Still Down Under

Farm Entrance

Christmas came late at 1 Hamilton Road, Troy was working and didn’t get home till late on the 29^th (we were in bed) so we finally met him on the Friday morning and Santa arrived early morning on the 31^st.  Christmas was swiftly followed by New Year – never known the post Christmas period go so fast.  Also, it must be the first time ever Megan and I did not see in the New Year and our anniversary, 32 years and some said ‘it will never last’.  In that pre Christmas period the sun came out and we hit the dizzy heights of 38°C, 'smokin’.  We also had another period of farm sitting, as Heidi and the kids took the opportunity to visit her Mum and Dad in Perth.

Cutting barbed wire from the fleece of a female Alpaca

Leveling for one of three water troughs we placed

Whilst we were in the South West there were huge rainfalls and floods further east from us, which resulted in the Blackwater River flooding downstream.  We took a walk down to have a look and where it usually should be nearly empty with loads of rocks showing, it was up over the banks and swirling through the trees.

Still have 'The Technique'

Christmas Spider

Kite Flying with Lucas and Kaylah

Keep it flying

Staying on the farm was magical, the clean air, beautiful countryside, looking after the animals, being with the Bibby family, it was all great and if we had won the $31million New Year Lotto we may well have bought the place; as it is going up for sale in the autumn.

The Farm

Blackwater Fisherman

Blackwater in Flood

So here we are back in Perth at Joe’s house, planning our next ‘Moving On’.  We were looking for a camper van return to go east and planning a couple of weeks at another Helpx before flying to Christchurch, on the 14^th February.  So when we had a reply from a helpx where they said they were looking for someone to relocate a car from Perth back east and asked if we would be interested we jumped at the chance.  It seems  destined, a chance to relocate, the car is 5 minutes walk from Joe’s place, we found a tent for sale just round the corner and finally the weather on the Nullabor Plain is cooling down over the next week so a crossing is possible.  Nullabor means treeless, the journey also includes Australia’s longest straight road at 145km, wow, temperatures can reach 50°C plus, so a ‘cold’ period this time of year is vital to a safe crossing.  You shouldn’t drive at night because 7ft kangaroos and wild camels roam the area and we don’t fancy half a ton of roo or camel in our laps! 

We have been back in Australia over a month now – where did that go?  As I said we are planning to fly to New Zealand on Valentines day to see Megan’s cousin, Graham, his wife Sarah and their two children, plus of course to look around a bit, do a helpx, you know the usual stuff we have been doing, anyway till next time G’day.

High up water tank for feeding drinking troughs