Architectural highlights of Hat Head

For a small coastal village Hat Head has quite a diversity of architecture, from traditional fibro beach houses through to not 1 but 2 Hat Head Hiltons!

This little ripper is a Hilton!

The sign says so

And the other Hat Head Hilton is this architectural delight from yesteryear…

With a caravan and shed out the back there's room for everyone at this inn!

Nicely hand crafted sign, something the bigger hotels should look into

If you are worried about entertainment when you come to Hat Head you need look no further than the Hat Head Bowling Club. Not only does it have Friday night meat raffles it also has a chocka block program of entertainment over the weekend and fine dining in it’s ala carte restaurant…

The red brick of the club is one of its many distinctive features

From bowling green 2 you can see Hat Head itself

The club is not the only building in the town to use red brick to great effect…

This stunning design has a concealed door onto the deck

Using the golden mean this garage has an excellent view

Other materials used well to build the town are fibro and weatherboard…

Well hacked trees nicely frame this classic fibro beach house

Modest fibro home with gigantic shed out back

An easy care block adds to the charm of this weatherboard beauty

Only happy faces with this charmer

From these photos you would think that pale yellow and red brick dominate the town. You would be wrong!

A bold colour scheme used well

Lilac or blue? I can't decide

Bold blue house sets of besa block fence well

It’s not all old style either. It looks like some riche people have come to town building weekend getaways from the bustling metropolises of Port Macquarie, Kempsey and Newcastle.

House bigger than it's block plus pool as the 100m to the beach is too far

Kilometres of fencing conceal... I'm not sure, it's hidden

An inviting facade welcomes visitors to this newish home

These new home owners must be so proud

There is still some rustic charm scattered around if you look carefully…

Everything old is new again

A contemporary beach house yet looking to the past

Up on the south east hill is where the fancy new Bali/beach style homes have been built. But I was seen lurking around with my camera and felt too embarrassed to take close ups…

These houses have few north down the beach to Smokey Cape. Nice

But there is still some more traditional holiday accommodation around…

A row of fine looking caravans await guests eagerly

Day 336: Wednesday 31 March

A very very late blog today. That’s because I was surfing for hours, then I was exhausted, then I had to read, then it was raining, then I had lunch, then I read some more, then I realised bloody hell! I better get that stupid blog done!

So here I am

Very out of focus beach track photo, only the rain specks on the lens are sharp

Top: Black denim vest

Bottom: Junk jeans cut offs

Accessory: Unnecessary denim cap, no sun to hide from today

And here’s the full moon through the trees last night before the rain

Day 335: Tuesday 30 March

Another action packed day up here on the mid north coast of NSW.

Firstly I was woken up early by the birds, but really the bats through the night were nearly as noisy. But I’m glad I was woken up early because I got to see this…

Too much beauty makes me weep

Unfortunately I was spotted taking this photo in my undies by a middle aged couple doing their morning bike lap of the village. They said a cheery hello as they flew by.

I went back to bed for another 2 hours. After a slow start to the day we headed over to Hungry Beach to escape the howling nor’ easter blowing straight onto Hat Head beach.

And once again noted fashion photographer Pete Nel got me modelling…

Strangely sited street sign pointing nowhere

Spread eagled on a sand dune, that's the way u-huh u-huh I like it, I like it

Top: Chambre vest

Bottom: Rusty chambre shorts

Accessory 1: Ghastly pale denim cap

Accessory 2: Lovely Dragstar denim bag tops off pale denim ensemble

That beach stretches all the way down to Crescent Head. It’s long, but we hunkered down up the north corner out of the wind. I had a body surf, saw some Brahmini kites, beautiful, then headed back.

Walking up the road to the car I spotted this poor little thing…

Snake squashed by flying four wheel drive

Poor thing. Never had a chance against some gigantic sports utility vehicle full of fisherman. After this I saw death everywhere, including another tiny little skink smashed by a car.

But saddest were these two fatalities over night. They had been lured to town by the scent of melaluccas in bloom all over the place, not realising Hat Head is the big smoke…

Fruit bat meets it's fate in Hat Head

Fruit bat number 2 looking very dead as the ants have a taste

So who knows what tomorrow will hold for the Year of Denim? It’s supposed to rain and the wind is supposed to come up from the south which means one good thing… SURF!!!!

Day 334: Monday 29 March 2010

I’m on it today and blogging before lunch. And that’s because the dawn chorus here is SO loud, SO many birds, SO many different birds that to remain asleep beyond 7am is almost impossible.

Those rainbow lorikeets sure sound like they are having fun

All the paperbarks are in bloom and that has brought squillions of very squawky rainbow lorikeets to town. Alongside the regular parrots, magpies, currawongs, eagles, wattle birds, terns, gulls, wrens, plus others I don’t have any idea what they are, makes for a noisy awakening.

Pretty lorikeet gets grooming cos it's sexy time in the trees

This morning I put my early rise to good use and went for a high tide snorkel in the creek. And I was rewarded for my efforts.

As I was rubber necking at a brown and yellowy striped rock cod, a very large turtle swam by. Huge, nearly 1 metre long with an incredible brown-purple patchwork pattern on it’s head and neck and a pretty black and blue sucker fish attached to it’s shell.

The hundreds of fish following me were also pretty interesting, as was the giant school of hand length mullet. But once again there were not as many tropical fish as in other years. Lots of weed seems to have vanished from the creek edge, does that have an impact on the smaller fish? And a strange red brown algae seems to be covering rocks as well.

