Johan and Angelica, we think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship

 

Good-bye, Johan and Angelica! We enjoyed your company and appreciate your friendship and hope we meet again one day. Have a safe trip back to Sydney and be good to each other and to Joca!

The "Riverbend" Team


Peter & Padma and Malty & Rover

Have you noticed how many Labrador owners have gone blind?

 

Christmas is almost over again. I had asked Santa to bring me this year a big fat bank account and a slim body and not to mix them up as he had done in previous years.

Well, he's done it again, hasn't he? Still, I'm quite proud of having finished in just six hours the jigsaw puzzle he gave me. The box said 2-4 years!

For most of the time I have been looking after Joca, the 21-month-old female labrador pup belonging to our guests Johan and Angelica.

They're leaving tomorrow before she starts affecting my eyesight.

One for the cruciverbalist

				P
				A
R	I	V	E	R	B	E	N	D
	S			A
				D
N	E	L	L	I	G	E	N
				S
				E

Johan, you didn't need your Crossword Dictionary to work this one out, did you? In fact, your kind comments confirm it:

"Riverbend is heavenly and the hosts are out of this world! It is a magical spot on the Clyde River and very well cared for and maintained. The hosts went out of their way to make our stay a memorable experience at Riverbend as well as our day trips. Joca, our 2-year-old labrador retriever, was well looked after with daily walks on the property with Peter and playing with Rover. We will be back! Johan, Angelica and Joca, Sydney - Dec '13"

 

Dogs' breakfast

Padma at the centre of it all

 

Nelligen is Dog Haven and they all meet in Maisie's Lane. We walked across the bridge, which had been hit the night before by a drunk and speeding driver from Canberra, ...

He hit the rail and walked away to tell the tale

Rick's Café

... to have a bite to eat at Rick's Café and introduce Johan and Angelica to the delights of Betty's Trash and Treaure.

left-to-right: Our guests Johan and Angelica; Betty and Padma

Betty sells bits and pieces for as little as 10 cents which is like saying, "We want you to have this as a gift from us but we don't want you to feel bad about it, so give us a coin you forgot you had."

Thank you, Betty! You're doing a wonderful job!

Silent night, holy night ...

<

Left to right: our vivacious hostess Sharyn; Padma; Johan; Angelica

 

Sharyn's Christmas 'drinkies' were very convivial and animated and only turned silent when I brought in my button accordion to play 'Silent Night, Holy Night'. After the first verse everyone joined in. "Silent night, holy night. All is calm, all is bright."

We are back at "Riverbend" now with our guests, Johan and Angelica, and about to "sleep in heavenly peace".

 

P.S. What the critics are saying: "I must say how much everyone enjoyed both your company here on Christmas Eve but the highlight of the night and an event which will give wonderful memories to all, was Peter's entrance playing Silent Night. Absolutely it was unbelievable. I could not see you properly in the darkened vestibule so thought it was a wandering minstrel. That gave me joy but more so when I realised it was you, Peter, fabulous double surprise. Thank you both so much for an evening I will never forget. Sharyn"

P.P.S.
... and here is the story of Silent Night:

Click here to open the story in a separate window

 

Welcome to Riverbend Cottage

 

 

Our very short-lived 'tourist season' is about to start with the arrival of one Sydney couple today. They will be followed by another couple in a week's time who have been spending their New Year's Eve at "Riverbend" Cottage regularly for the past six years. They are our friends now and the best friends at that, namely paying friends.

After I had bought "Riverbend" in 1993, I suddenly found that I had lots of 'friends' who were only interested in free accommodation on the coast. At first, I took them all in and there were times when I had to sleep on the floor because all the beds were taken. When I began to refuse some, I suddenly had very few friends left!

Now some of our paying guests have become our friends which makes for a far more genuine and lasting friendship and we always look forward to welcoming them back to "Riverbend" Cottage.

A very Merry Christmas to all past, present and future guests

 

We have outsourced this year's Christmas Greetings to keep costs down - and it seems to be working as our nearest B&B neighbours charge $1925 a week while we're still a very reasonable $1260.

We're the cheapest and the best with the most freebies and the closest absolute waterfront. That's worth being merry about. So here's to a very Merry Christmas to all of you from all of us!

Padma & Peter & Malty & Rover, the two K9s.

 

P.S. And here's one for all you hopeless romantics out there to get you into the Christmas spirit of things:

A couple were Christmas shopping. The shopping centre was packed, and as the wife walked through one of the malls she was surprised when she looked around to find that her husband was nowhere to be seen. She was quite upset because they had a lot to do and she became so worried that she called him on her mobile phone to ask him where he was.

