Beer Touring Angels... Our Prayers were Answered.

We couldn't post this blog until you knew we were safe in Canada.  Didn't want anyone to worry.  It was the most memorable part of our trip.  Probably too eventful for our liking, but it was a good experience to know God answers prayers and protects us at all times.

March 6

Again, the morning started with a dead truck, which then resulted in a slow start to the morning.  The Kingfisher maintnance department came down to our apartment to boost the car, and eventually around noon we were able to get going to Lake McKenzie to checkout what we missed yesterday.

We got to Lake Mckenzie, and yet again it was overcast on the island, so it didn’t look as spectacular was I remembered it when I was here last.  They have built up a lot of the beach, in comparison to 2000.  The winds were high, so the lake was a bit choppy.  Either way it was still pretty to look at, and as clear as I remembered it.

We went for a quick swim, but didn’t last too long, as Pearl is not a big fan of the wind.  We then ventured off to Eli Creek, trying to beat the high tide and catch the photo opportunity before our time on the beach was up.  We made it, and the boys ran up the boardwalk and wadded through the creek on the way down.

I told Tyson about the sand dunes in which they apparently shot Star Wars and so he really wanted to see it.  I couldn’t remember the exact location, but knew it was close to Eli Creek.  Dan asked a bus driver and the driver thought it was near Lake Wabby located in land a bit.  So, we hurried off the beach and made our way in land.  Lake Wabby was on the way to the Kingfisher Resort, so we thought we would stop by on the way back.

I tried my hand at driving on the island.  I think I did okay, a much different experience than driving on pavement… that’s for sure.

Pearl by this point had had the biscuit.  It had been about 6 hours driving for her and she was tired.  So, I opted to stay in the car with her, while the boys took off to the look out.  It was around six o’clock and the sun was starting to set.  I was getting slightly concerned, as they had been gone for awhile and the car was starting to sound funny, funnier than usual.

We still had to keep the car running all day to ensure it didn’t die again while we were out.  There were no booster cables, so it meant if we turned it off than there was a chance there wouldn’t be anyway for someone to help us, if we needed a boost.

My mind started racing, with thoughts of what would happen if the car broke down or the sunset, and we didn’t make it out of there.  Pearl and I went for a walk to the information sign about Lake Wabby lookout, only to see that the point was actually an hour to an hour and a half walk away.  I got worried looking at the time, knowing the boys would still be gone for a while.  I figured they hadn’t read the sign, and as they ventured out there, they would have thought they had too much time invested in seeing the sand dunes, to turn around.

Eventually, they returned by this point- the sun was clearly setting and I was worried and short.  Dan couldn’t understand my attitude, and normally I wouldn’t care.  But under the circumstances, with two children, night falling and a lemon of a vehicle, I was worried.  I told Dan we didn’t have time to be upset with each other, but when we made it back to the apartment I would be!

We started our trek home, and quickly it became darker and darker.  The battery on the car was unreliable to start, but we thought we would have enough juice to use the headlights to get back.  We figured out this was not the case, when a few kilometers into the trip, the truck started to sputter and the lights went dim.  We moved forward slowly.   As things got dimmer, which made the trip more scary… I began praying aloud saying “In the name of Jesus, we need light”.  I couldn’t pray anything else, as it’s all we needed for the moment.  It was pretty scary as I took note of the terrain when it was light out, commenting to Dan how steep the banks were.  We managed to get to a fork in the road with a sign saying “Kingfisher Bay and Eastern Beaches”.  That’s where the car died.  The lights shut off, the power windows were left down and the key wouldn’t turn over when we tried.

It was then, I changed my prayer and spoke out the words of Wayne Hoyles’ sermon from the Sunday morning before we left, which was about, the God of the supernatural and provision.  I started asking for the supernatural, “send an angel or divine light, provide us with a way out”.

Despite having the sign, we had no idea where we were and how far back it was going to be to the Kingfisher.  Immediately, we tried calling “000”  (Canada’s equilivant to 911) with our cell phone.  It wasn’t going through.  We called the number if 000 didn’t work, and found out there was no cell phone reception in the area where we were.  In hindsight, thinking there would be reception in the middle of a deep rainforest on a sand island, may have been silly thinking.  However, desperate times called for desperate measures.  And, this is when Dan wanted to run for help.  I think it was the man in him, wanting to “do” something, despite nothing could be done.  I said “Absolutely not! There are dingoes and snakes out there, you don’t have a flash light and we have NO idea where we are”

We continued to pray, as we sat for about forty minutes begging God to send an angel, as we resolved we would be sleeping in the truck for the night, with the windows down.  It was one of the most helpless feelings either of us, have ever felt.  As we cried, I was so thankful to believe in a God who is a protector and who cares for us.  One last time, we called out for God to send an angel for us.

