The six day sleepover

The six day sleepover (posted on 10th January due to no Internet)

I'm having trouble publishing images, so please excuse any duplications. I'm sure I'll improve with practice.

Boxing Day - Sunday 26th December - five hour drive (500kms) from Ballarat to Nicholson and the Lakes Bushland Caravan and Tourist Park.

The five of us (Jackie, Humphrey, Phil, Holly, Pete) are beginning a two week trip in south east Victoria, close to the Southern Ocean. We're staying in what could be described as a cute and compact cabin. The said cabin is surrounded by eucalyptus trees and as the site is four kilometres from the main road it's very peaceful, apart from birds singing of course - which are mostly pleasant. My favourites are the tinging bells of the Bell Miners.

I was so pleased with everything on first inspection, that I was later likened to a child on a sleepover by a daughter. The connotations of sleepover began with the inspection of the tiny bedroom with equally miniature bunk beds, to be shared by me, Humphrey and Philippa. The arrangements had been organised in advance and so there were no surprises, but I can only imagine that a combination of the long journey and the resulting sylvan setting, contributed to my Famous Five-like behaviour (exciteable and a bit childish!).

I did my best to pull myself together for night one, necessitated by the somewhat serious attitude of my sleep-over room mates. They organised themselves in the tiny space with military precision, or that's what I remembered. When we were all tucked up and lights were out, I had to supress a huge urge to giggle because I knew I'd get into trouble. Enough was enough and those two need their sleep.

Day after Boxing Day - Monday 27th December

Yesterday, I suggested that Humphrey and I should get up earlier than usual to have a walk around our woodland eutopia and do a spot of bird watching. The rest of the Famous Five (!) expressed the wish to get up when they felt like it. They didn't want the pressure of mum and dad up and about, waiting for action. Of course, under 'larger' living arrangements, this wouldn't need much forward planning. I awoke early and shifted the i phone (alarm) into my bunk in the hope that I could turn it off quickly. When it eventually played its wake-up tune, I couldn't find it in the bunk. Humphrey woke as planned and Phil, who was asleep above me, remained undisturbed - although its better not to check.

Dressing noiselessly in the tiny space between the bunks went well until Humphrey couldn't find a sock, resulting in some overly loud rummaging and searching under the bottom bunk - not easy, believe me. He didn't find it, resulting in even more disarray in the bunkhouse, during which the third occupant still remained sound asleep - as reported by her later, at a more respectable hour.

Once outside in the morning sun (it wasn't that early), we had a saunter amongst the trees and enjoyed the aroma of eucalyptus on the breeze. We saw some impressive birds, notably a King Parrot and Grey Butcher Bird. Keen for tea and toast, we went back to the homestead where all were still miraculously sleeping. The 'do not disturb' theme continued when the pale golden toast popped up and set the fire alarm screaming...

Holly is the organiser of all things associated with the six day sleepover and apart from cooking delicious food, she has designed an itinerary for our time here. Tomorrow we are off to the hills.

Tuesday 28th December - to the hills, or Alpine Shire and the Great Alpine Road, probably known by Ozzies as 'the Great Alpine'. The Famous Five became players in the Sound of Music, as we headed for the alpine meadows, mountains and skii resorts, mostly between Omeo and Bright. The slopes were plastered with what looked like dead Snow Gums. We couldn't work out why as the remaining tree trunks were a pale shade of grey, almost white, and there didn't appear to be any remnants of burning as would be expected. We stopped off at a 'pub' at Swifts Creek to eat on the long and winding road home (at least 400kms there and back). The temperature is increasing at long last and should hopefully reach comfortable camping temperatures by the weekend and predictions are in the 30s.

Dead snow gums

Wednesday 29th December - I haven't mentioned the cricket yet, but it has been a constant presence over the last few days - a bit like the Archers at home(!) I wasn't feeling too good today and was motivated to drag myself from the horizonal on hearing the news that 'we' had just won the Ashes. We're all feeling very pleased with ourselves and the cricketers of course. Spent a very hot day around the sleepover sight, getting used to the heat and getting into a new books. As with cooking, I need to devote a separate section here to reading.

