New Year Celebrations

It is New Years Day, 2012.    The time, 4 p.m. and the temperature outside is 'very hot'.   Expected 40 degrees.   Air conditioner is on.   I am sitting on the bed as I write this.   Lovely and cool.   And the rest of the family?   Watching the fourth Harry Potter DVD.   Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire.  At top volume!    I might as well be in the room with them, as I am experiencing the full sound effects, plus I can hear their comments and discussions on finer points.    However, I cannot see the visual effects.    Harry Potter is too scary for me to watch.

Honestly the four of them have moved from these positions.   They have different clothes on, I think!

 But to go back a day.   New Years Eve.    I collected Jay and Jespa from Billie-Joe's house and headed for the nearest cafe, on the children's recommendation.   Their dad shares his expertise with them on who makes the best coffee, apparently, but I think their judgement is actually based on the hot chocolate plus the child friendly atmosphere.   Their judgement proved to be accurate.   We were all happy.

Then it was off to Willunga park and playground but a little too hot for comfort.  The gum trees looked magnificent in the sun.    The beach sounded more appealing, so it was off for a swim.   The usual drive to the waters edge, in air conditioned comfort.

 We finally made our way to Henley Beach, in order to attend a NY celebration barbeque at West Beach.  Coffee for us, and hot chips for the children.    Henley Square has certainly changed since we lived here.  Very smart and upmarket now, with many good restaurants and cafes.

 And then for a walk down memory lane, that is a walk on Henley Beach jetty.    We spent many an hour walking on the jetty, checking out how many fish were being caught, and enjoying the sea breezes.   And checking to make sure our children were not jumping off the end of the jetty, which they were not allowed to do, but did so behind our backs.  

 The view back towards where we lived, 231 Esplanade.  It is the house beside the tall pine tree, the one with the small trees in front of it.   I planted those little trees, scrubby little things, thirty years ago, and they are still there amazingly.    There was no driving to the waters edge on this beach.    For us, it was a very hot run across the carpark, down the steps and across the hot white sand.   But what a view we had from the front windows of the house.  The sunsets, the people watching (we had tinted windows so people could not see in but we could see them), the beautiful views of the sailing boats on the ocean.     But alas, we sold it.    Much to the disappointment of family and friends.  

 All of us looking relaxed, at the end of Henley Beach Jetty.

The New Years Eve barbeque was really good, only a small crowd of people but we had a live band and lots of delicious meat to eat.    As I was driving I was on sparkling water, but felt better for it today.   No hangover!

By 10 a.m. today we were on the beach again at Aldinga.   The water was calm and clear. There were people  out in their canoes and using their surf boards as paddle boats.   The idea is to stand up on the surf board and use a long paddle to move around.    A flat gondola affair.   Very weird looking.  

 Even at 10 a.m. the beach was full of vehicles, with all manner of shade arrangements.  

As we were only going to be there a short time we did not have shade.    The advantage of living 5 minutes from the beach.

       

The forensic team?  The making of a new film?   Incognito?    No it is more about putting the second layer of insulation into the roof and walls.   Walter and Darren looking the part!   They are determined to finish the side room early in 2012.  

Off for another swim soon.   When the DVD is finished of course.  And then there will be a review discussion of the film for the rest of the evening.   Such is life!

A perfect summers day

We woke up late today, to a glorious summers day, with bright sunshine and a coolish breeze blowing.  Perfect.   Coffee outside, under the shade of the umbrella, and then off to lunch at the Star of Greece Restaurant.   A very expensive fish restaurant, but beautifully presented and delicious food.    Kylie Monogue once had lunch at this restaurant so it must be good!

We met up with Barbara, David and Nicholas at the restaurant, and it was lovely to see them again.    The last time I saw Nicholas he was three years old, and now he is a grown up thirteen year old.     We had lots to catch up on, and the time went by so quickly.    

