THE END IS IN SIGHT

Wasn't sure anyone had noticed the lack of posts, but a couple of sharp eyed readers, with nothing else to do, except maybe enjoy their own time away from the freezing UK, have made complaints.  Are Pissing Possums the end of the story?  Not really, but we have been in repeat mode since returning to Dunsborough on 9th January:

• More cruises - this time back to the newly refurbished Dolphin Discovery centre in Bunbury.  Great new cafe, interpretation centre - same dolphins swimming by your feet and then this time on a cruise into the bay

• More DIY - after fly screens and possum pee obliteration, a broken door knob puzzled us for an hour or so - off to the local whiz kids at hardware store who not only showed us how to sort, but donated a small screwdriver to fix it.  B&Q take note!!
• More cafes - this is our favourite and took Niki with us this time.  Good food and unbeatable views
  

• More swims
  
• More coastal walks
  
• More tennis - 3 x a week for us, plus lots of TV Australian Open - which goes to the News dead on 6pm, regardless of state of match being played - aaaaargh!  We also watched a good live session of the Hopman Cup, GB v Greece, before leaving Perth.
• More curries from the van
• More fish and chips
• More birdwatching
  
• More shopping - great picnic table seen at outdoor cinema.    Ideal for festivals.  Stuff can't get at home - Orange Power loo spray, fried noodles for salads, new pair of thongs (flip flops to you and me)
  
• More problems at Raven Hill - dripping tap to go with the broken shower.  Plumber required next week!
• More holidays for Niki - she came down for 3 days R&R - and check on her long term tenants!  We'll be gone soon. Promise.
• More of the boring stuff (see previous blog) - grand clean before leaving - house, towels/linen, clothes.

Plus

• Haircut for me - before and after
  
• An unusual stormy 2 days to remind us of home

The final leg (blog)

And now the final blog for this trip.  We return to Perth at the end of the week - outdoor cinema, fringe festival events, last minute shopping.  Then homeward bound to arrive back on 5th.

Thanks to all my readers and for the comments - when they worked. 

As ever, our huge thanks to Niki for the loan of her holiday house, her hospitality in Perth, her company on the various holidays she spent with us and especially for the recuperation time it has given to Graham, after his tough 2018.  Who would have thought all this would pan out after sharing that hut on the kibbutz over 40 years ago!  

Life, eh?

PISSING POSSUMS

As previously reported, there are ringtail possums living above the deck at our (Niki's!) house.  As they are an endangered species, they are protected, so you can't just shoot 'em or string 'em up - even when they clatter across the roof at night and early morning on the way to and from their daytime bedroom.  And making a massive mess, even if it's hidden away!   They were in the roof space in the house, but after that avenue was closed off (with difficulty - they ate through the first wire closure) they hopped a few yards away to the small enclosed area above the deck.  The idea for removing them is to wait until they leave and then block up their hole and hope they go next door.

These are the little beggars over the last few years when we have caught them on camera leaving around 8pm, as it gets dark.

Niki has been debating what to do for a year or so, but as she isn't down here much, it's not a priority and the only problem, so far is a stained roof above the deck.

Something lurking up there!

Until a couple of days ago - and this greeted me on arrival for breakfast on the balcony - uh oh!

Dripped on to my chair - yuck!

Congealed possum piss on my chair!

Something had to be done - and without worrying Niki, who had bone scans and cat problems of her own back in Perth.  So off to local DIY chainstore, where brilliant man confirmed that we needed sealant and paint to cover it up and prevent leaks.  B&Q take note - he asked us on arrival if we needed help and then sorted us out and confirmed it all with other brilliant man at desk.

And then Graham was back in work mode, after his amazing success with the fly screen (see 9 December 2018 on right) - paintbrush, old painting shorts, turps, paint, ladder and old sheets - all found at the house or bought from nice man.

Success - it's looking great and so far no more surprises or drips on the head - always a worry!!!!!

However, leaving the major problem for Niki to sort - ie take down ceiling, block entrance or whatever - the joys of house ownership.  Us tourists just pack up and go home and sort out their own problems - according to housesitting reports that includes busted shower and cluster flies in roof - there may be more.  Hey ho.

JUST CRUISIN' ALONG

Just like buses - you don't get a blog for ages, then 2 come along at once!  Afraid, life was just too busy after Christmas, touring around the South West - but you lot were busy too - a definite drop off in blog readers for several weeks.  But here we all are again - ready to report and read.

