Tag: Murwillumbah

It’s In The Beans!

26/05/2021 / Maureen / 4 Comments

Anyone who knows me well, knows about my coffee addiction. It’s only a one-cup-a-day habit, but I can’t start without my morning cup-of-joe. And today I proved something that I had suspected for a long time: it’s in the beans.

Let me explain…

In June 2015, while on a short holiday, I stopped for a coffee at a cafe in Murwillumbah (a Northern NSW town). Hmmm…. the coffee went down exceptionally well, but I wasn’t sure if it was as much about the ambience as the actual coffee.

The day I left Murwillumbah to return to Central Queensland, I visited the cafe for another coffee. The drive to the airport took about two hours (less for everyone else – I’m one of those slow drivers), but all the way to Brisbane I could taste that coffee. It lingered on my taste buds and sustained me for the entire trip.

It was at that point that I realised I had just savoured the best coffee on the planet.

The purpose of my visit to Murwillumbah was to catch up with a past work-colleague that I had kept in touch with over the years. She had just bought a unit in a Retirement Village and was keen to show it off.

As I walked around the village and met the friendly residents, I was impressed by how happy they seemed to be.

But I was only sixty-five – yep – retirement age, but still working and loved my job. I figured I’d dust off the chalkboard and hang up the chalk for the last time (well, shut down the Smart Board, actually) when I reached seventy. So I smiled back at those friendly faces, while thinking, “I’m not ready to retire yet”.

Fast Forward a few days….

I’d unpacked from my holiday and come to grips with the fact that I’d be back at work in less than two days, and with it came all the last minute preparation that needed to be done.

The first day of Term Three started in the usual way – crossing paths with colleagues elicited the usual “How was your holiday?”, followed by “holiday…, did we have a holiday?”.

Teachers around the world probably share the same greeting on the first day of a new term. The minute your feet hit the pavement leading to your classroom, your head starts buzzing with thoughts of kids, and playgrounds, and classrooms, and timetables, and parents, and – wait for it ‘Reports’. Yep – those dreaded reports start weighing on your mind from the first minute of the first day.

All thoughts of the past holiday are pushed way back into your long-term memory, to make way for all the urgent here-and-now commitments to be held securely in short-term memory for another ten weeks.

And so the memory of my holiday became another blur, until……

… the day wore on, and the problems escalated.

I went home that day absolutely drained. I was tired but there was no time to rest. Paperwork had to be done at night, as well as preparation for the next day.

From a deep, dark corner of my long-term memory, the smile of those happily retired people in Murwillumbah crept up on me and made their presence felt.

And then the memory of that little cafe in Murwillumbah emerged through the fog of ‘To retire or not retire; that is the question’.

The memory of the mellow taste of that divine coffee came flooding back.

”Not ready to retire yet?…”. “The heck I’m not ready to retire!, bring it on!”.

Day Two of Term Three

“Hi Laurel, have you got a minute?”, I asked our Principal. “Sure”, she said. “What’s wrong?”.

“I need my two-days extra leave. I need to get back to the Gold Coast”, I said….

“Haven’t you just been there” she queried?

“Yep, but I need to buy my Nursing Home for the future”

I imagine you can picture the look on her face, not knowing whether to laugh or have me committed.

She laughed (luckily).

Day Four of Term Three

Gladstone Airport was a two-hour drive away; followed by an hour(ish) flight on the little Dash-8 Qantas jet to Brisbane. I’d pre-booked a rental car and was soon hurtling along the M1 towards Murwillumbah (just south of the Gold Coast, on the NSW side).

For two days I looked at units, in that little Retirement Village where everyone seemed so happy.

One of the first ones I looked at had solar panels on the roof, a veranda across the back, and a front porch where I could sit and enjoy a coffee in the sun.

The unit was being renovated with new paint and carpet, and an overall modernisation. The view from the back veranda was of trees, and the bowling green was not too far away.

I looked at other units with different floor plans and views, but kept going back to that first one. I absolutely loved it!

The price was reasonable, but I wasn’t sure of how much any extras would be, so I made an offer that included a bit of a buffer, just in case.

It was a couple of weeks before I heard back from the sales agent and we were able to agree on a sale price that suited both parties. I signed the contracts a couple of weeks later, and on the second-last day of Term Three, the unit was mine.

The lure of that cafe across the road from the Village helped seal the deal. I could just imagine sauntering over there for a cup of that amazing coffee, whenever the whim took me.

I moved into my unit at the end of Term Four. And I spent a lot of time in that cafe over the Christmas holidays.

As I got to know Josh better (the owner of the cafe), I talked to him about the coffee.

