Sunday in Murray Bridge
We stayed overnight so we could inspect a Retirement Village ( actually looks quite pleasant) we arranged to got to the Vendors shop & while looking BANG !!! I crossed an intersection and a lady wrote her car off hitting me !!! to add to the drama it was also absolutely pissing it down !!! After the various agencies turned up ( Police/Ambulance & firemen and of course the obligatory tow vehicle) The lady was assessed by the medics and proclaimed healthy ( she is 85 !!) The Police & Ambulance officers were great and calmly handled the incident very well The firemen cleaned the whole area up and gave me the all clear for travelling on ! I was breathalized (0) thankfully We are now parked in a lovely Van site facing the Murray River My blogs my be a little delayed BUT I shall return !! At the end of the day all that was hurt was my pride and the plastic & metal !! Annie was very supportive through out the ordeal Tomorrow our insurance assessor will take over SO fingers crossed
30 yrs of unblemished driving !!! Everyone involved is OK tho thanfully
Ouyen/Pinaroo & Murray Bridge
We have now left Mildura & heading Murray Bridge Ouyen (Strange name) is apparently famous for its Custard Slices !! Small town with a tiny courthouse BUT we did dtop to sample the slices (very tasty too!!) we stayed overnight at Pinaroo (hopefully where I will end up !!) Annie is starting to come down with the Flu so we have decided to do an overnight in Murray Bridge.We will also look at retirement homes tomorrow and do a bit of photography Today is the wettest we have encountered and it is also very windy SO yet another day of lethargy declared Spending the day watching old Movies and will try a glass of wine later on We are approx 100 kms from our designated destination Adelaide ending our first leg of our marathon trip (so far approx 14000 kms !!)
Possums of Borunga SA
This is our last night here before setting off for South Australia Once again we went into the excellent RSL for a meal & a Gamble ! we spent the day looking around Camera shops BUT prices are much higher than in Adelaide Shop keeper in Camera house wasn’t really interested in selling anything !! Even told us to come back in an hour while she recharges the Battery ( for a camera demo) think a shop like that would have masses of batteries? In the meantime here some pics of the wonderful Possums that came to our bus for a free feed (they were very successful!!) They never budged an inch when using the flash BUT ran off very quickly if I moved my foot !! Sorry about the red eye New camera might fix that !!
Buronga (just outside Mildura)
We are still parked in this wonderful Camp in Buronga ( where do they get these names?).Wish we had time to stay longer but we aiming to hit Adelaide tomorrow week (Friday) we discovered a weir here that has plenty of fish & bird life.Fishermen just dangle a line in from their little “tinnies” (little tin boats) Parts of the bush are strewn with Huge rotting Carp ! apparently because they are a “nuisance” fish it is illegal to throw them back into the Murray !! We caught glimpses of gloriously coloured small parrots They are extremely difficult to spot as their camouflage is excellent Pelicans are abundant in this part of the river & make good photo.s Today I am off to buy a camera that will hopefully alleviate my camera skills !! Last day here & Annie is treating me to dinner in the wonderful RSL club tonight.Will try my gambling kills once again & will no doubt squander $20 !!!!
Still in Mildura
Having a very relaxed time here Today I took Annie to se Resident Evil the Aftermath I loved it !! there was 4 people in the cinema including me n Annie !!The town is easy to get around and Annie is looking for a new Camera,She also had a phone call from her sister in Queensland who is in the process of starting her own Law firm up Good luck Claire !! We stopped by for a drink in the local RSL (British Legion England equivalent) Club and it presents very well. First Class dining area & a set aside gambling area ( we actually came out $20 in front!!) Well worth a visit if in Mildura The food is plentiful,great menu & reasonably priced
Mildura a place of Serenity
This place is very laid back So much we have decided to stay 5 nights instead of ONE !! we are parked on the edge of the Murray River & occasional Paddle Steam Boats pass by and they are magnificent to watch The park is very clean,cheap & lots of very friendly people We have discovered a pub 5 mins drive from here & it serves good cheap food ( The Beer is also good !!) BUT the toilet is something to see ( Picture included) Bird life is great & the Ducks wont leave us alone !!! We have used the Golf course and it is is in mint condition BUT the warmer weather is starting to take its toll on me !! Annie has fully recovered to the point she is back nagging at me already !! My didgeridoo playing is coming on ( yeah right !!) and Brian is resting a lot
Strange thing is This side of the river is 30 mins in front of the other side due to being different states and different summertime daylight saving !!! PLUS (are you listening Western Australia) K Mart are 8am to Midnight weekdays 8am 8pm weekends !!
Franks Boat & Crew & his great sense of Humour
no introduction needed here just enjoy the fun of it all Your a Legend Frank Good luck with your Mayoral aspirations This particular Blog is dedicated to Frank a FUN Bloke!!
Three States & Annies Health
We set off for Wentworth this morning taking us thru 3 States (SA/Vic/NSW) we are now parked with our back end virtually hanging over the Darling River lovely setting .We had just settled in when Annie took a turn for the worse & had a massive migraine.We headed for Wentworth Hospital & Annie was treated by 2 lovely nurses & after a couple of hours on a drip I’m very happy to say all is well .Annie has decided to spend the rest of the day in bed !! Tomorrow we will be travelling on to Mildura
Renmark & Paringa
Renmark is a lovely little riverside town just inside the SA Border We came a cross a local identity called Frank Turton who is currently running for The Lord Mayors job.Frank is an eccentric C & W singer and spends some months in Daly Waters ( previously acknowledged in an earlier blog) he is also known as The Chook Man !! he has an excellent singing voice an very pleasant to talk to He has spent a lot of time doing his amazing boat up (to be presented very shortly) his house is unique in that he has a Toilet outside his front door !! At the entrance to his garden is a very large Buzz Saw Blade & a HUGE tree stump ( Black Stump) that years ago fell over somewhere along the Murray River Frank was given permission to set it up outside his home and to get it downriver he actually fitted the Stump with an outboard motor !! All in all his story is very interesting pictures of his boat coming soon
( http://www.abc.net.au/rural/content/2009/s2732168.htm ) have a look at this very colourful person & note the name of his chook !!
Loxton the Place by Luxton the Person
today we landed in Loxton SA pleasant little town with the campsite next to the Murray River We have adopted the camp dog and he just followed us everywhere !! Some beautifully coloured birds around, sadly they too quick to photograph However I did capture a Kookaburra (member of the Kingfisher group) Loxton is interesting to me because of my surname (Luxton)
Consequently we had a lethargic day wandering around the riverside ( with the adopted dog !!) Kangaroos here are friendly We came a cross a group and to get their attention I shouted SKIPPY ! and as ONE they looked me !! Everything is going really well and Annie is still friends with me !!!
Watch me play Didgeridoo
Geoffs Life After Work ! 