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. 

SOCIAL LIFE IN OZ - (with a bit of Beck Head plagiarism)

PROPER CULTURE 

Got lucky, lucky last Sunday with a hot ticket to one of the oldest wineries in the Margaret River region - Vasse Felix.  Friends of Niki's happened to have 2 spare tickets for the last morning concert of the annual Sound and Sense weekend festival, featuring the Australian Chamber Orchestra.  Niki just happened to be down with us in Dunsborough for a few days, so she and I went (Graham was on his acupuncture weekly visit) - and it was pretty amazing.  Great close up live music in the red wine cellar - smelling of wine and oak barrels - very atmospheric and surprisingly good acoustics.

For those of you with a classical bent you may know that they are a quirky, energetic lot who play standing up and have been wowing audiences around the world.  They have just got a 3 year slot at the Barbican in London and if you have seen the stunning film Mountain, the music was arranged and played by them.  Niki flew to Sydney (she has been a fan for 20 years) to see them play live, whilst watching the film, and the rave reviews they gained in the London show are summed up:-

 And lo! They came unto the Barbican, trailing clouds of glory. During a crisp, burnished week in the northern autumn, the Australian Chamber Orchestra brought beauty and awe into the heart of London's classical music scene with a live rendition of the adrenaline-stoked documentary film, Mountain. This collaboration between filmmaker Jennifer Peedom and the ACO held the 2000-strong audience rapt as the musicians played beneath a screen filled with soaring peaks; they gasped as strains of Vivaldi swept over the vision of a climber ricocheting off a cliff face before dangling on his rope, weeping into ice-coated gloved hands. When the screen faded to the final bars of Beethoven's Emperor concerto, the man beside me shook his head: "I've never seen or heard anything like it."

Richard Tognetti, the Artistic Director and Lead Violin plays this:-

In 2007, the ACO received from an anonymous donor the 1743 "Carrodus" violin, made by Giuseppe Guarneri del Gesù. This instrument is claimed to be one of the finest in existence (although it had not been played for over 50 years at the time) and was bought for approximately $10 million. It is currently played by Tognetti in the ACO. 

He goes around with it strapped to his back in a security backpack and chained to his bedpost - literally!  Not sure what he does when he goes surfing - which he did during the weekend.  He sounds a crazy guy reading all the articles about him online.  What a privilege though to hear a $10m violin and a first class player!!!!

Then wined and dined in the beautiful gardens of the winery and chatted to Niki's friends and the musicians.

The main sponsor/friend/wonder-if-she-owns-the-violin - Janet Holmes Acourt - wife of the deceased Robert, who was Australia's first billionaire, gave the introduction and closing speeches.  Everyone seemed to know her, of course, and she is apparently very philanthropic and a huge supporter of the arts.  Moving in exalted circles these days!!

Christmas Party

The advantage of actually living somewhere for a while and getting to know the locals (well, sort of local - everyone we meet at the tennis club are either long term ex-pats from the UK or South Africa, 2-home Aussies from Perth, regular visitors from Italy, UK or sporadic visitors like us).  John and Karen invited us to their early evening get together in their new home in the bush, just outside Dunsborough.  Huge place with the obligatory home cinema, endless deck along 4 rooms and a huge plot of land, plus space for his home manufacturing business of making flame throwers for farmers to burn their stubble at the end of the season - a niche market!  A lovely chatty evening with great food and lots of wine - of course.

Drinks and food overlooking 'roo land

Graham got invited to a 30th birthday party on the beach - he was just sitting on the rocks, when this was set up next to him - crates of champagne and rose wine.  Lovely girl organising it as a surprise for her friend - and so friendly to just invite an old codger sitting alongside!  Would have been a heavy drinking evening I feel - and trying to outdo 30 year olds and remain relevant was somewhat beyond him!
Shame really.

Eating and Drinking social life for two

This was my own social life at our first winery lunch out - just been enjoying lots of coffee stops but eating lunch on our lovely balcony.








And this was a repeat of our Lavender coffee stop - see 18th Feb 2017 - everything, literally, Lavender, including the Christmas tree.  Milk shake, ice cream, teas, sugar, scones, jam - plus every preserve you can think of.  Plus every toiletry you can also think of - lav, lav, lav.  See Cape Lavender website if you absolutely must know more!

But there is more to come over Christmas in Perth - with invites to a bowling evening, meals with Niki's friends and the main day on the beach and posh Riverside restaurant.  Endless exciting blogs to come!!!!

Beck Head plagiarism

Some of you may remember the horrible sight of a goanna eating a bird (see 6th February 2017) - and for a reminder, or a yuck thing for new readers see below.

Well - we have just received a Christmas card from Jaspar, the rodent-eating cat, belonging to Phil and Joan, our next door neighbours in Beck Head 

An obvious case of copycat (pun intended) photography - we shall be instructing our solicitors forthwith!

