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Showing posts from January, 2024

Tasmania - 29th January - 2nd February 2024

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The last of Australia's States and Territories for us to visit.  Saving the best till last?   Day 1 We left the airport after picking up our rental car just after Noon.  We had already researched a route via two of the painted water towers before going out to Mount Wellington and then seeing another couple of water towers before heading for the tourist park we were staying at. Sadly both the West Moonah and Mount Stuart water tanks were surrounded by metal fences so you can't walk around them.  They were both cartoon murals and lovely - the bits you could see. Very quickly we realised we would love Tasmania.  Gorgeous views wherever you looked and in built up areas it was just like the UK.  Sadly the traffic was just like home too but you can't have everything. Sadly as the afternoon wore on I was not feeling very well.  A helpful pharmacist gave us the address of a local walk-in clinic whom were all awesome and after 3 hours we were back on the r...

Mount Tamborine

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We had driven to Tamborine over the Christmas period when we were in search of a decent cheese shop.  As it is only just over an hour's drive away from Brassall it is easy to keep popping back to see different areas.  When we were up in Longreach as previously described we did the Cobb & Co ride.  I (Karen) sat next to a couple who run an equestrian centre.  We knew it was south of Brassall but it turns out it is at the base of Mount Tamborine so David and I decided to go visit them as well as look at some more of the sights on the mountain. Mount Tamborine had an internal cyclone go through the area on Boxing Day, Rob's family who were staying with us were concerned for their homes but fortunately all was good.  It was now 2 weeks on and you could see the devastation it had caused.  The area had been closed off to visitors for a week as they cleared roads and reinstated power.  Lots of piles of mulch are on the sides of the roads where the fallen ...

The Crispe Family Visit

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When we met up with Ben at Eumundi in October, he invited us over to his house for a meal.  We knew we were heading south in Nov/Dec so we set it up for Jan 5th.  We actually went on Wednesday, 3rd Jan and stayed over.   I thought Ben actually lived in Mooloolaba but they don't.  They moved 2 years ago to Glenview a small town 20 minutes inland.  Ben suggested to us that we might like to visit the Glasshouse Mountains lookout on our way to his as we would be driving past the door.  With this is mind we took a more scenic route altogether bypassing Brisbane and heading inland from the get go.  We do love our little ferries and managed to find one across the Brisbane River at Moggill.  The whole route was through different stage forests and up and down mountains it was a great journey - just what David and I love to do.   The Glasshouse Mountains are truly spectacular as they are so individual from each other - definitely a must to go...

December 22nd to January 2nd

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I (Karen)am not a huge fan of Christmas decorations but the one thing I do love to do is put the tree up.  So Nat was more than happy I offered to do it this year too.  Not used to doing an artificial tree and boy does it take longer but at least you get an even spread of branches!  It was Maddie's turn to put the star on the top so job done. December 22nd - Georgia's 23rd birthday The first of the three birthdays over the festive period.  To celebrate her birthday all the family came over for dinner (Nat's sisters and their families, her father and his partner along with Rob's mum and brother Craig).  Nat made Georgia's favourite meal - lasagna - scrummy!  It was a lovely evening, although numpty me thought, a tray David had just taken out of the oven, needing moving and did so with my hand.  It immediately blistered and so I was sat with my hand in luke warm water (apparently ice and freezing water actually sets the blister) its nice to have nurses i...