and yet another beach

This time it was Indented Head on Victoria's Bellarine Peninsula below Geelong. The occasion was seedEnergy's AGM and it was my turn to find the accommodation for 4 couples. I researched Bellarine Peninsula and something about the name Starhaven Retreat triggered a memory of seeing it being built on Grand Designs Australia - one of our favourite programmes.

 

Sure enough, it was, just as amazing as it looked in the TV show and we had a wonderful weekend there with the help of our genial hosts Ian and Robert.



Starhaven Retreat - every luxury in a b&b

 

 

Ian and Robert are perfect hosts

 

While the men had their meeting the women went shopping and lunching in Geelong.

 

 

Lunch in Geelong with our new boyfriends

 

 

boomsmas at another beach

It was t-shirt weather at Alexandra Headland / Mooloolaba QLD and we soaked up the sun with glee.
I'll skip over the trouble we had escaping Mount Gambier where fog delayed our plane by two hours so we finally made it to to our apartment in the dark.

Next morning we woke to The View!

Looking across to Maroochydore



There are always surfers in the water and we spent a lot of time watching them - to the extent of getting sunburnt while Mount Gambier suffered extreme cold, wind, rain and hail. We certainly chose the right week.

 

David went fishing and caught a nice snapper which we shared with my sister Jennifer and her husband Peter. They often go to the Sunshine Coast and encouraged us to give it a try.

 

 

 

We did the usual tourist things, ate some excellent meals and luxuriated in being warm.
David and Peter went fishing: Peter caught a grassy sweetlips - what a great name!   Jennifer and I did had massages and attended a champagne fashion show at Blue Illusion where we indulged in a little gentle shopping.

 

 

Only a week - but well worth it!

more building

We're finally getting our carports built.

They had a good start but wild weather halted progress.


One on the western end for my car

One in front of the garage for David's car and one for the boat

fish for lunch

 

 

David offered the pelicans a fish.

There was some competition from the seagulls...

but size won out.

fire!

 

It started on Sunday night at midnight in a shack about 1½ kms around the beach from us. The owner, who lives in Queensland but was here for a holiday, awoke to a houseful of smoke and managed to get out a window before everything burst into flames.

 

 

photo by Justin Dennert on Friends of Cape Douglas Facebook

 

 

There were three fire engines, a water tanker, two police cars and an ambulance in attendance and we slept through the lot.
 Next day I read about it on Facebook and went along for a look.

 

The site looks miserable in the light of day



3 weeks later and asbestos clean-up is underway

It cost $9000 and three men working in biohazard suits for half a day to have suspected asbestos removed 



sentinels on the beach

 

 

We've had two days of fierce hot north winds so it was lovely to hear rain on the roof during the night and wake up to a clear bright day with raindrops hanging on the bushes and no wind.


On the beach the blue herons are on guard and the seagulls can barely fly, having gorged on leftover coconut sago.
(Don't think I'll make it again: it was stodge.)

 

 

Blue herons fossicking for food



Daisy's graduation

After three years study and hard work, granddaughter Daisy has graduated from the University of SA with her Bachelor of Nursing.
The ceremony was held at Sir Robert Helpmann Theatre in Mount Gambier with full honours.

 

Daisy with proud grandparents David and Helen

Daisy on the left - what a gorgeous group of girls!