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Posted on by Debbie

Out exploring the countryside #WBOYC

Hello there

How can it be the end of September already? Seriously?!!

That means it’s time for our monthly linkup ‘What’s Been On Your Calendar’ (#WBOYC) and wherever possible I’ve been trying to weave EXPLORE, my Word of The Year (#WOTY) into my monthly wrap-up posts, as it helps keep my WOTY alive and front of centre! I do like to have a focus.

Exploring in September

Deb-orah the Explorer
Deb-orah the Explorer

As I alluded to at the end of my August post, we have spent most of September out and about – in Melbourne one weekend, Canberra the next and then onto Brisbane for a few weeks. All of these visits involved family, which was great, but it meant lots of driving as Australia is a huge country!

Road Trips

To give you some perspective, Tumbarumba is halfway between Sydney and Melbourne – both are about 5+ hours drive away excluding stops – Canberra is a 3 hour drive away and Brisbane is a 2 day drive!

Melbourne – you can read more about some of our trip to Melbourne in my What’s On Your Plate post where I shared a delicious cake recipe to welcome my mother home from her 2 month overseas trip and also to celebrate Father’s Days and my sister and husband’s new house. My sister and I had fun together including lunch out in Bendigo and I loved seeing her so happy with her new home and new job

Debbie with mum and a dinosaur
Debbie with mum and a dinosaur
Sharon and Debbie at lunch
Sharon and Debbie at lunch
Melbourne airport sunset
Melbourne airport sunset
Mum arriving
Mum arriving
Home sweet home
Home sweet home
orange banksias
orange banksias

Canberra – we were home for a few days before turning around and driving to Canberra to help our granddaughter Emilia celebrate her 5th birthday over the weekend – we had so much fun! A party with her friends, fun at the play centre and a treat with us taking her to a trampoline park which included her trying rock climbing for the first time, attached to a bungy type rope – she loved it! Zachary was keen to join in with the birthday fun as only a 2year old brother can do. They left for an overseas trip the next week so we won’t get to see them for another few weeks.

Emilia is 5
Emilia is 5
Emilia turns 5
Emilia turns 5
5 yrs as Granny Debs
5 yrs as Granny Debs

Newcastle – we got away from Canberra after dropping Emilia at pre-school and made it to Newcastle by about 2.30pm, after a brief lunch break and change of drivers. We lived in Newcastle for 11 years prior to moving to Tumbarumba in 1991, and we haven’t really been back since. I was keen to see our old house, so after our bike ride we did a drive-by and I was really upset. The house looked old, unloved and sad – sometimes it doesn’t pay to revisit the past! It was a place that held so many happy memories for us.

It was good to get out of the car and get onto the bikes to explore the Fernleigh Track for the first time. The Fernleigh Track is approximately 16km with an extra 4.5km for a visit to Redhead Beach, which we did as we used to go there quite often. The Fernleigh Track between Adamstown and Belmont is a high-quality rail trail running through quiet bushland and suburban landscapes. A major feature is the 180m curved brick-lined Fernleigh Tunnel beneath the Pacific Highway. Newcastle and Lake Macquarie councils purchased the land of the former private coal railway to Belmont and opened the first section of the rail trail, Adamstown-Kahibah (Burwood Rd), in 2003. (Source and more info) Several additions have been made since then. We rode 35km in just under 2 hours with stops at the beach and to take in some of the history along the trail, it was a bit busy as school was just finishing for the day but we thoroughly enjoyed the fresh air, the bush landscape, the warmth in the air and seeing the city we’d made our home in again.

Tunnel on the Fernleigh Track
Tunnel on the Fernleigh Track
Fernleigh Track
Fernleigh Track
Redhead Beach
Redhead Beach
Fernleigh Track sign
Fernleigh Track sign

Murwillumbah – we finally got to ride the Northern Rivers Rail Trail which has been on our radar for ages, due to the fact that we know Murwillumbah well (see my recent post here), it’s also had some controversy getting the rail trail up and running like our Tumbarumba to Rosewood Rail Trail. We were the first rail trail on government owned land in NSW and Northern Rivers was the second, so we have a lot in common! The first section (Stage One) of 24 km between Murwillumbah and Crabbes Creek opened in March 2023.

