tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-60216507822138556302024-03-13T02:39:18.878-07:00Ozzy Year OutFollow me and Geoff as we prepare and travel to Australia, buy a car and caravan and travel around Oz visiting loads of exciting places, visiting relatives and generally having a year out.Ruthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10650126379437046873noreply@blogger.comBlogger34125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6021650782213855630.post-73897717105644176822011-08-19T19:31:00.000-07:002011-08-19T19:31:06.112-07:00The End of Our Year Out - Time for Home<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Today is 20 August 2011 - we’ve been away from home some 355 days Singapore/ Australia …not quite a full year - and this is the day we fly home - so I’m guessing this will be my last blog - (or maybe I might just squeeze one more in about the flights and our home reunions!) </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">We fly out from Brisbane tonight at 11.45 pm to Singapore, 3 hours stop over there before we fly to London, landing in Heathrow about 3pm Sunday afternoon. Another 3 hour wait before we fly to Newcastle where Mark will be waiting to bring us home! Bearing in mind the 9 hours time difference, that means almost 30 hours for the whole journey….. Can’t say I’m looking forward to that!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div style="text-align: justify;"></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-fCxZkcWhIkE/Tk8IvuiWVLI/AAAAAAAAAUQ/b41Hae4D7Uc/s1600/BrunswickBrisbane+2+005.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-fCxZkcWhIkE/Tk8IvuiWVLI/AAAAAAAAAUQ/b41Hae4D7Uc/s320/BrunswickBrisbane+2+005.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Geoff’s outside soaking up the last of the Ozzy sunshine - and trying to top up his tan before we come home. We’re just about packed and hopefully not over our luggage limit. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The last few weeks have been a mixture of ups and downs. Basically because we’ve been trying to sell the car and caravan - we had three very close calls with the van; people who really wanted it but for various reasons just couldn’t take her. Anyway she finally went on Monday morning - a lovely couple who are looking forward to spending time away and I know they will just love it. So once the van was sold - that was a huge weight off our minds - but everything then seemed so final. We held a garage sale and sold lots of ‘stuff’ we’d accumulated over the year and the car went to one of the neighbours. So all the boring stuff out of the way, we just had the last couple of weeks to enjoy ourselves!</span><br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-cD7pxJ5Zp9c/Tk8La2ZdJZI/AAAAAAAAAUk/JVrC78SGYaU/s1600/EKKA+031.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-cD7pxJ5Zp9c/Tk8La2ZdJZI/AAAAAAAAAUk/JVrC78SGYaU/s320/EKKA+031.JPG" width="320" /></a><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Chris and Keith (from Atherton) have been staying at Geoff and Janelle’s too this week, departing to New Zealand today for a skiing holiday, so it’s been lovely to catch up with them again too. We’ve been to the ‘Ekka’ which is the Royal Queensland Show, with Geoff, Janelle, Keith and Chris - that was a fantastic day out. Lots of animals to look at, horse jumping etc in the show ground, crafts, variety of stalls and side shows, displays etc. It was really good.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-GXloq0AwYno/Tk8LnAwKEEI/AAAAAAAAAUo/jqBW6N9djZU/s1600/EKKA+064.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-GXloq0AwYno/Tk8LnAwKEEI/AAAAAAAAAUo/jqBW6N9djZU/s320/EKKA+064.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"></span></div><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> </span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> </span><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ILaDrFqit84/Tk8WvIYgykI/AAAAAAAAAUs/tFpYAqsjA1E/s1600/EKKA+050.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="232" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ILaDrFqit84/Tk8WvIYgykI/AAAAAAAAAUs/tFpYAqsjA1E/s320/EKKA+050.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> We all went up to the Gold Coast to meet up with John and Judy over from Perth and had a lovely meal out with them. I’m not enjoying the goodbyes - but am so looking forward to seeing friends and family back home.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ikBiwvyqqqM/Tk8KwQunynI/AAAAAAAAAUY/EXOqNlO97Pw/s1600/MEAL+005.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ikBiwvyqqqM/Tk8KwQunynI/AAAAAAAAAUY/EXOqNlO97Pw/s320/MEAL+005.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-kbL2ycfXN5Q/Tk8K0fN3tTI/AAAAAAAAAUc/CNBVwY0znJE/s1600/MEAL+018.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-kbL2ycfXN5Q/Tk8K0fN3tTI/AAAAAAAAAUc/CNBVwY0znJE/s320/MEAL+018.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Szcil6BMjGo/Tk8K331LFrI/AAAAAAAAAUg/fjYx4TP8uv0/s1600/MEAL+021.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Szcil6BMjGo/Tk8K331LFrI/AAAAAAAAAUg/fjYx4TP8uv0/s320/MEAL+021.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-2ReaxKZcCuM/Tk8Xu33hH0I/AAAAAAAAAUw/qTfGKBnZMlk/s1600/Outback+spectacular+August+11.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="254" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-2ReaxKZcCuM/Tk8Xu33hH0I/AAAAAAAAAUw/qTfGKBnZMlk/s320/Outback+spectacular+August+11.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Last night the six of us went to The Outback Spectacular - a lovely meal and show about the history of Australia. A great way to finish our time in Oz. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-jGNJCcRPUfk/Tk8YASDBjZI/AAAAAAAAAU0/K7AOXPr9CLA/s1600/Ayeres+Rock+day+082.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-jGNJCcRPUfk/Tk8YASDBjZI/AAAAAAAAAU0/K7AOXPr9CLA/s320/Ayeres+Rock+day+082.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">So final thoughts about our time in Oz ….. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Geoff keeps telling me I use the word “Amazing” too much …. but sorry - that’s how this year has been - totally amazing! </span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-q-9eBpcjTwk/Tk8ZZsRggVI/AAAAAAAAAU4/_3UxQdrX7ow/s1600/BrunswickBrisbane+2+014.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-q-9eBpcjTwk/Tk8ZZsRggVI/AAAAAAAAAU4/_3UxQdrX7ow/s320/BrunswickBrisbane+2+014.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">We’ve visited fantastic places; have travelled almost 38,000 kms, invested some $8,600 in the Australian petroleum industry!!!. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Enjoyed the wildlife, the beaches, the outback and so much more! People keep asking us what our favourite place has been - well there hasn’t been one ‘cause it’s all been so good. You just think you’ve seen the best view ever, and then go around a corner and see something else just as breathtaking. We’ve seen a lot - but there’s still so much more to see. (Maybe another trip might be necessary!!) </span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-QCN-T__RVcU/Tk8auZ2c7UI/AAAAAAAAAVE/bX6Wgj59vtg/s1600/Sydney+11+015.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-QCN-T__RVcU/Tk8auZ2c7UI/AAAAAAAAAVE/bX6Wgj59vtg/s320/Sydney+11+015.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-bg--nncfJKM/Tk8aEZs4UvI/AAAAAAAAAU8/tPEEU0kAcDs/s1600/Flinders+080.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-bg--nncfJKM/Tk8aEZs4UvI/AAAAAAAAAU8/tPEEU0kAcDs/s320/Flinders+080.JPG" width="320" /></a><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/--NdyAXKGZT0/Tk8a5Dpy_jI/AAAAAAAAAVI/Wcgl6ooivR0/s1600/BallinaByron+2+007.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/--NdyAXKGZT0/Tk8a5Dpy_jI/AAAAAAAAAVI/Wcgl6ooivR0/s320/BallinaByron+2+007.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-A5likOfOy8A/Tk8ae3zYhXI/AAAAAAAAAVA/5SI302lun9g/s1600/Sydney+11+058.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-A5likOfOy8A/Tk8ae3zYhXI/AAAAAAAAAVA/5SI302lun9g/s320/Sydney+11+058.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">We’ve spent time together, talking, laughing, just ‘doing’ which has been really great for us. Some comments before we came away were along the lines of …“you two in a caravan together for 12 months??!! … you’ll kill each other!” Well, maybe it was a bit of a concern (lol) but it didn’t work like that. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Have got to say that the best thing about our trip has been the people! The places we’ve enjoyed the most have tended to be the places where we’ve met wonderful people, both family and new friends. We’ve met some fantastic people - too many to mention - but you know who you are and we really hope to see you in England sometime in the not too distant future. We’ve got to know family so much better which has been great - </span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">thank you for looking after us so well</span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> - we look forward to returning the favour when you come over to visit us!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Australia…</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">You are a nation who strive to protect your rich and beautiful land and heritage.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">We wish you well for the future and would consider it a privilege to return one day.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Australia …</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">You can travel around it or across it - but you will never get over it! We have memories to last us a life time!</span></div><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Geoff & Ruth xx</span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-qNOzlgH2Y3A/Tk8cFaddE1I/AAAAAAAAAVM/i3prr1_qo4A/s1600/going+home.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="212" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-qNOzlgH2Y3A/Tk8cFaddE1I/AAAAAAAAAVM/i3prr1_qo4A/s320/going+home.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cya Again Oz - We'll be back!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>Ruthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10650126379437046873noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6021650782213855630.post-48323105554459012312011-08-18T17:33:00.000-07:002011-08-18T17:33:22.169-07:00The Wedding<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-bwNp0BzD8Mo/Tk2qWCZvKdI/AAAAAAAAATs/IBoDBB1zrUo/s1600/wedding+100.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-bwNp0BzD8Mo/Tk2qWCZvKdI/AAAAAAAAATs/IBoDBB1zrUo/s320/wedding+100.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Happy Couple</td></tr>
</tbody></table><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> </span><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-JEj6ycxaKxQ/Tk2qZ3E5IFI/AAAAAAAAAUE/qnq485eNBi8/s1600/wedding+145.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="186" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-JEj6ycxaKxQ/Tk2qZ3E5IFI/AAAAAAAAAUE/qnq485eNBi8/s320/wedding+145.JPG" width="320" /></a><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">11 August 2011 was a very special day … not only was it Geoff’s birthday but Neil and Emma‘s wedding day. </span><br />
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When we left Australia after our month’s holiday back in 2009 I remember saying to Emma (only half joking!) “we’ll come back for your wedding!” Well we did - we had the privilege of being here to join in the celebrations and what a fantastic day we had.</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_CEh9v2ZGig/Tk2qTSH1auI/AAAAAAAAATg/jZ7-C2KGc4U/s1600/wedding+085.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_CEh9v2ZGig/Tk2qTSH1auI/AAAAAAAAATg/jZ7-C2KGc4U/s320/wedding+085.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Emma and Neil</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: justify;">Neil (Geoff and Janelle’s son) and Emma got married at Cedar Creek Lodges/Thunderbird Park, Mount Tambourine - a beautiful setting/venue for the perfect day. The wedding ceremony took place in the open-air with the sound of a running creek in the background and the sun shining through the trees. Emma wore a beautiful dress, designed by herself and made by a friend, her bouquet was from Hawaii and she looked absolutely stunning! Neil looked pretty handsome too!</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"> </div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-fmRUCoN2PnE/Tk2qZcEorOI/AAAAAAAAAUA/xI4Y6-dya7o/s1600/wedding+144.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="316" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-fmRUCoN2PnE/Tk2qZcEorOI/AAAAAAAAAUA/xI4Y6-dya7o/s320/wedding+144.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Emma's bouquet</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"> </div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-KK8ljr4cnG4/Tk2pcjrXn4I/AAAAAAAAATU/U9OzwWQdnNg/s1600/MEAL+025.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-KK8ljr4cnG4/Tk2pcjrXn4I/AAAAAAAAATU/U9OzwWQdnNg/s320/MEAL+025.JPG" width="320" /></a>Neil and Emma had put so much work into the day - their own personal touches made the whole day so special. From the decorations at the ceremony venue to individual pots of grass with embroidered names as place settings, tiny carved trees in lanterns as table centres, a tiny box with ’conversation starters’ on each table and a photo booth at the reception with a box of dressing up items for people to be imaginative with! The idea being that people had their pics done, kept a copy for themselves but put the second copy in the guest book with a personal message to Neil and Emma …. what an original idea! They also made up jars of choc chip cookie mixes for every guest - which I’ve already made and we’ve enjoyed eating!! </div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"> </div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-e2zfjOJw63U/Tk2qYuVs-nI/AAAAAAAAAT8/l84IMXwmznY/s1600/wedding+129.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="279" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-e2zfjOJw63U/Tk2qYuVs-nI/AAAAAAAAAT8/l84IMXwmznY/s320/wedding+129.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The First Dance</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: left;">Wonderful food and dancing in the evening. </div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: left;">A perfect day - and we wish Neil and Emma a very happy marriage. </div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Y8UaWhswwZQ/Tk2qUdOFBKI/AAAAAAAAATk/E9rYqLrduQw/s1600/wedding+086.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Y8UaWhswwZQ/Tk2qUdOFBKI/AAAAAAAAATk/E9rYqLrduQw/s320/wedding+086.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Family Shot</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-5JpTfxjNdQs/Tk2qVNQlQoI/AAAAAAAAATo/c2ZKoHDyNNU/s1600/wedding+089.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="278" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-5JpTfxjNdQs/Tk2qVNQlQoI/AAAAAAAAATo/c2ZKoHDyNNU/s320/wedding+089.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Janelle, Emma, Neil and Geoff</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Scq97Bmi2aI/Tk2qaR3h-tI/AAAAAAAAAUI/7fyZolZkYeA/s1600/wedding+147.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Scq97Bmi2aI/Tk2qaR3h-tI/AAAAAAAAAUI/7fyZolZkYeA/s320/wedding+147.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Us</td></tr>
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It was great to share the day with other cousins too - Phil and Kayleen and Win came down from Cairns and John and Judy had flown over from Perth so was good to catch up with them again. <br />
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We had booked into one of the lodges for the night - and as a special treat we had one with a spa bath …. oh how I’ve missed my baths! So after all the festivities I decided to have a luxurious bath - except it took forever to fill the big corner bath and when I was finally able to turn the spas on, they spurted water all over the place! The jets were pointing upwards and I’d not quite got enough water in - I’ve never seen Geoff move so fast since the blue tongued lizard episode two years ago! <br />
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A lovely breakfast the following morning shared with friends and family then a trip around the local crafty shops (where I bought yet more penguins!) and the beautiful scenery on the drive home just finished the whole couple of days off beautifully. </div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/--YB70lqjCvw/Tk2qbO-vvhI/AAAAAAAAAUM/Q549Hm6LbYw/s1600/wedding+161.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/--YB70lqjCvw/Tk2qbO-vvhI/AAAAAAAAAUM/Q549Hm6LbYw/s320/wedding+161.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">View from Mount Tambourine</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-GcZraRb2AXc/Tk2qWoP6OfI/AAAAAAAAATw/VRGbI3-tsZg/s1600/wedding+112.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-GcZraRb2AXc/Tk2qWoP6OfI/AAAAAAAAATw/VRGbI3-tsZg/s320/wedding+112.JPG" width="320" /></a><br />
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Thank you Neil and Emma for an amazing time and including us in your very special day! </div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div>Ruthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10650126379437046873noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6021650782213855630.post-46572743694213352352011-08-18T01:12:00.000-07:002011-08-18T01:12:09.177-07:00The One Day We’d Rather Forget …. lol<div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Ok - so most of this year things have just worked out perfectly - and all the way through from planning our trip right up to now, we’ve said ‘yes we’ve got faith, we believe this is right and we’re just going with it’. Well on our way back to Brisbane from Cairns we had what could be described as an “eventful” day which could have challenged our thinking somewhat. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">We left Cairns and said our goodbyes to Phil and Kayleen - no tears this time as we knew we were going to see them the following week in Brisbane at Neil and Emma’s wedding. We decided we’d travel as far as possible that day, and try to make it back to Brisbane in 2 days, so it was gone 7pm and already dark when we finally found somewhere suitable(ish) to stop - a truck stop called Palm Tree Creek (sounds lovely eh?! - it wasn‘t!) Anyway - we settled down for the night in the back of the car - well - we tried to settle down … problem was the 150 disco dancing cows mooing in the truck next to us - I’m sure they’d all been given ‘ecstasy’ so they were dancing the night away before they met their fateful end the following day! Being deaf in one ear does have it’s advantages and I was able to turn onto my good ear and go to sleep. Geoff however had more of a problem! Not being able to get to sleep, he got up and was stood having a coffee outside the car when a guy came wandering about, shining a torch in everyone’s windows and having a good old nosey about - obviously up to no good. Geoff (politely of course) had a quiet word with him about “going home, growing up, going to bed!!!!"</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The next morning’s saga started about 5am…. Yes the cows were still dancing, and there was a new truck pulled up just behind us - who appeared to want to leave his engine running. Never mind - we’d got our little cooker and would start the day right with a cuppa. Geoff tried getting out of the boot of the car - but the tailgate dropped down and ate his leg! I had to fight my way out of the side door to rescue him. After a couple of seconds we realised why the truck still had the engine running. It was, what the Ozzies call, a Honey Cart. Basically the truck that comes to clear out the sewerage from the toilets, and the engine was running to operate the pump used to suck out all that had been put into the toilets! (Be thankful I’m writing this blog and not Geoff!!!) IT STANK!!!!!! And honestly, no words can convey how disgusting it was! We had to think hard about health and safety and whether we should actually light the calor gas stove for our morning cuppa!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Very soon after that, we set off! It was pouring down and we aquaplaned on a very busy roundabout (rush hour) - thankfully someone was looking after us and we just missed hitting other cars. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"></span></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-B2wn4l62K18/TkzHpEhY9fI/AAAAAAAAATM/_MrypNqtEJs/s1600/cairns+or+bust%2521%2521+022.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-B2wn4l62K18/TkzHpEhY9fI/AAAAAAAAATM/_MrypNqtEJs/s320/cairns+or+bust%2521%2521+022.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Safe and Sound - in Childers</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> We travelled a full day again (thankfully no more mis-haps along the way) - planning to stop when we reached Childers where our Camp5 map promised us a lovely free camp site. About 40kms from our planned stop, Geoff realised we were very low on petrol - I asked our faithful NavMan where the nearest petrol station was and she promptly told me the nearest one was 42kms away. We travelled the next half hour in almost complete silence - both of us sending up prayers that we would make it. We weren’t sure if the petrol gauge was still faulty but when the red light came on and we still had 30kms to go we were really worried. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The longest 30kms ever, and just passed our free camp for the night, ….. we pulled into the service station …… plup plup plup - and the engine cut out - completely out of petrol! We rolled down to the petrol pump having to pull the petrol hose tight to reach the car! But we made it! Thank you - thank you - THANK YOU! </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">To celebrate we bought a pie and went back to our lovely free camp for the night, set up the stove for our cuppa - only to find that Geoff’s milk had gone off - ‘instant yogurt’! So back he went to the service station to buy some fresh milk (and a bar of chocolate to celebrate the worst 24 hours of our year!) So ….. a rough day - and many would say that we had a lucky couple of close encounters … we on the other hand believe that God was with us, looking after us and keeping us safe - as He has done throughout the whole of this year. </span></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-yjegrdV-swE/TkzHjRPi_8I/AAAAAAAAATE/gPS3G4lCdC4/s1600/cairns+or+bust%2521%2521+023.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-yjegrdV-swE/TkzHjRPi_8I/AAAAAAAAATE/gPS3G4lCdC4/s320/cairns+or+bust%2521%2521+023.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Snug as a Bug in a Rug - waiting for my cuppa!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/--NELJnEmv1E/TkzHkF-xvAI/AAAAAAAAATI/erVkMQU9-PI/s1600/cairns+or+bust%2521%2521+024.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/--NELJnEmv1E/TkzHkF-xvAI/AAAAAAAAATI/erVkMQU9-PI/s320/cairns+or+bust%2521%2521+024.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Having a lie in .....</td></tr>
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Ruthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10650126379437046873noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6021650782213855630.post-33230919115012632262011-08-03T15:48:00.000-07:002011-08-03T16:08:20.369-07:00On Our Way Back<div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Once again I’ve left it weeks without keeping up this blog … it just shows how busy we’ve been and/or how much we‘ve been enjoying ourselves!! I’ve even had one or two frantic e-mails, from friends who are only keeping up to date with us via the blog, checking that we are ok! So thought I’d best make an effort and bring things up to date.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ozmn1w6c2n4/TjnDYb4DfrI/AAAAAAAAASY/-hM_hk9P_SU/s1600/BallinaByron+2+026.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-PSaMB1R1Iq8/TjnETMNETUI/AAAAAAAAASk/djzFz08iVcA/s1600/cairns+2+028.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a></div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-7SpFrIWrlsE/TjnBMUtUwRI/AAAAAAAAASA/bcmVH-Va1PI/s1600/coonamble+024.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-7SpFrIWrlsE/TjnBMUtUwRI/AAAAAAAAASA/bcmVH-Va1PI/s320/coonamble+024.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rodeo</td></tr>
