Big Shoes

Bendigo

Thursday 30th March It has taken us about six weeks to get 2 hours away from Melbourne, it is a comfortable pace, a bit slower than we anticipated but what’s the hurry? We are going to see if we can change our flight to Fiji to leave from Sydney instead of Brisbane in mid May which will give us more time and possibly enable us to go via Broken Hill instead of heading straight for Brisbane. It is a good time of year to go to Broken Hill weather wise and we are pretty keen to see it. We are heading to Echuca tomorrow, we have really enjoyed our stay here with the Smiths, Phil and I fitted the new bank of batteries this arvo so we are back on track again. I have also fixed a few things on the bus, sorted a few issues with the trailer, done a bit of maintenance and generally feel on top of things. Mum came up with Jarra today, we had some lunch at Gillies in the Mall where Helen was interviewed by Win News as to her views on family tax cuts and we all got our heads on the 6 o’clock news. The Mall at lunchtime is full of teenagers from the huge high school up the road, there is about 2000 year 11 and 12’s, most of which must venture down there for lunch. There is a lot of Gothic fashion about with many facial piercings, and I have also noticed many very young mothers. Went on the talking tram tour yesterday and to the art gallery today with Mum and her friend Merna. Bendigo Art Gallery is great, Mum came to see the Charles Rennie MacIntosh exhibition, he was an amazing talent, well ahead of his time. If you have not heard of him, Google it and check out his work.There was also some great paintings from Brett Whitely, Boyd, Nolan, Drysdale, Tucker and Blackman and some interesting contemporary and Aboriginal art as well. I spent a few hours yesterday afternoon making a small 3D penguin for Robyn out of Colorbond steel, it was a good exercise and it turned out really well. Robyn loves penguins, their bathroom is covered in penguin pictures and posters so I thought Percy would fit in well. It has been a really nice to have a 2 day break from Jarra, he is pretty full on these days and we need to watch out for him all the time. Thanks Mum! Sheila, fishtail burn outs are when hoons (young guys who drive really fast and carelessly - I was one once….) spin the rear wheels of their car and steer from side to side so that the skid marks go in a S pattern up the road. Cobb is a brand of portable oven/ barbeque that you use solid fuel, briquettes in. It has a lid so that you can roast, smoke, bake or barbeque your food, it is a pretty cool thing.

Melbourne – only a drive away!

Wow! It seems so long since I last wrote for the blog, but really it is only about a week ago. So much has happened in that week. For most of it I have had a very runny nose and felt really quite tired and ordinary, which has meant some early nights and eaten into that precious time when all the kids have gone to bed. While Andre has been sorting and learning all things “bus”, I have been learning from Robyn. The other day she made a batch of feta cheese. How fantastic is that! Just to get up in the morning, do a stint at the gym, come home and make a huge batch of feta. Watch out Dianne and Julian! It all was quite specific with amounts and procedures and sterilising etc. and even more impressive when I learnt that she is the only one in the family who eats it! So we quite gladly will help Robyn in that department. We now have a fridge full of feta. Unfortunately, like Andre has said, the fridge isn’t so well and we have asked Phil to order us 4 new batteries for the solar system ($1000). We have well and truly knackered the others and this is the sort of unexpected expense that can crop up. Robyn has also been making us wonderful cups of fresh chai. So I am going to get the mix of spices and start to cook up a pot or two. Today I spent the day going to Melbourne to drop Jarra off at his Gran’s and to meet Gill and Cam’s new bub Hamish. He is gorgeous and it was fantastic to meet the little man and to see them one last time. By the time I see him next he will be almost one I imagine. There is definitely something very special about holding a newborn babe in one’s arms. So soft, so delicate and smelling so sweet. I almost felt a little broody….. but no!!!! Arriving back, I was chatting to Robyn who had been to a forum for mothers who believe in natural birth and parenting. Only three others had turned up, but were very committed to the idea of getting like minded women together. Then we got on to our birthing stories, as each of our children have entered the world in an interesting fashion. It is an amazing thing to revisit the whole birthing thing – not the usual coffee chit-chat these days – and it brought a smile to my face thinking about my experiences and it helped to remind me how special Jarra is and why I need to have understanding when dealing with him. He was “born in the caul” as some of you might know, which is very special. I must make this my mantra when dealing with his fierce independence, curiosity and lack of fear – all of which is adding to the close proximity to the day I find my first grey hair. I have said before that he will be the one to do it. I need to look at him and believe that it is all for the greater good. When he was born we were very excited to discover that the word caul comes from the word “caulbearers” who were deemed chosen individuals to live for the greater good and that they had powers that others didn’t possess. Well I kinda like that and I think I just need to be reminded of it periodically – especially when he is throwing a big tanty!! I enjoyed our time back in Melbourne for the games. It really was jumping and I was sad we weren’t able to see the fish lit up at night. Weren’t they awesome?!! Today on the radio – I had a lot of time in the car! – they were discussing ideas of what to do with them now that the games are over. One suggestion was to send them to Sierra Leone and for us to keep the athletes. I like that one! Well I must go now and enjoy what is left of our precious night on our own together. Rennie and Tal are having a sleepover with Eric at the house and so we have a very rare chance of having the bus to ourselves… funny, it actually seems quite big without them! This really is our home now.

