Christmas came and went, but we were determined to see in the New Year with a little more excitement. Originally we planned to spend New Year’s Eve in Sydney watching the famous fireworks display, but things change – especially travel plans!
One of my cousins had recently moved to Sydney with her fiancé (now hubby). Thanks to these very fortunate circumstances, we were invited us to spend a few days celebrating with them and their loved ones in a place called Mitchells Island. This worked out much better for us as it’s so much nicer to be around family. Plus, we needed to get a move on geographically speaking.
Mitchell’s Island is located about 4 hours north of Sydney. Honestly, if you weren’t looking for it, I don’t think you would find it; as between Sydney and Port Macquarie, there isn’t a whole lot to write home about.
Even more honestly, I didn’t really notice that it was an island. It’s not like you have to physically hop over on a boat or anything, we just drove on over. I couldn’t tell you at which point we actually made it onto the Island, but then again I do tend to nap in the car so perhaps you shouldn’t take my advice here…
Anyway, I digress. We arrived at our destination, greeted by a familiar face and open arms; a novelty when you’re so far from home. This you can trust me on.
The place we were staying in was lovely; a large house with lots of land. In fact, a short walk or drive down to the far end of their land, you will find a private jetty and boat house, where our celebrations were to take place. Apparently, it was a farm, but it wasn’t like any farm I’ve ever seen!
A few days of luxury after weeks of sleeping in our car-house. We really did hit the jackpot!
New Year’s Eve was simply glorious. The sun was shining and we made plenty of new friends. Mike was even able to bond with other male’s (which I’m sure he was desperate for after months of just little old me). The guys spent most of the day fishing, whilst the girls drank wine, chatted and played with the dogs – all with a stunning view of the river.
We enjoyed a light lunch and started the festivities early. Though the real treat was dinner. My Cousin-in-Law’s parents (not sure that’s right but we’ll go with it) spent hours cooking us a hog roast and it was divine. I’m not exactly sure how many of us were there in total but it was at least 20 and we were all able to enjoy a proper sit-down meal, complete with party poppers.
Naturally, the evening progressed and we continued to consume copious amounts of bubbly and celebrated the New Year perfectly. We even had a bonfire, sparklers and some fireworks to really finish things off. With great company and great fun – what more could you want?
The following few days passed by in a similar fashion, albeit with the addition of water sports, a trip to the beach, and a few severe hangovers. All in all, it was excellent and the location was beautiful – we definitely created some fond memories in Mitchells Island.
Have you ever visited Mitchells Island? Or spent New Year’s Eve away from home? I’d love to know about your experiences, let me know in the comments 🙂
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