The Overland Train

Brodie and I came home via The Overland.

That's 828 km (514.495 miles) of travel from Adelaide to Melbourne and around 11 hours of travel time. Which is equivalent to the length of time it takes to drive from where we were staying to our home.

It was nice to sit back and relax but Brodie kept questioning me about our choice of transport. He loved our flight over and wondered why we didn't fly back. To be honest I questioned my choice myself but price won out. It was so much cheaper via the train than the plane. Plus I got to sit, read and crochet.

Leaving Adelaide from Keswick

We left at 7:45 am ACST and arrived in Melbourne at 7:00 pm AEST
Then of course we had to travel from Melbourne to home and that was another 80 minutes or so on a vline train. It made for a very long day and sadly I wasn't feeling very well when we arrived in Melbourne.

I had forgotten how pretty the Adelaide hills were. It's a shame I didn't take the photo above a minute or so later because the next paddock was filled with kangaroos.

^^ Murray Bridge^^ was our first stop

Not that you can see it properly, but the photo above shows the River Murray. It's the longest river in Australia and spans three states. It's 2508 km (1558 miles).

The photo above is the train station at Bordertown. Our longest serving Prime Minister, Bob Hawke, was born here. The house named Hawke House is still standing and is currently being used as a Centrelink (Social security) office. 

Considering it is almost winter and we have had some rain, I just couldn't get over how brown everything still was. They could certainly use some rain in the Wimmera region.

 

I snoozed after we left Ararat.
The scenery was pretty much the same as in the above photos.

I really wanted to take photos of Geelong when we went through but it was dark outside by then and any photo that I would have taken from my phone would only reflect off the window. It did look very pretty with all of the lights but to be honest the train mostly went thorough the industrial area.

It certainly was a very long day. Brodie and I didn't get home until after 9:00 pm.
Even though we sat down for most of the journey I was exhausted and as I mentioned previously I was unwell. I was in bed early. Much earlier than I usually would be. I even managed to sleep for 9 hours so I guess I really needed. 

I know it sounds cliche but there really is no place like home!! 

Adelaide Hills Bushfire

MFS fire crew battle a fire on Wattle Rd, Kersbrook, South Australia. Picture: Campbell Brodie.

I have been almost glued to the news and social media for the past few days trying to find out and read as much info about the fire in the Adelaide hills and the fires here in Victoria. It is always heartbreaking to see any fire but even more so when it involves people, home and animals.

I cried when I heard about a Boarding Kennel and Cattery burning down. About 40 of the dogs were save but none of the cats where. It is just horrible. Some families have lost their homes, including some othat belong to the CFS (Country Fire Service) Volunteers.

Most of my family & friends live in Adelaide. Some of my family even live in the Adelaide hills. Sadly though I am not all that close to them, we never really have been, so I am unsure as to how they are faring or even how close the fire is in relation to where they live. I just pray that they are all safe from harm wherever they are,

Let me tell you I have shed a few tears over this already. Angus wants to ban me from watching the news because I get so upset. Not happening kiddo. I shall continue to watch but thanks for your concern all the same.

Weather conditions have eased over night, The bushfires here in Victoria have all been downgraded. The fire in the Adelaide hills still continues, There has even been mention of it continuing for weeks. I shudder at that thought. I am praying the weather remains calm enough for the CFS to get a good handle on things before the weather changes midweek when the wind is due to pick up again.

If you wish to find out more about the fires check out the following links
Adelaide Now
ABC News

For now I am enjoying the cool change that arrived overnight and the refreshing showers that have come along with it. I have opened my home up in order to let it really cool down, And of course I shall be keeping an eye on the news in regards to the Adelaide hills fire.

