We took off from Heathrow at 10.20pm, the flight was not bad even though we were on an airbus 380 which had recently been having engine troubles; we confidently thought that they had all been checked out; luckily it was a few days later that we heard that Singapore Airlines were only just taking theirs off for checking. The flight from Singapore to Adelaide was a bit bumpy but Otherwise ok.
We landed in Adelaide at about 09.30 local time, Shirley & Derek were there to meet us. We went straight to their house and after unpacking and having a bit of lunch went to the mall – Tee Tree Plaza – for a few things. In the afternoon it rained quite heavily! An early night.
Wed Nov 10th
Slept for about 11 hours, awoke to light rain. We went to the mall again to get some ideas about trips we could make, not much joy, also trouble getting cash out of machines and putting credit on mobile phone.
Thurs Nov 11th
Today we went for lunch at McQeens tavern, special at $8.50, 2 courses and drink; it was very good value and good food. Unfortunately Shirley broke a tooth, she only had fish so was not chewing anything hard.
Fri Nov 12th
Shirley went to work at the shop today; Derek and me went to travel agents again and tried to get some money transferred in their bank with no luck, also still unable to get cash.
Sat Nov 13th
We were up quite early to go to the city on the bus for the Christmas
Pageant, we found a spot to stand amongst the thousands of others, it was cool but pleasant but then we had a shower of light rain. The pageant was fantastic, took nearly 2 hours to pass by, huge floats with various Christmas themes and Santa on his sleigh with icicles!!!
We went for a coffee and sit down and then made our way to the central market, on the way we bumped in to Peter and the girls, amazing with all the thousands of people about. We had lunch in the food hall of the market, We went to a Chinese all you can eat for $650 stall which was not bad but very crowded.
Sun Nov 14th
Today we went to Gepps Cross Market, it was overcast and quite cool, we had a good look round, lots of stalls selling fruit and veg. many different nationalities, also lots of car boot type stalls, I bought a pretty crystal ring tree for $4. After a while Derek started to complain about the heat as the sun had come out so we called for a drink then left, Derek had my scarf round his head as he said his head was burning, we didn’t think it was that hot.
Mon Nov 15th
We went to city to meet up with Friendship Force visitors from Brisbane & South Africa for a tour; we met at the museum which was very interesting, lots of exhibits about Aboriginals, must go back and spend more time there. Our group then got on the free city loop bus and toured round, we changed to a tram and back to city. We all to meet up for lunch but we four decided to go home. After lunch it was nice enough to sunbath for a while but it cooled of in the late afternoon. In the evening we went for a welcome meal for the visitors, it was at a church hall and everyone had taken food, there were a lot of speeches etc but the food was very good and free wine, I discovered I like Moscato. Derek seemed very red from the sun yesterday.
Tue Nov 16th
Quite cool today, went to mall and managed to get credit on phone at last, Vodafone had emailed me instructions, plus some free credit and a girl in the shop sorted it out for me. Derek still very red but got some stuff from chemist.
Wed 17th
Shirley went to dentist and had the tooth that she’d broken filed off, it had been cutting her tongue and was very sore, she will have to have it removed in Jan. Sat in sun for a while it was a lovely day. In the afternoon we took a drive up into hills, we stopped for ice cream at Cuddlee Creek Caravan Park. In the evening I booked car hire online and accommodation at Rawnsley Park Station in the Flinders for next week.
Thurs 18th
Another nice, sunny day if a bit breezy, we went to Ikea and had lunch and a good mooch round then on to Harbour Town a large shopping outlet, Derek & Rich watch aeroplanes at the airport which was just behind, while Shirley & me looked round shops.
Fri 19th
Derek went to the doctor first thing as his face was still so sore, got some cream; apparently it is because he is on Warfarin that his skin is so sensitive.
Shirley & I went to meet some ladies from the F.F. for an Op shop trawl, (opportunity or charity shop to us). We started at Sue’s where we had a glass of champagne and had a look round her neighbour, Bev’s garden and also at the dolls she makes, very clever, Bev is also a F.F. member. We then set off and visited the shops, Salvo’s (Salvation Army) & RSPCA, I got a couple of tops and a scarf. We stopped for lunch at a café cum curio shop which was very nice but the service was slow as she’d never catered for 13 people at once before, we visited one more shop then Barbara drove us to Paradise interchange to get the bus, it took ages as the traffic was so bad. We got home just in time to have a quick cuppa and swill to get ready to go to the F.F.
Farewell dinner, this was held at a catering, training restaurant, the food was very nice and the youngsters all very attentive, more speeches!
Sat 20th
I woke early so did some baking, scones & Welsh cakes to take to Tim’s, it is his youngest daughter’s birthday so Karen had asked us to go. They have moved since we last saw them and now live right by the sea, a surf bay. There was the usual chaos and no tea bags in the house but Karen had brought lunch, the little girls though are very well mannered. We took them round the block on their bikes then sat and chatted for a while.
It is “Schoolies” week, when all the school leavers flock to the coast and “chill” there were a few houses full of them sprawled about drinking and fooling round, Karen said that they were charged $500 to rent one of the houses or camp sites, no parental supervision just groups of youngsters. There were 10,000 youngsters at Victor Harbor on Sat night with only 14 arrests according to the news.
We called for a drink at Port Elliot then drove home, it had been a nice, sunny day.
Sun 21st
It was a lovely day, Rich & Derek stripped and re-painted the veranda decking, S & I sat and read outside.
Derek’s face has been an awful mess, like 3rd degree burns and is all peeling.
Mon 22nd
Up early R & D went on bus to collect hire car, a Toyota Corrolla, while S & I made a picnic, we got the car packed – full boot! And just as we were having a drink before we left Bob & Laine turned up, we stopped and chatted to them for a while then set off at 10.45.
Once out of the city the roads were very quiet, we stopped at Locheil a small town, where we parked in the bus stop and had a picnic, trying to make a cup of tea I got almost boiling water spilled on me, but we managed to get a sandwich and drink with quite a few flies joining in.
There is a large pink,salt lake nearby which has a rubber “Loch Eel Monster” in it made from tyres.
