We love staying here, its so peaceful and quiet, yet central to everything that we have to do while we are here.
This is a great property.It has good soil, is well grassed, has abundant water and excellent infrastructure.
Saturday, December 15, 2012
Home at last
It was great to arrive at the property that Daryl and Colleen manage.
We love staying here, its so peaceful and quiet, yet central to everything that we have to do while we are here.
This is a great property.It has good soil, is well grassed, has abundant water and excellent infrastructure.
Theres nothing I like better than to sit on their back verandah looking over the hedge at the symmetry of the lone eucalypt, so straight and strong and watch the cattle graze in the afternoon light.
We love staying here, its so peaceful and quiet, yet central to everything that we have to do while we are here.
This is a great property.It has good soil, is well grassed, has abundant water and excellent infrastructure.
Tuesday, December 11, 2012
December (life after Alice)
At last we brushed the dust off our shoes, heading south into a stiff headwind.
The plan was to make for Goulburn at flank speed so Maureen could keep her appointment with the specialist in Sydney on 17th Dec.
We left on Thursday after lunch and all went well until Friday afternoon when the tront left tyre blew out nearly pulling us through a bridge railingand into a dry creek bed about 12 feet below. It took 3 hours to change the wheel. We were thankful for assistance of railway gangers who put the blown tyre and wheel in the back of the Suzuki.
fellow travellers Dave and Karen also in a Denning stopped to help which was fantastic and they looked after us until we got to Port Augusta. They were a godsend and went above and beyond for us.
I bought 2 new steer tyres at Port Augusta.
We set out for Renmark and Mildura and got nearly to the hamlet of Spalding when the engine lost power and stopped!! We had run out of fuel. I hadn't taken the headwind into account.
We were parked on a narrow road with fences close and on the upside of a hill with the left wheels in a gutter so the bus was sitting with the left rear canted down at a fair angle. Decided it was too dangerous to sleep in the bus in it's position plus the angle it was on would have made sleeping a problem.
Booked into this really cute pub in Spalding. It was a very old long low stone building with walls about a foot thick Although it was fairly original there had been a lot of renovation work done on it recently, so although the rooms were "basic old"they were freshly painted and comfortable.
The second night we were there, they were having their "monthly social" which was Bingo and supper afterwards ( Maureen says "it was bingo like I've never seen it played before I tell you" ) but she really enjoyed herself.
After 2 nights staying in the pub and many calls to the mechanic in Adelaide who tried to get us going over the phone with much wrestling with the engine, it was decided he should come up here.... but not until this afternoon. Hope all goes okay.... time will tell.
This is Bruce Donaldson who did the inchassis rebuild on the engine. He provided one of the most pleasant transactions I have ever had. We were able to live in our bus in his yard for 10 days while he did the rebuild and nothing was too much trouble. So if you need your detrioit motor fixed, just ask and I will give you his details.
The plan was to make for Goulburn at flank speed so Maureen could keep her appointment with the specialist in Sydney on 17th Dec.
We left on Thursday after lunch and all went well until Friday afternoon when the tront left tyre blew out nearly pulling us through a bridge railingand into a dry creek bed about 12 feet below. It took 3 hours to change the wheel. We were thankful for assistance of railway gangers who put the blown tyre and wheel in the back of the Suzuki.
fellow travellers Dave and Karen also in a Denning stopped to help which was fantastic and they looked after us until we got to Port Augusta. They were a godsend and went above and beyond for us.
I bought 2 new steer tyres at Port Augusta.
We set out for Renmark and Mildura and got nearly to the hamlet of Spalding when the engine lost power and stopped!! We had run out of fuel. I hadn't taken the headwind into account.
We were parked on a narrow road with fences close and on the upside of a hill with the left wheels in a gutter so the bus was sitting with the left rear canted down at a fair angle. Decided it was too dangerous to sleep in the bus in it's position plus the angle it was on would have made sleeping a problem.
