WEDNESDAY 24 FEBRUARY     WOOLGOOLGA

This is our last day here, and my last contemplative  morning walk on this beach.

I did some food shopping at the local shops, which I have found, during our stay here, to be quite reasonable.

After lunch, we walked up to the Sikh cultural display building, by the highway. It was closed and looked run down. Woolgoolga has a Sikh temple – a large, white building, with domes and minarets, that really stands out as it is such an unexpected sight in this small Australian country town. It was opened in 1970. Sikhs are Indians, mostly from the Punjab region, who follow a different religion to the majority Hindu. There had been Sikh migration to Queensland, from the Punjab, before 1901 – as people of the British Empire, they could come to the colonies. But the passing of the White Australia Act, in 1901, ended that right. In the 1940’s there was a movement of Sikhs and their descendents to this area, to work in the banana industry, and it has become the Sikh centre of Australia. I was hoping to find out more about the religion and way of life, here, but not to be.

After walking back, we took down the awning and did some general packing up.

I persuaded John to come with me for a last walk along the beach together.

Our Armidale  neighbours are very excited because they have been into Coffs today and have arranged to buy a newer, bigger, caravan.

I have itchy sores on my scalp – maybe a reaction to something at the hairdresser’s? I am putting ti-tree oil on the sore bits, to see if that helps.

John took Truck out and refuelled it – 75cpl.

Tea was savoury mince and rice, followed by fruit.

We had another phone call from C, wondering where we were? Obviously, he is still very anxious that we do not pass him by! I don’t think he has ever travelled in this leisurely way that we are doing, and so he probably finds it hard to fathom how we move so slowly.