Day 23 Moranbah

Boring day today! Had no work so Ness & I caught up with a few things we need to get ready for our training package. Well to be honest Ness did most of the work, I just did what I was told!

 Some of you already know that over the last 12 months we have been putting together a training package for worksites. It is based on my experience & comprises a DVD & some training materials. It is almost finished, the folders were completed the other day & Ness is flying back to Melbourne in a week or so to put them all together & with Sandy & David’s help we will start selling them to sites around the country. So just a plug here, if you know anyone that works in any industry from manufacturing to mining, let them know that we have the package available.  Check it out at www.cnbsafe.com.au/safety-package/  

 It has been a fun process, we have had a film crew at the house, designed a custom folder & put together all the inclusions. An exhausting & expensive process, but it will be worth it in the long run.

 Vanessa did a laundry run today, she did not use the same machine as last time & we had no marks on our clothes. I wonder if you can build a washing machine into a caravan. Something to consider for our next van?

 Hey.... don’t tell anyone but we think we are living next door to the local drug dealer! Since we have been here we have noticed that at least 10 – 20 times a day, cars will pull up outside his caravan, one person usually stays in the car & a passenger goes in & comes out a few minutes later and gets back in the car! Then they drive off..... what do you reckon?

 Ok here is a question for you fishermen & women..... who can tell me what Basa is? It is a fish, but what type & where does it come from? We have had it for dinner twice now & we love it. But I just want to know more about it. Picture of tonight’s dinner in the photos file.

 Vanessa bought me a present, I love salad with Balsamic vinegar! She found in the local supermarket a small Balsamic vinegar but guess what? It is in a spray pack..... awesome, I can spray my salad to my hearts content.... See why I love her! Picture of the vinegar spray on the web too.

 Do you remember the other week when I mentioned we were in Roma in Qld, we had a hot chocolate there. Well we are just watching the news and Roma has been declared a disaster area! Most of the town is flooded. The other place that is in trouble is Charleville, we are meant to be there on Friday!!! Looks like we will have to find another way. Ness’s auntie’s house was meant to start construction this week.... you might have to turn it into  houseboat Jo!

 A big thanks to Sandy & David, they have been looking after our place, watering plants & keeping the cobwebs at bay, they also have been keeping an eye on the new house we are building at Kinglake (my mums old house) the building has started and it is good that the builder sees someone checking up on it. Thanks to my mate Fat Barry too, he has called past a few times to check on it..... hope you are looking after my bobcat mate!

 A big thanks to the Reserve Bank for raising interest rates..... NOT!!!!

 Goodbye – tonight’s thought ...

 “When you become senile, you won’t know it”    Bill Cosby

 James

Day 22 Moranbah

Today was the best day!..... We got mail from home!!! Sandy & David packed up the last few weeks of mail and forwarded it on to where we are, we picked it up today & were like kids ripping envelopes open and eagerly reading the contents, even the bills were fun!

 A couple of you have asked some questions on the blog page, Chris my nephew asked if I have my fishing gear with me, Sure do Chris, I’m hoping you will take me to your favourite fishing spot to catch a few carp! As for visiting your school..... not sure if we can arrange it at short notice Chris, how about we do it on the way back from WA in May? Gives us both time to arrange it with the school. Josh (Nephew) asked how we are coping with the humidity, well Josh..... WE ARE NOT! I am constantly wet & sticky, feels like I am breathing through a straw, and as for the mozzies! I think my blood is like chocolate to them..... because they can’t seem to leave me alone. Everyone else gets the occasional bite, I get hundreds.... Maybe I smell nice to them?

 Russell (Brother in law) asked about fuel prices, well they do vary.... cheaper on the coast, dearer the further we go inland, but still not too bad. The highest we have had is $1.39 a litre.(diesel) As for mileage we are getting about 5 – 6 Km/L Pretty good for a van that weighs over 3 tonne!

 My sister Georgia wants to know how long we will be in Menindee, Well Georgy we have to be in Port Augusta later next week, so will probably arrive Monday night & then take off on Tuesday.... Just a quick trip this time I’m afraid..... means you don’t have to clean up! She also asked if I think some of the other parts of the country are as pretty as Tasmania? I would have to say yes & no, they are pretty but a different type of pretty. Can’t wait to get across to the Pilbara though.... now that is nice country.

 Brad (brother in law)asked about some of the rivers, lakes & dams.... Their fish content & what bait to use.... Ok Brad I will get Ness to compile a spreadsheet for delivery to you at the end of the trip. It will have locations, temperatures, fish, bait and even a recommended beer for the particular location. In your dreams Brad!! J

And to Pete, we will be in SA the 10^th to the 12^th around Pt Augusta before we have to head up towards Coober Pedy, so let us know where you will be & we can meet up somewhere?

