Sorry, just had to post this one

 

 

It's just too good to miss!

Have a nice day, and go shopping

just so you can try it!



Just a Reminder

 

Hey, just wanted to remind those of you that are

subscribed to our blog, that when you receive

the posts by email, it will not have the videos

on it. You have to click on the blog title

to go online to the blog page to be able

to view the videos.

 

This may clear up some confusion as to why

I say, "here is a video of..." and there's nothing there!

 

If you have trouble viewing them,

you may have to update your Adobe Flash Player.

Not that I'm a computer tech or anything:)

 

Also, I have adjusted the comments box so

that you can comment even if you don't have a google account,

so feel free to make use of it!

 

And just because you expect it of me,

here's an inspiring saying for the day.........

 

 

 

Well, works for me anyway!

Try it sometime!

 



 

 

More Free Fun in Katherine!!

 

 

 

 

 

As it is National Youth Week, the YMCA

is putting on a lot of free activities for the kids.

 

So, yesterday, it was a pool fun avo.

Chloe and Maddy got to have a go at the rock climbing,

which soon became a favourite and they scaled it

numerous times. Chloe seemed to be the reigning champion

for speed and agility! ( I still remember finding her at

the top of a ladder when she couldn't even walk yet! )

 

 

 

There was also an inflatable obstacle course in the pool.

Chloe was pretty speedy on this too, but Maddy

gave her and others a run for their money.

 

 

 

 

There were free smoothies, sausage on bread, lollies,

jellybeans, waterbottles, bags, bracelets etc.

Needless to say, we came home with a lot of stuff!

 

Here's a short clip of the rock wall climbing

 

 

And the inflatable obstacle course

 

 

Keep an eye out for the next instalment.

Inflatable sumo wrestling suits, the fly wall,

inflatable foosball etc............

 

 

 



 

Beautiful Bitter Springs

 

Mataranka, NT

 

 

If you're ever over our way, you need to visit

the beautiful hot springs in Mataranka,

about an hour and a half's drive away from Katherine.

 

We hadn't had a chance to visit since we moved here,

having stayed there on our travels around Australia.

On Saturday, we needed to go to Mataranka,

so decided to drop in for a dip.

 

This waterhole is warm and crystal clear.

It is up to 3 metres deep in places and you

can see right to the bottom. There is a slight

current flowing that takes you downstream.

Don't bother trying to swim back upstream

unless you're an Olympic swimmer.

 

 

 

On this particular day we had it almost to ourselves

which was lovely. There were overhanging spider

webs all along with huge spiders dangling, so as

long as you didn't jump up or wave your arms, you were fine :)

 

 

It was kind of eerie swimming with goggles on and looking down.

It's like swimming on the reef, but it's white sand, algae, moss

logs, little fish and all sorts of slimy stuff.

Oh, and Dave found $2!!

 

There were also hundreds of dragon flies too,

in a variety of colours.

 



 

Reflections

 

Looking back upstream

 

Idyllic I know.

Until you have to get out and walk back

up on very sharp pieces of gravel!!

But well worth it!

 

 

And other random stuff.............

 

 



 

So, on Friday, I take Maddy and Chloe and go

to the Railway Bridge (over the Katherine River)

so I can take a photo of Dave driving by with

his new truck and 3 trailers.........Pause for effect..........

Ahem....This is the part where you

 are supposed to suitably impressed!

 

Right, now we got that sorted.

Anyway, we walked out onto the bridge and I

start taking test shots and we were soon greeted

by 2 slightly intoxicated locals. cough cough.

 

After I finally made out what they were saying,

I realised they wanted me to take a photo of them

with the girls. Anyway, it was an interesting

story to tell when Dave got home as I almost missed

him going by because of the hold up.

 

 

 

Well, they're famous now as they've made it to our blog.

 

Well, I had a heap more photos to upload on another subject,

but my computer just decided to not do it,

so hopefully tomorrow. Don't go to far away!

 

 

New Place to Meet

 

 

Savannah Way Baptist Church now has another

place to meet! This past Sunday, we held our first

morning service in a rented building in town.

($20 for the morning! air con included!)

 

There is a nice sized meeting room with a kitchen,

and a lot of space outside that is undercover or

under the trees, for the Sunday school classes.

 

 

 

This is a real blessing as we have been praying

for a more suitable place to meet for a while.

Up til now, we had been meeting in the function

room of the motel on a Sunday night.

 

The only down side is that we have to use a keyboard,

and for those who've been around a while, in Malanda,

you know my reputation with keyboards!!

