Mt Cainbable

Have just spent the weekend at Mt Cainbable, near O'Reillys in the Lamington Plateau with Luke and Amanda. It is a very beautiful place with the most spectacular view from a barbecue area I've ever seen, especially at sunset. The weather was very dry and unseasonally warm. We walked about 10km on the Box forest walk near O'Reillys guesthouse and were stopped in our tracks by a huge black snack sunning itself and reluctant to move.

time passes by

I can't believe that I haven't posted anything for months. I wasn't sure how long the blog remained active. Our year in the UK seems like a distant memory...such is life. But I do love Australia and it's so good to be home...we are so lucky. In a few weeks time we are going to New Zealand for 10 days so I will more actively resume this blog which kept me sane while I was marooned on the other side of the world. I don't care if no-one reads it...I just enjoy writing it and posting photos. Here's a photo I took of a recent water spout viewed froom our back verandah.

blog still active

It's 24th March 2009 and I've been back in Australia for 6 months now...its hard to believe. I have finally arranged my photos into 5 photobooks, one of which I will give to my father for his 85th birthday. The events of 2008 are fading into a distant memory but the photos do keep it alive. Today I am home from work with a shocking head cold. As I look out the window on a beautiful sunny autumn morning a hot air balloon has just appeared above the house. What a great place this is.... I'll probably spend the day reading and lying in the sun. Being sick is not all bad... I'm going to attach a photo my daughter Sarah took of her new braids in the backyard yesterday jsut to see if I can remember how!

Homeward Bound...

After nearly 10 months my time in the UK has come to an end. It's been an interesting experience. On Monday I fly home to Australia and the the following Monday I resume work. Lorraine will soldier on through the oncoming winter but return home in time for Xmas. I'm not sure what will happen to this blog. Lorraine may keep it going or it may change its form entirely or die altogether. I know of at least a few people who have been following our adventures and I have certainly enjoyed putting it together. It has given me something to do on those long bleak winter's day. So...if any of the swimmers are reading this I may see you on Thursday or Friday of next week!!!!!!!!!

Thelma & Gwen at the Lakes

The two travellers and I have just returned from a few days in the Lakes district, the best part of England in my humble opinion.

Harewood House

Gwen and Thelma brave the wind, rain and freezing temperatures to visit beautiful Harewood House.

It's a small world!!!!

My mother Thelma and aunt Gwen have arrived here after a cruise of the Mediterranian and bus tour of Italy. Whilst being escorted around the backstreets of Florence a young man ran up to Thelma and embraced her. It was none other than my son Luke who left here a few weeks ago for a tour of Europe. Neither knew that their itineraries overlapped! Karma...

Pucker up...

Bolton Abbey - again

Paid another visit to beautiful Bolton Abbey with Tori and Dan on a glorious (rare!) sunny day....

Malham Cove

Phew....today I walked about 12 miles around Malham Cove, which is nowhere near the coast by the way. It is a limestone outcrop in the West Yorkshire Dales, shaped into cliffs and valleys by glaciation. At times during the day I had the place completely to myself.

Mother Shipton's cave - Knaresborough

Mother Shipton's Cave and the petrifying well outside it are supposedly England's oldest tourist attraction, having had paying visitors since 1630! The water is so full of minerals that it petrifies anything left under it eg teddy bears in about 3 months! The two bulges in the wall photo are hats left under it 150 years ago! Mother Shipton was a real person who was born in the cave and spent most of her long life lving nearby. She was a celebrity in her day as she could predict the future. She prophesied not only the great plague and the great fire of London but also "iron boats floating on water" and "thoughts travelling around the world in the blinking of an eye"! Clever girl....

Knaresborough

Knaresborough is apparently one of Englands oldest towns, being mentioned in the Domesday Book of 1086. It is a stunningly beautiful place as the pictures show and only about 30 minutes by train from here. I spent the day there on my own (sigh) yesterday so there are no people in the shots.

More Bolton Abbey

Yesterday was such a beautiful day and the countryside was so picturesque that I got a bit carried away with the camera. Here are some of the results....

Bolton Abbey

Today the sun shone for the second day in a row so we gathered a few friends together and went for a walk on the dales around Bolton Abbey in West Yorkshire. The views and the company were excellent!!

Saltaire Festival

Today the annual Saltaire Festival was held in sunshine and clear skies! a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEb0t6vVKdpaDYnIshc5F4dDK0sgFLkK2AFWG4yVGpHdzoi09DdsTZujircj8jpwKCGFlYJv8QmaRbafy083q95imyT8G_FoL6jPQt5cWAJ3McdI0fgZcNiKB-ycr0MUEOtfYy7Ms941k/s1600-h/P9210007.JPG">