</tbody></table><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span id="goog_142459649"></span><span id="goog_142459650"></span>We went to a couple of Rodeos up in Coonamble and Cobar which were certainly an experience. Children as young at 8 riding the steers is just amazing; they have more guts and/or ‘get up and go’ than we’ll ever have. Geoff decided that women on horses need hand brakes!….and he didn’t know ‘steak’ could run that fast!!</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-V1nwIuO6Ad8/TjnBxH3t0VI/AAAAAAAAASE/BI9-gCBIwd0/s1600/Sydney+11+005.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-V1nwIuO6Ad8/TjnBxH3t0VI/AAAAAAAAASE/BI9-gCBIwd0/s320/Sydney+11+005.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ruth trying to get warm!</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">We spent time up in the Blue Mountains at a place called Oberon - it was freezing up there! It was actually a bit of a difficult time as both Geoff and I caught colds and it was so cold and wet that we couldn’t really do a lot. Apparently the day after we left it snowed. I know it’s winter here but ????…. and somehow we really didn’t expect it to be so cold and wet in Australia. It was beautiful up there though, the mountain ranges are just out of this world. To think of those first pioneers crossing the mountains with nothing more than a horse and swag is mind blowing.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Xgf7aLGCAfU/TjnB2xjh5cI/AAAAAAAAASI/iQRTEMsj_xI/s1600/Sydney+11+014.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Xgf7aLGCAfU/TjnB2xjh5cI/AAAAAAAAASI/iQRTEMsj_xI/s320/Sydney+11+014.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Blue Mountains</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-cHfLNp0rku8/TjnCQdAu0zI/AAAAAAAAASQ/8qApNv_o7l8/s1600/Sydney+11+009.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-cHfLNp0rku8/TjnCQdAu0zI/AAAAAAAAASQ/8qApNv_o7l8/s320/Sydney+11+009.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ruth, Geoff, Phil & Margaret</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">We met up with Phil (pastor from back home) and Margaret in Sydney and had a lovely couple of days with them. We took them back up to The Blue Mountains and they did the walk around the base of The Three Sisters - Geoff and I looked on from above! </span></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-zldFTXXDM1A/TjnCMlWcGGI/AAAAAAAAASM/BPh2XUyFv0M/s320/Sydney+11+016.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="320" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Three Sister</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-va-BILKRvjs/TjnCodj85QI/AAAAAAAAASU/dwuqKw8DSHU/s1600/birds+058.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-va-BILKRvjs/TjnCodj85QI/AAAAAAAAASU/dwuqKw8DSHU/s320/birds+058.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lane Cove National Park</td></tr>
</tbody></table><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Phil actually managed to get us interested in the bird-life and Geoff and I spent the next day walking around Lane Cove National Park in Sydney with the camera and binos pretending to be twitchers! Only problem was that apparently (and according to Geoff!) I made more noise than a bowl of Rice Krispies as I was walking so scared the birds away. (My nick name for the week was Snap, Crackle and Pop!) Must say though that Australia has got some absolutely beautiful birds and it’s great to sit and watch them.</span> <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-j09GqAsLbCE/TjnEEQ6OHQI/AAAAAAAAASg/Jfmy06x02RY/s1600/phill%2527s+birds+056.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-j09GqAsLbCE/TjnEEQ6OHQI/AAAAAAAAASg/Jfmy06x02RY/s320/phill%2527s+birds+056.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sulphur Crested Cockatoos</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ozmn1w6c2n4/TjnDYb4DfrI/AAAAAAAAASY/-hM_hk9P_SU/s1600/BallinaByron+2+026.JPG" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ozmn1w6c2n4/TjnDYb4DfrI/AAAAAAAAASY/-hM_hk9P_SU/s320/BallinaByron+2+026.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Byron Bay</td></tr>
</tbody></table><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">We’ve spent the last couple of month catching up with people who we’ve met on our way around and saying our goodbyes and re-visiting some of the more special beaches too. In particular we had a week at Lennox Head again and had a lovely time with Bill and Charmaine aka Kate. It was great to see them again and we’re hoping to see them over in England one day. We were also able to catch up with Neville and other folk at Ballina Baptist Church which was lovely.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">We arrived back in Brisbane towards the end of June and spent a couple of weeks doing jobs on the caravan and getting it ready for sale. It’s now sat ‘gleamingly’, with road-worthy and gas safety certificates, on Geoff and Janelle’s front drive with a ‘for sale’ sign on it, and has been advertised on GumTree web site too. We’ve had faith all through this trip and God has certainly provided for us in so many ways, so we’ve no doubt that the van will sell. We did have one ‘interesting’ offer from a lady who was supposedly a marine biologist working off-shore. She said she wanted to buy the van for her son in Malaysia and she would arrange and pay for shipping etc. Payment was to be made by Paypal - all seemed reasonably believable … until she said she wanted us to pay the shipping and she would reimburse us - we even got an official looking email from Paypal saying they had the total amount ready to transfer into our Paypal account once we had paid the shipping. Hmmm … that’s when alarm bells started to ring. We googled ‘Gum Tree Scams’ and it seems this is a regular con; thankfully we didn’t fall for it - but it is a bit upsetting to know that people out there are so wicked that they would go to such lengths and deviousness to cheat people out of their money.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Once we’d done all we could to the van and we still had four or five weeks left before our journey home, we decided we’d go “Aussie”…..put a mattress in the back of the car and set off back up to Cairns and Atherton Tablelands. How adventurous was that?! </span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-DfZhXqPz75c/TjnDyvM_SlI/AAAAAAAAASc/St70uLePFsA/s1600/back+north+020.JPG" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-DfZhXqPz75c/TjnDyvM_SlI/AAAAAAAAASc/St70uLePFsA/s320/back+north+020.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Clint</td></tr>
</tbody></table><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">We did a couple of nights free camping, stopped off at Clint and Sharon’s place just outside Mackay so were able to say our goodbyes there too. </span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-wZ7_7_jFK8E/TjnEbE12RKI/AAAAAAAAAS0/uveXKydBDtU/s1600/Cairns+2+053.JPG" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-wZ7_7_jFK8E/TjnEbE12RKI/AAAAAAAAAS0/uveXKydBDtU/s320/Cairns+2+053.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Phil, Geoff, Ruth, Kayleen & Sheree</td></tr>
</tbody></table><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">We’ve had time with Phil, Kayleen and Sheree in Cairns - lovely meal last night at Charlies on Cairns Promanade - with the biggest prawns ever! </span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-J0wufOgoJHg/TjnEac7FFGI/AAAAAAAAASw/ogTyFnRQ4Rs/s1600/cairns+2+049.JPG" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-J0wufOgoJHg/TjnEac7FFGI/AAAAAAAAASw/ogTyFnRQ4Rs/s320/cairns+2+049.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">View from Keith & Chris's Farm</td></tr>
</tbody></table><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">We’ve been up at the farm with Chris and Keith in Atherton, had a lovely family Chinese meal with all the family there and were able to meet the newest addition to their family, baby Malachi, and we also met up again with Keith’s cousin, Janine and Brian, from Canberra, who we met when we were down that way earlier this year. We’ve had a lovely meal with Judy and Murray and were even able to see Dot and Bev yesterday back up at the farm. I had a lovely coffee meeting with Hanna at the Chocolate and Cheese factory (so of course had to sample some chocolate!) and we’ll be seeing a few of the others at Neil and Emma’s wedding next week in Brisbane. What a hectic few days! But it’s lovely to see everyone again and I know I’m going to be so sad when we have to say our final goodbyes. </span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-PSaMB1R1Iq8/TjnETMNETUI/AAAAAAAAASk/djzFz08iVcA/s1600/cairns+2+028.JPG" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-PSaMB1R1Iq8/TjnETMNETUI/AAAAAAAAASk/djzFz08iVcA/s320/cairns+2+028.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ruth, Geoff, Bev & Dot</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ruth and Hanna</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ljMAVnca2dY/TjnEU5LheII/AAAAAAAAASs/zxI2tZIZS74/s1600/cairns+2+045.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ljMAVnca2dY/TjnEU5LheII/AAAAAAAAASs/zxI2tZIZS74/s320/cairns+2+045.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ruth and Chris</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div style="text-align: justify;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-J0wufOgoJHg/TjnEac7FFGI/AAAAAAAAASw/ogTyFnRQ4Rs/s1600/cairns+2+049.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">So …. Just two weeks left. We’re heading back to Brisbane today - we should make it back to Brisbane on Saturday or Sunday - and that’s pretty much solid driving. Australia is such a BIG place you just don’t realise how big until you’re driving 6 inches on the map and it takes you a week! </span></div>Ruthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10650126379437046873noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6021650782213855630.post-50270676496652140102011-05-29T03:13:00.000-07:002011-05-29T03:18:41.707-07:00Out Back<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-HAjrwE-8GqA/TeIC8hNxFoI/AAAAAAAAARk/QMfK-rNkiVc/s1600/White+Cliffs+NSW+003.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="223" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-HAjrwE-8GqA/TeIC8hNxFoI/AAAAAAAAARk/QMfK-rNkiVc/s320/White+Cliffs+NSW+003.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">It’s been so long since the last blog, I’ve kept putting off writing as I’m not quite sure where to start. We’re constantly on the move, visiting new places, seeing new sights, meeting new people and generally having a fantastic time. I think my best bet is to just say a few words about the more memorable places and things which have happened over the past few weeks. Here goes ….</span></span><br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-vrMY8yC4Dfk/TeH81qditDI/AAAAAAAAAP4/6JExsODC4UE/s1600/Port+Fairy+006.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="222" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-vrMY8yC4Dfk/TeH81qditDI/AAAAAAAAAP4/6JExsODC4UE/s320/Port+Fairy+006.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Koroit Procession - "2 people with a bit of rope"</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div style="text-align: justify;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-9lMBnZIdKVY/TeH84PVWzyI/AAAAAAAAAP8/1wUMm-an9rc/s1600/Port+Fairy+011.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-9lMBnZIdKVY/TeH84PVWzyI/AAAAAAAAAP8/1wUMm-an9rc/s320/Port+Fairy+011.JPG" width="320" /></a><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Port Fairy … After the Great Ocean Road we stayed at a lovely town called Port Fairy, unfortunately the weather wasn’t fantastic but on one of our day trips out we visited a tiny Irish town called Koroit who were having their annual festival. It really did have to be seen to be believed! The grand opening of the procession was announced as (and this has to be ‘read’ in the Irish accent) “and the procession is led by two people holding a bit of rope” … and it just went downhill from then on! Horses that decided they’d had enough so stopped pulling the cart, an Irish group singing Scottish songs (out of tune) and a very sad array of stalls and street entertainers. We laughed so much it was well worth the $12 each entry fee! But hey, they all put so much effort into the day and it was obviously a big thing for them - bless ‘em!</span></span></div><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-O_Pm3cs0tsI/TeH98Md-QiI/AAAAAAAAAQE/D8ubkhxEwUQ/s1600/Hamilton+077.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-O_Pm3cs0tsI/TeH98Md-QiI/AAAAAAAAAQE/D8ubkhxEwUQ/s320/Hamilton+077.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Blue Lake</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-mcxNKOPVhWs/TeH9uqPjs1I/AAAAAAAAAQA/R6zEsVn6MCU/s1600/Hamilton+040.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-mcxNKOPVhWs/TeH9uqPjs1I/AAAAAAAAAQA/R6zEsVn6MCU/s320/Hamilton+040.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Hamilton and Mount Gambier - A volcanic crater at Mount Gambier called the Blue Lake which really was astonishing and changed blues throughout the day depending on the sunshine. We also visited some lovely water falls. From Hamilton we had a trip out to Portland which was the first settlement in Victoria and the start of the wool trade there which Australia became famous for. From Mount Gambier we also visited the most southerly point in South Australia - a fair few miles to anywhere!</span></span></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-WdY_RPdm1b0/TeH-TrgskBI/AAAAAAAAAQI/fvTvn3RP8hM/s1600/Mt+gambirer+002.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-WdY_RPdm1b0/TeH-TrgskBI/AAAAAAAAAQI/fvTvn3RP8hM/s320/Mt+gambirer+002.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A Very Cold Ruth </td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-wazMbKIRmTI/TeH_UkoWhyI/AAAAAAAAAQk/6-2WCadfvp4/s1600/Adelaide+076.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="166" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-wazMbKIRmTI/TeH_UkoWhyI/AAAAAAAAAQk/6-2WCadfvp4/s320/Adelaide+076.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Mount Barker - we just had to stay at Mount Barker (my maiden name) and it was well worth the visit. The views from Mount Barker were lovely. </span></span></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-mP5MgXfS8HQ/TeH_R0I-xHI/AAAAAAAAAQc/u_Z4gxkF29A/s1600/Adelaide+053.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-mP5MgXfS8HQ/TeH_R0I-xHI/AAAAAAAAAQc/u_Z4gxkF29A/s320/Adelaide+053.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">View from Mt Barker</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-QYVCBDFdOwU/TeH_TdT65LI/AAAAAAAAAQg/sRLKuvv1X0s/s1600/Adelaide+061.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-QYVCBDFdOwU/TeH_TdT65LI/AAAAAAAAAQg/sRLKuvv1X0s/s320/Adelaide+061.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">View from Mt Barker</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div style="text-align: justify;"></div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-GnvZEXC85Pk/TeH_QRWOfiI/AAAAAAAAAQY/nQgcsFyi4v8/s1600/Adelaide+047.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-GnvZEXC85Pk/TeH_QRWOfiI/AAAAAAAAAQY/nQgcsFyi4v8/s320/Adelaide+047.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hahnsdorf Pub</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">We had a day in a German town called Hahnsdorf (wine country) which brought back lots of memories for me of my time living in Germany. It was a lovely town selling all the authentic German meats, toys, clocks etc. </span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-gncxLbPG814/TeH_LNFtOYI/AAAAAAAAAQM/wDjs0e13aRw/s1600/Adelaide+036+-+Copy.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="298" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-gncxLbPG814/TeH_LNFtOYI/AAAAAAAAAQM/wDjs0e13aRw/s320/Adelaide+036+-+Copy.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Adelaide</td></tr>
</tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-TRMDfd0EL3U/TeH_MOevraI/AAAAAAAAAQQ/7RWQDyV5MFM/s1600/Adelaide+037+-+Copy.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-TRMDfd0EL3U/TeH_MOevraI/AAAAAAAAAQQ/7RWQDyV5MFM/s320/Adelaide+037+-+Copy.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Known as The City of Churches</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-URjNU-vDn4Q/TeH_N5vxgDI/AAAAAAAAAQU/x0CH1PUFIfE/s1600/Adelaide+044.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-URjNU-vDn4Q/TeH_N5vxgDI/AAAAAAAAAQU/x0CH1PUFIfE/s320/Adelaide+044.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">From Mount Barker we took a bus into Adelaide - it was about an hour’s journey, and we spent time touring the city on a guided tour bus, along with a visit to the local Chinatown. Another eye opener for us</span></span><br />
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</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Moving north from Adelaide…. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">As the miles rolled on it was soon open scrubland and a feeling going bush again; Geoff was conscious of something he’d felt months ago as we’d approached Port Augusta last time having crossed the Nulabor desert… it was the excitement of heading into the Red Centre as it’s called… north up into the centre of Australia and beyond… (the first 2 months of our trip) and it was the signpost for Port Augusta “that lit his fire again” he loves it out there!</span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"></div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-bOORH9Vzdi0/TeIBdfu-exI/AAAAAAAAARQ/eS4bYGUfcYI/s1600/Flinders+079.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-bOORH9Vzdi0/TeIBdfu-exI/AAAAAAAAARQ/eS4bYGUfcYI/s320/Flinders+079.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Very Beautiful Flinders Range</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> The Flinders Range … to us was the equivalent of the Great Ocean Road - though in the desert - something different to see around every corner, stunning views, colour and scenery; it really was mind blowing …The mountains of mauve peaks and steep gorges stretched as far as the eye could see. </span></span></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-RLM-nCnUEfo/TeIAzV7nfdI/AAAAAAAAAQ8/LmK5rI4iFRo/s1600/Flinders+033.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-RLM-nCnUEfo/TeIAzV7nfdI/AAAAAAAAAQ8/LmK5rI4iFRo/s320/Flinders+033.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Flinders Range</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div style="text-align: justify;"></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-AT8RB9rSOnE/TeIAKr0G3cI/AAAAAAAAAQo/5RJVACdYRp8/s1600/Flinders+092.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-AT8RB9rSOnE/TeIAKr0G3cI/AAAAAAAAAQo/5RJVACdYRp8/s320/Flinders+092.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sacred Canyon</td></tr>
</tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Fov4d-D55j0/TeIANlqvd1I/AAAAAAAAAQs/K1bxpgHLCiI/s1600/Flinders+105.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Fov4d-D55j0/TeIANlqvd1I/AAAAAAAAAQs/K1bxpgHLCiI/s320/Flinders+105.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Geoff's impression of an Aboriginal Emu</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-5uLpBtnB3Mc/TeIAPRLs4cI/AAAAAAAAAQw/mkrG_reS4Lc/s1600/Flinders+108.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-5uLpBtnB3Mc/TeIAPRLs4cI/AAAAAAAAAQw/mkrG_reS4Lc/s320/Flinders+108.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sacred Canyo<span style="font-size: small;">n</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">We stayed at Wilpena in the Flinders Range National Park and had a trip to see an Aboriginal Sacred Canyon which again was truly amazing. </span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"></div><div style="text-align: justify;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Ivjt5IRbpOI/TeIBY8YH6sI/AAAAAAAAARI/EQ6O3RTHJpU/s1600/Flinders+016.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="241" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Ivjt5IRbpOI/TeIBY8YH6sI/AAAAAAAAARI/EQ6O3RTHJpU/s320/Flinders+016.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Eagles flying overhead, kangaroos, wallabys, sheep and emus on the roads - we had to stop several times to let them cross! </span></span></div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Cj0nfa-p1Yk/TeIASRreRDI/AAAAAAAAAQ0/iW4k4kuULo8/s1600/Flinders+153.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="234" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Cj0nfa-p1Yk/TeIASRreRDI/AAAAAAAAAQ0/iW4k4kuULo8/s320/Flinders+153.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Baby Joey in Mummy's pouch</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-yQoSjGhkqt0/TeIAUfokd2I/AAAAAAAAAQ4/8-ekX2XF9Ms/s1600/Flinders+161.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-yQoSjGhkqt0/TeIAUfokd2I/AAAAAAAAAQ4/8-ekX2XF9Ms/s320/Flinders+161.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">One of the many emus</td></tr>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-eYhcrsmwmis/TeICNAB33SI/AAAAAAAAARY/Lpmc8j0VSgc/s1600/Broken+Hill+050.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-eYhcrsmwmis/TeICNAB33SI/AAAAAAAAARY/Lpmc8j0VSgc/s320/Broken+Hill+050.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">We drove along the Parachilna Gorge (towing the caravan) - only a 30km trip but due to the un-surfaced road (that’s putting it mildly!) and having to stop to take lots of photos - the journey took us 3 hours! </span></span></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-J8FY910FJo4/TeIA1uZU4PI/AAAAAAAAARA/zMFAgGBrrYA/s1600/Flinders+054.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-J8FY910FJo4/TeIA1uZU4PI/AAAAAAAAARA/zMFAgGBrrYA/s320/Flinders+054.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The un-surfaced road - this is a good bit!</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"></span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Parachilna has a population of 7 … yes seven! One pub or ‘Road House’ and a caravan site. We didn’t stay there long!! We also visited Farina - which is a ghost town - however several people have formed a group to rebuild and make safe the remaining buildings. It’s hard to believe that it was once a thriving town - however when the local Railhead and stockyards moved up to Maree when the Ghan Railway extended (short for Afghan) it’s a case of pack up and leave - and that’s exactly what happened at Farina.</span></span></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-PWn422lgj60/TeIBbF3v7gI/AAAAAAAAARM/wjgPyvXeXrs/s1600/Flinders+025.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-PWn422lgj60/TeIBbF3v7gI/AAAAAAAAARM/wjgPyvXeXrs/s320/Flinders+025.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Farina</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div style="text-align: justify;"></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;"></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;"></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;"></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"></span></span></div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-FMAT9DcS7xI/TeICKF0dUoI/AAAAAAAAARU/BX8p1oJMj_w/s1600/Broken+Hill+004.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-FMAT9DcS7xI/TeICKF0dUoI/AAAAAAAAARU/BX8p1oJMj_w/s320/Broken+Hill+004.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Shop Window Display at Quorn</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Quorn - I have to say that we really enjoyed our time there - it was so peaceful and we felt very relaxed (even more than normal!!) It was just like stepping back in time 100 years - the shops were in a time warp. I do struggle with some of the things which are advertised as ‘tourist attractions’ and wonder how they actually get away with it. For instance, we visited a toy museum near Quorn, and yes there were lots of old games etc (many which I can remember playing with - so yes I know I’m getting old!) but there were more spiders and cobwebs in that place than I’ve seen anywhere, and ivy growing on the walls on the inside which had come through broken windows etc! I do think that if you’re paying to go into a ‘museum’ the least you can expect is that it’s clean! (There rant over!!)</span></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Uv7CA-Z1CxI/TeICUh5hgfI/AAAAAAAAARg/vgLVr43FdKA/s1600/Broken+Hill+094.