sweet sorrows

a flat white

I reckon it's time for the last post!  Bella and I are just back from the shops.  Buying the last minute goodies to bring home!  Frieda-Mae received her 4 month needles today!  They are given two pokes here, one in each thigh; as well as an oral injection for the rota virus! She was quite angry at the nurse and at her mommy, but by the time Bella and I were enjoying our flat white (coffee), Frieda-Mae started acknowledging her mommy again.  Forgotten...until 6 months, when it happens all over again!

It has definitely cooled off here in the last week!  Only 26 C, and not as humid!  Rain in the forecast for all this week, but today we've been lucky - so far.  None today yet! And tomorrow we leave, so if it wants to rain....well that's ok!  We're going home to spring!!!!  Maybe summer?

We spent the afternoon at Surfers Paradise beach yesterday.  Jer and Andrew spent a good hour in the waves, but the wind really picked up and the current was very strong, so after an hour they were quite tired.  I walked on the beach, and got very soggy from the tide coming in.  Watched a local catching worms in the sand with a fish, and helped a couple catch some shell fish in the sand.  They were going to cook them and put them into soup! Sounds yummy!

a butcher bird

a golden orb 

Saturday, between the rains, and spending some time in the shops with the family, Andrew decided to show us his climbing techniques.  So with us watching and videoing, Andrew went up one of the gum trees in the yard, and trimmed the tree.  Very impressive! And looked incredibly easy as he went up...but I think you need good arm and leg muscles!!!  And where is his helmet????

I like this tree - Andrew says terrible to prune

water dragon - LOTS of them here

not sure what it is, but I like it!

Friday, Jer and I went walking in the Mount Coot-tha botanical gardens. What a great place to hang out!

So now it is time to pack our bags.  I will miss this family of ours down under, but I am glad I have family to go home to in the Peg!  I have missed them.  Sweet sorrows!

Back in Brissy

at the Brisbane Broncos game

So...what's been happening since we came back from Tassie???  Well, Friday after Andrew picked us up from the airport, we did the drive through at Macca's (McDonalds) for supper, and took the train to the city (downtown) to the Suncorp Stadium where we watched the Brisbane Broncos play footie (rugby).  Too bad the Broncos lost in the last minute!  But it was a close game.








Saturday we had a family bonding day at home!!!  The best.  Jer and Andrew fixed the barbie, cuddled Frieda-Mae, did something to Andrew's newest BIG chainsaw, kissed our grand daughter, fixed a weed whacker someone had discarded, mowed the lawn and swept the driveway.  Bella and I did laundry, snuggled Frieda-Mae, washed the car, held the baby, shopped the groceries, cuddled Frieda-Mae and at the end of the day....enjoyed supper out on the patio...and the temps were still at 25C!!!

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Sunday we drove about an hour south down the Gold Coast, to Surfer's Paradise.  Andrew and Bella went to visit their friends who live in the town, and Jer and I got to spend a couple of hours on what is apparently one of the top ten beaches in the world!!  The water was warm as bathtub water, and the 6 foot waves were quite impressive.  But after 4 hours on the beach listening to the never stopping crashing waves, I was glad to get off and enjoy the quiet of suburbia!!!

Brisbane River in front of our restaurant

Jer and I took our grand daughter on a 4 km walk around the lake on Monday!  I think she enjoyed it almost as much as we did!  We spent a large part of the day sitting outside on the patio enjoying the gorgeous weather.  For supper we went with our kids to Byblo's - a very yummy Mediterranean restaurant right on the Brisbane river.  Fantastic food, a great atmosphere and so nice to be able to do this with our down under family!




Bella and I had a pedi yesterday afternoon, while Jer went golfing - in March!!!  And now he wants to go again!!  In March!! Then while Bella used a gift certificate for a massage, I walked the shops with Frieda-Mae.  She is born to shop!  Look out, Andrew and Bella!  Andrew plays touch (Rugby)  Tuesday evenings, so we went to watch him play.  He scored the first try for his team!!!! Go Andrew!

 

Today Jer and I took the Buz to the city (downtown), to be cultured.  We needed our brollies (umbrellas) today, but it was still 27 C!! We walked the South Bank, ate a lamb gyro on South Bank, and then visited GOMA!   Gallery of Modern Art.  Some of it is just too modern for me, but I really enjoyed the Aborigional Art.  Now it is time for me to set the table.  Jer and Andrew are cooking roo on the barbie for supper.

