“Bellingen is all about restaurants, there’s not much else here, and they’re very expensive”. Not really what we wanted to hear from our tourist information person. “But outside there are lovely walks”, she said, as though just realising she was being recorded by the government. “There is a long pier at Urunga where you can walk out to sea and see every kind of ocean folk”. If the cameras were rolling I would prefer to stick with the Bellingen beauties, not the stuff outside of my jurisdiction.
So we decided to help her by taking on her role. We’ve heard of the ‘Promised Land’ “is that road open? And are there any walks here that we could do – trees, rivers, and landforms? We got some mixed responses – ”the PL is closed for repairs to a bridge but parts are open”. Feeling the camera is happy with the Bellingen info., we asked about Urunga. She knew about that and was very excited about looking at fish through glass. I looked anxiously at the camera again and thought it would be okay to discuss Dorrigo – “lovely walks in the national park”.
We had a bit to think about as we sought lunch. After hearing about local prices, we bought lunch at “Cafe de IGA”. But just before, I was waiting at the sign that said ‘stand behind the line until you have a space’. When the fifth person disobeyed this and went to move into position, I assertively pointed to the sign. After a confused discussion, an IGA man told me the sign was referring to the checkout!
As I choked on my pie, we headed off to the ‘promised land’, a glorious part of the world. Stunning steep green hills rolled towards a distant mountain range as the ‘Never Never’ creek wove its way through these manicured fields. After a few kms., we shed our car and walked through beautiful rainforests, falling over rocks to peer round corners for a bit of magic water displays. Walks around, and to and from town, as well as a ‘rolling hill walk’
around the 16 acres our motel is located on.
We swapped stories with a few people today, a bit more social than usual, but mostly brief encounters. Now it’s dinner time and despite the information officer’s advice, we found many restaurants and cafes are not yet open.
It was exercise time today, as I zoomed in to PD exercises in Sydney. The trainers often concentrate on our weak points, such as, ‘extend you fingers more, lift your left leg higher’, and today my wife reminded me to ‘sit up straight’ to limit the effects of both PD and Osteoporosis … so my poem today reflects this
I look for comfort that’s a natural thing
Why would I want it any other way?
If it’s not there, it’s hard to laugh and sing
Or write a tune, or paint your own Monet.
But comfort may just indicate the old
Way of doing things that keeps your body ill,
It’s all too hard to make a change so bold
But if you don’t the sickness remains still.
So when I hear my wife say: “sit up straight”
I take it as a clue I’m comfortable,
It’s time to move so I do not stagnate
A little change may help to keep me stable.
So take your time to suffer discomfort
Cause time rewards this dedicated effort.