Booked into this really cute pub in Spalding. It was a very old long low stone building with walls about a foot thick Although it was fairly original there had been a lot of renovation work done on it recently, so although the rooms were "basic old"they were freshly painted and comfortable.
The second night we were there, they were having their "monthly social" which was Bingo and supper afterwards ( Maureen says "it was bingo like I've never seen it played before I tell you" ) but she really enjoyed herself.
After 2 nights staying in the pub and many calls to the mechanic in Adelaide who tried to get us going over the phone with much wrestling with the engine, it was decided he should come up here.... but not until this afternoon. Hope all goes okay.... time will tell.
This is Bruce Donaldson who did the inchassis rebuild on the engine. He provided one of the most pleasant transactions I have ever had. We were able to live in our bus in his yard for 10 days while he did the rebuild and nothing was too much trouble. So if you need your detrioit motor fixed, just ask and I will give you his details.
Thursday, November 29, 2012
November
Well, Maureen has a new pacemaker at last! But what a stuffup.
Had to fly to Adelaide to have the job done
We were booked on the plane and our accomodation was booked in the visitors quarters in Royal adelaide Hospital, but someone forgot to book the operating theatre for her operation.
When we got on the plane we were seated one behind the other.
On arriving at the accomodation, the rooms were good... but...the kitchen was locked, and the (only) key kept in the reception 2 floors down which had to be signed out. Not that it did it much good as there was nothing in the kitchen, no crockery, no cutlery, no cups, nothing! Maureen had her op on Friday afternoon but when they opened her up to change the pacemaker, they found that it was a 3 lead pacemaker, something they had apparently never encountered and did not have a replacement for, so they took her old one out and put in a temporary 2 lead pacemaker until they could get one from Sydney on Monday!!
Meanwhile, we were told that there were no beds available for her to rest over the weekend so she had to return to the accomodation with a partly functioning appliance. This gave me a bit of time to look around the city, so I had a look at the museum
The proper one was installed on Monday which necessitated her being opened up twice making the site very sore.
She was released on Tuesday, too late for us to catch a plane so we caught Wednesdays flight.
Oh, and a moment of panic at the airport. When we were checking in, the clerk enquired about Maureens' operation and when told what it was, informed us that it was considered as a major operation and that Qantas policy was that there was a ban on patients of major ops from flying their airline for 10 days.
A phone enquiry by her cleared up that it was not a major op.
Alls well that ends well I suppose.
A week prior to us leaving for Adelaide, Mollie came into season so we arranged for her to stay at the local RSPCA kennels while we were away
Imagine our dismay when we got home one week later to find that she was no longer on heat. At first we thought that she had been let run with another dog, but after another week, she came back into season so with much relief, we put it down to her suffering from separation anxiety.
Had to fly to Adelaide to have the job done
We were booked on the plane and our accomodation was booked in the visitors quarters in Royal adelaide Hospital, but someone forgot to book the operating theatre for her operation.
When we got on the plane we were seated one behind the other.
On arriving at the accomodation, the rooms were good... but...the kitchen was locked, and the (only) key kept in the reception 2 floors down which had to be signed out. Not that it did it much good as there was nothing in the kitchen, no crockery, no cutlery, no cups, nothing! Maureen had her op on Friday afternoon but when they opened her up to change the pacemaker, they found that it was a 3 lead pacemaker, something they had apparently never encountered and did not have a replacement for, so they took her old one out and put in a temporary 2 lead pacemaker until they could get one from Sydney on Monday!!
Meanwhile, we were told that there were no beds available for her to rest over the weekend so she had to return to the accomodation with a partly functioning appliance. This gave me a bit of time to look around the city, so I had a look at the museum
The proper one was installed on Monday which necessitated her being opened up twice making the site very sore.
She was released on Tuesday, too late for us to catch a plane so we caught Wednesdays flight.
