Milla- The Wedding

I have only been to one wedding. It was when I was 6 weeks old. I was rely igsited abot going to anuther wedding.

On the weekend we went to my Dad's cusins weding.

The brid cam in a golf bugy.

We had nice clothes on.  I had a hed pese on my hed. (I bought it from a shop in Melbourne with my own money for $2).

We throd rose petils on them,

It was a long wedding cause it went the day before, the whole day at the wedding and the day after.

Harvey- Golf, golf and more golf.

We are in Swan Hill and are at a golf resort for a wedding.  For more informashon read Milla's blog.

Back to golf. In the first game, I didn't play very well.  In the second game, I didn't play at all.  I just caddied and had a little hit every now and then.  On the third and finel game, on what was a beautiful golf course, I think I played very well.  

The greens were very fast so you had to be care full of your putting pace.  There was a lot of water on the corse and belive it or not, they duy the water a speshil colour so the golf course looks good.

I think Pro golfers wouldn't mind playing there.

Maisie-More Old Stuff

Today I visited the second best historical village in Victoria. At Swan Hill, Mum, Milla, Sue, Grandmommy and I went on a paddle steamer ride while the boys played golf ( See Harvey's Blog ). We cruised down the Murray River and it took about one hour. It was very hot! We saw lots of old buildings, horses and carts, vintage cars, and men driving big old tractors. I thought we were going to go under a bridge but we didn't.

The driver let Milla and I steer the boat with him.

When we got off, it was even hotter! We all squeezed in a Vintage car and were driven around the pioneer village.  It was like stepping back in time. We also had a horse and cart ride.

We had a look in so many old buildings like the old chemist, barbers, general store, post office, bank, church and lots more. In the general store I got a bag of lollies for only $1 and Milla got some red licorice. Mum got Harvey a bag of lollies too and Grandmommy got Grandpa a 'metre long licorice' because he loves licorice. Finally we left and went back to the resort. 

Also, yesterday we had the wedding. We had it under the gum trees outside the resort. Then while the bride and groom had their photos taken we went back and sat around and chatted. For dinner we walked up to the Country Club and had dinner there. The air conditioning wasn't working so it was boiling. 

 

Harvey- Growing up as a Boy

When we were in Melbourne we went to where dad grew up in his naberhood.  

He showed us where he played cricket and hide and seek with his friends in his street.  He also showed us where he rode to and from his school and where George the Dog would run out as he rode past.  George would chase dad and try and bite his feet.

Dad was lucky that he had a fun time as a kid.

Great Ocean Road

Milla - Penguin Parade

Maisie : Point Nepean (video)

Maisie-My Melbourne Day.

Yesterday we met up with Johno and Del (some of dad's friends) in Melbourne. We had a coffee and watched the trams go by. Johno and Del gave us a scrapbook each and some pens to share. 

We went for a walk along Brunswick Street in Fitzroy where all the trendy shops are. We saw lots of graffiti. Some of it was very weird.

After that we went to visit dad's grandparents in a nursing home. They gave us some tim tams and ginger bread men! We went for a bit of a walk and I couldn't stop sneezing! When we got back my nose and throat were really itchy. When we left my eyes got itchy as well. Dad said I had hay fever because of all the pollen from the plain trees. Lots of people get it it Melbourne in Spring. We tried lots of chemists but all of them were closed on Sundays. Finally we found one that was open and mum bought some special hay fever stuff. I feel much better now.

We went to Ken and Sue's house for dinner and a swim. Grandmommy and Grandpa were there along with 2 other families with kids. All the kids there were my second cousins. They were Sienna 8, Lilly 8, Harry 3 and Alex 11. We got absolutely millions of present from Grandmommy and Grandpa. I had so much fun! 

We had a picnic dinner on the lawn. By the time we got home it was very late. It was a very big day.

  

Milla- Meeting Grandpa and Grandmommy

Yestday I met Grandpu and Grandmomy for the foest time.  They cam from Amercu.

Grandmomy had an asxent. And Grandpu did't.

I had a orsim day.

Harvey - The Rip Report (video)

Milla- The Trip across the Rip

When my family and I crost the rip we went in aw car. We went on a ship. 

The mouth opened and we drove in. We drove in and parked on the left hand side. We went upstairs where people can have coffees and sit by the window.  We looked out for dolphins but we didn't see any. 

Now we are on the other side of the bay.  Dad showed us a photo of him on the same beach with Big Grandpa when he was a little boy.  

It is very sheltered by lots of trees and it looks like a rainforest.  It is very grassy and a lovely beach. I found a big jelly fish on the beach.  

Maisie-A Golden Day

Yesterday we went to Sovereign Hill ( Ballarat ) and it was the best day I have had on our trip so far! It was like a theme park but very different as well. All the buildings were made to look very old and all the people who worked there were dressed as they would have in the 1870's when they were mining for gold in Ballarat.

