2006 – 2007 Short Trips & Plans
5th October 2006 We have added some photos
Here are a selection of photos from the UK, on the 12th of this month we can add another 40 photos, we will add a few more from the UK and some from Italy
Life has been so hectic since we got back, we still haven’t had a chance to look at our video, I am looking forward to doing that
We had a great weekend went to Kangaroo Island with Greg’s mum and dad, was fun and we saw lots of great scenery.
We also bought our first painting together, bought it from the artist himself, it was such a buzz!! I can see us doing that more often.
Anyway, that is all for now, catch you again in another week
10 November 2006 The Coonawarra
Its great the holidays , or more correctly as Alison would have insisted , “Our Cultural Pilgrimage” keeps happening.
We had a great short break down the coast at Robe, stayed at the “Calli”
We kicked the weekend off with fresh crayfish (Lobster) and Moet for dinner over looking the beach at Robe.
Its a hard life 🙂
Did a bit of site seeing , down around Beachport and tasted a few wines in the Coonawarra.
Most of all it was very relaxing and lots of fun
27 November 2006 Our Cultural Pilgrimage Continues
Hi all,
Seems since we got back from the UK and Italy we just can’t get enough travel.
Greg just got back from Sydney. He went to a 30 year High school reunion,
mmmm we are really getting on in years LOL 🙂
Our next pilgrimage is to Lake Conjola, on the south coast of NSW and then Christmas in Gosford with Greg’s family.
Keep it coming 🙂
In the meantime, we have managed to get tickets to Day 1 of the Adelaide Ashes Test.
Let it keep rolling on
7 December 2006 Lake Conjola
A week today we leave for a weeks camping at Lake Conjola then Christmas in Gosford and New Years Eve in Sydney.
The pilgrimage continues 🙂
15 December 2006 Camping at Lake Conjola
We left Adelaide at about 1pm on Friday and drove to Narrandera. (mmm we are bad naughty people for driving through the dusk period, we were lucky and only saw one group of kangaroos, and they were too busy eating to jump in front of our car). Left early the next morning and arrived at Lake Conjola at around noon. 14 hour drive done very comfortably.
I will update the events of the weeks camping and Christmas in Gosford and New Years Eve in Sydney when we get home.
We both hope everyone has a very safe and happy Christmas and new year
27 December 2006 Lake Conjola to Gosford
We left Adelaide at about 1pm on Friday and drove to Naranderra. (mmm we are bad naughty peolpe for driving through the dusk period, we were lucky and only saw one group of kangaroos, and they were too busy eating to jump in front of our car). Left early the next morning and arrived at Lake Conjola at around noon. 14 hour drive done very comfortably.
I will update the events of the weeks camping and Christmas in Gosford and New Years Eve in Sydney when we get home.
We both hope everyone has a very safe and happy christmas and new year.
Howdy
We have had a very relaxing week and a half, first week in Lake Conjola Camping I read 3 books during that time. Greg has read the Divine Comedy by Dante, I am most impressed would have been heavy going, he really enjoyed it.
We will post some photos when we get home, it is a beautiful part of the world.
We had a great Christmas with Karlien & Bid around at Craig and Cooks, Cooks family were their too, it was nice to meet them all. Craig cooked up a storm, there was so much food we went around yesterday and had some more, yum. Pat and Laura came up yesterday was great to see them. We have some good photos will add some later.
Today we are off to the Hawkesbury River for lunch, I really enjoy it there. When we housesit our way around Australia, The Hawkesbury is definately on my list of places to stay.
Tomorrow we are off to Sydney, to see Mandy and Ian. We are going to see Priscilla on Friday night. And on New Years Eve we are off to the Opera House for some Opera and then the fire works. I am really looking forward to it. They are forecasting rain for the next 3-4 days so that should be interesting.
Hope all is well with you all, has been great to chat to you over this time.
See you soon.
Hugs from us.
6 February 2007 Planning
Stay tuned, Deb has started planning our next overseas holiday
23 February 2007 Pilgrimage Planning – Full steam ahead.
We have moved along a bit and hope to reveal a bit about our planned Pilgrimages soon.
