Merry Christmas to everyone!

What a month! We had a great Xmas and are looking forward to 2010 here in Aus.
Just a few pics here of what we've been through (It's a tough job, but someone's gotta do it?)
Started off by getting our tree - And as we're at the beginning of our summer, we decided to change the deco colour scheme to reflect the 30+ temps and clear blues of the days, so this pic will be updated when we get more of the baubles etc in our cerise / turquoise theme.

Cait had been learning to play the flute at school (her last year at Ranford Primary) all year and was delighted, though nervous to play a duet at the end-of-year graduation! She suffered from nerves, but pulled through on the day to raptuous applause! Well done Cait!

BBQ season here lasts for months, so PP had a go at doing the yorkshires on the barby. First attempt was a little 'crunchie' on the bottom, but she's perfected her technique now, so you'll be amazed to taste the wonders of the barby when you all come visit. She's even goin' to try roast beef, pizza and even chockolate cake (not all at once, mind!)

Lighter nights, (getting dark about 8.00pm) now meant the girls could use the lawn at the front as an obstacle course. They dreamt this up between them to maximise fresh air and imagination all at once (which we're in full support of!) They spend hours bouncing a ball to each other, riding bikes, chasing each other (and me) and swimming in anyone's pool who invite us over and when there;s no pool, there's always the warm, clear Indian Ocean (see Xmas day below), so we're all fit, healthy and happy... Well, 'fit' might be an exageration for me!?! lol

See what I mean about the 'fit' bit? This is PP topping up the water-melon with Vodka a la Jamie?
Goin to tackle this beast over Boxing Day (and possibly a few days after?) at Sam n Pete's place (Friends from Plymouth, living in Byford, about 20 mins east of us)

Christmas Day 2009 started and ended with HEAPS of prezzies from Santa.The girlie's faces were a picture as we settled down to some serious ripping of paper and tape, starting at 5.30 am (That was PP up and awake, not the girls!) We finally fell into bed at 12.30 pm after a fulll day of fun and great company!

After a barby breky with Charlie n Tracey at Coogee beach, we had to have our obligatory swim in the sea. Not too busy at 10.00am, so having a go on Charlie's kayaks seemed like a good idea. Except I couldn't stay upright, so let the girls have a go - they took to it like the proverbial duck - sickening!

Not sure how Santa managed to jetski past us when he should have been with you guys in England, maybe the jetski is his new form of transport, taken over from the sleigh???

 

Even the marine life was happy to play on Xmas day! This is Cait holding one of about a dozen starfish we found!

So - Happy Christmas to all who read this - and a Merry New Year from Oz!

Deck the Halls...

Well - the tree, anyway and possibly a bit of the veranda?

Cait's Christmas Limo...

PP rather liked the look of this one...

 Noonie liked this little one for her room, but we persueaded her to go for something a little bigger...

 

It's hard work, pulling you Emily - maybe Dad should just put the tree in here?

 

I'm a lumberjack and I'm OK...lol

Dad! It's not an icy pole!!!

And the guest of honour, looking a bit bare, 'till we get some more decos in the new 'summer' colours?

Cait's last game for the Pumas

Cait played her last game of Basket Ball today... For the Willetton Pumas anyway!
She received her trophy and handed back her orange vest as she'll not sign up for them next year. She's already planning on joining the tean at her new school, Carey College in Feb though!
Keep watching, so see her 'shoot some hoops'!!!

Goanna on the run!

Driving home from golf last Sunday, I turned into the road that goes by our house and saw a piece of rubber rolling along the pavement. It was only when I got a bit closer, that I could see that the 'rubber' was WALKING!!!

It was this little fella, a 'Goanna' or an Iguanna, as we Poms call them!


I got out to take a photo and it stopped in the shade of a tree, so I walked up and took a few shots (Photos)

It was only when I showed the guys at work, that they told me that these things run like the wind AT YOU, and bite, scratch and scream as they climb to your head, so I guess I was bit lucky? Or do I have the powers of 'Mick Dundee'????

