2 Months down ...

Sober for two months, that pesky extra leap year day included and all. We still haven't started the sweep, so for those who didn't think I'd make it this far they've saved themselves some cash. What have I noticed at the 1/6th mark?

1. Alcohol-less dreams are worse than cheese dreams, and cheese dreams a vivid, icky messes. I am on beta blockers for a migraine condition, and these can cause nightmares. Interspersed with the usual nightmares are a new kind of dream, the 'I caved' dream. These are dreams where I forget/don't care/ignore the fact I'm not drinking and in one swoop I ruin it all with a never-tasty-enough-to-be-worth-it bevvy. First comes shock, then guilt and a bit of anguish, then the stress that I've let myself down. Suffice to say I never wake up refreshed from these dreams. Body and mind trying to undermine me? Let's hope not!

2. Bars don't like sober people too much. I live near some great bars, they have kept me in booze and food in the past. But now, with the first part excluded, I am finding the service less rosy at places. They look at me bewildered when I ask if they have anything non-alcoholic in a bottle (I hate, hate, hate tap soft drink) or if they stock an interesting juice, or heaven forbid they have mocktails. These places make great cocktails, but don't seem at all interested in making mocktails. I know they need to make money, and that's generally on the booze but I'd happily pay a fair sum for a good, interesting mocktail. One lovely place (The Crimean) made me a few different lemon lime and bitters which were fantastic, and I'm sure had they been less busy (I doubt there ever is a time they are less busy as this is one great bar) they may have branched out into a more creative area. Overall, though, as a teetotal you often get looked at as the cheap one. And when you switch to water after one too many sweet drinks, then that's game over.

3. Tiramisu doesn't necessarily need alcohol - my lovely friend Ms A makes a mean tiramisu, and at a dinner at her place the other night, she made a special non-alcohol version for me. It was magnificent.

4. Dinner parties are just as fun sober, and you have less chance of mucking up in the kitchen

5. I need to find a stress-coping mechanism that isn't alcohol - now that semester has started again, and the work has piled on, I'm bereft without my usual wind-down drink. Suggestions?

There are plenty of other observations I can make, but I'll leave them for another post.

Bacon Cave

Between Katoomba, the land of the '70s to Canberra, the oddly over-designed '90s vibe capital city, we visited a different relic of another era - the Jenolan Caves. The drive in was the most terrifying thing I've done in a while (lucky I wasn't even the one driving) but that's probably my fear of heights thing. Alas we did not stay overnight, so we couldn't do the ghost tour of the caves, but we did get a bit of a tour of some of the highlights.

There were so many beautiful rock formations.

My favourite was bacon rock!

And here is Lot's pillar.

And even an underground river.

I loved this place, and would definitely go back and stay if I could. This is the lovely old hotel building.

Ear ache or not, this was a great detour!

Katoomba: The Land That Time Forgot

From Scone we travelled on to Katoomba - going from 30 degree heat, to a maximum of 13 degrees with fog, rain and a whole lot of need for a jumper. I was so grateful for the fingerless gloves I'd accidentally left in my handbag (a gift from Mum from Scandinavia) and the hat I bought for $4 at an opshop in a random NSW town (pictured later)

Katoomba, for me, was like a antiquer's dream. It was like stepping back into the late sixties or early seventies, with the well-worn buildings, copious amounts of op-shops and leisurely vibe. I loved it and could see myself moving back there and running a tumble-down hotel Fawlty Towers style.

Speaking of Fawlty Towers ... ok no, the place we stayed may have been old, and slightly falling down (complete with a hole in the window in the dining room) but it was no Fawlty Towers. The Cecil is full of lovely staff, plenty of character and I'd stay there again any day, even with the 6am false fire alarm. It felt like an old boarding school, with the seperate showers, dining room and sitting/reading/games room but it was great and also value for money.

We had two nights in Katoomba, which was lucky because I was getting sicker and really needed to rest. We spent our time meandering around old book stores and antique shops, eating the worst Thai meal and the best Korean meal (Indeed, I'd go so far as to say it was the best meal of the trip in my opinion) and trying to see the three sisters through all the fog. Here's the first attempt.

