All in a day's work...........

So, the gas course over, and passed, Daz is killing time until his plumbing course by lending a helping hand to his friend Craig. He's shadowing him to find out just what working in Oz involves, and just what it is really like.

And so far, it appears to involve lots of sunshine, shorts and shades!

Here, apparently he is doing something with something 'solar'. I am assuming that is solar water heating or something, but he didn't elaborate, so your guess is as good as mine.

Looks hard work though doesn't it?

Cheryl xx

On choosing west instead of east, and being a swot

I knew there was a reason we chose to move west and not east as originally planned. The last few days have seen the east coast battered by severe storms causing widespread damage and flooding. Two people have unfortunately lost their lives, and as each storm front moves on, the brief peace is then shattered as a new storm front moves in. Apparently 3000 lightening flashes were recorded during one storm.

Today saw the already battered areas deluged with hail the size of cricket balls.

In the west, it's raining a bit.

For more info on the storms here's a couple of news links:

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/article5194851.ece
http://www.news.com.au/perthnow/story/0,21598,24684721-948,00.html

On a lighter note, Daz has done his gas exams today, and has passed with a score of 92%.

Swot.

He's very happy. One gas course down, one plumbing one to get through next (after a couple of weeks off to recuperate after all the hard work .............).


Cheryl xx

More photos

I happily filled up an album full of pics from our holiday. Daz is now filling one up of his own of pics from his extended stay. See the link to the right!

Cheryl xx

Now I'm really worried

I left him for just a few days and he bought a car. He joked about buying a boat whilst I'm not around to stop him.

And then I get a photo like this ..........

Shelves full of them.

Help!

Cheryl

On being really busy

Here I am, coping with the dark nights, the cold, and the rain. All alone with just my hot water bottle to keep me warm at night, working my socks off, and running around sorting stuff for Darran (rearranging appointments, paying bills, replying to letters, picking things up, forwarding on mail I can't deal with, that sort of thing).

Some of that sorting requires me to ask questions - questions like 'do you mind if I get rid of this', and 'what would you like me to do about such and such'. Questions that need answers.

So, I send the emails, and do I get those answers? No.

So I send a message suggesting that answers would be a) nice, and b) useful. And the reply? 'I'm really busy you know. I get homework every night. And I have to do the dishes..........'

And I think, ok, yeah, I guess so. I'll be patient and not nag too much.

And then, I get sent pictures like this..........

and this.............

and this.........

Oh yeah............ really busy with those pots and that homework Daz !!!!

Mind, if he goes here before I get back there will be BIG trouble!

Cheryl ;-)

Living the dream

This is what Darran's dream looks like:




A dog, a ute, and great weather.

The dog (Rusty) and the ute may have been borrowed this time but the weather is on tap, and that dream is getting ever closer.

Tomorrow he starts his gas course at the Challenger Tafe (college). That will mean yet another step closer.

Expect an Oz accent and lots of Oz phrases when he gets back at Christmas - he's already started!

Cheryl

Whilst the cat's away.........

......the mice will play.....with fire!

Rubbish pic of the bonfire

So it was that the girls (Emma, Emma's Auntie Karen and cousin Lydia, and myself) headed out on the town to Knypersley bonfire on Friday night for an evening of fire, fireworks, and, erm, a cup of tea.

The bonfire was lit to the musical accompaniment of 'Light My Fire' (tragically the Will Young version rather than The Doors), and burnt to the strains of just about any song with any reference to fire - Great Balls of Fire, Ring of Fire and so on....

The time in between the lighting of the fire and the fireworks display was filled with a) trying to find somewhere that sold a cup of tea, rather than a pint, a burger, or a bottle of liquid sugar and e numbers, and b) standing in the slowest queue ever at the furthest corner of the ground for 3 cups of tea and a hot chocolate.

Rubbish pic of the fireworks

Great firework display that went on forever ("this must be the finale....oh no, well this must be the finale.....oh, well this MUST be......oh.....), and then back to Karen and Lydia's for a game of Junior Scrabble.

We girls know how to live it large.

Cheryl ;-)

A little beaut

Ok. You leave him on his own in a strange country for 5 minutes (well, a couple of days) and what does he do?

Buy a car.

Not a cheap little banger just to get him through the next few weeks as had been discussed a little tiny bit, but a proper not that cheap car. Apparently it is a 'little beaut'. Hmmm.

It'll be a boat next............

And what else does he do when you leave him on his own in a strange country?

Get too close to a female Redback spider..

Not just any female Redback spider, but one that wanted to fight.

He did the best thing he could. He ran away.

Cheryl xxxxxxxxxxx

Home

Em and I are home. A good if occasionally bumpy flight, though very strange to fly home without Darran.

The cases are unpacked, clean clothes put away, and the first load of washing in.

I just wish this house would hurry up and warm up - I need a nice long soak, but so far it just hasn't been warm enough.

