First Full Day
Off into Town early and the Bank is OPEN on a Saturday ! Sorted me account out just need to finalize it on Monday.Bit cool today and wearing jeans for the first time in years !! Qwer kid dropped me off at the Town hall and me pants kept wanting to fall down so its off to the famous Primark for a belt ( ahhhh thats better!!) Walk about town looking in at the Grand Theatre and appears good shows are available this Summer ( I have missed live theatre and musicals SO much) Back to the house I,m at and there is a family gathering and we all ate Bacon Balmcakes & lots of TEA !! nattering about nothing. Niece Jenine took me off to the nw house they are practically re building and I was greeted by a very mucky Nephew whose embrace was like a bear hug !! The house is coming on (Darren never stops working !!) For tea ( Australians call it dinner) I was given a choice and chose the best one ( Pork Pies and me all time favourite Oxtail Soup) Jet lag is catching up still and I was going to attend a wedding reception BUT tiredness won (I can sleep for England at the moment) Torrow my lovely niece is taking me phone shopping ? ( I dont know much about mobiles) and a Notrianni,s Ice Cream……
The New Life
Spent 24 hrs on a plane,gorra sore bum!! But all is well !now in house at Brother Brian and his wife Tresha,s house,lovely fish chips n mushy peas with an Eccles cake to finish with.Kirstie has given me access to her Internet and will take me shopping on Sunday for a phone ! Short entry coz I,m knackered !!!
In the Beginning
Today is my last full day having spent a few days in Perth after leaving the Fraser Coast.Over the past few years I,d like to think they were good and mainly fun having motorhomed twice around this great continent and also going across via the Nullabor to Perth and back to Hervey Bay.The past few months have been up and down embroiled with a lot of emotion and stress.Me and Ann have decided to travel different paths which I put down to (without going into detail and also maintaining a degree of decency) family interference.I am off to my home town of Blackpool where at my ripe old age I hope to keep myself busy.IF I dont fit in then all well being well (subject to house sale and financial settlement) I shall return to Perth and buy a rig similar to my last one and keep going around this great country until I am unable to do so.I wish Ann every success in her future and that her wish ( that I will not divulge) will come true.Thank you Hervey Bay for putting up with me,thanks to my daughter/husband/kids for lookin after me on my short but very pleasant stay..Stay tuned because I intend to record the new chapter in my new life..Good luck Ann
D Day is looming
After a few good years in Hervey Bay,Annie & I have decided to go separate ways,hopefully will still remain friends.Once the house has been sold I will be heading for my home town of Blackpool BUT will continue to travel to Western Australia (hopefully) twice a year to see my lovely Australian family.I also have a large family in the UK I don,t get to see much but I hope to rectify that.HB is a lovely quiet place to live but I miss my family & life long pals.Annie is going to settle into a new way of life within the next few months and I wish her well .Me? Im gunna travel up and down the UK maybe a bit of Europe whist still a member of the EU.Currently we are both in limbo awaiting the sale of the house .I have a few ideas I will attempt when in UK.One thing for sure is that I won,t stay still , still have some living to do,in the meantime Thanks Hervey Bay met some great people even a few bullies who I,m sure will get their eventual comeupance. My daily pier walk scenery will change dramatically to be able to utilize THREE different piers in Blackpool.Looking forward to seeing family and friends hopefully in lots of different pubs !!! Here’s to a bright future for us all …Blog will continue once the moves have been made…..Oh and as for the Sunshine? I have had enough to last my lifetime…roll on the SNOW,Bonfire Night,Christmas etc
Saturday at my Perth Family’s House and the Last full day Sunday
When all house chores completed (Will and Charlie have their “bits” to do also we headed off to Waldecks,a very well known garden store that has a coffee house set in (obviously) lovely gardens and the kids have have a great play area to waste their energies on.Evening was also full on.We attended a FREE concert in the park and Paul provided a table that Jesus would be proud of ! (It was very large) We sat eating KFC Chicken n chips with salad whilst enjoying the last of my Casket Riesling ! The evening was balmy and cool and the music wan,t too bad .Charlie decided to have a wander fortunately I spotted him just in time (little bugga) I had a late night so I could book my flight in and select a seat of my choice.Time has flown so quickly and I have had a great time (Family can now get back to normal soon( Sunday we ventured off to Carine Fair ..It was a full on morning lots of people there all sorts of food on offer,market stalls,rides for the kids (and big kids)Fire and Ambulances were open for public to inspect (Charlie had a go) Met up with a few family I havent seen for ages,,Great morning …Paul did a BBQ sausage sizzle when we got home and now? its time for me to pack and gt showered,Laptop & Ipad being powered up and I shall be Airport bound in a few short hours…Next Stop Perth Airport..its been a fabulous 8 days with family…be back soon ,even got a surprise parcel from No 2 Helen,cant reveal till sometime next week (hopefully)
Wills Day at Skule
We all attended Wills presentation/assembly session at his skule and it was great..One little girl with a stutter opened the sesssion and the parents and teaching staff have to be applauded this young lady fo giving such a well presented opening on bullying!,LJ a lion (not real) helped with all the presentations that were awarded to students on this their special day (each class throughout the skule do a once a year presentation/production.Wills part was a short speech and of course they have a school song that ALL the class sang on the wonderful first class stage set in a lovely theatre.Charlie was given a day off to witness this lovely well presented show. Jayne & Paul went off to work and Charlie was left with the dubious task of looking after me !! Where this brand new 4yr old puts away the amazing amounts of food he eats I do NOT know. Avery pleasant day ended with my children falling asleep watching a movie & I finished the day off by having some more lovely Cask white wine !!
