Back to Auckland

On Wednesday morning, we called in to see Carol and Peter who have just moved up to Whangarei, then took the old road back through Orewa, where we called in briefly on Catherine and children to drop in spare copies of the family histories. We collected El Cheapo from the retirement village where Margaret and Peter live and said farewell to Allan and Heather. The trip into the city was uneventful apart from missing the turnoff due to change of exit number. We found a handy spot to park near the hotel while I left the bags, then returned the car by 2 pm, walking back through the city to the hotel. It was wet and blustery but by then we had learned that things changed regularly.
We found the supermarket next door to the hotel provided us with all we needed in sustenance after the previous days of plenty and settled back to rest before a day of exploration.

Russell and Waitangi

On Tuesday morning we started with a walk at Whangarei Falls, a lovely spot close to the city centre, before heading north to Russell where we caught a ferry and took in the sights from the lookout. It was a lovely sunny clear day for this. We then drove around to Waitangi where we met Diane, Doug, Robin, Margaret and Peter in a minibus, and had lunch together before visiting the museum and wandering around learning about the Treaty and spending time together. They were taking Robin further north for the night.
We took a scenic drive back to Whangarei and another enjoyable evening with Allan and Heather.

North to Whangarei

Allan and Heather came to collect us on Monday morning and we drove north, calling in at Sandspit to see the old Wellington bach which is not longer in the family, then stopping for lunch before visiting the Kauri Museum at Matakohe. This was a very interesting and well presented collection and we enjoyed quite some time there before continuing on to Whangarei and their new home just north of the city.

The Wellington Gathering

Margaret, the eldest child Keith and Thelma, expressed a desire for all their descendants to meet and have some knowledge of each other. We were pleased to be invited and that Robin was also coming from Victoria, so that three branches were represented. In all, there were 55 expected and the party was held at Jan and Lester Smith's home, with plenty of room for small children, regardless of weather.
It turned out to be a perfect sunny day starting to set up mid morning with a light lunch and a sit down dinner later. We all received a parcel containing nametags, contact list and family histories of both Wellington/Vail and Thelma's family. These came in glossy publications: a new concept for my histories. Lots of photos of family groups were taken, to be added to the impressive slide show already assembled of old photos. It was a great success.

To Auckland via the Firth of Thames

Saturday morning started again with a large breakfast, but in the lower dining room, watching birds in the vegetation outside the window. We then wandered about the grounds which are nicely planted with natives between the buildings, before heading off in the car mid morning. We drove south initially to follow the river upstream below our walks of the previous day. Heading north on back roads, we skirted Lake Waikare and emerged on the western shore of the Firth of Thames to lunch among the tourist vans on the edge of seabird habitat. Driving north we found the perfect icecream shop in a quiet seaside village. For a perfect sunny Saturday, it was very quiet, so close to Auckland.
Back on the motorway through the city, it rained a bit but had cleared by the time we reached Stanmore Bay on the north side. Being ahead of our expected arrival time, we had a look at the beach and area that two of the cousins have retired to, then headed to meet Margaret and Peter. What a pleasure, with familiar smiles and features which don't come out in photos, although I was recognising them from old photos, in fact.
Diane and Doug collected Robin from the airport and we all had dinner together with their son Steven who had come up from New Plymouth. It was quite a reunion of 4 cousins who had not seen each other in half a century.

Monday

By Monday morning I was pretty stuffed, with a sore throat. We decided to miss the morning walk although we had not done the Walnut avenue, Mansell reserve circuit, and after some quick shopping for supplies, got away mid morning.
We had smoko again at the same place in Balranald, but made a detour via Maude on the way to Hay. It has an impressive weir on the Murrumbidgee and the road went through wetlands in contrast to the saltbush. In Hay, we had lunch at a park beside the old gaol.

Our next variation was from Rankine Springs north to Lake Cargelligo which was another interesting road with spring crops and nice rolling hills.

Sunday

Our morning walk took us up to the hospital, through Henderson Park, Deakin Avenue to 12th street and the pool, then ?
We went out to the school where we wandered around, talked to a few people but found it too noisy so we grabbed a hamburger then drove out to Merbein and Wentworth returning along the river by 2pm. We parked the car at Olive Avenue then walked into town to meet Jan for a coffee.
Then it was back to our highlight happy hour and dinner with Ron and Bronwen.

Paddlesteamer Gem

Wentworth Wharf

The Junction - river gums drowned by the weir downstream

Saturday

We started Saturday with the Farmers Market down near the wharf. It is a nice grassy location under trees and a good place to meet and mix.
After lunch we walked back down for the 2 hour cruise on PS Melbourne. I really enjoyed this 25 years ago at the 75th celebrations, but this time we did not mingle as much and I only saw one person I recognised, but I enjoyed sitting with Dick and Bronwen. It was interesting with the visiting paddle steamers which had come for the centenary of the Melbourne the previous weekend, and also the high river with the weir pulled out.

We enjoyed another great happy hour at Olive Avenue before driving out to Club Da Vinci 

Friday in Mildura

We started the day with a walk along eighth street to the new marina then back along the river, where the visiting paddle steamers were loading wood on the wharf.
After breakfast we headed out to the school by 10 am for registration on the front lawn, a tour of the buildings with a senior student, then Community Singing in the school hall which is now a dance studio. I met up with Janice Hill, Heather Marshman and Joanne Facey so it was nice to sit with old classmates. There was a great roll up and enthusiastic singing for over an hour. I had taken my old songbook but they provided new ones which was nice.