Oh, and a moment of panic at the airport. When we were checking in, the clerk enquired about Maureens' operation and when told what it was, informed us that it was considered as a major operation and that Qantas policy was that there was a ban on patients of major ops from flying their airline for 10 days.
A phone enquiry by her cleared up that it was not a major op.
Alls well that ends well I suppose.
A week prior to us leaving for Adelaide, Mollie came into season so we arranged for her to stay at the local RSPCA kennels while we were away
Imagine our dismay when we got home one week later to find that she was no longer on heat. At first we thought that she had been let run with another dog, but after another week, she came back into season so with much relief, we put it down to her suffering from separation anxiety.
October
My recaltricance just doesn't improve. Had to blow the dust off the programme before I could open it.
However, we are still at Heavitree Gap and Maureen is feeling very pleased with herselfas she has now shed 20 kg at weightwatchersand has achieved her goal weight.
Since I was last here, the weather has turned from decidedly cold mornings to decidedly hot days.
first we had 155 days straight without rain and when it did we got 20mm, thenwe have had 3 weeks of 39o temperatures...... but after all This is "the Alice"
In January they began a cash for cans scheme. The exercise alone that I got from doing this was worthwhile without the pocket money.
But everything has it's down side. We were wandering in the bush near one of the communities when I got my feet caught in a loop of wire, swivelled aroud trying to free myself and fell onto my left hip, breaking the point off it. Cant do anything for it, just has to knit by itself.The doctor says 6 weeks for the pain to stop and 3 months to heal.
I met a man named Howard who had lived in Sydney and worked as a bookeeper, but went blind in the mid eighties,now he sits in his back yard all day and scratches in the dirt with a stick
For some reason I was reminded of a book that my 5th class teacher read to us called "Children Of The Dark People", about 2 abo Kids who get lost and find their way home.
I did a search for the book and found one in Byron Bay (second hand as it has been out of prinf for a very long time)I biought it online and that was instant, but it took 3 weeks for it to reach me by post!
Anyway I have promised him That I will read it to him, then maybe post it on to my sons' children.
Only since being in Alice have I begun to realise the enormity of the problems facing the Australia as a whole with regard to the aboriginies. The government (of whatever persuasion) hands them near $1000 a fortnight "sit down money don't know how to use it and have nothing else to do so they buy grog.
Picked up cans from one place last after a weekend party. There was 35 empty VB block cartons which equates to 1050 cans or in money terms $2100.
I would estimate that half of these people are alcoholics, and could go on with many other statistics which all add up to involuntary genocide.
However, we are still at Heavitree Gap and Maureen is feeling very pleased with herselfas she has now shed 20 kg at weightwatchersand has achieved her goal weight.
Since I was last here, the weather has turned from decidedly cold mornings to decidedly hot days.
first we had 155 days straight without rain and when it did we got 20mm, thenwe have had 3 weeks of 39o temperatures...... but after all This is "the Alice"
In January they began a cash for cans scheme. The exercise alone that I got from doing this was worthwhile without the pocket money.
But everything has it's down side. We were wandering in the bush near one of the communities when I got my feet caught in a loop of wire, swivelled aroud trying to free myself and fell onto my left hip, breaking the point off it. Cant do anything for it, just has to knit by itself.The doctor says 6 weeks for the pain to stop and 3 months to heal.
I met a man named Howard who had lived in Sydney and worked as a bookeeper, but went blind in the mid eighties,now he sits in his back yard all day and scratches in the dirt with a stick
For some reason I was reminded of a book that my 5th class teacher read to us called "Children Of The Dark People", about 2 abo Kids who get lost and find their way home.
I did a search for the book and found one in Byron Bay (second hand as it has been out of prinf for a very long time)I biought it online and that was instant, but it took 3 weeks for it to reach me by post!
Anyway I have promised him That I will read it to him, then maybe post it on to my sons' children.
