Blogging again..........

Hi all... Just laying here on the bed bored and thinking about ( thinking about I said) packing for moving on again and all I can think of is the comforts of a home and a nice garden and a place to lay your head that has all your favourite photos staring at you that feels relaxing and safe and warm/cool...... Ahhhh there's no place like home as Dorothy Gale so nicely put it...... Only problem is at the moment these 4 grey canvas walls is classed as my home..... Now don't get me wrong; I am loving the travelling, the living free, the easy life, the constant sights and sounds of the great Australia we all live in, and the no housework (although I do miss having a washing machine on becon call!). It is a big job to travel with 4 awesome kids and all the bells and whistles that go along with the travelling and we havve adjusted well I think but sometimes I miss it all.. I know that the time in the camper trailer and the trip around Oz shall come to an end soon enough and that motivates me to relish every part and try not to complain or daydream about what I don't have, but today I am letting my mind run wild and setting it out there on a boat to let the tide take it out and away..... ahhhhhh!!!! RELEASE!

Not many people get to watch their kids frolic on multiple beaches all in a month in the middle of winter and see their faces light up when they know their daddy is there all the time at the moment to annoy and play with.... Ahh those moments are priceless. Or who gets the chance to roam around and see all our wonderful family and close friends that we have so missed being near all the time due to constraints beyond our control (life gets in the way like always)..... Our boys have never had the privledge of knowing my grandparents because we were too far away to visit (the last time we came up here was 7 years ago nearly). To be able to share my kids with my Gran and Pop was a rare treat and I am so happy that we got to spend some time together with them. Family is so precious and important and we have very much missed being nearer to everyone while being in Adelaide. I love how our boys get to spend heaps of time lately with their dad. Boys really need their daddys. Mummys are good for cuts and bruises and kisses but they need their dad's and I am very thankful to have been able to let them all have this time together... It's not only for the boys but the Daddy benefits too. ;)

I know soon enough all this shall be behind us, just like everything else we usually think about, panic about, stress about, dream about and mull over... All things end and we move on to the next thing. I try to remember to enjoy the journey and not just focus on the destination cause the best bits are always in the journey not the destination. So if you ask me- are you having fun? or - Is it awesome travelling around Australia? or such things, I shall answer with a resounding YES IT IS THE BEST FUN and YOU HAVE TO TRY THIS AT LEAST ONCE IN YOUR LIFE.. and if you ask me - Do you miss everyone and everything common? Or- Do you get tired of it all? I shall again answer  YES with a loud yell.... The best times and the worst times all have to be intermingled or else we won't grow or appreciate what we have and what we have been through... So with that in mind I shall sign off ( really showers need to be done and dinner needs to be cooked and packing needs to be started and life gets in the way again.... Even on the road.). Think of me when you are relaxing in front of your tv on your lounge with all your "stuff" and think how much fun I am having and I shall think of you in my big top tent while I lie in bed staring at the stars through my canvas roof listening  to the fruit bats fight..... Either way make sure you are enjoying being where you are cause today is a gift that's why it's called the present........ Enjoy the journey.........

TROPICAL NORTH QUEENSLAND!

hi all. we are on the road again..... ( singing added here.......... mmmmmmmmm)! We had an awesome time strawberry picking with our friends the Lambalika's and the Longs. Yum Yum... Great time had by all: kid friendly and you get to buy as much or as little as you like depending on if you eyes are bigger than your stomach.. YUMM YUMMM I said.. We also went and checked out Ettamogah Pub and had a browse around as tourists. We think we might go back to Aussie World maybe one of these days ( it is behind the Pub). Looks fairly good prices and very kid oriented so that they can go on most stuff. A good day was had by all....

All the little strawberry pickers/eaters minus non photogenic Cal..

Ettamogah: the kids wanted to pull up the mans pants..

Ettamogah the other side.

Imagine driving home to see this each evening..

  We also went back to Redcliff beach and went to the LAGOON!!! Oh MY GOODNESS you have to go to the lagoon in redcliff if you are ever anywhere near there especially if it is summer cause it would be way more fun and awesome in summer... We had a blast and it was still only 23 degrees... haha.. Kids have no temperature gauge in water even when their lips are turning blue... oh dear.... Anywho... We had an awesome time and the best bit was that it was FREE!! Yes you heard me correctly it was free.. Not much these days is free and especially something that is so awesome.  It has a full on resort style lagoon and seats all around it with shade things over them, a waterfall that flows into the lagoon via some little rock pools, bbqs galore, toilets that are great and a play ground right in the same spot. Oh and I forgot to mention that it has a little kiddies wading fun pool too... OH AND IT"S FREE... Wait till you see the pictures and then you shall gasp with me. I would imagine on a hot day it would be jam packed but it is huge so it wouldnt be too bad. Love it.. Great idea well done Redcliff council.. :)

little kids bit with park an beach in background

what did I tell you.... hmmm!!! ( gasp)

waterfall under bridge.

our big boys enjoying the rock pools

'our baby playing in things he isn't needing to play in...

