Macadamia Nut trees

Macadamia Nut trees
Originally uploaded by gilmae.

I forgot to tell you about all the macadamia orchards we drove past in our travels yesterday. They are very stately trees and apparently can be good producers for up to 100 years. Who knew macadamia nuts were native to Australia? The first orchard was planted up in Lismore back in 1880. They cover the rolling hills here and they are very manicured looking orchards, with cut grass in between the rows of trees. I wonder how they harvest the nut, as the trees are so tall and wide. As I have said before, the soil is red here, more red than any soil I have ever seen. I have read somewhere there is a volcanic base underneath this red topsoil.

One thing I really enjoy about our vista here at the apartment is the fact you can look down on the water in the bay here and see right thru it to the bottom the water is so clean.

I have been taking afternoon walks out to the end of the break wall. Today I got to see about 8 of the shrimp boats chug out to sea on their way to a night of fishing. There is an average of about a dozen boats out with their lights on every night fishing. I see them come home each morning as I am meditating and the sun is coming up.

As Greg has said, he has never seen so many white people with strollers as we have down here in Yamba. It seems that everyone who looks to be in their early thirties has two kids, one about 18 months and another that is a pretty young baby. Family life is very important to Australians and they seem to spend more time with their kids than the average American, especially the dads. You see them camping, surfing, at the park, or just hanging around town pushing the stroller. It really is amazing to see so many folks with young kids or pregnant.

Something you do not find in Yamba is stop signs. I cannot think of one in the whole town. Instead they have traffic circles or an intersection that is marked “give way” (yield). Even in the larger towns we have been in you mostly find traffic circles, with the occasional stop light. The traffic circles work wonderfully, and you rarely see any kind of backup in traffic. As you come into the circle there will be a sign posted that will tell you where to exit the circle to get to where you need to be, simple.

We are doing well now with the opposite side of the road driving. I drive occasionally, like the other night when we went to Fred’s party and Greg had some beers. It was late at night (almost midnight) when we left the party and when I pulled onto the main road from a one-lane dirt road I unwittingly pulled into the wrong lane and was toddling down the road chatting to Greg. Fortunately no one was coming and it was scary when I finally realized I was on the wrong side. I cannot put it in “automatic pilot” when I drive around here, I have to really think about what I am doing all the time.