Mercedes Seats and babies

A Spent today removing our four front seats and installing the new ones that Robyn and Phil have pulled out of their Mercedes bus, they are pretty flash and match the colours in our bus very well. After selling Bessie to us they realised that they really missed her and decided to convert another one and travel again. Phil has stripped all the seats out and has started the conversion. Many thanks for your help with our seats this morning Phil, Cheers. We are meeting Mum in Kyneton tomorrow, she is going to take Jarra for a couple of days, it will be nice for all concerned. Or after the latest news of Hamish William Lee's birth this morning, Helen might be heading back with Jarra to see them instead. Congratulations Cam and Gillian!!!

Brigg Road

A Phil and Robyn’s house is just on the edge of a State Forest, tall, thin gum trees grow about 3- 5 metres apart with the leaves only starting over half way up, so at eye level there are just many trunks to see. The ground is covered in a blanket of twigs, bark and many shades of fallen leaves, from light green through beige, brown, rusty orange, yellow. The sounds of birds and the buzzing of march flies break the sound of the wind through the trees. After a restless night I was awake at 7.15 so decided to get up and go for a run. Grabbed a banana and the ipod and headed off, the ipod was not charged so I left it, and was later glad that I did as I would have missed the sounds of all the different birds waking up as the sun rose in the distance. It is also a great chance to think about things and really appreciate the beauty of the bush, the amazing patterns and colours in the smooth bark of the gum trees lining the sides of Brigg Road, which is just a gravel track that winds gently through the forest. Crossed over Jacko Road where a magpie was sitting on a thin tree that was growing at a 45 degree angle to the ground and watched me jog by. PhilnRob built their beautiful house here 17 years ago, it is mud brick and is solar powered with tall ceilings and a mezzanine floor with dormer windows for the parents. Their dog is a blue heeler Elenor who loves to lick your knees, and Jarra’s face as it is at that height. They have a couple of black cats, Shade and Shadow, some chooks, budgies and a great vege garden. There are a lot of old vehicles and banks of old solar batteries scattered about their 20 acres. Their kids Angus 14, Hamish 12 and Eric 7 are home schooled by Robyn who is a very earthy person and they are receiving a varied education including many life skills. Tal and Rennie are having a nice time here riding their bikes and having Lego and Bionicle sessions with the other kids.

