Fishing

Another bloody early start for the fishing trip.
I have to take up a hobby where I can lay in bed until late!!

Bob came round just after 6am with his 12 foot tinny all packed and tarp�ed down, and away we went full of expectation. The weather was pretty off, but we were in high spirits for a good couple of days away at least.

The ride up there to Harrington (nearly 300 kilometres) was pretty uneventful and we arrived a little early to check in at the caravan park so went to the pub for a beer or two.

HISTORY (the boring stuff)
Harrington (North of Newcastle N.S.W.) was discovered by John Oxley in 1818.
It first came into being as a service village for the pilot station that was established there.
The earliest form of trade to the area was by cargo sailing ship, which brought food and equipment in exchange for Cedar, Maize (Corn) livestock, and other farm produce.
The rock break wall was contracted in 1894, the stones being brought in by rail. The largest one weighs 16 tons (couldn�t pick it though!!).
Numerous ships have been wrecked on the sand bar over the years, and in 1910 the Minimbah on her maiden voyage hit the wall and broke in two (What a loser).
There�s only one road in and out of Harrington and most of the year it�s a sleepy village with one pub, a couple of caravan parks, and a few shops.
Come school holidays though, and you really don�t want to be there. Those that know it and have kids love it, because of the two lagoons there, that the kids can drown in.... I mean �SWIM IN' in relative safety.
Dad and son can dangle a line in the water and there�s the pub for food and drink.
Mum can do what mums do... which is probably washing, cleaning, making beds, cooking breakfast and stuff like they do at home I guess!!!

For Info on John Oxley click the pic >>>

For Info. on Harrington Holiday Park Click the pic >>>

O.K. so.......
After checking in we dumped the excess gear and headed for the boat ramp with a glint in our eye. Unfortunately, though the sun was shining by this time, the wind was howling and we couldn�t get anywhere. Least ways not in that little boat. If we went into the wind the water broke over the bow and we got soaked.

We had a little play fish though for a couple of hours and then decided to head back to the pub.
By this time, yours truly in his shorts got his legs, neck and ears sunburnt.

The food in the pub was magic, and as a special they had BBQ chicken breast, topped with avocado, and smothered in a garlic and mustard sauce. This came with chips (or fries if you are American) and a salad for $18.50. I wasn�t expecting much, but when it arrived you could have bowled us over. It was massive.

Im a fairly big eater (when Im not dieting), and I only just managed to finish it. It was a large half breast with a full half an avocado on it and the sauce was to die for.
After a couple more beers we retired to our cabin with bulging stomachs for a few bourbon and cokes, watch a movie, and then hit the sack
I had taken my lap top and a set of speakers up with me which has a DVD player in it, and Bob brought a handful of DVD�s.

The next morning it was up at 5am again and out on the water. The water was as flat as a pancake (English pancakes with lemon and sugar, not the American kind with Maple syrup), and the wind was gone.
It was one of those days though. All the conditions seemed right, the tide was nearly full, the sun was up, it was calm. The only problem was someone had forgotten to tell the fish.
I could feel the sun on my neck again so covered up with a towel.
We got one or two bites and Bob eventually landed a shovel nosed shark, but even that was foul hooked, so was a complete fluke (and doesn�t count in my book).

We pottered around for a few hours until the weather changed and decided to head for the pub again for some lunch this time.

I had fish and chips which was nice except for the bones, which I hate in fish. It was still massive but I managed to squeeze it all in. We went back and watched another movie for a while (with some more bourbons), deciding to give the fishing a go from the break wall in the evening. Well... I watched the movie and drank the bourbon, bob crashed out on the lounge blowing �Zeddddd's� at the ceiling.

By the time we got our arses in gear it was time to eat (and drink) again, so we headed for the pub, had a couple of beers, and a steak with vegies.

We tried the break wall for a couple of hours, but only managed to drown the pilchards and prawns on our hooks. Not that they were worried they had been dead and frozen before we lobbed them out into the brine�y.
Not even a nibble.
A complete dearth of piscine critters!!
We soon got the shits with that and decided to head back for more bourbon and another movie.
I was all set to kick on into the night, but Bob was fit to crash out again.
What is it with these young(er) people??? I was never a big drinker but all he wanted to do was sleep!!!

The next morning we were up early again and out on the water. Unfortunately it was raining cats and dogs......
Oh..... that reminds me of a joke....

Did you hear about the mega rich guy that had a vintage Rolls Royce???
One day it broke down so he got his mechanic to try and fix it. The mechanic comes to him covered in grease and says
�Bad news boss. There a cog that�s broken in the gear box and they don�t make them any more�
The rich guy says
�This is a vintage Rolls, worth heaps, there must be something you can do, go and check again�.
The guy goes away, and comes back a few hours later and says
�I�ve found out that apparently the cog from a Datsun gearbox is exactly the same size, unfortunately they don�t import them, and we have to go to Japan to get one from the factory.� The rich guy says no problem, picks up the phone and orders his Leer jet to be ready for a flight to Japan.
Off they trot zooming across the skies, and they land in Japan. The guy goes to the Datsun factory and says
�I want a cog, part number so and so�
The Guy behind the counter says
�We don�t sell one of anything, but I can sell you a case of them�.
Mr rich guys wants his car repaired, so agrees and wheels this big packing case full of cogs back to his plane and loads it on.
They have just taken off when the plane develops some engine trouble. The pilot says
�We;re too heavy, if we don�t lighten the load, we are going to crash, throw everything you can out the door�.
Money bags decides he only needs one cog so he breaks open the packing case slips it into his pocket, and tips the rest out the door.
There�s a little Japanese Cooley working away in the rice paddy below.
He looks up, screams, and belts across this field to his little hut.
He bursts in the door and slams it shut behind him with his back against it.
His wife looks at him and the look of alarm on his face.
�My god what�s up? You look like you�ve seen a ghost� She asks all concerned.
He wipes his brow and says......
�Unbelieveable ....It�s raining Datsun cogs out there!!!!!
BOOM BOOM!!!

O.K. back to the fishing. So we fished for a while until the rain started to soak through, and then gave it away. Back at the cabin we packed our stuff, had a shower, and hit the road back to Sydney.
It rained all the way back and we later found out that Sydney and Newcastle had really big storms ripping the roofs of houses and cutting the power.

It was still good to get away though, and the food was worth it.
The closest I got to any fish was.......

Well... see the pictures.