Hunting for Hungry Head

With all the camping trips going on while I was in Woonona, I was often reminded of an adventure that my family of origin had taken back in about 1968. As I recall, we were headed up north from Sydney to Queensland, where my Dad was to baptise a church family’s new baby. We stopped and camped for I think a few days at Hungry Head, which is near Coff’s Harbour, where another church family was living. I recalled it as the best camping spot we had ever had: surrounded by untouched bush, a very short walk to the pristine beach, white sand, beautiful blue ocean, fun family times at the campsite and with our friends in Coff’s Harbour. Fun times, except for the afternoon when my sister was pulled out in a swift current in the stream that ran from the lagoon to the ocean at nearby Valla Beach. Family members and other beach-goers on the almost deserted beach saved her from drowning and being swept out to sea.

When it came time to make plans for Evie’s fortnight on school holidays (two weeks on a fall break) we decided to spend part of it heading up to northern New South Wales on a quest to find the Hungry Head campsite I had remembered. We were going Hunting for Hungry Head! But “glamping” this time (glamourous camping), not in a cramped pop-up tent situation as my family had done back in the 1960s and 70s. Being significantly north of Woonona, the weather was warmer and more like late summer.

On the maps of the area, it looked like the original camping ground was gone, and the closest one was a fairly upscale place in Mylestom, right on the beach. We stayed a few days in this “beach tent” and explored the area. First off was Coff’s Harbour, where there were Sunday markets and a Thai New Year festival happening. The harbour did not ring any bells for me, though I had probably been there back in 1968.

The next day we started Hunting for Hungry Head in earnest. Starting at the nearby 1k long Urunga Boardwalk, we enjoyed watching the crabs and waterbirds all the way out to Urunga Beach. The northern NSW beaches are untouched by civilisation, just gorgeous! Hungry Head looked to be a reasonable walking distance away, but was farther away than we thought! After an hour on the beach, we headed back, with a new plan for our quest.

Our new plan was to drive to Hungry Head, explore the beach area some more, and try to find where the original campground may have been. Nothing on Hungry Head Beach looked particularly familiar to me, but we were having fun walking, and playing a “Follow the Stick Line” and other games on the beach. It was when we drove to the Urunga Surf Life Saving Club on Hungry Head that we had our great breakthrough! Apparently the land had been converted to a Preserve in 1977, and the Surf Life Club building and carpark were built in 1987. We found a beach entrance that looked very like the one I remembered, and a spot in the carpark across from it that was quite likely where we had camped all those decades ago. The Hunt for Hungry Head was finished!

The next day we shifted a bit south to stay in an airbnb yurt in Hyland Park, NSW. Not quite as glampy as the beach tent, but far more unique! The bathroom and kitchen were under separate cover next to the yurt, and we cooked dinner outside over the fire. We explored Nambucca Heads, which I’d heard about in school, especially the fabulous painted rocks in the V-Wall outdoor grassroots gallery, and the brightly coloured fish swimming near it.

After Nambucca Heads, we spent some time at nearby Valla Beach. I had a touch of PTSD seeing Evie playing in the stream that had just as strong a current as the day my sister nearly drowned. But overall it was healing to spend a safe afternoon at Valla Beach with no drama.

Our nostalgic investigation trip to Hungry Head was completed, so we headed back south towards home. On the way, I was dropped off in Tumbi Umbi, NSW to visit my Swedenborgian/New Church friends Mike and Kerry Lockhart, and to have lunch with another friend from teen years, Ken Horner. With only a few days left before returning to my American home, we took a final ferry trip to Manly. On the way back after dark, a flock of seagulls floated along next to us as we sat on the upper deck, as if sending me off with a graceful aerial farewell. We also celebrated the blooming of the Bird of Paradise bush in the backyard on my final day of the Path in 2024.

This year, leaving Australia was as distressing as always for me, with plenty of tears and big family hugs, but also somehow a “new normal”: knowing that my ministry continues in both Australia and the United States, and that my family is under Divine care no matter where they are living and how often I am able to be with them. Thanks for joining me for this part of Walking the Path – and blessings for whatever path you are walking!