Solar Batteries ...Ooops

A It really is a small world, although I would not want to paint it……. We were talking about our stay at Kangaroobie with Liz and Ken and it turns out that his jazz band played at Matt’s sister Kez’s wedding last year, at Kangaroobie. What are the chances? It was a lovely stay at Werona then it was off to Lockwood via Maldon where we put in 100 litres of diesel at $1.37 a litre. Lockwood is about 10 km from Bendigo and we are parked at Robyn and Phils place, the people we bought the bus from, they are quite similar to us in many ways, and we received a warm welcome. I had quite a few questions for Phil about the bus, mainly just little bits and pieces, he is a very clever guy who installs solar energy systems. He told me many things when we first bought the bus but didn’t tell me about the maintenance that our bank of solar batteries required. Our freezer was not working very well, some things would be semi frozen in the morning. Phil was quite horrified when we lifted the cover in the floor of our bus and he looked at the condition of them, there are 4 x 6 volt batteries which make up the 24 volt system. The terminals had a lot of corrosion on them and the batteries were very short of water, 5 litres in fact, we have our fingers crossed that we have not stuffed them up. Phil did a great job cleaning them up for us, thanks for that Phil, much appreciated. We all headed into Bendigo for dinner together, passing through Kangaroo Flat on the way, I love the mental image some of these place names seem to evoke. It is nice to be able to get a parking spot right outside the restaurant on a Saturday night in the middle of the city. We had a nice pizza and pasta, Jarra was pretty full on so I took him to watch the pizzas being made. He was imitating the dreadlocked girl who was making the pizzas, patting them into the pan, so she went and got him some dough and a saucer so he could make his own, this kept him occupied for a few minutes until he decided that it would be more fun to eat it instead…… There was some entertainment on at the Town Hall in the block behind the main Street, a big screen for the Games and a stage where there seemed to be some sort of bad Karaoke night. There was a rapper in a long red shirt, black baggy pants with the right leg tucked into his sock just below the knee who thought he was Eminen or such, but he was just Effinbad. “Yo Bendigo, are you ready for some wicked shit?”. Mate, I don’t think Bendigo will ever be ready for you. Mum had told us that Rory would be appearing there. Rory is a 9 foot tall Scotsman who plays the bagpipes, he has his 9 foot girlfriend and his huge shaggy dog with him, quite a funny sight but would not have wanted to have travelled all the way from Melbourne to see them just wandering around the crowd and asking “Alright Shorty?” to anyone shorter than 9 foot. We will spend a few days here having a look at a few things around Bendigo and sorting out a few problems with the trailer. The car keeps shifting backwards in the trailer and the tow bar has rubbed a hole through the fold up ramp at the back so will get some chain to hold it in place. Phil also explained why we keep blowing the lights in the trailer. The bus is 24 volts and the trailer was set up with a 12 volt system so all the lights are receiving way too much power. Phew, is very warm tonight, a nice clear starry sky, and plenty of flies and mozzies about. We would like to send our best wishes to our mate Aaron Hammond, local computer wiz who has spent some time in hospital with an infected knee, hope you are up and about soon. I have always advised him that PC users are much more prone to viruses than us sensible Mac people, but he has always totally disregarded my advice.

Olives.

A The journey from Ballarat this morning took us through Cresswick then Smeaton (the surname of our good neighbours in Cash Grove, we were thinking of you Luke, Linda, Jas and Josh) past some dry dams and a few volcanic looking hills which broke up the predominately flat landscape, although we did struggle up a few steep sections…….I think I can….. I think I can…….. We arrived at Liz and Kens property at lunchtime. Liz Sardone was my Dad’s second wife and we have kept in touch over the years. Her partner Ken’s jazz band played at our wedding party, he is a great trumpeter and a very nice guy. He carries a trumpet mouth piece in a little leather pouch in his pocket wherever he goes so that he can practice at any time! They bought these 70 acres 6 years ago, planted 20 acres of olive trees and started building their mud brick house while living in a caravan, they are about a month from moving in. Liz has created some great gardens, planted many fruit trees, great apples, a wonderful vege patch, lots of mosaic features and other arty/ crafty things which appear here and there and are quite uplifting. They use 90,000 litres of water each week for the olives and produce about 5 tonnes a year, this will increase as the trees mature and they plant more groves. The shower out the back of the caravan, not far from the thunderbox (Ha, what a great name for an outdoor toilet eh?!) is a work of art. Ken has invented a system where you fill a galvanised rubbish bin with water, stick in an element from an old urn to heat the water up, then use a clever home made winch to lift it up so that the water drains out through a pipe to the shower rose. The kids had a go this evening after our walk down to the dam, great fun. Was a lovely sunset this evening and we noticed that the sheep are not really the same colour as the tall, dry grass at dusk, it is only in the midday sun. At night they appear as darker shapes as the sun is behind them, silhouettes on top of the hill. Grant, the local policeman at Newstead arrived just after we did and had a cup of tea and a bowl of pasta with us as he does once a fortnight-ish. There is not much crime around these parts so he does get to do his own thing a fair bit and when he left he put on the lights and sirens for Jarra. Went for a spin on the four wheel motorbike which was very nice, the wind blowing through what is left of my hair…………