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Uv7CA-Z1CxI/TeICUh5hgfI/AAAAAAAAARg/vgLVr43FdKA/s320/Broken+Hill+094.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Going down Day Dreamer Silver Mine</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Near Broken Hill - we went down an old Silver mine - which was a bit scary if I’m honest. We went some 200ft underground and at one point, we had to turn our lights out to imagine what it would have been like for the miners. It was a real eye opener as children as young as 8 years old would be sent down the mines as well.. Evidence of this born up by the tiny shafts in the walls that only a child could get down!</span></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Q83sHdf0QRk/TeICRWMW50I/AAAAAAAAARc/fu3SBAGMOvg/s1600/Broken+Hill+059.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Q83sHdf0QRk/TeICRWMW50I/AAAAAAAAARc/fu3SBAGMOvg/s320/Broken+Hill+059.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">One of the many metal sculptures</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Silverton - another town which was almost deserted - a couple of galleries to look at - Geoff has been fascinated by the metal art and I think will be trying his hand at some of the sculptures on our return. BUT... so often we come across a real gem… whilst here we had time to visit the old Goal.. It turned out to be the most fascinating museum either of us have ever visited anywhere. Every space (including the cells) was packed with local and Australian history. A true credit to those who have put that display together.</span></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-_pTSDxAFpnM/TeIDVkYDEQI/AAAAAAAAARs/PbmVfQXKMpU/s1600/opal+004.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-_pTSDxAFpnM/TeIDVkYDEQI/AAAAAAAAARs/PbmVfQXKMpU/s320/opal+004.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Noodeling for Opal<span style="font-size: small;">s</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">White Cliffs - way out in the middle of nowhere! Famous for Opals being found there in the 1860’s. People flocked there, though a slow hard tedious process soon reduced the numbers to the more hardy miners who stayed on and settled. They made their homes underground because of the heat. We went ‘noodeling’ which is a term used for people who look in the rubble of those who have done all the hard work mining (they’ve used their noodle or head and let someone else do the hard work!) We actually found several pieces of opal - one in particular was lovely and we took it to Bret at the Cathedral Gallery in town who made it into a pendant for me. Geoff has enjoyed cutting open a rock to find opals inside, although these are known as ‘shotgun’ as it is shot through the rock and not really big enough pieces to cut out. Was great fun though and to have a memento like this pendant is a fantastic long lasting memory of Oz.</span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ENgtmTvNV_o/TeIDXZPf01I/AAAAAAAAARw/XvkTZZ9ANiM/s1600/opal+014.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ENgtmTvNV_o/TeIDXZPf01I/AAAAAAAAARw/XvkTZZ9ANiM/s320/opal+014.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-qG5J3_XA-ts/TeIC-4HLC6I/AAAAAAAAARo/l_sIByTNf1M/s1600/White+Cliffs+NSW+017.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-qG5J3_XA-ts/TeIC-4HLC6I/AAAAAAAAARo/l_sIByTNf1M/s320/White+Cliffs+NSW+017.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our Opal Finds</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-k18JwyAxrf4/TeIDmH4VhCI/AAAAAAAAAR0/9aDpR_MdPN4/s1600/opal+008.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-k18JwyAxrf4/TeIDmH4VhCI/AAAAAAAAAR0/9aDpR_MdPN4/s320/opal+008.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pendant made from an Opal we found at White Cliffs</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">F</span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">rom White Cliffs to Cobar we had a bit of an ‘incident’ with the car - it seemed to be using far too much fuel and we were unsure whether we would actually make it to Cobar before juddering to a halt. We stopped at a rest area and eventually another couple came in to stay the night, who had a 10ltr jerry can of fuel. We unhooked our caravan and I stayed there with the other couple for company while Geoff drove the 60kms on to Cobar to refuel and re-fill all the jerry cans. We’re sure now the petrol gauge is faulty - but it really wasn’t worth taking the chance at night time. </span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-QVab-JkOdvc/TeIDpEyCzWI/AAAAAAAAAR4/GeU4lv63i_4/s1600/opal+024.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-QVab-JkOdvc/TeIDpEyCzWI/AAAAAAAAAR4/GeU4lv63i_4/s320/opal+024.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Cobar - we’re at Cobar now - another town famous for mining - copper, zinc and gold over the years. We’ve visited the Heritage Centre which was good and again had an eye opener into life for the early settlers in Australia. Geoff reckons the government got things wrong way back in the day … the convicts should have stayed in Britain and we should have been sent to Oz - however I don’t envy the work the convicts or the early settlers endured. Life out in the ’bush’ and all these surrounding towns and villages we’ve visited, still seems quite primitive to me; it’s been fantastic to visit and see how life is for people here, but I’m looking forward to being back in civilisation again in the next couple of weeks! Might have to drag Geoff away though as he’s loving it!!!</span></span></div>Ruthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10650126379437046873noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6021650782213855630.post-83367552146622904312011-05-03T03:18:00.000-07:002011-05-03T03:18:21.935-07:00The Great Ocean Road …. Just Doesn’t Do It!<div style="text-align: justify;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-pcyWNGCz3N0/Tb_L3jAGeDI/AAAAAAAAAPI/jFAin3rIoIg/s1600/torquay+090.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="160" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-pcyWNGCz3N0/Tb_L3jAGeDI/AAAAAAAAAPI/jFAin3rIoIg/s320/torquay+090.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Start of The Great Ocean Road</td></tr>
</tbody></table><span id="goog_1613442265"></span><span id="goog_1613442266"></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">We’d heard so much about the “Great Ocean Road” … how wonderful it is, the amazing views, the wonderful sites, the fantastic sculptures which rise up out of the sea, the windy roads when you have no idea what beautiful scenery will meet you around the next corner, the turquoise waters and deep blue skies, quaint towns along the way, idyllic places to stop and enjoy the calm - and so the list went on. You can imagine we were excited about travelling such a wonderful journey. </span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-NxCifaFCUUQ/Tb_LyfxJVvI/AAAAAAAAAPE/cEEKRtmt73Q/s1600/torquay+084.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="193" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-NxCifaFCUUQ/Tb_LyfxJVvI/AAAAAAAAAPE/cEEKRtmt73Q/s320/torquay+084.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Geoff enjoying the views</td></tr>
</tbody></table><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">But I’m afraid that The ‘Great’ Ocean Road just doesn’t do it …. ‘great’ just isn’t a word which describes the awesomeness of what we saw - and the pictures don’t do it justice either - but I’m sure you’ll get a taste of what it was like. We loved it! Our ‘informants’ had all been correct in what they told us - it is just the most amazing drive we’ve ever experienced. </span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-XemkhlyR1I4/Tb_Lq-HA-dI/AAAAAAAAAPA/3lLER6qSEXY/s1600/torquay+080.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-XemkhlyR1I4/Tb_Lq-HA-dI/AAAAAAAAAPA/3lLER6qSEXY/s320/torquay+080.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">After our ferry trip from Sorrento to Queenscliff … which was an experience in itself - taking the car and van on the boat - we booked into a camp site at Torquay and decided that the next day we would drive through Anglesea, Aireys Inlet and Lorne right along to Apollo Bay (a round trip of about 180km) - quite a drive - but as we were stopping another night at the camp site, we didn’t have the van to tow so were able to enjoy the drive, stopping at all the viewing points and taking in the lovely views. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The following day was move on day and we had the same journey to do as we’d done the previous day - this time with the van - some very very windy roads and my heart spent quite a lot of time in my mouth! We set off early and stopped along the way for a picnic - the beauty of towing the van is that you can stop and have a rest, cuppa, sandwich etc whenever you want! We went a bit further along the Great Ocean Road to Princetown, set up and then drove to see the famous 12 Apostles - only there’s just 8 now as 4 have eroded over the years! Awesome sight!</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-F2cPsFnMtHw/Tb_Me8NhzCI/AAAAAAAAAPQ/9p0MEZQokxo/s1600/ocean+road+035.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-F2cPsFnMtHw/Tb_Me8NhzCI/AAAAAAAAAPQ/9p0MEZQokxo/s320/ocean+road+035.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Apostles</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-rKdNEmJsVkc/Tb_N8llEmlI/AAAAAAAAAPU/tkotgbPiOYE/s1600/ocean+road+038.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-rKdNEmJsVkc/Tb_N8llEmlI/AAAAAAAAAPU/tkotgbPiOYE/s320/ocean+road+038.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-P-dfVwCcbZ4/Tb_OUuFXMBI/AAAAAAAAAPY/eDqZQA288SE/s1600/ocean+road+044.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-P-dfVwCcbZ4/Tb_OUuFXMBI/AAAAAAAAAPY/eDqZQA288SE/s320/ocean+road+044.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> The next day we completed the Great Ocean Road and went further on to Port Fairy, stopping at Warrnambool for our usual picnic on the way. Again there were some absolutely fantastic sights - we stopped at every viewing place - I’ll just let the pictures speak for themselves - basically because I don’t have the words to describe how magnificent these rocks appeared to us. </span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-HEQuZ3Mz_oA/Tb_Pak75G3I/AAAAAAAAAPc/3kNa0RYb0sU/s1600/ocean+roadf+036.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-HEQuZ3Mz_oA/Tb_Pak75G3I/AAAAAAAAAPc/3kNa0RYb0sU/s320/ocean+roadf+036.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-wLTMxNa-xtM/Tb_Pl1GfAZI/AAAAAAAAAPg/46QgdhwR56M/s1600/ocean+roadf+046.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-wLTMxNa-xtM/Tb_Pl1GfAZI/AAAAAAAAAPg/46QgdhwR56M/s320/ocean+roadf+046.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">London Bridge</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-rxZQ7AclGjM/Tb_PzmzlznI/AAAAAAAAAPk/Vvg8c8hk2fs/s1600/ocean+roadf+047.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-rxZQ7AclGjM/Tb_PzmzlznI/AAAAAAAAAPk/Vvg8c8hk2fs/s320/ocean+roadf+047.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-4Oy0n-wbEeg/Tb_QEja8S3I/AAAAAAAAAPo/ujTO_U-_5mU/s1600/ocean+roadf+069.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-4Oy0n-wbEeg/Tb_QEja8S3I/AAAAAAAAAPo/ujTO_U-_5mU/s320/ocean+roadf+069.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-AuQ0i6QovEU/Tb_QgaYhQ9I/AAAAAAAAAPs/0cWyp2U6w-4/s1600/ocean+roadf+079.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-AuQ0i6QovEU/Tb_QgaYhQ9I/AAAAAAAAAPs/0cWyp2U6w-4/s320/ocean+roadf+079.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Grotto</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-4k6noYYrYwI/Tb_Q1FGHKBI/AAAAAAAAAPw/1y6Rf9iqxwg/s1600/ocean+roadf+094.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-4k6noYYrYwI/Tb_Q1FGHKBI/AAAAAAAAAPw/1y6Rf9iqxwg/s320/ocean+roadf+094.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Martyrs</td></tr>
</tbody></table><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> </span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-3iMsH6zfznk/Tb_RE4aiFTI/AAAAAAAAAP0/of6k9OikyhA/s1600/ocean+roadf+112.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-3iMsH6zfznk/Tb_RE4aiFTI/AAAAAAAAAP0/of6k9OikyhA/s320/ocean+roadf+112.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">So - like I say - The “Great” Ocean Road just doesn’t ‘do it’ - it really should be called the “Most Amazing, Astonishing, Astounding, Awesome, Beautiful, Breath-taking, Fantastic, Incredible, Inspiring, Magnificent, Remarkable, Surprising, Wonderful Ocean Road”!</span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-GD8P_trA-Zg/Tb_L85wyPLI/AAAAAAAAAPM/WfHuK4CRAbs/s1600/torquay+123.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="186" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-GD8P_trA-Zg/Tb_L85wyPLI/AAAAAAAAAPM/WfHuK4CRAbs/s320/torquay+123.JPG" width="320" /></a></div></div>Ruthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10650126379437046873noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6021650782213855630.post-31337995118005336952011-05-02T01:15:00.000-07:002011-05-02T02:46:08.819-07:00Healesville<div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">We had planned to meet up with cousin Geoff, Janelle and a Beth, a friend of theirs, staying at another cousin’s home in Bright. However Bill and Hilde decided to take a trip to the UK - how inconsiderate of them!!! So we had a change of plan, and Geoff and Janelle booked a cottage in Healesville where we arranged to meet up with them. Healesville isn’t far from Melbourne so it fitted in well with our planned route. Unfortunately most of the pictures were taken on my ipod and I’m afraid I can’t download them (modern technology and all that!) so pics are few and far between for this blog. </span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-d1_dWq5EYP8/Tb5kii0-lBI/AAAAAAAAAOw/RMYMoYiEz_4/s1600/packenham+008.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-d1_dWq5EYP8/Tb5kii0-lBI/AAAAAAAAAOw/RMYMoYiEz_4/s320/packenham+008.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The caravan site at Healesville</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> We booked onto a site for 5 nights leading up to the Easter weekend - most site’s are fully booked for Easter as school holidays are so popular and everyone seems to go camping or caravanning and you need to book well in advance (like 12 months sometimes!!). The Ozzies certainly Work to Live (rather than Live to Work) and enjoy their holidays and free time so much. Another lesson we’ve learned which we hope to put into practice when we return home. We couldn’t have booked a better site - it was literally just around the corner from Geoff and Janelle’s little cottage. We met up the first night at the local RSL Club and had a meal and caught up with all the news. </span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-QIpDWICdQvM/Tb5ky_29HvI/AAAAAAAAAO4/aYK07cJdJSo/s1600/packenham+007.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-QIpDWICdQvM/Tb5ky_29HvI/AAAAAAAAAO4/aYK07cJdJSo/s320/packenham+007.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ruth helping Geoff prepare dinner</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> On the Sunday evening Geoff (my Geoff) arranged to cook dinner at their cottage. We bought what looked like a lovely Sirloin joint, did the veg and put it all in the oven. Turns out that it was Australian Corned Beef ….soaked in Brine…(not like our tinned corned beef back home) but anyway - you’re not supposed to roast it. Laughs all round again. But it was ok and we had a good night!</span></div></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">On the Tuesday all went out to local towns and villages, generally having a good mooch around and yes, meeting up for lunch. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;" /></div><div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I had a day trip with them which started off as a bit of a disaster - everywhere we’d planned to go was closed - we just laughed and laughed … so we had to find a café for scones and hot chocolate! We went on to a winery and were given a fantastic and very informative tour - the grand finale being - yes you’ve guessed it - wine tasting. And of course, we had to find another café for a light lunch. Geoff and I were treated to a fantastic meal that evening at the local hotel - thanks Geoff, Janelle and Beth!</span></div><div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;" /></div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-zKyWhlXxCjU/Tb5kr_YKniI/AAAAAAAAAO0/uuVWP8kqMfo/s1600/packenham+005.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-zKyWhlXxCjU/Tb5kr_YKniI/AAAAAAAAAO0/uuVWP8kqMfo/s320/packenham+005.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Janelle</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">We had a lovely few days with them - as you can tell - mostly centred around food! Ahhhh well - diet starts again tomorrow!!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">We went back to Helen’s place just outside Melbourne as we couldn’t get booked onto any other camp site. It worked out really well as Geoff was able to do a few extra jobs around the farm for her and we were able to go to the Easter services at the local Baptist Church - which were really good. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> We left Helen’s on the Tuesday morning heading to the Great Ocean Road. Our little adventure to get there included a trip from Sorrento</span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> over to </span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Queenscliff</span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> on the ferry - interesting taking the caravan on a boat - but a lovely trip and so to start our journey along the Great Ocean Road. But that’s another story!</span></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-W9vyeJyMJKA/Tb5mamBCUxI/AAAAAAAAAO8/4mTJoctjWfs/s1600/torquay+023.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-W9vyeJyMJKA/Tb5mamBCUxI/AAAAAAAAAO8/4mTJoctjWfs/s320/torquay+023.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our house on the ferry!</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div style="text-align: justify;"></div>Ruthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10650126379437046873noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6021650782213855630.post-37062911621342002752011-04-27T03:29:00.000-07:002011-04-27T03:46:01.426-07:00Melbourne<div style="text-align: justify;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-SbhFMJa3BCk/TbftrAV3qYI/AAAAAAAAAOo/_6pe3vEzCjg/s1600/melburne+038.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-SbhFMJa3BCk/TbftrAV3qYI/AAAAAAAAAOo/_6pe3vEzCjg/s320/melburne+038.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-DSs5AWDmSq8/TbfrvLhDtoI/AAAAAAAAAOI/W2gP0ZJm4wo/s1600/melburne+028.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-DSs5AWDmSq8/TbfrvLhDtoI/AAAAAAAAAOI/W2gP0ZJm4wo/s320/melburne+028.JPG" width="239" /></a><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-DdLTp0vn6zY/Tbfrxf1_wFI/AAAAAAAAAOM/vo5YWjlKARc/s1600/melburne+033.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"></div><div style="text-align: justify;"></div><div style="text-align: justify;"></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">After visiting Brisbane, Sydney and Canberra we were looking forward to seeing what Melbourne had to offer and how it compared to the other “big cities” of Oz. We were staying with Helen in Upper Beaconsfield and she kindly dropped us off at the train station and we duly caught our train into Melbourne - an hours journey - seeing the sites you only ever see from a train …. the graffiti, scrap yards, rubbish dumps etc etc. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-RSrpk05hgRk/TbfuJjejjWI/AAAAAAAAAOs/GZzyBIP-OzA/s1600/melburne+023.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-RSrpk05hgRk/TbfuJjejjWI/AAAAAAAAAOs/GZzyBIP-OzA/s320/melburne+023.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-DdLTp0vn6zY/Tbfrxf1_wFI/AAAAAAAAAOM/vo5YWjlKARc/s1600/melburne+033.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="160" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-DdLTp0vn6zY/Tbfrxf1_wFI/AAAAAAAAAOM/vo5YWjlKARc/s320/melburne+033.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">When we got to Melbourne we wandered about like headless chooks (or chickens to you pommies!!!) for a while finally finding ourselves at the harbour. It was a fairly nice day and we enjoyed looking at the boats and the very odd ‘cow in a tree’ sculpture which apparently is a reminder of floods and how cows have actually got stuck up trees. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"></div><div style="text-align: justify;"></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-69lpWl6mp7I/TbfrzcnU15I/AAAAAAAAAOQ/z_XT3sEvGfo/s1600/melburne+037.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-69lpWl6mp7I/TbfrzcnU15I/AAAAAAAAAOQ/z_XT3sEvGfo/s320/melburne+037.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cow up the Tree!!</td></tr>
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-YFN-P6jTpD4/Tbfr9j5pJYI/AAAAAAAAAOg/I_w0ca5c9b0/s1600/melburne+050.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-YFN-P6jTpD4/Tbfr9j5pJYI/AAAAAAAAAOg/I_w0ca5c9b0/s320/melburne+050.JPG" width="240" /></a><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">We decided that it was just too much like hard work to try walking around the city, so we hopped on a tram which took us around (free of charge) and gave a commentary of where we were and what we might see in the area. We got off the tram when about the heard “Captain Cook’s Cottage” and managed to make our way to the cottage which had been transported in 1934 brick by brick from Great Ayton (not far from our home in Redcar) to Melbourne. A quaint little cottage with hedges and roses and typical of the Yorkshire cottages we still see today - although obviously this one was a very un-modernised version having being restored to it’s original mid-18th century appearance. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ar712sciie8/Tbfr1fTEwMI/AAAAAAAAAOU/-7GTtgLhOnw/s1600/melburne+044.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ar712sciie8/Tbfr1fTEwMI/AAAAAAAAAOU/-7GTtgLhOnw/s320/melburne+044.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-nBV2uW7zi0o/Tbfr3Yp7vGI/AAAAAAAAAOY/e4kTsZeKsQc/s1600/melburne+045.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-nBV2uW7zi0o/Tbfr3Yp7vGI/AAAAAAAAAOY/e4kTsZeKsQc/s320/melburne+045.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-i70jFrqQUHM/Tbfr6s7E1BI/AAAAAAAAAOc/k8NMbVsP-XI/s1600/melburne+049.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-i70jFrqQUHM/Tbfr6s7E1BI/AAAAAAAAAOc/k8NMbVsP-XI/s320/melburne+049.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-XDuIDSAK_Xk/TbfsBkJSmJI/AAAAAAAAAOk/nt0ZLtbgPa8/s1600/melburne+052.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-XDuIDSAK_Xk/TbfsBkJSmJI/AAAAAAAAAOk/nt0ZLtbgPa8/s320/melburne+052.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">After the tour around the cottage (which took about 5 minutes!) we jumped back on the tram to finish our circuit of the city, had a look around some shops, and did a fair bit of ‘people watching’ while we enjoyed a cuppa and muffin. Seemed to us that Melbourne was full of young people who were there to socialise - the street cafes were ‘chockablock’, the streets were full of people just walking and talking - and to be honest - we’d had enough - so we caught the train back to the quietness of the countryside! A sign of getting old? Or just a realisation that shopping is not so much fun when you know that you really don’t need anything, have no room to put it, would have to pay excess luggage to get it back to UK and actually really don’t need anything extra anyway! </span></div>Ruthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10650126379437046873noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6021650782213855630.post-33067959839349054672011-04-26T15:32:00.000-07:002011-04-26T15:32:41.060-07:00Helen<div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-8jNIf4juiY4/Tbc_QQpX_BI/AAAAAAAAANc/5EvPoXlvILw/s1600/packenham+025.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-8jNIf4juiY4/Tbc_QQpX_BI/AAAAAAAAANc/5EvPoXlvILw/s320/packenham+025.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Helen</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div style="text-align: justify;">This may not be my normal sort of blog episode - but I want to write about Helen. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