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The thing about all this south west corner of Australia is that it's just wall to wall ocean and beaches - and lots of rivers draining into the sea.  Ideal for the local tour operators to offer cruises up and down the local river to the inlet/ocean, with plenty of bird life, opportunities for local information from the skipper and various food and drink - from fish and chips to muffins.  So it seems churlish not to take advantage of such offerings - and we have.  See the list below - and not exhaustive for the area, as we have been on others in past years - most notably the WOW cruise in Walpole that everyone we meet tells us we have to go on - it was the best of all cruises, all down to Gary who runs it - see 10th February 2016 on the right.

• Whale watching - Geographe Bay - hot drinks and biscuits
•  See previous blog 29/11/18

• Augusta - Blackwood River - water - but BYO
•  See previous blog 24/12/18

• Swan River - Perth to Freo (Fremantle to you and me) - wine and full bar and cafe - posh.  And instead of wildlife we got to see $50m+ houses along the way.  Bit out of our league but some you wouldn't want anyway!

• Denmark - Wilson Inlet - fish and chips from local hotel delivered to boat - BYO.  This was a surprise trip for Niki on New Year's Eve.  She had flown down rather than be cramped up in the car for 4-5 hrs with her new hip - very sensible.

• Pemberton - Donnelly River - tea, coffee, famous home made muffins by the skipper

And a tram ride

Probably the most uncomfortable hour and a half of the whole trip!  

A real bone shaker.  And as it was full, Graham and I had to squeeze on to one seat - not great for his poor old legs and numb feet!

Message to cousin Allan in the US - so glad that Roy booked us on the comfortable seats for our all-day train trip in Colorado!!!!!  See here for the USA blog from 2017

SCULPTURES AND A BIRTHDAY

Movies

Discovered more exciting ways to dazzle my audience after the collage blitz a few years ago - Google led the way with a wholly unasked for movie of Xmas Day.  It was actually quite good (apart from the naff music), based on all the photos taken on 25th December, so it set me thinking.  Have been testing idea out, but it took forever to upload my first one to insert into blog and before it had even finished it had gobbled up 1gb of my monthly 8gb of phone data!  And that was just 20 photos thrown together.  So now will just insert a link to the movies - live and learn.  Always a little late to the IT party - one day I might post on Facebook, or Twitter, or even Tinder - that one sounds like fun!

Favourite ever garden 

We stayed here at Lakeside Retreat 2 years ago, see 14 Feb 2017 on right for details of owners etc.(no apologies for repeating photos), and although we only had 2 nights in Pemberton, it was enough to check out the birds, sculptures and garden again.  Even more development since last time, so check out the movie (first, but not the last, of my new found talents!) here

 

 

The splendid wrens are just so - splendid!

Another repeat

This time it was a paid-for walk in the bush, on a sculpture trail in a little place called Northcliffe and again you can see previous pics on link dated 8th February 2016. A lot the same but some new ones including these

They were created by Kim Perrier and called Rising From the Ashes. "He spent around 12 months working with the Northcliffe community to create a huge body of 43 sculptures, featured along the trail of Understory. This work, called Rising From the Ashes, commemorates the biggest bushfire in recent WA history. The February 2015 Northcliffe bushfires swept through around 100,000 hectares destroying and damaging habitats, farms, forests, and plantations, and causing significant property loss."

Some of the other sculptures were

Graham's birthday

We stopped at the Sculpture trail on a day's travel to the Lakeside Retreat, above, from our Airbnb in the Porongurups (see 25th February 2017) on Graham's birthday - these were some of the things we did for the rest of the day

Thanks to all those who sent him good wishes on the day (another great tennis card of the e-type from Bill and Val - we have been exchanging tennis themed cards for around 20 years or more) and especially Lin for remembering to give him a card (see breakfast photo) in November!!!

And then as a surprise present I bought him this bench

Tricky to get in the suitcase, but am sure we will manage.

AN AUSTRALIAN CHRISTMAS

Called the Australian Xmas tree as always out this time of year 

It's all been so pretty low key compared to home so it was hard to get into the Christmas spirit in the heat and sun.  Decorated house and gardens are few and far between, although these people made an effort with their bike, garden and tree.

The organisers of the outdoor carol concert and nativity reenactment at Dunsborough did their best, but really our local primary school put on a better show! Picnics and carols in the sun didn't do much for our festive feelings.

The manic last minute shopping still apparently happened, but as we didn't have to do any present or food buying, it has kind of passed us by.  Not missed at all!

Christmas eve 

Bbq at home in Perth

Christmas day 

A bit different - Graham and I went to the beach, along with most of Perth!  Had to be done.

Then back for breakfast by the pool.  Then present opening for Niki, Tim and ourselves 

This was the painting by our amazing artist friend Bob, in Witherslack, of Lester - Niki loved it, of course.   See his Facebook for his wonderful paintings and fund raising for charity 

Then out to lunch at gorgeous restaurant in Matilda Bay on the Swan River. 