Great to hear about the trailer & the Paj.... I was a bit concerned that the Pajero might struggle with the trailer fully loaded, look forward to hearing what you have done to it when we catch up. Have a wonderful time with the new camper trailer this weekend, Jack will have a ball!!

 Hey we watched another “old time” movie the other night “Flashdance” with Jennifer Beale, wow what a cool movie, the van was rocking with Ness & I singing along to some old favourites. What a feeling!!  Ahhhh.....

 Some of you have asked “Who is Mick Thomas?” have a look at www.mickthomas.com should give you more information. Most of you will have heard of Weddings Parties Anything, he is the lead singer.

 This morning we had to drive out to the next site we are working at, just to see where we have to go on Wednesday & Thursday. So stopped at the bakery to get hot chocolates, they don’t do Soy hot chocolates in Moranbah, hey Nikki I think I almost saw the Fran Drescher come out in Ness. Lucky she bought a muffin instead!

 I have to go early tonight, my 4WD magazine was in the mail that David & Sandy sent up, and guess what..... it came with a bonus DVD, Guess what Ness & I will be doing tonight!

 Näkemiin & keep your powder dry!

James

Day 21 Moranbah...Rest day

We drove back from Biloela yesterday, 5 hours in the car! Many of you are married & in relationships.... do you sometimes tolerate things for the sake of your relationships? When I first met Ness we talked about things that we like & compared our musical tastes. I have to say that we are fairly compatible musically, we like a lot of the same singers and groups. But there is one that Vanessa likes that I don’t. Mick Thomas & The Sure Thing. Now I don’t know why but for some reason his music just does not work for me.

 Anyway Ness went shopping just before we left Biloela, she went into the music store as she was looking for a gift for someone, which she found.... But she also bought herself something. The latest Mick Thomas CD..... She was so excited. So on the trip home she asked if we could listen to the CD...... of course I said yes. But you know the worst part? It was a DOUBLE CD!!!! Two hours of listening to Mick Thomas on the way home! I guess that is what being in a relationship is all about? Now Mr Wood...you are not telling the compete truth here, you commented several times in the car that you thought the music was really good and were bopping and singing away!!  Anyway your taste in music does leave a lot to be desired so maybe it is a good thing that you don’t warm to it too much!

 I don’t know how many of you check out the rest of the web site that this blog is on, but you might be interested in looking at our map. Vanessa has updated it with where we have been & also some of where we are going..... have a look.

 Did any of you watch the footy last night? The Shield match (ARL) was between St George & South Sydney. Now I used to love rugby league but living I Melbourne for the last 20 years I have been a bit starved. My team is Melbourne storm & whoever is playing St George, so I was happy to see that the dragons did not win. My brother in law Brad goes for St George, I have watched him suffer through years of disappointment, looks like he will be disappointed again this year hey Brad?

 Did any of you see the Tsunami? We were listening to the ABC and an emergency alert was issued for people living near the coast. We heard later that some beaches were packed with people waiting to see it come in! What the!!!!

 Did nuthin today! Slept in, had porridge with banana & honey, listened to Macca on the ABC, rode my bike, had a shower, then watched the V8’s, Ness cooked meatballs..... Oh my god it was superb! Then washed up & am now writing my blog...... perfect Sunday.

 This week Ness & I are working Monday, Wednesday & Thursday..... and then on Friday we hook the van up and head off to South Australia. As much as we have loved the time here it will be good to be on the road again. On the way to SA we will call in at my sisters place in Menindee. But the other challenge we have is that because there has been so much rain up here a lot of roads are closed.

 Travelling also gives me more stories to share with you guys.

 Hwyl fawr .... stay calm & breath deeply you Welsh folk!!

James

Day 20 Back to Moranbah

Hello family & friends, tonight’s blog is dedicated to the Australian way of life. Since Vanessa & I decided that we were going to do this trip, we have heard stories & even met people that are “Living the dream” and like us are having a ball doing it.

 The first couple of stories are personal, as they are related to me. My sister Georgia is a teacher at a little place called Menindee in NSW (near Broken Hill).... But she has not always been a teacher, She decided to have four kids & a husband first and then go back to uni to become a teacher! She now teaches at a school that has a large percentage of aboriginal students and is well equipped to teach there as she has already brought up her 4 boys. But that is what I was talking about at the start, she had a dream & has always wanted to teach. Now she is. Well done Georgy, we are all proud of you.

 Next is my other sister Heather, now for those of you who were at the wedding I told you that Heather & I used to fight when we were kids. She started work in an abattoir and worked her way up to being a meat inspector, she then had a baby boy very young & struggled for many years to find her way. Eventually she met her soul mate, had a little girl & they built a successful business together which they sold a few years ago & they semi retired! (Lucky buggers) they have just bought a new house on 2 acres  and are busy planning the next stage in their lives, can’t wait to see what they do next. Proud of you too Heather.

