Visiting the Cities…

June 16, 2024June 16, 2024 ~ asteppingstoneembarkwithandrea ~ Leave a comment

As we head off towards the city of Calgary, we realise very quickly that it’s not the cities we want to spend time in. Of course, we want to tick the box and say we’ve seen it but countryside Canada certainly pull you back into the wild.

Calgary is the third largest city in Canada with a population of around 1.6m, comparing to an Australian city, smaller than Brisbane which boasts 2.5m in 2024.

We do a very quick drive through and continue towards Edmonton, the next stop on our journey. I’ve heard about the West Edmonton Mall, the shopping centre with a water park – it’s always held an interest and to be sure, this shopping mall, does not disappoint.

Edmonton and the surrounds are blue collar areas, hardworking people and I suspect, a substantial fly in/fly out population as well. After a long day on the road, we arrived to find our accommodation literally across the road from the mall. Shops are open until 9pm!

The shopping centre is much like any other centre although with an indoor water park, indoor theme park (think rollercoasters), indoor ice skating rink, indoor marine park (thinks seals) and so much more.

We arrived in Edmonton on the day the Edmonton Oilers were in the playoffs – now what playoffs, I’m unsure although there was great excitement, everyone was wearing the team colours and there was a lot of celebrating!

Edmonton was also a teaching experience for Cecilia and myself in how to order meals! You would think we would know, however when ordering a meal that we were going to share, we in fact ordered double. Cecilia ordered the Quesabirria, beef we thought, which in fairness it was. It came with broth, after both Cecilia and I had tasted the broth (thinking it was soup) and declared it was ‘not our thing’ we decided to google what a birria taco actually was, turns out we had been sipping the broth that we were supposed to be dipping our previously fried taco into! One can only imagine what the staff were thinking!

We owe Edmonton an apology, I don’t believe we gave it our best shot, for two days we did nothing but wander throughout a shopping centre! When departing, one thing we noticed not only here but in other areas of Canada, was the amount of caravans, RVs and the like. There were literally hundreds of storage facilities, that housed thousands of the campers in every size and shape. If you have spare land, you rent it out to someone to park their RV. There were so many mobile homes on the road with us, we lost count.

Our next stop was a small town Hinton, our investigating had discovered they had a Beaver Boardwalk, we were really not sure what to expect but we ended up with one of the most amazing wildlife experiences of the trip thus far.

Standing in 6°c rainy weather for over an hour, just watching a beaver do his thing! We thought we were lucky when we first spotted them swimming, we then came across a beaver who had work on his agenda! He had a hole a to fill…

Amazing interaction with wildlife doing his thang…

Our next destination was a stopover at Prince George, this little town was surprising, you could immediately see that this was a lower socio-economic region and unfortunately, we noticed an increase in homelessness. We ventured to town for dinner on a lazy Sunday evening and I think we shared the best Indian meal I’ve ever had and it’s one of my favourite meals – The Tasty Bite!

We’ve been on the road for some time, we’ve planned a few days out and have booked a log cabin by Big Lake, there’s a fire station, a village shop, a community centre and a school! It’s cold and wet, our accommodation is heated and possesses a 1000 piece puzzle of an elephant, if you know my friend Cecilia, she is obsessed with elephants, so the puzzle begins.

For four days, we slept, we puzzled, we cooked and relaxed all whilst overlooking a serene lake!

After 4 days of R&R we were ready to continue our tour, Whistler was our next stop! We took the road less travelled and traversed mountains and villages along the way. A stop at the local art studio in Clinton introduced us to local artist – Linda Madden who carves moose antlers. These pieces are truly magnificent. I definitely would have had one (and still might), I’m just not sure whether I can get it back into Australia!

The drive from Big Lake to Whistler provided so many changing landscapes it was hard to keep up. We passed by a sulphur lake where the colour of the lake was as yellow as ‘sulphur’ surprisingly…

We traversed countryside from rich pine forests to the barren desert of Lillooet, we were shocked by the change in such a short drive. We had left 3°c weather in Big Lake and had a hit a high of 31°c in Lillooet! As we neared the town we noticed another flowing river coming towards us – how could that be?

The Fraser River is the largest salmon spawning river in the world – I wish I had known this travelling through…

As we near to Whistler, the traffic mounts and the isolation of the villages fades. I visited Whistler in May of 2018 when Manon was living in Vancouver. A tourist town that is vibrate from sun-up to well past sun- down. A beautiful village that caters for all seasons, although it doesn’t hold the charm of those isolated towns. We’re astounded at the number of bikes that overtaken the town and the ski slopes for the summer. I can only imagine there’s a rivalry between the two. We’ve hit on the first week of summer and the flowers are in bloom and the place is definitely buzzing with life.

We stay in the middle of the village and watch the world go by. A town that is extremely proud of its Olympic history and now a favoured holiday destination for visitors from all over the world.