The Games

It was nice to be back in Melbourne for a day or so. It was certainly all happening in the city, alive with the buzz and vibe of the Games, and plenty to do and see without actually going to any sporting events. The Yarra River looked fantastic with the very creative metal fish barges, a certain species of fish signifying each country, eg, an eel for Australia, brown trout for Scotland. They were beautifully crafted, using a lot of stainless steel, copper and corrugated iron and were approximately 5 metres long by 3m high, lined up the centre of the river, spectacular. While walking along Birrarung Maar we stopped to listen to a group of drummers playing African drums, they were fantastic and the kids sat down and were transfixed as the beats and rhythms were belted out on the skins. The leader of the group was very entertaining and produced some amazing sounds. I asked to look at his hands when they finished and his palms and fingers were so calloused and hardened by all the drumming he had done, they looked quite unnatural, almost grotesque. We spent an hour at the “beach” at the Arts Centre, the lawn there had been transformed into a beach, loads of sand for the kids to play in, Tal had a great time playing touch rugby that was organised by Touch Victoria, while a band played good music at the stage there. We bumped into our friends Ben and Janet and their three girls, they were as surprised as we were, we felt funny being recognised, almost fraudulent, as we were meant to be far away, travelling. We have seen a fair bit of the Games on TV, it seems to have been a great success with a lot of very inspiring performances. Lunch with Cam, Gillian, Kaiya and Freya for lunch on Wednesday was great, and a lovely dinner that night with Mum.

Latest Thoughts

Home made falafels for dinner tonight, sitting at our picnic table outside the bus, late afternoon sun shining down on us, very peaceful setting. It is a month now since we headed off and we were talking about how it doesn’t feel so much like we are travelling around Australia, as we are just over an hour from Melbourne, we are just living in different places, without a high cost of living, although we are spending quite a bit. An old couple from the other side of the road in the caravan park came over with a tub of yoghurt a couple of days ago. “Hang on”, I thought, “Here we go”. He asked if we wanted some washing powder as they were heading back to the UK in two days time via Kuala Lumpur. We accepted and then he offered us their towels as they did not want to take them back. The reason for this became obvious when Helen went to wash them and discovered the tag saying that they were the property of a major hotel in Kuala Lumpur. They were probably going to get some new ones on their way home. Don’t know what the penalty is over there for such offences….. We bought a TV aerial yesterday from Dick Smiths and now have good reception so as to watch some of the Games from the comfort of our beanbags. We are quite enjoying Ballarat, checked out the real estate in the newspaper just for interests sake and it is amazing what you can get for your money.

Ballarat.

It isn’t a place I have ever given much thought to, but a person could get to like a place like this. Maybe it is the fact that we are living on the outskirts of town in a very peaceful holiday park with lots of space around us – one of the advantages of being a big rig is that we are often put at the back of the park which usually has a lot of free space – or maybe it is that it is only five minutes to the town centre and we feel like we know it well already. Perhaps it’s that people are friendly and take the time to say hello, or maybe the real feeling of longevity in the air. Walking through the Botanic Gardens today surrounded by trees hundreds of years old, majestically swaying in the light breeze and edged with glorious beds of colour of all shapes and sizes was very therapeutic – almost as good as the kids club the caravan park runs each day between three and four! In the gardens today we walked down the avenue with the busts of all the prime ministers of Australia and their dates of office. One chap, whose name escapes me at present, was only on office for 7 days! I reckon there must be a story in that somewhere. If you know what it is then let us know! I will endeavour to find out as well. We never planned to spend much time here, but we are enjoying ourselves and that is what it is all about. The freedom to make our own plans is the ultimate luxury. Jarra is finally settling into a bit of a routine. We have abandoned the afternoon sleep and if he falls asleep in the car well and good, if not we struggle through the witching hour between five and six and he goes to bed earlier and easier. At last I think he has realised what his bed is for and he is settling to sleep much quicker without a great deal of heartache all round. Today we went past the local library and spotted a sign that said they have wireless internet connection available, so we will check that out. Yesterday we used Starbucks/Telstra connection and it was pretty pricey, but amazing nonetheless. The whole wireless thing fascinates me. I am sure we will learn much as we go. Anyway I only have 15 minutes left until the kids return, so I’m away to read my book and cherish this down time. Hx