Holly and Philippa took themselves off into the nearby town of Bairnsdale for the morning and returned with presents for me. I particularly appreciated the book mark produced as the result of 'An Australian Government Initiative', entitled 'The National Public Toilet Map with the web address: www.toiletmap.gov.au I've had a longstanding interest in toilets that goes beyond the everyday, to such an extent that I have a pictures file on my PC at home entitled 'toilets of the world', where my collection of photos of WCs from around the world are proudly stored - awaiting an opportunity to be shared with the wider world. On second thoughts, and taking the reverse of the bookmark into consideration, perhaps it is the details of the National Continence Helpline, 'dedicated to bladder and bowel health' which they felt would be of more use to me - when they read this, perhaps they'll enlighten me.

Thursday 30th December

The heat is still here and the sleepover continues apace. Humphrey and I are off to find some birds in the wet and the others are off to visit some caves at Buchan.

Reading

This is a taster reading section. We've returned from our mini-expedition which resulted in visiting Lakes Wellington and Victoria, or hillbilly country, as we preferred to call it.. Access to the water was very limited, unlike the numbers of biting mozzies, and we saw hardly a water bird until stopping off at Nicholson boat launching area on the way back. I'm now back at the sleepover site, sitting outside in the dappled shade provided by the eucalyptus trees surrounding our little homestead, iced orange juice to hand, feeling satisfied having rinsed out some important clothing and draped it in the sun.

My satisfaction in the latter is highly relevant to reading, as you will see. I have something of a reputation for gaining satisfaction from airing bedding (sleeping bags and the like) and things of that nature. Philippa has just finished reading 'The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society' by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows, which I haven't read yet. The sound of the wind in the trees and the occasional buzzing of flies is having a soporific effect, and so rather than write and have to use my brain, I thought I'd share a paragraph or two from the above book with you. It is in the form of a letter. If you want to know the context, then you'll have to read the book.

At the time of reading it, when we had been here for a day or two, Phil looked up and remarked, "this sounds just like you mum". I'm still not sure whether it was meant as a complement or not, but here is the extract which inspired her comment - and all I have to do in my sleepy haze is type. It's in the form of a letter, as follows:

"From Dawsey to Juliet

16th May 1946

Dear Miss Ashton,

There's nothing left to do for your arrival except wait. Isola has washed, starched and ironed Elizabeth's curtains, looked up the chimney for bats, cleaned the windows, made up the beds, and aired all the rooms.

Eli has carved a present for you, Eben has filled your woodshed and Clovis has scythed your meadow - leaving, he says, the clumps of wild flowers for you to enjoy. Amelia is planning a supper party for you on your first evening.

My only job is to keep Isola alive until you get here. Heights make her giddy, but nevertheless she climbed up to the roof of Elisabeth's cottage to stomp for loose tiles. Fortunately, Kit saw her before she reached the eaves and ran for me to come and talk her down.

I wish I could do more for your welcome - I hope it will be soon. I am glad you are coming.

Yours,

Dawsey Adams"

Perhaps you're now getting the idea that this is no ordinary sleepover - what with me checking for bats and climbing up to the roof to stomp for loose tiles. It's just as well the little homestead has neither a chimney or roof tiles.

Friday 31st December

The last day of 2010. I'm sitting outside in the earlyish morning, tapping away (not tap dancing), with a backdrop of loud bird song in the trees above. I haven't checked the roof or bats but bedding is airing in the balmy morning air. How does that sound? Perfect. Only one more night in the sleepover cabin and then a complete change to camping for a few days. I've just overheard a fellow happy camper say that it's going to be 38C today and I hope I don't melt.

I have a love/hate relationship with camping - it's fun and uncomfortable and the kettle isn't so easy to boil - we'll have to see. I've hardly mentioned birds so far and as these are an ever present interest I have asked Humphrey to make some comments in the breakfast interview which follows:

Birds (interview with Humphrey)

J What has been your top bird so far, and why?

H It's more a question that we are seeing a whole community of birds which are typical of Victorian forest and forest edge. Away from the forest there are really very few species and these are dominated by the ubiquitous Australian Magpie, which nevertheless is an attractive bird with its flutey calls. Among the forest birds, perhaps the most striking and memorable for me is the Sulphur Crested Cockatoo - because it reminds me of you(!)

Among the other members of the parrot family, we saw huge numbers of Long-billed Corellas in Western Victoria, small parties of Galahs, which with their pink plumeage are very attractive, but which the Ozzies regard as stupid birds, probably because of their rather inane calls. We've also seen many Crimson Rosellas and lesser numbers of Eastern Rosellas, and just around our present campground the spectacular King Parrot which is red and green - and which Pete has just reported are being chased by a Brown Goshawk and are at this moment squawking loudly. The other characteristic of this campground is the presence of a substantial population of Bell Miners. These are greenish members of the Starling family, but the most notable thing about them is their bell-like calls which go on all day and when we go to sleep at night our ears are still ringing with the sounds.