In the afternoon we went for a walk, and called in at the Bowls Club to see if our fathers were recorded on any honour boards, but some had been taken down for renovations.
The evening event was drinks at the Brewery which is the old picture theatre. It was noisy, crowded and very little food which came infrequently later, but I caught up with quite a lot of people who had just arrived for the weekend. It was bad luck that the venue was not sufficient as many people missed out because they did not book early, although it turned out that they did not miss much.

Hay to Mildura

We woke to a windy morning so we drove into town looking for a spot to have breakfast and opted for the bought version at the hot bread shop. It was noisy with bread making but the coffee scrolls were good although the cappuccino I ordered came as a tea bag in a cup, having asked if they had coffee.
We had a look at the old gaol and the railway station with references to the Dunera boys from 1941 who were dumped at Hay until they replaced them with POWs.
Across the one tree plain to Balranald where we called in at Yanga Station which was sold to National Parks in 2005. It overlooks a large lake and is made of logs and is quite impressive. We then had smoko in town beside the river - again high before driving on through Euston to the Murray where we found the Marion just below the Gol Gol pub so we stopped to take it all in, being a lovely day.

We had intended to go on to Wentworth for lunch to avoid arriving at that time but got a message that lunch was waiting us in Mildura which was most welcome.
We went for a walk down to Rio Vista and Loch 11 with the weir lifted out, then back along the riverbank before settling in to happy hour prior to our first event at 6pm: the opening of the art exhibition at Gallery 25 at the end of Deakin Avenue. This was followed by a quick walk up to the old Carnegie Library for the  launch of Glen Miller's history of the school where we caught up with Ron.
It was nice to be able to walk to these things - a similar distance to when we lived there.

Paddle Wheels Away

I have just enjoyed reading Paddle Wheels Away by Will Lawson. Published in 1947, this is a fictionalised history of the rivers in the 1880-90s.
I also have two books with lots of old photographs  to enjoy: River Boat Days [1972] and Riverboat Ways [1983] by Peter Phillips.

Mildura Calling

This time next week we will be in Mildura for the centenary of Mildura High School which started as an agricultural college. I have gathered my relevant books and started with Mildura Calling by Alice Lapthorne. It is nice to revisit the history of the irrigation settlement and the Chaffey brothers, especially as I was house captain of Chaffey in 1966 - the girls were not the best house in my time, although the boys were. Next reading will be on the riverboats. I am looking forward to going on the Melbourne again after 25 years. It has an impressive steam driven engine. I just read about all the firewood which was cut to fire the steam driven pumps for the irrigation until they were replaced by electric pumps. Somewhere further down the track I will get to salinity.

Brisbane and Mullum

Lee was up for a few days, interviewing for Treasury grads. It coincided with Jim's birthday so we went down on Wednesday afternoon and we all walked up to the Thai place at Annerley for a nice meal, after some happy hour at Jim's while waiting for him to run home from uni. He is in training for Brisbane half marathon in early August. We stayed overnight then had a look at some places with Em next morning when she returned Jim's car, before heading down to Mullum to have lunch with Mum. It was a nice day and she was looking well.

Vale Margaret

We were sorry to receive a message from Richard Bell while at Mullum on 10 June, that Margaret had passed away at her unit that morning. We had only been back from France a week and had not had time to visit her, but it sounds like she went in a way that she would have preferred, living independently to the end.
On Saturday 23rd, we called in to see Maureen at the unit and help with the clear out. Andrew, Richard and Marguerite came up for a final visit and small gathering of friends at Bally Cara on Friday 29th and we removed the remaining small things after they left for the airport. Maureen and Harry completed the last larger things next day.

Mullum

Andrew and Steven were up for the June long weekend so we went down on the Sunday for lunch and to celebrate Andrew's birthday. It was quite cold down there with wet weather so we were glad it was a flying visit. Em and Lee had been up to Toowoomba on the Friday and Saturday nights so we left Jim's car at Beenleigh at a shopping centre and did the rest of the trip south in one vehicle.

It's raining again

How good is this? We got 24 mm in the previous events and now there's more. At this rate the tank will fill - the old one that is - the new one is yet to be connected. One day the plumber will come and do it. Meanwhile I am moving dirt around it and looking forward to a new vegetable garden in spring.
Last week it was wet and misty on Tuesday morning and four of us turned up for the walk as well as Don the messenger of non-start. We headed west to Kingsthorpe lookout and the finer side of town. It was a pleasant drive and climb with things looking fresh straight after rain. Gisela had made a big cake for the planned bus trip to Nanango which was postponed so we four ladies enjoyed it in the park at Gowrie Junction on the way back. We enjoyed the best of the day.
The weather on the weekend was not so good but I got out to move dirt on Saturday afternoon, then on Sunday we went visiting family with lunch at Scarborough. It was nice to see the sea and we called in on Jim and his friends moving house on the way home.
Today we walked in the Upper Perseverance area which was nice and soft for a change. The moss on the rocks in the gullies was lush and moist and the grey green lichens were leafy and bright. We even saw a pool of water.

On tour

Em and I stayed on with Mum on Monday night then headed south, towing the camper. We called in on our friend and honorary granny, Margaret, in Lismore and enjoyed an hour of catching up, which was not nearly enough, then headed down to Grafton via Casino for lunch with Janet and Dick in their new house. It was a good drive with the area looking well after good rain.
After lunch we headed up the Clarence River through the Gibraltar Range and Washpool National Parks to the New England tableland and on to Girraween where we selected the same camping spot where we stayed in February with Liz.
Yesterday we climbed Castle Rock then walked out to the Sphinx and Turtle Rock, then back to the Pyramid, with food stops during the morning. We then cooled off in a pool in the creek before lunch and packing up for the drive home.