We carried on and at about 2.15 we called at Port Germaine which has the longest wooden jetty in Australia, it used to be a wheat exporting port, the jetty has to be so long as the water is very shallow for a long way. We went into the pub the bar of which was being propped up by four large, sweaty, hairy men, one seemed as big as a sumo wrestler, wearing a grubby vest, a dirty hat, a long shaggy beard and hair, undeterred we asked for a cup of tea/coffee but neither were available so we settled for cold drinks, it was a typical outback pub, very basic, Derek, as usual, chatted to the locals who were quite friendly despite their appearance.
As we drove on we were being bombarded by locusts (what we call grasshoppers), apparently it is a bad year for them, they were crashing into the car like a hail.
We arrived at Rawnsley Park Station at 4.45 and checked in, the cabin was very nice, clean and well equipped. We unpacked and then drove up to the caravan park to see what was available in the shop, the usual caravan site stuff, we saw a couple of kangaroos and some strange pink flowers,
we drove through the “eco friendly” houses which were quite impressive with balconies looking over a super view of the southern end of Wilpena Pound. We then went to the “Woolshed” restaurant for a meal. It was a nice meal, not cheap, Rich & Shirley had T bone steak as the Kangaroo was “off”, I had chicken which was very nice but underdone, I told the waitress and got a free sweet, a lemony thing which Shirl and I shared, it was lovely. Back to cabin for an early night, I tried to stay up to see stars but couldn’t, too much wine.
Tue 23rd
Rich and I were up first so after breakfast we went for a walk, we followed four wheel drive tracks away from the cabins, it was dry, dusty red sandy soil and we saw tracks of many animals and birds, also snakes, we noticed that kangaroos seemed to have tracks going from the level scrub, across the track through a fence and up into the low hills, we later asked the receptionist how they got through the fence and she said they either jumped it or in certain places went under, these would be the tracks we saw. We saw some kangaroos leaping away from us and got bombarded with locusts/grasshoppers. We walked as far as the dry creek bed, although there were signs of recent rain, where I found a fossil, then back to the cabin to get ready to go out. We went to Wilpena Pound
Wilpena Pound is a natural amphitheatre of mountains located 429 kilometres (267 mi) north of Adelaide, South Australia, Australia in the heart of the Flinders Ranges National Park. The Pound is the most northern point with access via a sealed road in this part of the Flinders Ranges. The closest town to the north is Blinman and to the south, Hawker.
Attempts at farming the Pound failed during the early 20th century.
We left Shirl with her book and set off to walk to the homestead, it was hot but under the trees quite nice and shady, the walk took about an hour and was very interesting with many birds, including Emu, we heard their song but could not identify many, there were cockatoos, parrots, shrike, and very small birds with the loudest, very pretty, song. We had a look at the homestead, unable to go in, then Rich & I climbed to the lookout while Derek started back.
We actually arrived back at the same time as Derek; he’d taken some sort of diversion (got lost). Had a cup of tea from flask and watched a bird trying to get it’s youngster to fly, it just sat in a tree, very nervous, we chased aggressive birds away from it but couldn’t do much else. We watched some birds waiting for new vehicles to arrive then feast on the locusts on their grills. We then went onto dirt roads for many miles we drove to Bunyeroo, and Brachina Gorge, taking in some splendid views, it was very bumpy! We were all ready for something to eat by now so headed for Blinman where Shirley said we could get fish & chips at the pub. Blinman – blink and you’ll miss it – is another small, outback town but there was a nice sounding café/craft shop advertised so we went there, closed on Tuesdays! So we went to the pub, we actually went in the hotel side but could see the bar being propped up by replicas of the blokes at Port Germaine! A young man came to us, he would have been quite handsome if he had a few more teeth, or even if the ones he had were not black, anyway he told us that they only served food at meal times, it was 4.20pm, and to try the café, he was very surprised when we told him it was closed, it was all of 50yds away, next try was the general store, advertising fresh baked bread and pies, that sounded ok, but they were sold out, in fact there was very little on any of the shelves. The only thing to do was go back to the caravan site shop and get something to cook as we didn’t want to go to the restaurant again. Back at the shop we gat some frozen chips, pies, frozen peas and chicken and did our best to cook them in a strange kitchen. Another early night, but I did manage to go out later and see the Southern Cross.
Wed 24th
Rich, Derek & I went for a walk again first thing, for about an hour, it was not quite as hot and overcast but still very pleasant, except for flies and locusts. We packed the car up, checked out and set off at 0940. It was warm but overcast and we were being pelted with locusts again, our first stop was Orroroo.
Orroroo
Orroroo, a distinctly Australian place name, though it's origin is uncertain. It has also been credited with the meaning:- "Rendezvous of the magpie", after the ubiquitous, caroling bird of Australia. This idea has been taken up with one local business, a lovely little coffee shop named "Maggie's Rendezvous."
Orroroo perches on Goyders Line, a line drawn up by Surveyor General Goyder, defining, quite accurately, the boundary between areas of reasonable (by Australian standards) and minimal or marginal rainfall. It is a town of roughly a 800 residents nestled in the foothills of the Flinders Ranges.
Orroroo had its own flour mill, several bakeries and carriage manufacturer. It was, and still is, a thriving community.
Orroroo, is still predominantly a farming community, the main products being wheat, wool, sheep, cattle, pigs and a highly successful kangaroo processor
We called for a drink and the food looked so delicious that we decided to have some; Rich had the most fantastic kangaroo burger with egg and bacon. We then went to see the giant gum tree
then headed off intending to see the “magnetic road” where you can stop the car and roll uphill, we seemed to miss this and so carried on to Stone Hut, another small town. It was overcast and as we left Orroroo it started to rain, by the time we got to Stone Hut it was raining very heavily and thundering but humid, the ladies in the shop said how they loved this weather (just as we say how we love it when we get hot sun). We went in the bakery and bought pies and scrumpy, we had intended to eat there but had eaten earlier so just got on our way.
The scenery was ever changing, up in the Flinders it was craggy, hills and scrub land, then after Hawker it changed to more cultivated land with mile upon mile of wheat, barley etc with many areas just left to nature, there were stands of magnificent gum trees along creek beds and low scrub, desert oak and acacia trees. There were fields of sheep, looking very depressed as they were wet and dirty, quite a lot of cattle, the whole landscape was shades of yellow, ochre and browns.
