Wigs and Peppers

I can't believe it's three weeks since I last posted anything! We've just been doing so much - sitting down at the computer and writing about it just hasn't featured. Think I'll be adding more pictures later on - most of them are still on Alex's phone at the moment (no time to upload them either!)



So, two weeks ago yesterday was Andy Halls' 30th birthday - celebrated at his and Lorna's lovely flat in Pyrmont with a wig party. There were many styles of wig present, including some excellent mullets in various styles, as well as a bald wig and a Pocahontas effort. We fitted in very well.

We managed to restrain ourselves from drinking too much, as we had to get up the next morning for a four-hour drive north - to Port Stephens, an area north of Newcastle, which is a big natural inlet, about two and a half times the size of Sydney Harbour. We were staying at Peppers Anchorage, a lovely little resort hotel with its own marina. One night and dinner was a Christmas present from Alex's parents, the other night was paid for with a voucher given to everyone in Alex's group at work at the end of last financial year. Nice!

We rocked up in the ute after a sit-down pie from the award-winning drive-thru pie shop in Heatherbrae (highly recommended), had a rest and enjoyed the view over the bay from our balcony.

Went on a sunset saling cruise around the harbour in the evening - we weren't actively looking for the local dolphins, as there's an agreement between all the tour operators to give them some time off in the evenings, but we had our swimmers on ready for a ride in the boom-net. Enjoyed a glass of champagne and some nibbles, were the first people to check out the bow net (not actually in the water, but close enough to see the huge jellyfish in the water below, and noted that everyone else was a lot more dressed up than us and there for a romantic evening à deux, or with a few other couples and drinking the bar dry. Not an option for us, as we'd driven down to the marina, so we settled for providing everyone else with some entertainment as we climbed down into the boom-net for a fast and furious ride in the water alongside. I think they thought we were a bit strange!

Then back to Peppers for a lovely meal in the restaurant, and a nightcap and a couple of games of pool in the Captain's Bar. Sunday we got up and went quad biking on the huge sand dunes at Stockton beach - woohoo! Two hours of it does tire you out though, so we spent the afternoon by the pool (and watched a wedding that was basically taking place next to the swimming pool, with everyone in it shamelessly staring!)

A local seafood restaurant for dinner, which was very nice, even after they told us when we got there that they were extremely busy and we might have to wait 20 minutes for a table even though the place was half empty. When we looked a little puzzled, they said they had some big groups arriving later on. No-one came in after us! Was all good though, and then we went back, watched England finally win some cricket, and polished off a bottle of red on the balcony under the stars. Ah.

Woke up to rain on Monday morning, but enjoyed the sumptuous breakfast buffet before driving back to Sydney. The rain has caused flash flooding along parts of the Pacific Highway, so we were quite glad of our big truck. We drove straight into the city, found our usual carpark was full and had to park in the one next door, which didn't look quite as well maintained, but was the same price. A quick change of clothes, and we both headed off to work - Alex to E&Y and me to Channel Ten for my 2pm captioning shift. When Alex got back to the ute in the afternoon, it had been broken into! Boo. Luckily they hadn't taken anything, including the car radio in the glove box, so I guess they were just looking for cash. And the door still locks from the inside. So naturally, we still haven't got round to having it fixed!