old dressing was removed, and the nurse said that I had burst a blood vessel when I fell and that’s why it bled so much at the time. It took her a while and a few pads to stop the bleeding before she could get a new dressing on and sent me off with instructions to rest it. My next appointment is for Thursday.

May 21^st, We went into Grafton today, after an early lunch, and didn’t get back to the Park until 6pm. We did a full weeks shopping, so had a lot. Val put it all away while I went up to happy Hour.

May 22^nd, Rained all day, so no fishing.

May 23^rd, Had my shins re-dressed this morning, at the Medical Centre, by the visiting Nurse. The left shin had healed so I only have a dressing on the right shin now.  I went out for a fish, weather good, tide running out and no breeze, so was able to get a good drift. I had my best day out fishing and came in with 4 flathead, all between 38 to 41cm long. Val gave Bingo a miss tonight as her bingo partner had left the Park, and we will be at the Club tomorrow night for Dinner and Raffles.

May 24^th, We had strong winds and rain all day, it bucketed down. The River had waves with white caps. We went to the Bowling Club for Dinner and Raffles. Val won a meat tray and for the first time, we had a small win on the Pokies. Between us we invested $20 and took out $40, a cheap night out.

May 25^th, The rain had stopped but the wind was still blowing. The boat was half full with rainwater so I got out my bilge pump and patiently pumped the water out. Val is still dot painting and enjoying it immensely. I went for a walk up to the Beach and couldn’t believe how wild the surf was. I could see that the overnight rain and wind had washed away the sand from the Beachfront.

May 26^th, We were having a quiet Sunday today with Val painting and me reading a western, until late afternoon, when Val was getting something out of an overhead cupboard and a full bottle of ginger beer fell down onto the top of her right foot. She was in agony and soon had a lump to highlight the damage. I made toasted sandwiches for our dinner then Val took herself off to bed, hoping the pain would ease off.

May 27^th, Went up to get my shin re-dressed for the last time and the Nurse told me she could see that it was starting to heal. She gave me a couple of dressings to see me over the next week, when we can buy some more waterproof dressings and Val will continue to look after me. One of Wooli’s “claim to fame” is their Annual Goanna Pulling Competition. It wasn’t on while we were here so I took a photo of their sign at the Sports Ground. I went out for my last fishing trip before packing up and came in with 2 flathead and a bream. I got all the boat gear and the back of the car packed up in time to go up to the Camp Kitchen, for a “Happy Hour” drink with the crowd, before leaving in the morning for Brunswick Heads.