Sunday, June 6, 2010

Round Up of May!

Well it has been a busy few weeks up here and have neglected the blog as we have been out and about doing stuff!

Tuesday the 18th was Music Under The Stars. The School Choir and the Community Choir singing at the stunning Mirima National Park. Daz is in the choir!!! See him up the back?? Night photography and my little camera don't mix, this was the best shot I got. Beautiful venue and Daz sung very well!

Then Saturday the 22nd was the Diamond Dig! With $3,000 worth of diamonds to win, we were there!
Each year a ton of sand is brought in to create a make-shift diamond pit at Celebrity Tree Park. Three rare precious gems, plus a host of other treasures are secretly buried, and for a couple of hours at least, the town swarms with prospectors! So if your handy with a plastic, child size shovel, don’t mind getting a little dirty, and love the idea of bringing home a highly-prized Argyle Diamond, don’t miss the 2010 Dig. As over 400 people joined in on the digging frenzy in 2009, we suggest you purchase your tickets early at the Kununurra Visitor Centre.


There were three pits of sand, one for 2 - 5 years, one for 6 - 15 years and one 15 years plus. So that's Milly in the rainbow shorts scratching her bum in the first photo, wondering where to start digging while I am yelling "Just DIG Milly!!!" from the sidelines! She soon got the hang of it, head down, away she goes! The diamonds weren't actually buried in the sand, you dug till you found a black film canister which had a number in it, you took it to the desk and claimed the prize corresponding with the number. Milly was cross after all that digging she scored a laptop bag from the local bank when her friends digging got lollypops!!! Grace won a cap saying "Barramunditasic!!" which she was happy with. Mum did well, she got a $300 voucher to the local furniture store!! After 30 minutes of digging in the adult pit and finding NOTHING, I went with Milly back into her pit and dug till I found a canister. When I claimed it I was *insert relevant word here* to find I had won a squeeky baby bath toy! Because Mum is in a caravan, she doesn't need any furntiure, so we scored the voucher. Thanks Jules!

Saturday the 29th was the next event on the calender, the Kimberley Moon. Johnny Farham was the leading act, I don't like him!! I went to see Daz in the choir again!

Grace enjoyed a dance along to local Wyndham band RodeWorx, they were going off!

When the choir came on, it was a rush to the front of friends and family of those in the choir. I was having trouble getting a clear shot of Daz and one of the benefits of living in a small community is that you know a few people. One of the ladies in front of Daz I know from school and I know she has a sense of humor, so I yelled out from the second row in the mosh pit "Move over Andrea so I can see the spunky man behind you!!!" and she heard me and saw me and I got a taddda from her so I could get my shot!

The choir was great, it was just so great being there and watching them on the big stage. And that sense of community spirit, like I was standing there next to a friend who's two kids are in the choir, two people down from us was the lady who works in the same little office at school with me, her daughter is in the choir too. Three of the kids who have been in the reading programme I do at school are in the choir, behind me singing along are some of the younger teachers who teach some of the kids on stage. I look down the stage and see one of the lady's from my quilting group, one of the Deputy's that meet us at the airport back in January, friends we had dinner with the night before celebrating a birthday. That was the best bit of the night for me, who needs Johnny Farham? Bring back the choir was my chant! Still it was a fantastic night, we'll be back next year.

June the 1st saw the grey nomads drive out our driveway and across the border into the Northern Territory on the next adventure. Now we are on the countdown to when Daz's folks arrive around the 6th of July......

Tuesday, June 1, 2010

Scarey Grace!

I can't look at my eldest child at the moment. She is just freaking me out with this grin! Eating watermelon for sweets last night, her top tooth fell out. It had been wobbly for a few weeks...... She looks like someone has punched her in the mouth. I am just waiting for a knock on the door from the Department of Child Protection asking me what have I done to that child?!

Sunday, May 16, 2010

Rodeo Time.

It is Ord Valley Muster time up here at the moment, which is 2 weeks of "community celebration of the talented East Kimberley region, highlighting its cultural diversity, stunning landscape, and friendly, country hospitality." Their words, not mine! So last night we wore jeans, yes, it was chilly enough to wear jeans and went out to the local Rodeo.


Matilda as always got close to the action. We caught her at one stage sticking her head through the bottom two rungs of wire. Is she telling us she wants to be a cowgirl?

I sat with the girls at the front for awhile. It was great being so close. The ohhh's and ahh's as they would fall off and miss by millimeters being stomped in the head or stomach by an angry hoof.

I'll admit I don't really "get" the whole idea of a rodeo. Staying on a cow/bull/horse that is pissed off cause it has a rope tied around it's testicles till the buzzer goes. Watching all these young cowboys in their big hats and checked shirts walking around and wondering where they all came from, don't see them strutting around town!

It was a fun night. I can tick "attended a rodeo" off my things experienced in the Kimberley's now.

Sunday, May 9, 2010

Lake Argyle.

As you may know, my parents are staying with us at the moment. We are up to the 3 week mark now and today we did the touristy thing and went for a cruise on Lake Argyle. Its a 60km drive out of town, we flew over it when we arrived, but that still didn't prepare us for how big, massive, enormous, humongous this expanse of water is.

It looks like this in all directions. Water, red cliffs and more water.

We did the Sunset Cruise with this company. It was good, I'd take the next tourists who visit us along for another cruise. It was sort of funny, we were the only locals except for the boat driver/commentator.

Happy Mothers Day Mum! No, don't take my photo again!

Matilda enjoying the breeze. We were so excited to get on the boat I didn't get a photo of it! No windows, just a rail at the side to hang on to when the driver went fast.

Grace on the close look out for any crocodiles.

See the little V shape in the water coming towards you? Look closer...

Well hello Mr Crocodile!

Snap, snap! He was about a metre away from the side of the boat in this shot. He is a freshwater crocodile which are consider to be timid and generally not dangerous to humans. Still.....

Well that's close enough for me I'd say!

We cruised around some more and then stopped for a swim while waiting for the sun to set.

And here is Daz gazing out on another Kimberley Sunset as we cruised towards were the boat was docked. Most likely thinking of all the work we has to do this week with his students!

Friday, May 7, 2010

Grace's Merit Certificate.

Proud parent moment this morning. Grace got the merit certificate for her class at school assembly. "For her willingness to try her hardest at what ever task it is. It is a pleasure to have her in the class". For a girl who was less than impressed on her first day at school up here, she is doing okay. Well done Gracie!

Sunday, May 2, 2010

Kununurra's Tip!

Went to the local tip on Friday with Dad. Need a spare part for your car? Take a rummage!

Sunday, April 18, 2010

Arrival of the Grey Nomads!

There are two seasons up here. The wet season and the dry season. The dry season starts on April the 1st and it is also the day the "grey nomads" officially start rolling into town. The grey nomads is a term referring to all the retired people who hitch their caravan to their 4WD and drive in search of warmer temperatures. And look who rolled into our driveway yesterday! My Mum and Dad on their Around Australia Adventure.

After hello's, it was the task of backing the caravan in!

Daz was across the road to watch out for any cars zooming around the corner.

And then the best part, letting the girls go in the caravan to play and chat! Grace asked Mum how long she was staying. Mum replied, "How long would you like me to stay?" Grace answered "10 weeks!" Matilda answered "10 days!" So we shall see.......