Our memories of her and a little bit about her life as she told us. She’s a really remarkable woman who I just know my writings will not do justice to. I hope it’s not too boring for you! <br />
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We met Helen at Tathra back in mid March when she literally bounded around to our caravan door and introduced herself. We invited her in and had a cuppa together … she was in a little van next to ours, she was by herself, had towed the van the 560 kms to Tathra (on the east coast) from her home in Upper Beaconsfield in Victoria and, over the years, had travelled far and wide. She owns and works her farm by herself, her husband having died several years ago. Nothing unusual in that you may think - except Helen is 72 years of age and at the age of 40 she was told she wouldn’t live to see her 45th birthday. She has treated herself with herbs, natural remedies and colour therapy and the doctors really can’t explain how she‘s still alive! <br />
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We spent a fair bit of time with Helen at Tathra then accidentally bumped into her again further on south at Malacoota when we saw her in a hotel having a meal. We joined her and then walked her back to her van at the end of the evening. She made us laugh when she couldn’t quite remember which site she was on and plodded through a huge muddy puddle - laughing her socks off as she went! She had more life in her than Geoff and I put together! When we said goodbye she gave us her address and phone number and said we were welcome to stay on her farm if ever we got stuck for somewhere to stay. We promised we would be in touch. <br />
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After our time at Phillip Island we had a few days before we were due to meet up with my cousin Geoff and Janelle in Healesville. Helen’s place was just about an hour away from there, so we gave her a call and arranged to visit. When we drove up the dirt track to her farm Geoff was awestruck! The views and the whole aspect of the farm was totally amazing. “I’m gonna love it here” is all he kept saying!</div><div style="text-align: justify;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-R8H8gIiJGo8/TbdCRHk1qsI/AAAAAAAAAOE/R8JBI-GM1lY/s1600/melburne+001.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-R8H8gIiJGo8/TbdCRHk1qsI/AAAAAAAAAOE/R8JBI-GM1lY/s320/melburne+001.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>Helen has been through two devastating bush fires - the first one back in 1980 something, when she was the last one to leave the area alive, completely destroyed her home and the majority of her belongings. She was able to rescue just a few of her family heirlooms. Many of her neighbours were killed in the fires, there being 179 in total in the region who died. When she returned to her completely burnt home - now just a pile of ashes, and devastated farm, she arranged for an old railway Guards Van to be delivered - that’s where she lived for 3 years while her house was re-built. She only had enough money to buy the stone and pay the stone mason - she did all the labouring herself. She didn’t have any running water or electricity during that time. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-w-fQ6JjeTMA/TbdAFS5rpyI/AAAAAAAAANw/jEcRFZWcVvw/s1600/melburne+054.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-w-fQ6JjeTMA/TbdAFS5rpyI/AAAAAAAAANw/jEcRFZWcVvw/s320/melburne+054.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-QPD9lpi6hjw/TbdAGZ7yLpI/AAAAAAAAAN0/93cCkVYbX4U/s1600/melburne+060.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-QPD9lpi6hjw/TbdAGZ7yLpI/AAAAAAAAAN0/93cCkVYbX4U/s320/melburne+060.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_yN2BkhIpd4/TbdAHDhPZ2I/AAAAAAAAAN4/mrfcjTP-XZo/s1600/melburne+062.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_yN2BkhIpd4/TbdAHDhPZ2I/AAAAAAAAAN4/mrfcjTP-XZo/s320/melburne+062.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/--C31KM9rr9M/TbdBAlOe9XI/AAAAAAAAAOA/kP5yEgYcX_4/s1600/melburne+059.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/--C31KM9rr9M/TbdBAlOe9XI/AAAAAAAAAOA/kP5yEgYcX_4/s320/melburne+059.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our van down by the Guards Carriage</td></tr>
</tbody></table>In addition to the cottage being built, she had a 10,000 gallon concrete tank buried out front…..THE BUNKER!. They’re not going to get me again she laugh’s… fitted out with all the furniture basics, and a stock of tinned food…running water… tv and radio… bless her …. (was that a bottle of brandy there?)…….<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-BrNlusqS0_4/Tbc_PeYeWFI/AAAAAAAAANY/j1ALQn4ytgg/s1600/packenham+029.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-BrNlusqS0_4/Tbc_PeYeWFI/AAAAAAAAANY/j1ALQn4ytgg/s320/packenham+029.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Narbathon</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-_CjPpZw-voY/Tbc_Rs2nYFI/AAAAAAAAANg/0gbiouV__4A/s1600/packenham+026.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-_CjPpZw-voY/Tbc_Rs2nYFI/AAAAAAAAANg/0gbiouV__4A/s320/packenham+026.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Helen's shed on Narbathon property</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-_fgjqBa0ZdU/Tbc_Svil1HI/AAAAAAAAANk/4TVVrfI6Zdo/s1600/packenham+028.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-_fgjqBa0ZdU/Tbc_Svil1HI/AAAAAAAAANk/4TVVrfI6Zdo/s320/packenham+028.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Recovering trees after bush fire</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div style="text-align: justify;">Two years ago another of her properties at Narbathon 60km’s north was burnt to the ground during bush fires, which were supposedly started by a local fireman would you credit!!. Helen took us up to the property which is still in a sorry state. But the trees, with the black, burnt trunks are starting to show signs of life again. She has built a shed on the land and has started clearing the bush (with local help) to make room for the new home she plans to build there. Helen just loves the trees and the Australian bush and gets so excited to see the progress, and her beloved property coming back to life, albeit very very slowly. </div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-oQoiqkBwahk/Tbc_l_c8wvI/AAAAAAAAANs/NtuLt1DSDRE/s1600/packenham+019.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-oQoiqkBwahk/Tbc_l_c8wvI/AAAAAAAAANs/NtuLt1DSDRE/s320/packenham+019.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">New Life</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div style="text-align: justify;">It’s impossible to imagine the feelings of total fear and helplessness as you see a fire raging towards you at 60kms per hour. Where to go? How to get out? What can I take with me? Will I survive? … How do you ever get over that - I don’t know.<br />
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On top of all that, two years ago her daughter died aged 45 under very sad and suspect circumstances - the police didn’t want to know, and recorded the death as suicide. While we were there Helen was able to start going through some of her daughter’s belongings - something she hadn’t been able to do up to that point. It’s a start. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-nHW29LM4HZM/Tbc_kwFy4kI/AAAAAAAAANo/Xbi81kZJubY/s1600/packenham+021.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-nHW29LM4HZM/Tbc_kwFy4kI/AAAAAAAAANo/Xbi81kZJubY/s320/packenham+021.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Helen has an absolutely wicked sense of humour - she certainly made a match for Geoff. After our time in Healesville we returned to Helen’s farm for the Easter period. We were able to help her out in small ways, and Geoff was able to sharpen tools, get her tractor working again, cut grass, fix gates, make a rake thing which could be attached to the back of her ride on lawn mower to collect the sticks and fallen stringy bark, and lots of other little jobs. She was over the moon. She loved the company, although she describes herself as a bit of a hermit, I think she enjoyed sharing and reminiscing about her life and family. She took us to meet her sister and see their fantastic underground house (no bushfires will get them!) and rescued wallabies they care for. <br />
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She reckons we were sent by God to help her. I reckon She’s been an inspiration to us - she allowed us to be a part of her life for a short time, and shared with us in such a lovely open way that we will never ever forget our time with Helen.<br />
</div>Ruthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10650126379437046873noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6021650782213855630.post-64591736036289728452011-04-10T03:43:00.000-07:002011-04-10T03:43:18.360-07:00Two Out of Three Aint Bad<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-YTBKX_9a81I/TaGEDJrTvGI/AAAAAAAAAMc/8bhHh1rzD-Y/s1600/philip+island+007.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-YTBKX_9a81I/TaGEDJrTvGI/AAAAAAAAAMc/8bhHh1rzD-Y/s320/philip+island+007.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Phillip Island</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-jpphJ5jw0V8/TaGEHhWn3QI/AAAAAAAAAMk/xFgjRsTI7LI/s1600/philip+island+026.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-jpphJ5jw0V8/TaGEHhWn3QI/AAAAAAAAAMk/xFgjRsTI7LI/s320/philip+island+026.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Phillip Island</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;">Now - most of you will know of the three great loves in my life (not including my family of course!) So during our 6 days on Phillip Island in Victoria I came face to face with two of the three - both on the same day … a day made in heaven - the ‘bestest’ day of my life - fandabbydosey - can we do it again - I don’t want this day to end - … etc etc</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;">If you’ve read previous blogs you’ll have heard my gripe about the cost of chocolate in Australia - and it doesn’t even taste like proper chocolate! Honestly it’s got a different taste - not as creamy and yummy - which is probably a good thing coz of my diabetes. (Think they put something in it so it doesn’t melt in the heat they’re supposed to have here!) However, on Phillip Island there’s this Chocolate Factory called Pannys … Willy Wonka has nothing on this factory! (A few more doses of insulin and I’ll be fine!) This chocolate is proper chocolate. Absolutely gorgeous. Yummy. Deeeeelicioussssssssss! I’ll let the pictures do the rest of the talking!</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"></div><div style="text-align: justify;"></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-sEVv8SpcjQE/TaGEuNJq9uI/AAAAAAAAANM/pQEo8A2ZJ2E/s1600/philip+island+cont+012.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-sEVv8SpcjQE/TaGEuNJq9uI/AAAAAAAAANM/pQEo8A2ZJ2E/s320/philip+island+cont+012.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Michelangelo's 'David' - made of solid chocolate</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-q4LdCKrEBmg/TaGEj60VJ1I/AAAAAAAAAM4/qTzgZLyvlSk/s1600/philip+island+cont+014.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-q4LdCKrEBmg/TaGEj60VJ1I/AAAAAAAAAM4/qTzgZLyvlSk/s320/philip+island+cont+014.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mosaic of Dame Edna Everage - made from individual chocolates</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-PIVmd5HH8rk/TaGEmLlUYkI/AAAAAAAAAM8/a3ii-DYjE3k/s1600/philip+island+cont+015.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-PIVmd5HH8rk/TaGEmLlUYkI/AAAAAAAAAM8/a3ii-DYjE3k/s320/philip+island+cont+015.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Train set - yes completely made of chocolate</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-RyecXcS20nU/TaGEoXvhsxI/AAAAAAAAANA/I2ttiLpEa2E/s1600/philip+island+cont+018.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-RyecXcS20nU/TaGEoXvhsxI/AAAAAAAAANA/I2ttiLpEa2E/s320/philip+island+cont+018.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A ton .... full ton ... of solid chocolate ... yummy!!!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-dHXixGXYUh8/TaGEqFb0LgI/AAAAAAAAANE/hlB45NLyTJo/s1600/philip+island+cont+008.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-dHXixGXYUh8/TaGEqFb0LgI/AAAAAAAAANE/hlB45NLyTJo/s320/philip+island+cont+008.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Happy Happy Happy .... got a free sample!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-J7BpPXLoiUA/TaGEry2byEI/AAAAAAAAANI/d7jS8WoXy-g/s1600/philip+island+cont+010.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-J7BpPXLoiUA/TaGEry2byEI/AAAAAAAAANI/d7jS8WoXy-g/s320/philip+island+cont+010.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Chocolate Penguins!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/--EkZsg7RY6Y/TaGEy2imvLI/AAAAAAAAANU/PJ5ss9kpq6w/s1600/philip+island+cont+022.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/--EkZsg7RY6Y/TaGEy2imvLI/AAAAAAAAANU/PJ5ss9kpq6w/s320/philip+island+cont+022.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My chocolate - made by me .. Geoff says that's why we don't have cats!</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Rfn-eVv3NT0/TaGEFYtJ_BI/AAAAAAAAAMg/W9ciMn4XZKI/s1600/philip+island+023.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Rfn-eVv3NT0/TaGEFYtJ_BI/AAAAAAAAAMg/W9ciMn4XZKI/s320/philip+island+023.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;">The same evening we went to the Penguin Parade … we’d been warned it would be cold so I had on a pair of leggings followed by tracky trousers, 3 tee-shirts and a sweatshirt, and the scarf I knitted the other week! Geoff was well wrapped up too - but we were still cold! Anyway - there must have been about 200 people sitting on these concrete steps on the beach from about 5.30 pm waiting for the sun to set when the fairy penguins (or little penguins as they are also known) would come out of the sea and make their way to their homes for the night. You heard them before you actually saw them - making a right racket they were for such tiny animals. They waddled across the beach in little groups - very very carefully, looking out for danger. Any sudden noise, or bird flying overhead they would stop and wait, dead still, until they were sure they were not in any danger. It was a bit difficult to see them with it being so dark and them being so tiny and black - or actually more like a bluey colour, but you could make them out waddling up out of the sea and across the beach like little old men - they just needed miniature zimmer frames to help them along!! We then walked along the board walks and watched the penguins slowly making their way to their little homes along their own little paths through the bushes etc. The fairy penguins are only about 13 inches tall, and some of them walk 2 kms once they're out of the sea to get to their burrow. Tough little fellas they are! </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;"> </span></div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-wp5YOrJ9tNw/TaGELC8NtBI/AAAAAAAAAMo/stNDpi18T1k/s1600/philip+island+031.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-wp5YOrJ9tNw/TaGELC8NtBI/AAAAAAAAAMo/stNDpi18T1k/s320/philip+island+031.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The penguin houses</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;">The whole area is a big conservation area and the penguins are very well protected - hence no photography was allowed so I’m afraid there’s no actual pictures of the Penguin Parade - sorry. There is one of a penguin in his little house which we were able to snap a couple of days previously when we’d gone for a walk and were fortunate enough to spot him. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;"> </span></div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-YsWLuKoqf1k/TaGEOMQDyhI/AAAAAAAAAMs/fygdx2Lzclk/s1600/philip+island+034.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-YsWLuKoqf1k/TaGEOMQDyhI/AAAAAAAAAMs/fygdx2Lzclk/s320/philip+island+034.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">You can just make out the penguin inside his little house</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;"> </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;"> </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;"> </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;"> </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;"> </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;"> </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;"> </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;"> </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;"> </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;"> </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;"> </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;"> </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;"> </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;"> </span></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-XQlOkq0eTxI/TaGEP1GSQAI/AAAAAAAAAMw/E-YJecjoUqA/s1600/philip+island+105.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-XQlOkq0eTxI/TaGEP1GSQAI/AAAAAAAAAMw/E-YJecjoUqA/s320/philip+island+105.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">In the shop!</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-PPD4o5aJPzU/TaGESkhnPyI/AAAAAAAAAM0/5mNYgG568ms/s1600/philip+island+108.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-PPD4o5aJPzU/TaGESkhnPyI/AAAAAAAAAM0/5mNYgG568ms/s320/philip+island+108.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;">I know you’re all now wondering what my third love is …. unfortunately Cliff Richard wasn’t holidaying on Phillip Island this week …. (Can I hear the groans and moans now??!!)</span></div>Ruthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10650126379437046873noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6021650782213855630.post-16005128501011372022011-04-01T16:50:00.000-07:002011-04-01T16:50:09.079-07:00Cabin Fever<div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">So - we’ve spent 7 months in a caravan - and not once have I said “I’m bored” … there’s always been something to do, somewhere to go, someone to talk to either in person or friends and family back home on face book, telephone or Skype. I’ve had the odd days when I’ve really missed the lads, family, Church - and yes - even work to some extent - I suppose the feeling of being useful and needed. But I’ve never, in the whole seven months, felt that I want to do something so badly - but not known what it is that I want to do, or have the ‘get up and go’ to get up and do it!</span><br style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;" /><br style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;" /><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Tonight though - well - I know what Cabin Fever is. And I checked Dictionary.Com to make sure it was what I thought it was - and it is! (noun … a state characterized by anxiety, restlessness, and boredom, arising from a prolonged stay in a remote or confined place - dictionary dot com)</span><br style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;" /><br style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;" /><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">We're staying in Lakes Entrance which is beautiful, and today we’ve had a lovely day out - visiting a couple of local towns, (well local as in within 50km radius - that’s about as local as things get in Oz!) having a wander around some shops at Bairdsdale, lunch with a black swan and some very noisy and greedy gulls at Metung…. visited a beautiful Homestead where I could quite happily live for the rest of my life (providing all my family and friends move over here too of course!), with views over the Lakes. Absolutely beautiful!</span><br style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;" /><br style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;" /><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Since we came back to the caravan I’ve brought the washing in from the line, folded and put away (no ironing - if it’s creased - put it to the bottom of the pile and hope the creases flatten out by the time you come to wear it again!); done a little bit of beading - but the light went so ended out squinting and couldn’t bead any more; played Monopoly Millionaires and Bejewelled on face book (not very well so gave that up as a bad job); chatted to Mark (Oz), Helen (UK) and Sheree (Oz) on face book - not all at once - so that took a while - isn’t modern technology wonderful - chatting to Helen in UK from Australia - (morning there, evening here); text Donna to see if baby making any signs of putting in an appearance yet (he/she isn't ... must be a boy as he's late and obviously far too comfortable where he is!) and phoned Dad; caught up on the couple of blogs I’m following - Sarah’s… she’s so talented - makes my blogs seem very mundane, and Nigel & Amanda’s … what a fantastic time they seem to be having in America; cooked tea - not very exciting - scrambled eggs on toast tonight; washed up and put away (not that there was much to wash up from scrambled eggs on toast mind!) and made endless cups of coffee for Geoff and hot water for me. </span><br style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;" /><br style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;" /><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">It’s too dark to do my cross stitch or beading, I’m not in the mood for reading my book, I finished knitting my scarf yesterday …. yes, I’ve been knitting - I haven’t knit anything since before Carl was born 24 years ago! Admittedly it’s only a scarf but I’m actually quite proud of my scarf - I wanted it to be chilly today so I could wear it - but the sun’s been shining. I did have to ask in a craft shop for a reminder on how to cast off after a dream the other night that my scarf was about 43ft long ‘cause I couldn’t cast off and Elaine wouldn’t tell me how! Geoff suggested a walk - but my foot’s been playing up and I can’t walk very far without being in pain so didn’t want to do that either. A drink over at the Bowls Club - nahhhh… can‘t be bothered. </span><br style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;" /><br style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;" /><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">So what’s left to do? I refuse to go to bed before 8pm - not long to go now - but actually I’m really not that tired. I bought a dart board and some darts the other day from the Op Shop (or charity shop) but it’s probably not very wise to play darts in the van - Geoff’s job for tomorrow is to fix somewhere safe for me to play. </span><br style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;" /><br style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;" /><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Hmmm - just thought - we haven’t been fishing today - maybe I’m getting withdrawal symptoms????? Have I mentioned lately that I’m catching all the fish - oh and a couple of swimming crabs last night! </span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-0rTDAXyKuSs/TZZiEWedhBI/AAAAAAAAAMY/1WP06_HmsD0/s1600/lakes+entrance+....cont+035.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-0rTDAXyKuSs/TZZiEWedhBI/AAAAAAAAAMY/1WP06_HmsD0/s320/lakes+entrance+....cont+035.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div>Ruthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10650126379437046873noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6021650782213855630.post-53653662699200043172011-03-29T03:39:00.000-07:002011-03-29T03:39:58.507-07:00Snowy Mountains and Beyond<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-tSoXiBZufpM/TZG0bU9e6AI/AAAAAAAAAMU/4kfnzJudLww/s1600/eden......mallacoota+022.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br />
