Finally introducing Benjamin John

I have a big announcement to make!!!!

Tra Lah Lah!!!!.......Drum Roll Please.......

Introducing our long awaited first Great Grandson

Benjamin John (affectionally known as Benji or BJ)

Born on the 19th March 2011 at 3.20pm.

Weighing 8lb 2oz

Measuring 52cm

He is already a little bit cheeky!!!!

I think he is the cutest and most gorgeous baby I have ever seen (and I’m not a bit biased of course.)

Proud Great Nana & Ben



At home with Mum exhausted of course!!!!



Proud Granddad Bill with Jess and Benji

Sorry I didn’t get to see anybody while I was home I was otherwise occupied....either doing an allnighter at the hospital awaiting the birth or visiting the hospital or staying with my granddaughter, partner and of course his lordship and catching up with family.  It was both exhausting and very rewarding!!!!!!!!

Talk again soon

Going Home

Well there is still no arrival of our Great Grandson he is now a week overdue.  However I am flying back to WA tomorrow for a couple of weeks.  I am not taking the computer with me so I will not be updating my blog whilst I am away.  Stay safe and I see you after the 30th March.
Talk again soon
 

Victoria Caravan and Camping Show

Yesterday we all headed off to discover what Victoria’s Biggest Caravan & Camping Show was all about.  You guessed it!!! Boy’s toys!!!!!!  And more big boy”s toys!!!  I think Russell & Bill were in their element browsing through the latest gadgets and must haves for the discerning traveller.  From destinations to travel, to the latest Satellite Systems, Gps’s , 4 wheel drive gadgets to Generators, Waeco’s  etc everything needed for that BIG trip.  From the humble tent to the latest caravan to the mighty Fifth Wheelers and then on to the Luxurious Motorhomes they were all highly represented.  We rather liked the Paradise Motor Home, but some of the caravans were nice also.  There wasn’t much there for Hedy and myself apart from lunch which wasn’t too shabby in the Caulfield Racecourse Dining Room.  We patiently followed our menfolk while they salivated over each and every new thing.  (A bit like me and handbags LOL)   There were seminars galore, something for everyone even the kiddies were catered for with “Roary the Racing Car ™”.  Performances from Frankie J Holden and talks by Spida Everitt and Coxie on Tour were some of the performances on offer.  By about 5 o’clock we had all had enough (especially Hedy and Myself) and left for home.

Talk again soon

Warrnanbool and Port Fairy

The 12 Apostles was the next port of call on the agenda. 

12 Apostles

The icon of the Great Ocean Road is the 12 Apostles in Port Campbell Natural Park.  These 45metre tall mighty limestone stacks would captivate everyone who visit.  Not all twelve apostles can be seen from the first lookout; some are hidden behind headlands or obscured by other rock stacks.  Last century the formations were called the “Sow & Piglets”: Muttonbird Island near Loch Ard Gorge was “the  Sow” and the smaller rock stacks “the piglets”.  The rock stacks are the temporary remnants of a retreating limestone coastline formed from a mixture of sand and sea-shells deposited in an ancient seabed and later compressed millions of years ago.  Under constant attack by the sea, the cliff faces are being eroded at a rate of about 2 centimetres per year.  Further undercutting by waters and opening up of vertical cracks in the rocks by rain and saltwater gradually reduces the stacks to a low platform or reef.  It is absolutely breathtakingly beautiful to gaze on these natural formations on a very rugged coastline. 

Thunder Cave

Thunder Cave was our second destination and again the craggy coastline was stunning, followed by the rock formations of “The Arch”, “London Bridge” Bay of Martyrs and Bay of Islands.

The Gap leading to Thunder Cave

The Arch

London Bridge (the top of the rock to the left as eroded through)

Bay of Martyrs

Bay of Islands

  These all form some of the awe inspiring sceneries along this coastline between Port Campbell and the hamlet of Peterborough.  We carried on to Warrnambool, where we booked accommodation for the night at the Maritime Motel.  There was a folk festival coming up on the approaching long weekend at nearby Port Fairy so we elected to spend the night here in case we couldn’t find anywhere to stay further on.