Thankful Thursday

Here's what I am thankful this week:

• returning safely from our holiday interstate
• family - it was great seeing everyone again. The boys loved spending time with their aunties and cousins.
• mild weather while we were on holiday
• heaters - it was pretty darned cold yesterday. Cold enough to snow but not where we live *sigh*
• crochet - I made a blanket for one of my nieces while we were in Adelaide
• adding to my yarn stash - I brought home two shopping bags full of yarn
• finding lots of things on sale - I bought quite a few new clothes for the boys and I (well mostly me) while on hols and I bought Mark a new coffee machine

What are you thankful for this week?

Holiday Memories

Thanks to Kate over at Picklebums for this topic. I hope she doesn't mind that I borrowed the idea.

I agree with Kate that holiday memories as a kid get jumbled up & that sometimes you just don't remember all of the details either.

I remember one year when Mum was on holiday in Fiji with her bestie. Dad, my brother Mark & I went camping along the Murray River in Morgan. We slept in a tent & ate cold baked beans straight out of the tin for breakfast!

I also remember another time Mum was on an overseas holiday with her bestie that Dad, my brother & I went to Streaky Bay to see my sister. It was around the time that the movie Blue Fin was being made. Julie was working at the hospital in Streaky. We had our dog, Kym, with us. She was an adorable Alsatian. I love her to bits!

I also remember another time that Mum, Dad, Mark & I went to Geelong to visit Uncle Johnny & Auntie Maria. I also remember swimming at the beach & something about shark nets.

I also remember during that same Geelong holiday I had to bathe in the laundry sink because there was no bath tub & I didn't quite get the hang of showers back then. So Mum washed me in the sink.

I remember visiting Julie & her hubby Ken when they used to live in Cummins. Its somewhere near Port Lincoln.

I remember visiting Port Lincoln but I don't recall what we did there. Only the fact that we drove there to do some shopping.

I remember driving to Whyalla to visit Auntie Ce & Uncle Ivor when we were on our way to Cummins. I remember on that same trip we dropped off our cousin Janine. She was staying wit out Auntie & Uncle for a while. I don't remember if we picked her up on our way home.

I remember one time we went to Port Elliot, near Victor Harbour. I remember Mum & Dad rented a little place for us to stay in. I also remember walks along the beach & by the waters edge. I also remember Mum & Dad saying don't get wet but I did any way.

I remember going for a walk on the jetty in Victor Harbour. I recall something about a train that travelled over to some little island. I also recall looking out towards some rocks in the harbour somewhere.

I remember staying somewhere near the Coorong with another of Mum & Dad's friends and their family. I remember staying in this shack. Although I don't remember anything else except the fact that there was a lot of sand.

I also remember staying in our neighbours shack in Moonta. And I remember Mum eating periwinkles. They looked too much like garden snails to me.

I am sure that we went on many other holidays. I just don't remember them all. Some of them I don't even recall how old I was when we went on them. I guess it doesn't matter really. The fact that I remember them all and think of them fondly is all that counts.

At Home in Victoria

Many years ago I used to hate the 'bloody' Victorians. They stole everything from South Australia, the state that I grew up in. The Grand Prix and various other sporting events. But now I have to say that now I am one of "THOSE" people. At least that is what the South Aussies must think when they saw us driving around in our Victorian registered car on our recent holiday to Adelaide.

Cheers to Victoria! Well more to West Gippsland! I don't think I'll ever go back to SA to live. I much prefer the weather here. At least where we live is much cooler and more often than not greener than the rest of the state.

We've got everything we need relatively close to where we live. There are specialists in Melbourne (an hour away at best) or in the Latrobe Valley (less than an hour away). The boys are settled in school. Brodie has his aide and is doing so much better now. I'm not 100% impressed with Angus's school though. They need some work before I think they are up to MY standards. Will fill you in on that one another time.

Even with all our ups and downs life here is pretty good. I'm in no hurry to change things.

Credit for this photo goes to Angus. He took this for us on our way home from Adelaide.

Whispering Wall

Mark & I took the boys, along with Vic, to see Whispering Wall in the Barossa Valley. It had been years since we had been there. I remember taking the boys when they were little. The weather wasn't the greatest and the wind blew right through you but the view was well worth it.