J Do you have anything else to add?

H Since we've been here we've seen a lot of introduced birds and mammals from Europe. These include European Starling, Blackbird, House Sparrow, rabbit, hare and red fox. It seems incredible that the early settlers wanted to bring in these species, presumably just to remind them of home and were totally oblivious to the ecological problems they would cause.

Pictures

This picture sums up what it's like to be Down Under - huge, spectacular scenery. It's such a pity that it's not yet possible to incorporate the pungent eucalyptus and ocean aromas in a photograph.

Philippa and some of the previously twelve Apostles by 'the Great Ocean'.

Our route from Halls Gap, via a two night stay at Port Fairy, took us along The Great Ocean Road - otherwise known as 'The Great Ocean' and its famous Twelve Apostles. These limestone pinnacles have been battered by The Southern Ocean to such a degree that they are depleted in number, but it doesn't matter because it's such a beautiful coastline, with or without. Humphrey and I travelled along the same road thirty years ago and this time a friendly ozzie tourist volunteered to take the above pic. She was taken aback with the aforementioned fact and appeared to be surprised that we were still standing (let alone smiling), having clearly lived so long.

Christmas Eve in Ballarat

It's hot and sunny at last and feels very 'other' Christmassy. Holly and Pete have everything under control and Holly is revelling in the power she has over her mother at this festive time. I am very happy not to have to worry about who is coming, when, and what to feed them - and all the other stuff, especially presents. Don't get me wrong, I love choosing, wrapping, giving and receiving presents, but it is liberating not having to. It's probably easier to take presents out of Christmas in a hot climate, where plans for our camping trip are as important as planning what time to eat on Christmas day.

Now that the sun is shining properly, I've lost interest (sorry) in the snowy conditions back home, although I am eager to know where you are and what you are doing, so please post a comment if you have the time. Time to pop out and 'help' with some last minute shopping.

Moving on

I'm writing this from Holly and Pete's house in Ballarat. It's lovely here, for all sorts of reasons - not necessarily in order.

It's a home, with family in it - obviously a first on the list. We are reminded of Christmas by the pretty tree and increase in the number of the multi-coloured (prefer these to plain) flashing lights adorning the picture rails. We can (and are at this moment) all using the Internet at the same time. Our washing is at long last flapping on a clothes line (only on my list of favourites!). Holly has bought a very expensive plum pudding for Christmas because she wanted to keep a family tradition going Down Under. I am obviously thrilled, except that I've never eaten a plum pudding in my life - which caused much hilarity. There are no lucusts here, except that Holly's laptop sounds as if there is one trapped somewhere within its workings.

Off to town shortly, so will write more later.

Living with locusts

Tomorrow is our final day at Halls Gap (no apostrophe after all) and the novelty of locusts wore off the day after the previous blog. They don't sting, bite, smell, or set out to persecute human bodies directly, but there are so many of them (gazillions) that they can't help but inconvenience 'normal' holiday activities. Of course, I am well aware that they cause devastation to farm crops, etc. but, being on holiday, I'll leave that debate for another time.

This evening, we arrived back to our totally infested holiday park at Halls Creek, which consists of cabins of the brick (us) and log varieties, caravans, campers - and the poor tenters (us a week after Christmas). The annoying creatures tend to clusture by the gazillion against walls, in corners and against the sides of tents, windows and on warm concrete. They also behave differently at different times of the day. In the evening, they line up like cars in a car park - or sausages in a string - ready to rest up for the night. Unfortunately this involves our front door and getting inside is difficult without letting any inside.

One locust inside can have a more powerful impact than ten gazillion outside, usually resulting in much human (female) activity and pleas to 'get it out'. Of course, 'getting it out' is not so simple due to the fly screens on the windows and the risks of invasion resulting from opening the front door. Thankfully we have a knight in shining armour in residence, who either claims not to hear our pleas or does his best to appear to please. I felt one fluttering around me last night and am sure that it spent the night roosting on me (if that's what they do) and I put it out in the morning.