Mountain Top and Ministry

The “Mountain Top” part of this post refers to a hike that the Caldwell clan, which includes me, took up the Broker’s Nose track to one of the best lookout spots in the Wollongong NSW region. You can see Wollongong Harbour and city behind Evie in the upper right corner of the middle photo. Jon is likely pointing to their place, which is about a quarter of the way in on the left of the larger photo, down about halfway, and wonderfully close to the beach!

The ministry part of this post includes the Council of Ministers’ meeting, and my final trip to visit the group in Canberra. I was invited as a guest to attend the arrival evening (pictured) and the first full day of the meeting. Being a visiting Swedenborgian Church of North America minister, and the only female minister present, could have been a bit intimidating, but these men are all friends of mine and I felt fully welcome while I was there. We were staying and meeting in a grand old house with fabulous views of mountains and beaches.

There was a retired minister (Ian Arnold) and a woman ordained to Logopraxis ministry (Sarah Walker) on Zoom for the meeting as well. There was quite lively discussion during my (by now well-worn) “Why Worry?: We Were Told This Would Happen” abridged presentation, especially because most of the Australian ministers have felt the reality of shrinking congregations, and the benefits of online ministry of some kind, mostly on YouTube. Visioning the future of the New Church in Australia is vital work right now, as several of the congregations are quite fragile.

During my final trip to Canberra we finished up the “Climbing Out of the Basement” spiritual growth programme, held our hybrid worship service, and went out for a celebratory farewell lunch after church. I really treasure the relationships that I’ve been blessed to have developed with this devoted group of Swedenborgian/New Church people, some of whom I’ve known since childhood and some I have just met for the first time this year. I also visited my friends Roger and Christine Gifford, on whose semi-rural property I feasted my eyes on the many kangaroos that feed there and gracefully hop around, even right in front of my car as I headed down the long driveway! On the way back to Sydney I noticed that the floodwaters in Lake George, that had been transformed into an actual lake last year instead of the grassy plain I had remembered, had now receded enough for cattle to be grazing again on the grassy edges.

And speaking of flooding, the “flooding rains” also came to Woonona in April, bringing flotsam and jetsam and other debris onto the beaches in the area. It was heartwarming to see the townsfolk cleaning up the devastation to the sea-level community garden and the beaches: true community at its best! We spent a few hours ourselves, picking up lots of plastic items and toys and household goods that had washed up or been swept onto the beach. The photos are from a few days later.

Marvelous March

Lots of fun things happened in March, starting with Evie’s 6th birthday party, held outdoors at Stuart Park in nearby Wollongong, NSW. She had helped decorate her cake, with its Summer and Winter theme. The games included a variant of the ancient Irish Bobbing for Apples, the ever popular Spanish Pinata, and the Aussie/British Pass The Parcel. Evie’s maternal grandparents were also able to attend – so good to be sharing a granddaughter with my dear friends Margaret and Owen!

The next fun adventure ticked a huge item on my bucket list: going to the Red Centre of Australia and seeing Uluru, the massive rock known previously to European Australians as Ayre’s Rock. There is a train from Adelaide to Alice Springs, the town in the middle of Australia, but I flew. Maybe another time I’ll take the famous Ghan through the centre. In Alice Springs, I stayed with my friends Tim and Chris Kendrick. I’ve known Chris for several years through her involvement with the NCIA Board, and NCIA family camps/retreats. Tim was a fabulous tour guide within Alice and in the surrounding region. For seeing Uluru and Kata Tjuta (another rock formation, previously known as the Olgas) I took an all-day bus tour, from 6am till 1am the next day. Certainly an experience of a lifetime!

Aussie school children all learn a verse from Dorothea Mackellar’s poem “My Country,” or at least did so during my school years. The line about Australia being a country of “ragged mountain ranges, of droughts and flooding rains” kept on coming back to me. There had been “flooding rains” for many days before I got there, and all night before my bus tour. The Todd River through Alice is normally dry, but was overflowing when I was there. The MacDonnell Ranges, East and West, are the ragged backdrop to Alice Springs, visible everywhere.