We left Newcastle early in the morning and drove solidly for most of the day, changing drivers and fuelling up as necessary along the way. We stopped at Mooball, parked the car and started riding back to Crabbes Creek the end point of the current section of the trail, it will continue in time but for the moment it stops there. We turned and rode back along the trail to Stokers Siding, through the amazing 524m Burringbar Tunnel – a total ride of 32km. It was gorgeous, lush rainforest, cane fields and quaint little stations along the way.

What a fabulous ride – one minute we were barrelling along the highway then the next we were calmly riding parallel to the main road at a much calmer pace. Just beautiful!

  • This rail trail in the far northeast of NSW traverses a World Heritage region.
  • Users will experience 26 bridges (16 restored and 10 bypassed) as well as 2 tunnels including the unique Burringbar Range Tunnel (524m) and Hulls Rd Tunnel (50m).
  • The rail trail traverses lush scenery all the way and after leaving the town of Murwillumbah, you will pass through the villages of Dunbible, Stokers Siding, Burringbar, Mooball and Crabbes Creek.
  • Views of Wollumbin / Mount Warning can be seen at various locations with many other vistas and views along the scenic and shaded route

The next day after a great night staying with friends, we rode the trail again, starting at Murwillumbah Station and riding to Burringbar and back, a total of 38km. What a fabulous ride it was!

Yes I was stoked to be in Stokers Siding proudly wearing my Tumbarumba Rail Trail vest 🚲 as in the photo below.

Mt Warning from Northern Rivers Rail Trail
Mt Warning from Northern Rivers Rail Trail
Riding the Northern Rivers Rail Trail at Stokers Siding
Riding the Northern Rivers Rail Trail at Stokers Siding
Distance marker on NRRT
Distance marker on NRRT
bridge and tree

Then we were in the car again making our way to our daughter’s place in Brisbane for a few weeks.

Brisbane – lots of riding with our grandson Patrick in the bike trailer, to and from Daycare, taking him to the pump track and the water park. We had a few big rides by ourselves riding to Redcliffe for fish and chips on the beach, and generally exploring the area – one day we rode straight into a strong headwind! Lucky for us we had the ebikes 🙂

We also took Patrick on the train into the city for the day catching not only a train but a ferry as well. He had fun riding his bike along and playing in the playground. We finished off the day by popping into the Museum and seeing some of the many exhibits and dinosaurs! He was exhausted by the time we got home falling asleep on the train.

We’ve been to swimming lessons, the gym, physio appointments, played cars and trucks, been to the bike track and park, shopping and generally had a ball in between taking him to and from daycare.

I took the opportunity to explore The Blue Bungalow shop while up here. I normally use their online service which is brilliant and really enjoyed the visit to their store. The place was buzzing with women of all ages perusing the stock. It was colourful with lost of choice and the staff were very helpful. I may have bought a few new things!

Bike trailer fun
Boats at Moreton Bay Boat Club
Bikes at the beach
Patrick enjoying the train
South Bank in Brisbane and bougainvillea
Dinosaur on the roof
Playing cars with G
Blue Bungalow visit

Every ride is a tiny holiday.

Blogging and friends

Despite being on ‘holidays’ this month I still managed to write a few posts and some of them I’m particularly proud of – two of which I’ve listed here:

  • Tell Us About this month had a great prompt of Legacy, which really made me think. With help from a variety of sources and using technology I came up with a post that I’m really happy about. Next month the prompt is Hometowns, so if you’re keen to join us, write a post – we go live on the third Thursday of the month (19 October 2023).
  • Bridges as Art – where I managed to take the #SundayStills theme of Bridges and weave the theme of friendship throughout the post as well as share some of my photos of bridges.

I also managed to meet up with Sue from Women Living Well After 50. We’ve been friends for years now and we aways try to catch up when I’m up this way. Sue is a wonderful friend, inspirational and a proponent of living life ‘your’ way, as she espouses on her blog and podcast series. She is full of life and manages to fit a lot into her days while also extolling the virtues of taking rests when needed.