Only since being in Alice have I begun to realise the enormity of the problems facing the Australia as a whole with regard to the aboriginies. The government (of whatever persuasion) hands them near $1000 a fortnight "sit down money don't know how to use it and have nothing else to do so they buy grog.
Picked up cans from one place last after a weekend party. There was 35 empty VB block cartons which equates to 1050 cans or in money terms $2100.
I would estimate that half of these people are alcoholics, and could go on with many other statistics which all add up to involuntary genocide.
Tuesday, August 21, 2012
June 2012
After over 12 months at the Transport Hall of Fame we decided to move on.
We scouted the van parks and settled on "Heavitree Gap".It sits in the shadow of the MacDonnell range right beside the river at "The Gap". It is a multi function facility with a motel, Caravan park, entertainment complex, tavern and store. It is quiet and at just 3 km from town, it really suits.
Think we may be here until late this year as Maureen is waiting for her new battery ( no bad jokes pls. )and I am having dental work done.
Still bloody cold round here. Some mornings my fingers near freeze early in the mornings.
Had a lucky escape 2 weeks ago when a clown in a medium sized truck on the wrong side of the road sideswiped the car... said "the sun was in my eyes". Going to need a new grille, bumper, mudguard and headlight
oh well, could have been much worse.
We scouted the van parks and settled on "Heavitree Gap".It sits in the shadow of the MacDonnell range right beside the river at "The Gap". It is a multi function facility with a motel, Caravan park, entertainment complex, tavern and store. It is quiet and at just 3 km from town, it really suits.
Think we may be here until late this year as Maureen is waiting for her new battery ( no bad jokes pls. )and I am having dental work done.
Still bloody cold round here. Some mornings my fingers near freeze early in the mornings.
Had a lucky escape 2 weeks ago when a clown in a medium sized truck on the wrong side of the road sideswiped the car... said "the sun was in my eyes". Going to need a new grille, bumper, mudguard and headlight
oh well, could have been much worse.
Tuesday, July 31, 2012
May 2012
In December last year, Maureen took the bold step of joining weightwatchers, so to be supportive I went along and joined also. Since then, she has travelled an allbeit bumpy but mostly downhill road toward slimness. After some weeks I realised that for most of my life I had been living in denial about my weight.( More of this to come)
In order to gain excercise, I needed to walk, but found hour after hour of that irksome, so as I have always had an interest in recycling, I began picking up aluminium cans. A profitable decision.
The weather has soured somewhat and instead of a mild winter like we had last year the wind has a cutting chill.
Maureens' pacemaker battery is coming to the end of it's life and will need replacing soon, so the medical system here is sending her to Adelaide near the end of this year to have it done.
She got a scratch on her leg and one afternoon at happy hour Mollie (our dog)was trying to lick it. Maureen instinctively pushed it away, but one of the other people there argued that dogs have a built in antisceptic in their saliva. He was joined by his wife and one other person who all said the same thing,. So against her better judgement, Maureen allowed the leg licking.
Two weeks later, a rash appeared on her leg in roughly the shape of a question mark. It was joined by another adjacent to it.
Then both rashes began to move slowly round her leg and the itch followed.
I thought it may be a parasite.
The doctor diagnosed it as an alergy and prescribed accordingly. When it didn't heal we went to the hospital but they were at a loss as to what it was.
Went back to the doctor after some weeks and after some pressing by us, he had an epiphany and wanted to check his medical books
A week later he had not yet read up on it but with further nudging we came back a few days later, whereupon he pronounced it to be a parasite from dog faeces!!!
In order to gain excercise, I needed to walk, but found hour after hour of that irksome, so as I have always had an interest in recycling, I began picking up aluminium cans. A profitable decision.
The weather has soured somewhat and instead of a mild winter like we had last year the wind has a cutting chill.
Maureens' pacemaker battery is coming to the end of it's life and will need replacing soon, so the medical system here is sending her to Adelaide near the end of this year to have it done.
