INDIAN.

Last night we went for an Indian meal. It wasn't any thing like an english "indian" but nevertheless we got through it! There was of course the usual family row/discussion. Any family get together wouldn't be the same without one.
Yesterday there was a spectacular lightning storm and during the night it rained so heavily that I thought the roof was falling in. It is raining heavily this morning but its still very hot.
S&S have gone out to buy a new barbeque as the old one disintegrated before our eyes.
Not much else to report. more later.
sheila xx

Australia day

Today is Australia day when all good Australians celebrate their country. It's mandatory that you must go to the beach, have a barbie and a beer etc. and generally have a good time. We had great difficulty joining in because we needed to be in the shade and people had been at the beach since 7.30 am and bagged all the best spots. here you will see we are like refugees sheltering under a magnificent gum tree. Anyway we did the beach, and the beer and the worst food we have ever had , in Australia or anywhere else! Lets hope that tonight will be more of a success when we go to another beach for the fireworks. the weather continues to be very hot. Thank god for the pool. My nephew is working in Tasmania for 6 days and it is very quiet without him. S&M go to New Zealand next wednesday so we will be home alone!
Sheila x

It's hot!

It was 43 degrees in the outback when we crossed this line.

back in civilization

Well here are back in Brisbane and as you can see I am relaxing after the rigors of two plane rides and a night in a hotel. I feel as though I have been on an incredible journey, both educationally and emotionally and now that it has come to an end I have to start a new adventure here in Brisbane.People will, I'm sure, get sick of hearing about my adventures, so I apologise in advance!
Grahams cousin Mick and his wife Debbie have given us a holiday we will never forget. They have shown us things that we would never have seen had we gone to Western Australia on our own and we are so grateful that they took the time and trouble to entertain us.
Oh well, back to my book!
sheila xx

the sharks are circling!

Baby sharks at denham

mangoes again

Here I am helping to prepare the glut of mangoes for freezing.
Graham went sea fishing this morning but had to be brought home halfway through as he was sea sick! Tomorrow we are going to Denham for two days to swim with the dolphins at monkey mia.

At this house they showed us the nuggets of gold that they find all the time.The man gave me some semi precious stones to take to Sandra in Brisbane. He reckons they can be made into jewellery.We'll see.

mullet fishing.

See previous photos. Check out the cormourants.We will be eating what we caught for dinner tonight. The sea was incredible. There were Sharks, Turtles and stingrays that were the size of our boat. Graham burnt his legs.
sheila x

mullet fishing

In the outback "pub"

I met this horse on an outback station. It followed me around.

Dry river bed

If you blow this up you will see the Emus and cattle that have come for the last bit of water in this dry river bed. We were swimming a bit further along.

Dead kangaroo

Graham disturbed some massive eagles who were eating the kangaroo.

This is a dry river bed,at least a mile wide, which floods up to the bridge in the "wet"

Did I mention the mangos?

We went to a mango farm and were given an enormous amount of Mangos. Everybody tries to give you them. ( a bit like us with cooking apples) Needless to say graham and I are making ourselves ill with them!

swimming in a billabong

This is the outback waterhole where we swam. The temperature was 32 in the shade.

day 13

It's very hard to get to a computer as we are so busy. I can't tell you all that we have done so a synopsis will have to do.
We went deep into the bush yesterday. What an experience that was. On the only road out. mainly red sand with the occasional bit of tarmac. The temperature was in the 40s. We saw Emu's, kangaroos and hundreds of wild goats. These are a bit dangerous on the road as they tend to run out in front.We visited a pub which was the only one for two hundred miles. That was something I can tell you! Next we went swimming in a water hole, where we were joined by all the aforementioned animals.it was like being on safari. Whist in the water a dust devil (or willy willy) as they are known here almost blew Debbie off the rock she was standing to watch us swim.
I have been in an "abho" (or black fellas as they are known here) betting shop and an black fellas cafe where we ate a wonderful meal of smoked Kangaroo,Emu and wild turkey amongst other things.
We have met loads of really interesting people. More later. I am off to the hairdressers.
Sheila xx

day 10

Flew into Perth to be met by Grahams cousin Mick who we haven't seen for 38 years. I recognised him straight away but Graham walked straight past him. He drove us to these very swish apartments on the harbour in Freemantle. His wife Debbie didn't come with him as planned as she has had an operation and the drive would have killed her. We then went to a nearby bar and met a man who owns all the shrimp boats in this area and had a few drinks with him before a nap and then out to dinner.
The next day we went around Freemantle which is the most georgeous place I have ever seen, and then to dinner with Micks daughter and one of his sons.

