Day 98 Wednesday 16/9/20, strong northerly 23

An early morning walk to the river while Woody drives to Toormina for a blood test.

El Prado drives us up to Bellingen for lunch at the Federal Hotel. We have seafood pie and tempura vegetables if you’re interested and of course El Prado has yet another parmie.

Of course there’s another quick visit to the fruit barn, which I might add has hundreds of case moths hanging from the hedge out front. Only one who waits in the car would know that tiny snippet of trivia. Bugger I didn’t photograph them.

On our return to camp El Prado misses our turn off, I know now why Elle is the navigator.

Holy hell I’m stacking on the weight, it must be the pub lunches.

The NSW/SA border will not open, yet ACT residents are free to enter SA. There are some logistical nightmares around all of this border closures business. The folks in Broken Hill live in outback NSW but only 30kms from the SA border and anyone who has been there will tell you about how when approaching the Hill their phones suddenly switch to SA time. That’s right they run on SA time. In fact to them it makes sense to think of their capital as Adelaide not Sydney as it is closer in distance and climate. For ACT folk visiting SA, I guess the only way that they can do that is by the few planes that are currently flying as driving means crossing through the ‘infected’ state of NSW. Ah, so many things to ponder and so much time to do it in.

Regional Victoria is to open up tonight however masks are still mandatory.

The Federal Hotel, Bellingen

Lunch on the deck of the Federal in Bellingen. Outdoors but almost in. A high roof is suspended above and the warm breeze flows through. Palms grow upwards through the deck, fronds high above the roof and out of sight. Bifold doors open into the pub interior, rarely used in these Covid times. Tables are full the space mimicking the population, affluent and older alongside young and alternative. An older patron complains that his Yorkshire pudding is not a true Yorkshire pud, the young waitress defends the chef’s creative take on an old favourite now stuffed with pumpkin. The socially distanced queue waiting to order are colourfully dressed in a wide variety of accessorised attire. From the glitter and sparkle of hoops and loops of costume jewellery right down to the hi vis wearing tradie sporting an embroidered handbag on his well muscled shoulder.

Aah Federal, we love your weekday lunches.