Sunday 19th.March

A We had an enjoyable day at Sovereign Hill yesterday, it is an amazing place really. We tried our luck panning for gold, but I had more luck when I was there 28 years ago. Whilst on our ride on the carriage pulled by four horses, the driver told me some interesting facts. They have a stable of 53 horses, about 20-25 are used each day. There are 300 people employed, although about 150 people work there each day. On top of this there are 250 volunteers who come and sit in the little houses dressed in period costume and act like they are still in the 1850’s, or shine shoes or many other roles. This explains the rather expensive entrance fees, is well worth it though. They used to travel to Melbourne by coach which took 8 hours (80kms) and three changes of horses. Hearing a fanfare in the main street we went to see what was happening, the long silver horn was being blown by a guy who would have to be 80 years old. He led the smallish crowd into the theatre and proceeded to put on the funniest magic show I have ever seen, it was definitely the highlight of my day. He could juggle, throw all sorts of things in the air and catch them on his nose, forehead or mouth, make things disappear and appear, his little dog did many tricks too. He had us laughing the whole way through. There was a small Chinese girl in the audience who kept on calling out to him, “Grandpa, Grandpa”. He said to us “It is a funny old world, she was born on the street outside a railway station in China. I am baby sitting her today as her Mum is studying for her Phd” Interesting……. The caravan park we are in is very peaceful, we have a big grassy area to ourselves and a nice wooden playground just near us as well. A guy was collecting the rubbish from the big green bins, he had made an ingenious contraption which would lift the bins up and tip them into his ute, sort of like the huge trucks in the city but an a small scale. We had a chat about it and he said that he had copied it. Yeah, when he was seven years old he was given a toy that was a man climbing a ladder and doing a somersault at the top, this is what he copied it from! It was a great work of engineering, all steel, springs and a winch. Jarra loved it!! He loves anything noisy really. Have been seeing some strange letter boxes so far on the trip and have decided to keep a record of them, made a start yesterday with a couple of good photos, will keep you posted….Ha!

Hills and Caves

Helen here, It’s been an adventurous day! We are now ensconced in a caravan park on the outskirts of Ballarat. After a brisk and chilly start to the day completing ablutions outside, as the chemical loo was totally full, we headed off back up the steep dirt track away from Lake Elingamite. Poor old Bessie isn’t too impressed with hill starts now that the trailer is on the back with the Subaru in it. We had quite a few big hills today that were hard work, but made up for this doing 90/100 on the flat. Visited these really amazing caves this afternoon. They are on private property and we called ahead, so they were expecting us. We were told to bring our own torches and wear suitable footwear, but other than that we were given no hint of what to expect. As we headed down to the first cave we had to crouch down and squeeze through the entrance. The only one who didn’t need to duck was Jarra. I have to admit I was a little cautious at this point, but soon we were standing up and a huge cavern lay before us. They used to use these caves for local dances last century and you can see why. The place has an air of mystery about it and the acoustics are great. Not to mention that there would be no complaints of too much noise from the neighbours! We went in as far as we could, but the route down to the lake looked a bit hairy and by this point Jarra was clinging to me like a limpet. Those of you who know Jarra also know how little fear he has, but today he knew his own limits. He never said a word or cried, just wanted to be carried and held on very tightly. Right in the centre we turned off the torches and there wasn’t even a glimmer of light. It really was pitch black. On our way out we had a little moment of disorientation and started to head away from the exit. It was pretty scary when it all looked pretty similar, but we saw a chink of light at last and we all breathed a sigh of relief as we headed back up and out. I have to admit I was quite relieved to be back out in the sunlight and I certainly don’t think I will ever be a caver! H

Friday 16th March

Eureka, we made it to Ballarat this afternoon after stopping at a couple of disappointing prospective camping places just outside Lismore in Derinallum, they were not much chop really so we changed plans and headed off to Mt. Widderton. We passed the signs to Pura Pura, Vite Vite and Nerrin Nerrin, where they must have either hearing problems or just really like the sound of their town’s name. It would have been nice to stay in Derinallum which was near to Mt. Elephant, we could see the mountain from a long way away and as we got closer it became obvious as to why it received that name. On the road there I noticed two sets of fishtail burnouts down the centre of the road made exactly opposite to eachother which created a symmetrical pattern, sort of like a bunch of figure eights lined up, it would have taken a lot of skill and practice to achieve this. I would call it a kind of art as it made me think about it, although I doubt you would find a market for that type of medium very easily. A friend Mark who works at Port Campbell Information Centre told us about Mt. Widderton which has the largest lava cave in Australia. It is on private property, a cattle stud farm and is not really on the tourist route so it sounded intriguing, BYO torch and suitable clothes was all we were told. Helen is going to write her thoughts about it. I would like to tell about the little custom that occurs between truck, bus or large vehicle’s drivers, I suppose you would not know about it if you have never driven a large vehicle. As you approach each other a little wave of the hand, or just an uplift off the steering wheel of the index finger is offered, it is rarely ignored or forgotten and it does take a while to get used to. There is definitely a sort of community spirit between these guys who share the roads We passed more yellow fields with sheep of the same colour as the dry grass, just woolly blobs in the greater yellow of the meadow.

