Mum's 80th then back to the farm

Noni and Fox needed us to look after the farm while they went to the Philippines for a wedding so we headed back to Winchelsea for a month. Noni and I flew back to Nowra for a couple of days for Mum’s 80^th birthday. The kids all got together for the weekend and we had fun entertaining Mum at her place at Shoalhaven Heads. Kerry made a lovely cake and we had a “sausage sizzle” at the BBQ area. The little kids and some big kids had great fun in the pool. We all had a couple of great days together. Noni and I flew back to Winch’ the Fox and Noni flew out to their wedding. The cows were calving again so it was good to get up in the morning and go out to count the calves to see if there were any new ones born overnight. Mark did get to see one born this time. They are lovely when you see them try to get up and stand on their own four legs after such a short time from being born.

Ethan batting for his team

Mum and the great grand kids on her birthday

Getting ready to blow out the candles

Happy 80th Mum

Ethan in his safety gear

Beemer at home at Noni and Fox's farm

After spending a couple of days with Noni and Fox when they came home Mark and I drove to Killarney and stayed there for a couple of weeks. It was good to get back to the salt water. We were able to get in a swim and Beemer had some great walks up the beach. It was a bit busy as it was the beginning of the school holidays in Victoria. We decided it would be quieter at Mt Gambia, so we booked in for three weeks to wait out the school holidays. Unfortunately when we got there is was Easter and they have a dog show on and because we stay at a dog friendly caravan park, every man and his dog was there too. So much for it being quiet. The weekend after the dog show they have BMX trials, so now there is every man and his kids with bikes and dogs everywhere. At least they go off for the day to do their thing on the bikes so the days are quiet until they get back, then they take over the place again.

Back on the road again

Rod and Rhonda's motor home with Tim's hidden behind it

Sue and Bruce's van with Blowering Dam behind

Blowering Dam

We lingered at Laurel Hill for a while to get the car serviced and a draw system put in the back, then down to Blowering Dam for a get together for Owen’s 60^th birthday. We had great weather at the dam and were able to swim every day.  The day after we left it poured rain. We said goodbye to Bruce and Sue, Owen and Cath and headed for Shepparton again. We found lots of cows hanging around the parks.

Some of the cows in the parks around Shepparton

We moved on to Tocumwal, a long 90klm drive to the Murray River. The caravan park is great and the town very friendly. We have a pool near our van and the river is a good 500 meters stroll with a path along the levy bank under the big gum trees along the river bank. 

The Murray River

Sunset on the Murray

Another sunset on the Murray

Mark and Beemer with a big Murray Cod

Jane and Beemer with a big Murray Cod

The 50^th Multi Class Gliding Championships were on and at one time we counted over 20 gliders in one thermal circling over the town. Mark was so impressed he went up in a glider. There is a lot of history around Tocumwal regarding the airfield during the 2^nd World War. It is a nice little town. 

Mark in the glider ready for take off

Aerial view of the airport

Mark's view from the cockpit of the glider

Kodiac in an old wooden hanger

A little bit of history

Some of the gliders over the town

Christmas

We went to Nowra last November for about three weeks.  It was great to catch up with the kids and grandkids and our friends. The lunch we had at The Bridge Tavern for our early family Christmas was terrific and noisy with all the kids running around and talking. Mark and I had a very nice lunch with Mum and Ruth at the Red Raven. We got back to Laurel Hill a couple of days before Cath and Owen left for Hong Kong and China.

Since we have been back we have had Christmas Day with Lauren and Todd. Attila and Marg visited with their dog Lennon, Glenn and Judy came up in their new Pajero and Trackmaster van. They are a neat full on four wheel drive van. PA and Robyn also came down for a couple of days. Kerry and Mark, Ethan and Zarli visited but not for nearly long enough. We had a nice lunch with Lauren and the kids while Kerry was here. It’s nice to spend time with all the kids and their kids.