In the afternoon the sky got very threatening with rolling, black clouds. We got home at 5.40pm.
Thurs 25th
It was raining when we got up but we did the washing and hung it out as it was warm, Rich and Derek cleaned the pool out. Went to the supermarket then back and a lazy afternoon, it cleared up and was a nice, warm evening.
Derek’s face is a lot better but he makes sure he keeps his hat & cream on now!
Fri 26th
Shirley off to work today so I did a slow cooker meal for tonight then wrote this.
Sat 27th
Did a bit of washing and not much else, it was quite cool with rain showers in morning. Rich started to do a bit of work on the shade house which is being eaten by white ants. Shirl & I had a go at sorting photos.
Sun 28th
Quite cool this morning with rain showers and grey skies. We went to Karen’s for lunch which was very nice then on to a market where we had a quick mooch and looked at Ugg boots for Emma. As we walked round the market we started to hear “music” some very off key singing, at the end of the market was a bar with what was, presumably, karaoke and people applauded it!!! We left that area quite quickly.
Mon 29th
Cool again this morning, Derek went to doc’s as face still very sore and he feels poorly, he was given some antibiotics. R & D worked on shade house, and then we went for groceries and Derek’s prescription.
Tue 30th
This morning Derek had an appointment with his cardiologist so he dropped S & me in the city where we had lunch & a good mooch round. Derek was told that it is not Warfarin causing the problem but another drug which regulates his heart beat, he was taken off it and given the option to have a pacemaker fitted.
In the evening we went to an Indian restaurant across town and met Jayne & Shane, it was a good evening and the food was good.
Wed Dec 1st
Overcast and showery again but warmer than yesterday. Derek & Rich went to Bunnings to get some more bolts so I went with them and got some more yarn and a handle for bag I am crocheting for Shirl. We sorted some more photos and I booked a hire car for next week.
Thurs 2nd
Brighter this morning, Derek & Rich worked on fence again, I booked some accommodation for next week then we went to lunch at McQueens Tavern. It was a good meal again, such good value. Spent the afternoon reading in garden while R & D worked, a lovely hot day.
Fri 3rd
Didn’t do a lot, started to pack for next week, Shirl was at work at Vinnies. In the evening S & I went to Vinnies Christmas meal at the Paradise Hotel, it was a very good meal.
Sat 4th
A very hot day today, in the 40s so we didn’t do a lot except going for some groceries, R & D finished the shade house, it looked very good.
Sun 5th
Derek took Rich to collect the hire car, Toyota Corrolla and we set off. We stopped at a picnic area just as we entered the Yorke Peninsula, it was smelly and lots of flies so we ate our sandwiches in the car, and we arrived at Ardrossan at 1.30. The motel room was quite nice with a nice wet room, after we settled in we took a walk up the town and along the jetty, we saw the RSL Club and asked a couple who were coming out if they served meals, they said that they did not but we could get a drink and took us in, the local branch had had their Christmas dinner and there were about a dozen or so people left, we got a drink and were made most welcome, given a bowl of fruit salad and asked to join their table where we chatted with them for a while. We then went round the local museum which is housed in the remains of a large factory where Clarence H Smith made “stump jump” ploughs as well as all other agricultural machinery, the plough was designed to jump over the stumps of Mallee trees and rocks, it’s invention enabled farmers to get a crop in before having to spend a lot of time removing stumps, they got a smaller crop but if they had had to wait they could have missed a year’s crop.
We had a meal at the motel which was very nice but quite expensive, and then we had a few games of tri- ominoes before bed. The weather had been a bit overcast and windy by the sea.
Mon 6th
We were up quite early, the beds were comfy but the room was noisy with air con and fridge motors, we turned the air con off though. There was no provision at all for breakfast so we went to the hotel and asked did they serve breakfast but they didn’t, we were told that we would get some at the bakery. When we asked at the bakery did they serve breakfast we were told no, so I pointed to an advert for bacon & egg rolls and said did they have those available and was told yes! We ordered and sat and ate in their café, we were watching swallows swooping in and out of a garage across the road and under the veranda of our building.
We set off and stopped first at a look out point just outside Ardrossan, looking over the town and a vast dolomite quarry behind it, there were lorries delivering grain and dump trucks crossing the road from the quarry delivering the rocks. We then went on to Billy Goat flat where we walked along an empty beach for a while, they were many very pretty shells and pieces of coral, it seemed like a reef must be breaking up somewhere, there was a sort of causeway out into the sea which we couldn’t decide if it was natural or not, there were lots of cormorants at the end of it, we walked out and got quite near to them and also saw a sandpiper and a tern as well as lots of gulls. We went down the coast a bit further and called at Black point, this is a long curved spit of land and is very built up with lots of plots marked out for future development, then we carried on to Port Vincent. We found a café with a nice shady courtyard and had a coffee, it was quite expensive, we then moved on to Coobowie beach where we had a walk and found more nice shells and lovely white sand, no one else was about. We then drove to Edithburgh and walked the jetty there, there were people fishing but only a couple of people on the beach, we carried on and drove through Yorketown stopping by a pink coloured salt lake which was bordered by Scabious, for a while then on to Wool Bay and Port Giles where there was another jetty and an old lime kiln, we walked the jetty where there were people fishing again, at Port Giles there was an Alpaca farm but it was closed so we couldn’t get in, it was right next to huge grain stores where there were dozens of lorries queuing to deliver. Nearly all the traffic we had seen all day was dozens of huge, double trailer grain lorries, there was very little else in the roads. We went to Stansbury and tried to get lunch but we were too late so we went back to the kiosk at Port Vincent and had the most wonderful fish and chips, Butter fish and Whiting in a lovely light batter with tea and doughnuts. It was a very warm but overcast day and lots of farmers were combining setting up clouds of dust, there were flies and ants everywhere. In the evening it rained.