</a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-kp4jMW6DWzs/TZGwLljcQ8I/AAAAAAAAAL4/lTrnCj7JWyQ/s1600/Jindebyne+031.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-kp4jMW6DWzs/TZGwLljcQ8I/AAAAAAAAAL4/lTrnCj7JWyQ/s320/Jindebyne+031.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">From Canberra we made our way to the Snowy Mountains - but as it’s (supposedly) summer here there was no snow to be seen! It was still a lot colder than other places we’ve been though and we had to invest in a blanket and get the fleeces out. The campsite at Jindabyne - which had been recommended by people we met at Canberra - was fantastic. It had a bath!!!! And a sauna and Jacuzzi. Total luxury. There was also a games room where we played pool - Geoff has a bad shoulder so had real difficulty playing - but he still thrashed me. Never mind - guess I have to let him win at some things coz he’s not winning on the fishing stakes. (shurrup woman!)</span><br style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;" /><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"></span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> </span></span></div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-5X2vL2sbFJE/TZGviri9eyI/AAAAAAAAALs/5vfCuxY0LPM/s1600/Jindebyne+024.JPG" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-5X2vL2sbFJE/TZGviri9eyI/AAAAAAAAALs/5vfCuxY0LPM/s320/Jindebyne+024.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lake Eucumbene</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">We went on a tourist trail up to Lake Eucumbene way up in the mountains, round by Dalgety and the Snowy River and back to Jindabyne. We also did a trip to Mount Kosciuszko….(pronounced Kozzyesko) … which is the highest point in Australia. We did think about taking the chair lift and then doing the walk but the weather was really bad so we opted to drive instead. (That’s our excuse and we’re sticking to it!!) Problem there was that we saw lots of very high mountains and weren’t 100% sure which was one was which!! Apparently Judy, Murray and Kirsty went a few days after we’d left and they were able to climb it. The whole place is beautiful - oh and because there’s no snow at the moment, so no skiing - guess what they do down the ski slopes instead …. ride mountain bikes! Honestly - they must be totally off it!! The whole place is geared for the snowy months - skiing, snow boarding etc which seems to clash with our ideas of Oz - and it has to be said that we were very glad there wasn’t any snow about while we were there. </span></span></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Z35J4B6M1EI/TZGwH63XV9I/AAAAAAAAALw/dWeej8Lhi3c/s1600/Jindebyne+017.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Z35J4B6M1EI/TZGwH63XV9I/AAAAAAAAALw/dWeej8Lhi3c/s320/Jindebyne+017.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mountian Biking down the Ski Slopes </td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-q6kLTIfXoCk/TZGwJqqKDHI/AAAAAAAAAL0/xvQjWcVb-0I/s1600/Jindebyne+050.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-q6kLTIfXoCk/TZGwJqqKDHI/AAAAAAAAAL0/xvQjWcVb-0I/s320/Jindebyne+050.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-iR6BCasCFxg/TZGvT7BHcxI/AAAAAAAAALo/6XwOFAEf6NI/s1600/Jindebyne+050.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-iR6BCasCFxg/TZGvT7BHcxI/AAAAAAAAALo/6XwOFAEf6NI/s320/Jindebyne+050.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Snowy River</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"></span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">From Jindabyne we travelled back to the coast (looking for some sun!) to Tathra where we stayed for a few nights. The weather was still a bit cold and wet but guess that’s to be expected as we are now well south. While we were there we met a lovely lady called Helen. She’s in her 70’s and was caravanning on her own. She has a farm just outside of Melbourne and has invited us to stay for a few nights, which we are planning on doing at the beginning of April, on our way to meet up with Geoff and Janelle at Healesville in the Yarra Valley in April.</span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"></span></span></div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-9zC2nDuE4bU/TZGxxElMSAI/AAAAAAAAAL8/l5t05PgEjk0/s1600/eden+004.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-9zC2nDuE4bU/TZGxxElMSAI/AAAAAAAAAL8/l5t05PgEjk0/s320/eden+004.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Very Heavy Rain!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-tSoXiBZufpM/TZG0bU9e6AI/AAAAAAAAAMU/4kfnzJudLww/s1600/eden......mallacoota+022.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-tSoXiBZufpM/TZG0bU9e6AI/AAAAAAAAAMU/4kfnzJudLww/s320/eden......mallacoota+022.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Geoff securing the awning to the car so the van doesn't blow away!</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-7bl_ftId8Gs/TZG0Sasv9MI/AAAAAAAAAMQ/bKj_hfdKo8Q/s1600/eden......mallacoota+020.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-7bl_ftId8Gs/TZG0Sasv9MI/AAAAAAAAAMQ/bKj_hfdKo8Q/s320/eden......mallacoota+020.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Perfect way to spend a rainy day!</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> From Tathra to Eden - still further down the coast. Eden is beautiful - but we had some awful weather while we were there. Very heavy rain (300mm overnight) leading to floods - so much so that the camp site - in fact the whole of the town and coastal area - was without power for a day, roads were closed, most shops were closed and those that were open had no lighting. We were in the neighbours good books when we got the generator out and were able to provide electricity for our 3 caravans! Geoff and I have been fishing quite a bit - a local showed us his tactics for fishing from the wharf - and we caught about 20 Mackerel in the space of an hour or so. Was really good fun! </span></span></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-0_rK7LYPxeg/TZGykLHhWFI/AAAAAAAAAMA/yXEqJ5C4asI/s1600/eden+003.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-0_rK7LYPxeg/TZGykLHhWFI/AAAAAAAAAMA/yXEqJ5C4asI/s320/eden+003.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Visited a Local Village Fair</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-2rlHcPymgws/TZGytvwzqrI/AAAAAAAAAME/uJhYE1TRhlo/s1600/eden+031.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-2rlHcPymgws/TZGytvwzqrI/AAAAAAAAAME/uJhYE1TRhlo/s320/eden+031.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Geoff bonding with the Local Birds</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-kNzpg7udqo0/TZGzdncXI2I/AAAAAAAAAMM/HvN6XZUuaqQ/s1600/eden......mallacoota+059.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-kNzpg7udqo0/TZGzdncXI2I/AAAAAAAAAMM/HvN6XZUuaqQ/s320/eden......mallacoota+059.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-McQskxOqyBs/TZGzcigbiQI/AAAAAAAAAMI/OdxHp0zVH80/s1600/eden......mallacoota+052.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-McQskxOqyBs/TZGzcigbiQI/AAAAAAAAAMI/OdxHp0zVH80/s320/eden......mallacoota+052.JPG" width="320" /></a><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"></span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">After a few days in Eden we moved to Mallacoota which was just about as far away from Redcar as we can possibly get I think. </span><br style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;" /><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">17,107kms…or 10,629 mls as the crow flies! Had a good time there and yet again, met another lovely couple who have invited us to stay at their place near the Yarra Valley after our time with Geoff and Janelle at Easter. </span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">People have been so lovely!</span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">We seem to have got into a routine of moving every 3-4 days at the moment - and Geoff and I have got quite good at packing up the van and getting organised. We have our own jobs - Geoff tends to do the outside stuff - putting the legs up on the caravan, disconnecting water pipes etc, and I do the inside stuff - making sure everything’s secure for our travels, putting the pop top down, loading the chairs etc into the van. Then we hook the car up to the van, check the lights and away we go. Hmmmmm wonder how we’re going to cope when we’re back home - we’ll be wanting to move every week!! </span></span></div>Ruthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10650126379437046873noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6021650782213855630.post-30077497848821277792011-03-13T01:11:00.000-08:002011-03-13T01:11:00.276-08:00Canberra<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"></span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">We left Sydney on the Tuesday morning thinking we would take a couple of days to get to Canberra, maybe a bit of free camping on the way. However, the free campsites weren’t up to much with signs up saying “beware of the snakes” - hmmmm…enough to put us off staying there! (We know they're about but we didn't fancy sharing a camp spot with them!) So we phoned the campsite we were booked in for the Wednesday and arranged to go straight there. We were meeting up with Judy (cousin from Cairns), Murray and their daughter Kirsty so it just meant we were there a night early.</span><br style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;" /><div style="text-align: justify;"><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-hzVoH1If_PE/TXyF1h4W9oI/AAAAAAAAALM/5_EIFxDqzeA/s1600/Canberra+017.JPG" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="201" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-hzVoH1If_PE/TXyF1h4W9oI/AAAAAAAAALM/5_EIFxDqzeA/s320/Canberra+017.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lake Burley Griffin</td></tr>
</tbody></table><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Canberra is the Capital of Australia and has it’s own State - the ACT - Australian Capital Territory. Apparently when they were trying to decide where the capital city should be it was a toss up between Sydney and Melbourne - Canberra is in the middle so that’s where they put it! It is an unusual city in that it was designed following an international competition in 1913, won by an American architect, Walter Burley Griffin. His idea was to build the city in two halves divided by a lake and it‘s sort of built in expanding circles. Building of the city was slow due to the two World Wars, however the old Parliament House was built in 1927 but it wasn’t until the early 1960’s that the river was damed and lake was formed.</span><br style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;" /><br style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;" /><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">In 1988 a new, much larger, Parliament House was built on Capital Hill, it overlooks the old Parliament House and you can look down a long strip direct to the War Memorial and Museum. It really is pretty impressive.</span><br style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;" /><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><a href="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-YOfF2qMEWMM/TXyFQV8yR6I/AAAAAAAAALI/9ZjzazYaqc0/s1600/index.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-YOfF2qMEWMM/TXyFQV8yR6I/AAAAAAAAALI/9ZjzazYaqc0/s1600/index.jpg" /></a><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Anyway - we decided we would take the bus into the centre on the Wednesday morning - not a </span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">problem - the bus stop was just outside the camp site and we were soon in the centre (a bit of a different story coming back!) We visited a small art gallery with paintings by Sydney Nolan … must say neither Geoff or me were very impressed - but then we’re not the ‘educated arty type’!</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"></span><br style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;" /><br style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;" /><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-RILyYMhApng/TXyF2cp0bcI/AAAAAAAAALQ/x7Su7BNQ6as/s1600/Canberra+033.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-RILyYMhApng/TXyF2cp0bcI/AAAAAAAAALQ/x7Su7BNQ6as/s320/Canberra+033.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Because of the layout of the city it’s not the easiest of places to get about and walking from one attraction to another was not really possible. Anyway, we had a wander around the centre; shops, lake, park etc before making our way back to the site for a cuppa with Judy and Co. On the Tuesday night we were invited along with Judy, Murray and Kirsty to have dinner with a cousin of Murray‘s. How friendly and welcoming people have been! We had a lovely time and again have met some wonderful people. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-q-8aTL0-gac/TXyF2t79EzI/AAAAAAAAALU/7hEe0SYabec/s1600/Canberra+045.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="269" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-q-8aTL0-gac/TXyF2t79EzI/AAAAAAAAALU/7hEe0SYabec/s320/Canberra+045.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The following morning Murray’s cousin, Janine and Brian, gave us a short tour to see the sites from the surrounding hills - however it was so foggy/rainy you couldn’t see anything! What a shame. But, we then went to the Imperial War Museum which was really moving - so much information and ‘stuff’ and a lovely Hall of Memory which homes the tomb of the Unknown Australian Soldier and the Commemorative Courtyard where more than 102,000 names are engraved of those Australians who have died during wars since 1885. The Pool of Reflection and the Eternal Flame. We spent a couple of hours at this museum and it was well worth the visit.</span></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-ZRWWQ8VbMoU/TXyF3kM90EI/AAAAAAAAALc/sQ6VkyWSBeE/s1600/Canberra+063.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-ZRWWQ8VbMoU/TXyF3kM90EI/AAAAAAAAALc/sQ6VkyWSBeE/s320/Canberra+063.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pool of Reflection</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">We then drove to Parliament House - an impressive building - which visitors are allowed to wander about. Very modern, expensive, a lot of marble, and, in my humble opinion, not a patch on London’s Houses of Parliament! (Sorry)</span></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-aZrymrmHaC4/TXyF4tFVVuI/AAAAAAAAALk/iMokkC-eDh8/s1600/Canberra+085.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-aZrymrmHaC4/TXyF4tFVVuI/AAAAAAAAALk/iMokkC-eDh8/s320/Canberra+085.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">View from Parliament House down to Old Parliament House with War Memorial beyond</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-wCXB7RBwiDw/TXyF4KgOfyI/AAAAAAAAALg/t7ZeI3-a34M/s1600/Canberra+069.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-wCXB7RBwiDw/TXyF4KgOfyI/AAAAAAAAALg/t7ZeI3-a34M/s320/Canberra+069.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Parliament House</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">We had a lovely meal that evening with Judy, Murray and Kirsty before packing up the next morning to go our separate ways. Judy and Murray to Bright in Victoria and us to Jindabyne in the Snowy Mountains.</span><br style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;" /><br style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;" /><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">So … Canberra … yes it’s the capital city of Australia - it was nice - but there’s really not a great deal we can say about it. After the hustle and bustle of Sydney (and we’ve yet to experience Melbourne) I’m afraid we weren't too impressed. </span><br style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;" /><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">But then….we don’t have to be hey ….(Geoff) </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-fHnU9ZRMEnE/TXyF3NwbDgI/AAAAAAAAALY/61YCuOhcKo8/s1600/Canberra+049.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-fHnU9ZRMEnE/TXyF3NwbDgI/AAAAAAAAALY/61YCuOhcKo8/s320/Canberra+049.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Anzac Parade</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div style="text-align: justify;"><br style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;" /><br style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;" /><br style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;" /></div>Ruthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10650126379437046873noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6021650782213855630.post-27105288896709928542011-03-11T22:01:00.000-08:002011-03-11T22:01:01.230-08:00Sydney<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-lc-YIDMXGmc/TXsFG-yc0rI/AAAAAAAAAKU/8GR7ik1Yc4U/s1600/Sydney+034.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="160" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-lc-YIDMXGmc/TXsFG-yc0rI/AAAAAAAAAKU/8GR7ik1Yc4U/s320/Sydney+034.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-MikpHSDGrIM/TXsF3igl3kI/AAAAAAAAAKY/9ahUsuHMokA/s1600/Sydney+cont+007.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-MikpHSDGrIM/TXsF3igl3kI/AAAAAAAAAKY/9ahUsuHMokA/s320/Sydney+cont+007.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Well - what can we say?!! Sydney was “Amazing”. We stayed at a caravan park called Lane Cove which as just outside the centre, though when you were there you wouldn’t know you were so close to the city apart from the sound of aeroplanes overhead. Lane Cove is a national park and it really felt like you were in the middle of the jungle at times with the sounds of the birds, possums, bats etc. Lovely site. Original plans were to stay for 4 nights but we soon changed that to 5! </span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> </span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;"></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;"></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;"></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><a href="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-yhGudwZFr58/TXsElyH6M4I/AAAAAAAAAKA/JrV5ju-0r28/s1600/Sydney+008.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-yhGudwZFr58/TXsElyH6M4I/AAAAAAAAAKA/JrV5ju-0r28/s320/Sydney+008.JPG" width="320" /></a><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">We arrived on the Thursday and had arranged to meet up with Eric and Margaret from Redcar who were staying with their daughter in Lilyfield, just outside Sydney centre, on the Friday. A rather eventful journey to Lilyfield to meet up with Eric and Marg - toll roads - argggghhhhh! Anyway - the sat nav got us there ok - and we went out for lunch with them. Was lovely to see familiar faces from back home and to catch up on all the news. We brought them back across to Lane Cove so they could see our ‘ouse (caravan) and where we were staying. The journey back was awful - Geoff has gone grey overnight with the stress - and we’re still not sure how much we owe the toll companies. (They’re not like England where you stop and pay your cash - you go through the tunnel or over the bridge then, if you don’t have a pre-paid tag, you have to phone up or go on-line to pay - problem being the toll roads are owned by different companies and we don’t have a clue which ones we went through … could be a fine coming up!) Anyway we made it! And taking Eric and Marg back we programmed the sat nav to avoid toll roads and you know what - it was a doddle!! </span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Saturday we went into Sydney Centre. We were able to get the train from Lane Cove direct into Sydney centre … hey - double-decker trains too! One thing we have noticed in Oz is how their transport systems are so efficient. We bought a pass for $20 each which allowed us to ride on as many trains, bus’s or boats as we pleased for the day. So we made good use of them! We took a boat trip over to Manly and had a wander around there - it was lovely- even though the weather wasn’t too fantastic. </span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-wVqhXCqN568/TXsFEaQXx3I/AAAAAAAAAKI/9SaH8vF4pc8/s1600/Sydney+019.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-wVqhXCqN568/TXsFEaQXx3I/AAAAAAAAAKI/9SaH8vF4pc8/s320/Sydney+019.JPG" width="320" /></a><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> </span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> </span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">We looked around ‘The Rocks’ and the markets and the quayside. </span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> </span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><a href="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-xf97Iv1OJao/TXsFGEkNMdI/AAAAAAAAAKQ/WEsxwWDShig/s1600/Sydney+031.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-xf97Iv1OJao/TXsFGEkNMdI/AAAAAAAAAKQ/WEsxwWDShig/s320/Sydney+031.JPG" width="320" /></a><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> </span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> </span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> </span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">We’d arranged to meet up with a friend who we’d met in Lennox Head, Bill, and he took us across to The Gap to see the beautiful views from there. </span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> </span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-y5qaUEdB7e4/TXsFFdhrpCI/AAAAAAAAAKM/WPtsEMX9VC0/s1600/Sydney+027.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="203" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-y5qaUEdB7e4/TXsFFdhrpCI/AAAAAAAAAKM/WPtsEMX9VC0/s320/Sydney+027.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> </span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Must say though - eating out in Sydney is expensive … Geoff had a great laugh at me complaining about the cost of a salad $20 and not even any meat! The day went so fast and we’d hardly seen any of Sydney, so we decided to stop until the Tuesday morning and spend Monday in the centre again - and arranged to meet up with Eric and Marg again.</span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;" /><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Sunday we went to Hill Songs Church - which was fantastic. Geoff felt it was very much stage managed - which I guess it is because it’s all filmed and recorded - but it was really good and the speaker was fantastic. </span><br style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;" /><br style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;" /><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Monday - we got the train into Sydney Centre again and met up with Eric and Margaret. As they’ve been to Sydney several times before they were able to take us around the touristy bits …</span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;"></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;"></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;"></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;"></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> </span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-0ubqujMTj7w/TXsF4Yc8gHI/AAAAAAAAAKc/eZBhR8TIsvo/s1600/Sydney+cont+013.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="188" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-0ubqujMTj7w/TXsF4Yc8gHI/AAAAAAAAAKc/eZBhR8TIsvo/s320/Sydney+cont+013.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"></span>Sydney Opera House where Geoff did his Pavarotti thing on the steps! </span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;" /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-eVzNPyl6Dbk/TXsF43dC-cI/AAAAAAAAAKg/mV46iPvxKjs/s1600/Sydney+cont+036.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-eVzNPyl6Dbk/TXsF43dC-cI/AAAAAAAAAKg/mV46iPvxKjs/s320/Sydney+cont+036.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-bihSYiRQl2k/TXsF5k-ug0I/AAAAAAAAAKk/jvsZT9QgLlo/s1600/Sydney+cont+043.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="204" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-bihSYiRQl2k/TXsF5k-ug0I/AAAAAAAAAKk/jvsZT9QgLlo/s320/Sydney+cont+043.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The Botanic Gardens where we did some tree hugging! </span>(and Eric and Marg rode some lions!!)</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-wV7h4RbPxiw/TXsF7CaS84I/AAAAAAAAAKs/HQIpT-H1A54/s1600/Sydney+cont+094.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-wV7h4RbPxiw/TXsF7CaS84I/AAAAAAAAAKs/HQIpT-H1A54/s320/Sydney+cont+094.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-w-rut5dpna0/TXsHRr8XSMI/AAAAAAAAALA/N9nqkP27BGc/s1600/Sydney+cont+092.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-w-rut5dpna0/TXsHRr8XSMI/AAAAAAAAALA/N9nqkP27BGc/s320/Sydney+cont+092.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-Il0g0z-6NPc/TXsF8MzCA7I/AAAAAAAAAKw/MU6Xmlkqsgg/s1600/Sydney+cont+097.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-Il0g0z-6NPc/TXsF8MzCA7I/AAAAAAAAAKw/MU6Xmlkqsgg/s320/Sydney+cont+097.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;" /><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The Hyde Park Barracks Convict Museum - where Geoff tried out the shackles. The convicts had it real tough - and many for stealing a loaf of bread or a hankerchieff! We have decided that the Government got things totally wrong when they sent the convicts to Australia - they should have sent everyone else and left the baddies in England!</span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> </span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;"></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;"></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;"></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-ThmKou07Nco/TXsF6UWeeaI/AAAAAAAAAKo/rnbelvEKdIk/s1600/Sydney+cont+073.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-ThmKou07Nco/TXsF6UWeeaI/AAAAAAAAAKo/rnbelvEKdIk/s320/Sydney+cont+073.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;" /><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Lunch at the Sydney Art Gallery which was showing some of the Terracotta Warrior Display from China. </span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-fgCqlxw4N-Y/TXsF95j__eI/AAAAAAAAAK4/iv7ut-1IVGY/s1600/Sydney+cont+110.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-fgCqlxw4N-Y/TXsF95j__eI/AAAAAAAAAK4/iv7ut-1IVGY/s320/Sydney+cont+110.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-0ibAlMgZ0mI/TXsF848dheI/AAAAAAAAAK0/3tT5xTRLT70/s1600/Sydney+cont+104.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-0ibAlMgZ0mI/TXsF848dheI/AAAAAAAAAK0/3tT5xTRLT70/s320/Sydney+cont+104.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-277af7ndOpU/TXsHVsEtGgI/AAAAAAAAALE/TXoQaqC9Kho/s1600/Sydney+cont+106.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-277af7ndOpU/TXsHVsEtGgI/AAAAAAAAALE/TXoQaqC9Kho/s320/Sydney+cont+106.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;" /><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">And a farewell drink at the Quays before we waved goodbye to Eric and Margaret. Was lovely spending time with them. And a massive 10 out of 10 for Sydney - even Geoff who hadn’t particularly wanted to go to the Big City loved it!</span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-AhFbYP_fG_g/TXsF-rnFTxI/AAAAAAAAAK8/TWK-CnlozUk/s1600/Sydney+cont+115.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-AhFbYP_fG_g/TXsF-rnFTxI/AAAAAAAAAK8/TWK-CnlozUk/s320/Sydney+cont+115.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div>Ruthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10650126379437046873noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6021650782213855630.post-24237109553233527432011-02-21T02:05:00.000-08:002011-02-21T02:05:57.019-08:00Half Way<div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">In some ways the past 6 months have flown by, yet in others it feels like it’s been such a long period of time. We’ve done so much, seen so much, met so many fantastic people, had lots of laughs, taken on many new ‘sayings‘, travelled so many miles, visited so many different places, so many camp sites, walked on so many beaches, swam and fished in different oceans, rivers, lakes, swimming holes and pools, ……….. </span></span></div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-3RENTas-zhc/TWI1H9n092I/AAAAAAAAAJM/wVbe3gMeXrY/s1600/hats+head+022.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-3RENTas-zhc/TWI1H9n092I/AAAAAAAAAJM/wVbe3gMeXrY/s320/hats+head+022.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Geoff's Cobia ... was very nice!</td></tr>