A thing to note about all of these places we have visited, there’s not one city nor a village that we’ve visited that a young Australian has not served us or we’ve spoken to. We are quite literally everywhere… I sincerely hope the young people of Canada are coming to Australia and enjoying the same spoils our kids are being offered in Canada!

Our excitement is growing, we’re on the down hill run to our cruise, the main reason for our trip. We leave Whistler headed back into Vancouver to join our fellow expeditioners!

I sit here on board the Roald Amundsen enjoying a little New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc, as we sail through snow capped glacial mountains with ice bergs, orcas and seals passing us by. What we have seen is truly unbelievable, until next time…

Walk in the Wild

June 5, 2024June 5, 2024 ~ asteppingstoneembarkwithandrea ~ 3 Comments

So I know it’s been a while, we’ve been busy. Our stay at Stoey’s Farm for a couple of days was sensational. We wandered with the chooks, chatted with the Alpacas and loved up the 3 big pups! Jen, Dylan and the gorgeous Ella, were wonderful hosts. We vowed to return to this niche little part of the world – Salmon Arms, when we next visit!

23 May was a day that we captured the first of many bear sightings. A black bear was literally snacking on berries on the side of the road. We screeched the brakes and u-turned over double lines so we could get a better vantage point. We were like kids in a candy store, we couldn’t believe we’d actually seen a bear!

We were on our way to Blue River to do a safari specifically so we could hopefully see bears. With much excitement we boarded a speed boat, in the rain, hopefully to see either bear or moose! To say it was cold is an absolute understatement, layer up they said, layer we did! They then added a life jacket and rain poncho accompanied by heated blankets, we could hardly sit down, think an image of two marshmallow men attempting to ward off the cold whilst looking for wildlife! We opted for a slower, warmer ride back in a catamaran!

Next destination was Jasper in the Canadian Rocky Mountains. As we entered the National Park and bought our pass, we chatted to the young ranger who shared the best places to visit. Keep an eye for wildlife, they’re definitely out and about. We had no idea what was in store for us. As we neared to the town of Jasper, we came upon a small herd of white-tailed elk or deer (I’m still having difficulty as to which is which). I think we settled on deer. Literally two minutes further along towards town a herd of Bighorn sheep were again grazing by the side of the road. We couldn’t believe our luck!

Jasper is a small village surrounded by snow capped mountains. At every turn, there’s another picture postcard view. We discovered a store run by local artisans, a showcase of amazing local talent. I made a conscious decision a few years ago to only buy pieces that came direct from the artist, so for me, this was an absolute treasure trove. I may have secured a small piece or two!

I can only imagine how this village would come alive during the winter season. With so many beautiful mountain trails to hike, it was bustling now at the end of May! As we’ve only been booking our accommodation a few days before, we did struggle somewhat to secure accommodation (within our budget) in the rockies. We stayed at Forest Park Hotel at one end of town with a Starbucks within walking distance!

When we were planning this trip, we had entertained taking the Rocky Mountaineer to the towns of Jasper, Lake Louise and Banff. A journey which meanders its way around the mountains from the comfort of a luxury carriage with food and drinks, a guide to narrate your travels. We were hoping to catch a glimpse of the train however a 9 hour delay on the tracks made this impossible. Unfortunately or fortunately for us, the cost was prohibitive although now, after speaking to a variety of people, I definitely think we made the right decision to self drive and take in this beautiful part of the world. I’ve no doubt, we’ve had far greater interaction with wildlife, met and chatted to more people and experienced these rocky mountains in a more intimate way that we would have done, had we taken the train. If you’re considering a journey, I would definitely recommend, looking at reviews before committing the $$ for this experience.

We headed towards Maligne Canyon which has 6 bridges along its mountain trail, which allows you to follow the flow of the glacial ice down the mountain. We had seen so much wildlife on the 10km drive from Jasper, it had taken us nearly an hour. Upon arrival into the carpark, the crowds were gathering, a bear with its cub had made an appearance. We gingerly joined the crowd to capture this unbelievable moment, the hushed crowd was respectful to keep their distance. As the mother and cub wandered alongside the carpark entry, they ducked out of view. There’s always one in the crowd, that needs to get just one more shot. A fellow decided to cross the road and come within about 10m of the mother bear, several members of the crowd, in a sheeplike manner, followed. Cecilia and I were aghast at people’s stupidity and knew had the bear attacked, she would seal her deadly fate. Think Princess Diana and the paparazzi, it was shocking to see the lack of respect. We departed the crowd and took to our bush walk.

We headed for the Columbia Icefields to walk on a glacier. The photos do not do justice to the beauty of these mountain ranges. The tree line is a pallet of green, the rivers and lakes, every shade of blue and aqua and the mountains with their glaring white snowcaps cascading down the grey granite. At every turn, it’s breathtaking.