In a quiet voice he said, "Do you remember the jewellers we went into about five years ago where you fell in love with that diamond necklace that we couldn't afford, and I told you that I would get it for you one day?"

The wife choked up and started to cry and said, "Yes, I do remember that shop."

He replied, "Well, I'm in the pub next door."

 

Throw away your watch!

 

The Tide Clock inside the Cottage tells you all you need to know! And if all that physical acitivity and fresh air doesn't make you hungry enough, the Merinda passing by reminds you when lunchtime is.

If you still want to bring along a watch, make it worth our while by bringing along your gold ROLEX! ☺

 

A walk on the wild side

Click on image to enlarge

Crossing the bridge to the village early this morning, we saw this strange-looking figure sitting on the bench by the river. Walking up to Benny's Store, we saw an even stranger-looking figure sitting on the steps of the store.

The first one turned out to be a couple of weeks early; the second, Tom "Tugboat", was late for his breakfast as he'd run out of milk.

Unlike the first one who looks like he'll hang around Nelligen for the next couple of weeks, "Tugboat" will spend Christmas in his modern en-suite cabin aboard the 54,000-GRT bulk carrier RTM Wakmatha (meaning 'Stormbird' after a local Aboriginal man who had assisted geologist Harry Evans in the discovery of the Weipa bauxite deposit) which shuffles at around 14 knots (26 km/h) up and down the east coast, carrying bauxite from Weipa to Gladstone, and which at this very moment is located here.

Yours truly, who's just a shadow of his former self, took the photos, typed this blog, and, on account of it being a very hot day, is now taking a nap. SOFA, so good!

Christmas comes but once a year

 

So spoil yourself with a week-long holiday at "Riverbend" Cottage! We are usually booked out already by late October/early November, but this year is a bit slow so if you're fast enough, you can still secure your booking.

Hear from you soon!

 

Good advice

 

A Cottage with a View

Water, water, every where, And not a worry in the world

 

Our Canberra guests Bobby and Thomas and their little fox 'terror' Bibi are gone again but not before leaving some beautiful comments and photos behind:

 

Dear Peter and Padma, Thomas and I had a wonderful stay; we appreciated your generous hospitality. I particularly liked the food that Padma so graciously made - wanton and nasi goreng - delicious. Like your other guests, we appreciated the tranquility and natural beauy of Riverbend: the birds, the trees, the wind sighing through the branches, and of course the river. Our two excursions on the Clyde River were magnificent, made more enjoyable by Peter picking us up in Batemans Bay so no pedalling upstream. The sights and sounds of the water are unforgettable, especially enjoyable in the tranquil mornings. Of course, we mustn't forget Bibi, our puppy fox terrier, who delighted in herding the sheep, chasing the ducks, chasing the ball - endlessly - and navigating the river on the back of our HOBIE. We also appreciated the beers, the chats - and getting to know you and your babies Rover and Malty much better. Thank you for those additional treats and considerate thoughts: the hat, the snacks, the ice creams, the video recommendations and the local tour advice. We will long remember our stay and look forward to the next one. Bobby and Thomas and Bibi   P.S. will return ... would like to do the Shallow Crossing stage of the river .... downstream .... not upstream! :)

 

Thomas at Broulee Beach

Bobby ...

... and Thomas at Batemans Bay ...

... after having kayaked down the river from "Riverbend"

You've heard of green thumbs; what about green toes?

 

And here is Bobby when she's not wearing green-toed sandals.

 

Why we don't do one-night stands

 

Decompression sickness, commonly known as Divers' Bends, occurs when a diver moves from a high-pressure environment to one of low pressure too rapidly. Similarly, some of our guests have reported suffering from Riverbends after leaving the peace and quiet of "Riverbend" Cottage too soon for their high-pressure lifestyle in the city.

Therefore, in the interest of your physical (and our financial) well-being, the minimum stay at "Riverbend" Cottage is a very slowly unwinding and relaxing three days and three nights (at the end of which you may wonder why you didn't book in for a whole week!)

Click here to read our latest blog.

 

From bridge to bridge

 

Day Two of their stay and Bobby and Thomas plus their trusty K9 "did an Oskar Speck" and pedalled all the way from "Riverbend", which is just downriver from the Nelligen Bridge, to the bridge at Batemans Bay.

Three hours later their call came in, "The eagle has landed", and we drove down to the Bay to return them to the peace and quiet of "Riverbend".

 

 

Filling up fast!

 

The booking colander for our two most popular months, December and January, is filling up fast so if you want to spend some time at "Riverbend" Cottage over the Christmas/New Year break, you'd better get your skates on!