Hmmm. I don't know why they have to go

and put all the beat buttons right under

the hymn book holder! And where are all the keys gone?

Well, no mishaps this week, so I'm happy!

 

 

Here is a short video of the kids singing

(and yes, the girl with the hand over her face,

is Emilee! Typical!)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



A Long Day at the Office

 

 

I got to go with Dave on his regular Thursday run this week.

We left Katherine at 2:30am, yes, I did say a.m. As in, the morning!

We were towing 3 trailers and had a long way to go.

 

 

When we arrived at the Roper Bar Store, after many

stops and drop offs along the way,

we were informed that the road to Ngukkur was

closed to heavy vehicles. This is the same road

Dave had gotten bogged on last week, among countless

other trucks, plus a roll over of a petrol tanker.

 

So, we ended up having to stay overnight at Roper

to wait for people from Ngukkur to come and pick up

their freight.  By this time we were pretty tired and

glad that we would be able to sleep instead of turning

around and driving home that night.

 

Roper Bar Store is a store out in the middle of nowhere

that services the communities around.

It sells everything you can imagine,  at exorbitant prices,

take away food and home cooked meals.

 

It also has a 'motel' that consists of air conditioned

dongas, toilet/shower blocks, bbq area (which surprisingly,

if you stand in exactly the right spot, you can get

mobile phone reception), a pool, a payphone (I suppose it works),

a kitchenette and dining room with tv (conveniently

propped up by 2 milk crates and a paint tin as the shelf is

obviously not up to the task)

 

 

So, Dave and I were well looked after and got a nice

home cooked meal for tea, bacon and egg roll and coffee

for brekky, and even a packed lunch when we left, plus cold drinks.

Not too mention a decent nights sleep of 8 hours!!

That's a whole lot more than usual at home!

 

Here's a couple of shots of interest.

 

Taking a fully assembled chemical shed off the trailer

 

 

Dave dropping off the mail at a station along the way.

We laugh about doing the mail run in a triple road train.

But, he actually does do the mail run like this.

 

 

Dry season is approaching and the dust covers everything.

The trees take on a whole new colour scheme.

 

 

Anyway, we arrived home in Katherine, back at the depo at

4:30 pm on Friday. The girls had the house all spic and span

and hadn't missed us at all :)

I missed my piano though. Had to fit a fair bit of playing

in to unwind from the long trip.

 

And that my friends, is a very shortened version

of another day in Dave's office!

(minus the long waits, frustrations, manoeuvrings

of a road train in small spaces, heat and dust,

air con not working etc etc)

 

 

 

Interesting side note:

 

Did you know that the Roper River has bull

sharks, crocodiles, sting rays and a rare swordfish

swimming around in it? True, Dave and I actually saw

a shark flopping around on the bank that some locals

had just caught. They swim 140km in from the coast.

 

Another reason why NOT to swim in the Territory!

If the crocs don't get ya, the sharks will ! Go figure??

 

So, if you're ever up our way, and you want

an outback Territory experience,

Dave will take you with him for the day.

Just make sure you go prepared for anything!

 

 

 

Here is a video of me playing.

I am still trying to figure out how to get

the sound to work better as it's a bit tinny.

Hopefully, it gives you an idea of how

beautiful my piano sounds.

 

Please disregard all mistakes

as it just so happens, that as soon

as a camera is aimed at me, I mess up!

That and the fact that, I mess up anyway!

 

Oh, and on another note,

Dave had a big 21 hour day yesterday

and here's a couple of pictures of some of his day:)

Prime mover and both trailers bogged.

Grader came to the rescue and

pulled him out!

There was some other excitement too, but

this is enough for one day:)

Never a dull moment in the Territory.

 

 

 

Here is the promised video

Hope to upload a video

of playing soon, so

stay tuned.......

 

 

 

 

MY PIANO HAS

FINALLY ARRIVED!!

 

 

Yes, my piano has finally come,

 after 3 long months of waiting.

Yamaha UX 1, and only 30 years old,

but you'd never know it!

Unbelievably beautiful in every way!

It has the most amazing sound

and looks classy too!

 

Needless to say, I haven't been doing much

else today but playing the piano.

Dave and Cam were able to move it in

yesterday afternoon,

so, today, the neighbours

 have been serenaded all day!

Whether they liked it or not~

 

I have made a video of the move up the stairs,

but unfortunately, I can't seem to upload it?

Hopefully, I'll get it sorted tomorrow and be

able to upload with a video of playing

so you can hear the wonderful sounds.

 

Until then, you'll have to enjoy the pictures.

 

Be back soon.................

 

 

 

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