Poppy is born...

We arrive at Wagga Wagga Base Hospital and within 2 hours our little girl Poppy Augusteen Driessen is born into this world. Born on 13.12.11 at 2243 hours, weighing 3.5 kg and 50 cm long. both Mama and Baby doing well. Though on this post its already 2 weeks later... Christmas has been and now on boxing day we as a family have enjoyed Christmas together. Opa & Oma are here and very proud of their grandchildren. my Sister (Ruby & Poppy's Aunt), Fran is here at the moment also enjoying the festive season. Presents abundant and food and alcohol being consumed we felt like Kings & Queens.

Our daughter Poppy on day 1....

Then we arrive home from the hospital and Leilani is meeting Opa & Oma Driessen & i as the proud father of both of our children carry our new born in to meet Opa & Oma for the first time.

Mama (Leilani) introducing Ruby to Poppy, Ruby has taken a real shine to her baby sister and kisses gently everyday. She also cries when Poppy cries maybe in empathy but is slowly getting better but watches her sister often.

Opa & Poppy sharing a tender moment, really good to see the bondage going on between generations.... and the close up also shows poppy relaxing back chilling out.

Oma & Poppy spending time bonding.

Ruby also gets time to chill out and is a little overwhelmed with presents...yes thank you everyone for such nice gifts. She is 22 months now and growing so fast, but hey she is so great and a real sponge when it comes to learning she'll be a great big sister and teacher when Poppy gets older.

Opa & ruby get some quality fum time in on the bouncer in the park! not sure who enjoyed it more...

and so does his son (me) gets to spend some quality time with my dad as we go to Tumut for a look & stop at Adelong to have a look.

Also Ruby & Oma coming along & spending time while Leilani gets time with Poppy & to catch up on sleep.

Oma & Ruby by the Tumut River, very surreal & peaceful.

And Ruby & I spending the time hanging out when she gets a little to tired to walk.

Also Ruby & Oma pose for a photo by the river at Tumut.

The family also gets time to go swimming which Ruby loves. She has taken a years worth of swimming classes & is so very confident.

well we look forward to the new year, and what 2012 will offer, until then....be good!

Adelaide to Perth - The Nullabor Part IV

We leave Albany on a rainy and wind blown day and set off to see some of the sights but unfortunately they are (excuse the pun) dampened. We get to one lighthouse on the coast and the rain sets in hard. I'm running down the hill to the car and there is this massive kangaroo (the biggest I have ever seen) just relaxing in the middle of the path. Luckily for it bounds off as I have these nightmares of it beating the crap out of me (as stories of past enter my head).

Above left the coast of South Western Australia near Albany and just a little further away the lighthouse. I've seen better! So after the rain sets in we drive heading to Margaret River through Pemberton. we pass by Manjimup and somewhere near is a tree walk and God is on our side as the rain subsides and the sun breaks out for a time so we walk the tree tops and enjoy all it has to offer.

Caza taking a photo 30-40 metres high in the tree tops...

Me standing in front of one of the many huge trees around the tree top walk...

We head off in search of food and continue on our way to Pemberton then through to Margaret River. We go through Pemberton and somehow get lost and this place is small, so not sure how that happens but never mind, we continue our journey and then something catches my eye. 2 great big Santa's at a gate. What are they doing there? I say as I turn the car around and head back. Well it turns out to be a Christmas shop. awesome! We stop and have a browse and get a couple of Christmas deco's for the tree etc. just awesome and if your passing through I recommend you stop and have a browse.

Margaret River, well what a beautiful little spot (and for the wine lover a good all rounder) friendly people, staff at the local pub (with staff from every nation you can think of almost) but anyway we stop here for R&R for a few days and just enjoy whats on offer, walking, reading, eating, sleeping etc its just nice to put the feet up. Caza and I take in a wine tour (of course being cheap we do it ourselves) but still its fun. Below the Margaret River right near where we were staying at the camping ground and a great walk around.

Above "The Watershed Winery". One of about ten wineries we visited but I recommend this one, just all round good.

And so the High Street at night.

A few restaurants around a good pub and a great tourist destination with a beach near by to cover every one's needs. So on we go and now nearing the end of a great holiday with a great friend we head into Perth, stopping at a backpackers for the night in the centre of Perth. We search out the Perth mint for a gander, check out the city centre shopping, getting a few family presents for Christmas. That night we catch up briefly with a friend from England for dinner and then the next day chill at the movies and the beach just taking it all in. So then it s bye to my friend Caza and she's off back to her home in Brisbane and I am staying with a friend that I used to work with in Taree. Staying a couple of nights and seeing yet more city sights we enjoy and relax.

Street corner to the Perth Mint

Entrance to the Perth Mint

Alex (Crabman)

Perth City

 

Well that's pretty much the trip other than the personal conversations, the laughs, the moments shared between me and those friends and people that you meet and share those times with when you travel.