UP CLOSE ENCOUNTERS

Dolphins delight

Had the whale experience, so went for an even closer dolphin experience.  The Discovery Centre in Bunbury is on a stretch of beach in a sheltered bay, where the dolphins live for most of the year and they come right up into the shallows most mornings and swim around at your feet.  No guarantees as they are wild, which makes it all the more special when you do see them.  We first saw them 12 years ago and 2 tries since with nothing, but got lucky this time with over an hour of them swimming up to your feet and mooching nearby.

The Centre organises volunteers to stand in the water and shepherd visitors into line, with instructions not to touch etc., but with all the info on the individual animals and their behaviour.  The volunteers are from all over and come for several weeks or months in gap years or as part of work experience or study.  Great job!

The old centre was in dire need of updating and there is a whole new one about to open before Xmas.  We will definitely be back in January to see the apparently amazing 360 degree films of dolphins and try for the live meetings again - it's just magic.

Possum in a peppermint tree

May have told you about the possums in the roof space at Niki's a few years ago - they were causing a big noise problem in the roof space above the main bedroom and a possible damage problem too.  So she had the holes blocked up where they entered the roof (twice - they just chewed through the first lot of metal mesh!) in the dead of  night when they weren't there (have to be careful as ring tailed possums are an endangered species).  So they just moved across the house to the space above the outdoor balcony - not so much of a problem there, but other houses have had some dubious drips from above from their own possums!

We have spotted them in the past, just at dusk, appearing out of a tiny hole, and scampering up and over the various houses to the bush across the road.  Then been woken at dawn by them returning across the tin roof - pretty scary the first time you hear them as could swear it's someone breaking in.

But last night, whilst enjoying a first outdoor meal for a week, with just-arrived-from-Perth Niki, this huge animal crept out, down the trellis by Graham's new BBQ and waited here for 30 seconds whilst we all looked at each other, wondering who was going to make the first move

Then it made a dash across the deck to its favourite breakfast bar - the peppermint tree.  Not great piccies, but you get the idea.  Humans were suitably surprised and legs quickly withdrawn as it passed between them!

Endnote - More DIY

Graham was back in action with the DIY, after his stunning success with the BBQ - this time, the fly screen in our bedroom had a load of holes in it - possibly the possum tried to climb up to the roof and failed - so we checked out with the local hardware store and very helpful B&Q type man, who told us how to replace the netting.  Took less than an hour for less than 10 dollars and hey presto.  Fixed.

This was the black goo he used to fix it:-

Just kidding - my liquorice fix from Simmos Ice Cream parlour - only 57 more flavours to go!

BORING BLOG

Living the Dream

As everyone knows, social media is just a way of self promotion so, even though I'm not on Twitter, Facebook or Instagram, am guilty as charged! 

Googling "self promotion" provides reams of stuff about what I should be doing to increase my profile, provide value, promote products, get those views up. Think I have a way to go though  before I get 73 million subscribers on You Tube, per recent battle between PewDiePie and T-series (what do you mean, you've never heard of them? Suppose you'll be telling me next you don't know what a vlogger is  either - Mr. Google will tell you)  

Anyway, the blog etc., will always aim to portray the glamorous lifestyle (see Goop etc.) or perfect body (see everywhere), so thought I would take a break from stunning beaches and sunny skies and inject some reality when "living" rather than holidaying - Carole and Dave will know from months of boat living and Lin and Rob need to know for their 1 month living experiment in the Algarve this winter.  The mundane day to day essential stuff from home creeps in!

So here are some of the more boring things we are doing, with suggestions for others doing longer term living getaways - albeit in new environments that make them seem so much more interesting eg. Why is washing up so much more pleasurable in someone else's house?

• Washing up - dishwashers not always available.  See above comment, but not as relevant when you've done all the prep and cooking yourself! 
• Shopping - includes really boring stuff like toilet rolls, washing powder, soap, food, etc. 
• Food cupboard/fridge/freezer - before Shopping item above, try to determine how long the assorted herbs, oils, frozen peas, ice cream, etc., have been there - 2 months, 2 years or last week
• Using said washing powder - undies and more have to be done after a week, at best.   Get that machine on - or if unlucky enough not to have checked beforehand, find launderette and waste lots of valuable chilling time. 
• Shopping for all the pharmacy items you now need, as yet again you didn't bring the ones you actually want.  It's OK, they can just add to the huge home stock when you get back. 
• Cleaning - unless you are somewhere with daily cleaner, but this is unlikely if you are away for more than 1 or 2 weeks. Includes toilets, basins, showers, sandy floors, etc.  Oh, the joys - just like home.
• Cooking - unless you are on unlimited funds and out every night, or on a month long cruise and aiming for fatty-of-the-year award, gotta eat in. (Top hint - take a sharp knife with you.  Self catering places never have one) 
• Barbecuing looks exciting, but (at the risk of being so totally sexist, but so totally right) us ladies still have to prepare shopping list, buy food, prepare salads, dressings and marinades, chop veg and fruit, find utensils for man to hold, give him meat on correct plate and paper towels, remind him to start bbq instead of drinking, eating nibbles (he who shall be nameless) and socialising (or soaking in the evening sun, whilst lady is inside in kitchen) - and then sharing the washing up because today he did the cooking instead of you! 
• Watching TV - so often a complete waste of time in non-UK countries.  Experts in streaming Netflix, Spotify and other online goodies can reap the benefits here. 
• WiFi/mobile usage - see last item.  Sort out before you go how your mobile/tablet is going to work or you will spend precious hours agonising.  Alter your settings before you go.  Hopefully your place will have free WiFi - if not, organise a local sim data card.  Especially if wanting to stream. Data on your home phone can cost the price of the whole month away! 
• Making beds, washing bed linen and towels.  Ultra tedious. 
• Cleaning up top to bottom before you go - especially important if your brilliant friend has loaned you their house.