Layer they said, layer we did! We boarded our all-terrain Ice Explorer to the Athabasca Glacier, which is a 10,000-year-old sheet of ice which continually moves. This Glacier feeds three oceans, I wouldn’t dare begin to explain how this works, although for those keen to know more, take a look at fellow blogger – Anton Thomas Art, he gives a great explanation. Our day on the ice, was one of learning, ticking bucket lists and generally just having a blast. The temperature at the Glacier with wind chill factor had us at -4°c.

With the current changes to the Earth’s climate, this glacier will melt and disappear within the next 50 years. This will be devastating to the wildlife, the flora and humans who rely on glaciers for survival! Nasa scientists regularly visit the Athabasca Glacier to study the movement. Do some research and look at comparative photos of now and then! What will the next 50 years bring…

Incorporated into the Glacier tour, we take a walk on the Skywalk, a glass walkway that allows the participant to walk over the canyon! I can assure you, for these two travellers, it was a very quick, cautious, white knuckle walk to say we did it!

Back on the road headed for Lake Louise, we encountered more and more wildlife. Whilst we expected to see wildlife, I think our count on bears is currently at 10! Deer, Elk, Bighorn sheep, Long horned goats and small wildlife are abundant.

We arrived late to the inn at Lake Louise and to then find out we had two levels of stairs to tackle to get to our room. We were tired as we dragged our sorry buts up the stairs! Lake Louise was an interesting place, very different to what I had imagined, it’s really the Fairmont Chateau which has the most amazing views of the Lake. We were having an indulgent day, Cecilia secured high tea at the Chateau, as my birthday gift! We sat by the window overlooking Lake Louise which still harboured a layer of ice and enjoyed another bucket list moment and a glass or two of my favourite, Veuve!

We’ve come across many Australians whilst we’ve been travelling, young ones here on their working visas and Gen Xs and Boomers spending their kids’ inheritances. The high tea at the Fairmont was no different, we chatted to a couple from Sydney, who were celebrating their first holiday away from their now grown children. They were doing the reverse of our way through Banff/Jasper National Park, so we swapped stories and wished each other safe travels. They told us they’d stayed in Banff at the Fox Hotel and Suites. We took their advice and wow, what a stay we had! The hotel is home to a heated pool (40°) inspired by the Cave and Basin Historic site which is the original site of the Banff thermal springs. I couldn’t get Cecilia into the original cave but the pool at the Fox, with its open roof and spa, allowed us the experience just the same.

^{© Fox Hotel and Suites. I took the photo from their website as mine were too dark.}

To extend our experiences, we jumped on the free local transport and headed to the Banff Gondola to take us to the summit of Sulphur Mountain. As you board the Gondola, the unmistakable Aussie accent guides you every step of the way. Once on the ridge, you stroll along the boardwalk for a km or so, taking in so many steps we lost count, to reach the peak of this mountain. There are no words for the beauty that surrounds you. At an elevation of 2,451m we folk that live at sea level, realised how thin the air is although how clean the air is. We took our time and both of us made it!

To finish off our Banff experience, we enjoyed a Wagon Trail BBQ Cookout which was basically being run by Aussies! We met some wonderful young Australians who were an absolute credit to themselves, they entertained, informed and shared their journeys with us! If you’re in Banff, it’s a great experience for all the family, you can actually do the horse ride, although we opted for the wagon ride due to the cold and impending rain…

Banff was absolutely the pick for places to stay whilst in the Rocky Mountains. It was humming with life and I can only imagine what it must be like when snow covers the streets at the peak of ski season!

We start heading for the big smoke of Calgary and Edmonton, more to come next week!

Bucket List with two beds…

May 24, 2024June 4, 2024 ~ asteppingstoneembarkwithandrea ~ Leave a comment

For all the travels I’ve undertaken over the years, I’ve always had a yearning for Alaska! I’m not sure why, it’s just always held my interest. I’ve been to Canada several times although never had the opportunity to head to the North (yes, I realise, it’s USA). The cruise up the inland passage has always been of interest but as I’m absolutely NOT a cruiser, it’s been beyond my reach. I recall when I was in my late teens I ventured, along with my mother and great aunt, to Sydney, boarded a P&O ship and we cruised for 7 days taking in the sights of Launceston, returning back to Melbourne for the tennis, and then back to Sydney. Out of the 7 days, I spent 5 violently sea-sick. It took me another 3o years before I would try again. I opted for a 3 day Sydney to Brisbane sail. Success, I didn’t get sea-sick although it reaffirmed that I was definitely not a cruise-goer. Too many people in a confined space, and I didn’t have the right coloured lanyard hanging around my neck…

When I ventured to Croatia a few years ago, my travelling buddy – Deb and I, took in a week long cruise around the Croatia isles although there were only 40 on the boat. It was so relaxing, small group and we met some fantastic people.

