Great read, interesting to see that you started out on pinball about the same age I did. I was in uni, though, not playing in bands!
The funny thing is there was a year or so where I was hanging out in Laurieton on weekends (and Port Macquarie occasionally) - around about 1991 it was. I didn't think to look for pinball machines when I was there; the pinball machine playing sort of stopped when I left uni. I would be very interested to know what year you picked up the pins from Christmas Cove caravan park.