'Let's see how far we can amble'*

(* 'Our Day Trip' by Nina Nastasia)

Well, I ambled approximately 1500 kilometres - and all of it today.

I took the Rex Airlines 8.10am flight to Ballina basically to have lunch with Mt before catching the Jetstar 4.40pm return flight.

Mt met me at Ballina airport and drove us to Alstonville where we had morning tea for Me whose birthday it was yesterday and then afterwards we drove up the coast to Byron Bay, thirty minutes away, for a wander and lunch before returning to Ballina where I downloaded Mt's new modem connection and attempted to sort out some computer problems.

It was a pleasant if somewhat expensive way to have lunch with friends and the only downside was that the rain we experienced in Sydney yesterday followed me up the coast and only abated as I strode across the tarmac at Ballina to join my return flight to Sydney.

On the upside, a delicious morning tea followed by a fine lunch and (almost) best of all there was a terrific surf which attracted dozens of attractive young surfers who, from my viewpoint, thoughtfully changed in and out of their wet suits as we drove by on the coast highway.