 

 We had a great drive today on our way to Bundaberg. We got to see first hand burnoffs, Sugar cane growing and harvesting, Pineapples growing in the ground and lovely scenery. It sure is a pretty area up this way. We even got greeted at the caravan park with 3 juicy pineapples as we checked in. We are staying right on the riverside at  Bundy and the caretaker here tells us that they have only just opened back up after 7 months since the floods came through and ripped away their livelyhood. It is shocking to see how high the water came even here and how much devestation it has caused. All of their cabins are gutted as is the reception/caretakers house. You enter his home and there is only outer walls, no inner walls and there is a desk, chair and a computer. That is it. All the cabins you can see  have no walls from half way down to the floor and they have no interior walls either. You can see in the toilet blocks where the water sat and rotted the doors and warped them. Where we are camping we would be well and truly under the water if it was still flooding. There were mangroves that lined the banks that used to block the view of the other side of the river where the CBD is and the water has stripped them all away and they have removed alot of the mess. It is just devastating to see it first hand still 7 mths laster trying to get back on their feet. This is supposed to be Australia "the great south land of the Holy Spirit" not a third world country. We are supposed to have mateship here.. This is so sad to see and I shudder to think what it will look like in other areas. Will see how we go!! Till next time I leave you with those thoughts. They still need help and support and Prayer up this end of the country. Keep spending time in the Son. Over and Out.........

THE BIG PINEAPPLE

sugar cane fields.

BUNDY

THE LITTLE JUICY PINEAPPLES...

what is left of the mangroves( that section the boys are in was completely under

one of the cabins....

thats what is left.... 22 knots water was flowing at apparently...

Brisbane Still.... Place of much Sonshine.... haha

Hi all... we are still alive.... Have not dropped off the face of the earth, just trying to catch up on rest and get over a flu we all seemed to acquire and pass round amongst ourselves and the extra family members.... Opps... Even though travelling around Aust seems exciting and romantic at times it is just plain exhausting and a big deal... Don't get me wrong it is awesome fun but I did read on someones blog that you need downtime from the adventure and this is what we have been doing... We have been having a lovely time wandering around Brisbane and the Sunshine Coast and catching up with family and friends... We got to catch up with our dear "old" friends Richard and Leonie and their cute as pie boys Isaac and Archer. We got to see Wellington point and Cleveland point. Very pretty down the bottom end of Brissie.. (Thanks for the tour Gengies....).

Slides that keep kids entertained for ages = awesome.

AWESOME>>>> SEE

Wellington is everywhere..

Sunset at Wellington Point.

Sunset at Cleveland Point where voyage of the dawntreader was filmed.

After the huge day Daddy and his little boy had to chill....

We went and had a look at mooloolaba and Alexandra Headland with my mum, brother and our friend Glenny. It is so pretty on the sunny coast... Bit touristy for my liking but nice just the same. The beach was pretty and we enjoyed spending some time relaxing on the shores watching the waves rolling in with full force and the kids loved making a tunnel and playing in the sand with aunty Glenny (thanks for the fun day Glenda

Ettamogah pub I remember seeing this when i was 11.

Alexandra headland.. Very pretty.

Hamish with his head in the sand...

Good set. haha

Sand angels..

 We went to Redcliffe and Scarborough Beach the other day. Awesome relaxing spot and they have an awesome park right on the beach that is all fenced in and the added bonus was the cottonwood trees that you get to climb all over. They are a boys dream..... Our boys had a blast and I even got to get in touch with my inner tree climbing child too and get up high. AWESOME FUN!!! A must if you are in that area. Voted friendliest park in 03 and 04. The things with climbing trees is that you HAVE TO (apparently) do it with no shoes on and really get into it... The boys did a great job of getting down and dirty with it in the trees......

See what tree climbing does to ya: makes ya smile!

Awesome fun trees...

What a great tangled mess of fun.

twin bottoms climbing.

just hanging around..........

check out the feet and the face..

dirty face and his sore eye..

We went to Underwater World today..... Biggest Aquarium in the southern Hemisphere.. It was sooo worth it. It was interactive and it was good for all the ages and it was a great easy fun time that didnt take all day but was value for money... ( please insert money for promo here..... haha). The boys loved all the different fish and we had fun watching the seal and the otter show. The sharks tank that you walked through and the huge rays were awesome! Well worth the funds to get in if you are after something to do on a rainy day on the sunshine coast.....

little rays...

starfish......

bubba and the blue starfish.

the seal show was so cool.

huge seal: sly the seal the boys keep reminding me!!

CHOMP CHOMP CHOMP.

Coral magic.

leafy sea dragon...

little seahorse.

huge barra's...

Hamish and his seal friend Sly.

The tunnel

huge mantra ray!

the crab was as big as his head...

painted rock lobster. so pretty.

going where no kid has gone before: underwater.....

Sammy LOVED it...

our mate the SEAL

Well now we are up to date.  PHEWWWW!!!!!!!! We will be off on another journey next week so stay tuned we have lots of fun stuff instore.......... heehee. very exciting squeal!  Till then keep having fun in the Son. xxx