17. Drive Your Mother to the Giant Prawn
The Case of the Heritage Holiday
Hello, friend! Hope you’ve had a great week!
I’m writing to you from inside the old carapace of a New South Wales prawn. At least I assume that every unit in Ballina, NSW was once the shell of a giant crustacean. This one is a nice one, and has air conditioning and complimentary milk. They also advertise on the internet as a ‘Hotel’ and not ‘An Old Carapace’. Each to their own.
Fishbird Catch of the Week
We post twice a week on Fishbird Central. This week’s catch included:
Monthly TBR - September 2024
It’s time to choose our books to read for September. Nobody look at the pile of unread books I was supposed to read in August - we don’t talk about them any more. Onwards! This month we’re going to tackle ‘Series September’ and make some progress on books within a series I’m in the middle of. Let’s check out some cosy crime, Aussie authors and comic fantasy!
Check out the post here - Monthly TBR - September 2024!
What Should You Pack For An Overnight Trip?
As I was going on an overnight trip this week, I thought I’d cross the streams and let you in on a few packing secrets. In this post we provide a checklist and some tips and tricks on packing your essentials and nice-to-haves. We accept no responsibility for those who don’t take the underpants warning seriously.
Check out the post here - What Should You Pack For An Overnight Trip?
Prawn Dreams & Ocean Scenes
This weekend we kidnapped my Mum and took her on an overnight adventure to Ballina, NSW. We took our time driving from Brisbane to Ballina - scooting out the country way, via Beaudesert (where we stopped for a coffee and weird cold banana bread) and Kyogle (where we channelled our inner DJs and ate chicken wraps).
Our go-to place to stay in Ballina at the moment is the Heritage Inn. It’s always clean, comfortable and right across the road from the Ballina RSL - a great place for a relaxed dinner. I signed up as a member of the RSL this time, and when they took my ID photo for the card they also included Mum, which cracks me up and is well worth the $10.
We also stopped in at a couple of bookshops - The Book Warehouse in Lismore & Uncle Peter’s Books in Clunes - and found some gems. We’ll totally get around to reading them in 2026.
All in all, it was a wonderful weekend of countryside, ocean, books, duck badges that don’t stay the right way up, and bathtub adventures. We totally recommend you kidnap your own Mum as soon as you get a weekend free, and hit the road to make some memories.
Quick Fire Wrap Up
Currently Reading: ‘The Stranger Diaries’ by Elly Griffiths, about a high school English teacher who teaches a gothic writing course, and one of her closest friends is found dead. Is real life colliding with the storylines of her favourite literature?! This book won ‘Best Novel’ in the 2020 Edgar Awards.
Currently Watching: My husband playing Stardew Valley, and also still too much YouTube.
Currently Wondering: If someone will magically unpack my suitcase for me or if it will sit there for another 7 days.
Wishes for the Week
Wishing you a wonderful week ahead, friend!
Hope you had a great Father’s Day if you’re a dad to a human, animal or other. If you’re not a dad, but you have a dad in your life, I’m sure they’re proud of you. You’re pretty great.
Stay cool, punks.
‘The thing about giant prawns, is that they create equally giant cocktails’ - Martin Clunes (probably)
Jen x