Flooding prevented us from going in to a sacred “women’s cave” with its rock art, but allowed kids to swim near the rock where a small post-rain waterfall was mistaken long ago for a spring – hence the name Alice Springs. Below you can see the Todd River flowing through Alice in a spot which is normally dry for the annual boat race on foot, and also another view from Anzac Hill in the centre of town. Highlights of my tour around Alice were the Flying Doctor Service (I got to sit in a cockpit), the School of the Air, Alice Springs’ birthplace the Telegraph Station that connected Adelaide to Darwin and allowed communication with England, the original Ghan locomotive, and some wildlife at the Alice Springs Desert Park. Flies are everywhere, hence the obligatory fly masks!

Because of all the rain, the “Red Centre” was more like the “Green Centre,” which was actually a bit disappointing for me. I had been looking forward to seeing the red soil for which the Centre is famous, and I did see some of it, some with emu tracks on it (see below.) But I also witnessed the unusual blooming of the desert, and waterfalls on Uluru, which about 1% of tourists ever see. But I was not disappointed with the overpowering spiritual aspects of both Uluru and Kata Tjutu. Both are sacred to the indigenous population, and have been for around 30,000 years, or more. The creation stories associated with both of them are embedded in the majesty of the 500-million year old rock formations, such as the snake in one of the photos below. Art is a prominent feature of many sites in Uluru, both the rock art that is thousands of years old, and original art by indigenous people. The artist who painted the one I bought is pictured signing the back of it.

It was amazing to me how the wildflowers that bloom after rain can survive the arid times, and come back to life when there is enough water. A perfect image of resiliency of all kinds! I appreciated their greeting us in their simple beauty.

My final fun trip in Marvelous March was a day on Sydney Harbour, taking a ferry to Manly Beach and returning in the sunset.

Easter Sunday was the last day in March. Easter is a much bigger deal in Australia than in the USA. All the little schoolkids decorate their Easter hats, get four days off school, real Hot Cross Buns without icing are in stores for weeks ahead of time, and everyone seems to celebrate regardless of religious identity, if any. I went to the Roseville New Church on Sunday, and celebrated with Angela’s family on Easter Monday.

More Ministry II

From Perth, I flew to Adelaide, South Australia (refer if needed to the map in the “Wonderful Woonona” post) to engage with the Adelaide Christian New Church. As I’ve mentioned before, my maternal grandfather was the minister there for many years, and my father came into the Swedenborgian/New Church faith community in Adelaide after meeting my mother there. In the surrounding area, I have many relatives as well as church friends.

The small congregation in Adelaide is served by a lay leader, June Johnson. I was able to attend church and a morning tea afterwards with some of the congregation members. Other members I visited at other times during my stay in South Australia. In the circles below, you can see Michael and me at the River Torrens in Adelaide, where we spent some time at the Vietnamese Boat People Monument.

Rev. David and Mandy Millar were my gracious hosts in Adelaide. Somehow I neglected to take an “ussie” with them, so I’ve lifted one from social media. David was experimenting with making home-baked sourdough bread, for which I was happy to be a taste-tester! Their home overlooks the Southern Ocean, with spectacular sunsets, and is also near the Hallett Cove Conservation Park. I love walking the boardwalk there through the amazing glacial rock formations, down to the rocky beach.

David’s ministry involves supervising Logopraxis activities around the world, as part of his work as Director of Spiritual Training at the Australian New Church College. I had studied online with the ANCC for my ministry credentials. We talked about how I use a Logopraxis approach in my work with the Home Church in Bryn Athyn, and how I might get involved with some Logopraxis leadership in the USA.

While in South Australia, I drove almost over to the border with Victoria to have lunch with my cousin Neville on my Dad’s side of the family. He has been touring Australia for years now in his campervan and happened to be in the area. Afterwards I traveled back to towards Adelaide to Tintinara, where many of my Brock relatives, on my Mum’s side, were gathering for the wedding of my cousin’s daughter, Emma. The wedding and reception were both held outside on the Brock family’s farm property, on a 41 C/105 F degree day. The groom ended up being taken to hospital (45 minutes away) with heatstroke during the reception! Fortunately Brad was able to return in time for the wedding brunch the next morning. And of course I spent some time with my brother Stephen and sister-in-law Soula, my friend Suzi, two cousins who weren’t at the wedding, and time at an Adelaide beach as well.