“It’s in the beans”, he said. “You have to start with good beans”.

And Josh started every cup of divine coffee with Dancing Beans, just to prove it’s in the beans. But never underestimate Josh’s ability to pour the best coffee – he is a perfectionist Barista.

My trusty Rocket Giotto Espresso machine goes everywhere I go (on a permanent basis), so the first thing to be set up in my new kitchen was the coffee machine. And now I had access to those good beans and could make a coffee that (almost) equaled the ones from Josh’s cafe. Josh would sell me the beans whenever I needed them.

But, as things go, Josh moved on and sold the cafe, which means I now have to order the beans online.

And that is where this story stems from… I was so busy last week I forgot to order the beans.

In desperation, I bought some local beans from the supermarket yesterday. They came with a recommendation from the manager, but I was still nervous as I made my morning cup-of-joe this morning.

And rightfully so.

As I finish the last dregs of my coffee, there is a slightly dry, almost bitter taste lingering, and no, I didn’t burn the shot.

The only thing different is the beans. The double-shot started pouring at five seconds and finished at twenty-six seconds; a little longer than I would consider a good pour, but within reason.

But the taste is not there.

Today I’ll be ordering the beans from Dancing Beans Roasters in Ipswich, and in a few days I’ll be enjoying that mellow, divine tasting coffee that I have loved for more than five years.

Trust me, folks, it’s in the beans…

From Drought to Flood in Twenty-Four Hours

18/01/2020 / Maureen / 4 Comments

The big word that has dominated media coverage in Australia for way too long is the D-Word – D-R-O-U-G-H-T! The soil in most parts of the country has been dry as a bone. There are toddlers who don’t even know what rain is in some parts of the land. There just hasn’t been any since they were born. But in twenty-four short hours, we’ve gone from drought to flood.

Here in Murwillumbah, we are usually luckier than most – our overall rainfall is generally healthier than in other parts of Australia. But not this season. Even before summer officially started, rain was nowhere to be seen.

And with drought comes water-restrictions. A few weeks ago our local Council brought down the verdict:

Level Two Water Restrictions for the Tweed Shire!

I don’t have too big an issue with that because I try to limit the amount of water I use every day. I’ve lived in the bush and relied on tank-water (with very little rain to fill it) often enough to appreciate how precious every drop of water is.

But no so for my neighbours. They are gardeners. And Level Two restrictions means they have to ration the water out to their ever-thirsty plants.

I should explain that my place is where plants come to die. Not intentionally. It just happens. Apart from one Zanzibar Gem that even I can’t kill, an Aloe Vera plant that thrives on neglect, and one small succulent that has managed to remain in the upright position – I don’t do the gardening thing. I tend to either drown plants or they die of thirst. So I prefer to leave living garden things in other people’s capable hands.

My plant-loving neighbours can now only hose their gardens on odd or even days (depending on their house-number), and then only late in the afternoon. But if they want to carry a bucket-load of water to each garden, they can water whenever they like.

Drought to Flood!

A few days ago it was hot and dry in Murwillumbah, as it had been for a very long time.

But last night the rain came in earnest. Heavy drops that you could actually hear falling. And accompanied, sporadically, with thunder and lightning.

This morning, it’s a very different scene.

The soil the rain is falling on is so hard, from prolonged lack of moisture, that the rainwater can’t get through it. The water is just pooling on the surface. And naturally, that water has to go somewhere, so it is spreading out across roadways.

At least one road in the area could easily change its name from Ducat Street to Ducat Creek.

And a local cafe has closed for the day due to water backing up. There just isn’t anywhere for the excess water to go.

Floating Debris and Flooded Roads

The fires that have ravaged so much of our land since October have left very little in their path. Ash and unstable trees, the ones lucky enough to have escaped complete destruction, are all that is left. The water from the long overdue rain, unable to soak into the ground, has enough force to topple some of the trees that have not already been taken down by fire. Those trees, along with ash and other debris, is now at risk of being pushed onto roadways.

Sadly, while one of our Fire and Rescue teams was out saving motorists who were trapped in their vehicles on a flooded street, their Station was inundated with water. According to their Facebook page, the morning has been taken up with rescues in the area, and then sandbagging their station. All they hope for is a bit of downtime so they can eat, drink coffee, and brush their teeth. I guess the early morning call outs don’t leave much time for life’s basic necessities. I hope they get that downtime today.

Despite the sudden onset of the flood, which is why it is called flash flooding, we still welcome the water falling from the sky. Not only will it help relieve some of the drought-related problems, but hopefully it will extinguish the fires that are still burning.

