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!
Hiking in the Macquarie PassPicnic at the Berry playground, not far from the beach and rockpoolThe most extensive playground I’ve ever seen, in Berry, NSWCarwash station at the Berry playgroundLunch with Jon, Ange, Evie and friends in Berry, NSWFun with Evie’s tie dyeing Christmas presentA venomous wolf spider paid a visit, but met its demise
While in the process of helping Jon, Angela and Evie settle in physically and emotionally to their home in Australia, I made sure to have fun and to treasure the joy of being with them in NSW. Every day that I was not off doing some aspect of my ministry, I spent part of the day having an adventure with Evie, while Jon and Angela attended to the business of setting up a new life. Beach adventures, rock pool explorations, playground fun, swimming, playing with dolls, dancing.
While Jon and Angela were busy lodging his complicated application for a permanent resident visa, buying a car when decent used cars were hard to find, and finding a more permanent place to rent in a competitive market, we found plenty of ways to enjoy ourselves. Angela has several school friends who live nearby on the South Coast.
Someone caught a salmon during our evening walkPlenty of beach time!Shark on an evening walk!Imaginative playBBQ with friends……followed by trampoline gamesPicnic with rellies and friendsEvie loves “family……charades” after dinner
Walking on the beach, especially at that liminal space at the edge of the water as the waves meet the sand, is probably my favourite way to access joy and at the same time appreciate my grounded place in this amazing universe. As Rumi advises, “Listen to the Ocean.” I walked many miles/kilometres along the stretches of beaches north and south of Bulli, any time of day (and swam in the surf as well.)
And of course there were various fun celebrations in December! My birthday, Christmas, and New Year’s Eve with fireworks on Sydney Harbour (another bucket list item!)
Evie helped make my birthday cakeBirthday Pavlova, a favourite Aussie dessertChristmas morning “gag” giftChristmas with Angela’s familyOn the beach on Christmas DayNew Year’s Eve fireworksPoor quality attempt at capturing the amazing fireworks on the Harbour!
As soon as the Coronavirus pandemic had settled down enough to allow international travel, I booked my tickets. On with my ministry and travel paths in Australia! Whereas in the past my focus was re-connecting with my church, family and school communities, this time a significant focus for me has been supporting my son Jon, his wife Angela and their daughter Evie as they move permanently to Australia.
Evie waving goodbye as the family leaves USAAngela was very happy to re-unite with her twin sisterBeach life!Jon and Angela rented an airbnb in Bulli NSW (south of Sydney) for the first two months after they arrived
Usually when in Sydney I’ve stayed in Baringa (pictured left) , the guest house/social centre/office of the Swedenborgian/New Church in Hurstville, NSW, and travelled an hour by train to help out in the other NCIA (New Church in Australia) congregation in Roseville, NSW. This time being in Bulli, I was an hour from Hurstville and two hours from Roseville.
The Hurstville church, on the “south shore”The Roseville church, on the “north shore”
What with wanting to help Jon and Angela and Evie make their geographic and emotional transition to living in Australia, the distance and time to travel to the church centres, and contracting Covid within a few days of arriving, I spent much less time than in previous ministry trips actually helping out in the churches in Sydney. I was able to contribute to an Open Discussion at the Swedenborg Centre, an outreach of the Roseville church, as well as participate in a Bible study (below.) For the Hurstville church, whose piano player has now retired after many years of service, I returned to my former music ministry to record 18 hymns and songs on piano for them to use during Christmas and regular worship services.
Connecting with friends from my faith and school communities in the Sydney area is always a blessing! The people and places from my early years have deep meaning, still providing healing for the “third culture kid” part of me (google it!) Walked the Como bridge with Murray and Lori Heldon, went to Sydney Harbour with Cliff Adamou, had lunch with school friends (no photo 🙁 ), saw a play with Lori and Jenn Beiswenger
Arriving as I did in mid November, it was Christmas time in summer in Australia! Seemed normal to me growing up in Sydney, but it took some re-adjusting for me after decades of winter Christmases. We entirely missed Thanksgiving, which isn’t celebrated in Australia anyway, except as a religious Harvest Thanksgiving at the end of summer. Jon had bought some turkey for the occasion, but he and I had Covid that week, and somehow in a summer setting I didn’t really miss it. On Christmas day I was able to check off a bucket list item: go to the beach on Christmas! We saw many families in their “Christmas tents” on the beach, complete with lights and decorations.
Woolongong, near Jon and Angela’sHurstville churchSydney somewhereMartin Place in Sydney, with Jenn and LoriEvie making a gingerbread houseChristmas morning Beach on Christmas!Traditional Christmas mimosasChristmas tent on the beach
