I don’t have much to report about Sydney. We spent most of the time in the apartment as Bette really can’t be alone for too long. We did take a quick trip to Dungog and back to see Heather, Kaity, the boys and their latest addition Pearl-Rose. it is a 3 hour drive away so we left at midday and was back at 2am. Bette was fine as she had her cleaner for three hours and then her neighbour and friend Margaret came over at dinner time to keep her company.

Margaret and Wayne took us out to La Perouse for lunch on the last day in Sydney, which was really good. Joanne got home that morning.

Most of our time was spent cooking and baking. I did get through two books and wish I had one more to read.

Back home we wait to pick up our bags and I bump into some cousins who were on our plane and live in England but want to come back to NZ to retire. It is a small world.

We pick up our camper from AA with its fresh WOF and drive down to Herbert. We find some residents in our bed, or evidence of them. Bloody mice, I put baits out before we left but it hasn’t deterred them fully. Once we had de-moused the bed it was great to be back in our comfy bed. It hasn’t deterred been a month!

A 5am start, which is 3am body clock time. I am determined to get us back into our routine. A supply trip to mitre10 then down to site shows a blank slate ready for paint. I give the place a good clean from the dust and we mask up ready for the sprayer. The weather is not good outside. We cannot paint today but at least we are ready for tomorrow.

Annoyingly our first coat didn’t quite make it to the ceiling in the living area. Running out of paint sucks, but it sucks even more when it is an hour away to get more. Nevermind we will buy some more tomorrow.

It looks like Rowan went to Columbia. Let’s hope he doesn’t get pulled over and questioned.

We got it 90% there on Monday. We have another coat to do on the ceiling tomorrow morning.