30 August - Tewantin (Noosa) Qld

First priority this morning was to do our usual walk in the Noosa National Park. This is a hilly, 7km walk through beautiful forest and eventually along a stunning coastal route.

We have walked this many times and I was keen to see how I would fare after a couple of setbacks earlier in the year. We were lucky with the weather, sunny, mild and not too hot so all went well. The coffee and banana bread at the end was pretty good too. At the halfway mark the path reaches the coast line and the views are terrific. Out in the ocean it is easy to spot pods of dolphins and migrating whales.

This photo was taken looking down into a formation called Hell's Gate which is a natural cove worn into the cliff through wave action.

This afternoon we took a drive to Maroochydore for to the Sunshine Plaza. In the evening we had a bite to eat and then went to the 6:30 showing of Jason Bourne at the Event Cinema in the Plaza. Not a bad movie apart from a ridiculous car chase scene set in Las Vegas - I guess you have to have these to keep the US audiences happy. Back to our little home on wheels by 9:30 and just about to curl up into bed with a copy of Stephen Hawkings "A Brief History of Time" - an early Father's Day gift to myself.

29 August - Tewantin Qld

We left the Gold Coast last Thursday 25 August for our drive to Gympie to catch up with Saskia and Peter and Tilly. We had a great time with them and this included a visit to Poona to have a look at all the work Pete and Sas have done on their holiday house here. We arrived at lunch time on Saturday just as the plumber was finishing up installing the toilet and the hot water service. The place now looks absolutely spectacular. Also had a chance to fly the Phantom out over the water ad above the caravan park. Also did some aerial photography of the house in Gympie.

Yesterday, Saskia's neighbour Brendan offered us to take his MG two seater sports car for a spin so Rosa and I took the opportunity to experience the wind blowing through our hair as we cruised around Gympie in the brilliant sunshine. A bit scary taking someone's pride and joy out for a spin but we got back without any mishaps or dents.

This morning we said goodbye to Gympie to travel the short distance to Tewantin (Noosa) and we are now here for a week on a fantastic site. The weather continues to be brilliant and next Saturday Saskia and Peter, and Jake and Sally and the kids will join us for the weekend here, and we are really looking forward to that. We have quite a few activities planned including a walk in the Noosa National Park, and there are some spectacular locations for a drone flight too. Watch for updates here.

23 August - Gold Coast

We left Ballina and Jim and Irene mid morning on Sunday for the short drive to the Gold Coast. Here we are staying at the Gold Coast Tourist Park in Helensvale which, since we last visited it some 8 or 9 years ago has developed into one of the best caravan parks we have ever visited. We spent yesterday visiting Surfers Paradise and Broadbeach and scouted out some locations for a drone flight to capture the beach and the city skyline of Surfers. As the sun rises over the sea to the east, I decided that the best time to photograph was at dawn so I left this morning at about 4:30 and waited for the sun to rise. It was well worth it - the still photos and the videos are spectacular.

Later this morning we drove up into the Gold Coast hinterland and then had morning coffee at Sanctuary Cove where once again the drone came out for a fly over the spectacular boat harbour.

Tonight we will be attending the free "sausage sizzle" put on by the caravan park and then tomorrow is our last day here. On Thursday we drive to Gympie to spend a few days with Saskia, Peter and Tilly. So far we have enjoyed fantastic weather apart from a few minutes of drizzle yesterday.

19 August, Ballina, NSW

We enjoyed two beautiful sunny days in Moss Vale and made a day trip to Kangaroo Valley a spectacular drive. On Wednesday morning we set off for the trip through the Sydney suburbs via the M7, the M2 and the famous Pennant Hills Road and settled in for the long drive into northern NSW. By mid afternoon we decided to pull up in Kempsey which is Slim Dusty's birthplace. We found a great campsite in the Kempsey showgrounds - a beautiful grassy site with power and water for $20 for the night. Then on Thursday we continued north with the plan of meeting with our friends Jim and Irene in Ballina and spending a few days here. The sunny weather has continued here and this morning we woke again to a beautiful sunny day. Went out for a fantastic breakfast here in Ballina and then took a coastal drive to Byron Bay. On previous visits we have always enjoyed visiting the local French patisserie and after a few anxious moments thinking it was no longer there we located it and had fantastic coffees and Cherry Almandines - yum.

One item on my bucket list for Byron Bay was to fly the Phantom 4 over the light house and the spectacular scenery at Cape Byron, so I quickly assembled my little airborne companion and had it flying high above some of the most spectacular scenery imaginable. The video footage looks amazing and I can't wait to get home to edit it. Got back to the caravan park after a very enjoyable day and sat in the fading sunlight enjoying a barbecue and a bottle of Pepperjack. More excitement planned for tomorrow - can't wait.

15 August - Moss Vale

We left Traralgon yesterday on our almost annual winter pilgrimage to Queensland. Each year the crappy Victorian winter weather gets a bit much to bear and if possible we hook up the van and head north. Yesterday we had an uneventful run to Bombala where we arrived early in the afternoon. The weather had been perfect and the skies were clear which promised a freezing night. When we woke this morning the car and the caravan and the ground were covered in ice and I had to pour hot water on to our water hose because it was frozen on to our caravan. We were on the road by 7:15 and all the way up the Monaro Highway the fields were covered in fog and frost - quite spectacular. Our first stop was the excellent bakery in Nimmatabel where we stopped for breakfast. Our next stop was for fuel in Cooma and then onward through the outskirts of Canberra and north up the Hume highway. As we approached the Moss Vale/Bowral region, the weather was perfect and we made a last minute decision to spend a couple of days in Moss Vale. We have stayed here on a number of occasions but never had much luck with the weather so this was an opportunity too good to pass up. By 3 pm we had the van all set up and headed into Bowral for a coffee at one of our all time favourite cafes - The Elephant Boy. This wonderful establishment serves excellent coffee and the decor of wall to wall bookshelves and comfortable seating  always makes it a great place to visit.

This was probably our third or fourth visit over the years and it is wonderful to see the place still thriving and still looking great. Next, after a walk around the town we visited one of our favourite restaurants called Briars. We had dinner here a few years ago and enjoyed great steaks and salad and exceptional red wines so it was great to find, when we walked in that once again nothing had changed. We immediately booked a table for dinner, and have just returned from what I would rate as one of the best meals I've ever had. Everything was simply superb.

So, after a very enjoyable day, we are holed up in our little mobile hide away reading and getting ready to snuggle into bed to experience what undoubtedly will be another chilly night.