Easter 2010

Easter was a great break with Jess and Ben driving up from Canberra to visit. They arrived on the Gold Coast on the Tuesday before Easter and spent a few days with Emily and Elyse at the Nobby Beach Caravan Park. Elyse is now into all the theme parks and she kept them busy. Good Friday they came to stay with me, it was squishy but we managed well for a few days - great excuse to clear out the "study/sewing" room so we could put down the airmattress. They were impressed that it got plugged in and inflated (and deflated) it'self.

Jess wandered round looking and touching everything - she hasn't been to my home since I left Canberra, then curled up on the couch with a book. We did lots of talking, Jess took time to go through the scrapbooks I'm creating for her and for Dan of their growing up - currently at Christmas 1984 - so a long way still to go.

We spent some time at Harbour Town ( a shopping outlet) and I took Ben's good advise and got Dan's birthday present. On the Sunday after calling in to leave chocolates for Mum and Linda, we took a journey down into NSW to the Tropical Fruit Farm. We felt it was too expensive to tour but we did spend up in the shop - Mango Jam, I found a very cute "bush baby" for Maeve's first birthday, Dragon fruit and Custard apple ice-cream, and of course fruit. We bought Dragon fruit, custard apples, avacados, and Jackfruit ( which tastes disgusting).

Jess and Ben eating Dragonfruit and Custard Apple Icecream then posing.

This is the view from outside Tropigal Fruit World with Mt.Warning to the left and Springbrook to the right.

We then went to Tumblegum, where the cafe was up for Sale. We spent the afternoon fantacising about the possibility of owning a cafe/gallery/home on the Tweed River. ( Later we discovered it was up for $1.6 mill. )There's a antique shop there now and Jess and I had a great time browsing.

We bought vine tomatoes, bread, pears and goats cheese on the way home.

Tuesday Jess and Ben left to stay with Nick - a good friend of Ben's, a fellow chef, who moved up here in February. A good holiday - they got to do the theme parks with a kid, the Mum stuff with me and the young people nightlife stuff with Nick.

On the Wednesday night Jess and I went to the Casino to see Mother Africa it was a circus dance performance-fun and lively- it was just great to share this experiance with Jess.

On the Friday, after Ben got tatooed, they headed home. I hope they enjoyed their visit as much as I did.