The Forests of Gippsland

There are some beautiful locations around the hills of Gippsland.  We traveled the backroads to check out possible camping locations and saw some amazing country.

We found a camping area next to the Toorongo River which looked good.

Then we had a look around Noojee and the historic rail bridges

We checked out the Kurth Kiln State Park and the camping area and then on to Cannibal Creek Winery where we found a number of wines that we liked.  We now have a little additional weight in the car.
We finished the day with a wander around the park and  local creek followed by a further consideration of the local cheeses and wine.  Approval was granted.

Trial Run For New Van

The new van needed a trial run so we are testing it out in the wilds of West Gippsland.  We set up next to a creek in a park near Drouin.

We checked out the local produce with some interesting cheeses from Yarragon and a visit to the Narkoojee Winery and the purchase of some Shiraz and some Cab. Sav. 

We (that is - Claire) is trialling the cooking capabilities of the van.

and I am performing some heavy duty supervision with the assistance of the local produce.

Jets Power On

James and the Jets had a great day yesterday in their Elimination Final.  Although they had previously beaten Vermont, their last meeting did not end happily.  They came out firing from the start and overcame Vermont 51 to 24.

It was a real team effort with all the boys contributing to a great win.  So they play again next week. Let's hope they maintain the momentum.

AusKick

They had had a late night but Jack and Cooper were ready for AusKick this morning.  I am always impressed at the quality of this program and its ability to keep activities moving along and keep the children interested.  Cooper was concentrating on his kicking.

Lachlan (reluctantly) looked after Granny but he thought he really should be participating in the program.

Jack, as usual, enjoyed the whole experience.

Clan Reunites

It was a big night last night.  With the family all back in the same city we were able to have a family dinner together.  They are a noisy crowd, Brett's birthday song was deafening!

Jets down Croydon

James was on the ball this week for the game against Croydon.  Despite a rough first quarter, the boys rallied to win the game in convincing fashion.

James picked up another award this week.  He is never one to hang about for accolades so I barely had time to hit the shutter button!

Basketball - James

Well James team did not win against Balwyn but they did give a good account of themselves. James was in the thick of the action of course.

In the photo above, he is converting a foul to a point for his team. He does like to move the ball down the court.

Basketball - Pat

Pat's team played Park Orchards today and they put on quite a show.

Pat threw a couple of goals and in the second half he was grabbing the ball and generally getting in the face of Park Orchards.  It was one of the best games we have seen him play.  Great game Pat!

Constructor Kid

Lachlan visited this morning while Cooper was at kinder.  The mysteries of construction were the subject of the morning's studies.

Jets Down Rowville

It was another good day for the Jets today.  It was an earlier start for the team photos.

It must have stirred the boys into action because they came out firing.  In fact, Rowville did not really threaten at any time.  James started in the back so was not seeing much action.  In the second half he was put on the ball and really had a good time.

He laid some really good tackles, he kicked a point but he also set up at least one goal and made some great passes.  As a result he received one of the Coach's awards at the end of the match.  The Jets won 11-8 78 to 2-3 15.

Pool Finally Filled!

The long planned pool with foundations that penetrate the earth's crust has finally been filled.  It might have taken a while to complete and there may have been a few interruptions to the construction schedule but it has been worth the wait!  It was filled yesterday and is now settling and having intensive filtration time.  It looks a picture in it's environment.

Cooper's Birthday Photo

It has been a while.  There have been a number of attempts to get Cooper's birthday photo and when we finally got one it doesn't appear to have made it to the Blog.  A spot of rectification is in order.
Here 'tis.

Jets Bomb Norwood

The Jets had a good day today completely dominating Norwood.  As James was playing in defence he did not see a lot of action but when the ball was near him he did his bit.

As usual, Adam got a real workout all over the field.

Farm Picnic

It was decided that a picnic on a local Children's Farm was in order yesterday.  Beside that, Adam wanted a few new chickens.  The weather was still bleak but it was a fun afternoon feeding animals and watching a few demonstrations.  The sheep dog demos are always fun and who would not get a kick out of watching a Border Collie work a group of sheep?  Those dogs are fantastic.

Northern Visitors

Kylie managed to work her magic today and conjure up a special vehicle to bring Greg down to Melbourne to visit Mum K.  Noel came with her and we all arrived at Baradine where we had arranged to have lunch together.

Lunch was served in a special Guest Room which proved to be an excellent venue.  As Greg is finding it increasingly difficult to move around, it was a golden opportunity for the family meet-up.