The Road Less Travelled - now well and truely travelled

On Wednesday, both the WM and I decided we needed to get off the property due to cabin fever with all the rain (two days worth, lol) and so with no particular thought in mind we set off in the 4 wheel drive out on the farm. Things were a little muddy underfoot which proved interesting to say the least. We started off heading in the direction we had previously gone to get wood, though turning a slightly different way which meant going through a paddock of sheep with an unusually closed gate to get through. Challenge that it was - another large taranaki type gate with a wierd shutting device, we then arrived at the creek bed that we had come to from the other direction last time we were out in the ute. Well, it was begging to be driven up, because we could, and after zooming through a large puddle we went into a glorious slide. My side of the vehicle was parallel to a fence line and while I was sitting thinking, OMG how are we going to explain the need to mend a couple of chain (slight exageration but not by much, lol) to the Brother's, the WM did all the right things when you go into a slide in mud, we snaked a bit, then straightened up,not using the breaks, both in fits of laughter with the adrenelin rush, turned round and went back through the puddle again though no massive slide this time. We decided to see where the track we were on would lead us and found ourselves on one of the boundary roads. The WM remembered seeing a reserve not far from there so we went to explore that taking photos as we went. We found ourselves on the road where we had been to see the wreath flowers last spring which put us on another road that took us down past Wandalgu and then a place called Canna. Somewhere along the way, I saw a road that said Old Camp Road so we headed there as there is an old tin shack still just standing.

This is the sign that is by the old shack in memorial to Frank Ewin Macklin who lived there a good amount of his life after WW2, dying in 1968. This is what remains. There is an old bed inside, a pair of shorts on a nail, an old stove with cans on top, a shelf with a brush and other bits and pieces, with another oven outside in what was probably a lean to. I am amazed that is has not been vandalised in the interim.
















Out the back were two enormous cactus that were almost like trees and another variety that was a more rounded leafed sort of cactus closer to the ground. We carried on from there to Morawa and straight to the bakery for a cappucino and a home made pie. I managed to buy some Dukka there, bypassing the local olives and olive oil for sale (but only just, lol).

The WM gave me the map book on the way back and we decided to return to school via the back roads, picking them at random though heading in the general direction we needed. Amongst so much flat land, one of the things we came across was a couple of hills, dignified by the term 'range' on the map (can't remember the name) - who knew they were there!!!! Driving down one road we came to the Pintharuka Cemetary and made a stop. There was a square of ground set out with rocks and one very large rock with a brass plate mentioning 7 local deaths in the 20's - 40's. There were two actual graves, one with a headstone and returned serviceman plaque and one that looked like the frame of an old iron bedstead (very RIP I thought, lol) but I think it was just a decorative surround.

As we continued to drive, we pondered upon the people who had settled this area and who still live there today, the isolation, and how women especially coped way back when, and today. There are no next door neighbours, more the equivalent of visiting from Otaua to Kariaotahi,For the Waiuku readers, or imagine between any two small districts) between some 'farms'. Dropping in for a cuppa would have to be a planned event! After some serious zig-zagging across the countryside, we came back on to the Pallantine Rd where the boys used to live at Wandalgu and headed back onto Kelly Rd. Keeping my eyes peeled for any eventuality (an occupational necessity when driving at the moment) upon a gasp of breath from me, the WM put the brakes on, and there in the paddock to our left, were eight emus. I carefully got my window down and started taking photos flat tack.

This is one of a group of (probably year old) birds and you can see how windy the day was by how its feathers are blowing everywhere.
After seeing the last group of emus on the way back from footie, one of our indigenous staff told me that if you see an emu and you want it to come closeer, you take off your shirt,wave it about, lie on the ground and hit the dirt with your feet it will come towards you as they are nosey......

After spotting the group and taking NUMEROUS photos, they started to walk away just as the WM was trying to get out of the car to take a close up with her zoom lens. As it was raining, and neither of us entertained the notion of removing clothing (heh, heh) OR lying on the ground (bull ants /mud .........., lol) I told her to stamp her feet at least ... and....







THEY TURNED BACK!!!!! It was such a buzz and we felt very mighty 'hunters and trackers', lol.