Greg has been putting together a plan for our Central Australian camping Pilgrimage , Uluru, Alice Springs, the Oodnadatta Track and the Flinders Ranges
Deb has been busy booking our Antartica and South American Pilgrimage.
Much happiness
21 March 2007 Antarctica and South America – The Trips all booked
Antarctica 02 Jan 08 to 12 Jan with Peregrin
and
an Intrepid Tour of Sth Amereica
More Later
Planning for Central Australia is going well, so much to see
4 May 2007 We have a new Grandson
Great news, we have a new grand-son. Ethan Robert was born on Fri 4th May To quote the Paediatrician “he’s perfect” 🙂 Carly and Kieran are both well, despite the lack of sleep. Ella is doing great too 🙂 She loves her new baby brother
1 June 2007 Soon to Victor Harbor
We have a week in Victor Harbor starting the June long weekend. Lots of fun at the start sharing with Ben and Carly and their families. All the grandkids (minus Ethan, he’s a touch young still 🙂 ) will be sleeping in one huge room and we will be playing Risk and having a port or three 🙂 at night Lots of fun and so relaxing Then a few days of peace with just Deb and I 🙂
18 July 2007 Outback 2007
Much sadness, due to work we have to cut our trip into the outback short. But at least we will get to go away for a while to recharge.
And there is all the time ahead to make the trip.
5 August 2007 Revised Outback 2007
We sat down yesterday and worked out what is possible.
We have moved the trip forward about a week and cut out the Flinders Ranges component
(We can do that separately another time – easy from Adelaide)
So all looks good for trip from 1st Sept to about 20th / 21st Sept 🙂
15 Nov 2007 Off to Normanville
Life has been hectic since our outback adventures. We took some time out last weekend and went up to the Clare Valley, stayed at Thorn Park for two nights and we bought lots of wine The food and hospitality at Thorn Park is divine. Michael and David have sold Thorn Park and leave next October, so get yourselves up there before then. We have added a few photos of Thorn Park and one of the Valley
This afternoon we are off to Normanville camping with Von and Tom, it will be extra nice this year because all of the grandchildren are coming and their mums and dads, will be Ella’s first time camping, Ethan will be sleeping with his mum and dad this year. Will be fun all being together, it is going to be hot, so we will no doubt spend lots of time at the beach, or in Ben & Sarah & Carly & Kieran’s cabins!! Where there is airconditioning!
Dante had an open day at school earlier this month, there is a photo in his classroom, it is fun being a nanny
Only 43 days until we leave for Antartica and South America and counting…………………
Enjoy your weekend, we will be……………….
Nov 2007 Thorn Park, Clare Valley
Thorn Park, Clare Valley a beautiful part of the world
16 Nov 2007 Normanville Camping
We had a fantastic long weekend.
We took Ella with us for the whole weekend, it was her first trip away camping with us. We had such a good time introducing her to the simple life camping. She had lots of fun running wild all weekend with us, and everyone else. (Carly has since told us she is having lots of fun trying to get Ella back into her “normal” routine, we are such a good influence on our grandchildren…. LOL )
Von and Tom spent the whole weekend down at Normanville with us (Friday to Mon)
Ben , Sarah , Dante and Tessa spent Friday and Saturday with us, and Carly Kieran, Ella and Ethan spent Saturday and Sunday nights.
The weather was a real mix, warm to hot Friday, Hot Saturday, then coolish Sunday and Saturday.
Tom and Vonnie caught a few fish from the beach on Friday, and the must have scared the rest off , because we hardly had a bite for the rest of the weekend. Vonnie caught a medium size flathead on Sunday.
Its so much fun going away camping with everyone.
We have put up a few photo’s of the weekend for all to see
30 May 2008 Camping at Deep Creek
We decided to go camping on the 28th.
Dante’s weekend school trip was cancelled and he was pretty upset. We though camping was a great alternative but we waited to see how the weather was before we told him.
A quick shop, arranged to have Ella for the weekend (she is 2 now and so its time for her to go camping ) and packed a few clothes, hitched up the camper trailler, and left ,via the office , straight after settlements on Friday.
