After Christmas there is of course New Year. Maitland puts on fireworks every year for the big event. This time I stayed back at my brother’s house with Adrian while everyone went off to see the show. My sister in law told me we could see the show from their balcony. It looked like it was going to be a great night.

 When the fireworks started we didn’t know where to look. They seemed to be lighting up everywhere. I took some photos but not having a tripod you could only call my photos artistic and if you ask me they are just the way I wanted them to be.

After New Year my sister left to travel down to Tasmania before heading back to Perth. We were still stuck with the medical visits so waved them goodbye with a smile and a lot of jealously because it wasn’t us back on the road.

With my brother and sister in law back at work after scoring time off for Christmas, Adrian and I were at a loose end. We decided to take a trip to Morpeth. (Not that Morpeth was very far from Maitland but for us it was a day out.)

Morpeth is a small quaint town. It was first settled in 1821 by Edward Close who fought in the Napoleonic Wars. The town quickly became a thriving port and trading town. It is said that if you wanted to make your fortune in the Hunter Region you had to pass through Morpeth first. The town now is full of boutique shops selling boutique things. The items I liked the best were the recycled 44 gallon drums. They had been made into so many different items. If I wasn’t living in a van I would have taken something home with me.

We had lunch at Miss Mullens Bar. It was the first bar to open in 1883. The restaurant was on the second floor, which give us a lovely view of the town.