Mozzeenet

Earlier in January we decided to take a couple of nights out to visit the Yarra Valley again for a welcome relaxing break. This included a drive to Marysville, almost two years after Black Saturday. We visited there last year as well and we noticed a few changes this year though not major ones – it made us realise that re-generation and re-development takes a long time.

There were a number of new houses that had been built and lots of green growth on the trees where the bushfire went through. There were also a lot of trees with no new growth, just bare black trunks which was sad to see. The surrounds of Steavensons Falls looks very different compared to prior to the fire.

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While most people are on the countdown to the new year, we’re counting down to about 3 weeks later when we’ll be joined by a new little member of the family (if he’s on time that is).

It has been an exciting journey to this point from the early days of finding out I was pregnant, getting through the first couple of months of nausea, seeing the healthy bub on the 20 week scan, feeling his kicks and squirms and then growing and growing until now at 35 weeks when I’m very slow getting around and feeling quite tired and uncomfortable.

There has been lots to prepare and read about but we have the nursery set up now and only one more antenatal class to attend so we feel we are just about ready for the major changes that are about to happen in our lives.

In August we took 2 weeks to seek out warmer climes further north and our mission was accomplished, arriving in Maleny to a 27 degree day after our 5 day journey via Yass, Newcastle and Byron Bay! What a contrast to an endless stretch of days of around 13 degrees max. in Melbourne.  It has been a very cold Winter here – coldest I’ve experienced since moving down in 2005. It really tested my endurance being very much a Summer person.

We discovered an amazing B&B in Yass, The Globe Inn, on the first night of our journey.  The old building is decorated with antique and rustic furnishings throughout and the reasonable price includes a full cooked breakfast. The bedrooms are upstairs with a stunning communal guests area which you can see in the picture where there was a range of sweet treats like cakes and muffins laid out for guests to help themselves.

Next was 2 nights in Newcastle catching up with friends and Andrew’s Dad followed by 2 nights at Dad’s near Byron. Note the bowl of coffee Andrew indulged in at 3 Monkeys Cafe in Newcastle! We thoroughly enjoyed a long walk along Main Beach at Byron soaking up the sun and beginning to thaw out. So good to be able to wear t-shirts again.

We stopped and relaxed at Maleny for 5 nights catching up with Mum and other family and friends. As always it is a real holiday being there. We ate enough cheese to sink a ship every night and Mum and Andrew got into the reds!  Mum’s hospitality was as usual impeccable and I did enjoy the odd one or two (or 10) of her shortbread biscuits.  We also managed to fit in a lunch with Pat and Karen from Brisbane at a great restaurant at Flaxton (Flaxton Gardens) with a view over the Sunshine Coast as well as a visit to Montville to catch up with Andrew’s Aunt, Uncle and cousins.

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