Out of nowhere, a massive bright light came around a corner about 200 metres in front of us.  All three of us, started yelling for help and jumped out of the car running towards the light.  It was a big Toyota Prado that had it’s halogen bright lights on.  It slowed down and we ran faster, yelling louder.  It stopped and there were three men in the car.  The driver rolled down the window and crying I said, “We need help, my baby, son and husband are stranded with a dead car”.  He said “She’ll be alright, mate”

He followed me to our truck.  The inspected it, tried doing as much as they could with jumper cables and tools, but to no avail it wouldn’t start.  These men were Australian blokes, Rod, Adam and Luke- out on a beer tour through the rainforest on their way to pick up Rod’s daughter at the Kingfisher Bay barge.

They said they would take us back to our hotel, and we could leave our vehicle off to the side of the path.  We all plied in to the their truck, Pearl and I in the front passenger seat, and Dan and Tyson in the back with Luke and Adam.  It was cosy.  And for some reason, I felt safe with these guys.  Normally, I wouldn’t get in a car with some one who has a beer in their hand while driving, nor would I take my children into this situation, however given the circumstances… it seemed like the more reasonable option.

The drive back to Kingfisher was at least a fifteen- twenty - minute drive.  Rod’s truck was so powerful, and it was able to get through the toughest of terrains with no problems.  It was a completely different experience from driving our vehicle for the past few days.  While driving, we talked about Aussie culture, and what there is to see in Canada, exchanged stories about Vegemite and continued to extend our thank you’s for stopping.  These three Aussie blokes were our answer to prayer.

My favourite part of the whole story, was after the last time I prayed for God to send an angel, the headlights appeared, and like I said they were ridiculously bright- almost blinding.  When we arrived back at our apartment and debriefed the story together, Tyson said “Morgan was praying for angels and then this bright light came and at first I thought it might be them!”

We said, “They very well could have been.  God can send angels in any form.” 

The Pattersons have landed.

We've returned home after a long, but uneventful plane ride back to Toronto.  The morning started early, and a ride to the airport with Bill before he had to go to work.  Traffic was busy, which meant we waited in some spots, but meant we didn't wait long in line at the airport because everyone else had checked in.

As we drove over the Harbour Bridge one last time, I said to Tyson "Take a good look at the Opera House, it may be the last time you see it".  He replied with, "I doubt it, I'll be back."  Hmm, we may have created a World traveller, which I'm quite happy about.  We told him, if he goes on an exchange in University, we can make a trip out of it.  We'll pick our top three countries and give him the list.

Although long, the plane ride was good.  It wasn't nearly as full as on the way over, so this meant that Pearl and I shared three seats to ourselves.  Great for napping.  And Dan and Tyson shared three seats as well.  We all seemed to sleep a bit more than we did on the way over.  I was able to watch more movies this time around and read some of my book.  In the scheme of things, this is a big accomplishment.

We met lots of nice people on their way over to Canada, getting ready to visit their grandchildren.  I think this is why Pearl got so attention.  Our hellos then turned into stories about the children they were about to go visit and how excited they were to see them.  I replied that Tyson and Pearl's grandparents are probably just as excited to see theirs as well.

Vancouver was an easy time.  We landed and had an hour to get off the plane, go through customs, pick up or bags and recheck them.  I was concerned that there wouldn't be enough time, but it was a pretty smooth operation and we had plenty of time before we had to reboard the plane.  Again, the flight was uneventful and the food was horrible, however you can't expect gourmet for airplane food, right?

Upon arrival, we were greeted by Morgan and Pauline and my mom.  They had a sign for us and it was obvious they were excited to have us home, by the grins on their faces.  Of course, they noticed how much both Tyson and Pearl grew during their time away.  The sunshine did them well!  They thought Dan and I looked relaxed and we thought it's easy to be in the sunshine and no job to worry about.

So, we're back in Stratford now.  Adjusting to life off holidays.  I guess it's time to plan the next vacation...

Shop til you drop, Tyson!!

