The weekend

[AN2NET]

What did you all do over the weekend in Oz?

[Yvonne]

Planted grass in my garden and laid down soil. We live 5 minutes to the beach and the soil is very sandy which makes gardening a challenge. No cheap manual labour, so my husband and I have sore muscles today.

[Bob]

A couple of weeks ago, one night I was sitting watching Rugby on Pay TV. The phone rang late into the evening and it turned out to be old mates we knew from Hobart were inviting us to stay with them as they came travelling from Western Australia to Adelaide. Were we interested in spending a weekend with them riding our bikes and playing cards???

Is the Pope a Catholic?

Anything to get me away from vacuuming floors before mopping them . . . . and putting all the washing through!!!

We left Thursday afternoon and travelled to Clare, a township in the "mid north" of South Australia, some 80 miles / 130 kms north of Adelaide. In tow was our caravan and both bikes.

Up until 1983, a railway line connected Clare and the district with the rest of Sth Australia, but being uneconomic to keep it running, the track was ripped up and resurfaced to make a walking / bike trail, called the "Riesling Trail". It runs for some 27kms between Clare and a township to the south called Auburn.

The Clare Caravan Park is well worth a visit, nestled in the Clare Valley with about 30 vineyards and wineries around the district. The Park is clean, spacious and well catered for . . . . . . cost $25 a night for a "powered" caravan site.

We hopped on our "Deadly Treadlies" and rode for some 7 kms each way along a very gentle gradient as you'd expect with an old line.

Here we have one of the many vineyards in the background and every so often is a spot where you can pull up from walking or riding to enjoy a picnic in the shade

You've gotta cool off afterwards. Here are the girls in the caravan park pool

We went next day, Saturday, to an old mining town called Burra. Copper was found here in 1847 and thousands of tons of copper extracted over the years. The actual mine was one of the biggest open cut mines in its day

The miners were mainly from Cornwall, living in primitive conditions to eek out a living. They dug homes into the sides of rivers and creeks. Here are a pair of miner's cottages that have been preserved for us nowadays to see. They were tough people in those days. The river bank had been cut away and a roof of timber put across a couple of rooms to provide shelter for the miner and his family.

We came across one of Australia's native Black Swans in the local park by the river

The evening couldn't go by without a game of cards over a good coffee

On Sunday we travelled south towards Adelaide. Our friends from Tasmania watch an Australian program every Wednesday called "MacLeod's Daughters", as does my wife and daughters. It is filmed near Adelaide in the countryside of South Australia, so we had to have a drink at the "Gungellan pub" in a town called Freeling, just over an hour north of Adelaide. The Gungellan pub is on the set of the film and viewers will see it on their TV regularly if they watch the program.

Heather doesn't drink alcohol, but I put my beer glass in her hand and threatened to send this photo to all our old mates in Tasmania.

Edited November 13, 2006 by Bob

[Guest Noeks]

Visited the hairdresser, and had "caramel" (NOT BLONDE!!) high lights put in my hair - I think I'm pretttty" "I think I'm gorgeous" ......

Had 18 kids over for a superb and very hectic 8th birthday (swimming) party for my daughter - total bedlam - but total fun!!

Spent Sunday lying next to the pool, quaffing soda water (sorry, I'm on the wagon, no more beers at poolside), and having a lekka-by-die-see day!

Watching Pride & Prejudice (Kiera Knightley version) for the hundredth time with my two daughters.... (still quaffing soda water - sigh...) Oh, for an ice cold Crown....

Oh, and also watched experimental Springbok team get a bit of a hiding by the Irish - sigh, another sigh

[Queensland Girl]

Friday night had dinner at the Golf Club with all the golfing mates, Saturday completed my Certificate in Palliative Care and Dying Assistance, Sunday went with family up to Springbrook (UP in the Mountains above the Gold Coast) and had a Ploughmans Platter and Damper in a restaurant in the Rainforest.

www.springbrookmtn.com (Esspecially if you thought the Gold Coast only had beautiful beaches......)

Bought homemade fudge and ate it all before I got home, was Moms taxi for all my children's social events, and watched my favorite 60 Minutes.

[Bob]

Well . . . . it looks like only four of us got out of bed on the weekend.

. . . . . must be a cushy life for the rest in Australia

[sa2auz]

Hi there

My inlaws have been here for there first visit and left on Sunday so we had a pretty emotional weekend but a good one. Saturdays are always cricket and thank goodness the sun came out and my son took a catch. He couldn't quite understand why he took the catch and the bowler got the wicket next to his name. In the arfi we went to some very well off friends for some farewells and my son kept asking if they were rich. My father inlaw loves fish so on Saturday evening he bought some barrumundi and we had that with some real homemade fries, it was so good. We reflected on the past year and how far we have all come and how the kids have changed so much. At the end of the evening granny and grandpa gave each of the kids $45 and then it was tearful goodbyes for the kids and wifes as the hubbys were taking their parents to the airport. When we got home the boys went through all the advertising catelogues they could find trying to decide what to spend their money on. The list went as follows, big screen tv to watch the "cars" movie, dog, radio control car, toy vaccum ( I obviously do too much cleaning), little sister, new bike. By the time we woke up in the morning my eldest had decided if they pool their money they can get the X Box game he wanted. My youngest had his heart set on the "car" movie so off we went to spend the shops. We came home with the World Cup Soccer X Box game, and a bicycle. We have been up and down the drive pushing the bike ever since. Next weekend I will be lying on the beach.

[Riekie]

Friday Evening: Met up with South Africans on their LSD to Sydney & had dinner with them at The Rocks.

Saturday: My son arrived from Perth, we all went for breakfast, did some shopping, my daughter & I went to the hairdresser.

Saturday Evening: Had the most fantastic 40th B-Day Party at a Persian Restaurant, surrounded by all my wonderful friends! Even gave the Belly-dancing a go.......

Sunday: Bronte to Bondi Beach Art Walk, then late lunch at Bondi Beach & home to get everything ready for the coming week.

No, the Belly-Dancer is not me! (But the gorgeous guy is my son!! )

[Helena G]

From SA:

Friday: My husband flew to Joburg for the day (business), I hanged around in Cape Town for the day visiting friends and family. I was supposed to pick him up at 23:00 but he missed he's flight in Joburg and had to spend the night there (I was quite worried about him driving around looking for a hotel at night)!

Saturday: Collect my hubby at 09:00 (glad he's home and safe!), went for breakfast at Mug & Bean in Tygervalley Centre (Durbanville), drove home. Slept the afternoon. Went for pizza at Panaroti's (ordered regina with extra avo - yummy!!) Went to friends to watch the Bokke get the buts kicked by the Irish.

Sunday: Friends from Cape Town came through to us for the day. We made a lovely brunch, eggs, bacon, muschrooms, toast and fresh orange juice. Then we went for a walk to the river and just enjoyed the sunshine. In the afternoon we sat outside around the fire and had a lekker braai. Eland steak and marinated barbeque chicken. O yes, and some salad. Then we all watched the SA Survivor.

Bye,

Helena G