Thursday 16th March.

We are 5km west of Cobden beside Lake Elingamite, have just put a chicken, potatoes, onions and carrots in our Cobb oven, it is smelling great. Got woken up this morning about 7ish by the rain, it is so nice to hear the rain pelting on the bus as we are tucked up,nice and warm under the doona. It has been a very wet and windy day which has made all the farmers around here very happy, they haven’t had any decent rain for a long time and most have had to buy hay for feeding the cattle, some have also had to buy water for drinking. As there is a lot of warmth in the soil, the grass should grow really well with a good soaking, it has been very very yellow and unusually dry lately. On the way here we passed some farms which were absolute junkyards. One in particular had about twenty rusted cars in all states of disrepair and the house and assorted patched together sheds looked like they would blow away in the next strong wind. When cleaning out my shed in readiness for this trip I soon realised that I too am a bit of a hoarder, but just on a much smaller scale than these blokes who must like collecting rusted things. I quite like all the rusty corrugated iron roofs and the hay sheds with their roofs falling in here and there. I reckon most hay shelters in Australia were hastily built with whatever materials were lying around at the time, and the spans and measurements calculated by thumb, far from an engineers specifications. I suggest we call them hay shods instead. We have just eaten the chook which was great and had some bread and butter pudding for treat afterwards. The lake here is fairly dry, deep mud around the edges for about 30 metres where the water would normally be, would be a very pretty place when the water was up to where it should be, and I’ve heard it is good fishing when you can get near the water. People with waders have got themselves stuck in the mud lately in their attempts to get to the lake. The Commonwealth Games started last night, we heard a bit of it on the radio, we feel quite far removed from it all really, having had no television for the last month now, which has been quite nice really.

Monday13th March

A We are getting prepared to head off from Kangaroobie, as comfortable as we are here we need to get moving again. We are looking at the map and trying to decide on the next leg of the trip. We need to be in Brisbane by mid May and would like to call in at Bendigo on the way so there are two points to aim for. There are a few lava caves and volcanic crater lakes on the way to Bendigo so will try and see a few of them as well. Went fishing on the beach where the Gellibrand River meets the ocean yesterday afternoon, a very scenic location, had a large star shaped sinker which was cast over the big crashing surf and this kept the rig out there. Rennie came with me but when the wind picked up and blasted us with sand she went over to the dunes to play and get out of the wind, it did get very strong and was quite sore when it sandblasted our legs and faces. She found some good shaped cuttlefish and used one as a little bed and one as a doona to put a little stick to sleep in, this kept her busy for ages. Meanwhile, I caught three smallish salmon, threw one back and kept the other two to put in the freezer, it was good fun, and as I haven’t caught anything for ages it was good for the confidence. Had some visitors today, which was nice, some friends Karen and Sam and their kids Lachie and Chloe who Tal went to playgroup with many years ago. They moved to Camperdown a few years ago and came over here for lunch today, we went for a paddle in the canoes and a swim after lunch. Am now thinking of buying a canoe to take with us as it is great exercise and very relaxing at the same time. Hope life is treating you all well and that you are happy and healthy.

Finished artwork and the domestic front.

Well doesn't Nessie look great! As you can see she is installed and happy in her new home! What a transformation. The water tank has been transformed and I am sure will become a local talking point over the coming months. Andre is rightly delighted with the end result as are the proud new owners. Matt and Soph have been great, sharing their space with us and providing the forum for such creative endeavours. We have eaten splendidly over the past three weeks and we will miss the entertaining evenings filled with Boggle and Scrabble challenges. On the domestic front we have been having a few challenges. Before we left I promised myself that I would write a REAL account of our experience and I have to admit that I have found moments in the past few weeks very challenging. I don't think one can prepare oneself for the difference in lifestyle change that a trip like this provides. I have realised that I am not used to being with all three of my children, all day, every day! It is hard to give them individual attention. To make time for each of them. Jarra has been particularily demanding since leaving. Getting him to sleep is proving an arduous task and very frustrating, taking in excess of an hour each time. He has had a lot to contend with ... new sleeping arrangements, not as much freedom to just go out the door and roam and play at will like he could in the garden at home, four new teeth that have appeared in the last two weeks not to mention the whole upheaval of leaving. Being almost two is tough at the best of times, without all this to contend with! Having said that he is still very cute and he and Christopher are a delight to watch at times together. I will adjust eventually and we will find our way, but the path may be a little rocky. On the upside, I have been enjoying running with Soph in the mornings. Every time is different. Sometimes clear and mild;sometimes mist hanging over the river;sometimes the wind blowing hard - ran by myself that morning and felt like I had done 8 not 4km! I really feel alive when I am running and I am pleased that I am keeping my resolution to get fitter on this trip. Port Fairy festival was great, a little hot, but we all had a lovely time. Great music and although it is called a folk festival, there was a wide range of music and entertainment in the streets. We didn't need to access the official big names. So now that the big project is done we will be moving on next week and the big decision is where to now? H

