Cooper - Aussie of the Week

Cooper received his Aussie of the Week award at school.  It was for his work in Maths and it was proudly displayed when we visited last night.

Football - James

Another tough day at the office for the Under 12 Jets.  They met Glen Waverley and received a bit of a hiding.

Oh well - for the team and the spectators there is always next week.

Football - Jack

It was a cold clear morning for the Under 8 Jets to play Kilsyth.  Jack was Full Forward for the first half and kicked 3 goals.

This was the grab that gave him his second goal.

In the second half he was in the back line.  He prefers to play up forward.

Max Has Arrived

We were invited to greet Max on his arrival into the family.  Max is a Spoodle. He is very cute, very black and very difficult to photograph.

Rosie took a little time to get used to the new arrival but they had a good night and seemed none the worse this morning.

The Great Outdoors

Coordinating a camping trip with all the other activities is a challenge at the best of times.  Over the weekend we got in a quick trip to Kirth Kiln. A feature of these expeditions is the healthy menu incorporating all the food groups.  Sausages in bread or bacon on bread.

The boys were occupied with football until after dark.

They must have enjoyed it all because they were keen to organise the next trip before we broke camp.

Birthday Photo - Lachlan

It took a couple of goes but we got Lachlan's fourth birthday photo for Granny's Gallery.

Finally - A Roof

After a couple of weeks delay (tradies and weather) the roof finally went on the patio today.  It is not finished but it will allow other work to go ahead. 

Birthday Photo - Ebony

It has been a week or two since Ebony's tenth birthday but we finally got her photo today.

Birthday Photo - James

We also managed to catch up with James.

Birthday Photo - Cooper

There have been a few birthdays of late and the time has come to synchronise our current (Granny's Gallery) photos.

Back Home

We enjoyed our time at Halls Gap but the time had come to move on.

As we left we could see Mt William - this time from the plains at the base.

Then the van was unpacked.

There was time to look over developments on the patio. The scaffold was in place and a bit of additional roof support but no roof - yet.

Mount William

This morning we decided on a brisk walk up Mt William.  The guides did not tell you that the walk was a couple of km. up a service road that seemed to be at about 25degrees all the way up.  It was quite a climb to what must be one of the highest points in the area.

The compensation for exhaustion is a commanding view of the area.  We found ourselves so high we were above the clouds on the eastern side of the mountains.

The return was a little easier with the prospect of barbequed snags for lunch making it even easier!

Heading For The Hills

The Grampians rise out of the surrounding plains meaning there are some wonderful vantage points for lookouts.  This one gives views over Halls Gap and Lake Belfield where we have been camped.

Reid's Lookout gives spectacular views over the central Grampians.

Unfortunately, there is plenty of evidence of the fires that have done so much damage to the area (and the local economy).  There is some regeneration from earlier fires but the most recent fires have done some real damage.

Out of the Grampians we dropped in to wander the streets of Horsham.  I am not sure what I expected but it is a vibrant town and service centre for the local area.

Gathering Supplies

There are a few wineries in the area so it was natural that we should have a little look.  At Bests which has a history back to the Gold Rush we were invited to see the cellars - which are still operating.  They were dug out by gold miners and the earth walls and huge red gum supports are all original.  Not a nail to be seen.

We needed sustenance before collecting in the supplies.

Touring

The Grampians offers a variety of tracks and walks for the visitor.  We took the track off to the "Silver Band Falls"

 There are no prizes for working out how they arrived at this name.

Then it was on to Stawell to have a look at the town as it prepared for its biggest day of the year as the Stawell Gift is run at Easter.

Morning in Camp

 We like it here.  There is no need for an alarm clock.  The competition is on between the kids running around the tents trying to raise their parents and the noise of a variety of parrots wanting breakfast. In the background is the rush of water in the creek.

Moving On

From Ballarat we moved on to set up in a park just below Lake Bellfield in the Grampians.

The lake feeds into the irrigarion system for a large part of western Victoria.

Park Activity

Van parks have changed a little.  For some reason the kids felt there was no need to go exploring the surrounds of Ballarat.

Then there is camp cooking.  For some reason it all tastes so much better outside.

Visitors Arrive

This afternoon Adam and Patrick battled through the Melbourne traffic to visit us in our country retreat. They came bearing gifts for Lachlan's birthday.

along with a Birthday Cake!

A good portion of the afternoon was spent in the Pool Room. That is the room that contained the pool, the spa, the heated plunge pool and the waterspouts.