moneypenny20

But that would mean QLD opening our borders and last I heard Palaszczuk was pretty definite that that wouldn't happen any time soon.

carcajou

Yeah. I think Winston was talking off-the-cuff. None of what he was talking about is his call.

Pollyana

Pleased to hear he is happy, Mental health is being largely ignored, especially among the little ones, and even when acknowledged people tend to forget the role playmates and friends have in maintaining that mental health.

Palaszczuk (and large sections of the Queensland people) are really anti reopening any borders, especially international ones. I even work with people who think international flights should never be restarted.

moneypenny20

Definitely a tricky one and I'm the wrong person to have an opinion given I cross the border several times a week! As for never restarting international flights, you've always worked with some very strange people.

carcajou

The Bannister Roadhouse (the one with the green verandah), has an on-site bakery and does its own croissants and breads each morning.

If you are going to beaches, for something a bit different, head east of Albany, instead of west towards Denmark. Little Beach, Nanarup, Betty's Beach, Waychinicup Inlet. If you are game, head all the way out to Point Ann at Fitzgerald River NP (the western end of the park) which functions as a whale nursery in winter. Sightings almost guaranteed. If you want to spend the night out that way you can stay at Bremer Bay - not my favourite place but most people swear by it. Half the farmers in the Wheatbelt have weekenders there. The other half have them at Peaceful Bay.

For wineries I think it is better to focus on the Porongurups than Denmark. Denmark is lovely but it seems some of the establishments around Scotsdale Road have been declining in quality in recent years. The Rieslings and Pinot Noirs in the Porongurups are especially good and several of the wineries there do really nice lunches. The pie shop in Mt Barker is one of the best in the state and there is a winery near there that does a very good tawny. Sorry I don't think site rules allow me to name businesses in the open forum.

The restaurant scene in Albany has improved leaps and bounds in recent years.

On the way back to Perth, consider going up Chester Pass Road, and then cutting across on Stirling Ranges Road (unsealed but 2wd), it's about a 40 km drive through the mountains that puts you out near Cranbrook. You can go the 4km from Cranbrook to the Albany Hwy but instead take the Great Southern Highway up to the Dome in Katanning which is in the restored mill building, there is an app where you point your phone anywhere in the building and it shows you what the spot you are pointing the phone at, looked like 100 years ago. Tambellup also has a nice walk along the Gordon River, usually with a lot of black swans in it. Continue up to Dryandra Woodland just past Narrogin and do one or two of the short walks there. You can stay at one of the DPaW cabins at Dryandra that were built by the Lions Club, they are ensuited, and do the DPaW nighttime marsupial tour (sightings virtually guaranteed). Problem is there are no good restaurants or pubs for dinner around there. Anyways from Dryandra it's about 2 hours back to Perth, either continuing up the Great Southern Hwy to the Brookton Hwy and entering Perth through the Perth Hills, or returning to Narrogin, cutting across the 30 km to Williams and back up the Albany Hwy.

If you haven't been to the new lookout platform at The Gap yet it's worth doing.

I don't live on the South Coast, I just know the regions very well.

Still Game, what do you think, what would you add or challenge?

spouse of scouse

The people who think international flights should be permanently scrapped might need to come up with an idea to replace the almost 6 billion dollars that international tourists spend in Queensland per year, plus the 200,000 jobs that rely on tourism!

“International visitors spent a record $5.9 billion last year which is great news for Queensland’s tourism industry and more than 200,000 workers who rely on this sector for a living”
Queensland’s tourism market share continues to grow - The Queensland Cabinet and Ministerial Directory

spouse of scouse

Thanks for those very welcome suggestions carcajou. We visit Albany quite often as we have a friend who lives there, he has a waterfront house in Bayonet Head with a big deck out the front, you can see Emu Point from there. We've spent many happy nights on that deck, drinking local wine and arguing about politics

But even though we go often the only things I've seen/experienced on your list is Little Beach (one of the best beaches ever!), Bannister roadhouse and a pie in Mt Barker (yum!). So we'll definitely be visiting some of the places you've mentioned

Pollyana

not their problem, is the mantra, there is a nasty racist Aussie-only culture growing, reminding of the time when I first came here.
Tasmania is displaying the same. I have had to remove myself from many Tassie FB groups because they are anti-any tourist, anti-any foreigners, never let them darken our doors again, we don't need them, type of thing. I have been told in a couple of groups that although I have supported their economy for many years with several visits a year, I should not bother going back as i am not a local.
Not sure why they cannot see that all they are doing is shooting themselves in the foot.

spouse of scouse

That's really nasty stuff Polly, I'm sorry that you've been subjected to it personally

Pollyana

Ach plenty of people worse off and at least this enables us to see the true colours of some around us. And if i caan't holiday n Tas and ca't go home, think f the money i'll save!!!

How are your family doing?

spouse of scouse

Yep, hard times seem to bring out either the best or the worst in people.

We're doing ok thanks Polly. Mum sailed through a mastectomy a couple of weeks ago, pretty good for a 86 year old! Got the news today that there was no cancer in her lymph nodes so that was a bonus. She's back to making apple pies for Scouse
Best thing was the gathering restrictions here were eased from max 2 to max 10, so Mum had all her chickens gathered around her table for Mother's Day

I hope your super hasn't suffered too badly during all this.

Pollyana

Glad she has come through so well and having the famiy around mst have made her feel better!

Managed to salvage some of my super thanks to hints from a couple of ex-BE mates. However as I can't get home, can't plan anything etc - and who knows if I will ever get to fly home again as I have an almost permanently high temperature due to various issues - the whole retirement thing is on hold indefinitely.
I was planning 5 years in total, possibly going part time in 3 years, but now i am looking at 11 years full time and then possibly able to retire, but I suspect I will have to stay here, The dream of retiring home has now been shelved.

spouse of scouse

It's great that you have cluey friends who helped save some of your super, but very sad that you've had to put your retirement plans on hold. I know how much you want to go home, it must be very hard for you. I'm going to keep my fingers crossed that you find a way to retire earlier than in 11 years, I reckon you've more than served your time in Oz

Dmorgan07

Glad to hear your mum is doing ok. How is your son?
Ive had my first experiences of public healthcare (and I thought it was ok actually) these last few weeks as I've got kidney stones. Managed to pass a few myself but I've got to have an op to remove a big one.
I've been hardly working because my hours have been cut so it's all worked out in the end. Although I'm really in the mindset of save your sick days for when you are well if you know what I mean 😂

Beoz

I wouldn't have thought isolation of little ones would be a problem had I not seen the issues myself. Oddly he didn't lose a thing in the first term, 5 weeks out of school, 3 days back and he's lost 2 hats, a jumper, lunchbox, and headphones. They are just the visible effects.