White card/blue card/new white card

So the blue card for contruction is now a white card and the blue card is now the one you require for working with the elderly, children and people with disabilities.

Well done Tony for getting your white card today - a bit of a marathon in the library but yay you did it.

Another milestone for George

0 (as in zero) kms for George.  It was a wet crappy day so we decided it would be a good time to blob, walked a bit during the bnreaks in the weather and had to restrain Tony at about 9pm when a Maui camper pulled up right beside us - like not even one space away, there was a whole carpark to choose from and he parked right next door, the cheek.  Tony even considered pushing George so we didnt spoil our 0km record but I convinced him that if he closed his eyes he could pretend it wasnt there!!!!

Personality tests - eek

So…. Tony had his follow up appointment with urology today and everything looks much improved.  He has some tablets to take for prostrate and we have a follow up visit in 3 months.  So a bit of pressure is on now to find work.

Have done a fair amount of foot work in the last couple of days – filled out applications, dropped off CV’s and completed personality tests and online OSH inductions – goodness this is the most our brains have had to work since we left NZ.  It is interesting to note how technology in this instance has disadvantaged us somewhat – gone are the days when you just rolled up to a supermarket and asked if they had any casual work – more often than not we get the standard reply all our jobs are advertised online go to www….. and fill in an application form.

Not to worry perseverance is the key.

Weird and wonderful

What is holding up what?  Had breakfast in Queens Park and spotted this quite cool tree.  Well I think it is quite cool and as I am the blogger and you are the reader I guess you dont get a lot of say!!!!

Laundry and housework

Well there is no escaping it we do still have laundry to do and George needs the odd spring clean from time to time.  So today was the day to do it.  We had found another Laundromat the day before and met the owner Doug who had not only made me a cup of coffee but also gave us a couple of contacts for work so we thought as it was a fine day with a good drying wind we would go back to him.

So 3 loads of washing later we headed down to Barbaras flat (Tonys neice) and used her clothes line to hang out our washing,

Thanks Barbara your awesome

We also decided to air everything that we possibly could in George so Tony put up a rope and we cleaned out and hung up everything possible in George and gave him a good tidy up which was a good way to pass the time waiting for the washing to dry because as you can see Tony’s artistic skills need some refining.



Another Tony adventure

Tony had seen some windsurfers way in the distance and as the tide was miles out had this crazy desire to walk out to them.  This however was more challenging than we had thought and several thigh deep mud channels later we surrended the idea.  We did still believe though that we could walk along the shoreline and maybe reach them on more stable ground.  Sadly though we found that they had launched off the North Wall of the marina and between us and them was the river mouth.  We got fairly close, the walk was lovely and the free exfoliation of the legs was a bonus.  (even kiwi got exfoliated).

Mud pack extraordinare!!!!

PS - it stinks!!!! (just like Rotorua, hopefully its good for me)

Kiwi gets a wash

Cedar Creek Falls was a spot which we had read about in a brochure and it looked like a pretty spot to visit so we did and it was pretty enough but the track up to the top looked like a much nicer place to view from – and so we did.

View from the top of the Cedar Falls



It appeared as though I could easily place kiwi in a lovely little ledge just under the water fall – what I didn’t realise at the time is there were a couple of kids higher up in a creek who were damming and releasing the water so by the time I got kiwi placed there was considerably more water flowing than I first thought so we both got a tad wet. 

Kiwi and Janine taking a shower

Tony as you can see seemed to stay dry!!!

My honey - the poser, clowning

Kiwis or chickens????

We left Bowen to start heading back to Mackay for Tonys appointment next Friday – took the scenic route back and stopped at Hydeaway Bay and Dingo Beach – they looked as if they might have snorkelling potential.

Tony spotted a small Island which was within easy walking distance and had not much water in between (certainly they have some big tides in Australia) – so off we went, had got about ¾ of the way across and only just waist deep in water when there was a huge splash in front of us – we never did get to that little island!!!! And I have no idea what was in the water but I wasn’t going to hang around to find out.



Snorkeling and walking

We have been thoroughly spoilt by the beautiful Horseshoe and Murray Bays in Bowen.

Sunrise at Horseshoe Bay

We spent quite a few hours in these two beautiful spots snorkelling.  Apparently Bowen is one of only two spots in Queensland where the Great barrier Reef meets the land.  We saw fish of all colours, shapes and sizes and the most amazing coral – blues, greens, browns, whites – big and small, some shaped like the folds of a sharpe dog, some which were identical to chocolate rice bubble biscuits and some like trees.   Also saw a couple of stingray basking on the floor of the sea, which we left in peace!!!  I had an amazing 3 days in the sea, despite being a little careless with the sun (didn’t realise my bum stuck out of the sea so much!!!!!)

Murray Bay

 

Overlooking Murray Bay



Big brave kiwi me

We also enjoyed the ruggedness of the landscape – the rock formations were amazing and we went for a couple of walks over them – up to a WWII Radar station 850m up on a rocky outcrop overlooking the bays – you can see why it was such a good spot.  I have no idea how the rocks got to be there but some look so precariously balanced it appears as though a giant hand has just carefully placed them there.

George (the van) squeals

Hmm not a good sound – we decided it was a fanbelt problem and it certainly appeared to be that as the fan belt was pretty floppy – so off to Repco at opening time 8.30am and four and a half hours, 3 fan belts, a lot of Tonys sweat and some blood, a loan of George (the man) tools and shed later we had a new fan belt on.  Sadly the squeal came back although not as bad, so it has had a bit of a readjustment and hopefully it will settle. (fingers crossed).

