HEADING HOME!

The Bluff - in the sunshine - just mildly excited!

Well, yes there was a promise of more Kalbarri photos, so here we go - photos of our wonderful Kalbarri and a few of GreenHead where you currently find us.

We thoroughly enjoyed our stay in sunny Kalbarri.  The temperatures were perfect and although the wind was a little forceful at times the climate really couldn’t be faulted.  As is always the case in Kalbarri we made several lovely new friends.  I have to say all the kudos here goes to DD, he is such an affable and helpful bloke.  Yours truly was heavily involved in a painting project and you could probably truthfully say I obsessed over getting the project finished.  I did finally complete the project yesterday and now am all ready to head home on Tuesday.

How to Harness That Power?

The Wild WA Coastline

Yes, I did say Tuesday!  Mind you home is a bit of a misnomer as we are heading once again to the Vines CP in Caversham.  Our home is not available at the moment and so we have to remain Geriatric Gypsies for a little while longer at least. 

Before I launch into the whys and wherefores of heading ‘home’ however, it would be remiss of me not to tell you a little about GreenHead.  GreenHead is a tiny fishing hamlet around 300ks north of Perth and 200 odd ks south of Geraldton.  It is truly a fishing community here and I doubt there are any residents who are not true ‘fishies’.  We are here to visit our long time friends Steve & Sylvia and to pick up a few delectable crayfish (more correctly Rock Lobsters) for Christmas.

Wave Sculptures

Wild, Wet & Dry!

I have to tell you all the good work DD and I did during our stay in Kalbarri (diet-wise) has been very quickly undone.  We dine (and I do mean dine) with Steve and Sylvia every evening and Sylvia, who is an excellent cook, feeds us toooooooooooooo well.  Oh well, as our friends are non-drinkers we have also abstained from the fruit of the vine etc.  This is not a major departure for me these days, but it is the first time in a long while that DD has not imbibed at Sundowners.  He has not missed his tipples and is feeling heaps better for his abstinence.  Mind you, the poor old bloke is doing it a bit tough.  Our mate Steve calls for him each morning at 4.30 am so that they can go and check the ‘pots’.  Our lad is back after a couple of hours and then after a light shake for brekkie heads back to Steve’s so that they can go hunting bait fish.  Our lad has not seen so much physical action for many a long day and it a little battered for his efforts.  His blood pressure has come right down however, so I guess this rather harsh, yet healthy life-style is good for him.

I on the other hand have been spending my time sitting with a paintbrush in hand and so have not shared in this healthy exercise regime.  I heard about a man in Perth (Dr) who is doing very good work with Stem-cell treatment, using the patient’s own blood.  It seems, so the story goes, that half the residents of Kalbarri have been to have treatment with this fellow and all the joints, shoulders, knees, hips etc have a new lease on life as a result of his treatments.  I was told that the golf club hasn’t seen so many active players for years!!  I can’t wait to get back to Perth to arrange an appointment.  If I can fix my knee without surgery I will certainly be a happy woman.  Then perhaps I can start to move a little and get rid of some of this incredibly excess weight I am carrying.  Joy!!

Majestic

Anyway, back to GreenHead.  This place is a Mecca for fishermen and as the crayfish season started early this year those stalwart folk prepared to do the hard yakka have been reaping the benefits of the longer season.  DD has a license and so we have been able to grab a couple to grace the Christmas table.  We are eternally grateful to Steve and Sylvia for making this possible – especially at the price of Crays in the shops at Christmas time.

Greenhead has some very pretty coastline (The Limestone Coast) and whilst I haven’t been out with a camera this time around I can show you a couple of shots taken previously.  The weather here has been reasonably good, but incredibly windy.  The lads have managed to ‘get out’ most mornings before the southerlies picked up, but boy, living here would be a tad testing I think, with the strong coastal winds, the howling easterlies in the mornings and the smell of weed in the winter.  The surrounding country-side is typical coastal scrub and fairly dry.  Tall trees are rare and huge drifts of white snow-like sand are slowly gobbling up large tracts of bush. 

