A little stay on the Gold Coast

We returned to our home town, the Gold Coast, and stayed with my parents for just over a week. We had a lot of stuff to re-think in the caravan as we were carrying 150kg more than we wanted for safe caravan towing on the road. It's harder than it sounds to find 150kg of homewares, clothes, books, kids toys and tools/hardware to leave behind, but we felt heaps cleaner and lighter when we were done. Tim also worked on the caravan while we were there (re-did wheel bearings and seals, fitted new spare wheel rack, power and stereo improvements etc.)

The little boys had a ball catching up with aunties Kylie, Lisa, grandma & pa and nanna & poppy, plus spreading grandmas toybox across every square inch of her home and swimming in the pool ...

... Picking a few mulberries off the tree, and visiting the horses next door ...

... Having a picnic, romp in the bamboo and walk with treasured friends at the botanical Gardens in Ashmore ...

Story-time, gem-discovery, clay-moulding, music-making and playing at The Orchard Waldorf School picnic with friends in mudgeeraba...

... Dinner with our long-time best friends Kel & Luke, and little Van, at their home, and a BBQ with Camilla and Terry, with cousins, Stevie and Bodhi at their home, too.

The kids, my mum and I visited a dozen healthy shops/cafes along the Gold Coast highway and surrounds to promote Dusty's Wonder Bug, with all of the venues agreeing to stock the book on their shelves. I was overwhelmed by the support and enthusiasm I received from the Gold Coast community. If you are interested in seeing which places I visited so you can take your families to these health hot-spots, jump onto the Dusty's Wonder Bug facebook page -https://m.facebook.com/dustyswonderbug?_rdr

The last night I treated myself out to dinner with gorgeous friend Melissa, our first night on our own without 5 kids in tow.

The most important thing that we did, that last day, was visit our old home to catch up with our neighbours and good friends, Sachiko, Markus, Mia and Serge. The new owners of our home at Bluebelle let Dusty have a cuddle of his treasured pet chook, Goldie (I think she recognized him). And Dusty picked up 'his future', too. In his own words, the night before, he had explained he was so upset that he had left his future at Bluebelle House and someone else was living his life, and we couldn't travel without going back to collect his future. Bless his heart! So we asked the new owners to help put his future in his pocket, hugged and waved everyone goodbye, and noticed Dusty's spirits really lift, ready for the next leg of our trip.

And now into NSW ... Turning the clocks onto daylight saving time knowing we are full steam heading south from now on!

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