Just a big fellow

While out riding on my bike I came across this fellow, at first when I saw the head I thought oh hell - snake!!
however when the neck became taller I thought NO it is a Sand Monitor and or either a Goanna. I was so amazed at how wonderful he was I culd not help but take some photos, hope you like them and when he finally moved he moved like grease lightening.

Bargara - April 2012

A week off work and time to relax, we have decided to bring the caravan away to Bargara which is 15km east of the Bundaberg CBD.Bargara is considered by some to be a satellite town of Bundaberg with only cane fields separating the two centres. Between 1912 & 1940 a railway connected them. Bargara has grown significantly over the last decade, becoming a popular tourist and retirement destination. The Esplanade runs along Bargara Beach foreshore and is lined with high - rise apartments and homes. The famous Mon Repos turtle rookery just north at Mon Repos Beach is the location for a wall dating back to the very early days of settlement and constructed using the Kanaka labour and rocks taken from the nearby sugar cane fields. The name Bargara is derived from the names of two adjacent localities, Barolin & Woongarra. We are staying at the caravan park at the end of the township, it is very pleasant being mostly retired "Grey Nomads" and just today we met a couple who are originally from Auckland Nth Island - NZ but we wont hold that against them. We are loving the new moderfications that we had done to the beds it has worked out great and has given us so much more room. We arrived here Sunday arvo driving most of the way in rains showers and have had a good shower of rain each arvo however not cold and the rain only lasts 5mins. Today Tuesday we went for a drive into Bundaberg for a change of scenery. I have been riding the bike most days and yesterday came across a young monitor lizard and I was fascinated by this amazing creature decided to take some shots - will show you those later. We have a great spot and so far have no neighbours other than the birds, Galahas and the lovely colourful lorikeets, we have a view of the ocean from outside the van and we are lulled to sleep by the sound of the waves crashing on the rocks - simply wonderful and relaxing and just what one needs. Will be hard next week when it is back to reality for us both - meantime we will make the most of it.

A league player in the house

Rory had just started playing league for the Hornby Panther's Club, he is really enjoying it and it is giving him discapline and teaching him to have social skills that many kids lack today, he had his first game last week and they won that. He does look so cute in his uniform complete with mouthguard - gotta luv the look.
Go Rory xxxxxx

All the grandchildren

Here are some photo's of all the grandchildren at the start of their new school year. They are all growing up now and starting to make Grandad and Nana feel a bit old, especially when the girls are as tall as me.

Alesha from Gladstone - Qld age 13yr started high school this year, she goes to Tannum High School - she really loves the uniform hahahaha.

Olivia and Jamie are both at Chancellor Park school at Sippy Downs - Qld, Olivia age 11yr started this year in middle school and Jamie age 6yr started in Prep.

Rory age 5yr started school in February in Christchurch he goes to Hornby Primary school just around the road from his Grandma and Grandad's house and not 5mins from mum - Yasmine's work.

And for a younger birthday

February saw Brian and I return to our dear beloved city of Christchurch for young Rory's 5th birthday, Rory is Yasmine and Adam's little fellow who we have a very close bond with. He is an absolute joy and brings us so much happiness, when they were here in December we never told him we were coming for his birthday so it was a surprise for him on the Saturday morning, we arrived on the midnight flight the day before his party. We only had a few days back home so for us it was as fleeting visit. We will be back later in the year for a week. Yasmine made Rory's cake he loves dinosaur's and we think she did an amazing job. Rory is now at school and is doing very well and had made alot of friends, he is having swimming lessons and has just started to play league for the Hornby Panther's, he is kept pretty busy however he is a great little guy who can amuse himself, give him a hammer, some glue and a few bits of wood and he will build something to keep himself happy - love you darling boy xxxxxx

2012 and the start of another year

Well 2011 over and welcome to 2012 - what will the year bring for us all.
For me it brings the start of senior status as I turned 60 on Jan 20th, nothing special planned, went out for dinner to the Maroochy Surf Club where we are members had a lovely meal with friends Bronwyn & Sonny before returning home for the remainder of the night.

Christmas 2011

Well where did 2011 go, before we new it Christmas was upon us and for us it was extra special. For the first time we had Brian's two younger granchildren Olivia 10 & Jamie 5 and their mum have Christmas lunch with us, they live in Qld and are not too far away from us, we had a lot of fun and laughter a lovely summery lunch as it was so hot and then the present opening time. They all left around 1.30pm as we had to drive to the airport to collect the best Christmas gift any mother could get, the arrival of my darling daughter Yasmine along with her partner Adam (now fiance as they became engaged on Christmas Day) and our darling grandson Rory age 5. This was to be a fleeting visit only as they could only stay for 4 days. On arrival at Brisbane Airport it was no sooner through customs and into the car for the 1hr drive north to home. Rory fell asleep in the car on the way home and never woke until Boxing Day morning, when we then had our Christmas of exchanging gifts etc. We had a pool out the back and Rory and his dad had alot of fun and laughter in there. The dreaded day arrived and we had to take them back to the airport to get their flight home, I hate the goodbye bit. Although it was not too bad as we would be seeing them in a few weeks as a surprise for Rory we would be flying over early February for his 5th birthday and to see him start school - more on that in the next post.

Silver Wedding Anniversary Nov 2011

November saw Brian and I celebrate our 25th wedding anniversary. What shall we do we discussed this with friends and we thought lets go to our favourite Thai restaurant in Maroochydore the "Som Tam" we just love the food and atmosphere, we agreed upon a time and as we are very good at time keeping duely arrived to find our friends there - however there was a twist, we somehow had beaten a couple of people who we did not know were coming and I wondered why we had a large table all set out until I saw my workmates there to help us celebrate - when I left work on Friday they all said have a wonderful meal tomorrow night and see you next week. They had all known for a few weeks about the meal out and had managed to keep it a secret which was wonderful. Helen and David our close friends had arranged it all even down to the wonderful lime cheesecake for dessert. We had a wonderful night with friends good food, lovely gifts which were such a surprise and beautiful cards. Our wedding anniversary also was a joined affair as it was Brian's birthday also.