One of the feature of my accommodation in Hat Head is the unique seating in the back yard…

A formal seating arrangement cut from a tree trunck

Top: Mum made denim vest

Bottom: JeansWest distressed denim skirt

Accessory: Denim birkies

Day 333: Sunday 28 March

Finally I have added another activity to the lovely endless days of doing nothing… I went for walk out to Little Beach on Hat Head.

I used this walk to stretch my legs and also to produce a new modelling portfolio with noted fashion photographer Pete Nel.  Some of the photos are quite saucy, impish and racy. But have a look for yourself…

Oooh aaah, you can see my bra

Everyone loves the sunshine, even cross eyed people like me

Sassy one footed amputee on a rock

Artful and sensual and sandy in the gusset area

A sermon from my pulpit, still only one foot

Perky peek-a-boo wet denim vest shot

Top: Supre denim vest

Bottom: Chambre Cotton On shorts, now grubby

Accessory: Denim sun visor works a treat

Day 332: Saturday 27 March

The holiday blog offerings are getting later and later, but not more and more exciting. It’s almost as if I am having a holiday from YoD. However I have been doing full the battery recharge meaning I have been doing very little.

I managed to get down to the Bowling Club last night to watch most of the footy. And this morning in micro conditions I managed to go for a surf. I have also managed a daily afternoon nap, several daily swims and not much attention paid to YoD.

I haven’t been on any walks. I have been on one short arse wrenching bike ride. I have drunk some beer and some wine each day.

You would think with the Year of Denim rushing to a halt in a month that I would be all business. Organising some kind of end of YoD event, contacting people to put a date in their diaries. Somehow this holiday has drained any sense of urgency out of me.

Who knows? Maybe I’ll get all fired up or maybe YoD will peter out without even a whimper, a murmer, or a party.

Me post nap, Taxi still out, Buster waiting for the action

Top: Ivy chambre vest

Bottom: Looking at this photo you may think something is strange with my crotch. There’s nothing wrong with my crotch, however these One Teaspoon pooh catcher pants are very droopy downstairs

Accessory: Next to my hand lies the hat I wore to the beach. I also took a denim bag. Honestly

Day 331: Friday 26 March

Ooooh. How nice is a beach side holiday?

Very nice. Very very very nice.

I had  a snorkel this morning, but the tide was very low in the creek and the tannin was into it. However I did see a big brown and cream striped/flecked rock cod ( I think), loads of bream including a bream nursery, lots of mullet, only a few tropical fish however which was disappointing.

The other disappointment is NO SURF! None. Barely a wave today although the wind is into it already. I keep expecting some vestigial cyclone swell to hit the mid north coast. But no.

Anyways, here I am on the beach at 8am this morning…

Looking south east towards Hat Head headland, as you can see it's very busy

And here I am facing the other way….

Looking north west along the beach at Hat Head with Buster

Top: Ivy chambre vest

Bottom: Junk cut-offs

Accessory: One of those nasty wide brimmed caps all the kids are wearing, only mine’s denim

And here’s some of the holiday house folk enjoying the beach yesterday arvo…

PN making sand sculptures, AK hiding from sun, Buster enjoying the breeze

Day 330: Thursday 25 March

Happy Birthday Grandma Monica. Too bad you’re not here to see me in all my high fashion denim glory!

Hat Head is as lovely as always. Weather is perfect. Beach is very long with 3 people on it and I’ve been there all morning. But being a slack on-holidays-cow I didn’t take my photo down there. Maybe tomorrow.

Guru, I saw a few fish splashing in the small perfect jewel like crystal cylinders and will have a snorkel in Korogooroo Creek later where hopefully there’ll be thousands of fish.

It's hot, I'm hot, my oufits not. The tree is beautiful though

Top: Supre vest building up some nic neck grime

Bottom: Cotton On chambre shorts looking alot baggie than they feel

Accessory: Denim visor, cos I am protecting myself against the fierce sun for sure

Day 329: Wednesday 24 March

Just can’t wait to get on the road again. But first I have to do this stupid blog, feed the cats, pack my bags, make my bed, pack the car, pick up my brother’s dog and DRIVE!

So hopefully tomorrow I will be doing this from the balcony at Ammaboolah. See you there

I hoped the Year of Denim would assist in clearing out my non-denim clothes. But no, now I have twice as may clothes as a year ago

Top: Supre pale denim vest

Bottom: Traditional beach holiday chambre shorts slowly fading to white

Accessory: Denim shoulder bag slumped on floor. Hopefully Kempsey will reveal some new denim fashions

Day 328: Tuesday 23 March

What has shocked me most in wearing double/triple/quadruple denim every day for the past nearly 11 months is how little criticism I have received. I assumed there was heaps of hate out there for double denim, ala the rock’n’roll tracksuit or the Canadian tuxedo. That’s what you get for reading and believing fashionistas.

But honestly, the worst comment  have received was to my face where a work colleague said “That is the most revolting thing I have ever seen”. He was talking about this outfit worn way back in the early days of the Year of Denim in June 2009…

Stonewash 1980s style denim overalls, pretty pukey

Anyway, today it’s a first for me, and perhaps in the world??? White double denim!

It's good karmas to wear white double denim, pink Buddha says so

Top: White denim jacket, ready for some dirt

Bottom: White denim Spykar jeans, also waiting for something filthy

Accessory: Denim bag with fluoro decals to jazz up my monochrome look