Great 3 hr meal with Niki, Tim and Lynn, Niki's sister in law.   Window seats overlooking the yachts and water.  All very different and not a turkey in sight, but we did miss our bread sauce!!

As ever, worldwide, we all collapsed back home feeling stuffed with good food and wine - great!   We talked to Jen later in our day, just as she was revving up for the big dinner in the Cotswolds - sorry to miss the family day, but ours was pretty good too.

Thanks to Niki for a wonderful day.

AUGUSTA - SOUTH WEST TIP OF AUSTRALIA

Holiday

Had to leave Dunsborough for a few days just before Christmas as Niki's son, Tim, wanted to go down from Perth with a few mates.  Perfectly reasonable, I guess, as it belongs to his family!  So we decided we needed a holiday after 3 weeks hard graft on the beaches, coastal paths, coffee shops and tennis courts there, and moved on further south to Augusta.  This is at the southern tip of the Cape to Cape track that we have been doing bits of in the North.  See past blogs on right hand side - 5/2/16, 3/2/17

We took a slow, stopping route looking at new beaches, old favourites  - see 5/2/16, 13/2/17  - but no blue wrens at cafe this time (hoping for them at the lovely garden Airbnb after Xmas) or rays - too much seaweed at ray beach and had our next big wildlife experience.

Dolphin spectacular 

Stopped at new beach, Redgate, and watched the rollers crashing in and surfers in the distance. And then in came a big wave - full of dolphins surfing in it, just like the documentaries and videos! Unbelievable -  too busy watching to take own video.

So try this one as an example.

But managed some quick ones on the camera

Leaping out of wave towards us - having fun!

Nearly beating Graham and Nate for Wildlife Photographer trophy. 

Augusta trips 

Had a packed few days based at our Airbnb house in this small town of 1300 residents - with 3 times as many holiday homes for the Perth crowd looking for cooler climes in their summer.  Still quiet for us, but apparently hordes arrive on Boxing Day for several weeks.

Great repeat river trip from 2016 - this time all to ourselves!  Loads of birds as the River Blackwood meets the Southern ocean, so tidal flats and sandbars for them.

Spoonbills, red necked stilts, Caspian tern, white faced Heron - and Graham and skipper in empty boat

Then into the depths of one of the hundreds of limestone caves between Dunsborough and Augusta - 5 or so are open to public.  Always stunning down there and aptly named Jewel Cave.  Interesting history here on how it was found (imagine just being lowered through a hole in the ground and then looking around) and the remains discovered over the years.

There are 2 lighthouses at either end of the Cape to Cape track - so went up this one at Caper Leeuwin - a great day as you can see, but often a windy, windy place here all year round.

More of a name change of one big body of ocean rather than a meeting of currents

View from the top

And being surrounded by oceans we just had to try one of the top ten chippies in Australia

So good we went twice out of 3 nights!  Nephew Ben - eat your heart out for the fishing here.

A MOOEY CHRISTMAS AND SOME TWEETS

Cowaramup

The name is believed to be derived from Aboriginal word cowara, meaning purple-crowned lorikeet. Locals from the region often refer to the town as "Cowtown", a reference to the use of "cow" in the town's name and its history of dairy farming.

Cowaramup is home to a herd of 42 life sized fibreglass Friesian cows and calves wandering the streets, parks and shops of the village.

The cows love having their photographs taken and often dress up for any occasion.

A community project supported by the local Lions Club, the udderly delightful bovines mooved into the town in July 2012.

Each year in July, we celebrate our cows with a huge Cow Town Birthday Party. Deja Moo – A LegendDairy Country Fair is a wonderful extravaganza where locals and visitors come together for a day of cowabunga fun and frivolity.

A nice lady was just placing these wreaths on this one - for the second time - some cow-faced idiot nicked the first lot.

As you can imagine for a tourist town there is plenty of cow inspired tat in the gift shops - but this place has a certain clever ring to it.

Not Oz birds

Our housesitters have set up a webcam on our feeders at home - these are some of the results and if you click on the photos you can see the amazing details. 

Nate has to rival Graham for wildlife photographer of the year.   Just a bit nervous that he and Mark won't want to leave in February - they seem to be loving Beck Head. 

This is all I can do for the time being - dolphins, whales and possums already catered for.  Goannas, spoonbills, purple swamphen, white faced heron, indeterminate flowers.

But I still rest on my laurels for the ones of the osprey we saw eating a fish just near us - see 9th February 2017 on right hand side blog archive column.

And we went back this year to see if we could see it again - no luck  but this is a photo of his favourite lunch spot - tell tale scales and fish tails underneath.  So he is around somewhere.