I know, I know - you still don't feel sorry for us having to do all this day to day stuff.  But at least this post doesn't have self promoting beachy or beauty photos all over the place to remind those of you in frost mode that you really hate us. 

Back to normal bragging soon.

MORE NOTICES, TENNIS AND MEDICS

Oops, been using -8 hrs rather than +8hrs according to Google automatic time settings - so if you thought I was up at 4am writing the blog the day before, or even after, - I wasn't.  Having the camera on UK time hasn't helped Google photo arranging function either!
Layouts might look strange on phones - try on Web browser instead. 

Notices

Note to those who maybe haven't discovered it yet - you can double click (I think) or tap on photos to make them enlarged.

As ever, just love the Aussie sense of humour in their advertising.  This one was outside a posh jewellers.

You're husband called,
he said you can buy anything you like

 Apostrophe geeks like Niki (sorry I left some out of my WhatsApp's to you) get very upset!

Tonight's forecast - 99% chance of wine!

This next one was outside the Snake & Herring winery.  We had bought 6 bottles of their Riesling from M&S last year and were disappointed when they stopped stocking it - so thought we would go to Australia and buy some more!











And this next one was at the start of one of the coastal walks

NO Dogs - Not even little ones OR on a leash

- so that's no dogs then?

Tennis

Had a lovely welcome at Dunsborough tennis club and 2 hrs of good play.  6 courts set next to the bush (so kangeroo and kookaburra spotting), with large clubhouse for food and drink respite after golf, bowls, biking and tennis.

Low 20's still quite warm for us, so lots of water needed - hope to join in club sessions 2 or 3 times a week, but if it goes up to 30's we might be struggling!

Graham's mobility continues to improve - see below - and he is putting in the hours each week on his exercise programme from Tracey.  If only I had some of his determination to do a bit of pilates or HIIT - but I'll definitely start tomorrow!

Medics

Graham has found a great acupuncturist, who he saw in Busselton last week and Dunsborough today - he took the notes from the lady in Kendal and so it was easy to continue with the same treatment on his feet.  The swelling ankles and legs are definitely gone and there is even a slight change to the numb feet. To be continued......

 We both went for our 3 year mole check whilst in Perth and got the all clear - they are so geared up here with specialist clinics very common.  The UK expat doctor said he gets 1 or 2 serious cancers each week - there's a penalty to pay for so much sunshine.  He said I had good skin (looks horrendous on the big screen though) even with the sun damage. Niki has always been jealous of UK damp, moisturised skin and it's thanks to her nagging, way back in Sydney in the 1980's, that we have covered up in the sun (mostly!) ever since.  Got to be some benefits to all that rain!   On with the factor 50 every day now.

FLORA, FAUNA AND OTHER STUFF

FLOWERS

We normally arrive later in the summer and miss most of the gorgeous spring flowers (Niki sends us great photos Kings Park, Perth). But we have managed to see a few remnants on our 4 coastal walks this week - getting these in whilst the temperatures are a reasonable low 20's - normally we are wilting after half an hour in the sun in January/February.

One of many jacaranda trees in Subiaco where Niki lives

Local lake in Subiaco a short walk from Niki's that is normally dried up when we are here

Selection of coastal flowering plants

 FIRST FEW WILDLIFE VIEWS 

The main ones, of course, were the whales, but we also saw this ray whilst waiting for the cruise to start and the goanna whilst having our morning drinks stop mid walk - no snakes this year, thank goodness, as most of them are deadly in this area.

OTHER STUFF

A bit of coincidence - the bed on the left was ours in the Airbnb in Pembrokeshire in September - we knew it was pretty similar to our bed in Dunsborough - so had to be saddos and take piccies to compare!

and on to our favourite theme of food - always a photo opportunity somewhere on a daily basis - first up is Graham building the new BBQ that we have bought for Niki's house - followed by its first use on the balcony.  Set to be a regular item in our daily lives.

 Followed by 2 regular stops in Dunsborough life

Simmos - two of sixty choices - only 58 to go! And these are the single scoops.

Takeaway curries by the sea - Tues, Thurs and Sat evenings
What's not to like!

And a reminder of why we love this area so much - apart from the curries and ice cream - coastal walks and views.