The yearning for the Alaska trip remained however. When Deb mentioned to me about Hurtigruten Expedition cruises, I thought this might be different from the usual boating experiences. The ship MS Roald Amundsen, the first hybrid-powered ships in the Hurtigruten fleet and the mention of a Science and Education Programme with a Science Centre onboard, peaked my interest. Deb assures me this ship is not like the usual cruising ships, luxury and expedition cruising brings a different experience.

^{© Oscar Ferrara}

So, this brings me to the start of my journey to Alaska! There’s been a few hiccups along the way but they’ve all been overcome to get me here in Canada on an Alpaca farm writing a post about my first week of the Bucket List trip.

The HX cruises are certainly not cheap, I patiently waited for the single supplements to be released, I couldn’t afford to go without a reduction. As the deadline to book neared, another friend (I’ve got more than one it seems) Cecilia reached out. Cecilia and Jim (Jimbo) had been planning a trip to Alaska on a cruise but such trip had been cancelled during COVID, with Jim’s passing, Cecilia was keen to fulfill their dream of also venturing to Alaska to celebrate their 40th wedding anniversary. So we set some ground rules around sleeping arrangements – both declaring we’re too old to share beds! So the journey of both of us fulfilling our bucket lists in separate beds began!

Our original flight was cancelled, we had the choice to move to a day earlier and we grabbed it, who wouldn’t want an extra day on holiday. As our departure date grew nearer, we compared packing notes and they were similar – well, I ended up with 14kgs and my friend some 21kgs, maybe our lists weren’t quite the same… She’ll be cross with me telling you all this!

4 days before departure, we received notification that our cruise had been cancelled, a devastating blow! Some quick thinking and a phone call to the UK, we had secured our cabin on the next voyage departing 9 June. Oh dear, another extension to the holiday… Cecilia and I added up our $$ could we afford an extra 15 days holidays, we both decided it’s the trip of a lifetime, let’s just go!

Awaiting our 4.46am train | Celebratory breaky at the airport | Here we go… | Snow capped mountains as we approach Vancouver!

The flight was uneventful although we gambled on no-one being in the middle seat – we lost. Cecilia now has a new friend, who speaks no English, although they shared a cuppa or two throughout the flight! Me, I took my sleeping pills and slept!

The first couple of days were somewhat chaotic due to some hiccups with accommodation. As of 1 May, the rules for Airbnb have changed in Canada with many places having to take their listings down. We couldn’t work out why there were so few listings. Anyhow, once we became aware we adjusted and carried on. A couple of days in Vancouver to get over the flight. We opted to extend our car hire a few extra days and hit the road. Now we had extra time, we can explore Vancouver Island. Ferry was booked for Wednesday 15 May afternoon with our first stop a tiny house in Courtenay! Vancouver Island is an amazing getaway from Vancouver, step back in time to a slower pace and if it’s possible, friendlier Canadians!

Along the route, we came across Goats on the Roof (literally) a market style shopping complex, we gathered groceries for our first few days and discovered the Nanaimo Bar, no – not a drinking establishment, a dessert slice toted as Canada’s favourite! Our first stay in Courtenay in a Tiny Home did not disappoint. This quaint little stay had everything we needed and then some.

We meandered our way through MacMillan Provincial Park amazed by the trees and root systems.

Fish and Chip lunch at Dicks in Campbell River. As we sit to enjoy Dick’s Fish and Chips, three young lads walk in, of course they’re Aussies, three brothers travelling, where from – Miami and Mermaid – they literally live around the corner from us at home! These boys are off to drive to Alaska. A visit to a local winery 40 Knots Winery and a lot of sitting watching the world go by. We noticed the beaches have logs strewn about, we’re thinking this may assist with beach erosion.

A stay in a family’s basement apartment in Shawnigan Lakes, allowed us to explore the Kinsol Trestle, standing at approx. 40m high making it one of the highest wooden railway trestles in the world. Fascinating to inspect the construction and the thought that it would have held the weight of a train and carriages.

We came across a small town Chemainus without a doubt one of the most gorgeous seaside towns I’ve ever visited. This artisan village is home to over 50 large scale murals scattered throughout the town. Somewhere I’d love to return and spend more time. If you’re travelling to Vancouver Island, Chemainus should definitely be on the list of places to see.

It was time to think of heading back to the mainland to continue the journey of discovery, making our way towards Jasper, Lake Louise and Banff, the first stop – Chilliwack. As it turned out, friends of Cecilia’s, Sue and Justin, are abroad for 3 months, celebrating the birth of their second grandchild, the son and family lives in Chilliwack! The world is such a small place. We met them for dinner and chatted all things Australians travelling. There may have a been a conversation or ten about our grandkids. We opted for a stay in a heritage listed manor, which is a labour of love for hosts Cindy and Rosally!