 We got to look in all the English miners tents and houses and the Chinese miners ones as well. We got to go into the Chinese temple and learnt about how the Chinese had come to Ballarat in search if gold and how the English made them pay to many taxes because they believed they were stealing Queen Victoria's gold. 

After that we had a quick pan for gold but didn't find anything. It was hard work! Then we did a tour called 'Gold Pour' and we got showed how they turn the gold they dig up into a gold bullion. 

We got to hold the gold when he had finished making it. It was really heavy. It was worth more than $100, 000!!!

Then we went and booked in for an old time photo and went back for another tour this time about tips when you are mining. The guy was really funny.

Soon after that we did a couple of mine tours. I was really scared on the non-guided tour because it was really dark and silent. We learnt about the Welcome Nugget which is the second largest gold nugget and was found in Ballarat. It weighed 69kg and was very big. The largest nugget was called the Welcome Stranger and was also found somewhere in Victoria.

We had lunch at the bakery next to the photograph rooms. Lucky Harvey didn't spill any sause on his clothes!

Then we had our photo taken. It was an amazing experience! Dad wore a suit, Mum wore a massive floral dress, I wore a lovely blue and purple dress, Harvey wore a little suit and baggy hat and Milla wore a light purple dress. All the girls wore bonnets.  Harvey asked if he could hold a cricket bat in the photo.  We weren't allowed to smile, cause in those days they didn't smile in photographs.  Not sure why.

Then we watched the troopers march up the Main Street and fire their guns at the end.  I blocked my ears cause it was very loud.  We also went for a horse and cart ride which was fabulous though really bumpy. 

Then before we went home we had one last pan for gold and with a bit of help from the experts we ended up with about five tiny specks of gold! We put them in a little jar to store them. I had the best day ever!

Milla - A Good Day for Wildlife

Yesterday I saw a cloowarla on the footprthe. It was very coot.

It was a good day for wildlife cose then crosing the rode was an acinu. Wow!

On our trip we have also seen kangaroos and emus.  

One of the emus that we saw near Uluru had 5 babies. We saw it with Nannie and Pop.

We have also seen lots of dead kangaroos on the side of the road and a budgie got stuck in the front of our car.

Harvey- Bells Beach

We have now finishished the Great ocsean Road and went to Bells Beach for lunch.  We walked down the stairs to the beach.  I reckon there was about 70.

Bells beach is famous because there is a world serfing tornament.bells beach normaly has lots of big waves but today it wasn't very windy so there wernt many serfers.

The sand had lots of small black bits. Mum got her sand sample.

Go West Movie

Milla- My Nature Collection

I colet flaiwis and things  from ooll arawd ozstalea.

I collect them from everywhere.  I put them in my door.  There is a little pocket next to me when I get into the car.

When I get home I'm going to make a diorama out of all my nature things.

This is my collection.  

My favourite thing is the orange flower.  I got it from the campsite today. 

My other favourite thing is the rabbit skull.  I found it just outside a rabbit's burrow.

I am very good at spotting new species.  Did you know that you could find a new species of insect in your backyard?  Take it into the museum and they will name it after you.

Maisie-Happy Campers

We are nearly halfway through our trip and we are getting pretty quick with our set-ups and pack-ups. We all have our jobs around the camp ground and we know where every thing is kept. I always set up inside the tent like all the bags, mattresses and sleeping bags. It is a great job if it is raining because you don't get wet and cold but not so good if it is 38 degrees outside because it is always hotter in the tent! Milla and Harvey fight over who is 'peg boy or girl' which is a job where you follow dad around with the pegs so he can peg the tent and fly down. Then if we are doing a full set-up (which is if we are staying more than one night) we put up the gazebo and Milla normally helps mum with the kitchen.This is what a full set-up looks like.

After we have set up Harvey normally plays golf and Milla either plays in the garden or helps mum cook.

 In the tent there are three rooms, one for the kids, one for mum and dad and one for all the bags in the middle.

We pack all our bags, pillows, sleeping bags and togs up in the pod. The fridge-freezer, toiletries bags and lunch for when we have lunch on the side of the road is kept in the boot and all the other stuff like the tent, gezebo and camping chairs are packed in the trailer.  I wouldn't want to be in the car now though because Milla vomited in the car along the winding Great Ocean Road and it still stinks of regurgitated caramel milkshake she had earlier.   

 

Harvey- London Bridge is Falling Down!

 

London Bridge (above) was once conected to the main land, but in 1990 the first arch colapst and a few people were stuck on the new island and then a helicopter had to come and reskue them. Luckly know one was hurt.

The 12 Apostles are limestone rocks which have been eroded away from the main land. Today you can only see 7 as the rest have fallen because of the rough waves smashing up against the soft limestone.

The 12 Apostles are a major land mark in Australia. There were so many look outs along the Great Ocean Road Maisie took photos at every stop but left her camera in the car for the 12 Aposltes.

Milla- Port Fairy Fairy

I am in Port Fairy and I lost my second tooth ever.  And I am very excited because Port Fairy is where the fairies come on holidays so they won't have to come far.  I might even get double!