Sandemans Down-Under

Dugald is my oldest friend. We met at the age of four at kindergarten, and used to stay with each other's families from time to time. We both went to Sherborne School, both were in the sailing club, and both did flying scholarships.

I have stayed with him and his wife Wendy when visiting Britain.

Narrowboating on the Grand Union Canal

Finally, after many years of encouragement, Dugald, Wendy, their son John, and John's husband MacKenzie came for a visit to Australia.

We had a great time, with a week together on the Gold Coast, before they travelled to Sydney and Melbourne. Then George and I drove to Sydney, and picked up Dugald and Wendy for a road trip up the coast.

Wendy

Mackenzie and John

The Channon Market

Sawtell

Barrenjoey with Pittwater on the right

Long Reef, near Collaroy

South West Rocks

Trial Bay gaol

Smoky Cape

Water dragon

Rainbow lorikeets

Dorrigo

Dangar Falls

Dorrigo Steam Museum

Walking up Austinville Valley

Old mates

Road Trips

In November we took the Hobie Tandem Island 'Red Rover' down to Angourie for a few days.

Angourie headland from the drone

Angourie Headland 2022

Angourie Headland 2001

Angourie Headland 2011

Sailing Red Rover  on Wooloweyah Lagoon 

George with flannel flowers in Yuraygir National Park

Bee in a Pig Face (Carpobrotus glaucescens) 

Wooly Frogmouth (Philydrum lanuginosum)

Fringed Lily (Thysanotus tuberosus)

Cliff walk in Yuraygir National Park

Grafton Jacaranda festival

Yamba Hotrod muster

In early December we drove down to Sydney for a week. 

We stopped off at South-West Rocks for a couple of nights.

Smoky Cape lighthouse

Trial Bay

Checking out the surf at Crescent Head

View from the roof of our building in Elizabeth Bay

Boats in the CYCA marina in Rushcutters Bay

Kialoa II

Cricket in Rushcutters Bay

Walking from Rose Bay to Watson's Bay

Typical house in the Eastern suburbs

Hermitage graveyard

Maxis warming up for the Sydney to Hobart Race

Andoo Comanche, probable favourite for line honours

Rounding North Head

On a ferry trip up to Parramatta I saw the Rivendell Adolescent psychiatric centre

A pretty schooner

High-rise towers at Parramatta

Barangaroo 

George's great-niece Zoe