And here's the second, which was taken slightly later in the afternoon from the cable car at Scenic World.

The fog also made for some eerie memorial hunting (the historian in me loves memorials)

Down below the fog we found the rainforest. We got stupidly wet, not smart when sporting an ear infection, but just so much fun.

Beyond the cold and wet outdoorsy stuff there was even a trip to the chocolate factory.

Katoomba may be stuck in a timewarp, dreamlike state, but it is a timewarp that suits me just fine. The fog only added to the mystique! From here it was on to the Jenolan caves, bacon rock formations and Canberraaaaaaa.

Day 2: Dorrigo, Scone's Loveliest Motellier and the Ear Infection of Doom

Bit of a blog hiatus - blame the fact I got my examination results for the PhD back. Passed pending minor amendments!!!!!! Cause for alcohol-free celebrations. But now back to the good stuff, rainforest photos, me sooking about my ears and a little tribute to the nicest motel owner on our trip.

Ahhh Dorrigo, Dorrigo, Dorrigo. Home to some spectacular views, two waterfalls and a trek that felled me.

Usually I love bushwalking, indeed I love walking of any kind. Don't load me up with a backpack and call it hiking but a good couple of hours stroll in the wilderness is good for the soul. The heat, mixed with a fever from an oncoming ear infection meant that I bit off more than I could chew with this walk. I got 5kms through the 6kms and lost it. I couldn't walk more than 100 metres without needing a lie down! And it wasn't really a very difficuly trek (uphill, and humid but not too hot and not too steep.) My lovely cousin let me rest in a picnic area while she hiked the last bit on her own to get the Betty Reg (the car, remember). At this stage we didn't know how sick I was (and was going to get) so to a less trained eye it might've been unfitness winning out. But thanks Cuz for being such an understanding champion!

After this we meandered through Armidale to Tamworth, and the Golden Guitar. This was just one of the many 'big' things we encountered on this trip.

Then on to Scone where we had booked into the Airlie House and Motor Inn. By this stage I was hallucinating, as I thought the lovely lady who checked us in was the grandmother of the owners, and the raven-haired lady who checked us out the next morning was the granddaughter. Turns out they were the same woman! Oooooops, another foul thanks to the ear mess.

Now this place was just lovely. We chose it randomly off Wotif, judging it by price, reviews and the general vibe of the thing. What luck! We were given an upgrade to a twin room without charge, which was so kind. In the end it was fortuitous, as I woke up in the middle of the night in agony, and would have driven my cousin mental if I was tossing and turning in the same bed as her (which I did later on anyway.) It was clean and comfy, and we had what was probably a very tasty breakfast. By that stage I was mainlining Sudafed and couldn't taste, hear, or comprehend much. At least it looked good (and my cousin loved hers.) Breakfast isn't included in the room price (unless you get a B and B deal I guess) but it was certainly reasonably priced and filling.

They also had so many awesome roses. (I'm a gardener, remember, if in doubt, visit this blog)

I'd highly recommend this Motor Lodge/Motel/Guesthouse/whatever you call them these days if you are in the area. Scone's big on horses, apparently, at least from what we could tell.

I do admit, I'm a bit of a wuss when I get sick. I usually pine for my Mum and curl up in bed. I don't usually trapse across the Eastern Coast of Australia but I do get on with life. If it is the flu, or a stomach bug or even a headache I'll whinge but soldier on. Hell, I gave a 1 hour completion seminar while suffering vestibular migraine, and no, kiddies, it isn't smart to work while sick and it isn't a badge of honour, but it's something you have to do when you are a poorly paid casual staffer.) However, an ear infection, and one which ended up in both ears, is something that really fells me. The lack of balance, the fever, the auditory disturbances and the sheer pain of it all gets too much. That it still isn't completely healed today, a month on, possibly also shows how severe it was (and highlights that I was an idiot for not seeing a Dr earlier!)

From here we ventured to the land time forgot - Katoomba!