Forster and the Friday night

Friday 7th April - The day before...

Up early this morning and excited as. Meeting the Baron and Fill at the airport see so that we can get the car and head up to Forster. Taxi arrives on-time and all is well, until Fill texts and tells me they're through Customs, have the bags and are at the car hire desk!! Wow - whodafortit?! Some shenanigans with the car but they're sorted pretty quick and we're off-ski. Typical lads start in that we don't look at the map or ask for directions! My fault I guess as I'm the Driver - right Fill?! After all, I should drive AND have the map...!! The Baron was serene throughout this... uh, no he wasn't, he was asleep!

The drive to Forster on the Pacific Highway is ace I reckon, crossing lakes and reservoirs, old 19th Century railway bridges glinting dully in the sun. No matter what anyone says, it's a beaut country (mate). We're about 150 klicks from Forster when Dana and Jimbo ring, they're heading over to Forster via the scenic route and Seal Rocks. Why not, we figure and what a place I is (once you've negotiated the hair-pin bends and the unsealed roads!!). I've deliberately not included any pix here because I'M COMING BACK IN THE VAN! Hell yeah, this will be one of my first stops North! Overnight stays on a powered site... $24 whole buckaroonies!

Arrival at Tiona Park, where the wedding is to be tomorrow was easy peasy and apparently, the views on the beach are awesome. However, as you can see, Fill and the Baron were keen to make themselves at home and to make friends - hence the T-shirts. Peeg is there to add some class to the occasion but being a Saffa, all he can do is add his own personal greeting to the Aussies! HELLO FORSTER! (Or is that middle finger aimed at the T-shirt Peeg? Peeg? You little f@cker...!). A brief respite whilst beers were slurped was followed by a short stroll down to the 'Green Cathedral' for the practise run of the wedding. It was actually quite warm and I had nightmarish visions of melting the next day but just look at the sunset:

This picture actually doesn't do it justice as the camera hasn't caught the corona I could see but maybe it shows something. I'd never truly appreciated what a great design the eye is until this picture didn't come out (wow - if that's not f@cked up prose, what is?!). The siting of the Cathedral was obviously well thought out, as in the afternoon, the sun sets of the lake perfectly. Lake is called Lake Wallis, incidentally.

Anyway, enough of that soppy shite and onto the beer drinking. Our bus was due at 7pm btw for all those who missed it. And miss it you did, by jesus that van driver could talk - I thought she'd never shut up - I reckon I'm just starting to get an inkling of how people feel about me!!

This was a great night, I thoroughly enjoyed myself anyway as it was great catching up with everyone from the UK as well as those I'd met on Neil's extended stag do. The food was great - more fish and great value again - James and I did them oysters in again - my liver is thanking the fish here!

L-R: Miche, El Burro, Troods, the Screaming Lord, Peeg and the Baron.

This last is a cheeky re-enactment of Sith Ifrika-ka-ka where James, at 6 foot 4.5 inches in his socks is still taller than Troods on an 18 inch chair! Bless. Don't worry about Jimmy's Teapot impression, it's all in the wrists apparently!

We caught the nightbus home and that f@cking driver was still yabbering away. I'd wondered if she'd ever draw breath again, but it appears she's hard and doesn't need to breathe! Coupla late ones with the boys - great chat with Steve, Neil's bruv-in-law about sport. I have to confess that I flaked, though not before the Screaming Lord and left it to the Baron to mop up any last pockets of resistance! I went to bed with a horrible feeling I'd promised Peeg and El Burro that I'd join them for a run.....