Maria Island - four days we will remember for a lifetime

Maria (the Aussies say Mariah) Island!  Four days we will remember for a lifetime! Maria Island is a National Park just off the east coast of Tassie. In the 1800's, it was a convict settlement, but after that it mainly became a farming community.  Since the late 1980's, it's been a national park, and now only the warden lives on the island.  Jer and I decided to bushwalk the island with an organization called Maria Island Walk!  We were treated as royalty! 

dropped off

Monday morning they picked us up from our apartment in Hobart, and we were taken to their office, where we met our guides and the other six bushwalkers.  After about a 30 minute boat ride, we and all our gear were dropped off on the west side of the island.  We felt a bit like maybe we were in the Survivor show!!! We donned our backpacks with all our personal belongings, and began bushwalking along the beach and through eucalyptus forests.






ready to bushwalk!

Haunted Bay

through the eucalyptus forest

painted cliffs

after hiking snack

bella donna lily

one of the many roos we saw

our cabana!

Our bushwalking mates were all Australian - from Darwin, Adelaide, Melbourne and Brissy!  We were the only internationals, so we had fun explaining 'cold' to them, curling or triple pane windows.  It was fun getting to know Aussie's!!  Candlelight dinners, kangaroos, huge waves, Tassie wines, convict settlement ruins, wombats, pristine beaches, gourmet meals, echidnas, local cheeses, clambouring over boulders to get to the top of Bishop and Clerk (611 m elevation)- we had four days that will last us a lifetime!


all rugged up!

Tassie!!!

and we did explore.....

Panarama Vineyard

Hobart house in the CBD

We arrived in Hobart, the capital city of Tassie (Tasmania) on Thursday afternoon.  A harbour side city, founded in the 1800's as a penal colony of England, Hobart is very Victorian and feels more like New Zealand than an Aussie state.  We had three days in Hobart, and so on Friday we hired a car and drove around the Huon Valley.  Yes, Jer drove on the wrong side of the road the entire day!!! The Huon Valley is famous for the Huon Pine trees (they can grow to an age of 3000 or more). It's also a wine growing region, and we stopped at a winery for a tasting, and bought a bottle of their Riesling for supper.  Something we had never done before was a cheese tasting.  Very interesting sheep cheeses to taste.  We bought a small sampling of a mild cheese for our bread, cheese and olive lunch.  They even made a liquer, which is made from the sheep milk whey.  Think I prefer Bailies!!!



Jer's fish frenzy

Saturday morning we hit the Salamanca market, toured the Tassie Royal Botanical Gardens in the afternoon, and went to Fish Frenzy on the harbor for supper, where we had the best fish and chips we've EVER had!! I had a local fish called the Blue Eye Trevalla, which is caught only around Tassie at this time of year! Jer had their specialty - the fish frenzy.  Cod, scallops and calamari!


Salamanaca market

Sunday, a cloudy rainy morning we went on a tour of Port Arthur. Port Arthur is a former convict settlement on the Tasman Peninsula, about a 95 km scenic drive south east of Hobart. Very interesting to hear about these poor people from England and Ireland, who were often sent to Van Dieman's (now known as Tasmania) land as punishment - often for only stealing a loaf of bread or some other item they needed for survival. Some of those boys were as young as nine years old.  They were treated very harshly once in Van Dieman's land.  About 75% of the people living on Tassie, are actual descendants of these convicts.  Until just a few years ago, people would not admit to having this ancestory.  After lunch at the Felon's Bistro, the sun cleared and we had warmth and beautiful blue skies to do the actual tour. So we wandered among the ruins and read about life as it was experienced there for all the convicts.

Sunday evening it was time for us to pack our bags, and get ready for a 7:30 AM Monday morning pick up by the Maria Island Walk people!!!

We've had several relaxing days here in Bissy with our little Aussie family.  Tuesday, my birthday, we took the city cat into CBD (city center) and walked through the botanical gardens.  So many plants which I recognize as house plants at home, grow year round in the gardens here!!  It was a hot and humid day, and really took a lot out of me!  I wondered how the people here can carry on with all their activities day after day with such heat and humidity!!!  32 C and a high humidity, and they say this is slightly coolish!!!  Day after day????  All I can say is I'm glad it's slightly coolish then!