We were totally dumbfounded that it worked and relieved that that was all it took, heh heh. We didn't think it could get much better than that so set off back up the road to school when we came up to a track into a paddock we had not been in before off Kelly Rd, looked at each other and thought - why not - we were on a mission.

We drove alongside several paddocks all planted with wheat that was sprouting, and saw so much good wood lying about, we will go back to replenish stocks. We were doing fine until we came to a bank of dirt like a stop bank about a metre high followed by a ditch of the same depth. I thought that would be it but the WM in a rush of blood to the head drove straight over down and up the other side while I for once was thinking, OMG we will break an axle at least. Yay for 4WD vehicles is all I can say thatare also built like the proverbial s...t house, lol. We continued a bit further and like magic, there was the hidden salt lake beside us that we had been searching for for ages. We had seen it from the windows upstairs in the girls' old dorm and tried several times to find it, missing it by a whole block as we found out this day. More photos and another must go and revisit moment before we set off again. The dead wood out this way was everywhere and we did stop and throw some in the back of the car until it started raining again. We were a little unsure of where we were exactly, not helped at all when we come to two shut gates, - another ubiquitous taranaki type gate that was wired up shut and on a bad lean. The other gate looked equally challenging to get through so there was nothing for it but to push the taranaki gate completely over, while I stood on it and the WM drove over. I then tried to poke the metal stakes that made the gate up, back in the wet dirt as though nothing had happened. (I had a "Mullie Wuppie" moment - 'he ran and she ran until they came to the bridge of the single hair, "woe betide ye Mullie Wuppie if you ere return again"')lol. There was more track, and fields to go through so we just picked a direction and went for it (the decider was open gates to any paddock we passed, lol). We ended up at the back of the shearing shed more by good luck than management and then there in front of us was the straight track all the way back to school.

But wait, there was more. Just before we got to the airstrip I asked the WM if she had been to Doyley's dam lately and no sooner said, than the track was there beside us and off we went. We got there to see water literally running into the dam and remarked on how low it was to where it was the last time we rode out there on the horses (at least 6 months ago). More photos and then it was well and truely time to be back in time to clean up and go back on duty for the WM and for my night off for me after one of the best days we have had in awhile out on the farm and general surrounds.

Just as well, as at 3.30pm we walked into a staff meeting to be told the school was finishing for good in 8 days time. The decision had been made not to continue with the few boys that were left and that all support would be given to those students to find new schools. There was not a lot said to us re the future and although not unexpected was none the less a blow to all concerned. One of the honchos came to tell us the news, which was then broken to the students and others concerned living on site. So, from the sublime to the ridiculous in one fell swoop.

Hop, hop, hopping along.

Last post I mentioned seeing a lot of kangaroos seen on the way back to school from Geraldton. On Tuesday as I was heading in to Mullewa to pick up the WM's boys from footie practice I noticed a big red in the paddock to my left. I stopped the car, wound down the window and managed to get a few photos. I apologiese for the quality of the following photos as it was dusk when I got the 2nd and 3rd shots and I was taking them through the front windscreen.

This is the big red. I have found if you stop and park, the kangaroos will usually stop and check you out too. While I was parked in the middle of the road, utterly oblivious to anything other than getting a couple of photos to send to No 1 grandson, I finally became aware of another car coming the other way. They passed me on the wrong side of the car, windows were wound down, and who should it be but the Principal, the DP and one of the students on the way back from town. Luckily yon fella was not disturbed by all this, ( he was a distance away, small genuflection at the 20x zoom lens again) so got another photo and then carried on. Picked the boys up and at the very same spot as we came round the corner on the way back, HELLO, it was the whole mob out on the road.
There are five here for those playing at home, and there were another two in the bushes (5 on the road beats two in the bushes, lol). I stopped the car, and as you can see, they stopped. We looked, they looked, and then as I drove closer, the group started going in all directions, bounding off back into the paddocks either side of the road.

Just before they all took off, the last, a joey sat there as I had stopped again and another he looked, we looked moment went by (enough to get three photos,) and then he too disappeared following the others. I have to say I felt very intrepid, David Attenboroughish (without the good National Geographic quality photos, lol

If this was not enough, yesterday while going to Mullewa for a coffee, (I know, who knew) with a neighbour and her two small children, I spotted what I am sure was a more grown up eagle/hawk of previous photos. This one had black around its eye, same curved beak and more feathery looking feathers rather than birdling fluff that young birds start off with. (spot the clue that it is late at night when I am writing this, lol) Unfortunately, as it was a spur of the moment outing, I did not take my camera and could have kicked myself missing the opportunity to get a photo of the aforementioned, unidentified bird, to add to my growing collection of flora and fauna on WA.