Yesterday was a beautiful day, despite what the weather channel said about rain.   We went to the beach in Manly and enjoyed the sunshine.  Tyson spent the last of his Australian money, it was burning a hole in his wallet, so he needed to get rid of it.  He now has representation from all the surf brands in his wardrobe.  It's funny how so much changes in a sort period of time.  There was a time when he didn't even know what a name brand was, and now he's well aware of what one is, namely more expensive!

While the boys were shopping, Pearl and I played in the water fountains along the walkway.  It was her last opportunity to get wet before leaving for home.  I don't know what I'm going to do when we have to put clothes back on her, not sure if she's going to like it.

We then headed over to Curl Curl Beach to meet Marilyn for a coffee.  She likes this shop as it sits right on the beach over looking the ocean.  We enjoyed some treats and good conversation.  The boys took a final dip in the ocean and the three ladies went for a walk along boardwalk.

We then headed back to the Wilson's to start packing and get ready for the journey home.  We sure will miss Australia and all it includes.  This has been a wonderful trip for our family and has created a lifetime of memories for the four of us.  It will great to look back at it together and plan for another one over the many Tim Tams we just bought. (You wouldn't believe all the kinds they have here)

Marilyn made us a delicious fish pie dinner and we enjoyed one last meal around the table together.  Kristi and Stu made a surprise visit back to 5 Finch Place to say good bye which was really nice.  So, we stayed up later than we anticipated and got our last bits of conversation in, before we need to use Skype and email to stay in touch.

Although, there are no plans in the works that we know about for our next visit together, I know it won't be long...

Where'd the Blue Mountains go?

As our last big adventure in Australia we made a day trip to The Blue Mountains.  From where we are staying it took approximately two hours to get there.  However, as in Canada traffic and construction slowed us down and it was more like three hours.

Dan did a great job of driving there and I did my best to navigate, but realize this isn't a strength of mine.  I'd like to blame it on the fact that without warning roads in Australia change names.  You could be driving along and some how it seems that the slightest bend in a road, changes it's name.  The difficult part is they don't mark this change, but expect you to somehow know this.

I've learned to use one of those map books, that big city folk use now and it's quite the skill to learn- I must say.  So, we did end up in the Blue Mountains.  We stopped at Wentworth Falls, which was quite nice.  Surrounded by millions of trees in a valley and jagged red rock- it was beautiful.  We went for a short walk to get closer to the falls.  We had to go down into the valley- easy enough with Pearl on my front in the Bijorn, but a bit more challenging on the way up.  With the extra weight, I had some empathy for people who are carrying it all the time, mountain climbing is probably not one of their hobbies.

Dan and Tyson took a longer hike, closer to the falls, which they quite enjoyed, but Tyson did mention, there seemed to be more steps than the Sydney Harbour Bridge.  Hmm!  Not sure what to think of that, could have been that he was climbing in his flip flops (or thongs as they call them here).

We stopped in Katoomba for lunch, before heading to The Three Sisters.  Lucky, we didn't take too long for lunch as we just saw The Three Sisters and the valley before the fog came in.  Literally, within minutes a fog settled across the valley and it whited everything out.  It was Tyson's science lesson for the day, although I couldn't explain exactly what was happening... it was neat to see.

Tyson thought it was neat to be running through clouds.  The fog was so thick, that we video taped him running ahead and he disappeared in it.

Seeing The Three Sisters, made me think of Jillian and Katey.  Would have been ideal to have them there for a photo, but given the weather we could have taken it in front of white sheet and had the same effect.

Our drive home was shorter than our way there, but we did get lost.  I'm blaming it on the streets changing names without warning.  Either way, we got home and were ready for a dip in the pool.

We had another "Shrimp on the Barbie" dinner.  Dan and Tyson helped Stu prepared dinner, while Kristi, Pearl and I sat poolside.  It was the first time that Kristi and I had to chat on our own in the three weeks we've been here.  It's so good to have such a great friend in Kristi, I just wish she didn't live on the opposite side of the World.

Dinner was delicious.  It was fun night with Marilyn and Bill, Kelsey and Bree as well as Kristi and Stu. Lots of jokes and walks down memory lane from all our time spent in Australia.  We sure will miss the Wilsons, when we get home.  Hopefully, all of you will get to meet them at some point in the future.

