Narrabeen to Nyngan...and Back !

Well, we're back ! It was a mammoth trip, but we safely traveled to Nyngan for Brett's 20 Year School Reunion, and home again. So much for a quiet, relaxing long weekend ! LOL !
It was really nice to visit Brett's home town, and meet up with some of his old school buddies. It was also really good to catch up with Narelle - who I had previously met through scrapping, BUT had also been in Brett's class at school ! (Talk about a small world )!
Whilst Brett and I enjoyed the reunion festivities, the highlight of my Nyngan trip, was visiting Wendy's Craft Shop (Narelle's mum), and meeting Kelley and Monique, on the Saturday. The girls made me feel so welcome and special ! I saw some of their work, and some of the challenges, completed by these "outback scrappers", and I've got to say....they were just BRILLIANT !!! It's so fantastic to see the art of scrapbooking so alive and well in the country. I have no doubt that these girls will be in the mags soon ! A BIG congratulations to Kelley, who finished in the Top 20 of SC's Rescue Me Promotion - Great work Kelley ! Above is a pic of the three of us at Wendy's shop (sorry about the pic Kelley !).


Also on the Saturday, Brett drove us out to Miandetta to look at his childhood home "Willadah". The main house appeared quite run down, and it was difficult to imagine a family of 6 living in it ! Brett also took Jacob into the "Haunted Forest", otherwise known as Miandetta State Forest. As a kid, Brett and his brothers would ride their trail bikes in there, and nicknamed it the Haunted Forest ! These pics show the old house, and Brett and Jacob going into the forest. I am happy to say they both returned safely, with Jacob stating that "Dad is a liar - the forest is not haunted! We saw no kangaroos, so they must be dead, and the dam was all dried up!" Only a kid could get away with that LOL!



We left Nyngan early Sunday morning, and after seeing what looked like a train derailment, and the car in front of us blow a tyre, just outside the city limits, it was a fairly uneventful drive to Wallerawang (or Wang as it's known by the locals), to stay the night with my sister Tina and her husband Matt. It was our first visit to their new home...and they've done very well ! After a great BBQ dinner, and awesome dessert (trifle made by Matt's mum - YUMMY), and watching the Bronco's defeat the Storm in the NRL Grandfinal, we hit the sack in preparation for our final leg home. We left Wang at about 10:30am, after a fabulous gourmet breakfast of bacon, eggs, sausages, tomato, toast, and mushrooms, and made it back home by 1:00pm, on holiday Monday !
Unfortunately, I arrived home to the sad news that Sonia's MIL (Brian's mum), had passed away on Saturday. My thoughts and prayers are with the family at this sad and challenging time, but I know that they'll get through this, because of the love and support they have for one another, and that of their extended family and friends too.
Overall though, not a bad way to spend a long weekend, but I reckon it'll be a while before we'll be out there again !