$200 (126 GBP) for 2 nights in motel
Tue 7th
It rained quite heavily overnight; we slept a bit better as we switched the fridge off. We were up early and decided to find breakfast somewhere else, we stopped at Minlaton where we had a bacon & egg roll in a café then had a look at a famous plane, the “Red Devil” from WW1, we went on to Parsons Beach where we did not stop long as it was very smelly, lots of sea weed then on to Bluff Beach, we saw quite a few Stump Tailed lizard sunning themselves in the road, some dead ones as well, we called at Hardwick Bay for fuel and then drove, mostly on unsealed roads, to Point Turton, we walked the jetty where again there were people fishing, we noticed all along the road sides, up fence posts and plants and all over the road itself millions of small white snails, we were told later that they were an introduced pest that could ruin crops. We went for a drink at the Point Turton Tavern and found out that they didn’t serve food until 5.30 so we wandered along the coast road, very bumpy, we stopped at a small reserve and then got out and watched some people launching a boat, as we were watching a terrific thunder storm blew up and we had to rush back to the car, got soaked in seconds and the sky was black with lightening flashing down into the sea, very dramatic. We got back to the tavern to find that they had a power cut and couldn’t cook, we tried the only other restaurant in the area, the Inland Sea, but although they had a generator they didn’t open till Wed., so we went back to Corny Point and got some pies in the local shop, their power had just come back on so they microwaved them for us, we had just finished eating when our power went off.
Wed 8th
The power came back on sometime in the night but it had rained heavily. After breakfast we set off for Innes National Park, right at the bottom of the peninsula, we saw millions of snails again; stump tailed lizards and more verges of Scabious, the grain lorries were not about today, the rain had obviously stopped the harvesting. We paid for a permit ($7 for seniors) and drove round the park; there were very few other visitors, more beautiful bays and scenic lookouts, one overlooking the wreck of the “Ethel”, wrecked on 1904 and still just about visible, there is also a ruined gypsum mining town, we stopped and had a picnic lunch at one of the look out points we did not see much wildlife, 2 emus, a currawong and too many flies.
We drove back to the Tavern at Turton Point intending to have a steak but found out that it was Smorgasbord night on Wed. so we went to the Inland Sea where we had to wait for them to open but it was worth the wait as the food was very good, fish again, Basa? It was quite expensive.
Thurs 9th
Today we tootled around the coast roads seeing the bays that we hadn’t seen before, lovely beaches, jetties and no people again, it was sunny but a very cool breeze on coast, we saw snails, stump tails, hawks, shrike, terns, pelican and many others that we couldn’t identify. We got fish and chips from local shop and ate them in the cabin then went for a drink at the local tavern the “Howling Dog”, where we went again in the evening for a meal, it was very noisy with a lot of locals, but the meal was not too bad.
The area was beautiful but we felt that the caravan park and the cabin (deluxe) that we stayed in were a bit tired and needed a bit of smartening up, still it was good value $200 (126 GBP) for 3 nights and breakfast was provided with all crockery etc.
Fri 10th
Very overcast and cool this morning, we booked out and went to Hardwick Bay for fuel then we carried on via Maitland to Port Victoria where we stopped and walked along the jetty, an L shaped one, very cold wind. We carried on to Moonta and booked in to the Cornwall Hotel, a very old, traditional style building with a bar, a dining room, pokies and rooms. It was cheap, $120 (76 GBP) for 2 nights, there was no en suite and the ladies bathroom was along 2 corridors, it consisted of a large old bath with ancient shower above and a toilet. Our room had bare wooden floor boards, no sign of a rug, 2 old wooden beds, looking like they were made from recycled wood, a single wardrobe with the door hanging off, circa 1930 and showing it’s age, containing one rusty wire hanger and an equally decrepit small chest with no drawer handles, the Ritz it wasn’t!
We walked up to the tourist information, situated at the old railway station, then we got the car and drove to the heritage museum which was supposed to be open but wasn’t, we had a look around and just as we were about to leave a volunteer came and opened up, we used our National Trust card. It was very interesting with information about the mining in the area, which is known as Little Cornwall because of all the Cornish miners who immigrated there, there was information on Cornish customs and sayings which were really old English customs and sayings for the most part, as with most immigrant communities they seemed to be more Cornish than the Cornish, even using the language. We drove to Moonta Bay and had a short walk on the beach, couldn’t go on the jetty as it was closed for maintenance. We went back and had a meal at the hotel which was quite good.
Sat 11th
Thankfully I hadn’t needed to get up in the night, I went for a shower and had to run the taps for about ten minutes before any hot water came, and then I couldn’t turn them off and had to get Rich to do it. We got breakfast in the common room which was ok.
It was overcast and cool and we drove to Wallaroo, we had a look at where the ferry used to go from and then around the new building that is going on, miles of inlets constructed with luxury houses with their own jetties being built. We carried on to Kadina and looked around the Farmstead museum, National Trust again. This was very interesting with lots of information on Australian agriculture and how they had overcome the difficulties faced in the early years, there was a very interesting section on pioneer family life and the hardships they had to endure, well into the 1920s, also many old farm machines which interested Rich, seeing the similarities and differences. Apparently the Yorke Peninsula is known as the Barley capital of the World, we certainly saw mostly fields of wheat, barley and oats, or stubble being grazed by sheep.
We went back to Moonta and had lunch in a café then drove to the coast and sat reading for an hour or so, it was quite a warm afternoon. We had a meal in the hotel again.
Sun 12th
We had a very disturbed night as an alarm went off at 4.15am, we woke up and realised that we had been hearing banging for a while, we didn’t know what to do so waited for someone to come and tell us to evacuate or not to worry, no one came so Rich had a look out and couldn’t smell smoke or hear anyone about, I was debating whether to call the police or pack quickly and get out when the alarm stopped, it had gone on for about 20mins. We waited a while then decided nothing was going to happen so Rich went back to sleep and I read for a while. We were up early and got breakfast, packed and as we were loading the car we saw Chris, the under manager, in the car park, I told him that we were very disturbed about the alarm going in the night and that nobody had come to either reassure us or tell us what was happening. He said that he had been called out and that there had been an attempted break in and the police told him not to go in as he might compromise the crime scene, it was then that we realised that there had been no one else on the premises but us all night! Apparently no one thought that we ought to be reassured or told what was happening! Chris was apologetic and said if we were in Moonta again we could have a free night’s accommodation and meal.