Either way, I'm a 'dumb Pom'! lol

Just managed to find a small clip of what we were doing at Lancelin, so added it here.
No 'play' this weekend - girlies on Guide camp, so child-free all weekend! Dave's house warming tonight, Golf in the morning, brunch with Charlie n Tracey tomorrow then collect girlies from Hillary's tomorrow arvo - no time to PLAY!!! ;o)

Another day with the 'boys'

Last Saturday, The 'boys' from work decided to take a little trip 'Up North' to Lancelin 4WD area... ...again, as it's such good fun!
Travis took his brand new Mitsi Triton (above) and quite quickly got it stuck (see saw fashion) on the tip of a dune. Finn's Landrover Disco soon pulled it to safety though.

John, being John couldn't help himself when Trav's 'young fella' started to squirm, so his motherly nature came out - He HATES kids!!!

We had lunch back under some shade and most of us (No Nige!) returned to the dunes for some serious action. We were determined to climb this one. It's only about 40 metres high and at about 50 degrees? John gave it a good go, but couldn't match Finn's tracks, where we almost made it to the top??? (I went with Finn as I didn't want to risk Phoebe so soon after getting her back!)
Trav gives it a go too, but still couldn't reach Finn's marks!

The dark tracks were John's, but he made them coming DOWN, not up! Finn was the winner in his old Disco!!!

Here, John lines up to go DOWN, but he experienced 'momentary loss of traction' unitl Finn had to pull him out too! - He DIDN'T get bogged, just lost traction!!! lol

More fun next time, as I think I'll be braver to take Phoebe again - Summer hols coming up, so we'll certainly be beach driving! Watch this space. Jcp

Another 'Eventful' holiday !!!

Well, we made it back from Port Denison...
...JUST!

Beautiful trip up, set up camp, 10 metres from the beach and had a wonderful sunset to watch with a glass of beer and some great company in the form of Linda, Murray and gang!
Phoebe and tent- before Phoebe became poorly!


Day 2. Thought we'd take a little drive up a bit more to Ellendale Pool, as we'd seen it as a possible pitch for next year's camp, so off we went, passed a huge wind farm, on through 'Walkaway' Good name for a place that's SO far from everywhere? and arrived at Ellendale pool, to find some kids jumping in the pool to cool off - It was 25 C that day, so just nice!

Driving back, we started to hear a noise from Phoebe's engine. Stopped to take a look, couldn't see anything untoward, so had to keep going (If you leave your car in the bush, it tends not to be there the next day!) Noise got louder, then after a few minutes, stopped...

...then the oil light came on, so I decided to pull in and give up!

It seems Phoebe didn't want to go any more, so we had to park her in a kennel (literally, we stopped outside a kennel business) and call for help. She needs a new engine!!! Aaargh!
So after HEAPS of hassle and a LOT of phone calls, we left Phoebe in Geraldton to have a new engine fitted.

Too many expletives used to explain the in and outs, but basically, I can fly back to Geraldton (1 1/2 hour flight, opposed to 5 hour drive!) to, hopefully, collect her in 2 weeks!

Other than that, we had a great holiday!
Doing next to nothing was what we anted to do anyway, and when you're 10m from a beautiful beach and only 300m from the bottle shop, what more could you want???

As they say...

...No worries!

On Thursday, Murray treated us to a trip to Kalbari, about 2 hours north of where we were staying.
Port Gregory - a 'loo-stop' on the way.


This is Red Bluff, a beach just as you enter Kalbari.
Girlies looking over the edgeRotten scenery!
Kalbari 'Z bend' gorge is just awsome!
We climbed down here...
... and back up again, all on foot!
and then onto 'Nature's Window'. Beautiful!

Just another Friday at the office

Today (Friday) was the end of term 3, so we had the usual Barby for the lads and a bit of a play!
John, above, had a go on Gary's scooter, whilst we got through several kilos of meat on the barby! Yum!

The lads brought in a go cart, they made, so it would be rude not to have a go wouldn't it?
And John on the Scoooter again!

front garden in!

They mamaged to dodge the showers today, to get the rest of the garden in. It'll be complete in a couple of weeks, when we get a week off, so I can build a small retaining wall for the little gem Magnolia, which will be going in, in front of the front door. This will be Kipper's Tree!

Yay! Grass!

At last - a bit of green, where it used to look like a builder's yard!

They laid the lawn at the front today, which was good timing as it 'piddled' down almost all day!

At least it'll be well watered?