The ferry system in Canada is amazing – the number of vehicles that can be moved in such a short period of time, is no mean feat. Very similar to the vehicle ferries I took getting across from UK to Ireland.

We’ve decided on our drive tour, to keep off the highways where possible, to enjoy and take our time, soaking in the scenery and the small villages along the way. We happened across the Hope Landslide site. Basically the side of a mountain fell down, one of the largest landslides ever recorded happened in 1965 after a small earthquake. The signage indicates 46 million cubic metres of earth was dislodged. It’s hard to imagine how much that is but when you see the site, I mean it’s literally half a mountain!

One of our first grocery shops on Vancouver Island, yielded a little organic red, the Robin Ridge Gamay, I had commented to Cecilia, definitely one of the better wines I have had. As we continued our journey, passing through villages of Princeton and Keremeos we spot a sign to Robin Ridge Winery – can it really be the same? A detour was definitely warranted. A wine tasting ensued and whilst more bottles of the Gamay were secured – a Chardonnay and Rose have joined the crew. For those that know me, I would never usually drink a chardonnay although this wine, is very good! I quite easily could have sent a carton home of each.

We noticed ‘Boil Water’ notices and discovered this little village of Princeton has had a rough few years, whilst it sits high on the mountain tops, it was hit with an atmospheric river in November 2021 and caused widespread devastation. I had never heard of an atmospheric river and I need to research if this is the same style of event, that caused the catastrophic floods in Queensland in 2011.

Cecilia declared I was not permitted to visit more wineries until I had consumed my recent purchases, reluctantly I accepted the challenge as we headed for our next destination of Penticton. Our stay was in a recently refurbished motel – Kettle Valley Beach Resort, we splurged and enjoyed a curry at Penticton’s best Indian – Lachi Fine Indian Restaurant

You can see how Penticton would be a holiday haven for British Columbians, the Okanagan Lake is sensational with so many spots to camp, park up an RV and enjoy the spoils of the area. There’s a white sandy beach in Penticton, which for we Australians, was a standout, as other beaches we’ve encountered were pebbled and rocky outcrops and needed reef shoes.

We took the route less travelled and headed north towards Salmon Arms via Peachland, Bear Creek and Fintry. I would love to share with you the travels to Kelowna however I fear, a random roundabout set us astray and we totally missed the biggest City in the Okanagan Valley.

Bear Creek yet again held a devastating tale of destruction, where the scars of a fire from September 2023 remain.= A quick Wiki search shows us that lives were lost and 189 properties were destroyed with 12,000 hectares affected.

There’s certain similarity to home, fire – flood and beaches, another indication of the connection between Australia and far northern counterparts – Canadians.

The search of a Starbucks has become our early mantra for we realise the coffee is, at the very least, consistent! Our next stay is at Stoey’s farm, located in the hills above Salmon Arms. There’s chooks, Alpacas and homemade wine – I’ll need to leave this until the next post, the rhubarb wine is taking its toll!

Accessibility for all…

February 25, 2024 ~ asteppingstoneembarkwithandrea ~ 1 Comment

I’ve taken to writing this blog on a Sunday morning, load of washing in the machine, and whilst I sit and enjoy a cup of coffee, watch the world go by from my balcony, I reflect on the week that has just been. Last weekend I had my favourite person in the world for a sleepover, so my Sunday morning was not my own. There was no washing, coffee thrown down my neck and certainly no time to write – I have no regrets.

I’ve also had two visits to Brisvegas in the past couple of weeks for work. One for a networking event – ho hum, but I then had dinner in a little bar overlooking the Story Bridge – so beautiful lit up of an evening.

The other visit this past week was to participate in a new film and book festival – Blussh Romance Festival which is being produced by a friend. I had the absolute honour to host a panel of local authors and chat about their romance novels. In preparation for this conversation, I needed to read their books – another reason for the radio silence. Romance books very very different to the children’s book, I usually find myself reading for work. Anna Campbell a well established author with 49 books under her belt, more awards than I’m able to count. Anna’s steamy novels set you back into the regency era (think Jane Austen) with the handsome aristocrat falling for the lesser woman although the female protagonist, becoming an equal and certainly holding her own! A feminist in the 1800s.

Debut novelists – Jordan Claydon-Lewis and Michelle Beesley both who have written their first foray into romance based around their characters travelling – Australia and its Outback feature in Jordan’s book and Michelle’s romance is secured within the underground tombs in Paris.

I love being able to support authors especially emerging authors, to get their work out into the world.

The last week also saw me take me and my dancing shoes to enjoy Pink! She really is an a legend and we would love if she were to call Australia home. Down to earth, super talented woman, also a mum, just doing her thang…

Part of my job, running a public event such as Storyfest is to ensure accessibility for everyone. I know, we can do better but we certainly try and accommodate. This year for the first time, we will incorporate a couple of sessions with an Auslan interpreter and Emma Memma will attend. Emma has written books which incorporate Auslan into the books – give them a look, they’re sensational. If anyone out there has a little one, I’m sure you would have heard of Miss Rachel, I remember that Navy was signing before she could talk, which was unbelievable at the time. Last year, we had a young visitor to the festival arrive in a wheelchair and I later found out, had some difficulties with one of our vendors. Needless to say, that vendor won’t be coming back to our festival.