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</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Every single bit of our time so far in Australia has been amazing - even the few difficult things have been lessons for us to learn. And we’ve learned some lessons and things about ourselves while we’ve been here. </span><br style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;" /><br style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;" /><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> </span></span></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-s3CAceoOiuY/TWIxoj15VDI/AAAAAAAAAJE/Om_q_ZafklU/s1600/Mandurah+036.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-s3CAceoOiuY/TWIxoj15VDI/AAAAAAAAAJE/Om_q_ZafklU/s320/Mandurah+036.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our 'ouse!</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-y9H6mnQMwaU/TWIz5Q9LACI/AAAAAAAAAJI/coXizBX_cg4/s1600/Devils+Marbles.....+Mt+Isa+084.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br />
</a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">One of our biggest lessons has been how much we don’t need. Being used to living in a 3 bed-roomed semi back home, with all the usual furniture, gadgets, junk - to now living in an 18ft caravan - well most people would consider it a nightmare. I must admit to being a bit concerned at first - but we really don’t need all the ‘stuff’ we collect and we’ve managed perfectly well with a tiny kitchen come sitting room come bedroom with very minimal storage etc. (That’s not to say we’re moving into a tiny bedsit when we come back home mind!) But it has made us realise that we often spend money for the sake of it and buy gadgets because others have them or they look good on the tv advertisements! Maybe “keeping up with the Jones’s” is something we all do without really realising it. And being on a tight budget and not needing things has certainly taken the thrill out of shopping for me - window shopping’s just not the same!</span><br style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;" /><br style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;" /><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">TV - that’s another thing … when we bought the van it came with a tv - which we carted around with us for approx 12,000 kms and didn’t watch it once. When we were in Atherton we decided to leave the tv behind. It was taking up valuable space!! We’ve not missed it (well maybe Coronation Street and Emmerdale) and have spent more time talking with one another and others instead of sitting in front of a box.</span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> </span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;"></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;"></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I must confess that we had many many talks and discussions before we came to Australia about the need for a van with a bathroom - however - a van with a bathroom would have cost us approx $25,000 (£17,000) more - so I’ve had to get used to site ‘ammenities’ … and you know what - they’re actually generally really really good - and the plus side is that I don’t have to clean a bathroom!</span><br style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;" /><br style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;" /><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">We have really missed our families and friends, Church and especially Phil’s preaching! We’re visiting so many different churches, different denominations with some very different styles and have received varying degrees of welcomes - but nothing beats East Cleveland Baptist Church, the worship times or Phil’s sermons! ECBC Rocks!!!!</span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> </span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-y9H6mnQMwaU/TWIz5Q9LACI/AAAAAAAAAJI/coXizBX_cg4/s1600/Devils+Marbles.....+Mt+Isa+084.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-y9H6mnQMwaU/TWIz5Q9LACI/AAAAAAAAAJI/coXizBX_cg4/s320/Devils+Marbles.....+Mt+Isa+084.JPG" width="320" /></a><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> </span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">We’ve been so grateful to have the computer and internet so we can keep in touch with people via facebook, skype, and of course this blog. Thank you for your comments and for chatting - please never feel that we’re busy talking to someone else - if you see us on chat on facebook - chat - we want to talk to you!</span><br style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;" /><br style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;" /><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">When we started off on our journey, Geoff said if, or when, anything goes wrong the first thing to do is put the kettle on and have a cuppa. Things always seem better when you’ve sat down and thought about the situation after the initial panic. </span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-674TKjQcEvM/TWI2OL_FHsI/AAAAAAAAAJQ/nKFy665vkBA/s1600/Nullabor+Plain+006.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-674TKjQcEvM/TWI2OL_FHsI/AAAAAAAAAJQ/nKFy665vkBA/s320/Nullabor+Plain+006.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">the beard didn't last long ... it was far too hot!</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"></span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Something I’m coming to realise more about myself is that I can’t please everyone all of the time and if some people don’t like or agree with me, my beliefs or thoughts, then that’s ok - they don’t have to. </span><br style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;" /><br style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;" /><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">So … half way through, and our plans for the next six months…</span><br style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;" /><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> </span></span></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Ep1EUyOOyRQ/TWIwXERBoOI/AAAAAAAAAJA/-T-wSmvB5Gc/s1600/port+nelson+031.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Ep1EUyOOyRQ/TWIwXERBoOI/AAAAAAAAAJA/-T-wSmvB5Gc/s320/port+nelson+031.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Nelson Bay</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">We’re currently at a beautiful place called Shoal Beach, Nelson Bay which is not far north of Newcastle and Sydney. We’re booked on this site until Thursday of this week then we’ll move on down the coast a little further, probably to Stockton or Newcastle. We’re hoping to meet up with Margaret and Eric (friends from Redcar who are visiting family in Sydney) and will spend a few days in and around the Sydney area. </span></span></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-4yG24mMDENw/TWIwWnI-wiI/AAAAAAAAAI8/2w03Jv_pM20/s1600/port+nelson+017.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-4yG24mMDENw/TWIwWnI-wiI/AAAAAAAAAI8/2w03Jv_pM20/s320/port+nelson+017.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Anna Bay</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"></span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">We’re also planning to meet up with Geoff and Janelle again at Easter and visit cousin Bill and his wife Hilde in Bright, Victoria. We’ll visit Melbourne and Adelaide and eventually get to Victor Harbour in South Australia before we find our way heading back to Brisbane via Broken Hill (which we couldn’t do earlier because of the floods). We’re hoping to meet up with Phil and Margaret in Sydney in June on our way back and aim to be back in Brisbane for mid-July … in time for Neil and Emma‘s wedding. We will of course keep you posted as our plans have a habit of changing quite significantly! </span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-k2aU9-_YY3I/TWI4nXLHTAI/AAAAAAAAAJU/MM0mEAtK5pM/s1600/port+nelson+056.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-k2aU9-_YY3I/TWI4nXLHTAI/AAAAAAAAAJU/MM0mEAtK5pM/s320/port+nelson+056.JPG" width="320" /></a><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-_6r4SKtJ8ts/TWI4ojSLb9I/AAAAAAAAAJY/3fPCAie_uNM/s1600/port+nelson+059.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-_6r4SKtJ8ts/TWI4ojSLb9I/AAAAAAAAAJY/3fPCAie_uNM/s320/port+nelson+059.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>Ruthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10650126379437046873noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6021650782213855630.post-6862531227341471002011-02-02T17:40:00.000-08:002011-02-02T17:40:32.802-08:00Lennox Heads and Red Rock - NSW<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Ci-Ila7Svn8/TUoEOwRszVI/AAAAAAAAAIU/Js8ek_3Yh1o/s1600/lennox+heads+087.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Ci-Ila7Svn8/TUoEOwRszVI/AAAAAAAAAIU/Js8ek_3Yh1o/s320/lennox+heads+087.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lennox Heads</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Ci-Ila7Svn8/TUoEN7OLGAI/AAAAAAAAAIQ/Md8NES3SrZE/s1600/lennox+heads+082.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Ci-Ila7Svn8/TUoEN7OLGAI/AAAAAAAAAIQ/Md8NES3SrZE/s320/lennox+heads+082.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Baby shark washed up on the beach - rescued by Geoff!</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Following on from our two weeks at Brunswick - we moved down the coast a little to Lennox Heads- it was literally just about an hour’s drive down the road - so compared to some of the travelling we did in the earlier days - this really was “just down the road”. Thankfully it was just a short drive because, unbeknown to us, wiring was burning through under the bonnet causing the lights on the car and van to behave very strangely. If we’d travelled much further we could easily have had either a very serious accident or the car explode in flames! Once we’d parked up sitting quietly outside the van … Geoff not quite sure how to tackle this next motoring problem … weighing up the ‘what might have beens’ and the expense of taking it to a garage to have it repaired … me silently saying my prayers …. a ute pulled up at the side of us and hooted. “They look familiar”, “I know them”, “What are they doing here?” “the fastest answer to prayer ever!” were thoughts that quickly went through my mind as I registered that it was Geoff and Janelle - come over to see us for the day. What an amazing surprise and within 15 minutes the car was sorted!</span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> </span><br style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;" /><br style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;" /><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The camp site was just over the road from Lake Ainsworth - a fresh water lake where I enjoyed swimming most days. The water in the lake though was black - and I mean black in colour - not dirty black. Apparently it’s stained black from the tea tree leaves. It’s really weird, and a bit disconcerting, swimming and not being able to see your hands in front of your face under water. It’s very clean and warm and I enjoyed swimming across the lake several times. To see the children playing in the water - jumping out of trees and generally having so much fun was great - how long before health and safety bans their fun we wondered?! One event though did open our eyes to the every day risks when all of a sudden everyone left the lake - very quickly - apparently a brown snake had been spotted! Thankfully I wasn’t in the water at the time but it did make it all very real to us the importance of being vigilant at all times.</span><br style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;" /><br style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;" /><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Crossing the road the other way took us directly onto the beach - a lovely clean, sandy beach with great waves - which we enjoyed playing in - especially on the body board. I took my morning walk along the beach most mornings - even at 7am it was so hot! </span></span></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Ci-Ila7Svn8/TUoEa_pUrqI/AAAAAAAAAIY/rM6nzGwqrls/s1600/Lennox+heads+021.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Ci-Ila7Svn8/TUoEa_pUrqI/AAAAAAAAAIY/rM6nzGwqrls/s320/Lennox+heads+021.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jan and Graham</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> </span><br style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;" /><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">While at Lennox Bay we met up again with two couples who we’d met at Brunswick Bay. We were invited to lunch with Jan and Graham who we may do a house swap with in a few years time, and for an evening bbq with Kate and Bill. What lovely people we’ve met while in Oz. We also went to the Lennox Pub with Kate and Bill - ask Geoff about the chilli!!! </span><br style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;" /><br style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;" /><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">On Sunday we went to Ballina Baptist Church - Ballina is the next town from Lennox about 10 minute drive. We had the best welcome ever - people were so friendly - and we were invited back to one gentleman’s home for lunch. And what a house it was!!!! </span><br style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;" /><br style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;" /><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> </span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Ci-Ila7Svn8/TUoFIY2oFYI/AAAAAAAAAIg/-q_P8Jf9aow/s1600/Red+Rock+nsw+045.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Ci-Ila7Svn8/TUoFIY2oFYI/AAAAAAAAAIg/-q_P8Jf9aow/s320/Red+Rock+nsw+045.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Ci-Ila7Svn8/TUoFJF17U7I/AAAAAAAAAIk/ZRF1qbM3TOw/s1600/Red+Rock+nsw+048.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Ci-Ila7Svn8/TUoFJF17U7I/AAAAAAAAAIk/ZRF1qbM3TOw/s320/Red+Rock+nsw+048.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">We’ve now moved down the coast a little further to a sleepy town called Red Rock - originally called Blood Rock - following the massacre of some of the Gumbaynngir Aborigines who lived nearby</span><br style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;" /><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">by the newly formed NSW Mounted Police way back in the 1800’s.</span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Ci-Ila7Svn8/TUoFKCS7etI/AAAAAAAAAIo/moRU2MC1LMc/s1600/Red+Rock+nsw+060.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Ci-Ila7Svn8/TUoFKCS7etI/AAAAAAAAAIo/moRU2MC1LMc/s320/Red+Rock+nsw+060.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Ci-Ila7Svn8/TUoFK2teQ1I/AAAAAAAAAIs/VhabXowraE8/s1600/Red+Rock+nsw+068.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Ci-Ila7Svn8/TUoFK2teQ1I/AAAAAAAAAIs/VhabXowraE8/s320/Red+Rock+nsw+068.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Ci-Ila7Svn8/TUoFLu72LRI/AAAAAAAAAIw/teh9gCUtFxs/s1600/Red+Rock+nsw+078.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="198" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Ci-Ila7Svn8/TUoFLu72LRI/AAAAAAAAAIw/teh9gCUtFxs/s320/Red+Rock+nsw+078.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> </span><br style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;" /><br style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;" /><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The caravan site is again just a 2 minute walk from the beach - I can hear the sea as I write. Geoff has been fishing, we’ve both been swimming. There’s a river which loops round a large sandbar… swim across, walk over the sandbar - get back in over the other side, and then float around to where you started! It’s great!!! Apparently just before Christmas the whole of the site was under water following the heavy rains and floods. </span><br style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;" /><br style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;" /><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">As I write this blog, 10pm on Tuesday night, family in Cairns are awaiting the biggest cyclone on record - I just hope and pray that they are all safe. I spoke with Kayleen this morning who told me that they had to batten down everything they could, have filled the bath with water, have candles ready as the power will be out, and, if the worst comes to the worst, they will go under their house to hopefully remain safe. All patients from the hospitals in Cairns have been evacuated by air to Brisbane, hotels and caravan parks evacuated and closed, the airport closed, schools and shops have been shut and everyone has been told to stay at home if they’ve not already been able to leave the area. The cyclone winds are expected to be in excess of 250km per hour in Cairns. It’s hard to imagine what it will be like - the devastation it will cause - the feelings of helplessness as you sit and wait, not knowing if your house will stand up to the winds, all you have worked for may be wiped out in minutes. </span><br style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;" /><br style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;" /><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I’m also reminded that our original plan was to go anti-clockwise around Australia - which would have put us in Cairns region right now. When we changed our plan we certainly didn’t know what was going to happen with the floods and cyclones - seems someone bigger than us knew though ……..</span><br style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;" /><br style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;" /><br style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;" /><br style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;" /><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">As a post script to this blog - it’s now the morning after the night before …. I’ve spoken with Kayleen in Cairns and she told me of the horrible night they’ve endured - BUT everyone’s fine. No serious damage to the house although a tree or two have blown down - thankfully (and amazingly) not onto the house! Family up on the Atherton Tablelands have also had a rough night, but again everyone’s safe and not too much damage to report. </span></span></div>Ruthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10650126379437046873noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6021650782213855630.post-63254601668885502152011-02-02T17:09:00.000-08:002011-02-02T17:09:57.610-08:00Brunswick Heads<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">(I started this blog about two-three weeks ago - so apologies for the ‘old news’). </span></span><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Ci-Ila7Svn8/TUn82WcyJbI/AAAAAAAAAH8/vC2L7DmOgyE/s1600/BrisbaneBrunswick+114.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Ci-Ila7Svn8/TUn82WcyJbI/AAAAAAAAAH8/vC2L7DmOgyE/s320/BrisbaneBrunswick+114.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Water Lizards - liked to sit with us at the table just outside the caravan!</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Ci-Ila7Svn8/TUn8zz6So9I/AAAAAAAAAH4/uP6BNdnb4KQ/s1600/BrisbaneBrunswick+097.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Ci-Ila7Svn8/TUn8zz6So9I/AAAAAAAAAH4/uP6BNdnb4KQ/s320/BrisbaneBrunswick+097.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"></span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> </span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Due to uncertain weather conditions both north and south of us we had to book another week at Brunswick Heads! What a hardship eh?! …. more beach days, fishing, general chilling - how on earth will we cope??</span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Ci-Ila7Svn8/TUn9NUvJ3FI/AAAAAAAAAIA/aY6_B2mKunY/s1600/Brunswick+011.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Ci-Ila7Svn8/TUn9NUvJ3FI/AAAAAAAAAIA/aY6_B2mKunY/s320/Brunswick+011.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Ci-Ila7Svn8/TUn9XWbyLuI/AAAAAAAAAIE/v9mEY7QWslk/s1600/Brunswick+030.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br />