So ,up to date now, we set of through the outback, and stayed the night in Geraldton,whilst there we were invited to a barbeque which was a welcome home party for a couple who had just spent a year going around Australia, before braving the drive up to Carnarvan
Today I have seen Kangaroos, Wild Goats and Emus. Thats all for now
Sheila x

day 6

We have been here for 6 days now but it seems as though we have always been here. Yesterday Sonia and I went to the mall where Sandra works and had a philipino pedicure. That was some experience. There was much scrubbing, scraping and massaging which ended in my toe nails being painted pink! Sandra came home from work as she was unwell so we left Graham and Michael to minister to her every need.Sam has been away working but came home last night. He went back at 5am. When he came home he caused immediate uproar by demanding to know who had eaten all the Quality Street? Of course everyone denied it, but, by a process of elimination, we managed to ascertain that Michael may have eaten "one or two"!
We are off to Perth tomorrow so life might be a bit more exciting.
Love Sheila x

next installment

This is day four in Australia and I am just beginning to feel half human. The jet lag,coupled with my recent travails,has left me a bit weak. However it's so lovely here, so peaceful and warm that I don't think I will make it back to England! Only two more days and we get on a plane to Perth, where we will spend a couple of weeks with Grahams cousin Michael (otherwise known as Crocodile Mick).
We haven't been doing too much, shopping, eating and drinking.Champagne is the cheapest thing to drink so it is going down very well! Today Graham found a shop that was offering buy one get one free, so as he has a reputation as a miser to uphold, he naturally bought some!
I won $3 dollars on a scratch card.
We have eaten fish and chips. A very different experience to English fish and chips.
Thats all for now. We are enjoying ourselves immensely.
sheila x

At last!

Well my e.mail server won't let me send e.mails, although we are still recieving them so I will have to write a blog to tell people of my travails (travels). As you will know we have spent xmas at Gina's. This was the usual thing where we alternated between her being fed up with me and me being fed up with her and both of us wishing we were in Florida! However I am lucky to have a
daughter and (putative) son inlaw like them. So thanks for having us.
Now this is where the travails part starts.For those of a nervous disposition, Look away now!
I was perfectly O.K when I boarded the plane for the first leg, Manchester to Dubai, The plane was very crowded but I thought I could put up with it.I ate prawns and salmon and a lovely lamb curry and rice. then I started to throw up. If you have ever tried to vomit discretely on a crowded plane ? Well!!!
I was still feeling absolutely terrible when we boarded the next plane for the Dubai to Singapore leg. I was vomiting so much that the staff decided that they may have to divert the aircraft if they couldn't get me stabilised. To this end graham and I were moved to a first class cabin and Singapore hospital contacted by phone. Soon I was hooked up to drip, a blood pressure monitor, heart monitor and open blue tooth line to the doctor in Singapore.
It was such a shame, first class, (£7.000) and I wasn't able to enjoy it!
At this point they began telling me that unless I began to improve I would not be allowed to travel on the next leg of my journey and would probably be taken to an isolation hospital in Singapore.As you will imagine, I just wanted to die there and then.
However things began to improve, thanks to the medication I was being given and so I was able to sleep on the lovely comfortable bed.
On arrival at Singapore I was told that I had to see a doctor to be given permission to fly. He at first refused as I had a very high temperature, but after much pleading on my part he gave me an injection, some tablets and a letter saying I was fit to fly. It wasn't cheap I can tell you.
But at last we were on the final leg ,Singapore to Brisbane, This time the plane was almost empty so we were able to stretch out across 3 seats and sleep for a lot of the journey. I was still feeling weak and ill but it was so wonderful to see my nephew Sam waiting for us that I didn't care, and it is sooooo Hot!
Everything is lovely and we are having the life of riley etc. More later about australia.
in the meantime if anyone reads this blog they can e.mail me, although I can't reply. (yes John that means you, I hope you are ok)
Also any news of my chickens would be welcome,
Must go to sleep now. It's the middle of the night,
Love Sheila x