The flooding is temporary. And if motorists take adequate precautions, there shouldn’t be too many problems.

Remember: If it’s flooded – forget it!

Fall!

07/10/2018 / Maureen / 14 Comments

Here in Australia, we call it Autumn, not Fall. And where I live, there are no extreme differences between any of the seasons. Autumn is recognisable by the array of leaves on the ground, and being able to sleep comfortably at night for the first time in months. And yes, Autumn does signal colder days to come, but nothing like the cold days of the Northern Hemisphere.

In some parts of Australia, like Central Queensland (CQ), there are seemingly only two seasons: Hot and Cold. But in Melbourne, you can have all four seasons in one day (or, so the saying goes…).

Kids Don’t Feel The Cold!

Out in Central Queensland, it would be hot one day, and then cold the next. That’s how you would know it was winter. Autumn had been by-passed – there was no in-between. Just hot, and cold. I’m not talking – Northern Hemisphere big-heavy-coat-cold, just an extra-layer-of-jumper cold.

When I was teaching in Queensland, the only sign of winter, as demonstrated by most of the students, was the addition of a jumper (sweater) early in the morning. They still wore shorts! Some of them would pass an occasional remark about how cold it was, but didn’t connect wearing shorts, to feeling cold. Long pants seemingly got in the way of running fast at recess. And by lunchtime, the jumper would either be safely stowed in their bag or lost in the playground; usually the latter.

A beautiful Autumn day in Murwillumbah NSW

Cold One Day – Hot The Next

And the reverse occurred at the other end of the season. Cold one day, and hot the next. The only sign of Spring was the emergence of new buds on trees. But temperature-wise? – hot!

I can’t account for other parts of Australia because my experience is limited (mostly) to Queensland and the northern end of New South Wales. However – there are places in Southern parts of our beautiful Australian landscape that apparently have distinct seasons. Trees put on seasonal colours that are seemingly spectacular, and the early morning chill creeps in and warns of colder days to come. Nice places to visit – but I wouldn’t want to live there.

The Beautiful Fall Colours of Boston

Speaking of nice places to visit, one of the most memorable journeys I have taken, was Boston US, in November. I was mesmerised by the beauty of the Fall colours. A travel-buddy that I had met while on the cruise from Southampton UK, shared my enthusiasm. On a bus from the cruise ship, to and from Salem, we must have driven the Fall-hardened passengers crazy. We (two Aussies) darted from one side of the bus to the other, cameras poised, trying to capture every golden leaf along the way. It was spectacular!

This photo doesn’t do justice to the beauty of the Fall trees in Boston

Do we have spectacular Autumns (Falls) here in Australia? Yes! But not where I live. Beautiful – yes – but not Boston-type spectacular. Would I swap where I live for a place that has distinct seasons? Probably not. I love the way our seasons just ease gently into each other here in Northern New South Wales.

Oh, and yes, I did turn my heater on last winter – about three times, I think. And only for about an hour each time.

And that’s the way I like it!

Day 22 – UBC – In the Shadow of Mount Warning

27/07/2018 / Maureen / 4 Comments

The only trouble with living close to an iconic landmark or attraction is that you rarely get up close and personal with it. How many attractions are in your area that you seldom, or have never visited? You know they are there but you keep saying “One day I’ll climb that mountain”, or “One day I’ll visit that castle”, but that ‘one-day’ slips further away until you start saying, “I’ll get there, some day”. And that’s how it was for me, living in the shadow of Mount Warning, in the beautiful Northern Rivers area of New South Wales – my one-day just kept slipping by.

Then ‘one-day’ a friend mentioned a cafe she had been to, that I hadn’t. We consulted our diaries, decided on a day and time, and headed out of town.

Rainforest Cafe

We were in search of the Rainforest Cafe, nestled in the leafy surrounds of the base of Mount Warning, otherwise known as Wollumbin, which is the Aboriginal name for Mt Warning.

So we sat by the creek at the Rainforest Cafe, under the trees, and sipped our milkshake, and coffee, and ate amazing Middle Eastern cake. In the process, we managed to prove that there is no better place for a relaxing breakfast, lunch, morning or afternoon tea than the Rainforest Cafe at Wollumbin. And then, to offload the calories, we walked through the trees beside the creek, taking photos of nature at its best.

Okay – this isn’t the best photo I’ve ever taken, but I love the effects..

There is no shortage of colour, shapes and rays of sun to capture in photographic spleandour. You just need a full battery on your smart phone and you’ll have plenty of content to upload on whichever Social Media you subscribe to.

