Outback Queensland CFT Trip Day 2

Saturday 8 July - Dubbo to Lightning Ridge

Breakfast at 7am then on the bus by 7:45. There was a frost on the grass and cars so it was a cold morning.

Not far along we pulled into the visitor centre at Gilgandra for an early morning tea break. We had quite a long stop there to try and time things to adjust to a meeting that had already happened over dinner last night.

On then for a quick tour of Gulargambone (Galah) to see the school and town that Alfrene (BCA) works in.

At Coonamble we had lunch at the RSL, a confused allocation of chinese meals mean that by the time I got mine it was quite cold.

After this stop the scenery became quite different with cotton fields and lots of emus. Our stop at Walgett for an ice cream meant I had time to wander through some scrub where there were lots of a pretty emu bush (Eremophila I think). There was also a little pink leaved plant and a Ptilotus.

On then to Lightning Ridge for the obligatory photo of the entrance and a quick tour of town to get our bearings.

There was time at the opal shop before we arrived at the Outback Resort and settled in. Dinner was not remarkable but filled a hole. It went quite late so we had our talk from the local BCA vicar David and his wife Joanne. Lots of chatting made the evening more enjoyable.

I returned to our room to find Kerrie in bed nursing her cold and well rugged up in coats and even a sunhat to shelter her eyes from the light while she watched the footy on TV.

Outback Queensland CFT BCA Tour

Friday 7 July Sydney to Dubbo

After being dropped at the station by Geoff I made my way to Central and met the crew and bus that I would be with for the next two weeks. Some of my fellow travellers were there and some we picked up at Strathfield and then Katoomba at our morning tea stop. There I caught up with Kerrie who was to be my room mate for the trip.

We drove on to Bathurst and stopped at Abercrombie House for lunch - sandwiches, fruit and cake all ready for us. I had wondered why I did not know about this house as I had lived in Bathurst for a year but the owners had bought it in a derilict condition late in 1968 just over a year before I moved there and it would not have been open to the public by then.

It is a beautiful old mansion and the owner Chris was our host for the visit.

As we travelled north west I started peeling off some of the layers of warm clothing I had worn. It is still cold but certainly does not warrant thermals.

On through rolling hills of farm land as the sun began to get quite low. We saw a large mob of kangaroos just near Wellington. Then on to Guerie where I thought of friends Robyn (from Carss Park) and Nathan (from SS choir), both of whom were brought up there.

On then to Dubbo to the Quality Inn for a quick sort before dinner and talks from the Bishop (Ian Palmer) of the huge Bathurst diocese stretching from Bathurst to Nyngan and Bourke and east nearly to Armidale - a huge area. We also heard from two of the BCA workers in the area - Alfrene Wright and Peter Volkofsky.

Off then to our room and some controlling of temperature, exercise and bed.

Underhill in the cold

Early this week Greg, Ev and I headed for an overnight trip to Underhill to get a bit more burning off done. As soon as we arrived we lit one of the fires to clear the area at the back of the shed.

When we got the wheelbarrow out I noticed that the hydrated lime bag was broken so my next job was to scatter that. I also scattered the bentonite clay that had been stored at the block for about 30 years.

Greg cut down the two almond trees that have not been happy for some years. That gives Geoff a few more spots for new trees. He is very worried about the cold winter and how his new trees will survive. If it is not the cold it is the heat of summer that makes growing things a little dodgy.

After struggling with a flat tyre on the wheelbarrow Greg decided to fix it. It took us some time to find the pump but eventually we did. That made work much easier.

Ev brought in lots of cut wood for the stove and did a bit of splitting. We now have a lovely lot in the dry ready for a wet visit.

We were able to spread the 'new' carpet where it was needed in the loungeroom and lit the camp fire so we could sit around it.

There was a family of weebills nesting in the Persoonia (?) and they were fun to watch flitting in and out. There were also lots of wrens in the crabapple in the orchard yard. They were enjoying the protection it gave from the gusty wind.

After so much work I taught Greg and Ev about 'wall pushups'. They relieved all the aches and pains quite well.

We also smoothed out the floor near the chimnea after I had a fall tripping over the concrete plinth and giving myself a rock-shaped bruise on my bad leg. All well though except the bruise will last a while. We sorted out a place to store our linen so that others can find it too.

Thank you Greg and Ev for so much hard work. We achieved a lot but did not stay long after lunch on Tuesday as the wind was very gusty and cold making life quite miserable after great weather on Monday.

Visitors from near and far

Recently I've had a few visitors staying: Pernilla from Sweden and Sanghee and Ian from Brisbane.