My ministry to the Canberra group continued on a monthly basis, so I returned at the end of March. In addition to the Spiritual Growth programme we had been doing in a total of 4 sessions, and Sunday worship, I squeezed in a shorter version of the “Why Worry?: We Were Told This Would Happen” presentation. It was beginning to feel like a national tour with the presentation, which asks and provides suggestions for the questions that are on many people’s minds. Afterwards I hiked up a large hill with a member of the group. The photo to the left shows Parliament House in the distance. It’s the white triangular structure about one third of the way from the top. We also saw Telstra Tower, an iconic Canberra landmark for which the construction architect was my late cousin, Jeff Brock. I say hello to him every time I see the tower.

More Ministry I

My ministry path in February and March took me north to Brisbane in Queensland, west to Perth in West Australia, south to Adelaide in South Australia, and a bit east to Canberra again. First stop was Brisbane, where I came across a small grove of trees I’ve never seen before: screwpines at Margate beach, in this subtropical city.

Initially I stayed with my friends Maurice and Betty Coutanceau, then spent the weekend with Rev. Ian Arnold, both of whom I’ve known from the New Church in Australia (NCIA) since I was young. I particularly wanted to spend time with Ian, as he is the “senior pastor” in the NCIA and I have much to learn from his vast international ministry experience. Betty is very active with Bible study in their church, and welcomed me into a women’s Bible study group that she leads in their home. Maurice contributes to the music in their church, and is now a luthier. He makes a variety of stringed instruments, and plays them too. Ian included me in his daily walks on a bush track near his home. We saw a mother python brooding over her eggs, and many bush turkeys.

On Sunday Ian and I attended the worship service at the Brisbane New Church. Pictured are the three ministers present: Ian (left), me, and the pastor Rev. Darren Brunne (right). Darren has different worship styles through the month. It was a Worship and Meditation service that Sunday, though attendance was down due to it being summertime. Afterwards, one of the members used a professional coffee machine in the kitchen to make specialty coffees to order. Best “Coffee Hour” I’ve ever attended! After church I was blessed with a catch-up up with Brian and Gaye Heldon over lunch.

The next ministry trip was to Perth, on the west coast in Western Australia. Check the Australia map in the “Wonderful Woonona” post in February for the exact location! I was invited as a visiting minister by a lovely group of New Church people from two branches of the Swedenborgian community. There is not a minister in Perth, so they rely on lay leaders, visiting ministers and a retired minister, sometimes separately and sometimes integrated. The lay leaders of the two groups, David Walker (NCIA) and Mary Smuts (General Church), each hosted me in their homes. While in Perth, I gave two classes, one of which was the “Why Worry?: We Knew This Would Happen” presentation I’d given at the mini-retreat in Sydney in January (see the “Ministry and Music” post from March). I also led a worship service with Communion/Holy Supper. We also got together socially a few times. So good to catch up with old friends and meet new people as well!

There was time for touristy fun as well! I spent some time at Hillary’s Boat Harbour, by day and at sunset. Sarah Walker, of Logopraxis fame, and I chatted over lunch there, after she had taken me along for her morning swim at Sorrento Beach. A first for me: lunch at a restaurant in swimwear! The following evening I had dinner at sunset there, after a walk on Coogee Beach with Mary and Genevieve from the church group.

It was a well-organised visit in Perth, thanks to Mary Smuts’ skill at planning minister visits. Several elderly members were in need of a pastoral visit, but declined because they were too sick. But I did manage to visit with my friend Ros, whom I hadn’t seen in over 30 years. I also managed to spend a little time circle dancing, which I had been introduced to at Gathering Leaves (the international retreat for Swedenborgian/New Church women), watch a windsurfer near there at Safety Beach, and see some friendly cricket in the park. Aussies spend a lot of time on outdoor activities year-round, especially at the 12,000 beaches around the Aussie coastline.