Living where I do, I’m able to enjoy the spoils of public transport to get me to these type of events. I walk out my door, jump on a bus and I’m away. The other evening, when waiting for the local bus to get to the Pink concert, there was a fellow in a wheelchair also waiting for the bus. It was busy, there were a few people at the stop and when the bus arrived, it was quite crowded on the bus. As those of us readied to board the bus, we all stood back to allow the wheelchair fellow to board first. The bus driver got out of his seat, looked around the bus and then proceeded to let the wheelchair fellow know, it’s busy, there’s really not room for him (there were able bodied people sitting in the handicap seat area). The young girls sitting in the seats quickly jumped up and moved. Before anyone could jump in, the fellow explained, very calmly, ‘Mate, I just really needed to get home’. The bus driver looked at the rest of us, no-one moved. He then huffed and reluctantly lowered the wheelchair ramp and let the fellow on.

I had to bite my tongue, I don’t think I’ve ever been more angry at any individual – it was disgraceful that this fellow even had to plead to be let onto the bus. What is our world coming to, when we would happily leave someone in a wheelchair on the side of the road rather than take an extra 30s to put a ramp out for them. I did get a photo of the bus number and will report the issue but I fear old mate in the wheelchair is used to this type of treatment.

Do better folks…

Hoarded treasure…

February 4, 2024February 4, 2024 ~ asteppingstoneembarkwithandrea ~ Leave a comment

This week seems to have been more chaotic than usual – not sure why, being out Tuesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday may have something to do with it!

Unfortunately Manon ended up back in the hospital which gave us all a couple of days of extra worry, turns out she just had a hell of a headache! Phew.

I spent a fair amount of time with Navy girl this week – I was on pick up duty (pick up from kindy) both Tuesday and Thursday, which is always a highlight. Tuesday I turned up with treats – a Paw Patrol snack that has cheese and ham and a couple of little choc chip cookies about the size of a 20c piece. I also threw in blueberries and a freddo.

I was absolutely the flavour of the month – A’Ma was the favourite. Little did I know when that sugar kicked in after a day at kindy – the freaking sugar fairy from Satan’s lair would also show up. Holy hell on a cracker, did I learn my lesson. When I pick her up, I always send a proof of life photo to the parents so they know I’ve got her!

I watch Navy on a Tuesday evening as Dana and Beej are doing Hypnotherapy Birthing classes (that’s a whole other topic of conversation – she’s going to breathe through the birth!!!) If you know, you know…

So of course, I was on bath and bed duty – note to self – no sugar on kindy days, in fact – no sugar ever! Thursday I collected her with an offering of watermelon or blueberries! It was a much easier evening and definitely more enjoyable!

Saturday 8.30am we’re off to the soccer pitch to watch her develop her soccer skills ready to run on for the Matilda’s in about 2040! It’s a Saturday morning treat I try not miss. Beej’s dad joined us for the first time and I had to break it to him, what he thought was the warm up, was what he was here for. He was waiting for the game to start! Too funny – they’re 2~

We ventured for a little pedicure after soccer, followed by a swim and back to A’Ma’s place. For my 21st birthday I was gifted a Garfield telephone, it was all the craze in the 80s. I’ve hoarded that darn telephone from pillar to post and have often thought of selling it, they’re not really worth that much so I’ve just hung on to it. Navy loves playing with it. So on Saturday, I actually hooked it up to a phone line – the join on this kid’s face when the phone rang and she got a call from Auntie Mon and then Dadda! She loves this darn thing – so worth the 40 year hoard!

Generation Alpha stepping back in time. Wait for when she tries to show Auntie Mon, the colour of mummy’s toes…

It was such a magical day although by the time they left me at 8.00pm, I was absolutely exhausted and slept like a baby!

Today’s adventures took me to my friends’ farm in Boonah. What a gorgeous part of the world, not far from the Gold Coast. Andrew and Louise have retired and now spend their days planting trees, nurturing the wildlife corridor on their property, reading books and so much more. Louise invested in ‘Daisy’ a 1976 MG, we went for a spin and Daisy performed beautifully – so much fun! I fear Louise was a rally driver in another life.

I had stopped off the local grocers to pick up a bunch of flowers or a little something to take with me, I had forgotten how generous and unhurried country folk are. Sandra shared the joys of the local fodder and specials she had been able to secure. Invited me to call back in on the way home and don’t forget to let my friends know. What was to be a quick drop in – found me spending $30 and securing a newfound friend. If you ever find yourself down Boonah way, make the time to call in to Oppy’s Fruit and Veg, ask for Sandra!