Sculpture Pics

Here are some pics of the installation, before and after, I think I might have finally worked out how to do the photos. Went to Port Fairy Folk Festival today which was fun, a pretty big day out.

Friday 10th. March

The sculpture is installed and everyone is happy, especially me. I have been pretty busy in the shed (studio!!) for the last 8 days, which means that Helen has been busy with the kids, but I believe that this work I have done is pretty special for a few reasons. Firstly, it is very prominent so it may lead to more work for me, also it has given us the chance to spend some time at Kangaroobie with Matt, Sophie, Lachie and Christopher which we have all enjoyed, although Matt will tell you that he cant wait till we are gone. Normally when we are here we have a fairly strict timeline due to school, cats, work etc. etc. It is great to be so flexible, we are like a giant snail, our home on our back, and about as quick…!! Sorry Bessie……….. Dianne and Julian are very happy with their Loch Ness Cow which has Lost It’s Whey. She came up extremely well, reeds waving in the wind, lily pads floating on top, and a very content creature lazing about in it’s pool. It will certainly create comment which is what art is all about I suppose. I was thinking this morning that it certainly beats putting on roofs full time, although I didn’t wake up in the middle of the night very often all excited about a new concept for a bullnose verandah. Doing this sort of work I find myself thinking about the particular project all the time, which I do enjoy, and it is very satisfying to see a dramatic change in a setting such as the ugly concrete water tank to what it is now. But at times I do really question my sanity….

Collecting the bait for eel fishing

Christopher and Jarra

Tuesday 7th March

A There is a lot of old rusted machinery dotted about the farm, lying where it stopped working, growing a skirt of grass around its edges where the mower can’t get to. Some of it you can not guess what its use once was, other bits are fairly obvious, I find it all rather intriguing though. With 2000 acres of land I suppose there is no reason to get rid of it. I asked Matt about the old grader, a huge machine, stripped of its panels so that its rusted skeleton and engine made it look like some sort of Mad Max machine, sitting behind the fence in a field. He said that it had just arrived there the other day, since we have been here. It looks like it has been there for 50 years, although there was no grass skirt. Apparently it used to belong to the Bowkers and was residing at the farm next door, so the bloke from next door had dragged it over, did not tell Matt it was coming, it just appeared. Only in the country eh? Imagine something that big, long forgotten from your past, appearing in your front yard in suburbia? The project I am currently working on is a sort of white and black spotted Loch Ness Cow Monster that will be swimming in the water tank, it has Lost It’s Whey. It is coming along very well and when we finally work out how to get photos onto this blog I will put some up. Cam Lee put the others up for me, am going to call him and ask him the secret.

Rennie's Feelings

I am missing school but I am having a good time up at Kangaroobie. We have friends here at Kangaroobie. This morning we went to playgroup again. I really enjoy going to playgroup because we can make biscuits and eat them. I made two to take home for Tal. I really like being on the bus because we can play and the beds are really comfortable. daddy is busy making this Loch Ness Cow in the BIG shed. The big shed has heaps of stuff in it! I have been sleeping in very late every morning. I have been doing some school work as well. Thank you Dana for sending me a message. Love from Rennie xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Monday 6th March

A Up here on the hill the wind is usually pretty strong and there are many birds around and with the cows mooing and the barking of the dogs it is not very often silent. The sound of the waves crashing into shore, just over yonder, is very similar to the noise from the Monash freeway where we used to live in Mt. Waverley, but is somewhat more appealing. Went for a 4km run with Sophie this morning, feet crunching along the dirt road in unison, passing fields of cows with their young calves. The Gellibrand is fairly swollen at the moment as the mouth is blocked with sand. Made the head section of the sculpture today, it was a real challenge, but I am very happy with the result. Am about half way done and will describe what I am doing very soon!!

