Ian bought something on Gumtree this week (I am not being cagey, I'm not exactly sure what it is but it links to the TV and probably necessitates more remotes). Anyway, it had to be collected from Umina, so heartily sick of digging in preparation for the extension (sewer pipes this week - what fun!) I decided to tag along for a day off. 

Umina - pronounced you-mine-uh but jokingly called um-n-ah by the locals, is about an hour's drive south of us on the Central Coast and halfway to Sydney. It is one of a group of towns nestling on the banks of Brisbane Water which is technically described as a 'wave dominated barrier estuary' but looks like a series of lakes where the Narara Creek flows out into Broken Bay. It is a beautiful spot and the real estate prices reflect the fact that the area is an easy commute, by train or car, into Sydney. 

 We took a walk along the foreshore admiring the water birds and houses. I thought we had a fair sized colony of pelicans on the Tilligerry Peninsula but there were thousands on the water at Umina. The waters are farmed for oysters but must be very good for fishing too judging by the numbers of grebes, herons and egrets as well as the pelicans thriving there. 

The houses facing onto the water were interesting too. As usual in both Australia and the UK, the old and new were sitting side by side along the shoreline. The McMansions dwarfed the delightful little places that had been there since this was a small fishing village and not the stockbroker belt it is today.

 The walk took us to Woy Woy which I have often admired as we pass by on the train to Sydney. Spike Milligan's parents retired there in the 1960s and he spent some time there and is sometimes referred to as the boy from Woy Woy.

According to Wikipedia, Spike described Woy Woy as 'the largest above ground cemetery in the world' which seems a bit unkind but the locals obviously did not take offence because the cycle bridge is named The Spike Milligan Bridge and, until recently the town held an annual Spike Fest celebrating the comedian's life and works.
 We picked up Ian's new gadget without any mishaps and made the easy journey home before dark and were rewarded with the sight of a koala nestled happily in a tree in our street, a reminder that we live in a beautiful spot and should take a day off more often.