Unlike many other parts of the country, Perth has been going through a dry spell with not as much rain as usual. I’d been seeing a lot of green grass in my travels to this point, which was definitely not how summer looked as I was growing up in Sydney. Here, the grass was mostly brown from the heat and low rainfall. A bushwalk near Mary’s house was quite dry, despite there being enough water to run a fountain in the lake in her neighbourhood, and for bird-of-paradise flowers to bloom.

Family Fun in February

Early in February, we had a family outing to the nearby Symbio Wildlife Park to see both Aussie wildlife and some from other countries. We lucked into feeding times for many of them, as you can see from the koalas munching leaves in the tree. The kangaroos however had already had a good feed, and could not be enticed to eat anything from our hands : ( The giant monitor lizards were decidedly active as it was not a very hot day. A friendly, perhaps too friendly, sulfur-crested cockatoo was very interested in sharing our lunch! Often the Tasmanian Devil hides out under cover, but he showed his behind to us as he waited for food. And the fairy penguins, which used to visit the Taylor family farm in Victoria annually from Antarctica, were a new and playful addition to the Park this year.

Our next day trip was to Jamberoo, an over-the-top water park. Evie (my 5 year old granddaughter) and I braved the ski lift up to the top of the park. On the ride up we had stunning views of the surrounds, as well as the “action park.” The wave pool was a big hit, as well as the jump pool (not pictured) where you could slide or jump off (artificial) cliffs into a deep pool.

Continuing on the water theme, I accompanied Evie to her swimming lessons shortly thereafter. Learning to swim, including learning basic lifesaving skills, is highly important in Australia because 80% – 90% of the population live in coastal areas. Going to her lesson brought up so many memories of learning to swim in private lessons as well as in PE class, where we also learned lifesaving. An unusual feature of her swim school is the family of llamas in the enclosure next to the pool. One of them was rather fascinated with my hair, apparently!

February is the beginning of the school year in Australia, situated as it is in the Southern Hemisphere. As the end of summer approached, Evie started Kindergarten: backpack, school uniform and hat, and all. She has a much more interesting walk to school than most, I’d say! Horses, community garden, playground, beach, and finally school.

Near the end of February, we went camping for a weekend with some friends of Jon and Angela’s. The campground at Lake Conjola NSW had tent and caravan (trailer) camping, cabins, and fun activities for the kids. Everyone enjoyed the pool and cafe! The river offered fishing and kayaking, and the nearby beach and lagoon were great for surf and monstrous sand dunes.

My tent was the cute little orange one

Cooking communal brunch…

and enjoying a group pool swim.

Kayaking on the Conjola River

We saw kangaroos in the bush areas…

and in nearby residential areas.

Conjola Beach for the brave ones…

and sand dunes for the daring ones.

My final family outing in February was when I joined Angela’s rellies in taking a visitor from USA on a drive through the stunningly beautiful South Coast of NSW, where I am blessed to be staying in Woonona. Below you can just see the coast road where it juts out over the ocean, and our picnic spot on Austinmer Beach.

Ministry and Music

Two days after my arrival in Australia in January, I was able to provide a bit of music ministry for the congregation that I grew up in – the Hurstville New Church in the southern Sydney area. The pastor, Rev. Todd Beiswenger, pictured adjusting the camera for the social media feed, is moving to Canada at the end of the year. I’ve enjoyed my collegial friendship with him and his wife Jenn for the last 13 years.

The following weekend, the New Church in Australia (NCIA) held a weekend mini-retreat at the Roseville New Church, in northern Sydney. The theme was “What’s the Use?” Previous plans for a week-long retreat at a conference centre had been dropped because of low registration numbers, which was also the case for an Assembly that had been scheduled for April. On the Saturday, I went out to dinner afterwards with some Hurstville congregants and visitors.