Dolphins Hunting Off The Bluff

Don't Like This Bloke's Chances of a Catch with Those Characters Nosing Around

Still Hunting in the Waves & Wash

There is currently a ban on A Class Fishing, so the boys are not able to go and get any Dhufish for the table – that season re-opens mid December, by which time we will be firmly ensconced back in the metropolitan area.  There are of course other fish they could catch, but ‘Dhuies’ are the fave and everything else seems to be ignored due to lack of any real interest.

It is an interesting life-style here.  Many of the near new and rather up-market homes are empty most of the year, only seeing their owners during the holiday season.  The rest of the community is made up mainly of retirees living pretty much off the ocean.  Jurien Bay some 30ks south of here provides reasonable grocery shopping to supplement the rather fishy diet.  I do think I could get used to that way of living. 

So, all that aside, we are going back to Perth on Tuesday.  I am looking forward to seeing my boys and their various off-spring, not having seen them for pretty much a full year (we left on the 22^nd December 2012!).  We are not particularly looking forward to the Caversham CP as it really doesn’t offer us a great deal.  It is an Aspen CP and very well run, but..... they do have issues with power and one cannot boil a kettle whilst the air-con is going and all of that sort of minor annoyance and whilst I do love the Swan Valley, the park is over-managed for my liking and very constrained.  I have become too used to the ‘further-out’ parks where customers are pretty much left to their own devices.  The city parks seem to attract customers who are overly ‘picky’ and who generate the sort of over-managing I so dislike.  Oh well!  Having said all that, the amenities are excellent and the pool is good.  Most of our family live close to the park, so that in itself is a plus.

The Bluff Basking in The Sun

Blue Holes On A Lazy Day

I am approaching Perth with very mixed emotions.  Sadly the tentacles of some disharmony have stretched out and tickled us from afar and that in itself has somewhat adversely affected my anticipation of seeing everyone.  I dare say, like all families we will have our bubbles and move on, but it is sad that we have to have the bubbles in the first place.  I am a person who strives for harmony at all costs and am sad when that endeavour somehow backfires despite good intentions.  Ah well, enough said I guess. 

We have a plethora of ‘catch up’ appointments to deal with.  You know the kind, Drs, Dentists, Opticians and of course, most importantly, hair-dressers (no not for DD!).  We are keen to catch up with friends too and I can see that the remaining days leading up to Christmas will be all too quickly eaten up.

As was pointed out to us once by a tour operator " If you look carefully, you will see a seagull, shag 'n a tern."

Even more amazing "A pelican shag 'n a gull"

Christmas Day will be somewhat of a juggling act for us as we have several bases to cover between us.  DD’s daughter Bree will be in Perth for Christmas and my eldest grand-daughter Courtney has also arrived home in time for Christmas.  Both these young women have been living the high-life in London.  Between us we have a bit of ground to cover and it may well be that we will have to cover it separately.  Not a happy thought, but sometimes these things happen.  Trent will be hosting a big day at his home as both Bree and their mum Carol will be in town.  My son Troy is also hosting a big family day – so the skates will be coming out in the morning as we attempt to cover the bases adequately without upsetting any barrels so to speak.

Due to not being able to get into the house for a little while yet (at least) we will head south once the kids have vacated the good Caravan Parks.  Pete, we might even see you down at the Duke if you still have a van at that stage!!

So, my very good friends, we come to the end of this particular expedition.  We have had a wonderful experience and look forward to our next adventure.  I will continue to post blogs but I doubt you will find them as enjoyable as those I have put up over the last year.  One never knows however, so watch this spot!!

In case I don’t get to post another blog this side of Christmas, have a safe and happy festive season.  Be kind to each other, particularly family and those less fortunate.  Let’s remember the true Christmas Spirit and do for others and not to others.  May God Bless you and yours.  Stephanie

From Our Campsite

Murchison Lazing

OK!!!! I have been trying to decide which photos to show you and have realised belatedly that there are too many good ones and I forgot to tell you things like the visit to The Pink Lake, Horrocks and the old convict ruins. I have pretty much run out of room to show you photos of GreenHead too, so...................I will post another blog as soon as I have the time and give you the last of the Kalbarri photos along with some nice GreenHead shots. S

Preview of The Pink Lake!