Thursday 28th December – A Day in Coogee with the Carpenters

Having done our advanced reconnaissance to Coogee the other day, today was a much more relaxed and pleasant treat.  We bussed it over to Coogee and met one of Simon’s old Essex pals – Matt Carpenter, his wife Rajini and their children Ethan and Pria in the beer garden at the Coogee Bay Hotel.  Matt and Simon used to work at Peter Pan’s Playground (nowadays known as Adventure Island) – a theme park in Southend.  Matt came over to Oz in 2001 and fell in love with the country.   He met Rajini in 2004 and they have lived near Sydney ever since. 

With beaches like Coogee on offer, you can see why...

Summer bucket deal? Don't mind if we do!

We managed to keep the kids happy for a little while, but after lunch had come and gone they were happy to head home with their Mum whilst Matt was given a pass to continue drinking with us for the afternoon.  We sampled a few of the bars in Coogee itself and the entertainment they had on offer, from pool tables to the pokies (gambling machines) to watching the other drinkers.  

Two old Southend cronies back together at last.....

However, we were invited to go and sample Matt’s local bar before going to have a nose around their house and, most importantly as far as we’re concerned, meet their dogs – Maddie and Suzie!

We were happy to spend as much time with the Carpenters as they had to spare, and always love looking round other people’s houses.  Matt is a fish fanatic and recently upgraded the tank in their home to one that an aquarium would’ve been proud of!  We enjoyed watching the fish whilst sampling some pizzas and nibbles before being given a sneak preview of Ethan and Pria’s musical talents on guitar and piano respectively.  To top the day off, Rajini was kind enough to give us a lift all the way back to our flat.  A lovely sociable day.