On the Steep and Narrow Road

When we left the cafe, a right-turn took us up the hill towards the majestic Mount Warning. The road was steep and narrow; there isn’t a lot of room for passing another car on that road. But luckily there wasn’t much traffic and my friend’s car made the climb seemingly effortlessly. Although, when we reached a plateau’d car-park near the top, there was a slight ‘hot’ smell coming from the engine. Compact car – steep climb, what more could we expect?

Rise and Shine, Australia!

The Bundjalung People are the original custodians of the land surrounding, and beyond Mount Warning. For them, the mountain is a sacred site. With respect for the Bundjalung people, I would rather treat the site as sacred ground and not climb to the top of Mount Warning. Just to be able to see its beauty up close and personal from a lower point, is all I need.

Mount Warning is said to be the first place in Australia to witness the birth of every new day, as the sun peeps over the mountain, ready to warm the earth below.

While it boasts a New South Wales address, Mount Warning is still close enough to be a short trek for South East Queenslanders, and visitors to the Gold Coast. The uniqueness of its peak makes Mount Warning easily identifiable, from both sides of the border. Seeing Mount Warning from a plane, while taxiing into the Gold Coast Airport, is the warm welcome-home you look forward to, after travelling far and wide.

The only thing that says “Welcome Home” louder than Mount Warning, is the Tweed River, as you drive along Tweed Valley Way on your way into Murwillumbah. Only then do we appreciate the real beauty of where we live.

What! You don’t believe me?

Then come and see for yourself. Oh, and let me know when you’ll be heading into town and we’ll meet for a coffee, I know all the best places, and they are all in the shadow of Mount Warning.

See you in Murwillumbah!

Day 21 – UBC – Does it Matter Where I Sit?

27/07/2018 / Maureen / 2 Comments

When I visit a friend or relative’s home for the first time, I usually ask “Does it matter where I sit?”. Everyone has their favourite chair, or seat in the house, and I am wary of plonking myself down on my host’s favourite chair. And one of the most common questions asked of writers is: Where do you write? Like the rest of us, writers probably have a chair or place that they prefer, while writing. I know I do.

Old Habits Are Hard To Break

We all have habits, right? Some good, some not-so-good. And some of us are more bound by habits and routines than others. My morning routine of ‘coffee first!’, is sacrosanct. Pity help anyone who stands between me and that first coffee of the day. Once I’m caffeinated – I’m fine, and the immediate vicinity is once again a safe place to be.

Part of my routine features the chair I sit in to write. My favourite chair in summer is by the door, leading out to the verandah. The chair is comfortable and rocks just slightly, and with a breeze coming through the door, writing is easy.

My Outside Space

If I want to write early in the morning, this is my ‘go-to’ place. Of course, there’s another little habit that goes with that seat – when I sit out there, I have to have a coffee beside me.

Where Do You Write?

Inside? Outside?

On the Move

While travelling this great planet of ours, I’ve discovered a few places I like to claim as my writing-chair. Top of the list would have to be coffee shops and cafes.

Here are some of the places I’ve sat, with iPad and keyboard stragically placed, and churned out a blog – or two. Usually while sipping about eleven or eight coffees.

My Local

Re Cafe Nate: my neighbourhood coffee shop in Murwillumbah. It can get a bit busy here because the locals all know how good the coffee, food and service are, but it’s a great place to write; thanks Josh, Desley and Don.

West End Brisbane

Between The Bars: West End, Brisbane. This is my home-away-from-home coffee shop. Great coffee and great service; thanks Nick and Mal.

Seattle: WA

RedWing Cafe: Seattle, US. Tucked away in Rainier Beach, this is the best place for just hanging out and writing, on a cold winter’s day. The coffee, food and service are outstanding. And that’s all the encouragement I needed to sit and write. Thank you Anthony, Sue and the fantastic team who kept me fed and caffeinated while I wrote, early this year.

Berhampore (Wellington) NZ

Rinski Korsakov: Berhampore. What can I say? This was just the cutest place – with a table in the front window for people-watching, when inspiration waned. Luckily, there was no shortage of great coffee and carrot cake, when I frequented Rinski’s in September 2017. Thanks Jet!

Where do Famous Authors Write?

J.K Rowling, author of the Harry Potter books, came up with the idea for the series while on a delayed train, but wrote in cafes in Scotland. Could it be the coffee that provides the inspiration?

If you have ever asked a writer – “Where do you write?”, what was their response? Do they favour cafes, or a park bench? Do they prefer a log cabin in the woods, or a bench on a busy street?

My guess is, writers have a favourite place when it comes to the serious business of writing. Inspiration, on the other hand, can happen anywhere.

Write On!