</a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;" /><br style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;" /><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">We’ve just been for fish and chips for our tea and a walk along the beach, it rained on the way back … hmmm could be in Redcar - well maybe not coz despite the rain, we were still in shorts and tee-shirts and not feeling cold at all! And the beach was not quite the same as Redcar - there were people surfing and others swimming in the bay. We’re back at the caravan now and Geoff’s sat outside reading (it’s stopped raining) and I’m inside the van with the air con on - and it 8pm. It’s starting to get dark now - so beware the mozzies! They seem to really love me.</span></span><br style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;" /><br style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;" /><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">For my Christmas pressie I got lots of beads and jewellery making stuff so I’ve been busy making ear rings, necklaces, bracelets, watches, bag/phone charms etc. Janelle ‘commissioned’ me for 6 charms and I’ve had my first sale this week - a necklace and matching ear-rings. It’s lovely to be able to sit outside and play away to my heart’s content - just hope I’m able to sell some of them now or we know what everyone will be getting for Christmas and birthdays for the next 5 years!!</span></span><br style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;" /><br style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;" /><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">We’ve had a day at Byron Bay - although the weather wasn’t fantastic - so hey, we’ll have to go again! The beach there was lovely and that’s certainly the place where people go to ‘catch the waves’. It’s sort of a cross of 60’s hippie and new age. And it was packed. So although it was lovely to visit - and we will go again - we wouldn’t choose to stay there I don’t think.</span></span><br style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;" /><br style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;" /><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">We’ve met some great people on the site - one couple want us to go see them next week at Lennox Heads when they get back from their travels and are keen to arrange a house swap in a couple of years time for a few months so they can visit England/Europe. Sounds like a plan to me! </span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"></div><div style="text-align: justify;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Ci-Ila7Svn8/TUn9XWbyLuI/AAAAAAAAAIE/v9mEY7QWslk/s1600/Brunswick+030.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="197" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Ci-Ila7Svn8/TUn9XWbyLuI/AAAAAAAAAIE/v9mEY7QWslk/s320/Brunswick+030.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;" /><br style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;" /><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">For my birthday mid-January Geoff and Janelle had arranged to come over for the day - what they didn’t tell us was that Neil and Emma and Lisa and Grace were coming with them. We had a lovely time with them, went out for lunch and enjoyed my wonderful penguin birthday cake - made by the very talented Emma! Geoff and Janelle bought me (well us coz it’s for Geoff too) a mini electric oven/grill so that when we’re on a camp site, we don’t need to use our gas oven. Good eh! They bought lots of other things too - so I was well and truly spoiled. Oh… and Emma and Neil gave me a Terry’s Chocolate Orange! Mmmmmmmmmmm. Not something you see in Oz!</span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Ci-Ila7Svn8/TUn9uVJEiRI/AAAAAAAAAIM/S0yTI2hj_0A/s1600/Brunswick+035.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Ci-Ila7Svn8/TUn9uVJEiRI/AAAAAAAAAIM/S0yTI2hj_0A/s320/Brunswick+035.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Ci-Ila7Svn8/TUn9kNmGQPI/AAAAAAAAAII/otigv9hiX1M/s1600/Brunswick+033.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Ci-Ila7Svn8/TUn9kNmGQPI/AAAAAAAAAII/otigv9hiX1M/s320/Brunswick+033.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;" /><br style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;" /><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Several people have asked if we’re getting bored yet with the travelling, not having to work, living in the van etc etc ….. NOT A CHANCE! We could quite happily become “grey nomads” …. those people who have sold up and plan to spend the rest of their days travelling around Australia in their variety of amazing mobile homes, caravans, campers etc. Geoff is fascinated with the different styles of mobile homes etc - it’s certainly very big business over here. </span></span></div>Ruthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10650126379437046873noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6021650782213855630.post-77589037129801769672011-01-13T13:28:00.000-08:002011-01-13T13:28:19.643-08:00Weather Report …. Water Water Everywhere<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Ci-Ila7Svn8/TS9o-Ho_HxI/AAAAAAAAAHs/aVN7FIwDxI4/s1600/BrisbaneBrunswick+003.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="181" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Ci-Ila7Svn8/TS9o-Ho_HxI/AAAAAAAAAHs/aVN7FIwDxI4/s320/BrisbaneBrunswick+003.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Christmas was amazing - New Year was great (fireworks on Brisbane River at mirdnight) …. but it’s all been a bit surreal in that while we were able to sit outside on the veranda for our meals at Geoff and Janelle’s and continued with our morning swims in the outdoor pool, the weather’s been less than we expected and has dominated the news both here and back at home in the UK. Thousands of people have lost their homes due to the floods, Christmas has been a total wash out (excuse the pun) for so many people, farmers have lost whole crops, families evacuated from their homes, some have died and several are still missing, people who were due to go on holiday for the summer months have not been able to get to their destination, and those who did (bearing in mind that camping is the normal holiday here) have not had the expected sunshine to enjoy. </span></span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">South Bank, Brisbane - area now completely under water</td></tr>
</tbody></table><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Brisbane this week has seen the river flood, homes ruined, cars (and boats) floating away, complete areas under water and hundreds of roads closed. The road closures across Australia are now having a massive effect on everyone in that lorries are stranded and some food is not now getting through to the local shops, people start to panic buy and illnesses are now predicted following the floods. The news is dominated by stories of hardship as the now stressful period of clean up begins, insurance claims (or not in many cases), appeals for financial and practical help in getting lives back to normal for so many people. And still the rain continues. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The last blog was called “it’s just not normal” and all we can do is reiterate that …. this should be the time of year when the sun shines and temperatures are at an average of 30 deg. Saying that - we’ve never been cold! I did put socks on one evening but that’s as far as it got! The “wet season”, cyclone period hasn’t even begun!</span><br style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;" /><br style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;" /><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">And through it all ….. the Aussie determination, comradeship and humour continues: people willing to loan their caravans to complete strangers who have lost their homes; a scheme whereby you can adopt a family and support them to replace things they have lost, particularly school equipment as families prepare for children to return to school next week after the 6 week holidays; people who have been flooded out previously saying they still love their community and will rebuild in the same area; the usual financial and practical support; and comments about animals walking around in pairs looking for Noah! </span></span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Ci-Ila7Svn8/TS9okRyFNsI/AAAAAAAAAHk/3IB-4cMZtSs/s1600/BrisbaneBrunswick+097.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Ci-Ila7Svn8/TS9okRyFNsI/AAAAAAAAAHk/3IB-4cMZtSs/s320/BrisbaneBrunswick+097.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><span style="font-size: small;"><br style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;" /><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">It’s all been a sobering experience for us in many ways. We’ve not really been affected by the floods. Yes we had to stay at Claremont before Christmas for a few extra days due to road closures and we didn’t make it to Blackall to see my cousin Dave and his wife Lynn (if we had chanced that journey we would have been stranded there until after Christmas as more rains fell and rivers and creeks flooded), we had to back-track and travel a couple of hundred extra kilometres to get to Brisbane due to road closures, and Brisbane area is now suffering - but so far, not Rochedale where Geoff and Janelle live. So all we can say is that we’ve been very very fortunate, we feel for those who have suffered in so many ways, and we are waiting to see if there’s anything we can do to help. </span></span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Camp Site at Brunswick Heads</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br />
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</tbody></table><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">We actually left Brisbane just before the floods began there and headed down the coast. We’re now in New South Wales at Brunswick Heads just north of Byron Bay. The weather here is sunny and hot - tho not a lot of sun when this pic was taken! Geoff’s been able to go fishing. I’m waiting for the red flags to be taken down so I can go in the sea with my body board! Again all a strange experience knowing that areas not too far away are flooding. We’re booked on the site here until Sunday morning - where to from there we’re not yet sure - it all really depends on the weather!</span></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Ci-Ila7Svn8/TS9oip6cMiI/AAAAAAAAAHg/MiQjCAyZlMs/s1600/BrisbaneBrunswick+092.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Ci-Ila7Svn8/TS9oip6cMiI/AAAAAAAAAHg/MiQjCAyZlMs/s320/BrisbaneBrunswick+092.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Brunswick Heads</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Ci-Ila7Svn8/TS9o3YLI8uI/AAAAAAAAAHo/USNBmlos6fw/s1600/BrisbaneBrunswick+059.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Ci-Ila7Svn8/TS9o3YLI8uI/AAAAAAAAAHo/USNBmlos6fw/s320/BrisbaneBrunswick+059.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Byron Bay</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Ci-Ila7Svn8/TS9pMbGvYXI/AAAAAAAAAHw/z3jWntY04R4/s1600/BrisbaneBrunswick+051.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Ci-Ila7Svn8/TS9pMbGvYXI/AAAAAAAAAHw/z3jWntY04R4/s320/BrisbaneBrunswick+051.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Wildlife just outside our caravan!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>Ruthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10650126379437046873noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6021650782213855630.post-51378307688828441872010-12-30T17:09:00.000-08:002010-12-30T17:09:39.718-08:00IT'S JUST NOT NORMAL!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Ci-Ila7Svn8/TR0owAZrOPI/AAAAAAAAAG0/EOOfZdDQBSY/s1600/Brisbane+029.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a> <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Ci-Ila7Svn8/TR0pkyRjh-I/AAAAAAAAAHE/17KYGyjf2pY/s1600/risbane+036.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="282" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Ci-Ila7Svn8/TR0pkyRjh-I/AAAAAAAAAHE/17KYGyjf2pY/s320/risbane+036.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Ci-Ila7Svn8/TR0pyuasEtI/AAAAAAAAAHQ/OWx4kCe88uA/s1600/29++Brisbane+004.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"> <span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">We arrived in Brisbane at Geoff and Janelle’s place on 17 December - a couple of days earlier than planned - mainly due to the fact that we couldn’t find an affordable place to camp! It was the beginning of the ‘summer holidays’ so camp sites increased their prices beyond ridiculous. Thankfully Geoff and Janelle were happy for us to descend on them early - and it was lovely to sleep in a proper bed with a proper bathroom (and bath!) again. The weather was also a factor - although it’s supposed to be summer - hail storms and heavy rain were beginning to dampen our camping spirits! (Emma froze a couple of hail stones!)</span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Ci-Ila7Svn8/TR0qBEhdFjI/AAAAAAAAAHY/D3XAea3vZM0/s1600/PC280190.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Ci-Ila7Svn8/TR0qBEhdFjI/AAAAAAAAAHY/D3XAea3vZM0/s320/PC280190.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> </span><br style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;" /><br style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;" /><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Janelle and I took to swimming each morning - in the local open air pool - it’s just not normal swimming in an outdoor pool in December! We’ve managed 60 lengths and have felt really good! Even when on a couple of mornings it was raining lightly we were still able to swim outdoors. </span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Ci-Ila7Svn8/TR0pwipK2_I/AAAAAAAAAHI/GYv4brnnbBc/s1600/29++Brisbane+002.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Ci-Ila7Svn8/TR0pwipK2_I/AAAAAAAAAHI/GYv4brnnbBc/s320/29++Brisbane+002.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;" /><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Christmas has been really amazing in so many ways …. But it’s just not normal. And that’s not just us saying that - the Ozzies are continually telling us that things aren’t normal at the moment. We’d expected - and indeed everyone else was expecting - lovely sunshine and a temperature of 35 ish. Instead we’ve had rain, rain and a lot more rain! In the past week we’ve had about 9 inches of rain - and we’re not in the worst of it. Some areas are totally cut off. Areas have been declared national disaster areas. People who had planned camping/caravanning holidays have been washed out. Christmas on the beach has certainly not been possible. Yet it’s still a warm 25+ deg …. It’s just not normal! Apparently it’s the worst rain in December for 150 years - and we‘re here to sample it.</span><br style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;" /><br style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;" /><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Another thing that’s not normal - cold meats and salad for Christmas dinner … I missed my sprouts, turkey and roast potatoes - though the meal was absolutely lovely. We went to Janelle’s nephew’s for Christmas dinner along with other ‘rellies’ …… 38 people altogether! Luckily they have a huge covered area outside where they were able to lay the tables and we enjoyed our dinner and getting to know others there. Had the weather been better - I’m sure we’d have taken advantage of the outdoor pool. We did enjoy a beautiful cooked Christmas dinner at Brian, Lisa and Grace’s home last week - the turkey cooked in the barbeque was loverleeee!</span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Ci-Ila7Svn8/TR0pTC1VJAI/AAAAAAAAAG8/BkpIVE_un4Q/s1600/Brisbane+055.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Ci-Ila7Svn8/TR0pTC1VJAI/AAAAAAAAAG8/BkpIVE_un4Q/s320/Brisbane+055.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> </span><br style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;" /><br style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;" /><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Talking of ‘pools’ I’d been reliably informed of how hot it was going to be over Christmas, so I’d commented that I might need a paddling pool to keep cool … so thanks to Emma and Neil - that’s what I got! And no that’s not what Janelle and I have been doing our 60 laps in! It’s sat in the back garden now, already full of water, waiting to be warmed up by the sunshine which apparently is due on Friday! </span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> </span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Ci-Ila7Svn8/TR0pxhCTsEI/AAAAAAAAAHM/OWwNZvajvvI/s1600/29++Brisbane+003.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Ci-Ila7Svn8/TR0pxhCTsEI/AAAAAAAAAHM/OWwNZvajvvI/s320/29++Brisbane+003.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Ci-Ila7Svn8/TR0pyuasEtI/AAAAAAAAAHQ/OWx4kCe88uA/s1600/29++Brisbane+004.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Ci-Ila7Svn8/TR0pyuasEtI/AAAAAAAAAHQ/OWx4kCe88uA/s320/29++Brisbane+004.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Ci-Ila7Svn8/TR0pz5iRnKI/AAAAAAAAAHU/P3qgVLb8h3g/s1600/29++Brisbane+010.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="305" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Ci-Ila7Svn8/TR0pz5iRnKI/AAAAAAAAAHU/P3qgVLb8h3g/s320/29++Brisbane+010.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> </span><br style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;" /><br style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;" /><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">It was odd/strange/sad being away from family and friends on Christmas day - but thanks to modern technology we were able to talk to family members by phone or on Skype. It was great to see Heather, then Dad, Dawn, John, Rachel, Sophie and Michael who sang ‘We wish you a merry Christmas!”, and to speak with Katie, Carl, Kev, Sean and Lisa and, because Carl was at Church when I phoned him, Mark, Helen and Phil too! It’s also been lovely to receive lots of messages via face book - thank you for your lovely wishes. Missing you all lots!</span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;"></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Ci-Ila7Svn8/TR0pSaTtCmI/AAAAAAAAAG4/eoGMCicWB1E/s1600/Brisbane+023.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Ci-Ila7Svn8/TR0pSaTtCmI/AAAAAAAAAG4/eoGMCicWB1E/s320/Brisbane+023.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;" /><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Last night we helped out with a meal for the homeless … about 120 of them! Bobby, who works with the homeless people in and around Brisbane, was originally from Hong Kong and was saved from his drug/alcohol/gambling addiction and life of serious crime through the work of Jackie Pullinger - if you’ve read the book Chasing the Dragon you’ll know what sort of a life he previously led. He became a Christian and, along with his wife Branwen, they do an amazing work with people in the area, including running a car wash which then funds bus’s to pick up the homeless people on a weekly basis to bring them along for a meal. It was fantastic to see so many people enjoying their meal and then listening to Bobby’s testimony. Also amazing was the amount of volunteers willing to give time on Boxing Day … they actually had to announce in Church on Christmas Eve that they didn’t need any more volunteers thank you! Take a look at their web site - it’s worth it! http://www.fishersofmen.org.au/ </span><br style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;" /><br style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;" /><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">We’re planning on going to see the fireworks in Brisbane on New Year’s Eve with Geoff and Janelle and Neil and Emma. Again - that won’t be normal - but it will be exciting and good to experience the Ozzy way of bringing in the new year. </span><br style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;" /><br style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;" /><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">So … while Christmas has been far from our normal “normal” we’re having a lovely time - are being VERY well looked after, enjoying the new experiences and not doing much of anything really. We hope you’ve all had an amazing Christmas and wish you all the best for 2011. </span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> </span></span></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Ci-Ila7Svn8/TR0pj-56xMI/AAAAAAAAAHA/ZgTkSwbWyI4/s1600/risbane+008.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Ci-Ila7Svn8/TR0pj-56xMI/AAAAAAAAAHA/ZgTkSwbWyI4/s320/risbane+008.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>Ruthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10650126379437046873noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6021650782213855630.post-588350642581853042010-12-09T02:06:00.000-08:002010-12-09T02:06:14.523-08:00Good Day Gone Bad ... (to hopefully Good Again)<div style="text-align: justify;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Ci-Ila7Svn8/TQCmBJ7ryLI/AAAAAAAAAGg/M3LuCMurU_g/s1600/bundaberg+017.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Two nights free camping … (in Australia they have lots of free camping along the roadsides as there are thousands of people touring - loos and wash basins provided and usually somewhere to cook - free bbqs) - and we were awake bright and early on Wednesday morning. By bright and early I mean about 5.00 am. There were others in the site so we did our best to be quiet and were ready to move on at 6.30am - our earliest start yet! Looked like we were all set for a good day! </span><br style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;" /><br style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;" /><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">We set the sat nav to take us to Bundaberg - we were only about 13kms away. A nice easy day. We’d decided to book onto a paid site for the night - needed showers and to do some washing - we found a lovely site just outside Bundaberg and right on the coast. The office was open early 7.45 and he allowed us straight onto a pitch, just across the road from the beach and it’s a lovely spot. Trying to be extra quiet as others were obviously still sleeping we put the caravan onto it’s plot and got the awning down etc. Then a neighbour advised us we ought to turn the van around. Ok - no hassle - we weren’t unhooked or anything so Geoff smartly turned the van around and I started sorting out inside while he did the bits and pieces outside - putting the legs down, awning out, unhooked the car etc. </span><br style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;" /><br style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;" /><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Just as I’m putting the kettle on there was a big bang and the caravan rocked and shook. I thought that Geoff had got caught under the van so ran outside. But no, the jockey wheel, which the caravan stands on while you set up, had slipped off its blocks - so no great hassle really. Except - Geoff saw me come charging out with a look of horror on my face and promptly reversed the car into a tree - even bigger bang! Geoff ….. Not …… Happy … at …. All !!!! Hmmmmmm</span></span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Ci-Ila7Svn8/TQCmGd5VbBI/AAAAAAAAAGo/h9OJESyoNQo/s1600/bundaberg+021.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="157" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Ci-Ila7Svn8/TQCmGd5VbBI/AAAAAAAAAGo/h9OJESyoNQo/s320/bundaberg+021.JPG" width="320" /></a></span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
Geoff went off to the wreckers yards to hunt down a new back door for the car - while I set to with the washing and went for a shower. Except - the key for the shower block was in the car - so I ended out having a cold shower in another block! Ruth…… Not……. Happy! Then to top it all - I dropped my towel in the puddle of water so had to try to get dry on the little dry corner of the towel. I got the washing out of the machine and carried it to a clothes line near our van - but - it was all boggy and I got sloppy muddy feet! Ukkkk!<br />
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</a></span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Ci-Ila7Svn8/TQCmEJlhAgI/AAAAAAAAAGk/CL_WYIZoPjU/s1600/bundaberg+020.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Ci-Ila7Svn8/TQCmEJlhAgI/AAAAAAAAAGk/CL_WYIZoPjU/s320/bundaberg+020.JPG" width="320" /></a> </span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Thankfully Geoff was able to buy another back door for the car for just $100 and we’ve (well mostly Geoff but I did help a bit) spent the past 3 hours sorting it out! So now - to add to Geoff’s list of jobs he’s done while he’s been here is mechanic too! Though …. if he hadn’t reversed the car into the tree in the first place ……. </span><br style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;" /><br style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;" /><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Why is it that some days turn out that way and you wish you’d just stayed in bed!</span></span><br />