The boys ran to the other side of the wall, like they did the very first time we went there. On the other side you can climb down the steps so that you are really close to the dam wall itself. You can then 'Whisper' or talk normally and you can hear very clearly what was said.

The water in the Barossa reservoir was really high which surprised me a little. I didn't think that there would've been so much water in it. I guess South Australia is better off waterwise that we are.

It was loads of fun until the rain started but I guess we shouldn't really complain about the rain we sure do need it. Although while we were visiting with Dad (he has his own rain gauge in the back yard) he recorded at least two inches of rain. One of my uncles commented that I brought the rain with me. Silly duffer lol.

The Boys Father

While we were visiting my Dad I got a phone call from the boys father, Victor. I almost fell off my chair when I realised it was him. We had been in Adelaide for about a day or so when he phoned. Mid you sending him a letter telling him when we were coming to South Australia for a holiday certainly helped. He told me that he was organising his bus ticket from Whyalla to Adelaide and would it be possible for us to pick him up at the Elizabeth train station & take him to his brother Bill's home. I thought wow, sure, I can do that since you are (finally) making the effort to come and see your own sons!

So on Tuesday afternoon he phoned us to say that he was at the train station and could we please come and get him. The boys walked right up to him and he didn't recognise them at all. It wasn't until Brodie said Hello Vic that he finally realised that these boys were HIS kids. I was surprised to note that he didn't recognise them even though I had sent him their most recent school photos so that he would know how much they had grown. Oh well, I suppose I shouldn't have been surprised really.

I know it was nice for Vic to finally catch up with the boys BUT .. he has to realise that he shouldn't be trying to crack jokes and think that everything is all hunky dory just because he made the boys laugh. In some ways I think that Vic thought things would be like they used to be between him & the boys before he disappeared on us, & that they were still "buddies".

I know for a fact that Brodie is having such a hard time trying to accept Vic back in his life after a 7 year absence. I mean who wouldn't have a hard time trying to get to know someone after such a long time apart. Brodie even told him on the phone that he didn't want to call him Dad any more because he hadn't been in their lives for so long. Brodie heard Vic swear at Bill saying that the little f**ker didn't want to call him Dad anymore. Of course when I confronted him about it he denied it but why would Brodie lie about it?

Angus told me that even though Vic is his Dad he doesn't particularly like how he was treated while we visited with him & his Uncle Bill. Vic spent more time talking to Brodie trying to be buddies with him. Angus said he felt left out. Not a very good thing to happen especially when you are meant to be mending a broken relationship.

At one stage Brodie wanted to punch Vic. Of course he didn't, I wouldn't let him .. he saved that for Mark instead. I'll fill you in on that story in another post. There was a lot of anger brewing in the background & I certainly felt a lot of stress from it. So much stress that my skin paid the price for it while we were away. Now that we have been back a week it is slowly settling down again.

We bought Vic a mobile phone so that the boys can keep in contact with him. Not a very expensive one but its prepaid so we wont have to worry about any phone bills. One of Vic's nieces or nephews can teach him how to put credit on. We're all on the same mobile network so the kids can use their free minutes to call him if they wish to. You should've seen Vic when we gave him the phone. He was like a little kid receiving a Christmas present. He was practically jumping for joy. I had to laugh though he said he would keep it a secret from his brother, Dave, but I don't think he will. He was so excited that he would tell anyone who would listen that he had a mobile phone.

At least the boys can call him now and speak with him if they wish. It's better than the system we were using before when we would try and catch his cousin at home who would then pass on a message to him that we had called. Vic would then phone to say he was at his cousins and then we would call him back.

While we were there Mark spent some time alone with Vic. Having a heart to heart chat. Dad to Dad. Whatever Mark said to Vic must have been good as Vic told me that he has a lot of time for Mark & that he is doing a good job with the boys. It feels kind of weird that my ex-hubby approves of my 'new' man. Not that I needed his approval.