Sue and Debbie catchup Sept 2023
Sue and Debbie catchup Sept 2023

We met up for lunch at the Full Moon Hotel in Sandgate, both having the delicious salad of beetroot, pumpkin, goats cheese and smoked salmon, then went for a walk along the esplanade before a storm rolled in. We played models along the way!

Sue at Shorncliffe
Debbie at Shorncliffe Pier

My Word of the Year for 2023 is EXPLORE

We’ve been out and about exploring, on foot, by car and on our ebikes throughout the month. It’s been full on fun, active and with warmer weather than at home – bonus!

On our road trip north we explored a new-ish genre of audiobook – Hail Mary Project – science fiction (with lots of maths and science) and it kept us entertained all of the way up the coast. A great way to ‘read’ a book together!

Exploring means taking advantage of all the opportunities that come my way and embracing the unexpected moments. It means being open to new experiences and not being afraid to step out of my comfort zone.

Explore can relate to creativity, food, ideas, travel, books, music, exercise, relationships, fun, fashion – it’s a word that exudes adventure and curiosity – and I love these words! I’m definitely exploring my options this year.

What’s Been on Your Calendar plus Word of the Year

As I’ve mentioned before, it’s all about exploring for me this year, so what better way to recap my month than in this monthly linkup with friends – Jo, Donna and Sue – where we look at what’s been on our calendars (#WBOYC), what we’ve been doing and updates on how our word of the year (#WOTY) is going.

What: 2023 Monthly Wrap-Up Link Party – To stay true to the purpose of this linkup, please ensure that your linked post is focused on what’s been happening for you this past month. 
When: Last Thursday PM (Northern Hemisphere)/ Last Friday AM (Southern Hemisphere) of the month. The link will be open for 7 days. Thursday 26 October/Friday October 27 will be our next date.
Why: A space to share highlights from your past month.
Where: Link Party, Blog, Blog Comments, Instagram or other social media.
Who: This linkup is open to everyone.
How: You can share in the comments, with a blog post, or on other social media of your choice. Include the hashtag so that we can find you and include your link in our posts.

Hosts for WBOYC
Your hosts for WBOYC – Deb, Sue. Donna, Jo

October is Spring Garden time in Tumbarumba so we’ll be home in time for all the action plus Daylight Saving Starts in NSW (not Queensland) on October 1. It definitely won’t be as busy a month as September has been.

I’m keen to know what you’ve been up to during the month, so I look forward to reading your posts.

Happy Days 🙂

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter
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Deb xx

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Debbie - mother of a 40 year old

Deb is a young-at-heart & active 60+ blogger/retiree, after being made redundant from her 22-year career managing education programs in a men’s correctional centre (jail). She now spends her time reading, blogging, riding her ebike and travelling. Deb was awarded a Bravery Award from the Queen when she was 17 after a tragic accident – a definite life changing moment! She is married with 3 grown-up daughters & has 4 grandchildren. You can read more of Deb’s story here

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58 Replies to “Out exploring the countryside #WBOYC”

  1. Dad gum it, tried to get my post ready and published in time to join the link up but late again. I will keep trying.

    You certainly enjoyed exploring throughout the month of September. I love that you took your grandson to school in the bike trailer. What a grand mode of transportation. So much fun.

    I’m sorry your former home didn’t look loved and well cared for. My little house where my daughters were raised is just around the corner from where I live now. But I can barely bring myself to go by. It just looks raggedy and rundown. But you are right, the past is the past and we are living in the present and moving forward.

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  2. What a fabulous month!! So much grandchildren time and bike time! How cool that you and Sue meet up for lunch! As usual, I love your enthusiasm! I think I someone missed that bridges blog post. Life was full for me in Sept, and I am so behind in reading! Bernie

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  3. Wow, you’re living up to the “Explore” theme. Your trip and the biking sound fantastic. Pity about your former house in Newcastle. I try not to go back to my former homes, I remember when my mum and I saw one of her family homes, many years ago, and the much loved garden had gone.

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  6. Wow Debs – you have certainly had a very busy month exploring. I love all the vibrant colours from your photos, and especially the one of you and Sue in your brightly coloured clothes. You are certainly embracing Spring!

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    1. Hi Janine, it was busy but good fun! It was funny that Sue and I didn’t arrange to wear our bright dresses beforehand we just turned up in them 🙂 It was so good to catch up with her and we could’ve talked for hours (well we did but it could’ve been much longer).