My cup then runneth over today, when on the way back from the actual footie games the boys were playing at, we spotted EMUS. Again taken at some distance from the car window. It was so exciting as there were 8 in all with this one, we thought this was the female and mother of the mob. They were alongside the road and just ahead of us when we first saw them and being more flighty (heh, heh), they took off pretty much as soon as we came upon them. Most of them managed to leap the fence or push their way through, except one young one who ran some way in front of us, throwing itself at the fence numerous times before one bit gave way and it was off. These birds can run for some distance and indeed would have covered over a mile before disappearing into scrubby bush.

We went a bit further up the road and came across another group of 4 or 5 but they lit off as soon as they saw us and as they were on plowed paddocks we did not give chase. The boys manged to pick some feathers off the fence where the birds had thrown themselves through.

Last, but not least, the boys found this the other day near some wood - and as you can see by the picture it is much the same size as a skink at home. It was liberated back into the garden as we went up to dinner.

Last week seems to have passed in a blur. I spent two days minding one of the girls who had been put into quarantine (as much as you can in a boarding school!!!) having come down with the flu. She has had similar bouts numerous times before but with one primary school closed because of swine flu in Geraldton, I guess the Dr was taking no chances. We had more rain Thursday and Friday, just as the seeding was finished for the season and on Friday it was docking day for a mob of lambs. I understand there are roughly 2500 sheep on the property and the docking is taking place over two or three days.

Still have no idea what is happening next term, it is definite there will be no girls coming back so that kind of leaves the WM and I in limbo until some of the honchos come back and decide what next.

Have got back into my cross stitch since getting one of the staff started on a small project and am enjoying the start of a new project. (I know there are still several unfinished symphonies going, but it's always the new project that beckons, lol). There is something about stitching when you are cosy and warm with the heater and or a roaring fire going depending which habitation I am located at.

The weather remains cool - so have my thermals on today and have the heater going flat tack as I am at my place. I took a hot water bottle to bed last night but I realise it is nowhere near as cold as NZ at the moment. Was talking to sister Kay on Skype, who was giving me a bit of a running commentary on the All Blacks versus France game in the freezing Wellington weather last night. Did not feel envious one little bit, lol.

There has been the first confirmed death of swine flu in WA - a 26 yr old indigenous man who had other health problems and lived in a remote community. Other major news is that Jodie Gordon who plays "Martha" in Home and Away has been cut loose by her billionaire boyfriend after being found in some gangster's home allegedly after taking drugs and ringing the Police to say there were armed intruders breaking in. (lead story in "Woman's Day" this week.

There was a huge furore last week when Gordon Ramsey, over here to promote a new restaurant and his shows on TV, made very derogatory remarks of a personal nature to TV host Tracy Grimshaw. It made national and international news when she gave him a serve on her show which eventually led to an apology of sorts from GR himself. There has been a groundswell of support for the TV host and Ramsey's already precarious reputation has taken a huge hit with public opinion turning like the tide upon him.

Have just finished reading 'Exit Music' by Ian Rankin. As mentioned before, he writes the novels with Rebus as his main protagonist (some of you will know this character from the TV series of the same name). Ian Rankin has aged Rhebus as his novels have gone on and this one is written as Rhebus retires from the force with the usual twists and turns of a good detective novel.

The massage chair is beckoning so will call it a night for now. A new week beckons.

I Have Seen the Emu in the Sky

Have just noticed that it is some days since I last wrote a post. Not sure where the days have gone at all. The weekend before last was spent mostly on the road as I went to Geraldton Sat and Sun. Sat I went in with our DP as I needed to return my massage chair thingie - it had ceased to function. I had tried it in most plugs in the house but no luck. There was no problem at the shop - they handed me a new one and I was all good to go. We had a late get away from here so by the time I had done my job and we had got groceries it was after 3pm and time to head back to the Ponderossa. Sunday was a very early start to the day as I did the Nana thing and went to footie to watch the WM's boys play. They played at different grounds at the same time so watched one till half time then zoomed to the other footie ground and watched the second half there, remaining while the WMH went back and picked up first child while they did the team finish up where I was. I had gone better prepared with thermals, and parker type jacket and was still freezing - next time I will be taking a blanket to wrap around me, lol.