 Another look at the very unusual sand hills at Port Willunga.    The bottom part consists of sand stone, or maybe lime stone, and the rolling parts consist of soil and rocks.    Very strange, but quite spectacular, especially in the bright sunlight.    The rock shelf, which is a marine national park, is just visible in the water.    All that is left of the jetty are a few old posts.

 Later on in the day we went for our daily swim at Aldinga Beach.  

 Two rows of cars to the right and to the left of us.  

After the swim, it was back into the car, and off home for a shower and a cold drink.    Such is life!

Playgrounds and beaches

Yesterday the day was gloomy.   And two children needed to get out and about and run off a little bit of energy.

First stop was the adventure playground at Port Noarlunga.   And full of children, all needing to be occupied after the excitement of Christmas.

 And there was a lovely modern playground next to the wooden playground.   Jay and Jespa also tried out their new walkie talkies and gave each other complicated instructions to follow.    Lots of fun.

 Walter and Darren having a quiet moment.   Jespa giving Jay some instructions.

 After a lunch of pies, we went on to Moana beach, which was deserted, except for the Surf Life Saving tent.   No swimmers though.

And we found another playground.

 Then back home to watch the third Harry Potter DVD.    Normal positions were taken up on the couches by Walter, Darren, Jay and Jespa.   No photos this time.

And today dawned, with brilliant blue skies.   So we headed off for our cup of coffee at the Star of Greece restaurant/cafe, which also had a brilliant view of Port Willunga.  

And this afternoon Walter and I drove onto the beach, as close to the water as we could manage, jumped out, ran into the water,and pretended to body surf.    Then we jumped back into the car and drove home.   This is called, 'going swimming at the beach, without having to walk far'.

Typical behaviour or not!

The Australian male - Once at the beach, he sits in the ute drinking beer, and watches the local talent walk by.    

The Australian female - On the way to the beach she sits on the narrow bench seat in the back of the ute, with her knees touching her chin.   She then swims with the children in the sea.

Bloody typical!   Not really but it did happen in our family this week!

Boxing Day at Aldinga

We all slept in this morning.  The excitement of Christmas Day had left us all feeling a little tired.   Of course a trip to the small supermarket to buy batteries for Jespa's toys and a Skype session with the family in Holland meant we were soon all back in Christmas Day mode again.   

I must state that  the reason why family members in Holland won at Uno and Rhumicub was because I was not there to win the games.   At least my absence gave them a fair go at winning!     

We had a very post festive lunch of left over ham, pork and turkey, fruit salad, custard and ice cream.   Not all on the same plate, I hasten to add.   We also included some salad, just to add a bit of variety.    

I then read my Big Aussie Icons book, which I received for Christmas.   Apparently there are now about 150 Big Things scattered across the country, so we have barely touched the surface in our quest to find them.  As tacky as they are, and some are definitely in need of love, care and attention, they do a great job of entertaining us as we travel around the countryside.  Apparently there was going to one called The Big Poo but there were so many protests that the idea was dropped.   I wonder why?   We did miss a few on the way down from the Gold Coast, including The Big Joint in Nimbin.  Nimbin is inland from Byron Bay, and a bit of a 'hippie' place.

The rest of the family watched the second Harry Potter DVD.   They do not look as if they have moved since I took the photo last evening.  Six more DVDs to go apparently.

Then at 4 p.m. we drove to Aldinga Beach, and then onto the beach, which is what you do down here.   Walter and Darren did not move from the front seat of the ute, lazy people.    I took Jay and Jespa for a very long swim.   They had their body surf boards and rode the waves extremely well.   I tried to do the same, but either fell off or managed only a few feet of surf.   It was fun though.   The water was warm, and there were no rips or undertows and the sea bed did not have lots of holes.   I was able to stand up easily.   Unlike on the East coast of Australia where I constantly felt unstable.  

 The people in the next group of cars were very well set up, with tents, chairs and picnics.  

 The view towards the hills and Sellick's Beach.