We had a great weekend. Tom and Vonnie came down for breakfast on saturday and stayed for the day. Ben, Dante and Tessa arrived in time for lunch on Sat.
We had a fun night, 6 in the tent and 3 kids that are all noisy sleepers LOL!!
It was a fun few days to share the thrills of camping, campfire marshmellow toasting and all the fun of the bush with our grandchildren
6 June 2008 Victor Harbor June Long Weekend
We had a fantastic weekend down at Victor Harbor.
It’s Deb’s Mid Year get away and recharge break.
We hired a house and had Ben, Sarah, Dante, Tessa, Carly Kieran, Ella and Ethan come and stay the weekend with us.
It’s a fun time for all of us to spend relaxed time together.
Its so much fun watching all the children play together.
Ben and Carly, and their families left on Monday, and we had a couple of quiet days to ourselves.
What a hard life we lead!!!!!! but I guess someone has to to it
Friday 6 to Wednesday 11 March 2009 Victor Harbor
We have just got back from a wonderful long weekend away with Ben, Sarah, Dante, Tessa Carly, Kieran, Ella and Ethan , (oops and Aiko and Lilly, our dogs).
We took the opportunity to make it the start of Debs Birthday for this year. Since we will be away for her birthday, Ben, Carly and I, decided it was a good time to spoil her and just make the weekend even more special than normal.
The special events for her birthday started on Saturday morning, Carly took Deb out for a morning walk in the rain, and the rest of us got everything ready for her to cook desert for dinner that night with all the grandchildren. When they got back, both were absolutely drenched, but the smile on Deb’s face was priceless when she was told what we had planned for her. Using her very own recipe, she made up a delicious Chocolate Mousse. She had so much fun and there was chocolate everywhere, particularly the grandchildren and her, by the time it was all in the fridge.
In the afternoon we all went down to the beach and flew Dante’s kite and let the dogs run around and the kids play. It was lots of fun.
Dinner was magnificent. Ben prepared a special menu of the dinner so Deb could see what was coming up. (I’ll attach a copy later). Carly set the table, it was amazing when you consider what she had to work with.
The meal was “Stunning”, to use a “Debism”. J
A gourmet seafood platter prepared by Ben for starters with Moet Champagne,
followed by a beautiful marinated Coorong Beef roast and roast vegies with a Bottle of Charles Melton 2002 Nine Popes Shiraz and a Barossa Estate 2000 E&E Basket Press Shiraz.
Finished off with the delicious Mousse Deb and the kids prepared earlier.
We then sat back for a while and sipped a sweet mouth watering Barossa Botrytis Riesling.
In the tradition we have, the evening was finished with a game of “Risk” accompanied by lashing of Port.
Sunday started with pancakes, prepared with the help of all the grand children, even a separate batch of gluten free pancakes for Carly!! Followed by another relaxing day and finished with another game of “Risk” and Port.
On Monday, we went down to Goolwa and had a look at the wooden boat festival. Due to the number of people around we eventually decided we would look at everything from the Hindmarsh Island Bridge. There were wooden boat sailing races going on and steam driven paddle boats, lots of colour and activity in the old port.
After that we went to Aquacaf for lunch, a great little cafe on the water at Goolwa. We had a great lunch with many smiles and laughs. And the celebrations just continue on and on for Deb.
Late on Monday, Ben and Sarah, along with Dante and Tessa went back home. Something about work on Tuesday, guess someone has to do it!! Work that is!!!
On Tuesday, Carly and Deb went off to a luxurious Day Spa for an indulgent morning/early afternoon. Kieran and I took Ella and Ethan off into Victor Harbor and shared lots fun with them in a playground and had a “picnic” pizza lunch under a tree in a park.
Deb and Carly returned full of the joys of life and VERY relaxed. Both of them commented that they could very easily make a habit of visiting the Spa!!!
As ever, all good things come to and end and we all left Victor on Wed morning
Deb and I are off to see a State Theatre production of Maestro,
Its hard doing our bit to help keep the economy and everything going, but I guess its the sacrifices we make.
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