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    1. Thanks so much Astrid, Sue and I always try to catch up when I’m up that way, which is fun! Yes the Tell us About is a good linkup with interesting prompts, the next one is all about Hometowns. Hope all is well with you.

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  10. Love your explorations Deb.
    We just found out that our oldest son and DIL are carrying a little guy who will be our first grandchild. So, there will be lots of pressure to take more road trips to see them and perhaps even move to somewhere closer. They live in Montana which now takes us two days to get to by car. Change is in the wind and I’m liking how this is going to change everything.
    Blessings.

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    1. Thanks for stopping in Gary, it’s always good to hear from you. Such exciting news for you with a little one on the way! I know all about long distance grand-parenting. All the best to you all for the changes ahead.

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  14. I knew Australia was a huge country, but I honestly didn’t realize it was that big! I’m so glad you were able to see all the family through your travels! I’m always so impressed by your bike rides, but, surely, your bum gets sore! I still need to get one…not an ebike yet!

    I hope to get my monthly post done tomorrow and link up!

    https://marshainthemiddle.com/

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  16. Love, love, love this post Deb because it captures who you are and why I love you. You certainly bring adventures and joy into your life and it was wonderful that you and I could catch up. We did look like models didn’t we? I’m just waiting for the modelling agency to give us a call LOL 🙂 Thank you for you beautiful words and I treasure our friendship. Another fabulous month of #WBOYC co-hosting with fabulous friends. Safe travels home and I think you need a rest after all that travelling around. Life is never dull for you xx

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    1. Thanks so much Sue, you’re always such a great cheerleader and motivator! Plus a stunning friend 🙂
      Funny you should say that about us being models and waiting for the call – I got a message from a friend who wants me to model some clothes from Vinnies in a Spring bazaar coming up soon – so I got the call!!! I’m enjoying the quiet time at home and it’s currently pouring with rain so I’m catching up on blogs and comments 🙂

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    1. Thanks Natalie, it was great fun with lots of activities and warm weather up north. Being with our daughter and grandson was a real highlight, he’s grown so much!

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  20. Hi Debbie, I love road trips, especially the ones you have described – family time, bike riding, exploring, and connecting with good friends along the way. What a beautiful holiday. I’ll join the link on Sunday. September has thrown us a big curve ball, but that’s life.

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    1. Hi Suzanne, it was such a good month of family, fun and great weather. The road trip was long but we listened to some great audio books and enjoyed seeing the changing countryside. Hope you’re doing well, I read your post and sending hugs.

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    1. Yes I feel it was a good choice to use Explore as my WOTY Deb and I’m trying hard to live up to it each month! I’m home for some quiet time now, travelling like that can take it out of you 🙂

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    1. Hi Denyse, it was funny I was anticipating seeing our old house so much and was crushed when I did! I will definitely just remember the good times as you say. It was a huge month of travelling and exploring and we’re now home for a bit of a rest!!

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  23. You’ve had another busy and fun packed month Deb. I agree, the year is absolutely flying by but as usual you’re making the most of it. I know what you mean too about revisiting old homes and being disheartened. Sometimes it’s best to just live with the happy memories. Keep enjoying your WOTY, you’re definitely living it with all those kms travelled!! 😄

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  24. Hi Deb – I’ve loved seeing all your photos popping up in my FB feed – always bright, smiley, lots of scenery, and so much enjoyment on your part. Also great that you could spend time with Patrick and his family for his birthday – grandkids are such a gift! x

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  28. Hi, Debbie – Your posts are always so full of joy. They are a true pleasure to read. September was a very busy month for you and you lived your WOTY to the fullest.
    The Fernleigh Track looks amazing — and visits with family (and a great friend), what could be finer?!

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    1. Thanks Donna, it’s always a delight to have you read and comment on my posts, I truly appreciate it! It’s been a huge month but with some downtime in patches. Looking after Patrick has been a joy and I’ll certainly miss him and his parents when we leave on the weekend. The trails we’ve ridden have all been great, different to each other but a testament to those who had the idea in the first place and then followed through, mainly in a volunteer capacity. Hoping you and Richard are going OK.

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