Any way lets see how things go with their father now. I hope that their relationship can grow and become a bit stronger than it is right now.

There's No Place Like Home

While we were on our recent holiday to Adelaide I kept thinking that there is no place like home. There's nothing wrong with visiting relatives and doing loads of FUN shopping while away but there really is nowhere else on earth quite the same as your own home.

I decided that I don't particularly want to go visit South Australia again in a hurry. Now before anyone gets upset and sends me hate mail. I was born in Elizabeth, South Australia & lived there until 2002 when I moved to Victoria. 90% (or more) of my family still lives in S.A. I just no longer like the idea of living there.

The S.A. drivers are freakishly weird and are accidents waiting to happen. They don't seem to have the concept of "sharing" the road. They change lanes without indicating & cut you off as soon as look at you. It's no wonder that Mark saw a lot of tow trucks while we were on holiday. No doubt they were either picking up wrecks or travelling to one.
I must admit my own Dad is one of those drivers who should no longer be on the road. Which I already mentioned in my previous post.

Now don't get me wrong there are a lot of SAFE drivers out there. Not all of them seemed to be horrid and reckless. I think that the South Australian government has a lot to answer for when they allowed learner drivers on the road that had to ONLY complete the required hours of driving in their log books before getting their Probationary license. After all my ex-hubby is ONE of THOSE kind of drivers who should have never been allowed to get behind the wheel in the first place. I am just so grateful that my boys no longer have to get in a car that he is driving.

I am also grateful that I am home now. Where the drivers don't seem to be in such a rush like the drivers in Adelaide. There certainly are advantages of living in the country. We seem to set our own pace here which is much more relaxing.

Credit for this photo goes to Angus. He took this photo for us

Christmas Holidays

We've started our second week of holidays and I am wishing we were home. Nothing against being here visiting my Dad and the rest of the family it's the weather that we are having to endure while we are visiting. Today it's meant to be reaching 42C (just over 107F) and that is just way too hot for anyone!!

Dad's place isn't air-conditioned, although he went out with one of my Auntie's today and she bought him one for his 80th birthday, and he only has ceiling fans installed for now. His new air-con will be delivered on Thursday and it wont be fitted for at least two weeks. Well that's what he said anyway, with any luck they might be able to do it sooner.
There is meant to be a mild cool change tonight where the temperature should drop to 35C tomorrow (how nice!!) and then it should be back up to 39 by Friday!!! I do NOT want to suffer with the heat. It's not good for anyone!

Since I haven't had computer access for most of our holiday I have bee writing in a journal the old fashioned way with pen and paper. I've surprised myself actually with the amount of stuff I have written. I thought that I would try and be as detailed as possible but not too much so. I don't want to put down all the whinging, whining things that the boys do so it wont be too much of a bore.

We'll have to think about leaving my niece's place soon and head back to Dad's. I just hope that it is a little cooler outside when we leave.

Christmas Holidays

Well we're off to Adelaide on Sunday morning. I've been packing our suitcases & preparing the food storage I guess you could say for while we are gone. Our neighbour is looking after our cats (and the bird) for us and I have bought enough cat food to last for two weeks (I hope).

This might be my last entry before I go but hopefully I might be able to post once or twice while we are visiting Dad. We found out that Maccas in Elizabeth has wireless internet access so we might be visiting there a few times to check emails and such while we are gone.

Golly I've also been preparing our medications for while we are away. With all of us being on meds it can be quite a chore. I've made sure that we have enough to last us the 15-16 days we are away plus enough for a few extra days just in case. I truly do hope I have packed enough.

There isn't much else to say right now so I'll sign off for the mo. It's getting late anyway and I should be heading off to bed soon. I've a bit of running around tomorrow in preparation for Sunday. Who knows I may have time tomorrow to post again .. ..