We were on the road by 8.30 and only stopped in Dublin to get a drink then were back home by 11.30. Derek’s face had got better while we were away and he looked fine again.
In the afternoon Peter dropped Lauren & Vanessa off, they decorated the Christmas tree, sort of, and we played tri-ominoes with them and had tea together.
In the evening Shirley and I went to a Carol concert in the town hall, it was very good, very professional but the carols were not played tradionally but very upbeat.
Mon 13th
Rich and Derek took the car back to Hertz and when they came back were very annoyed because we had been charged more than the estimate, tried to phone and sort it out but got the run around. S, D & I went to the mall and I got my haircut. The weather was not brilliant.
Tue 14th
Didn’t do a lot today, Rich painted the veranda. I contacted Hertz and they agreed to refund us the difference on the fuel, not really happy as the whole organisation wasn’t very satisfactory.
In the afternoon we had to go to the city as Derek had an appointment at the heart clinic, talked about maybe having a pacemaker fitted. Shirley, Rich & I had a drink at a café then sat on a bench in a park waiting for him, it was quite warm. We then we carried on to Unley for the FF meeting and Christmas dinner. It was a good meal and the meeting was not to boring for us as they just made various announcements between courses. There was a “German” band for entertainment, they were not very good but we all had a sing song and a few were dancing, the highlight of the evening was Terri, a member who is a broad Scouser, even though she’s livid in Australia for a long time, she got up and sang “Chinese Opera” which was completely fabricated but was so funny.
Wed 15th
Quiet day, in the evening S&D went to the Lord Mayors reception, S came back pissed!!
Thurs 16th
Lovely hot day today, did a bit of housework, washing and prepared a meal for tonight as Jay (one of S&D’s students) is coming, sunbathed for a short while and read. Got ready for meal at 5pm and waited til 6.10 then rang Jay who had forgotten all about it! We started our meal and he turned up later, a nice evening, Jay, not his real name as it is unpronounceable, is studying wine, we had very interesting conversations about the South Korean culture.
Fri 17th
Overcast with light shower. Shirl at work. Derek took Rich & I to the Aerospace museum at Port Adelaide, we got in free because Derek said he knew someone who volunteers there (Peter’s father-in-law). It was very interesting and they have good exhibits well displayed and you are allowed to sit in some of the aircraft.
Sat 18th
It was overcast and showery this morning, Brian, from next door, came and cut the lawn.
We went into the city to the Central Market, a very multi cultural place full of vegetables and all sorts of exotic food, lots of Asian and Chines people about. We had lunch in the food hall, a Chinese, all you can eat for $6.50. It cleared up in the afternoon and was quite sunny but cool.
Sun 19th
It was overcast this morning with light showers, it remained cool and windy all day, we were going to go for a drive to Hahndorf but decided to go to the pictures instead, S,D & I went to see Made in Dagenham, it was very good. It remained cold all day.
Mon 20th
Cold again today and light showers. Shirl and I worked on her picture frame of family photos most of the day until the printer packed up. Derek had to go and be fitted with a machine to record his heart activity, we encouraged him to have a drink of wine and set off a reaction so they would see what he was experiencing, he did and felt quite poorly.
Tue 21st
Better weather today, warmer and sunny. Went to a different shopping centre to get food for the weekend, Christmas. Shirley & I worked on her picture frame.
Wed 22nd
Warm and sunny again, Shirley & I went into the city to get some last minute things, R & D painted the windows and gutters. In the morning Derek went for a blood test and when he got the results they told him his reading was high, which was a bit worrying, he has to have another test on Fri.
Thurs 23rd
Clear blue skies and warm all day, Derek’s son had rung to say they will be calling on Monday with family so we had to go and get some snacks,I finished the bag I made for Shirley then just read outside. In the evening we went to Heddy’s, Heddy works with Shirley at Vinnies, she is Indian and has a get together every Christmas for family and friends, we had a good evening with some very nice food.
Fri 24th
Very hot today. Lazy day sitting outside and reading, did a bit more of Shirley’s picture frame.
Sat 25th Christmas Day
It was overcast this morning, but not cold, after breakfast we packed the car with food and presents and first drove to Dorothy’s (Derek’s sister) we stopped for a while and chatted, she found some old photos of Derek’s family to borrow for Shirley’s frame. We then went on to Peter’s to give Lauren and Vanessa their presents, as we were leaving Shirley and I were trying to keep a fancy cake from squashing and Peter laughingly said “where’s the garlic potatoes?” and we realised they were still in the freezer! We had to go back and fetch them on the way to Karen’s. Even though we were late we were first there, Karen was busy in the kitchen, she had done a wonderful spread, not a Christmas dinner but a buffet, we sat outside and nibbled and drank for a while then Tim, Jodie and their children arrived, we ate some more and drank some more and the children opened their presents, it got warmer and sunnier as the day went on. We left about 4.30 and when we got home played tri ominoes and then I phoned the children and we had a sandwich before bed.
Sun 26th
Weather quite cool so did not do a lot, quiet day at home.
Mon 27th
Another cool day doing nothing much except buying food for family get together tomorrow.
Tue 28th
In the morning we went to the sales, well Derek took me and S. we had seen a sandwich press on offer, S & D have one and it is much better than our sandwich maker so I checked online to see if I could see one at home but they don’t seem to be available so we decided to get it, $38 so a bargain.
In the afternoon we prepared for Derek’s family coming, made some cakes and did a buffet. Dorothy, Derek’s sister, Jayne & Shane, daughter & partner, Robert & Selena, son & partner and Selena’s 3 children, William, Verity & Ainsley came, they all seemed to have a good time and it was nice for Derek to have his family together.
Wed 29th
As it was a nice day we decided to got to Glenelg, we drove to the Entertainment Centre parked and got on the tram, it is free into the city but we had to pay down to Glenelg, we had a picnic, dipped our toes in the sea and then walked around the marina, it was crowded with lots of people on the beach, very hot. We walked up Jetty Road and got the tram back, that was busy and we had to stand most of the way.
