Sep 2020, Darlington Beach, NSW

Elle is complaining that they’re being woken at 4:00am by kookaburras and again at 6:00 by ducks. We’ve now learnt that male Pacific Black Ducks have a blacker head than females, thanks Google. We’re still waiting for the plovers to hatch, staying another week will mean that we may see some action in that department.

We scan the sea at Woolgoolga (Woopi) for whales then have lunch at the Seaview Tavern. Doesn’t everyone check for whales before eating in a pub? The Buddha Bowl of roast veggies gets a 10/10 from me and a walk on the golf course is needed to work it off.

It has been announced that the AFL Grand Final will be held in Brisbane! With teams now based in a virus free hub in Queensland it was a certainty. I’m no mad footy fan but it brings tears to my eyes. What more of it’s heart and soul can Melbourne lose?

It’s our turn to cook tonight. It’s a warm sunny morning and we drive into Woolgoolga to get the ingredients for a fried rice and a sticky chicken wing recipe that we had cut out of the newspaper a few weeks ago. We’re finding our way around this town, even getting to know the shopkeepers. The supermarket is well stocked and the fruit and vege man on the hill in the older part of town is quite a character with a small range of locally grown produce. It’s easy to find everything we need.

Neighbours H&M drop in, they’re bowlers on their way home to Sydney after a much less competitive winter of bowling in QLD thanks to Covid and fewer Victorian bowlers.

The evening is warm, we don’t need to change into warmer woolies tonight. It’s simple to toss the rice outside over the gas burner. The chicken wings? Well they don’t have the promised sweet and stickiness. That recipe can go in the bin.

The PM now has agreement from all state Premiers other than WA to open state borders by Xmas.