We are up, packed and leaving our hostel by 9am.
Plenty of time to get the train to Newcastle. We stop at a cafe next to the station which is always busy when we pass, Cuckoo Callay, it has bacon, pork and anything piggy as their specialty. They also have the usual kiddy menu and the more unusual menu for doggies, puppachino anyone?
For the record, they served the best bacon and eggs Guy has ever eaten.
We then had a relaxing 3 hour journey to Newcastle for $5.85, at home an unrelaxing journey to Newcastle costs $150.
Meeting up with relatives you haven’t seen for ages always gets you a little worried just before you meet up. Questions fly through your head. What if they have changed? What if I don’t recognise them at the station? And the most worrying, what if they don’t drink wine anymore? Thankfully none of these questions were a concern, Peter was waiting for us at the end of the platform wearing his usual outfit of shirt, shorts, socks and sandels with huge sunglasses, it could only be Peter, no doubt about it. We hugged and navigated our way through Broadmeadows station renovations to the car and hugged Bette, who also had not changed a bit, isn’t it wonderful how some people are so familiar yet you don’t see them for years?
With the sun blazing down, we had a tour of Newcastle and the surrounding areas from the comfort of an air conditioned car, it was stunning scenery of bays, green fields, beautiful beaches, and art deco buildings. Getting out the car we were greeted with 34 degree heat and 84% humidity, crumbs.
It was time for wine, nibbles, more wine and a lot of catching up. After a tour of the Crossley Regis we had a lovely meal of spaghetti bolognase cooked by Peter and more wine and chit chat. It was a lovely evening.