Thurs 30th
Today we went to Adelaide Zoo, we managed to park quite near and as Shirley had booked online went in quite quickly, we had a cup of coffee before we looked round, the main attraction was the Pandas, on loan from China at great cost, they only allow so many people in each hour and we had to queue but it was worth it. The enclosures were wonderful with running water, bamboo trees and rocks, they even had cooled rocks which were directly in front of the glass partition and food was placed around, especially on the cool rocks, so that the pandas walked about and gave a really good show, it was very well planned and they seemed very healthy and happy. It was a very hot day, we had to call for a couple of things on the way home, and then in the evening we went to the Indian restaurant, we had a ticket for a free meal from when we went before, it was another branch nearer to home but the food was excellent again.
Fri 31st
Very hot in the night and when we got up, 100f at 10am. I booked a car for us in a couple of weeks to do another trip. Shirl & I worked on photo frame; D & R went to see Rob King. Simon sent some photos he had taken of the bungalow so we could see how things were progressing, extension not up yet.
We did not stay up to see the new year in.
Sat 1st Jan 2011
Very hot and sticky overnight again but overcast in the morning, it got a lot hotter but not as hot as yesterday and it clouded over in the afternoon with even a few spots of rain.
In the afternoon Russ & Chris called with a student they are hosting, they call him Owen as his name is unpronouncable; he arrived from China yesterday, a very polite young man (20) with good English but wanting to know more.
Sun 2nd
Sunny again but not over hot, a cool breeze. After lunch we drove to the Barossa Valley and called at some wineries,
stopped for a cuppa in Tanunda, a very pleasant afternoon with lovely scenery, Rich drove to give Derek a break.
Mon 3rd
Coolish today, didn’t do a lot except grocery shopping and worked on Shirley’s photo frame & family tree.
Tue 4th
A bit overcast in the morning, Shirley started a cold. D R & I went to chemist to get cold tablets and Richie’s batteries. After lunch we went to go to the Salisbury Wetlands, a conservation park, S & D had not been before and were not sure where it was, after we’d driven round for an hour or more, passed Parafield Airport 3 times and had a half hour trip around some railway siding – with moving trains – we decided to give up so we called at the bottle shop and home.
Wed 5th
Warm and sunny this morning, I booked some accommodation for next week and got a route planned. Shirley’s cold quite bad so Derek, Rich and I went to the Wetlands, having got a map. It was very interesting, sandwiched between 2 main roads and the railway yard, we had been very close to it yesterday, it has been developed to conserve waste water and as a flood defence also give a habitat to native species.
We saw quite a few birds,
pelican, spoonbill, cormorant, martins, swallow, purple bush hen, heron, duck; we also caught a glimpse of a rabbit or hare and a water rat. It was a hot afternoon.
Thurs 6th
Another hot morning, Derek had to got to Dorothy’s, as she had her dog at the vet’s and couldn’t manage to carry it home, the dog is very poorly and she knows she must have it put to sleep very soon but wanted it home.
Roy, Derek’s brother called with some certificates and information about their family to put on the family tree which we’d been working on.
After lunch Derek asked would we like to borrow the car to go to the beach so off we went, straight down Grand Junction Rd. to Semaphore beach, it was lovely, hot and still the sea calm and shallow. Very warm in the shallows, we swam and sat for an hour or so then back home, caught the sun a bit, quite a sticky night.
Fri 7th
It was another nice, hot day, in the morning we went for groceries and then after lunch Derek took Rich & I to Morialta Conservation Park just outside the city. It was beautiful, a tree covered gorge with a creek running through - very little water at this time of year, as we got out of the car Rich spotted a koala sleeping in a tree, a lovely surprise to see one in the wild.
We walked up the gorge, it was vrey hot but luckily there were patches of shade from the trees, there was a chorus of bird song all the while and we spooted lots of small birds, we had a really good view of half a dozen blue wrens, very pretty with iridescant blue plumage, there are 3 waterfalls in the reserve, we made it to the first one which did have a trickle of water. The scenery was terrific with rocks towering high above us and many native trees and yaka growing,
we also saw wild sweet peas and blackberries, a lovely afternoon.
Sat 8th
It was overcast this morning, we did some washing and it rained, it did get dry by the end of the day though. Derek went to Dorothy's as she was having the dog put to sleep today but when he came back he said that the dog had rallied and was a bit better. Packed for our trip tomorrow.
We did our "Christmas" dinner, pork roasted on the webber, roast potatoes etc, very nice. It was humid and sticky all day but cleared up in the evening.
Sun 9th
We were up early and loaded the car and off to Ikea for breakfast, we were early and had to wait for it to open, along with quite a few others, we actually were first in the queue! We then went to collect our hire car, a yellow Hyundai Getz-, S & D left and we set off at 10.20 heading for Murray Bridge and down to Mount Gambier, the coastal road was not very interesting, scrubby land, salt lakes and the sea was a strange greeny colour, at one point we did see at least 100 pelicans flying over. We stopped at Kingston for a drink then carried on inland to Mount Gambier; we saw lots of sheep and cattle and noticed many dead trees (drought?) Between Millicent and Mount Gambier there was mile upon mile of pine forest and we passed a Kimberly Clark factory.
We arrived at the Motel Mt. Gambier and booked in; we were given lots of information about the area and what to see by the manager.
We drove to the Blue Lake, a lake in a volcanic crater then on to Valley Lake and Centenary Tower which we climbed up to and got magnificent views, another helpful lady there gave us more information, it was sunny but very windy. We then went to Humpherson’s Sink Hole, this is a beautiful garden planted in a natural sink hole, it was very impressive. We had a meal at the Federal Hotel which was quite good.
Hotel $86 53.58 GBP
Mon 10th
We got some breakfast in our room, stuff we’d taken with us, boiled eggs and bread and butter, and then set off at 0845 heading for Warrnambool, it was overcast.