 We have met couples in caravan parks, young & old, travelling & working. We have also met people that live in caravan parks because they choose to! We know people that have moved overseas to work, moved home to live with parents while they pay off houses quicker, and many more examples of aussie spirit. The reason I mention this tonight is that I spoke to both my sisters on the phone tonight, and I also had the chance to reflect on some of the people that Vanessa & I have met on our travels.

 I also thought about some of the people that we know that are hesitant to try anything new or to take a risk. Now I know we are all different, but it is great to see so many of us doing what we really want to do.

 Ness and I are not sure how long this part of our dream will take us, but we have many other dreams & plans to keep us going for many years.

 I guess one of the things that changed when I had my accident was my attitude to life, I often say to my sisters & friends, Life is short.... make the most of it. We are only here for a short time, it is up to us what we do with the time we are here.

 Ok that was a bit heavy....time for some lightening up. Saw 4 snakes on our travels down & back to Biloela. Hey here is a question for my sister Georgia, what does Biloela mean? I know.... Do you?

 Flick sent us a message saying that Brad (my son) was in the local paper expressing his opinion..... Well Flick, that is Brad.... He always has an opinion. And thanks for keeping the article for us.

 Ness cooked fish tonight, but she coated it in Dukkah (Pistachio Dukkah.... if that helps) also a bit of lime & some chilli. Oh my god, it was a taste sensation. I am not going to be able to eat at restaurants anymore if she keeps this up!

 Tomorrow we have a day off, we have decided just to sleep in, have porridge for brekky & watch the V8’s in the afternoon. Sounds like a perfect day huh?

 On the way to Biloela we passed many mine sites, some that have been there for years, others that are just new operations. I know we keep harping about this but unless you actually see it for yourself you have no idea how big this “Boom” is, there are mines & mine camps opening up everywhere..... my advice....Invest in mining companies & anything that supports the mining industry.

 Dan lost basketball this week, but they should still make the finals.... stay tuned & I’ll let you know how he is going.

 Speak to you tomorrow, some of you have been quiet.... Rob, you ok? Brad Atkins you back from Tenterfield? Georgia where are the questions from the boys? Sandy Wilson.... you on the river in a tube somewhere? What about Trikki Nikki and Lou Lou in Dubai? Merry Berry how was camping? And how about some people that have never written to us....I know you are reading, tell us your news.  

अलविदा...... and may peace be with you!

James

Day 19 Moranbah & Biloela

Good morning bloggies, well we are finished for the week..... sounds strange as I look at my watch & it is not yet 10am on Friday morning! Today we did the morning session & then went for another wander around the workshop. Ness gets quite excited about all the big machinery..... or maybe it is the fact that 30 or 40 guys are all watching her wander through the workshop?

 Its our anniversary today, one month ago we were standing in the chapel at Ferguson Winery in Dixons creek getting married. Wow what a month it has been!

 Today we are heading to Biloela where a friend of mine lives, it will be a bit of a drive but nice to catch up with him. Also a good opportunity to show Ness more places that I have talked about lots but she has only had mental images of.

 Hey Meredith, hope your camping trip goes well.... although who goes camping with a lamb Curry!

 To my beautiful sister Heather, who was the only person to pick up on the fact that when I sent a rundown of our day on day 17, it appears that I do very little! Well my job as a new husband is to provide a comfortable & calm environment for my wife to work in, therefore the best thing for me to do is to stay away so she can concentrate, let’s see.... I spent a couple of hours forcing myself to sleep so she could work peacefully & then I went up the street for an icecream so she could have even more time by herself getting things done..... So I feel that I am doing my job as a husband!

 Oh and by the way.... thanks for bringing it to everyone else’s attention! I thought I got away with that one!...... I love you too Heather.

 A big thanks to Dave & Lyndal who sent us a text telling us that Macca from the ABC’s Australia all over lives near them..... Say Hi to him from us, I’m sure he will remember Vanessa calling him recently.

 There are a lot of Brahma cattle up here, have you ever seen one up close? Man they are ugly cows! They have saggy bits & flaps of skin hanging down. But the other thing is the look so sad, they have this pitiful look on their faces.... makes me sad just looking at them.

 The roads up here are still bad, wonder if Anna Bligh will listen to me?

 Hey don’t tell Ness I told you this but she locked the keys in the Donga today. She was packing the car for our trip & somehow managed to lock the keys inside...... funny thing was that they could not find the spare key!

 Our friend Pauline (the woman that should be a bloke) managed to break in to our unit & we retrieved the keys. Ness & I sat around and had a chat to Pauline after the “break in”.... she is lovely, the beauty of doing what we are doing is that we get to meet with beautiful people like Pauline & Mellissa.

Ok better go, we have a 5 hour drive & need to pack up..... if I think of anything on the way ill write more later.

 James..... Oo roo...