Pernilla and I enjoyed a quiet day together and some fun with the girls.

Sanghee and Ian joined us for breakfast at Carss Park and a play in the park and on the beach.

I then took them to the city to see 'Betty's Sydney' - Customs House and its model of the city then Surrey's Tree in the Royal Botanic Gardens.

I then went home and left them to their own tour of the Opera House and Harbour Bridge. After getting lost on the way home we enjoyed time together before they had to leave the next morning.

A Busy few weeks

The house looks like a bomb site but is quite a happy household although Geoff and Jen suffer from sleepless nights with their two girls.

We are all rostered onto cooking duty and Arianne and I had such fun one night testing out two meals given to Jen from Marley Spoon. They certainly were delicious.

Last Friday Ellen and I went to TEDxSydney, a day of very interesting talks. There were some really good ones. We were fed well and entertained with out there music that was over amplified. Some would have been good at a reasonable volume. We even ended up on the live stream.

I am loving having so many people around but am hating the fact that I often get up quite stiff and sore from my back-hip-leg issues. By about mid morning I can move a bit better but it takes that long.

A weekend of Music

I have now recovered from my weekend of music. Saturday and Sunday were spent practising and performing Mendelssohn's Elijah with Chorus Oz (Sydney Philharmonia Choirs) at the Opera House. It is always such a great experience.

This year my Sunday morning was filled with a choral matins at St Stephens in Macquarie St. This was a huge sing just to warm me up before being driven to the Opera House in the Tardis and experiencing time travel that got me there only 1.5 hours late for Elijah practice.

June visits to Underhill

Last week I had an overnight visit to Underhill with friend Sally. We were able to get some winter burning off done and do a bit more around the outdoor fireplace. It was quite cold but we were both able to stay warm and cosy.

I picked the ripe medlars and ended up with a tiny batch which I boiled and strained coarsely when I returned home. They taste great when absolutely squishy, a bit like 'apple sauce'.

We had two fires going to do a bit more burning off but because it started raining late afternoon we could not do as much as I'd hoped for.

Another job was to test out phone reception and Sally spent a lot of time 'praying' to the mobile gods to see if we could get any reception in various places.

On Friday Geoff and I went down again for a day trip and did a little more burning off and clearing up. He really needed to go down to deliver a trailer load of things from his house pending his move.

Then on Saturday Nathan and Karita went down. They experimented with the best way to pull out stumps and did a lot of clearing up and cutting firewood from the timber left from Nathan's milling.

All is looking much clearer and better prepared for a dry, hot summer but there is still lots to do in these few winter months when we are allowed to burn off.

Nashi in Autumn

Brad took this photo of our Nashi in Autumn. And what's more it even gave us fruit for the first time this year too.

Thanks Brad. What a beautiful day it must have been.

Family, friends and fun in April and May

I just don't seem to have five minutes to myself for such luxuries as updating blogs. Many friends have remarked at how quiet I've been lately.

Today is the performance with the Sutherland Shire Choral Society and after that I will be taking leave of absence from that choir to try and claw back just a little time. The concert should be good with Lauridsen's Lux Aeterna, Faure's Cantique de Jean Racine, and Mozart's Requiem. Great music and some really challenging pieces.

I've been able to get down to Underhill for a night with Elaine and Terry and Ellie. Elaine and I started work on the surrounds for the camp fire.

We will eventually set it in place with local clay slurry and raise the level on the downhill side giving us somewhere to rest saucepans and billies. So there will be lots of mud puddling to join in with if you are keen. And of course winter is burning off time again.

The Lady Williams apple still had plenty of fruit on it so we picked those and this time I have dried lots of them.

Geoff and Jen's house move is eventually happening though they will all be coming to mine for the months between old house sale and finding a new one. With the house moving and packing it is up to me to go down to Underhill and keep the place going until they can step up to the challenge again.

I've had a lot of time with Ivy and Heather. Often Jen brings them with Ponyo as well just to get out of the packed up house and give them a bit of outside fun.

Mother's Day saw Ellen et al and Geoff's mob all down at our local Fish and Chips cafe enjoying a feast together.

Having almost sorted my back-hip-leg issues I am now in a lot of pain which is the result of a sudden movement last week. I guess with all the massage, physio, hot showers and fisiocreme I am treating it with I'll be recovered soon. I hope so anyway because I am sick of not being able to just get on with things.

Last weekend I was able to spend a night at Berry visiting Rauri and Janice. Lots of chat, burning off and general camaraderie. The weather was glorious and dinner was superb.

I have had a little time for quilting but have not actually finished anything ready to photograph so if you want to see my progress you'll have to come and visit.