We had crossed over the border into Victoria yesterday and noticed different architectural styles, more like English bungalows. We called and had a look at Nelson Beach, very misty and windswept; we saw a wallaby by the roadside and a very pale Kestrel hovering. We drove through more miles of pine forests in misty drizzle and called at Portland for a drink; it was very grey, windy and cold. We went to find Tower Hill Reserve at Koroit, it is a vast crater from an extinct volcano and we found a lookout point but with the bad weather the view was not good with mist/low cloud rising from the vegetation, we found our way down into the reserve and decided to take one of the walks, it was drizzling when we started but soon turned to heavy rain so we got saturated, it was very interesting though with lots of lava rocks and wildlife, we saw koala, wallaby, blue wrens, plover, scrub wren, fantails and rabbits and others we couldn’t name. We had a hot drink in the café then went to book in to our motel, The Mahogany Motel,Warrnambool, quite a nice room light and bright with courtyard, too wet to use! after settling in and changing into dry clothes we went and found the RSL club and had a meal, it was a nice, modern club and we had a window seat overlooking the sea, we had super steaks and the sun actually broke through for a while, we had a brief walk by the guns (every Australian town has at least one memorial gun) and back to bed.
Hotel $110 68.53GBP
Tue 11th
Woke up to heavy rain and set off for the Great Ocean Rd. Between Warrnambool and the coast we saw lots of cattle, we also saw many lines of trees, big conifers, on different angles across the fields, we assumed they were for wind breaks as it was very open country.
We did not call at all the lookout points as it was so wet, not heavy rain but mizzly, enough to soak you, there were quite a few people about, mostly better equipped than us with brollies or ponchos. We were glad to have seen it before in good weather but it is still magnificent with heavy surf and sea mist.
At the twelve Apostles, the biggest attraction, they have made a visitor centre and an underpass, this was the busiest place, we must have seen at least a dozen different nationalities along the way. We stopped at Apollo Bay, briefly, wet & windy but people surfing & swimming! We drove on to Kennett River and stopped at the Koala Café by a caravan site, we’d been told we would see koala there. We had a snack then walked up a lane amongst a bus tour, the tour guide had food and was tempting parrots down from the trees,
we walked on a bit more and saw half a dozen koalas moving round the trees, well worth getting wet for.
We then had to make our way over the mountains on very twisting roads, in fog and rain, not a pleasant drive.
We arrived at the Baronga Motor Inn at Colac, not a bad room, a bit gloomy with unpainted dark brick interior; we got out of our wet clothes and went for a meal in the hotel restaurant, too wet to do anything else, another nice steak.
Hotel $99 61.67GBP
Wed 12th
Heavy rain all night ,managed to set smoke alarm off with toaster! Up and away by 0730. We went to Ballarat intending to go to Sovereign Hill, the reconstructed gold mine town but it was tipping down with rain and quite expensive so we decided not to go, like the Ocean Road we had seen it before 15 years ago but still a bit disappointing to have to miss it.
We went on to Ararat; passing through Beaufort it was flooded. We had some lunch at Ararat it stopped raining briefly but bought an umbrella in the reject shop anyway.
We arrived at Halls Gap, in the Grampians National Park and booked in to Takaru Bush Resort, they were not expecting us until tomorrow but had a cabin free, the cabin was very basic and tired looking but did have lovely white fluffy towels and crisp white sheets, unfortunately there were ants in the “kitchen”. The weather cleared and it was hot and sunny, we went to the information centre to ask about activities and were told that the park was closed because the roads were all breaking up and dangerous, the only thing suggested was a walk round the dam on Lake Bellfield which we did after a stroll round Halls Gap,
the creek was high and you could see where it had been a lot higher the walk over the dam was very pleasant, we then went back to the cabin.
There was a kangaroo sitting outside the cabin when we got there and lots of sulphur crested cockatoos, we got some biscuits and soon had about 20 cockatoos around,
also another bird, either a shrike or a honey eater, must look it up, it had a curved beak with very long tongue and small red wattles under it’s chin. We walked into the meadow behind the site and got very close to some kangaroos, sat and watched them for a while, we heard but did not see a kookaburra.
We got beans on toast for tea.
Cabin $99 61.67GBP
Thurs 13th
We decided to move on as it had rained in the night and the forecast was not good, we had booked 2 nights but were told it would be wise to move on, we were on the road by 0820 in the rain again, we paused at Mt William Creek which was very high. It rained all day, it was unremitting grey skies, low cloud rain and flooded land, many of the roads were under water and as large trucks passed us the spray was awful. We stopped at Ouyen for lunch, it briefly stopped raining and was very humid, we ate in the Victoria Hotel, Ouyen,
a magnificent old building with beautiful engraved and stained glass interior doors, one was labelled “Ladies Parlour” from the days – not that long ago – when women were not allowed in pubs. We had a super lunch and on the road again, more rain, we got to Mildura at 2ish booked in to the Econo Lodge Motel, we explained why we were a day early and they had a room available, nice room. We went as far as the river just to say we’d seen it then got some fish & chips and ate in the room, it rained very heavily all night.
Hotel $82 51GBP very good value
Fri 14th
On the road, in the rain by 0815, we first went to Wentworth to see the confluence of the rivers Murray & Darling, very flooded didn’t stop long even though the sun did try to come out briefly,
tried the back road to Renmark but it was closed because of floods, it was very overcast again and a lot of water over the roads, we saw one house being pumped out. As we crossed back into South Australia the sky cleared and it got sunny, we stopped at Renmark for lunch and it was lovely, very damp as they had been flooded a bit but warm. We called at Banrock Station winery but didn’t stop as the walks were a bit too long for the time we had, it was very hot by now. We got back to Vista Ave at about 4.30 so we took the car back and saved a day’s rental.
It had been an interesting trip, disappointing for us because of the weather, but we couldn’t really grumble because the floods have been devastating with whole towns underwater, even Brisbane, a large, modern city shut down and without power, totally unimaginable, the TV coverage was all about the floods, showing pictures of homes and whole townships up to the rooves in water, cars tossed along like toys and thousands of people homeless having lost everything, a tragic situation. We heard that Halls Gap was evacuated the day we left and were glad to get back to sunny South Australia.
The places we did see were interesting and we saw a lot more of Australia, very much sheep and cattle country in Victoria, it was strange to see creeks which in years past have been just a line of trees meandering across country with a dry bed actually running and overflowing.