Charlies 4th Birthday
THURSDAY and its grandson Charlies 4th birthday and he was presented with a child’s educational tablet,however he did whinge because he didn,t get a card !!After dropping Will of at skule,me,Paul and birthday boy Charlie headed to Langdale Farm to see various animals in the sanctuary.staff very chatty and we stayed long enough for a coffee while Charlie had a giant cookie.Just prior to dinner Charlie was wished Happy Birthday and we all feasted on a lovely Rainbow cake after which we headed off to Hillarys and in particular The California Pizza restaurant..I had a very spicy Thai Spaghetti !! We finished the outing off by letting the kids have a dip in the Indian Ocean ( brought back wonderful memories of when I took our kids to this very same spot,where do the years go?) Back at base we settled in to watch the obnoxious Julia someone do Get Me outta Here thing assisted ( in my case) by large glasses of wine that I simply HAVE to consume before my Sunday departure as for some unknown reason Jayne & Paul dont like? Sleep came very easy on this day..Tomorrow is Wills big day
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Still Going around Perth
Tuesday night ended with me being narrowly defeated (11-10) by SIL Paul and me feeling quite good on the outcome.Thursday and the days are shooting by so I ventured out on my own via Bus & Train,firstly in Perth CBD for a look around and the actual centre hasn,t changed that much,still managed to get a fair walk in. Back to the station and a further train ride to Mandurah (when we first arrived here in 82 this place was almost deserted BUT now very built up with new homes) Mandurah is about an hours train ride from CBD,passing places like Wellard (really) Cockburn (mmm) and our first home in Kwinana.Quick look around and I caught the train right back to Joondaloop (approx 1 and 1/2 hrs away) all Public transport in Perth is free at weekends and between hours of 9am to 3pm IF current Seniors card is held and I do have one.Next came the tricky bit (after a late lunch in the HUGE shopping centre) Went to the info office at the adjoining bus station whereupon the staff were excellent in explaining the bus to catch etc.,the driver (from Brazil) was equally brilliant and we chatted mainly about Pele (for those that know) as he eventually let me off at the destination stop.Night time Jayne n Paul went quietly about preparing Charlies birthday for tomorrow & I sat watching Telly sipping in my ice cold white wine.THURSDAY and its grandson Charlies 4th birthday and he was presented with a childs educational tablet,however he did whinge because he didn,t get a card !!After dropping Will of at skule,me,Paul and birthday boy Charlie headed to Langdale Farm to see vari0us animals in the sanctuary.
Monday Public Holiday in Perth (and a little of Tuesday)
After a lovely morning lounge about we headed to a fantastic restaurant (but not cheap) The Leap Frog http://www.theleapfrogs.com.au/ it boasts a beautiful garden and Koi fish filled ponds with lots of running water cascading thru the luscious tropical (man made) forest ensuring we all kept cool.As we entered the property it was very noticeable that a HUGE tree was growing thru the tiled roof!!! Time permitting there is also a well designed mini golf,being a PH the place was buzzing ! I have always maintained Perth is starved of entertainment and I had forgotten how bloody friendly the flies are !! Very pleasant way to spend the day and for dinner Paul cooked Paella and it was washed down (by me at least) by a lovely cardboard casket Riesling.Kids (including Jayne & Paul) have been very well behaved (so far!) We also stopped off at Pauls office and met 2 of his lovely staff (Jamie must have been on a rest day !) Sleep is coming easy.Tuesday out with Jayne & Charlie after dropping Will off at skule.We did the coffee thing and walked around the shops.Tomorrow I venture off on me own into Perth and test my Seniors Card I still hold (I earned it by living in Perth for 30 + years)
Still in Perth
Tis A public holiday weekend in Perth..Paul drove us all to Fremantle via Cottesloe and I have NEVER seen it so busy !! Last time it was in Blackpool in the 50,s !! Twas impossible to park in Cottesloe (our first Australian Beach way back in 1982) and it was just mental there.After finding a space in Fremantle we headed over to Kalis Fish n Chips ( next door to my old work stomping grounds Ciserrello,s) I got chatting with the young lad behind the counter,made my order (which was supposed to let us know it was ready via one of those buzzing machines) instead I called via the loud speaker and I believe because of my interaction we received a HUGE family feast!!!) Food was delicious and Charlie reminded me of mother by sucking a lemon !!!Fremantle has changed so much and bars (pubs) wereeverywhere Asculpture display was on show all over the square area,very interesting but why would people buy them ..Once more I forgot to take film for the camera !! this is getting to be a nasty habit.Couple of wines at home and the end to a perfect day..bed was very welcome…Sorry no pics this time BUT hopefully by the end of this Holiday Blog I will have
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Watch me play Didgeridoo
Geoffs Life After Work ! 