So very sweet to finish off this week, catching up with my friend Cecilia and meeting her sister and nephew who are visiting from Victoria. With so many of our friends, we hear so much about family, it’s like we know them intimately but never meet – it was wonderful to meet Shirley and Anthony – if I was more organised I would have had a photo. We had dinner at The Star Casino in the carvery area – not a bad meal, reasonably priced! I couldn’t tell you the last time I visited the local casino and here I am visiting both Friday and Sunday! I would have written more about Friday but best to leave that alone…

Indulgence or Time Out

January 28, 2024 ~ asteppingstoneembarkwithandrea ~ Leave a comment

This week has been a mix of chaos and calm. My work is gearing up, the first quarter of each year, being the busiest, as we prepare for the festival. For those who don’t know, I head up an organisation that delivers Australia’s largest youth writers festival. Over 3 days in March, we ‘entertain’ over 15,000 students who get the opportunity to interact with some of Australia’s most engaging storytellers. It’s something I’m extremely proud to be a part of.

My eldest daughter Manon has been hospitalised, she’s fine now although what should have been routine 1 or 2 night stay, turned into a 6 day hospital visit. I wanted to jump on a plane and head to Sydney although whilst my worry is the same as when they were three, they remind me, they’re adults and are ‘fine’. So I worry from afar…

I very fondly remember the Australia Day celebrations we used to host, one of our traditions was for someone to bring along a new Australian. Over the years, many newcomers joined us and we celebrated all cultures, new and old. For what’s it worth – my personal thoughts are, I’m extremely proud to be Australian and love to celebrate although I’m fairly certain I could celebrate at any time of year, it doesn’t have to be a date that causes angst for anyone. My concern however is that even a change of date won’t stop the upheaval the day causes. I absolutely acknowledge the traditional owners of this land but I also believe I have a right to celebrate and be proud to be Australian.

Last week, we talked about indulgence, remember those bug rolls. Well this week, I’ve added an extra day onto the long weekend and headed north – Port Douglas. I’ve been a few times and return to the same hotel – Mantra Aqueous Port Douglas it’s a few minutes walk to the main town and offers Spa – Swim Out rooms, basically you walk onto the patio and step into the pool. I love the place. I’ve locked myself away for a couple of days to read books and get in some R&R. A couple of days is never long enough but I think it’s why I keep coming back. It’s a great spot to just take time out and reset.

A couple of days before I was due to head off – Cyclone Kirrily entered the atmosphere, will I need to cancel? I decided if the flights were going, I was going. A great decision – there were a lot of people who cancelled and to be fair, we’ve had some overnight rain but nothing cyclonic! On the drive from Cairns Airport to Port Douglas, the Captain Cook Highway certainly is battered, it’s been open less than a week. The catastrophic impact of Jasper still evident with several sections of the road down to one lane. Many shops have not reopened and there’s a feel of abandonment in town – I’m not sure if it’s just because of the lack of tourists or the international backpackers haven’t returned or possibly, it was one too many hits and some locals have up and left. The receptionist mentioned there’s been a shuttle boat from Cairns but it’s been quiet since the cyclone, she was definitely not ready for another. The driver of the shuttle, mentioned on his property 10 minutes outside of Port Douglas he had had over 2m (200cm or 2000mm) in 3 days, he said the rain just didn’t ease, it kept coming. The landslides appear to have done the most damage.

Getting to Port Douglas is a tricky, the last time I was here I had driven, so I didn’t have to rely on a transfer. I had booked a transfer, as I knew I wouldn’t need a car, it was somewhat of a disaster – my flight landed at 2.00pm, transfer would meet me the flight at baggage carousel. The day before, due to flight cancellations, my transfer wouldn’t be until 3.10pm – ok I could live with an hour wait. However that flight was delayed, no communication from the company until I called them – it was after 4.15pm when we finally left the airport. I was definitely annoyed and then of course, I was the last to be dropped off. A return trip cost $95 which I guess is cheap but it was the lack of communication that annoyed me. To be fair I probably would have been annoyed anyway, they would have known I was waiting at the airport. So very frustrating – something to definitely be aware of. I’ll be honest, it puts me off travelling to Port Douglas again, I’ll definitely have to find an alternative way to get here. I left home at 8.30am and arrived at the hotel about 5.45pm – I realise it’s a long way but seriously travel throughout Australia is in dire need of an overhaul. No wonder Australian’s venture overseas – I could have been in Bali, Fiji, Singapore or any other number of places, in the same time.

I opted to self cater this time as well – I didn’t venture out to restaurants or undertake tours, I’ve literally spent about 8 hours a day, just hanging in the pool, sitting in the spa and enjoying the stillness. Two books and third on the way – it’s been my kind of heaven.

What books did I read?