Sat 15th
Lovely sunny day, did washing and ironing from holiday.
Sun 16th
Another lovely sunny day, we went to Port Noarlunga, it was quite windy by the sea but still very sunny and warm. After our picnic R & I went in the sea,
then Shirl got a phone call from Karen asking if we could go to Tim's and take him to buy some groceries, we were halfway there so it made more sense than her going all the way. Tim & Jodie are really struggling as he can't get regular work and she is at home till the youngest starts school, the three little girls are so bright and Jodie has done a great job helping them to read and write and have good manners but the system seems against them and they aren't able to get a Trust house so rent is crippleing them.
On the way back we called at Port Elliot for a drink but everywhere was closed so stopped at Mount Compass instead, then when we got back to the city we went to Vili's for tea.
Mon 17th
Overcast morning, today Derek has his pacemaker fitted, he went into hospital at lunchtime and spoke to Shirley after tea and was fine.
Tue 18th
Nice sunny day, did some washing, Derek came home and was fine, said it was easier than having a tooth filled and he carried on as normal.
Wed 19th, my 69th birthday!
We were going to go for a drive into the hills but Derek felt poorly and went for a lie down, he told us to go without him but we didn't and Rich took him to see his GP who said he was okay but take it easy so we had a quiet day at home,other than Shirley having to re visit the dentist as she was still in so much pain. In the evening we went to the Indian restaurant and had a nice meal.
Thurs 20th
We went grocery shopping in the morning and after lunch they lent us the car and we went to the beach, we went to Grange which is a lovely fine, white sandy beach with very shallow water for a long way, it was like a warm bath - heaven!
Fri 21st
Another lovely day and after taking Shirley to the shop they lent us the car again and we drove into the hills to Cleland Animal Sanctuary, it was quite good, hot but the kangaroos were a bit listless and not much interested in the food we'd bought for them but still very cute. We went to get a sandwich before returning to pick Shirley up, we waited over half an hour and so I went and asked for either our food or a refund, they were very apologetic and gave me a refund and a sandwich to take away, but we missed to see the koalas, got back in time for picking Shirley up though.
Sat 22nd
Another hot day, we went to the Plaza and I got a hair cut otherwise just a quiet day, we worked on the family tree in the afternoon.
In the evening we went to Lainies place for a meal with her and Bob, we had a smashing evening, super meal with the biggest and most fruitiest trifle we'd ever seen, lots of laughs.
Sun 23rd
We went to Port Adelaide today, had a good mooch around the large indoor market then went on the dolphin cruise, it was very hot and we saw a 2 or 3 dolphins, we also saw pelicans, cormorants &tern.
Mon 24th
It started off a bit overcast but soon brightened up. Today we took a picnic and went to the harness racing, we just walked in, nobody asked us to pay! it was very colourful and interesting and the horses were beautiful, we stayed for 6 races and of all the horses we chose only one won so it was a good job we didn't put money on them! The races were run on a sandy track and between each race a water tanker would spray the track and a tractor would pull a scuffle to prepare the track for the next race.
Tue 25th
Another hot, sunny day, we went to Birdwood, in the hills, to the Motor Museum. We had lunch in a cafe first then spent a couple of hours in the museum, it was very interesting with a huge collection of all sorts of vehicles http://www.alltry.com.au/yellowbrickroad/natmuseum.html.
In the evening there was a thunder storm and a couple of showers during the night.
Wed 26th Australia Day
A nice morning after the overnight rain, Shirley & I worked on the family tree and then we went to Jayne & Shayne's for supper. Their house is over an hour away and is lovely, they have done a very nice restoration on it with a huge outdoor living space with big BBQ and a pizza oven, they also have a shade garden with a water feature in it. There was just us and Pat, Jayne's mum, and we had a lovely steak and chat.
Thurs 27th
Anothr hot, sunny day, we went for lunch at McQueens for the senior special at $8, another very good meal.salad bar, main course (baramundi & chips), sweet, choice of 3and a glass of wine. We then drove to Stirling a very pretty little town in the hills founded by Scottish settlers, had a stroll round and a coffe and back home.
Fri 28th
Shirley was at the shop today so Derek & I went into the city on the bus & Oban and visited the museum, we spent about 3 hours there and still did not see it all in depth, it is a very good museum with interesting exhibits. It had been a hot day.
Sat 29th
Very hot again, went to Plaza for groceries the worked on family tree.
Sun 30th
Another hot day, Shirley, Rich and me went to Gepps Cross market,Derek didn't come as it was where he had got burned, it was very hot. We then went on to the Junction market which is indoors and I bought a sheepskin rug from the Ugg boot stall. We spent the rest of the day indoors working on family tree, the temperature was over 40c.
Mon 31st
Another very hot day, in the 40s, so stayed indoors, Shirl & I worked on family tree most of the day. Went for an evening meal at the Plaza Hotel, nice steak. Today Dorothy had to have her dog put to sleep.
Tue 1st Feb
Derek had to go to hospital for after op. check up, they went by bus as it was easier for them. We had the car and went to the beach at Grange again, didn't stay long as it was very windy, we could hardly stand up and the sand was blowing everywhere. When we got back I started packing.
Wed 2nd
Shirley and me went into the central market on the bus and oban to get a few souveniers, it was a very hot day again, we got back a bit late as buses wer very slow and congested, Shirl missed her podiatrist appointment, Derek went without her.
In the evening we met Karen and Paul and they treasted us to a lovely meal in the city, we then went to a cafe for coffe and a chat.
Thurs 3rd
Overcast this morning and a light shower but after lunch Rich and I went to the beach, it was quiet and cloudy but plent warm enough.
In the evening we met Russell and Chris for a meal.
Fri 4th
After breakfast finished packing and loading the car and off to the airport, sat and chatted for a while then we decided to go into the departure lounge and S & D could go, said a very sad farewell. Not a bad flight, just long and tedious.
Sat 5th
Simon picked us up at Manchester Airport and had us home by 0930. We were very upset to find that the building work on the bungalow was not finished and it was cold, wet and miserable and like a building site - what a homecoming!