This evening I went for a very long walk, in the attempt to burn off some calories.    These are most unusual sand cliffs, and are made of sand stone and have been weathered by the rain and wind.  

This benign looking water, called Port Willunga, was once the site of a very bad ship wreck during the 1880's.   The Star of Greece ran aground during a severe storm.   There is now a fish restaurant here which uses the same name.

Another day of swimming tomorrow, a trip to a playground, plus the third Harry Potter DVD.

Christmas Day in Aldinga

Christmas Day in Australia, first time for 20 years.   And it was very strange to wake up to bright sunshine.  Luckily there was a small thunderstorm at 7 a.m. which brought a little rain but some well needed coolness.   The temperature today was in the top 20's and a little too hot to eat outside so we postponed Christmas dinner until the reasonable hour of 6 p.m.   The red wine tasted so much better then too, which was just as well, as it was a beautiful wine from the Katnook winery in the Coonawarra.  

We opened all our presents with great excitement.   One small problem was forgetting to purchase batteries for some of Jespa's toys so he will have to wait until tomorrow.   And he is looking forward to using his walkie talkie and car.    

The boys working out how to put together a car.  

 Jay has put her sparkling lights around her bunk bed.  She is very pleased with them.

 Darren bought the full set of Harry Potter DVDs for the children and guess what the family spent time doing, watching the first DVD.    And they continued to watch the DVD after dinner.   I can hear them discussing events in the movie, from my quiet position in the bedroom.

 Christmas Dinner.   First we had the mandatory prawns, which we shelled of course.   No turkey today.   But a delicious roast pork and ham, roast vegetables and peas plus fresh pears cooked in apple cider vinegar, mustard, butter and cloves.   And for the adults, it was washed down with a Katnook wine.

And to finish we had a fresh fruit salad (mangos, peaches, apricots, nectarines, bananas, pears and pineapple) plus custard and ice cream.

Tomorrow I am on a diet!

Christmas Eve in Willunga

Willunga is almost directly inland from Aldinga, about a 10 minute drive from Darren's house.  Our first port of call today, Christmas Eve, was to the Willunga markets.   A very popular market and full of local produce.    We bought peaches,nectarines, plums to make a fresh fruit salad for tomorrow.    We also collected the ham and pork roast from the butchers.    And drank a much needed cup of coffee at the organic cafe.    Willunga is a popular destination for people who wish to improve their quality of life, through eating organic food, and living a more leisurely pace of life.   Looks a bit hippy on the outside but it appears finance is not a problem with a fair proportion of the people.

TheWillunga market.

Then it was off to Billie-Joe's house for an early Christmas dinner with Billie-Joe, Jay and Jespa.    Morag was also there with her daughter, Murphy, and Morag's partner, Sean.

First of all we opened presents.  Murphy, Jay and Jespa received velour clog slippers from Aaron, Kylie and family in Holland.   They all opened their presents together as the parcels seemed to be the same size and shape.   And what a surprise!    No one expected clog slippers.     But they are fantastic!    And the kids love them too.

Walter received the longest Toblerone bar ever.

 Jespa received a new (second hand) bike.  He was chuffed with his present.

 Jay received new roller blades.  And whizzed around at top speed.   Luckily the house and garden is large enough for her to roller blade around.

 And then it was all hands on deck, in order to get the food on the table.   A delicious roast turkey and vegetables and some home grown vegetables.   But not forgetting our starters - fresh prawns.   Very Australian.   Yummy!  

This photo does not show how hot we all were, but luckily Billie-Joe had a large fan to keep us cool.

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 Then it was off to the pool to really cool down.   The most appropriate activity for a very hot day.   And what a perfect setting for a swimming pool.   

After we had a swim, we went back up to the house for the home made Christmas pudding.   The unanimous decision by all - it was the best Christmas pudding we have every eaten.   A star Christmas pudding maker, Billie-Joe.   