For now my friends my travel is on hold, however the adventures do continue as we wait for a little longer until my second child (my second little girl) is born. Not long now, only about 6 weeks to go.

Keep this spot vacant cause she's coming!

Adelaide to Perth - The Nullabor part III

So we leave Kalgoorlie and head to Esperance. As I have lived around this area before (Norseman) and know my way around this bit I showed Caza some of the outback on the way down to Esperance following the Old Coach Road.

Road Truck on the way to Esperance, then as we hit the Old Coach Road ther are old rusty cans piled everywhere in one spot.

So we stop and look at some of the old boulders on the way down too, they are huge.

So anyway after checking out that stuff we make it down to Esperance check in at the Hotel, I have a hot bath, ohhhh sooo good! then just chill out and have a look around the coast line and even though its blowing a gail we check out a few spots...

A Rainbow appears when looking out from the lookout over the coast.

Clowning around on the beach, just to much fun hanging out with my mate Caza...

Along the coast.

Caza and I at one of the lookouts along the South Western Australian coastline.

Caza, Australia's next top model... go girl!

Then out to the Loose Goose restaurant, a must do when in Esperance but make sure you book in advance, you won't regret it! my mouth is watering just thinking about it and you can BYO any type of alcohol...awesome huh!

                                                            Its all good I tell ya mate!

 On the way to Albany along the South Western Austrlian coast line. Canola Oil plantations giving off devine yellow fields of colour.

Eating healthy by the river.

 This eagle was huge and far away so did the best I could. Then below is some of the beautiful roads we took to get to Albany. Just enjoying the "serenity".

Below we finally make it to Albany, a beautiful coastal town with a great pub, some cards, food, drinks, laughs and great company!

And so we stop for a night here and enjoy the time we have as we land on the otherside of the holiday slowly nearing to Perth.  

Adelaide to Perth- The Nullabor Part II

So where did we leave from...oh yes just hitting the Nullabor Road House (Motel, pub, diner/restaurant, petrol station, pee stop and flight centre for seeing the bight by air), well we arrived after 9 hours drive from Port Augusta (we were going to stop at Ceduna, but that didn't happen) and checked in for the night. We hit the restaurant and had a feed and a trick played for us by the waiter come manager to amuse us while waiting for our food and then promptly went back to the room to chill in front of the telly and have a beer or three...well I could because it was Caza's turn to drive next...hehehe.


The Nullabor Road House, $2 a litre for petrol

A few beers later and a bit of Caza's singing to the ipod later we were both asleep.
The next day its up and another beautiful day and off to the Bight for a look. This day 148 whales are cruising past. FANTASTIC!


The middle of nowhere and did not see one of these creatures on the road

Open roads

Okay so where were we...oh yeah the open road and heading towards the bight to see the whales...
 So whales aplenty and loving the action, the whales shlopping, going straight up and splashing down.



This is called shlopping

Looking across at part of the bight

Humping the back just before diving with her calf next to her

I took about 2 or 300 hundred photos but thought better of it to put them all up.....

So leaving this incredible piece of wilderness we head off towards cocklebiddy, our next nights stay.

We stop at a point on the Nullabor- obviously nothing about, but this is a point (of many) where the RFDS (Royal Flying Doctor Service) can land if anyone needs help. it starts at "the pedestrian crossing" and this is when we reminisce about the Beatles....

Biggest pedestrian crossing I ever crossed

So we keep on going and end up in the "city" of cocklebiddy.. we grab some grub, a book (90c) and a fair nights sleep stopping every so often to do quirky stuff or just look at something...meanwhile singing loudly to the Cd's playing in the car.

and as you can see the "city" of Cocklebiddy is big (with kangaroos 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 million population. But if you get lost there is help at the info centre....



South Australian to Western Australian border (looking for fruit, honey and meat)

Anyway we carry on towards Fraser Range Station, our next destination and we look forward to this with some excitement as we are doing a tour of the area around the stations surroundings. however come across a bunch of rocks seen some 100 meters from the road and here is 2 formations we have a look at....

Fraser Range station (Our room next to the train seat)

2 kangaroos having dinner amongst the rocks

Sunset on the tour of the station

Okay so we carry on and finish the actual Nullabor and get to Norseman and then after a brief stop to say hi to some old friends and acquaintances we head up to Kalgoorlie.

Our pile of rocks we made on the side of the road to stake our claim on crossing the Nullabor, "oom mya pudmyarm".

Back at Kalgoorlie, ahhh the old times, the mine still looking the same and back to the 2 up to show Caza and take a couple more shots...

2 up

Well that where it ends for this part of the trip, enjoying the scenery, company, laughs and new memories, thanks Caza, so far so good! Until the next chapter.....