Author Archives: Marion Macdonald Indie Author

CHAZ AND MAZ DOWNUNDER 2012

FINAL HELPX – STOUR CRAZY IN BARGARA (THE COOK, THE BOSSES, THEIR WORKERS AND THE HELPEXERS) June-July 2012 After leaving Sydney we made our way to Brisbane and stopped off at Taree, Crofts Harbour, Byron Bay, Tweed Heads and Surfer’s Paradise. Our first favourite was Byron Bay a real hippy place with bands playing inContinue reading “CHAZ AND MAZ DOWNUNDER 2012”

CHAZ AND MAZ DOWN UNDER 2012

FOURTH HELPX – SENSATIONAL SYDNEY MAY 2012 SHOWS, BOOKS AND NEW FRIENDS We did quite a lot before heading to our fourth Helpx in Sydney. We drove through the desert to Uluru. When I say desert, it wasn’t sand as we imagined it was going to be. The deep red earth was covered in beautifulContinue reading “CHAZ AND MAZ DOWN UNDER 2012”

MUSINGS IN SOCIAL ISOLATION

Who would have thought so much could happen in ten days? I began coughing and tested positive for Covid on Friday 18th February. I’m still in social isolation but have tested negative today. It was surprising how accepting of getting the virus I was. What a difference two years, two doses of vaccine and aContinue reading “MUSINGS IN SOCIAL ISOLATION”

CHAZ AND MAZ DOWN UNDER 2012

THIRD HELPX GLADSTONE GIGS AND GIGGLES APRIL 2012 After leaving Shepparton we went to Geelong where we met Jim and Lesley who were over for the racing then we drove the Great Ocean Road where we unexpectedly bumped into Pascal and Ines for a second time. We saw loads of koalas and even saw oneContinue reading “CHAZ AND MAZ DOWN UNDER 2012”

CHAZ AND MAZ DOWN UNDER 2012

SECOND HELPX – SHEPPARTON CHARLIE LIVING ON THE (H)EDGE In between leaving Castlemaine and going to our next HelpX, we went to Mildura for a few days and took a paddle steamer ride on the Mighty Murray. Apparently because there had been a lot of flooding many of the red gum trees had drowned andContinue reading “CHAZ AND MAZ DOWN UNDER 2012”

CHAZ AND MAZ DOWN UNDER 2012

FIRST HELPX CASTLEMAINE – FEBRUARY 2012 After leaving Scotland, we visited Singapore, Western Australia and Melbourne. Stopping over in Singapore was a real treat and meant we had no jetlag. We saw some amazing beaches, lots of kangaroos and lots of bush. We even managed to catch up with a friend’s sister and her husbandContinue reading “CHAZ AND MAZ DOWN UNDER 2012”

CHAZ AND MAZ DOWN UNDER 2012

INTRODUCTION In 2012, Charlie and I took a gap year. I was 62, and he was 60. We were both retired and had the freedom and money to go travelling, something neither of us could have done when we were young. We spent six months in Australia, starting off in Perth, Western Australia, where Charlie’sContinue reading “CHAZ AND MAZ DOWN UNDER 2012”