Caravan Trip 2015 week 1

 

With the graduation ceremonies and Sarah's 21st done and dusted we had a window of a few months to do some more traveling. We packed up and headed East again! After a busy morning of doing last minute jobs we left for our first stop Lake Grace... 

 It was a bit windy and cold there but still saw a great sunset as we walked the dogs along the main street of Lake Grace...

After a very windy night and not much sleep we drove onto Esperance where we camped in Dad's yard for 2 nights. The weather was stunning and we enjoyed the beach and walking out on the jetty and being "tourists" in what was once out home town...

 

 

 

 After a few enjoyable days it was time to head out to the Nullarbor.  We made it to Balladonia and set up...

 

We took the dogs for a walk along the golf hole and saw another beautiful sunset...

Next morning we woke to this unusual fog which was also very pretty...

 



Then it was off for another long day of travel with the trucks on the Nullarbor. We had a few breaks at Cocklebiddy and Mundrabilla before arriving at Eucla for the night...

 



 Next day was quite hot  but we still had a break and checked out the cliffs along the Great Australian Bight again. They looked different in different light and seasons from when we visited last year...

 

Always trying to get the perfect shot

 

We stopped at Nullarbor roadhouse for lunch and Nundroo for a cuppa before arriving at Penong for the night. We actually stayed in the same caravan bay as we did last year! 

 

With the change in time zones for us and the near end of daylight saving the sun did't rise until nearly 7.30!  We drove through the quarantine checkpoint and handed over a few vegies. We stopped at Ceduna for a walk and to buy some fruit and vegies before moving onto Poochera and Wudinna.

Doggies in Oyster shell in Ceduna



Granite statue in Wudinna

 Having made it "half way across Australia" we set up camp in Kimba for the night...

 



March



March was another busy month with graduations and getting ready for another caravan trip over east. Here's a look at  a few other things that went on during the month.  I spotted this beautiful dragon fly in the garden ~ love the detail on its transparent wings...

 Nicole, Madison and Danika got dressed up and went to the Bunbury Cup and had a great day and didn't come away with any great wins...

 Daniel took part in the Worlds Greatest Shave to raise money for the Leukaemia Foundation. He  certainly looked different with his head shaved but it was all for a good cause...

 

I started my LSL holidays which also meant my last day working at the Plaza as our poor old dilapidated store is being closed for demolition in April. We have certainly had some fun over the 15 years I have worked here...



 But when the staff room clock even looks like this its definitely time for new beginnings!...

 I have walked up and down these stairs so many time in my 15 years and it will be a sad day when the poor old Plaza is demolished...

 We took Mum and Dad J to Perth for a visit to the Air Force Museum. Dad J enjoyed reminiscing about his time in air force and was pleased to find his name in one of the books...

 

Yet another trip to Perth (needed to live up there this month!) to see the legendary Rod Stewart in concert again. It was a great night and we had good seats...



 He still likes to kick soccer balls into the crowd...

And at 70 years of age he has still got some of his classic moves happening...

 

Janelle and Sarah gifted us a weekend away down south to the beautiful Cape Lodge. This was for all our help in their recent house moves. So after some packing for our upcoming caravan trip we headed down for some relaxing...





 The grounds were stunning ~ we drank wine, walked and even tried our hand at a game of croquet...

 

 

Our unit

It was a lovely little getaway.

As if March wasn't busy enough we also had a drama with our sweet little Bella. She developed a terrible cough so we took her to the vet. They said she had a serious heart problem and we would have to leave her in for tests. So we did and went off to Janelle's graduation in Perth not knowing how ill she was.  I get called to the vet and they tell us she has an enlarged heart and collapsing trachea and send us home with all sorts of medications and a very large vet bill. They don't agree with her and make her so thirsty she can't stop drinking and keeps wetting herself. Totally out of character. Anyway a few days later Lucy gets the same cough!!!! Relief for me as obviously they both have some viral thing. So I phone the vet and they suggest they both have a strain of kennel cough (even though they are immunised!) and have not been to kennels recently. So then we have to wean Bella off all this medication and be thankful she will be coming on a caravan adventure with us and not on her death bed with all these things the vet says she had wrong with her! They both recovered quickly and here is our "sick" fur baby thoroughly enjoying her first stop of her trip in Esperance doing her all time favourite thing at the beach...