I was supposed to be the retreat preacher on the Sunday. Normally the NCIA-affiliated Roseville church would not have a female preacher, because their minister is “on loan” from the General Church. But as it was in the context of an NCIA retreat, I was invited to deliver the message. The politics of women’s ordination are still alive and kicking! However, I learned on Saturday night that I had been exposed to Covid earlier in the week so decided not to risk being a Rona Superspreader. Rev. Howard Thompson from the Roseville Church graciously filled in for me.

Speaking of low registration numbers, dwindling numbers in Swedenborgian/New Church and other religious organisations, and suggestions for strategies in response, was the topic of my presentation at the mini-retreat. Earlier in January, I’d given the same talk (with USA statistics) in Bryn Athyn, PA, USA to local people and Zoom attenders from around America. People from the branches of the Swedenborgian/New Church faith community in Australia and America seem to respond to my question of “Why Worry?: We Were Told This Would Happen.”

By my third weekend in January, my five-year-old granddaughter Evie was asking me why I’m always leaving. I was off again, this time to Canberra, the capital of Australia. I’ve been ministering when in Aussie to a group of Swedenborgian/New Church people since 2020, after their minister left. On the drive there from Sydney, I always stop at the “Coolabah Tree Cafe,” reminiscent of the tree in the legendary “Waltzing Matilda” song. It was my Mum’s favourite place for a coffee on the way to Canberra.

With the Canberra group, the plan is to meet monthly while I’m in Aus. On Saturdays we are doing a Spiritual Growth class written by my friend Rev. Clark Echols in USA, and on Sundays we have a worship service, followed by lunch together. In the photo, Tina is holding up her mobile phone to represent Jen, who joins us via Zoom.

And that brought to a close my path in Australia in January 2024, with three more months to follow!

Beautiful Beaches

As you might know, one of my very happy places is the beach, especially walking along that magical line between the power and mystery of the ocean, and the deeply grounding feeling of solid earth and sand. Actually, anywhere where there is water to be played in is a very happy place for me. Here are some happy places for me in the first few weeks of staying in Woonona, NSW.

The top few photos were from “Magic Beach” which I think is a local name for a quiet section of McCauley’s Beach, near Woonona. A great place for little kids to swim. We had a first for me: BBQ on the beach followed by roasting marshmellows! Two photos are from the Blowhole in Kiama, down the coast a bit. It’s allegedly the largest blowhole in the world, but the swell wasn’t sufficient that day to produce the enormous towers of water for which it is famous. A Great Cormorant was spreading its wings on a rock overlooking the ocean side of the Blowhole, right where the water goes through the opening in the rock. The remaining photos are from Wollongong Harbour, including the Lighthouse.

At Fairy Creek on North Wollongong beach, we played a version of “Pooh Sticks,” and enjoyed watching a Pelican and other water birds look for an evening feed.

Wonderful Woonona

Welcome back to my travel and ministry blog! I appreciate your company as I walk the path in Australia in 2024. On my return to Woonona NSW where Jon, Angela and Evie live, I was happy to see that they have made a welcoming home in the townhouse/unit into which I had helped them move last year. This time I felt “at home” in Woonona – like this is my home in Australia when I’m here, not just a place to visit. It’s on the east coast, just north of Wollongong, about an hour’s travel south of Sydney, and is a beach town.

As soon as I had dumped my bags in the room I’m sharing with Evie, the whole family took off for an afternoon at Woonona beach, a mere block and a half from the house. After dinner we played a very adapted game of croquet on a field close to the beach. For the first several days, Jon, Angela and Evie wanted to show me some of the places they’ve enjoyed near Woonona. There was a reptile show at Evie’s preschool. Evie gingerly held a crocodile, as well as other reptiles, and I triumphantly overcame my fear and held a constrictor python. We also toured her completely outdoor, nature immersion preschool. There are several of them throughout Australia. Our next trip was to the Cascade Falls in the Macquarie Pass. A fun and sometimes challenging hike took us up to the waterfall, where I stood under a cascade of water for the first time in my life, and swam with an eel!

Wrap up in NSW and ACT

There was only one week left for the Path in 2022 when I returned from my epic road trip in Victoria. We decided to make the most of our family time together. First stop: Symbio Wildlife Park where my wildlife cup ran over! We saw a frisky Tasmanian Devil, resting koalas, hungry kangaroos, sleeping crocodiles, some caged and some free birds, an echidna in an enclosure this time, a pecking emu, two dingoes who reminded me of my dog Arya, and many lizards.