There are many lovely walks within easy reach of where we are staying at Halls Gap, which is a valley cutting through the Grampian Mountains. The population is only 300 but there is the potential for 6 000 people to stay here, so it's a very popular weekend destination for Ozzies and tourists. However, the locust invasion which is very widespread has resulted in Halls Gap being something of a ghost town, with no more than a couple of dozen people ever being visible at one time. The central campground is empty and there were no other customers in the medium sized supermarket yesterday.

We have walked (hiked in the local lingo) to some beautiful waterfalls and stunning lookout points, with fewer beasties at higher altitudes. Yesterday we forgot the altitude effect and planned a walk from Halls Gap. Silly us. We had to turn back because it was unpleasant and difficult to enjoy the surroundings. Even when we re-located to a higher spot at Silverband falls, which was as magical a place as it sounds, the locusts were ready to continue their persecution.

Today we decided to abandon the area and drove for about 200kms north-west, towards the dry deserty corner of Victoria. We barely encountered anywhere which was locust free but enjoyed a change of scene from mountainous to prairie-like, corn growing, mostly flat, agricultural country.

I almost forgot to mention the weather which I'm sure is a pre-occupation with my reader(s) - their's rather than mine. It is warmer here than Ballarat and we've had some quite hot days, generally needing the air-con in the car. However, we have seen hail, heard thunder and listened to heavy rain pounding on the roof at night - probably encouraging the locusts in their locusty habits. Thankfully it has hardly rained during the day, but the temperatures vary and it tends to be chilly at night.

I've just been informed by Phil that my potato will be cold soon, so I will leave it here. As we forgot to bring Scrabble (could only find Snakes & Ladders in supermarket!), we will be spending what is left of the evening watching some Ozzie tv - the highlight tonight being 'Christmas Carols at the Sydney Opera House'. We haven't thought too much about Christmas. In future years, I may feel the need to hang locust look-alikes on the tree - or not.

It's raining locusts

It's not so much raining locusts but snowing locusts. Apparently at night (according to Philippa's web research), the Australian Plague Locust is known for being heard 'raining' on rooftops - so we are in for a noisy night. The above is a pic of Dave, who showed us to our cabin and revelled in the locusts as much as we did - we all may feel differently tomorrow.

Today we travelled the relatively short distance from Ballarat to Hall's Gap, in the Grampians, greeted on the approaches by the said locusts. The windscreen soon became splattered and Phil wondered what a Buddhist would do. I have never seen anything like it and the initial wonder and excitement could be likened to a first snow flurry. I dread to think what sort of slush we'll find in the morning.

Fortunately we are staying in a very salubrious cabin which is almost locust-proof, apart from the fragments finding their way down through the extractor fan above the cooker. Having just this moment popped out of the front door to assess the situation, I've unfortunately let three of the 'hoppers' in and having been mildly chastised by my dinner companions (Humphrey and Phil), I hope none of us inadvertently eats one - especially the non-meat eaters - although the windscreen green slime residue is visually more grass-slime like than meat. Talking of grass, most of the green stuff in this campsite in the sun has been stripped down to brown.

The sun has just set at 8.00pm and a huge number of locusts have departed, as the info on the internet said they would. I've just caught sight of a Kookaburra enjoying a late feast on what's left of the lawn outside our window. Flying Long-billed Corellas have also been doing the same. Our wordsmith Phil, has pointed out that the car we are driving is a Corolla?!?

Have just caught sight of a Kangaroo (first this hol), nuzzling locusts on the grass in the dusk - am beginning to feel like I'm actually Down Under. Phil has just read something about snow and travel disruption in the UK and I'm grateful to be here and not there - locusts and all.

Too cold to blog

It's very cold here in Ballarat. It should be in the thirties centigrade and instead it's about 17 by day and very cold by night. I have barely a strip of cloth to wrap around one arm, let alone one of the multiple woolly/fleecy garments of home, which are now just a distant dream. Victoria has been in the grip of much needed wet but not so welcome cold - just my luck. I shouldn't have longed for warmth with quite such desperation. We plan to camp for a week after Christmas, sleeping in my super-thin sleeping bag, last used seriously in the extremely hot temperatures of the Kimberleys.

Oh well... must make more of an effort to re-claim my adventurous spirit which isn't supposed to care too much about climatic conditions. Phil has just announced that the sun has shown itself and we are spending the day with Holly and Pete, celebrating Holly's birthday - although it's not until tomorrow. Tomorrow she leaves for a field trip trapping mammals in the Ottways and we'll be re-united just before Christmas. We'll be heading for the Grampians so I'll need to relocate my adventurous spirit by Tuesday.