Although Em and I are home, we will still keep the blog going - Daz is going to send me some stuff to put on it to let everyone know how he's getting on. As he is on a gas and then a plumbing course, expect much of it to be about pipe sizes, pressure and er, other gas/plumbing type stuff!

Cheryl xx

Day 15: Red bull and Oats Supply

The last full day for Emma and I, so it was a case of chasing up those last few presents to take back. The intention then was to head down towards the Esplanade by the river, and watch the Red Bull Air Race.

Unfortunatley shopping took a while longer than expected, so by the time we made it down to the Esplanade, all we got to see was one of the stunt display teams, and the Red Bull Air Race craft pass over a couple of times. It was all over by 3pm! We sat on the grass for ages watching and waiting but nothing happened, except for the rich and beautiful messing around on their boats which they had brought down especially for the event. Soon got bored with that.....

The finals and the main action are Sunday afternoon, but we're not going to have time to get back to the Esplanade, watch anything, and then get back to the hostel in time for our taxi. Never mind.

We may have missed the main action for the race, but we didn't miss the Northbridge Festival (thanks to a tip off from Adam at the hostel), which was brilliant. The hostel is in the Northbridge area of Perth, and Saturday saw the streets full of stalls, live music, stunt acts, and a silent disco (don't ask) which went on until 10.30pm.

It was a really good atmosphere, and we all found a new favourite band - Oats Supply! An 80's tribute band, they had taken all that was bad about the 80's pop scene and turned it into an act. Did a fantastic rendition of Billy Idol's White Wedding though! On Myspace should you feel the need to look.

Ah well, all that is left now then is to pack,

Cheryl :-(

xx

Day 14: Cross roos, and a spell in prison

Our first stop today was Marapana Wlidlife Park, to go and have a look at some native wildlife, feeds some kangaroos, and possibly pat a koala.

It's only a small wildlife park, but we were able to view, and to walk in the pens with kangaroos, deer, alpaca, and sheep. We could also view and feed emus, osterich, and wombats. We weren't allowed to feed the dingos (who would want to - you should hear those guys howl!) but did get to stroke one when it was brought around on a lead.

The koalas kept us entertained - or at least the antics of the baby one did. The rest were doing what koalas do best - eating or sleeping. The little one had a good explore, chased a few birds, and climbed over a couple of the sleeping adults. When the keeper tried to reunite her with her mum, she showed her displeasure at being disturbed in no uncertain terms with some good growling, and a very determined bite. I just hope the keeper was wearing a padded bra!

And all was going well until a slightly over excited young kangaroo decided that Emma wasn't feeding him quite fast enough and chased her and got hold of her. She now has some nice kangaroo claw scratch marks on her tummy. She wasn't at all impressed.

So, we beat a hasty retreat to the markets at Fremantle which we had heard good things about. And they were indeed very good, especially the pancakes we had for tea. Fremantle looks a great place to explore so I'm sure we will be back there fairly regularly.

From the markets we then headed to the prison. Fremantle prison was built by convicts in the 1850's - they literally moved into it as different sections were completed. It ceased operation in 1991, and is now a major tourist attraction.

We decided we would like to give the torchlight tour of the prison a go, and so found ourselves joining the last of the tours on Friday 31st October at 10.15pm - Halloween.

With the staff all dressed up for halloween, and with a few extra surprises thrown in, it was indeed a spooky experience making our way through the near dark (our tour guide had a torch, and we had small ones for certain section), through the cells, solitary confinement, church, exercise yards, and morgue of a very large, very old, and eerily empty former prison.

Another place I'm looking forward to visiting again, but this time in daylight. The history of the prison is fascinating (apparently the inmates didn't have toilets throughout the prison's entire history - just buckets!), and there are some fantastic works of art in certain cells which former prisoners have done.

And then to bed, ready for our last full day,

Cheryl xxx

Home from home

For the last few days we have been staying with someone Darran used to work with back home. Craig, Julie and their two children moved over about 18 months ago, and offered to put us up for a couple of nights should we ever find ourselves over west.

After a couple of nights of their very excellent hospitality they found they couldn't get rid of us. Our hostel is nice, but Craig and Julie and family (including dog Rusty) offer a much prefered option. The beds are far more comfy, they provide wonderful food, Rusty is great fun and offers free washes at every opportunity, and the tv choices are also much better (two complete series of Peter Kay's Pheonix Nights!).

Most importantly though, it was their warm welcome, company and generosity that made us linger. We were all sad to leave, though they have, in a moment of madness, offered to put Darran up whilst he does his courses, so he will be back with them very soon.

Emma and I are both looking forward to seeing them again. And we have to get a Rusty. Never known anything work better at getting Emma up in a morning than a young Staffie trying to give her an early morning wash whilst jumping up and down on her bed!

Cheryl xx