Glen and Judy's new van

Sunset from the front of the 'Headache House'

Looking up in the sugar pine walk

 

Chelsea, Riley and Zac

Mark and Jane with the Grandkids

Penny and Beemer chilling out

PA and Robyn

Zarli playing with Dad

'The Kids' hanging around

Ethan and Dad with JD trying to keep up

The boys had fun in the mud

Killarney to Laurel Hill

After farewells to Kel and Michelle, Jen and Kim ( we had a few late nights with them playing cards in the camp Kitchen and around the fire) we went on to Killarny and had a couple of lazy days on the beach. Mark found a few young French boys to chat to until the late hours and after convincing them that our cheese in not so bad after all and we didn't have any daughters they could mary so that they could become Australians we moved on to Winchelsea and back to the farm for a few days with Noni and Fox. The farm is looking great and the baby's we had left behind in June had grown quite a bit.

A little bird getting nectre near our van

From there we traveled on to Laurel Hill where we have settled into "The headache house". We have had time to go through all the things we don't need in the van and are able to take them back to Nowra and into our storage unit. Laurel Hill is beautiful, with wild horses and kangaroos under the trees. We are missing being in the van but the house is very comfortable.

The wild horses under the trees

Beemer amongst the daises

Milang and Mount Gambia

We had a couple of days with Trevor and Charmane before heading off for Milang.  From there we were booked into Victor Harbour for a week to catch up with Owen, Lisa and Luke. Unfortunately that plan had to be cancelled as when we got to Milang we found we had done in a bearing on one wheel. We were stuck in Milang for a couple of weeks waiting for the part to arrive from Victoria. It was a good place to be stuck in as we were on Lake Alexandrina so we were lucky. As we were only 50 klm’s from Victor Harbour we were still able to see Owen, Lisa and Luke. The weather was great and it was lovely to see them after so long. Luke was only 2 weeks old when we left. Now he’s a big 7 months old.

Luke. He's not too sure about the oldies

Three generations

An old vine at Langhorne Creek

 

We finally got the van back on the road again and headed back to Mount Gambia. The Blue Lake is now very blue. It doesn’t look real it is so blue. Apparently it’s the limestone and calcite when the water warms up in the summer that makes it look bluer. We have booked in for just over a week. Jen, Kim, Kel and Michelle are still here so it’s great to catch up. Kel and Michelle are off back home to Queensland for Christmas so we had a bit of a farewell for them on Sunday night. It was good to sit by the fire and yarn for a few hours.

Beemer in his "Kennel"

The BLUE Lake

Edithburgh, Port Clinton and Burra

We had a week at Edithburgh, which is on the bottom of the York Peninsular on the eastern side.  The country side was lovely and green, with grain and canola growing in the paddocks. As we got closer to Edithburgh we saw them. Lots of wind generators. That’s when we found out the other name for Edithburgh is Windyburgh. As it turned out the weather wasn’t too bad. We tried fishing a couple of times off the pier but got nothing. The old buildings are grey stone and beautiful. 

A row of wind generators

More wind generators. There were 55 all together.

An old well by the side of the road to Edithburgh

Inside the well

Old stone buildings on a farm

 

We had a couple of days at Port Clinton. The caravan park is right on the beach and because the tide went right out there was plenty of room for Beemer to run about. Razor fish is popular there but we didn’t try to get any as you had to go out to the mud and we didn’t want to get our shoes dirty.

The view of Port Clinton from the van.

 

From port Clinton we travelled to Burra. We only booked for two nights but ended saying for a week. It is a lovely little town with lots of old buildings, goal, open cut mine and rows of miners cottages. The local show was also on so we thought we would stay for that.

The old copper mine at Burra

A retired sheep dog on the move

The sheep dog and his master, a retired Sheep Shearer were riding to raise money towards MS

The apple orchard at the Cider Cellar

The Cider Cellar. They made a great Scrumpy.

The old stone church at night

The Burra Library

Burra Town Hall

A row of stone Miners Cottages

The School, also made of stone

The front of the school

The school from the caravan park

A handsome Dog