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.

Wagga Wagga

Well I write this blog with my daughter Ruby sitting on my lap who has taken to blowing raspberries... so please forgive my typos. So we leave Taree on a new adventure heading down to Wagga Wagga for my new secondment. We head down to Sydney with the car packed to the hilt and Ruby tucked in there somewhere....

Ruby manages a good sleep on the way down, rain bucketing down all the way until we arrive in Sydney. Its good to be there and we manage a catch up with family and the next day friends. The next day we are up early (we have a child, there is no more sleep ins for us), and head off to Goulburn, a nice little town that reminds me of Tauranga (my home town) back 30 years earlier. Anyway we stay at a motel and ask "will our things will be safe?" to which the hotelier replies, all the other rooms are full of police here for training...needless to say the car was not touched. The most noticeable thing about Goulburn was the 'Ram' as seen here..

So we head off toward our exciting new home town Wagga Wagga (meaning the 'Land of many Crows') and I must say have not seen one in Wagga (as the locals call it) since we arrived, much to my pleasure.  Anyway the drive down showed some beautiful green grass that reminded me of NZ. Take a gander ...

The highways look new too. On the way down to Wagga.

We also notice how it is cooler and slightly wetter at this time of year but somehow we are enjoying getting dressed up warm and not to bothered about the cold. Within the first week of being here there is a huge protest march to get a new hospital. Leilani and Ruby are in amongst it....

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So that's it for the first week in Wagga so far, lots to look at and off to work again.

My Girl and Billabong wildlife park!

Okay so I get home and am introduced to a new thing on the net..its awesome so check some of these photos of Ruby out....

All these done with Ruby photos, I just love the new concept!!

So we decided to have a day out and headed off to Billabong wildlife park. So we pack up Ruby and headed off. Ruby seemed somewhat interested in the Koala but not sure what it was.

Of course Leilani led by example and it got easier all the time... hehe

Then it was off to see the Wallabies and Red Kangaroo... I spotted Leilani having time out with some friends.. well she made one new friends anyway....

But one little chap wanted to come and say hi to me as I think he thought I was being left out..

So having said hello to numerous animals we carried on until we happened upon a curious not so little chap who popped up to say...GIDDAY MATE! while his Wallaby friends held a meeting about him behind his back hehehhee

Anyway after having a quick wee chat we headed off to the Reptile house to see what was happening there...but someone was already keeping an eye on ussssssssssssss.....

 

After a quick essssssssssssssscape we headed on through the park where I patted a dingo (and no a dingo did not get my baby!!) hahahaha then some cockatoos and a wombat..jeez what a big unit! and finally to say goodbye to us was a curious little chap..actually all he said was hello!! but anyway there ended the trip to the park!!

Home and back

Well my time had come and it was time to head back to New Zealand for a holiday and Ruby's Christening and my birthday....I had not seen my wife and daughter in 5 weeks, its too long... yes she is growing fast!!

Finally I get home and see my family...For my birthday I get a tattoo, Samoan design by Steve Ma Chang, well known for his expertise in this area. I tell him that I want Ruby and Leilani incorparated into the design and so the work begins...

And finally after 5 1/2hours his work is done and my arm is mine again....

 

Anyway then it was back to Tauranga for family friends and Ruby's Christening...  A well deserved break and great to see all.

Leilani did a fine job of cutting up her wedding dress and sewing Ruby's Christening dress... don't you think? Right: Scott and Andrea (the Godparents) and the Driessen Clan at Ruby's Christening. So back to the house for a sheep on the spit, beer, wine and more food...

As well as all this I get a helicopter ride for my birthday....yes very spoilt! So dad & I set off for a flight around Mount Mauganui and Te Puna, Omokoroa & Whakamarama where mum and dad live..

Left: Mum & Dads place, Below: Omokoroa point.

And Mount Mauganui.

After that I enjoyed time with family and friends and just chilling out...so thats about it for now, but just one

more photo of Ruby before I go...