She got a scratch on her leg and one afternoon at happy hour Mollie (our dog)was trying to lick it. Maureen instinctively pushed it away, but one of the other people there argued that dogs have a built in antisceptic in their saliva. He was joined by his wife and one other person who all said the same thing,. So against her better judgement, Maureen allowed the leg licking.
Two weeks later, a rash appeared on her leg in roughly the shape of a question mark. It was joined by another adjacent to it.
Then both rashes began to move slowly round her leg and the itch followed.
I thought it may be a parasite.
The doctor diagnosed it as an alergy and prescribed accordingly. When it didn't heal we went to the hospital but they were at a loss as to what it was.
Went back to the doctor after some weeks and after some pressing by us, he had an epiphany and wanted to check his medical books
A week later he had not yet read up on it but with further nudging we came back a few days later, whereupon he pronounced it to be a parasite from dog faeces!!!
Friday, June 22, 2012
April 2012
It's been a long time since my last entry, and even now I find it difficult to wrtite.
shortly after we arrived, another volunteer named John Dods, a 74 y.o. divorcee in a ute and caravan turned up.
A likeable fellow, he was very clever with his hands and soon settled into mechanical repairs. We became friends and began going to Garage sales together. Problem was he was a talkative kiwi and if he picked up any trace of an accent or any other excuse, he would stop for a chat, so we never got very far.
On a Saturday in late March he began to mention that he was not feeling well after a hot day on the tractor and slasher and put it down to heat stroke, but he didn't improve. On the Saturday evening, I said I should take him to hospital to which he readily agreed. but a doctor checked him out and pronounced him to be in good health. The following Tuesday he was having dinner when a valve in his heart blew out and he fell down dead.
His relatives came from Brisbane and N.Z. and stayed for a week to make arrangements and have the funeral
Liz Martin the CEO here did everything she could to make their stay comfortable, arranging a memorial service and a Saturday night dinner,as well as giving them accomodation and the run of the place.
well, fortunately Mollie isn't in pup! HOORAY
Although Maureen has been keeping fairly good health her weight is still a reason for some concern, so we decided to give weightwatchers a shot. Early signs are that it is working as we have both lost weight.
We took a few days and travelled out to the West Macdonnell Ranges where there is some stunning scenery. Stayed at "The Glen Helen Resort" which is the remnants of a big old cattle station. The accomodation was basic but clean and comfortable. The food was very good and plenty of it.
The second night we pitched our tent in their caravan park (a new experience for Maureen) We had a great time.
shortly after we arrived, another volunteer named John Dods, a 74 y.o. divorcee in a ute and caravan turned up.
A likeable fellow, he was very clever with his hands and soon settled into mechanical repairs. We became friends and began going to Garage sales together. Problem was he was a talkative kiwi and if he picked up any trace of an accent or any other excuse, he would stop for a chat, so we never got very far.
On a Saturday in late March he began to mention that he was not feeling well after a hot day on the tractor and slasher and put it down to heat stroke, but he didn't improve. On the Saturday evening, I said I should take him to hospital to which he readily agreed. but a doctor checked him out and pronounced him to be in good health. The following Tuesday he was having dinner when a valve in his heart blew out and he fell down dead.
His relatives came from Brisbane and N.Z. and stayed for a week to make arrangements and have the funeral
Liz Martin the CEO here did everything she could to make their stay comfortable, arranging a memorial service and a Saturday night dinner,as well as giving them accomodation and the run of the place.
well, fortunately Mollie isn't in pup! HOORAY
Although Maureen has been keeping fairly good health her weight is still a reason for some concern, so we decided to give weightwatchers a shot. Early signs are that it is working as we have both lost weight.
We took a few days and travelled out to the West Macdonnell Ranges where there is some stunning scenery. Stayed at "The Glen Helen Resort" which is the remnants of a big old cattle station. The accomodation was basic but clean and comfortable. The food was very good and plenty of it.
The second night we pitched our tent in their caravan park (a new experience for Maureen) We had a great time.
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