Sunday night went back to work and for the next three days pretty much stayed up at school where I was helping the WM finish an assignment for uni and helped put together a whole pile of invitations for our Cook's mother's 90th birthday.

We had another two days of rain - nearly 20 mls. What I have realised is that I am not prepared for wet weather anymore. I have no umbrella, no raincoat and no drier to manage the maybe 14 days of wet weather we have a year, lol. I got to my days off - had a heap of washing to do and only just scraped in with some feeble sun on Friday, to get enough clean clothes together to come back up to school.

With the rain, came another soup making day - vegetable and ham bone and I particularly liked the flavour of this one that I made. I used a leek and celery with carrots and butternut amongst other things and it was delicious. Had two days eating it and then shared the rest with the WM's family.

Back on duty this weekend, we went to Geraldton yesterday to take the students in for a game of 10 pin. Saw yet another new bird on the way in which was a Chicken Hawk. We were going too fast for a photo and for the other staff member who was driving the van, a Chicken Hawk was not a novelty for him. I had to laugh as I only thought chicken hawks were in cartoons usually beating up on some other poor hapless creature. Most exciting however, was seeing a white owl perched on a gum tree at the back of the boarding house the other night. I intrepidly sidled round the corner of said house and with my mighty 20x zoom camera, tried to take a photo, but to no avail. I have got a white smudge if you squint your eyes on a black background. I WANT an infra red or what ever it is, camera, to be able to take night photos well - or I could still get around to reading the instructions, lol.

With the almost 60 mls of rain we have had over the past weeks there is a total greening of the landscape ( I know I have said before) that is nothing sort of miraculous - I wax lyrical on such matters. I took the girls for a drive to the shearing shed via the cemetary and the sheep graveyard over the weekend, and could not believe there was so much growth in paddocks that were dirt this time last year. I think I have mentioned the cemetary before - three boys are buried there, two who died in the 40's and one in the 50's. The sheep graveyard is where, according to the girls, sheep are taken to have their throats slit if they are unwell. The girls went hunting for skulls and bought two back with them.

Had a good weekend. On Saturday night the boys came down and we lit a campfire. I had to take two panadol as I had done something to my back while 10 pin bowling earlier in the day, and I had a thumping headache. I may have used too heavier a ball, and I think my glasses need adjusting to as they keep slipping down my nose so not sure if I had eye strain as well (the joys of aging!!!). Anyhoo, as everyone was sitting, talking and just generally hanging, one of the indigenous staff asked me if I had ever seen the 'Emu in the Sky' to which I replied no. He then showed me how to see it - I thought initially I was looking out for a star pattern but it is like a negative and the spaces between the stars in the Milky Way that outlines an emu. Because there is no other lighting out here, the Milky Way is magnificent as are the night skies at any time. I looked at the Southern Cross (that diamond thing in the sky as I initially called it, lol) and the head starts to the left of that with the body further left and down. Apparently at different times it either looks like it is sitting on a nest or is walking and it also changes as the night goes on. Our indigenous girl told me it was part of the Emu Dreaming which is a Dreamtime story of the Emu. When you see this in the sky, it means that the emus are laying eggs and it is time to hunt for them. One of our staff has found over 20 eggs in the last few weeks. They usually lay after the first rains come. I feel very privileged to have seen this and wonder if I will ever be able to see it from NZ in years to come.

I had an email from No 1 grandson last week asking me if I was still enjoying Australia and if I had seen any kangaroos. I have been taking my camera out with me each time I have been in a vehicle, just in case and wow, on Saturday evening as we were coming back from 10 pin bowling we saw upwards of over 15 kangaroos over the space of about a mile. Several were grazing in paddocks, a couple bounced across the road and some were on the other side of the road. I tried to get a couple of photos but they moved quickly once they saw us. I believe the other staff member was going back to try and get a few once he had finished work (get as in kill for tucker). There was one big red that was in the distance and the others were mostly smaller greys. None of us had seen that bigger mob before at the same place at the same time.