At home, refreshed, ready to tackle the tasks ahead…

It’s what we do, as Mothers…

January 21, 2024January 21, 2024 ~ asteppingstoneembarkwithandrea ~ 2 Comments

Before I write too much about my newest title – I need to reflect back on last week, which was about friendship. You may recall I closed off as I was heading out for lunch, with friends…

Nothing like those friends to keep you humble, I hadn’t mentioned them in my post, so they were sure to let me know, they weren’t my closest friends and that I should go hang out with my real friends! They tortured and teased me over lunch, which had us causing havoc with laughter from our table. It was a lunch that was pure gold. Who are the friends – I would have called them ‘recent’ friends although we have been friends for some 6 or 7 years now. Leanne and Kris who are always up for a catch up, who open their home to me for that drop in drink and are always inviting me to night’s out or a quick dinner. Leanne is my ‘no bullshit’ friend, absolutely tells it like it is and I love her for it. Leanne and Kris have both supported Storyfest for many years – they’re the first to donate their time and collectively have raised, I’m guessing, in the vicinity of $75K or more for disadvantaged kids! Salt of the Earth people! Kel, it turns out our kids went to school together although we never really knew each other then. Kel was too busy forging her career, she’s an amazing individual who I have sought advice from and I admire her for her ability to make change in her personal and professional life and absolutely crush those glass ceilings!

Photos: Leanne, Kel, Kris and myself; second image – Kris and Leanne celebrating my new apartment!

Now on to this week’s topic…

For the past 6 months, it’s been a shuffle of vehicles between Dana, BJ and myself. Dana’s little Mazda decided to up and quit on her, just before the wedding. They spent some money to keep her going until the end of the year although she just didn’t make it – the air conditioning went and it wasn’t feasible to fix it. At first, it wasn’t a problem although when I saw my 6 month pregnant daughter and granddaughter flushed, and hot and bothered, I made an offer – they can buy my car from me, at family rates of course, and I’ll get a new one. It’s what we do…

So about November, I took on the Mazzie with no air con (holy crap) and handed the Honda over to the kids. My Navy girl was very grateful and it definitely eased that hormonal pregnant woman – you’re very welcome BJ McKay!

How did we ever drive vehicles with no air con, I’ve definitely gone soft in my old age. I had thought that if I were to replace my car, I’d look at either an electric or hybrid, trying to do my part for the environment but also with the rising cost of fuel, I think this is the way of the future. Having driven a hybrid during the recent trip to the UK, I started investigating. I’ve never had a problem with my Hondas and they’ve just released the Honda ZRV a hybrid SUV. So this week’s venture was to take delivery of the new car and all things being equal, possibly my last car, maybe?

I was excited, I was on Navy pick up on Monday, so had let her know A’Ma will collect her, in the new car. I arrive and she’s less than impressed. She tells me my car is just like the red car across the street!!! Yes that is several exclamation marks – really? Like that red one – no disrespect, but really?

In the title of this week’s post, I’ve added ‘Mothers’, now that is not to say that certain fathers wouldn’t do the same however, in my personal experience, both my father and the father of my children, have always put themselves ahead of their families. This post is not about them or the respective traumas they’ve caused, I just believe a mother will go above and beyond, will go the additional step, will sacrifice that bit more whether it’s the extra potato from dinner or in this case, a car to be sure their children and grandchildren are safe. I’m fortunate that I’m in a position to be able to offer this to my kids and I do it because I want to.

I could write a post a day and not be finished in a month of Sundays about women I know and the sacrifices they have made for their children. They go about their day, most working full time jobs as well as nurturing the home, without any fanfare. Ladies – take a bow. You deserve to treat yourself, take that 5 minutes to yourself each and every day and don’t feel guilty. I know at times, I’ve indulged and my kids probably have wondered what was happening although I like to think, like other aspects of my life, I’m setting good examples for them to become strong women who value themselves.

Now that my girls have families of their own, I’m getting more of my time back – I do indulge, as I quite often sit at Rick Shores enjoying that bug roll – the kids will message me to complain about their invite!

First video in the blog, let me know if there’s problems viewing!

You may wonder how they know when I’m heading for a sneaky bug roll, we all have iPhones and share our locations, we’ve always looked at it as a safety issue, although as this example shows, the tables have turned, they can now also track me…

I’m happy to share a bug roll or ten with them – we’re off for bug rolls this afternoon, or so they tell me, it seems it’s my shout!

So I thought I’d wait until after lunch to publish – bug rolls a hit…

It’s just so beautiful sitting by the beach, enjoying great food, great wine and the best company ever!

	Kerri on Walk in the Wild
	Anne on Walk in the Wild
	Angéline Anthony on Walk in the Wild
	Sherry Wilson on Accessibility for all…
	Angeline Anthony on It’s what we do, as…

A Stepping Stone

(embark with Andrea)

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