In 1974 we moved to Newcastle from Perth, from the very west coast to the very east coast of Australia. All our stuff was put in a container and shipped to Newcastle, but the family, mum, dad, 4 kids and a cat and a dog, drove the 3 930 kms across the the Nullabor Plain in a VW microbus. It took us 5 days.

This morning we drove up from Narara, which only took us one and a half hours. I thought I might recognise some of the roads into Newcastle but I didn’t. In Newcastle we drove out to Nobby’s Beach, parked the car and met up with Ken, and old Volvo colleague and had lunch with him and his wife in the Hunter Street mall. We haven’t seen each other for probably more than 10 years and it was really great so sit and chat about the past, the present, and the future.

After lunch we walked back to Nobby’s Beach, took the car and drove the short distance to the Newcastle Ocean Baths for a swim in their enormous ocean pool. Clear, salt ocean water in an pool overlooking the sea and the crashing surf. Cooled off nicely before we headed back down to Narara and bought pizza for dinner. Last night here with brother Peter. Tomorrow we head to Sydney, spend the night there before flying to Adelaide in the evening.