Port Fairy Marina

  During the afternoon we drove over to Port Fairy to wander around the Marina and admire some of the lovely cottages gracefully restored to their original condition.

A Blue stone cottage in the Marina

 This Blue stone cottage was abuzz with butterflies and bees, a little sign on the gate which we had to bend down to have a look quoted “that in 1816 nothing happened here”  It gave us a bit of a chuckle.  On the way back to the motel we called into this magnificent accessory shop called “Bootalicious”, and I fell in love with this gorgeous bag in the window.  I procrastinated for quite a while in the shop checking out all the other merchandise, but kept returning to this bag.  I could hear it softly calling my name.  I spent a sleepless night dreaming of this red and black number so the next morning Russell very generously drove us back to the shop.  Bugger!! It didn’t open until 9.30.  We waited patiently until the staff arrived, I even had to discourage two other ladies who were busy admiring it also it was finally mine.  I caressed and cuddled it all the way home. LOL.  I was very lucky because someone else brought a bag the previous evening similar to mine but with a different handle.  It was meant to be mine!!!LOL.

Talk again soon
 

The Great Ocean Road - Port Campbell

That spa was wonderful!! Nothing like a bit of pampering to soothe the soul (and body)!!  We had a lovely breakfast which was shared with a group of fire-fighters.  They were doing a burn off up the road which was good for us as the hotel normally didn’t do a breakfast during the week and as they were supplying the guys and girls with a full buffet breakfast we were allowed to join them.  I was a bit disappointed as none of them looked like the studs in the calendars they were selling not long ago LOL.  

OOps!!!

This poor old tourist spent a sleepless night after leaving the hotel and driving his rental car head on into a ditch.  Apparently the tow truck driver wouldn’t come out until the morning and with the hotel fully booked he had to spend the night in his car.  It caused quite a bit of sensation around the hotel as the tow truck driver didn’t arrive until after 9.00 am.

Rock Formation at Point Patton

  We continued on our journey along the Great Ocean Road towards Apollo Bay stopping at Point Patton Lookout and Castle Cove.

Cliffs @ Castle Cove

The sea @ Castle Cove

On the otherside of the road lush farmland

  The weather would you believe is very wet and as we approached Port Campbell it seemed to clear a little.  We booked into The Sea Foam Apartments on the beachfront for the night, and after a quick lunch set off to check out the 12 Apostles. 

Loch Ard Gorge-The Gap

First stop was the Loch Ard Gorge and the Gap. 

This was once a cave until 100's of years of erosion set in 

 This was an original site for a Shipwreck ship the Loch Ard which was wrecked in the 1800’s with only two known survivors, an Eva Carmichael and a Tom Pearce from the 54 people reputed to be aboard. 

The Cove unfortunately the tide was in so we couldn't explore all the caves

Another view from the other side

We headed out along one of the walks to a lookout but we were very drenched on arriving back at the car so didn’t venture any further and spent the afternoon with the heater on in the apartment drying out our clothes.

The beach opposite the hotel

The rain doesn’t seem to be abating either so we are hoping it clears overnight or we are going to miss some very spectacular sites.

Talk again soon
 

The Great Ocean Road - Lorne

Wow! How would you like to live in this house

We have had the most amazing day!  We travelled South of Lancefield and headed towards Geelong and when we hit Anglesea we were on the Great Ocean Road.  Fantastic views of the ocean and the mountains and the road is just as it is reputed to be and more, and our first stop (after morning tea in Anglesea) was Split Point Lookout. 

Split Point Lighthouse

After a short climb up to the lighthouse we were amazed by the lovely lookout over the rocks, and the clean cool water below. 

Rock Formation at Split Point

Hedy and myself taking a break at Split Point

Our next stop was Lorne for lunch, which was in a beautiful bakery in the main street. 

Me in Lorne

 The armed with a pile of brochures we booked into the Grand Pacific Hotel for the night.

The Grand Pacific Hotel

 I had been dreaming all day of the lovely hot shower I was going to have and of washing my hair without worrying how much water I was using and the hot water running out.  Only someone living in a motorhome would really appreciate this.  We settled in and then made our way through lovely tropical Rain forest to a sparkling Water Fall in the area.