<div style="text-align: justify;"> <a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Ci-Ila7Svn8/TQCmI55WjoI/AAAAAAAAAGs/qRMDb6ex-QA/s1600/bundaberg+028.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Ci-Ila7Svn8/TQCmI55WjoI/AAAAAAAAAGs/qRMDb6ex-QA/s320/bundaberg+028.JPG" width="320" /></a> </div><div style="text-align: justify;">Off to the beach now - the day just gotta get better!!!</div>Ruthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10650126379437046873noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6021650782213855630.post-75357214819840658052010-12-08T02:13:00.000-08:002010-12-08T02:13:01.885-08:00There’s Gold in them mountains!<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;">Since the 1850’s gold has been mined in Australia. Many have lost their lives mining for gold in atrocious conditions. And many people still mine gold today - either for work or as a hobby.<br />
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Areas of Australia are still known to have gold on their land - and it is big business! People are finding gold every day - so why not us??<br />
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When we were at Cairns we became friendly with a couple called Mark and Deidre. Mark shared with us that they had been fortunate in finding a significant amount of gold over the past few weeks and showed us two lumps weighing approx 5 oz and a tub of little nuggets which he’d found. We decided to try our luck and bought a second hand machine from Cash Converters. (Bearing in mind that machines cost on average $5,000+ our little machine at $100 was probably a bit wishful thinking!) We tried out luck at Herberton and at Janice and Charlie’s place at Rocky Creek - but unfortunately all we found were bits of wire and a couple of old bullets. We tried other places where we were stopped and picked up a dollar coin and more bits of wire!<br />
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</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Ci-Ila7Svn8/TP9ZhzVineI/AAAAAAAAAGc/TWF3eMS3qLc/s1600/clermont+008.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Ci-Ila7Svn8/TP9ZhzVineI/AAAAAAAAAGc/TWF3eMS3qLc/s320/clermont+008.JPG" width="320" /></a><span style="font-size: small;">We decided to do things properly when we were in Clareville and bought the necessary Fossicking Licences and the relevant maps showing areas where we were allowed to look for gold. It was so hot, the sweat was pouring off us, there were so many mosquitoes we had bites on our bites, the spiders webs that you walked through were so thick it was like fishing line - and you just had to wonder what spider had been able to spin such a web. It was not a good experience! And what did we find?? Nothing but bits of wire and rubbish!<br />
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Mark put us in touch with friends of his who happened to live in Claremont and who were into gold detecting in a very big way. We met up with Bob and Olive and they invited us to their home to show us their finds. It was totally mind-blowing to see their treasure trove - and to listen to their stories. They took us out in their car to show us areas which they believed would be lucrative for us and had we been staying in the area longer - would have taken us out with them and helped us find some gold. And I have no doubt whatsoever that we would have found some with their help. <br />
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So - we’ve found nothing (yet) and no - we’re not upset - we’re not jealous of those who have found gold and we’re not mad that we’ve not been so fortunate. <br />
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We’ve actually realised that we are soooo very rich in so many other ways. The experiences we’re having while here in Australia - the amazingly warm, friendly people we’re meeting - total strangers inviting us into their homes. Sometimes eating with us, or taking us out, family and their extended families welcoming us into their homes, making us feel so much at home and at one with them. But most of all - to know that God our Father has given us these opportunities - to know that (as the song goes) He is more precious that silver - more beautiful than gold - and our desire is to know Him more because, although a little bit of gold would help us financially throughout the year we know that our God will supply all our needs! </span></div>Ruthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10650126379437046873noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6021650782213855630.post-62718696549666980042010-12-08T02:04:00.000-08:002010-12-08T02:04:49.884-08:00On The Road Again<div style="text-align: justify;">I can’t believe the last blog I wrote was almost a month ago! The time has just flown by. And now … where do I begin to fill you in on all that we’ve done since our fantastic time at Palm Cove. Let’s see (and I hope I can remember all we’ve done) - when we left Palm Cove we went to…..</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Ci-Ila7Svn8/TP9SA5DturI/AAAAAAAAAFo/cMLSPcrpiZA/s1600/Herberton+003.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="225" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Ci-Ila7Svn8/TP9SA5DturI/AAAAAAAAAFo/cMLSPcrpiZA/s320/Herberton+003.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
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<b>Herberton</b> … my cousin Bill and his wife Hilde have a holiday place at Wondecla just outside Herberton. Bill travelled from his home in Bright, Victoria, to do some work on the property while we were there so we were able to have ‘smokos’ and dinner with him every day and a couple of trips out. We went to the local museums, the Crater, visited family in Atherton again … coz like bad pennies we kept returning to Chris and Keith’s (we just felt so much at home with them that we kept going back for meals and swims!!) We had a lovely farewell meal with Phil, Kayleen and Sheree, Judy, Murray and Kirsty and Bill at The Brothers Club in Cairns and Geoff and I stayed at Phil and Kayleen’s that night …. Ohhhhhh bliss ………… the bed was sooooo soft and soooooo big compared to what we’ve got used to in our little van! And I had my first bath in 3 months … heaven!!! <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Ci-Ila7Svn8/TP9SduzSL_I/AAAAAAAAAFw/paHYPm1wOb0/s1600/stoney+creek+013.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Ci-Ila7Svn8/TP9SduzSL_I/AAAAAAAAAFw/paHYPm1wOb0/s320/stoney+creek+013.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
We’d left the van at <b>Rocky Creek</b> up on the Tablelands at Janice and Charlie’s place (Janice is my cousin Win’s daughter). They have a mango farm and were having a few problems with the mango slicing machine so Geoff volunteered to take a look at it for them - in return for a couple of nights free camping in their garden! Anyway - to cut a long story short - the problem was solved and Geoff enjoyed thinking of new ways to help make the whole mango slicing/drying process more productive and efficient leaving Janice time to do her nails!! (sorry - in joke there). And we enjoyed getting to know Janice and Charlie and their lovely children Brendon and Katelyn.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Ci-Ila7Svn8/TP9TDVprLQI/AAAAAAAAAF0/Cb_-66OsL_A/s1600/townesville+003.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Ci-Ila7Svn8/TP9TDVprLQI/AAAAAAAAAF0/Cb_-66OsL_A/s320/townesville+003.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Ci-Ila7Svn8/TP9THalyBJI/AAAAAAAAAF4/Xd520KQfKvc/s1600/townesville+031.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a></div><br />
It was strange leaving Janice and Charlie’s because we’d always had a “plan” - we had always known where we were going and we’d spent a lot of time recently with or near family too. Now we were leaving and the only plan we had was Brisbane for Christmas. We didn’t think we had any family in between so we actually felt a bit like we were out on a limb. <br />
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<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Ci-Ila7Svn8/TP9THalyBJI/AAAAAAAAAF4/Xd520KQfKvc/s1600/townesville+031.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Ci-Ila7Svn8/TP9THalyBJI/AAAAAAAAAF4/Xd520KQfKvc/s320/townesville+031.JPG" width="320" /></a> </div><div style="text-align: justify;">So from Rocky Creek we drove down to <b>Innisfail </b>which was going through a terrible thunderstorm at the time - so we kept on going! From there we went to a campsite several kms south of <b>Townsville</b> called Alligator Creek where we did our laundry etc before setting off again the next morning for <b>Charters Towers</b> and the Goldfields. On the way there we free camped on the banks of the Burdekin River at Macrossan Bridge for a couple of nights - where unknowingly Geoff set the generator right on an ants nest! He came back in to the van a funny colour after dancing around trying to get rid of them! We did some shopping at Charters Towers and visited the gold mining museum - marvelling at what the miners endured in the 1800’s.</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Ci-Ila7Svn8/TP9VPlF6XkI/AAAAAAAAAF8/bpaW1A1VfJw/s1600/clermont+032.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Ci-Ila7Svn8/TP9VPlF6XkI/AAAAAAAAAF8/bpaW1A1VfJw/s320/clermont+032.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">We arrived in <b>Claremont</b> and booked in at a site for 2 nights thinking that we would move on pretty quickly. However - we then discovered that my cousin Dave and Lynn were managing a camp site at Blackall - about 130 kms south west of where we were. So arranged to go to stay with them for a few days. On Friday morning we packed up the van and drove out of the site to the local information shop to check that the roads etc were ok for us to travel. There’d been some heavy rain over the past few days but it was a lovely sunny day so we couldn’t see there being any problem. We were told in no uncertain terms that there was no way we would get out of Claremont. The storms out west had caused rivers and creeks to break their banks and roads were up to a metre under water. So - turn around and back to the site to book on for another night - which turned out to be another three.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Ci-Ila7Svn8/TP9VS6HdvLI/AAAAAAAAAGA/3WEGX_bapGg/s1600/clermont+106.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Ci-Ila7Svn8/TP9VS6HdvLI/AAAAAAAAAGA/3WEGX_bapGg/s320/clermont+106.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div>Dave told me that Sharon and Clint (by cousin Dot’s daughter) lived in Claremont and I should give her a call. I felt a bit cheeky - but my other cousin Geoff in Brisbane gave her a call and she appeared at the camp site on Saturday afternoon inviting us round for a meal on Sunday night. Clint and Sharon and their children, Bronson and Jacqui were lovely and we spent a great evening with them and discovered we had so much in common. We’re so glad that we were able to meet them. And they had a Christmas tree up so I actually felt a little bit Christmasy!! <br />
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While at Clermont we also met up with a couple who were into gold detecting in a big way - I’ll do a separate blog about ‘gold’ - but it was so lovely to be invited into their home and for them to show us their finds - what truly lovely, friendly people! <br />
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We were stuck in Claremont for 5 days due to the heavy rain - although we actually had really hot sunny days while we were there. And even on Monday morning when we were told we could get out of Claremont we couldn’t get to Blackall to Dave and Lynn. Our way out was to back track all the way to MacKay on the coast adding another 6 hours to our plan. It’s a shame we didn’t get to see Dave and Lynn but we didn’t want to take the chance of being stuck in Blackall if further rains then prevented us leaving there - and according to locals, that was a big possibility. Again vicious thunder storms at Rockhampton decided us to keep on going - and we free camped at Sharon just outside Bundaberg. <br />
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We’ve done a fair bit of free camping over the past few weeks - we have a generator so we’re able to have some electric - but out of courtesy to other campers tend to switch it off at 8pm as it’s a bit noisy. So lots of early nights! <br />
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Now we’re at a paid site just outside of <b>Bundaberg</b>, right opposite the beach. The weather’s hot and sunny and I think we’ll probably spend a few days here enjoying the holiday atmosphere again. It’s hard to believe that Christmas is just a couple of weeks away and so strange with it being hot and sunny - especially hearing of all the snow back home! <br />
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And our plan for the next week or so is to travel slowly down the coast to Brisbane to Geoff and Janelle’s for Christmas. Ruthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10650126379437046873noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6021650782213855630.post-87740965379967062142010-11-18T23:45:00.000-08:002010-11-18T23:45:11.157-08:00Beach Bums<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Ci-Ila7Svn8/TOYp3FD5CJI/AAAAAAAAAFc/_2awH2K-Hl8/s1600/palm+cove+026.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Ci-Ila7Svn8/TOYp3FD5CJI/AAAAAAAAAFc/_2awH2K-Hl8/s320/palm+cove+026.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Ci-Ila7Svn8/TOYo07Anc5I/AAAAAAAAAFI/redwfnUIOI0/s1600/16+Cairns+017.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Ci-Ila7Svn8/TOYo07Anc5I/AAAAAAAAAFI/redwfnUIOI0/s320/16+Cairns+017.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Ci-Ila7Svn8/TOYpGj3X2ZI/AAAAAAAAAFQ/DQB2v2aXnyc/s1600/16+Cairns+008.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Ci-Ila7Svn8/TOYpGj3X2ZI/AAAAAAAAAFQ/DQB2v2aXnyc/s320/16+Cairns+008.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>There couldn’t be a better place to be a Beach Bum than Palm Cove just north of Cairns! So that’s where we’ve been for 11 days - doing absolutely nothing except eating, drinking, swimming, fishing and reading! Oh and baking a cake or two!<br />
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We enjoyed getting to know some of the other campers at the site and had a couple of barbeques and meals with new friends. A night making (and then drinking) gluwien (a hot, spicey German red wine) with Gerd and Mark and Deidre too - never to be forgotten! However we decided it probably wouldn’t take off in Cairns - more suited to cold winter evenings back in England!<br />
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We enjoyed having some visitors while we were there (hence the baking cakes!) - Phil, Kayleen and Sheree; Judy, Murray and Kirsty and Glen and Hanna. So we’re not losing our hospitality gifts just yet! <br />
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We went to the Generations Church for the two Sundays we were there - a very modern, lively and extremely welcoming Church. <br />
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But all good things must come to an end - so we moved on to our next good thing! Cousin Bill and his wife Hilde have a property in Herberton so we’re going to spend a week or so at their place before starting our southward journey towards Brisbane in time for Christmas.Ruthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10650126379437046873noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6021650782213855630.post-89756340046163733112010-10-31T02:23:00.000-07:002010-10-31T02:23:51.351-07:00Cooktown<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Ci-Ila7Svn8/TM00CdxiL9I/AAAAAAAAAE0/3VWVtPkCCMM/s1600/Cooktown+055.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Ci-Ila7Svn8/TM00CdxiL9I/AAAAAAAAAE0/3VWVtPkCCMM/s320/Cooktown+055.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Ci-Ila7Svn8/TM00Hzl_lGI/AAAAAAAAAE4/WdGRC77nwlQ/s1600/Cooktown+058.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Ci-Ila7Svn8/TM00Hzl_lGI/AAAAAAAAAE4/WdGRC77nwlQ/s320/Cooktown+058.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Ci-Ila7Svn8/TM00V18TLHI/AAAAAAAAAFE/eonUdglauP4/s1600/Cooktown+078.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Ci-Ila7Svn8/TM00V18TLHI/AAAAAAAAAFE/eonUdglauP4/s320/Cooktown+078.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Ci-Ila7Svn8/TM00RfKdR3I/AAAAAAAAAFA/9k7keryyRN8/s1600/Cooktown+070.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a></div>We spent two days in Cooktown - leaving the caravan in Cairns and booking into a (tiny) cabin for the night (at an extortionate price!) Never mind - it was well worth the visit and good to learn some more of the history of Australia and the first English man (from only a few miles from our Redcar home) to set foot in Oz. The Capt Cook Museum was well worth the AUS $20.<br />
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Our journey to Cooktown - up the east coast towards Cape York; as far as you can on bitumen roads before it becomes inaccessible unless you have 4WD vehicles; through mountains on very windy roads with big drops; some absolutely amazing views and coastlines …WOW!<br />
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Apart from Captain Cook (and very large crocodiles!!!!) Cooktown is also famous for fishing - and my first real fishing experience took place during this trip - I managed to catch a seagull (I did catch a Spanish mackerel first but the seagull decided he’d have that!) Geoff then had fun unhooking the bird, and a Travelly (which was HUGE!) but managed to bite through my line and got away.<br />
(Honest it did and it was big!)<br />
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And … for our Redcar followers … we had our evening meal at the local bowls club where Chicken Parmo was on the menu!! How amazing was that?!<br />
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On our way home we came down through the Black Mountains and again some spectacular views. We stopped at Port Douglas (holiday spot of rich and famous) for a much needed ice cream!<br />
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So …. Your History Lesson for the day ….<br />
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Captain James Cook - born in November 1728 in Marton, Middlesbrough.<br />
Grew up in Great Ayton and attended school there. He used to climb Roseberry Topping and enjoyed the solitude there.<br />
At the age of 16 James moved to Staithes to serve his apprenticeship in a shop - it is assumed that this is where he first fell in love with the sea. <br />
18 months later - after an unsuccessful apprenticeship in the shop - he moved to nearby Whitby where he was taken on as a merchant navy apprentice - for three years.<br />
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In 1768 Cook set out on an expedition which was to last 3 years. It was during this trip (June 1770) that his boat The Endeavour ran aground on the Great Barrier Reef, and Cook and his crew needed to make repairs to the boat on the beach - which took 7 weeks. The coastline was claimed as British Territory. The area they landed is now known as Cooktown. <br />
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This was the first British landing in Australia although the Dutch record landing in 1606<br />
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Capt Cook died on 14 February 1779 (aged 51) during his third voyage when he came into conflict with locals on the island of Hawaii.<br />
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His parent’s home in Great Ayton was moved to Melbourn in Australia in 1934 - brick by brick.<br />
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Here endeth your History Lesson for today!Ruthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10650126379437046873noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6021650782213855630.post-48115785304492042832010-10-24T01:06:00.000-07:002010-10-24T01:06:01.581-07:00Chris and Keith’s - Quinola Lakes - Atherton<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Ci-Ila7Svn8/TMPkuEy5cEI/AAAAAAAAAEQ/NePXblf7gjI/s1600/008+-+Copy.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Ci-Ila7Svn8/TMPlxTqcjUI/AAAAAAAAAEo/7wP7_sjOlEg/s1600/Quinola+lakes.....Tablelands+%2814%29.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;">Quinola Lakes</a></div><br />
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</a></div>We’ve been at Chris and Keith’s place now for 2 weeks - acres of land including woodland, a dairy farm with 120 head of cattle which are milked twice a day, fields of corn grown for fodder and wheat grown and used as silage. Virtually in the centre of all this farming they have built a Christian Camp Site consisting a big hall/kitchen, 4 cabins each sleeping 8, 4 covered wagons also sleeping 8 and stacks of space for tents. There’s a swimming hole with slides and a big lake for canoes, swimming etc. Our caravan is parked in Keith and Chris’s back garden but we spend most of our time in their lovely home ….. so you can understand why we’ve been here for 2 weeks - and would happily stay longer but we have places to go and people to see! <br />
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So what have we done over the past two weeks???? Loads - but I will pick out some of the high-lights.<br />
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We’ve attended two church services with Chris and Keith at Malanda Baptist Church and even went to the pastor’s home for “Smoko” (coffee break to you and me!) Buddy (the pastor) is a carpenter and recently won a competition for his carving of a whale - everywhere we’ve been we’ve seen pieces “carved by Buddy Smith” - so Geoff - in his unique style - asked him if Church was a part time thing as he obviously spends so much time whittling away. Thankfully Buddy took this ok and invited us to go see some of his work.<br />
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Chris and Keith took us to Lake Tinnaroo for a picnic lunch, followed by Lake Eacham where Chris and Ruth went for a swim.<br />
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We also had a day out with Chris and Keith at Chillagoe (about 2 hours drive) to some caves. We did the ‘touristy’ thing around the three caves. A lovely day - very hot - in fact, so hot even Geoff went for a swim in the Water Hole at lunch time. (Unfortunately no pics to prove that tho!)<br />
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Today we’ve been to Church with Glen and Hanna (Chris and Keith’s son and daughter in law) followed by a bbq at Glen and Hanna’s home - yummy!!!<br />
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A guided tour of another cousin’s daughter’s farm (Lynn) - check Ruth out on the back of the bike!<br />
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A trip to local Hot Springs which was so relaxing - however the stream was so hot you could only just put your toes in for a couple of seconds.<br />
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Best Chinese EVER at Pagoda Restaurant where Chris and Keith took us for our anniversary!<br />
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Ruth attended a Women’s Christian Conference Day with Chris which was excellent and a film night at a local church.<br />
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Geoff has enjoyed helping out about the ‘place’, cutting acres of lawns on the “ridey on” lawn mower, mending the lawn mower and cabin after Ruth drove into it (that’s another story!!), and cooking meals.<br />
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And loads of other little trips to local places, markets etc. <br />
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And next - we’re off to Cairns - parking up at Judy and Murray’s home and spending time in and around Cairns for a few days before taking a trip up to Cooktown. (Think Cooktown may well be the next Blog instalment). <br />
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Looking forward to some time on Trinity Beach and catching up with Phil and Kayleen and family too - a handbag shopping trip with Kayleen and Sheree is calling me while Geoff is looking forward to some serious fishing. Will let you know who catches the most!Ruthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10650126379437046873noreply@blogger.com1