I was treated to fish and chips at the ocean by my son, his wife and our grandchild!!! Something I've never done on my birthday!

Now we are packed, and in a couple of hours we fly to Tasmania!!  We'll spend a week in Hobart and for four nights we'll be tramping on Maria Island!!!

That is it till March 9 or 10.

What a fantastic weekend this has been, just spending time at the home of our kids with our new little grand daughter!! Friday and Saturday it seemed to rain more often than not, and at times, a real downpour!!  Saturday Brissy recieved at least 60mm of rain during the day, and it rained all night and most of Friday.  But very warm; in fact, HOT!  But I love it!  In case some of you don't remember what that's like.....we walk in and out of the house without having to put on a jacket or shoes!  We had a high of 30 C today! Sunny and humid!

Saturday morning we were the proud grandparents videoing and photographing our grand daughter's first swimming lesson.  She loved it!  Later we relaxed in Andrew and Bella's back yard, enjoying each other's company. They took us on a real tikki tour of Brissy, we managed to hit a mall and even cool off for a bit.

Jer has been able to watch some cricket and rugby on TV, and we are able to keep up with the Scotties by watching the results on TSN!!  Too bad Jennifer lost!

We went for a walk this morning at 6:30 - for some reason we keep waking at 6AM!!!  But it was quite hot by the time we got back to the house.  Cinnamon buns for breaky! Home made!!  And Jerry and Andrew have been bottling his last batch of beer today!!! Some 60 bottles.

Today in Andrew and Bella's yard,  we have seen a cane toad - they are an invasive species and Aussies are encouraged to kill them.  We have heard a striped marsh frog - sounds like someone is building something outside in the back yard, a loud tock or poc sound. We have seen and heard lots of sulphur-crested Cockatoos - they have a very screechy and irritating call.  We've heard and seen many little geckos in the back yard - and for the size of them, they make a surprisingly loud chirping sound. And there have been some very big and colorful butterflys flitting around in the back yard!

Now it's time for supper - a curry chicken dish.  Smells yummy.  And then early to bed, as Andrew needs to get up at 4 AM tomorrow for work!

Brissy! We made it!

New Wpg airport!!

We made it!!!  The new Winnipeg airport is fantastic!!!  It now compares to airports in other major cities that we have been to.  Very airy and bright and modern looking.
Our flight was uneventful, long and tiring!  About 2/3 across the big pond flight, I was beginning to think we were nuts for doing this again, and this WOULD be the last time for us going down under! But one minute after disembarking and smelling the tropical warm air...... And then an hour after disembarking, and meeting AND HOLDING our grand daughter, Frieda Mae!!!....I think it might not be the last flight across the big pond.

The first hold at the Brissy airport!

We arrived to 25C temps, and a soft gentle drizzle!  Our luggage arrived with us!!!; only one can of beer for Andrew was punctured....  So, some of Frieda-Mae's books smell a little like beer, and some of our clothes need to be washed....but, otherwise, all ok!

Bird of Paradise - lots in full bloom!

Andrew and Bella's entrance from street

Had a great visit with our kids and grand kid yesterday, and managed to stay awake for the entire day. But, this morning, we were wide awake at an unearthly hour!  6 AM!!!!  So, we went for a 4 km walk around the lake that is nearby here.  Slight drizzle while we were walking, but 22 C, so not cold at all!!!!  Saw lots of pukekos... that is a kiwi bird, but we have only seen it once in New Zealand.  And here, in Aussie, we saw hundreds around the lake - with babies of all sizes.  So many trees are blooming - it is summer here!  The air smells of blooming flowers.

Leaving soon!!!

It is amazing how many details have to be taken care of at the last minute.  We were bascially packed on Saturday and now there is a mad rush to get the list of errands done.  After all these weeks of waiting it seems like we need more time before we go!!  Sorry to be missing all the curling here but will be distracted by spending time with our granddaughter - Frieda-Mae and ... oh, yes, ... our son and his wife!!  Hope the fresh snow doesn't make the driving too stressful. And it is good skiing weather again.  Will miss that, too.