The girls and I did a campfire dinner on Sunday night after going out getting wood for the inside fire and our trip to the shearing sheds earlier in the day. The best wood to get is mallee root which lies on top of the ground and has a distinct driftwood look about it which I have mentioned before. We came across a heap of it in the one place which made things very easy and then just picked up small pieces of branches that lie every where on the ground in the scrub that would fit the fire box. Some bits are crawling with ants but have learnt to brush them off - as long as they are the little ones and not bull ants which can bite. Mallee roots burn hot and take a good amount of time to burn. I can spot a piece lying on the ground now while zooming along in the ute and feel very hunter and gatherer when out and about, lol. Apart from access to water, the bush pretty much provides everything you need in one way or another although I watched some programe on TV one night that showed you how to collect water overnight in the outback - all to do with collecting the dew that falls during the night.

It is an unsettling time here at the moment as we have the holidays in two and a half weeks and I have no idea whether we will have girls back or not next term. At this stage I have made no plans for the holidays - I am tempted to go to Sydney to catch up with friends but could go to Melbourne, Adelaide, Perth or Katherine as well. To go to Katherine to catch up with rellies would cost the same as going back to NZ and then there is the swine flu - which has reached Geraldton so maybe I should just kick back and stay here, poodling about on the farm and environs. Watch this space. We got news yesterday that one of the Primary schools had closed in Geraldton because of the swine flu. It has been declared a Pandemic by the World Health Organisation I believe and I think Oz has one of the highest counts so far and it is sweeping through Melbourne and Perth that I know of. No one out here has it yet but the WM's boys played footie against a team from the school that is closed in town, on the weekend.

I had hoped to add photos to this post but Windows is having a hissy fit and I cannot upload them off the computer. It has taken me nearly four days to get this written as the blog people were doing an upgrade on Monday, Windows did an upgrade today which took over an hour and I have had intermittent connection over the weekend. I am having a lot of trouble staying connected with Windows and may need to take my broadband/wireless doohicky in to be looked at. Am going to stop and have lunch instead. I cooked corned lamb last night - used the same method as corned beef using the Edmonds cookbook recipe and it was beautiful. Did a real NZ boil up with kumera, pumpkin and cabbage all in the one pot and it was very yummy. Going to have left overs now.

Life's a Beach

Another week has hurtled by, helped by the fact it was a Public Holiday on Monday - I think it was Federation Day - not sure what it stands for, but it worked for me - even though it was my day off anyway, lol. The major bonus was having the weekend off which should have been my weekend on because it was half term (if that sounds confusing you may to read out loud, lol).

Had toyed with the idea of going to Perth for the weekend but as final details for our last girl were not completed until the day before the long weekend, that trip fell through. Ah well, another shopping day in Geraldton to compensate. Had a VERY leisurely cruise through several shops and spent money I had not entirely planned on by purchasing a thingie to go on any hardbacked chair, that does back massage. It was on special (my fav price) which was dollars cheaper than other shops and I managed to get an extra discount so saved $100 in total (by spending $200, LOL). Massage thingie, thy name is bliss. I got the one that does shoulders also with an intensity of an average sweedish masseuse. I have had several of the best nights sleeps in ages after using it and my shoulders feel very stress free, lol.

Saturday I was rung by the WM to see what I was up to - nearly caused myself a mischief by going from deep, dreaming sleep to bolt upright and grabbing for the phone (at the crack of 10am, heh heh). It transpired we were off on a wood gathering mission for the fire back at the dorm, and for the camp fire we were to have that night. Hmmmm housework waiting at home, day not at home - there was no contest! Set off in the school ute, past the now empty pig stys and out to the eastern side of the farm. We went as far as we could until we came to a creek bed that was still dampish from the rain earlier in the week. The WM was a bit nervous that we might get bogged down if we went too far along the bed so at that point we returned the way we had come. We had stopped several times on our venture to pick up wood. This was mainly thin branch type pieces of scrub that lie everywhere where they fall as the scrub type thing dies. The other wood we were looking for were pieces of mallee scrub root. This comes in various sizes and looks not unlike a lump of wormy driftwood though solid and clumpy at the same time. Must remember to take a photo next time which will save a 1000 words of description.