Erskine Falls

Erskine Falls was streaming down into a picturesque area surrounded by lush green ferns and rock formations.  It was beautiful and peaceful here.  It was 10klms inland and is one of the highest waterfalls in the Otway Region.  You had to go down 200 steps to reach the bottom of the falls.  Hedy and I viewed the falls from the safety of the  upper lookout, while Russell & Bill ventured the whole way down and I believe them when they say it was worth it. 

Teddy's Lookout

We then made our way to Teddy’s Lookout for more photos and on returning to the hotel took a walk out to the weir. 

The Pier opposite the Hotel

 After a lovely meal and a beautiful spa I will be ready in the morning for our next adventure further along the Great Ocean Road.

The Grand Pacific Hotel @ Night

Hedy, Russell & Me on the verandah of hotel

Talk again soon



10 more sleeps

Parked up at Lancefield our lawns are nice and green and regularly mowed (every 4 days)

Not a lot to write about this week.  The weather was very different ranging from freezing days and nights to beautiful sunny days.  I was pleased to see that the weather at home has improved with a bit of a cool change over the weekend.  Hopefully it will continue when I arrive there next week.  Still no news of the arrival of the special baby, mother and bubs seem to be doing well and like all of us are waiting for the right time to emerge on the world.  He is due in 3 days.  Tomorrow we’ll be up early for another little adventure.  We are planning a trip down the Great Ocean Road and will be away for about 3 days.  So there won’t be any blogging during this time (not that I am blogging much anyway)  Hopefully I will have some wonderful things to write about on our return.  I did notice on my trip into town that "Harmony Quilts" in Lancefield is closing down and everything is half price.  Worth a visit!!  It is a shame though that another quilt shop is going. There is only 10 more sleeps before I fly home...So please pretty please baby arrive before then.LOL

The park at Wangaratta still showing remnants of the recent flooding

Talk again soon

 

Wool and more wool

I’ve been a little bit naughty!!  No not really!!  I brought up big at the Wangaratta Woollen Mills Shop.  I was like a kid in a lolly shop, there were bags of wool everywhere and I didn’t know where to start.  With a not very patient husband with me and the knowledge that I wouldn’t be getting back here in a hurry, I grabbed as much wool as I could.  It was so cheap...wool that I had paid $6.49 a ball was only $2 so how could I go wrong.  A very happy Jan travelled back home to the bus.

OMG!!This is about half of what I brought

 We called into Elmore to visit Julie and Peter, fellow Motorhomers and HF Radio members.  We were amazed at high the grass had grown since with left there in November.  There was evidence of the recent floods in a lot of the towns we passed through.  Having said that,  Victoria looks very lush and green at the moment as a result of all the extra rain.  Well not long now before the  G Grandbaby arrives and I will be on my way home. 

Talk again soon
 

Extract from a Newsletter

I was reading the newsletter from the group we spent the weekend with recently and I was rather surprised & a little embarrassed to read the following which I extracted from their newsletter:

"The highlight of the evening was the laughter around the fire when Russell and Hedy and their WA friends, Bill and Jan returned from their dinner out at a highly-recommended restaurant. Apart from the fact that (apart from Bill), they were starving and “broke” from the high costs, Bill had gastric problems, which we too had to suffer, I might add!! Poor Denise certainly copped the most!!!! Think they’re back on the road to WA by now.............(no comment!!)” (Little do they know we will be joining them again soon).”


In regards to the restaurant referred to ( I won’t mention the name just in case) it was one of the fine dining type. You know the one I mean, where the plates are as big as the table and the meal is all lonely and forlorn looking in the middle with a drizzle of sauce. There were no vegetables’ on the plate and after studying the menu no offers of side plates either. So you leave the venue after eating a three course meal looking avidly around for the nearest fast food outlet because you are still hungry but you can longer afford because your wallet is now empty after paying nearly three days wages for your meal. You end up falling into bed with your stomach gurgling and rumbling all night. Sometimes I think these reality TV Cooking shows leave a lot to be desired if this is going to be the trend.
This photo was also in the newsletter:-

C'mon just one little kiss

Russell and Bill are good buddies.......er.........their buses are too........almost too close for comfort!!



Talk again soon