Working on George in Georges shed with Georges help

We meet George – the man

We had always said that when we arrived in Bowen we would go around and meet George so it was a little disappointing to knock on his door and find there was no response.  We called around a little later in the day to find the same thing and half pie decided that the place looked pretty closed up so maybe he was away.  Anyway called in once more to find the place pretty much the same but the neighbours were outside so we stopped and checked if George still lived there – they said he did and in fact he was home and we should try the back door, and so we got to meet George.  What a great man.  We ended up by spending 3 nights parked on his lawn and took him down to Santa Barbara parade for a bbq on our last night in Bowen.  He is 86 years old and had some amazing stories to tell, of which we got to hear a fair few as we spent a couple of hours with him each night.  He and his house are beautifully kept, he is fit and agile and a wonderful person.  Sadly he seems to have little family, his only sister living in Victoria and his wife having passed away a few years ago, although once he knew everyone in the community he now knows very few people but seemed to enjoy our company as we did his. 

BBQ with george at Santa Barbara parade

Mothers day from afar

What a wonderful way to end mothers day - sitting on the footpath outside Bowen backpackers using their internet ot chat to my beuatiful family in NZ - love to you all.

Tony gets a haircut

Well he decided that seen as I had a free haircut we could afford to buy some hair clippers from KMart - so off we went and made the purchase - trouble was where to now for the haircut - I mean I know the picnic spots often have power but that felt just a little toooooo public for me.  Problem solved we found a lovely little lookout - aptly named Lamberts lookout (the name of Tonys uncle) and plugged the haircutters into the adapter in George, left his motor running and 30 minutes later we have a very cool looking dude.

Tonys first haircut at Lamberts lookout

George gets stuck

Hmm tried to see what was down this road and yes we did see the puddle but really thought George could handle it - Tony pushed, I drove and we escaped.

Cape Hillsborough

Another pretty beach spot but this time with some interesting walks – through a mangrove forest – I didn’t know the jolly things could grow so big.  Yuibera Plant Walk – a undulating walk down to the remnant of a stone fish trap that the aborigines used to use for catching fish. 

As we started this walk we got talking to a grounp of army cadets who were doing the same walk – a bit unfortunate really as the walk was quick smart on the double – the next walk we did by ourselves at a slightly more leisurely pace.  Finally a walk up the hills and then down to return along the beach as it was low tide.

Seaforth, Haliday Bay and Ball Bay

Back towards the coast for a few days.  Spent some time relaxing at some pretty little beaches, checking out rock pools and fossicking for shells – I have no idea what I am going to do with all the pretty shells George is carrying for me.  While on one of our beach walks we spotted some movement in the distance and it was hundreds of tiny blue crabs on the move – they were quite good fun to play with as they would run away when we approached and dig there hole at the last minute – im sure we killed a few – unintentionally, but it was pretty hard to avoid them. 

Tracked down Ian who was in hospital with Tony and spent a few hours with him and Adale his wife, staying the night on their lawn – thanks guys. 

Finch Hatton Gorge

Left Eungella and headed to Finch Hatton Gorge – another tropical rainforest.  Walked to a couple of swimming holes – the Wall of Fire which we got too by crossing the river had a bit of a dip here although it was pretty chilly and Araluen which was more popular as it was easier to get too.  Saw some iguana on the track and again back at the start of the tract and some gorgeous bright blue Ulysses butterflies – if only they would keep still so I could take a photo.

Eungella National Park

As Tony is feeling not too bad we decided it would be safe to venture away from the hospital so headed for Eungella national park.  Had a bit of a climb uphill – thanks George but arrived at the top to magnificent views of the gorge below us.  Had a bit of a walk and then carried on to Broken river and the viewing platform where we saw platypus.  They were much smaller than I had thought but apparently the bigger ones are in Tasmania and quite hard to photography as they didn’t stay up for long – also say turtles paddling around below us.  Left our wee water friends and did a couple of walks though the tropical rainforest and along the creek – probably the prettiest walk we have done so far - a very cool afternoon.



Turtles at Eungella



Platypus at Eungella

Breaking down

Another visit to Mackay hospital and another dose of morphine and a CT scan and we get discharged again only to have George loose his clutch, so we ambled into McDonalds and let them know what had happened and that we would be spending the night in their carpark – but no this was not to be as Tony needed to go back up the hospital – so we got to use the taxi service in Mackay.  This time they kept him overnight so a rather unpleasant night was spent in a chair before he was admitted the following morning to the surgical ward.  Right so that’s Tony ‘safely’ ensconced in someone else’s care now lets deal to George.  Arranged to get him towed to a garaged not too far away and they checked him out and said he needed a new clutch shoe and they would do him later that day – so…. Another taxi back to the hospital to find out what was going to be happening with Tony and then another when we got a call that afternoon to say George was ready.

So about now I was feeling pretty shattered and it appeared that Tony was going to be in hospital overnight so I needed to sort a place for George and I to stay.  One of the nurses recommended the Red cross emergency accommodation so I went to check it out and booked in for the night.  There are 3 rooms each with their own toilet shower and then a shared kitchen lounge and laundry – within walking distance to the hospital so that was me for the night.  Tony was seen by the urologist the following afternoon with appointments for blood tests, CT and xrays the following week.