HOME AGAIN, HOME AGAIN, JIGGEDY JIG

We left the bus at Kangaroobie - our friend’s Matt and Sophies farm - near the Twelve Apostles (although there is only about eight and a half of them left), and headed on back towards Melbourne. As the city came into view, blanketed by a smoky haze due to the continuing bushfires in the east of the state, it was quite a surreal experience, having been looking forward to returning for a while now. Over the West Gate Bridge the butterflies buzzed around my stomach with the anticipation of being back “home”, although home now is Bessie and wherever she happens to be. We are staying at MPG’s place (Mum, Penny, Gran) and she is very happy to have the clan under her roof. We have caught up with a few people between finishing the Christmas shopping and doing the usual every day living requirements. But it is great to be back in Oakleigh, having access to our favourite shops, the cafes, souvlaki bar, the dried fruit and nut shop, the various fruit and veg markets, the Italian deli. Funny how much revolves around food! Our plan is to stay at Kangaroobie for a month so I can concentrate on making some more artwork, the kids are going to go to their old school for the first two weeks of the year, starting on 30th January. It will be great for them and also for the school, as they will get funding for them, which they are in need of. We will take this opportunity to wish all our friends a safe, happy and very Merry Christmas. We will not have enough time to catch up with all our friends now but will be back again towards the end of January and will work out a time to hopefully have a BBQ at a park somewhere, we will be in touch once we have worked it out. There is a party happening at Kangaroobie for New Years Eve so if anyone is interested, get in touch before then for more details.

HATTAH LAKES

I camped at Hattah Lakes National park when I was 6 years old, so was interested in going back to see it. Just south of the Murray in dense dry scrub, plenty of bird life, screeching cockies, magpies and the charismatic apostle birds. Unfortunately a few days before our arrival, blue green algae developed in the water there and prevented us from swimming to relieve us from the heat on the 40 degree day. So we drove 20 km to the mighty Murray and had a fantastic swim, the current was strong and refreshing, sandy banks and mud holes for the kids to play in, it was beautiful. The road south was like a giant had shoved it together from each end causing it to be gently rippled up and down. Endless fields of yellow lining both sides of the road as far as the eye can see, but the smoke haze from the bushfires in the east made it a surreal sight, We passed the turn off to Patchewollock, cruised through Speed, Brim and Dooen to Horsham. Next stop the Grampians and then to Kangaroobie.

THE EMU ROAD

Heading South from Broken Hill along the Silver City Highway towards Mildura provided a change in scenery. The dry clumps of knee high grasses sitting amongst the red desert sands gradually grew closer together until they became a blanket of greyish green, with no more sand to be seen. A few straggly goats grazed about the sides of the road, along with the ever present dead roos with the mobs of crows feasting upon their rotting carcasses, flying away to the nearest tree on our approach, and straight back to their meal once we are past. We saw many families of emus prancing about in their search for food, with their cute babies tagging along behind. They are a strange looking bird, their greyish, ruffled, feathered bodies blending into the colours of the fields behind them and their long, swan like necks with the bright blue flash poking up out of the feathery mass. They are an impressive creature, standing as tall as a man, on long poky legs, and it is always a thrill to spot them in the distance as they watch us trundelling by. Every adult seems to have a baby or two with them, like a mother duck with her ducklings. So we have finally crossed the Murray River, back to Victoria the Garden State, the place to be. Before leaving The Hill we went along to Howard William Steer’s gallery, we had seen some of his work around the town. A prolific painter, completing 812 paintings last year, he is quite a character, very friendly and happy to chat. He gave me a few ideas for my work and was quite inspirational. He has quite a bent sense of humour, a bit like myself, and this comes out in his work. My meeting at the Regional Gallery went ok, they have exhibitions booked in for the next two years but are interested in me sending in a proposal.

Bessie

Bessie at The Marbles

A Few Pics

Bus in Coober Pedy Helen at Devil's Marbles The Rock Cool Sign Salt Lake

FLINDERS RANGES

About 150km North East of Port Augusta lies the Flinders Ranges, very dry conditions contribute to the colour scheme of the dusty land. Dry clumps of spiky grasses are scattered about the rolling hills where the many dark grey kangaroos obviously have worked out a way to survive. There are ants everywhere, big ones and small, the big ones wander around by themselves looking a bit lost at times, while the small ones travel together in quick moving processions. Long highways of the things, racing along six abreast into the oncoming traffic, no obstacle too big, I wonder what they are up to? The columns stretch for a long way, interspaced by small holes which they climb in and out of. They only work in the daylight hours. All of this watched by the many big black crows, huge birds they are, sitting up a tree doing their Graham Kennedy impersonations. The dryness here in South Australia is similar to where we have passed through north of here, but the colours on the hills and the desert areas are altogether different. The dry greenery giving way to brighter greens, the red earthy tones replaced by browns and yellows. Along the way we stopped for a cuppa beside a salt lake, it so looks like it is full of water until we got up close. Quite a bizarre experience standing on a blindingly white expanse in the middle of a dry desert. Leaving Wilpena we swept through some beautiful rolling countryside, dodging the early morning kangaroos who were deciding whether or not to jump out in front of our 12 tonne vehicle. Stopped for brekky at the quaint town of Orroroo, which sounds like a title of a movie about Skippy going mad with a chainsaw. 35kms from Cockburn (pronounced Co-burn……luckily….ouch) Bessie ground to a halt. After some deliberation I realised we had run out of diesel, either my calculations were badly wrong, or she used way too much juice on the last leg, or more probably I didn’t fill her up properly in Port Augusta. Got out the car and drove to get our jerry can filled and back again. After some time bleeding the fuel lines we were back on the road to Broken Hill. And what a great town The Hill is. There is art everywhere, murals covering much of the wall space around the place, sculptures scattered here and there. Huge mountains of mining leftovers dominate the backdrop to town. Fantastic old buildings dotted about the main street, old terraced houses populate the hilly back streets, some of which are named Oxide St, Bromide St, Chloride St, Argent St. We visited Pro Hart’s gallery today and we were suitably impressed by his range of styles. I am going to speak to the director of the Regional Gallery tomorrow to see if they are interested in hosting an exhibition of my work next year. There was a Christmas procession through the main street last night, all the local businesses and clubs dressed up their trucks, cars, motorbikes, camels and anything else they could find and paraded along the street, it was quite tacky, but fun for the kids.