Travels with Jill and Rob 2006.
I have to admit that I am not the world’s best tourist, but I do make a pretty fair retiree.
This is how you retire
It really is quite easy to retire, all you need a decent size caravan, a good powerful tow vehicle and a Harley-Davidson to put on the tray, and off you go around Australia, NZ, or indeed the Planet!
So I having retired in July, we did exactly that.
We went to the big airshow at Oshkosh, in the US, then toured in Canada, spending some time with brother Thomas is Toronto, then on to the UK. We stayed at a
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gliding aerodrome in Gloucestershire, Nympsfield, where I was to go solo in a glider after decades of half – hearted efforts. We then travelled via Wales to Ireland, (yes, we did get on a ship) and visited some of the old family localities.
Mural on the end of a block of terrace houses. This particular one is in a Catholic District of Belfast.
Belfast was the most challenging locality. The “Troubles” are perhaps over, but only for the moment, I think. I wanted to find Oceanic Avenue, where my Dad was born in 1913. We had some trouble in finding this street, although I had been there before. We found some British Telecom technicians who queried my assumption that the street was in a Protestant district. They asked: “Was your father Catholic or Protestant?” “He was a baby” “Yes” (This with a rolling of the eyes) “But was he a Catholic or Protestant baby?”
We found the street. It is now a Catholic district, but was a Protestant one when Dad was born.
Next was a return to Scotland, where I had spent many happy years. It was good to see Eileen and family again.
And Jill got to see the Haar.
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That’s right – the Haar. The Haar is a cold wet fog that travels at up to 80 km per hour up the North Sea, and sweeps across Scotland creating fear and despondency for trawlermen and helicopter pilots alike. But we saw it sweeping across the hills and I knew straight away, that I must take Jill to Dunnottar Castle, South of Aberdeen.
The connection? Dunnottar Castle is a genuinely evil place, where the most ghastly deeds were perpetrated, by our ancestors, including the burning of witches at the stake.
Dunnottar Castle, where “Braveheart” (William Wallace) became a war criminal when he herded the English garrison into the chapel then burnt it and them to the ground. You never saw Mel Gibson act out that detail!
I knew the castle well. And the fog would add the last element of evil and menace to that dread place.
Heading South. We stopped at Gretna Green. No we did not get married again, although apparently many do. Then back to England, and homeward bound. Via Singapore.
The Singaporeans are astounding people. Although it takes only 40 minutes to drive from one side to the other, the island is much bigger than it used to be, as they knock down their hills and mountains and push them into the sea. Now they must buy dirt from the Malaysians and Indonesians to carry on the building. They must also buy water from the Malaysians.
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To counteract this, they will dam their main tidal river, then pump out the seawater. Being close to the equator, it should fill within a decade or so, with fresh water. Terraforming? Isaac Asimov may have invented the term, but the Singaporeans are doing it, right here on earth. Back in Australia on the 29th of September, 06, we arrived in Melbourne, via Singapore Airlines Boeing 777.
Glokkenspekter of Boeing 777 letting down into Melbourne
Now the Australian tour started. We had planned to buy the aforementioned caravan and tow vehicle, and we already had the Harley.
It was also part of the plan to stop and work wherever we liked, for as long as we liked. So far, after leaving Colac VIC, that has only been in Yarrawonga, where I worked for a local engineer and Jill found herself a big frog in a small pond, at a nursing home where she was the sole Registered Nurse.
After five weeks, we travelled East, South and North, visiting friends and family. We toured up the East Coast of VIC and NSW. Jill drove the Rodeo and towed the caravan, leaving me to ride that mighty coast alone, and what a great ride I had, after the Great Ocean Road, one of the great bike rides in Australia. We met and stayed with Jill’s sister Barb, and her friend Chris at Long Beach on the NSW South Coast, then it was North again to stay with my daughter Fiona and Grand-daughter Tammy.
North again, ever North to stay with old friends Pat and Ken Lynch in Sydney. Next day we visited Corrinne Williamson at her new home in Fairfield. 4
And here we are in Brisbane, staying with Jill’s daughter Vikki. Vikki has been looking after our dog Teejay for quite a few months now. 9th Dec saw us going on a camping trip with Vikki’s motorcycle club, Southern Cross Association, and on the 11th, the motorcycle Toy Run in Ipswich.
Next, we will travel to Caloundra on the Sunshine Coast. I have booked a caravan site in this town, although Jill and I actually own two houses here!
Vikki and Jill on the Toy Run, Ipswich, QLD 11.12.06
We will work in Caloundra for awhile. And it may be that I will return to my most happy task; the teaching of flight. Tune in next Xmas. Love, Rob and Jill Hall
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