It's still a very reasonable $1260 for a full week ($945 during off-season). Compare that to our nearest competitor's $1925 a week!
 

Ready ... set ...

 

Our guests Bobby and Thomas are getting ready to go up the river in their new pedal-powered HOBIE kajak. And what an ingenious invention the MirageDrive is! This is what it looks like underwater:

 

 

A message from Pat & Sally

 

Our guests Pat and Sally sent us this happy snap which shows (from left to right) Padma, Peter and Sally.

They wrote, "Bit long in getting film developed, Padma and Peter. We had a lovely time. Hope you are both well. God bless!"

Yes, there are still people out there who take 'real' pictures on 'real' film!

Thank you, Pat and Sally, and we hope to see you again soon!

 

Supporting local business

Click on image to enlarge

 

I hadn't heard of an 'Honesty Slot' until we walked through the village today and discovered little Ryan's roadside business.

Such enterprise must be rewarded and we lashed out on two bags of mixed fruit. I hope it will be the start of a successful and growing business!

Padma's five square inches of fame

Things must be a bit quiet at the local rag, the BAY POST, because they devoted a whole five square inches to report on a knit-in at the local library.

If you knit your brows tightly enough, you can just make out Padma on the right.

Greetings to our Canadian guests

We are now visiting the Ulladulla indoor pool twice a week. Clayton may be interested to learn that his eponymous lockers are still OUT OF ORDER.

When asked about it, the staff said they are flying in a new management team from Canada later this year.

 

I've been as sick as a dog

Whatever caused it, it was bad: dizzy spells, wobbly knees, and sitting on the loo for hours (and when I wasn't sitting on it, I had my head in it).

Then I spent a whole day in bed to get over it quickly as we had a dinner date at the club the following evening with neighbours to celebrate our anniversary of something-or-other (don't tell my wife I forgot! suffice it to say that the date coincides with Bastille Day which started the French Revolution; that should be hint enough!}

I got through dinner all right having taken the precaution of ordering a bucket of champagne. I don't like champagne; I wanted the bucket just in case!

This little piggy went to market

There are markets everywhere: Batemans Bay, Corrigan's Beach, Malua Bay, Moruya, Ulladulla ...

Here are some venues:

Batemans Bay High School, 3rd Sunday: 8.30am-1pm

Batemans Bay - Coastal Patrol, 1st Sunday - Corrigans Reserve

Malua Bay, 1st Saturday of every 2nd month: 8am - 2pm - Malua Bay Beach reserve

Moruya Market every Saturday: 7.30am-12 noon - Riverside Park, Moruya. Over 140 stalls of interesting arts, craft, bric-a-brac, fresh local produce and great food. A great day out!

Ulladulla Wharf Markets, 2nd Sunday (except Easter Monday, April)

Mollymook Beach Reserve, 5th Sunday (except Jan)

For a full list, click here.

Boys will be boys

 

But some guests become friends, such as Pam and Greg who've just spent the long Queen's Birthday weekend at "Riverbend" Cottage.

If we had known you'd bring along your remote-controlled helicopter, Greg, we would have built you a helipad!

 

A day in the country is worth a month in town

 

Even our winter sun is so bright, it almost bleaches the sign which reads, "A day in the country is worth a month in town".

So book yourself a 'three-month' stay at "Riverbend" Cottage by taking advantage of our 3-day special at $470.

After a day of deep blue skies and bright sunshine, you can retire to your cosy cottage which has an electric heater and an electric blanket on the bed.

And if you're not a teetotaller, we'll serve you a piping-hot 'Glühwein' to send you off to sleep.

A Sunday morning walk across the bridge

A perfect winter's morning with deep-blue skies and bright sunshine tempted us to ventured across the bridge into the very hub of Nelligen village life, the touristy waterfront.

Then past the empty tennis court ...

... and some equally empty mail-boxes ...

... for a chat across the fence with some locals ...

.. whose 'rustic' garden could well be Nelligen's next tourist attraction.

It isn't much but it's home!

 

P.S. I have been asked several times now how Nelligen got its name. It's something of a mystery but here is a possible explanation.

 

This is no Claytons gift

They arrived as guests and departed as friends - and now they've sent us these beautiful presents!

Thank you, Maggie and Clayton, for your kind thoughts and Clayton's creative work on the lathe. The wooden potpourri bowl now has its place of honour on the mantelpiece. As for the other two wooden utensils, I'm quite used to wooden spoons ☺

We hope that you've had a safe trip back to Canada and that we'll see you again next summer!

 

P.S. Should you get caught out by the Canadian winter before you can return to Australia, you may find this Canadian Tire ad helpful:

 

Picture Gallery

Click on image to enlarge