Once we loaded up the ute it was well after lunch so I shot home to hang out washing and then later that afternoon drifted back up to the WM's and then down to the campsite which is at the back of our new boarding house. The WM went and picked up several old car seats from the dump a few weekends back and set out a campfire site so it was ideal for our evening - plus we had a loo handy in the boarding house and running water if we needed it, lol. We got the fire going about 3.30pm, piling it with the larger bits of wood that would not fit into our house fireplace. First course of the evening was toasted marshmellows - big, fat, crunchie on the outside, squidgy on the inside, caramelised yum.


Toasted Marshmellow


Campfire

Second course was barbqued sausaged, bacon and onion in bread with tomatoe sauce and coffee made from boiled water in the billy on the fire. The WM had wrapped potatoes in tinfoil (called alfoil here - for aluminium foil I think, lol) and rested them in the burning coals so our 3rd course was baked potatoes dribbling with butter, salt and pepper and the flavour that is immediately the taste of childhood fires at home or the next door neighbours during the autumn/winter months. But wait, there was more - for the piece de resistance - there was freshly made damper - wound round the end of my marshmellow stick like a sausage and rotated slowly over the coals until cooked then filled with more butter and golden syrup. What was different for this whole event was the fact that whilst trying to cook damper, I was on Skype on my laptop to Mum and sister Kay in NZ so they too could share an Aussi campfire, lol. Ah, the marvels of modern science!!!!!

Sunday I finally succumbed and did a modicum of housework in between reading my library book when news came that there had been a fire up at school, - the Italian's had unwittingly left a pot on the stove when they had gone off site to Mass and then for a cup of tea at one of the neighbours. Another staff member who was cleaning up one of the rooms next to their quarters noticed a funny smell, and when she went to investigate saw the smoke coming out of the door. Luckily, yet another staff member was nearby and she grapped two fire extinguishers and put the fire out. OMG, I have never seen such a mess as the pre-flame singeing and smoke had gone part way up the wall behind the stove and then went into the air con system in the ceiling and therefore into every room there was. Because the building is concrete it didn't catch fire completely but there was not one thing that was not smoke and soot damaged. It was all very dramatic as they were in the process of packing to return home, leaving for good. Luckily they were well insured. They have had to pack everything as it is and will get everything reassessed and professionally cleaned on their return home. Talk about going out with a bang and not a whimper! Luckily we had spare rooms down at girls boarding so we put them up there until the girls got back and they stayed off site last night before leaving today.

Monday was the WMH's birthday. Another early morning as I was to be there for the present opening and an early breakfast. The DP arrived and after bacon and eggs it was all go to be packed and ready for a days fishing at the beach at Dongara. Had an uneventful trip there and picked a glorious day to be at the wharf fishing - it was hot enough for the sunblock to be used, lol - this as it was 7o in Wellington when I had talked to No 1 son's family that morning. It was a slow start to the day fish wise - several which only deserved the title 'f' instead of fish - had to be thrown back though two were kept for the barbeque which we had for lunch. The WMH had bought the 'how to recognise what fish it is' brochure but had neglected to bring the one that told of the correct sizes of the fish to be caught. I have seen bigger herrings is McConnachies tomato sauce than the two offerings that made it to the table. All very hunting and gathering though, lol. After lunch we moved to the breakwater and there were a gazillion fish there but again barely bigger than the hook. My theory was, where there are schools of tiny fish, bigger fish should surely follow, and they did - just as the third bag of bait was finished and it was heading towards to dusk. Ah well, it was a healthy, fresh air sort of day and better luck next time. Note to self - do need to get myself a fishing rod so we do not have to take turns. I had forgotten how much fun surf casting is and though rusty, can still cast a line! We drove back in the pouring rain for a good amount of the way and it was also well dark by then, getting back here by about 6.30pm. Got back to find that the local satellite doohicky was possibly struck by lightening as there was no cell phone or internet coverage at all up at school - not properly fixed until Wednesday as it was only itermittent up until then.


Dongara

It is a shame work has to get in the way of holidays, lol.
PS: Although there is no more mouse in my house - I spotted one zooming into the pantry in the boarding house today - have broken out the serious death to vermin bait yet again - gotta love the colder weather for driving them in.