We had to say good bye to Kristi and Stu last night, as they have prenatal classes tonight.  Kris and I are getting better at good byes, fewer tears now- and thankfully with the technology we have now... at least we can skype.  I'll look forward to meeting their baby this way for the first time, until we can find a country to meet up in and meet him/her in person.

We'll I should go help Marilyn with dinner and then pack.  There is something about packing for home that isn't quite as exciting as packing for vacation.

Sunday- a day of rest.

Sunday was a very relaxing day.  It started off with sleeping in and then heading to the pool.  Pearl and I spent quite a bit of time splashing around.  I can't get over how much she loves the water.  Dan joined us shortly after, although he was more interested in soaking up the rays than the water.

Soon we had the whole crew poolside and enjoyed the sun, while chatting about life and our time here.  Kristi and Stu joined us in the afternoon and quite honestly we did nothing but do nothing, and it was wonderful.

Around five, we headed for Hillsong Church (which produces a lot of the music we sing at our church).  Marilyn joined us and it was a good experience all round.  Their church is huge, with four services every Sunday.  The six o'clock service had at least 1500 people if not more in it,  and it was like being at a concert in some senses.  I thought it was neat that they had a cafe and food vendors outside the church, that you could grab something to eat or drink after the service and chat with those around you.  Tyson liked the service and recognized a few of the songs that they sang.

We made it back home in good time, and considered that shortly our trip would be coming to an end.  And then, to cope we went to bed.

Busy Relaxing. Is that an oxymoron?

We started the day with a drive up the coast and ended at Palm Beach, having brunch at this quaint little restaurant called The Boathouse.  I loved the way it was decorated, lots of white and fresh flowers.  The food was delicious and the company was terrific.  We went with Kristi and Stu, and Alison and her finance Mike joined us as well.  (I met Alison the first time I was in Australia).

After breakfast we drove down the coast and stopped along the way at a few of the Northern Beaches.  There are 26 from what I understand down that stretch of highway.  We spent most of the day at Bilgola.  The boys went in the ocean and the girls made their way over to the pool, as the waves were a bit big a Pearl  and two pregnant ladies (Kristi and Alison, not me).  They are due a week apart from one another.

It's cool though, because the pool is right on the ocean.  It actually fills with ocean water, but it's a nice alternative if you have kids or you don't want to fight the waves.  In the end, the girls benefitted from our decision as the boys got attacked by sea lice.  Yuke.  Little white bugs that bite you in the water.  Nothing serious but uncomfortable.

We then headed back to the Wilson's to get changed quickly and move into the city for dinner at Kristi and Stu's friends, Nick and Lindsey.  They have a great view of the Harbour Bridge and we sat outside with cheese and crackers and later had a BBQ.  Sure am going to miss the fresh summer food when we get home.  Could be a long couple of months... before May hits!

Pearl continues to love the water- and we have her in swimming every chance we get.  I hope to sign up for swim time at the Y or Spruce Lodge when we get home.  That will get us through until the summer, when we can swim at my parent's or Dan's.

Tyson, has to figure out how to use the last of his Australian money... and shop til he drops.  He'll be outfitted as a surfer no problem.

With only a few more days left, we are feeling the pressure to fit in as much beach time as possible, The Blue Mountains, Hillsong, and more visiting.  It will be a busy few days.

Olympic Park- 10 years later

Today was a fun day, as we ventured out to HomeBush Bay also known as Olympic Park.  It was cool to see the park ten years later.  Although different, it was still neat to be there and be reminded of my time at the Olympics in 2000.

Australia has done a great job of keeping up the space and utilizing it for everyday use.  We went to the Aquatic Centre and there was a swim meet happening.  Imagine the stands full of grade 8-12 girls, screaming for their teammates.  It was loud.

They also had a splash park in the centre, which was really fun for all of us to play in.  Pearl loves the water!!  And, Tyson obviously also loves the water.  There was a waterslide in the park which kept us busy for the time we were there.



We took pictures of the park- thinking we could show Dan Mathieson the layout and encourage an indoor Splash Pad at the Rotary Complex.  It was great.

I found my name on the volunteer posts at the park.  Tyson had two minutes to locate my name, or else he didn't get dinner.  Just joking, but he did manage to find the my name in one minute forty three seconds!  It was pretty neat to see.

I'll write more tomorrow.  I'm tired and I can't watch the news anymore, it's difficult to watch the coverage on the earthquake and tsunami in Japan.