Just before Christmas in 2004 we set up our tent on a shaded site in the nearly deserted Malacoota campground in New South Wales. Incredibly, a caravan pulled in and set up right beside us, ignoring the hundreds of vacant sites. "How long are you staying?" asked the guy. "You're in Walter and Fran's spot, you know."
It seems Ted and Shirley had been spending the Christmas holiday at Malacoota with their caravan club friends for nearly two decades, so long that their grown children were also coming with their young families. And they reserve their favorite sites for the next year before they leave.
We spent a few days with them - until Walter and Fran arrived - and visited them at their home in Brisbane later in our first Australia trip. We have kept in touch over the years, Christmas cards and the odd letter and were ecstatic when they invited us to visit them at their new home in Crowsnest on this trip.
The airline snafu meant not a leisurely daylight drive to Crows Nest, but one in the dark with the chance of a close encounter of the wallaby kind. Shirley's directions didn't make much sense without a map and time had run out on our pre-paid UK mobile phone so the two hour drive took nearly twice that.
We had forgotten what wonderful company they are. We all (except Connie) have a little more "snow on the roof" than when we last got together but the mutual attraction is still there. Their home is wonderful with a garden worthy of Toowoomba. Excellent food, vintage Australian wine and talk, talk, talk. The visit was too short but we hope to meet again in England in July.