 We managed to finish our celebrations in time to attend the 7 o'clock Mass in the Church at Willunga.   Billie-Joe sang in the choir.    It was very crowded and very hot.   A lovely Mass though and the priest was so friendly.   A very special atmosphere.    Mind you I think we were all relieved to be outside after the Mass.   The air was cool by this stage.   There was also a truly magnificent sun set too.   A perfect end to a lovely day.

Aldinga Beach

This morning we paid our speeding fine.    When I say 'our' I mean we do not know which of us was speeding.   It happened at Cann River, half way between Eden and Lakes Entrance in the state of Victoria.   I drove into Cann River, and we drank our morning coffee at one of the four cafes, and Walter drove out of Cann River.   We cannot work out whether we had coffee before 10.30 a.m. or after 10.30 a.m., the time of the offence.  Apparently whoever was driving was doing 106 kph on a road that had a 100 kph speed limit. 

  

I might add that this was one of the safest roads we have travelled on, with a very good road surface and passing lanes were plentiful.    Yet we have seen 110 kph speed limits on some very unsafe roads.  Oh well, we have contributed some money to the Victorian Traffic Police Department.  And also contributed money to Apollo's funds, as they charged us $75 administration fee for notifying us that we had been caught speeding.   We paid the fine and obtained the details of the speeding offence from the police.  Best not to dwell on it all.

It was quite hot today, 32 degrees,  but cool in Darren's house, thank goodness.   I spent the morning tidying Jay and Jespa's toy boxes, in readiness for the next batch of toys.   I did the school teacher bit and rearranged their toys so that they were more accessible.   And I had a little throw out too.   Although I will not tell them that.  And a little tidy up of some of Darren's bits and pieces.   No doubt they will all curse me, as they will not be able to find anything.  Typical interfering mother and grandmother.  But it all looks good.

The picture below was not taken at Aldinga Beach, but at a pub in Adelaide.    Christmas drinks, plus a delicious meal, with Andreena and John.    Andreena went to N.Z. today to spend Christmas in Nelson.   Luckily she flew to Nelson via Auckland and not via Christchurch.    Please spare a thought to all the people in Christchurch, who have now experienced numerous earthquakes today.   A very terrifying experience.   

Today we had a visit from a large lizard, which I cannot identify but it had a blue tongue.   It was trying to sleep in the sunshine.

 We visited our cottage in the EcoVillage at Aldinga Beach.    The Eco Village, consists of a like minded group of people, who have bought up land to develop into sustainable and ecological housing, using natural resources of light, wind and plants.  Our semi detached cottage, like all the cottages in this part of the village, is reverse brick veneer, which is brick on the inside, insulated wooden frame and then colour bond on the outside.    The roof has sixteen solar panels and a hot water panel, with the excess power feeding back into the grid.    There is a huge water tank underneath the house.

When I was here last the cottage area was just a field.   We bought our cottage off a plan, and the whole project took about 18 months to complete, and there were some difficulties.   However, we have been renting it out for two years now and we are very pleased with the outcome.   A very low maintenance investment property.  

This photo was taken from the entrance looking into the cottages.  

 Our cottage is the end one on the left.

 The front view of our cottage, which is the one on the right.

 This evening I put on sensible shoes, and took Walter with me, in order to see the sunset.   I also found the short cut to the sea front, inside of meandering around through the houses.  It took less than 10 minutes to walk to the beach.

The view towards the swimming beach at Aldinga Beach.    The area along the cliffs is a rock shelf and is a marine park.   A little hard on your feet, but a very interesting place for paddling or snorkling.

Some of the smart holiday homes along the sea front.

 The sun set was a little more  muted this evening due to dense clouds above the water line.

 The walk down to the beach, and its rock shelf, which was covered in water due to high tide.    The water was very calm.

Christmas Eve tomorrow and off to the local markets in the morning and lunch at Billie-Joe's afterwards.   Looking forward to it.