I abbreviated my third and final trip to Canberra to one day of activities, to maximise my time with Jon, Angela and Evie who were by then quite settled into their townhouse apartment and lifestyle. However there weren’t any trains running that weekend, which meant I spent an extra night in the Hurstville church’s guest house, Baringa, which I have known since the original owner’s widow lived there when I was a young child. Before Angela’s sister Carolyn gave me a lift to Baringa, she and their parents Owen and Margaret Heldon came over for a farewell lunch and visit in a nearby playground.

I had two more ministry events left. The NCIA Virtual Retreat began, for which I had submitted a proposal to repeat my “Feminine Swedenborgian Spirituality” talk. My offer wasn’t taken up, so the sessions were all given by the male members of the NCIA clergy. In the end I only attended one session, which was amazing! Check out the Hurstville New Church YouTube channel’s “Live” video about aliens. In Canberra, I lead worship with the church group before a farewell lunch, and finished up our “Journey” spiritual growth program in the afternoon. My friend Jen from Gosford (see “Travel in NSW and SA”) joined us on Zoom for both. Before heading back I caught up with my cousin Jeff Brock’s widow Michelle and her partner Ken. Michelle been saving kangaroos during bushfires last time I saw her, in 2020. She gave me Jeff’s Academy of the New Church yearbook from 1964. Surreal to be seeing high school photos of older people I know in Bryn Athyn, while sitting in Canberra, in a very different context.

Another surreal occurrence was seeing Lake George when driving to and from Canberra all three times. Surreal because every time previously in my life that I’ve been along the Federal Highway, “Lake George” was just a flat grassy plain with no water in sight. But with the rainfall and flooding, Lake George had finally appeared and seemed to want to stay awhile.

Before returning to Woonona, where Jon and Angela now live with a view of the beach from their apartment, I farewelled the ever hospitable Murray and Lori Heldon over breakfast at their lovely home. With all these farewell meals, it was beginning to sink in that I was really going to be leaving, and Jon’s family wouldn’t be coming with me. But my path in 2022/2023 ended with us filling our final two days with a few adventures! First, south to North Woolongong, where Jon has joined an early morning breathwork group. We visited the two lighthouses, from 1870s and 1930s, saw the rockpool area where Jon’s group meets, looked at the boats in the historic Woolongong Harbour, and of course played in a park (AKA playground) on the lovely esplanade along the beach.

For my last day, we headed north for breakfast at Sydneys’ first communal motorbike workshop and restaurant combo for city dwellers. Angela’s cousin-in-law is one of the owners of The Rising Sun Workshop, where the ramen menu is outstanding. From there we took one of the famous Sydney Harbour ferries, to the Taronga Park Zoo wharf. Evie was enthralled by her first ever ferry ride on the dazzling Sydney Harbour. We somehow walked past the world-renowned zoo, and instead took the Bradleys Head Walk. Growing up, my family had come several times to Bradleys Head on Sydney Harbour for swimming and picnics, and I’d just been there for New Years Eve. Very different to be there again without the crowds, and in daylight! We swam at gentle Athol Beach, marvelled at the views of the harbour and the wildlife around us, and then swam and climbed on the rocks at Bradleys Head. Then off to the historic “Rocks” district of Sydney for an early dinner (we debated linner? dunch?), and then home in time for me to pack for my long flights to the USA the next day.

Big hugs, group family hug and tears as I somehow said goodbye to my dear family at the airport. I knew they’re in the loving care of the Divine, and that they were now settled in their new life, and I would be seeing them again in six months. The separation isn’t easy, but it guarantees more Walking the Path in the future! As always, I had to confront the reality in my life of having two homelands, Australia and the USA, as the familiar beaches and towns of Botany Bay and the Australian coastline disappeared under the aeroplane’s wings. Thanks for Walking the Path with Ros in 2022/2023, and look for the next bend in the path in 2024.