Our 4WD manufacturer (Isuzu) run 4WD training days on a regular basis. Judie and I decided to attend one of these on Stockton Beach in November. We’re not big on 4WD’s on beaches but decided this would be a good event to attend – and it was! Lots of sand dune driving, a visit to ‘Tin City’ and a drive along Stockton Beach. Good fun!

We were planning on staying only a few days in Port Stephens, then on to Mudgee and then home. However, as it was so nice where we were, we changed our plans and ended up staying a week.

There was plenty to do in the area.

Williamtown RAAF base was just down the road and so we visited Fighter World one day. It has a great collection of fighter aircraft that the RAAF has used including, the F111C (big when you’re standing beside it!), Mirage, Vampire (favourite aircraft to put on a stick) and Sabre. While we were there, the air force was practicing flying with F18A Super Hornets and the new F35A Lightnings. Very spectacular!

Took the ferry to Tea Tree one day and had lunch at a very nice French restaurant – Tillermans. The food was fantastic and all washed down with a nice Hunter Semillon. The owners are both Francophiles. Kerry was a chef at Pigalle in Wollongong and Rebekkas in Bright. Peter has just completed his PhD thesis on translation theory. I told him the highest mark I ever got in high school for French pronunciation was 2/10. I don’t think he was impressed.

We had a pleasant day in Newcastle walking the Memorial Walk along the clifftops and then visited the art gallery. Had a good exhibition called ‘We Can Be Heroes – A Backstage Pass’. Photographs of well known musicians from the 70’s through to today.

A nice trip away and now the van is packed away until the end of school holidays!