Sunday 5th March

A Have made a good start on the sculpture, am working in Matt’s huge shed which is full of the contents of his grandparents house. There is an amazing array of boxes of this and that, furniture, all kinds of things waiting to be sorted. Matt cleared some space for me up the far end, which happens to be next to the pig sty. Occassionally I hear strange grunts and scuffles while I am working, there is also a fair old smell wafting accross. We all went into Port Campbell yesterday to see the Commonwealth baton pass through, where there was also a music festival on for the day, some good bands playing on the basketball court. Before we left Jarra fell over and hit his head on the edge of the car door and got a huge lump on his forehead between his eyes, he is unbelievable that child. Took Tal and Rennie eel fishing this evening, the supposed eels did not take the bait, we tried both crickets and cabana this time. Will get some pics of the sculpture up soon and describe what it is that I am creating.

Thursday 2nd March

A Our around Australia trip has come to a bit of a halt for the moment. I have spent the last day and a half in Melbourne collecting all the material I need for the new project. I surprised many people by returning to Melbourne so soon, and it is sort of strange going back to the “big smoke” and dealing with peak hour traffic and the hustle and bustle of city life. Caught up with Mum for lunch, Cam and Gill for dinner and Mike Craig for a quick coffee and florentine in Oakleigh. If you are ever in Oakleigh, do yourself a favour go to Nikos and buy a Florentine, they are wicked. Matt’s Mum Jenny came back with me in the van today and when we were passing through Simpson it was nice to be able to say, “we’re almost home….” A strange string of coincidences has led me to be embarking on my latest, very exciting piece of art. Blown headlights, cheese and forgotten handbags have all been in the mix, which will be revealed to the blog soon, but there are much more pressing stories to tell. Let me tell you about eel fishing in the Gellibrand River. I have been coming to Kangaroobie now for about 17 years and Matt and I have been going eel fishing down there on many occasions. Things required for this activity include night time, firewood, beer, fishing lines and some sort of bait. I suggested last nights lamb as bait, but the boys who had just had a few at the “Talk of the Town”, found a swarm, maybe 200 or so crickets on the verandah and so the subject of bait was no longer an issue. Matt has always regaled me with stories about all the eels they used to catch down there, crikey, they were this big……… I have only ever witnessed one eel in the vicinity of this fishing hotspot after all these years, my luck coming last year when Matt had left me to drop the kids back home. I should never have told him that I actually caught one, and we could have kept his myth going for a while longer. Well, I have just had my second experience with an eel. Jesse the Canadian guy who has been helping Matt on the farm is heading off tomorrow and was keen to have a go. Off we went under a sky so starry, tubs of crickets, worms and the pippies that have been in our freezer since Helen’s Mum was here ages ago, fishing lines and beer; was too warm for a fire. It has never really been about the fishing, it is just a great time to chuck in a line, have a laugh and lie down and look at the wonderful night sky, we saw 3 shooting stars, cool. We were probably ready to go when Jesse pulled in a squirming,slimy, wriggly eel. He caught it with a cricket….. Howzatt??!! So Matt cut off its head and showed us what he used to do as kids, stick your finger in its mouth, and it sort of bites and clamps on to your finger, strange…. Dan decided to find out what pippies taste like and I challenged him to eat one for a dollar. And then for $2 he ate a live cricket! Ha! A cheap nights entertainment I reckon. We will be here for another couple of weeks while I am doing this work. The Commonwealth baton is coming to Port Campbell on Saturday and there is a music festival there which we will go and see. We welcome any comments or suggestions. It is a funny thing doing a blog, it is a great record of our trip and more for us, it would be nice to know who is sharing it with us.

Kangaroobie by Tal

At Kangaroobie today I protested against mum to not go to the boorringg RAINFOREST, instead we went 2 the beach. WOO-HOO!!!. The downside too it is next time rennie has to make the dicision for where we go next time. I bet she's going to choose somewhere soppy. Once we'd come back from the beach I went & did this. I like going out with groups and I make lots of friends. My favourite activity is the LIFE OR DEATH game.

GORN!

Last moments before we set off!

...and we are off!

Slow down guys!

This is Jarra driving the bus when we took off! BRRRRRM!