Merimbula - August 22nd to August 30th

Just going to make this a one-post entry, summarising what we did on this rather eventful holiday.

We stayed at the Sapphire Valley Caravan Park this time. A really nice park, very spacious sites, nice roomy en suites, and good amenities, camp kitchen etc.

Simone Bear for Abbey

Bermagui

One of the first things we had to do was buy a gift for Abbey Rose Morgan, and post it to her so she could get something in the mail.  We chose a gorgeous teddy bear from the newsagents.

Similar shell art panel - ours is horizontal

We didn't  do a lot of driving around this holiday, but on the Sunday we did go to Bermagui for the market.  A bit disappointing, although I did get an Eye of Horus card game for Janine. We had a coffee, then we went to a little 60s Retro shop and bought a beautiful Chinese shell art picture of two pheasants.  Perfect condition.  From Bermagui we went to Cobargo and then Bega.  In Cobargo at Bangles Gallery we bought a birthday present for Rick, a Christmas present for Mark, and a lovely little brass owl for me.

Bangles Gallery at Cobargo

The only other shopping we did was in Merimbula were we went to a little market in the Twyford Hall.  I bought a card for Susan's birthday, a dragonfly scarf ring, and we bought a lovely gold metal lighthouse (originally retailed for $98!), a small glass swan that matches a larger one I bought in Milton some years ago, and a small pottery owl.  Bought Janine's birthday prsent too, at Everything Earthy.
We looked for whales a couple of times, but didn't find any.
Then came the bad news - we were walking down the main street of Merimbula when John rang to say that our uncle Bob (Robert Henry SULLIVAN) had died.  I burst into tears - I had so wanted to go to Melbourne to see him before this day came, and we were planning a visit when we got back from this holiday.  Sadly we left it too late.  That news caused a quandry, because later in the week John rang to say that the funeral was on Friday, and we weren't due to come home until Saturday.  But I desperately wanted to be at the funeral.  Let's just say we were at odds.
This was further complicated by the fact that we ended up at Pambula Hospital for 5 hours on what became our last day.  I woke during the night with bad pains in my side.  When I got up at 7:30 to go to the loo I was dry retching badly.  I went back to bed, but the pain didn't ease, and although I didn't feel as nauseous I didn't feel well.  At 9:30 we decided to go to the hospital.  I was a little worried about apendicitis.  Turned out I had a temperature as well, and as their protocol is the same as Bairnsdale's (temp + chemo = blood tests) I had to have those, provide a urine sample, had x-rays of my abdomen - all of which didn't show any cause for alarm.  The doctor even rang John Scarlett to talk to him, and basically the conclusion was - take two aspirin (panadeine actually) and call me in the morning if it is no better.  The pain, and the temperature, eased after the panadeine and I was basically pain free for the rest of the day, although they did return that night.  No more nausea though.  Still don't know what caused it, but it wasn't the best way to spend the last day of our already shortened holiday.
We travelled home on the Thursday.