Merry Christmas

Just want to wish everyone a very Merry Christmas and a happy new year... I am We are looking forward to next year and the exciting adventures that it brings. We (Leilani Ruby and I) are going to do the great ocean road and catch up with friends and family in Melbourne, plus hopefully myself and some friends plan to fly to Perth and hire a camper and drive to Brisbane via the Nullabor up past Port Augusta and through Broken Hill and up to Brisbane crossing through four states of this big continent. Also hopefully while I am busy doing that Leilani is planning on going back to NZ for a holiday with Ruby of course. So all going well it should be great. Maybe during winter we might escape for a few days together somewhere up north but we shall see.

So have a Hongi (greeting or kiss in Maori) look up at the good things....

 
 
 
 
Make sure you get into the Christmas spirit (remembering what it is actually about), put on ya hat, but also putting your feet up and chillin in the heat (of the sunshine if you live down under or the heat of the heaters/fire place and hot dinners)......






But don't get caught with cream on ya face by doing something stupid this Christmas, Just enjoy with your family and friends.....and............................

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
HAVE A MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!!!
Cheers and egg nogs from the Driessens
 
 

Off to Griffith for a look...

Setting off to Darlington Point/Griffith......

Well I go on holiday for a week so Leilani Ruby and I head off to Darlington Point near Griffith to catch up with some family friends. We go on the Monday for two nights and arrives in the early evening. Dinner is ready and its great to be looking around and meeting up with Peter and Morella. On the way we cross a fruit zone and Leilani has brought fruit with her so she has to dump it...fruit flies are a big problem around here and since I don't like fruit then thats fine by me hehe.

On the Road heading towards Narrandera which is just over half way to Darlington point its harvest time, Bali, wheat malt and hay bails are being harvested.

We stop in Narrandera to feed Ruby, we love this cafe as its got great food and the best chocolate thick shake I have ever had. we feed Ruby and then we are off....

But not before stopping in at the info centre to check out what once was the worlds biggest guitar...its not now but its still pretty BIG! so after rocking out a couple of tunes we carry on..

There are plenty of sights to see on these huge long flat roads like blue skies and stuff burning..

 Well its harvesting season and Peter works for Morella's brothers who have 25000 hectares of land that they grow bali, wheat and citrus on. so we go for a look at the harvesting and i am fortunate enough to have a go in one of the harvesters, it drives slow as the bali has fallen over and the guy (Colin) who is driving tells me that they pick up snakes and the odd fox in these huge machines and apparently its not a pretty sight! To the left is a huge line of sprinklers for when the crops are first sewn.

Then we are looking in the mirrors whilst we are harvesting the crops.
 Harvesters work side by side, fortunately they are equipped with GPS and computer systems to stop from hitting each other and get exact straight lines.

 An old dilapidated windmill sits abandoned in a field.

While on the farm we manage a little rabbit shooting of which i get eight (not including the babies in the whom which is another twelve to add to the tally), which some get eaten and some go to the croc farm down the road.

 I took this shot of the splattered locusts on someones car and its not even many but the swarms are coming so I hope their harvests will be OK for the farmers and not get eaten but we did see quite a few.

Well that's it for now. we look forward to heading back again for another holiday and shoot etc. Thanks for your hospitality Peter and Morella much appreciated.

Albury and around Wagga

Well i know its been to long, and I'm sorry. Work and Baby keep me busy but also i am just being a bit lazy. Any way we went to Albury with Andrea when she visited and once before that on a day off from work. Interesting town and just on the border to the state of Victoria.

Below is Albury train station , Beautiful looking buildings.

On the way down we passed many  canola fields and the brilliant yellow like butter spread over a massive slice of earth.

Now harvested its also wheat harvesting time and plenty of that around these areas. Wagga produces allot of wine and olives (oil) plus lots of other things and known as the fruit bowl of NSW. Anyway at the end of the main street is a big ornament at the top of the hill overlooking the town of Albury.

There is also old churches and buildings to see everywhere that is part of Australia's beauty.

So back to Wagga for the Jazz festival and trumpets and trombones everywhere.... however did not manage to enjoy much as busy working most days.. here's a little taste though.

Once a month in Wagga there is a big farmers market that sells all sorts of local produce from olive oil to pies to Junee licorice (as seen in earlier part of blog) to wine. And as you can see some people really like the taste testing from the Grog shed.... hmm!

Just recently there has been allot of rain, and i mean allot. I went walking with Ruby one day and this is the Old Wagga bridge over the Murrumbidgee river on a normal day.

So that's the way it usually looks. Now the heavy down pours and flooding photos of which my garden also got flooded...not having much luck with it but never mind.

This is the same bridge (If you want to read the water level on the left hand side of the bridge just double click on the photo).

 Below is Wagga caravan park entrance with no entry as a little water logged. Next shot is is the building used for the Wagga highland pipe band which ended up flooded inside and out causing damage to the equipment and kilts.

"Wagga beach" was covered and so was the car park. Anyway until next time.....

Canberra

Well time moves on and my Mum and Dad come to stay and visit their Granddaughter, Ruby. At this time we are in a Little unit that is definitely not big enough for 4 adults and a baby but somehow we manage... Above is Mum holding Rub y outside Junee licorice chocolate factory and below is dad Leilani and Ruby walking by the Murrumbigee River 

 As we all set off on the road trip to Canberra to see the Capital of Australia and Parliament....

 Below is Parliament house, an impressive sight and pretty good place for a view of Canberra. Such a picturesque place Canberra and lots of scenery and places to go, including the Manuka Valley...however some have trouble pronouncing it correctly.

Where are all the flags, or are we not good enough??? Below: the entrance to Parliament house...........

 
Looking straight up at the Aussie flag at the top of Parliament house... and Leilani and Ruby enjoying the view from Parliament house.

On the way we stopped for coffee and something to eat and saw the local art made from metal and cleverly done!

 

 The beautiful canola fields look amazing as the fields become alive with yellow like butter to bread! Great trip and good to see Ma and Pa again and to get to see another piece of the world that we had not seen yet... We are so privileged to see these places and to enjoy Australia's sometimes rough Beauty.

 then there is our adventurous little girl who loves to play!! ploooooooooggggggghhhhh as she spits everywhere!

Junee

Well we get a day off and decide to venture out of Wagga to see the surrounding country side and a town not to far away called Junee. Its a quaint little town and has a licorice factory and the 'Famous'  Junee railway station.

This shot was taken on the way to Junee. Old Brick shed on a field of green. And below the Wind blown tree in a field of green.

I love the look of the wind swept tree in the middle of a huge green grassy paddock.

I also love the beginning of spring as we head in to September, this time last year we had not long left the outback of Norseman heading to Taree and now we are enjoying the green and spring of Wagga, just great to see. A year flies by pretty fast and then suddenly you have a child and a whole load of responsibilities that go with it. I would not change a thing mind you..... anyway enough of the rambling.

We move on to Junee and this is the Licorice factory as you see here (above), the brick and iron building that was once a flour mill, that got partially burned down. It now produces amazingly yummy licorice and sells kitchen wares and for some reason baby stuff!! go figure, but its a big hit around this area, and a reason to have a day out. Also employing some of the people of Junee.  In the shop I found my daughter as you can see she is to big for her boots...

This is one of the workers cleaning out the licorice from the vat..................

Just down the road is an old building that i think used to be a dry cleaners but the building looks so old I would be surprised if you could keep the moths out. Anyway just a few picks to keep you all up to date with our happenings. catch ya soon.