Maggie tells about our trip to Emerald

A couple of months ago, we took a family trip out west to the towns of Emerald, Sapphire, and Rubyvale to visit the gemfields.
On our way back home we stopped in Blackwater to visit the coal mine.
Here is her story...

Our day started off at school then at 12:45 we were picked up early and headed home to change out of our uniforms and watch mum open her presents (it was her birthday). She got some grill utensils and an awesome caravan cooler that was filled with American candy.

After that we put our stuff in the car and headed to Emerald. The drive was 3 1/2 hours and when we go to the hotel I was glad to get out and stretch my legs. The motel was ok but not the best one we've been in. I am embarrassed to admit I had a little breakdown when I found out that grace and I were sharing a bed and will, grace, and I were sharing a room. After we got settled and I cooled down, we checked the TV and So you Think You Can Dance was on in 30 min.  So we headed to the restaurant at the motel. The food wasn't the best there but all was good when we went back to our room and got gummy worms. We watched Dancing with the Stars and then went to bed. I watched the movie The Hundred-Foot Journey on Netflix till my eyes couldn't stay open any longer.

The next morning we woke up and searched for something good on TV. Nothing really except for Family Feud which I really like. After a while when mum and dad woke up we got dressed and ate breakfast. Then the cleaning lady came so we quickly got our stuff together, left the room, and headed to the gem fields. The first stop we took was Pat's Gems and there we went fossicking.

 

We bought 2 buckets and sifted through to find little sapphires.  1st you pour some dirt on your sieve.

2nd you bang the sieve some more so the loose dirt can flow out.

 

3rd you go over to a big trough filled with water and shake the rocks around to clean them.

 

4th you go over to your station and you quickly tip the sieve over so you don't fling the rocks everywhere.

 

5th you sit and look for shiny. Once you find something shiny you dry it off and look for a glassy surface. It’s hard at first but gets a tiny but easier the more you do it. Dad was the best at it or the luckiest, he found the prettiest ones. I found a few good ones but not many.

 

Our next stop was the Miners Heritage Museum in Rubyvale. There we stopped and ate lunch at some pick nick tables.

After we ate lunch we went on a tour of a gem mine. It was cool but not very exciting. It looked a lot like real life minecraft. Haha!

After that we got another bucket of rocks to go through at the Miners Heritage Museum. We found a lot more gems at this stop and  the lady checking all my gems said that if I got one of mine cut it could sell for 75$. That made me happy! After a big day of Fossicking and the museum we headed back to the motel.

 

On the way back we saw both a dingo and an echidna out in the wild. The echidna ran across the road and the dingo was eating something.

Dingo

Echidna (buried in the grass)

 

It was really cool to not see them in wildlife parks. When we got to the motel we took showers and got ready for dinner. Then we had dinner at the Tavern. It was a lot better than the other night, and with the kids menu we got ice cream.  Yum!!! ☺ The last thing we did was watch some TV and go to bed. I slept in the cocoon shaped sleeping bag and had no problem with the cold. It was nice and toasty in there.
Today is our last day and we spent the morning chilling and watching TV.  After a while we had to get ready though, because we had to be out by 10. When everything was packed up we got in the car and headed to a friend's house to look at their cotton farm.

 

Will learning cotton irrigation

I have to admit I wasn't too excited about looking at a cotton farm because they’re everywhere in texas, but I had fun and found my new love for strawberry cupcakes. The wife of the cotton farmer (Renee) made some and they were delicious!

After the cotton farm adventure we headed to another friend's house in Blackwater, so he could take us on a tour of the coal mine he works in. On the way we stopped by the side of the road for fresh oranges.

 

At the mine, we got to wear hard hats, glasses, and orange vests. That was fun.

 

I also saw this grease stuff that came out of the big machine and it looked like black poop. Hahaha!!! When the mine tour was over we got in the car and headed home. The drive was long, but after a while we got Hungry Jacks. 

Now we are headed home to get some rest before school tomorrow.

August

Greetings long-neglected reader!
I must start with an apology for having avoided writing for a few months.  We've started a few posts, just never finished them up.  And a LOT has happened since I last posted.
But, for today's post, just an update.
Here we are in lovely winter-time.  The days are cool in the mornings but warm nicely with the mid-day sun.  And now is the time to get out and enjoy.
I've been working quite a lot, but days off are great.
This morning, Tricia and I took a long walk on the beach.  (sounds a bit cliche')  We found a few cool shells and sand dollars.

Then we walked across the street for coffee and a stroll through some shops.

The poor kids are in school today, but on their days off we have been exploring the local hills.

And we live right amongst the beauty!















Life is beautiful, so get out and enjoy!  -Peter

Melbourne #3 - Mornington peninsula and Phillip island

And now the final post from Melbourne.
So we've explored the city, we've been west, and now it's time to go east.
Melbourne itself lies at the northern end of Port Phillip, a bay on the southwestern corner of Australia.  The southeastern border of the bay is the Mornington peninsula.
Away from the busy city, it's home to many small farms, dairies, beaches, and it's the country getaway for many Melbourners.  So let's go!

We decided on a one day tour, and our small group was led by Jason of Melbourne Coastal Tours.
He arrived to pick us up early, and we headed out of town.
As we traveled on, the skyscrapers and graffiti changed to suburbs and shopping centers, and eventually rolling countryside.  Onto the peninsula, the road frequently made jogs out to vantage points where we could look out to the beach along the bay.  Beautiful!

Our first stop was along the beach at the colorful bathing boxes.  Traditionally owned by the wealthy, they are the storage areas for those who come out for the warmer summer days.  And, we were told, sell for about $250,000 each!  Wow!

Onward, we stopped at a small dairy that produces artisanal cheeses made from their own goats.  The kids loved petting the goats, and we were treated to a tasting board of a variety of cheeses.  Mmmm!

Much of the peninsula is farmland, smaller craft farms with vineyards and wineries, dairies, fruit farms, even some wool products from local sheep.  We had a stop at a vineyard for a few photos and the view was spectacular!  Truly a beautiful landscape!

One of the farms was a strawberry farm called Sunny Ridge Farm.  We happened to be there near the end of the picking season, but perfect timing and weather for us to pick our own strawberries.  We all had the greatest time finding the most red, ripe, succulent berries and packing our little boxes.  And there's nothing like the taste of fresh strawberries directly off the plant!

Next stop was a wildlife rescue park to visit some of the locals.  No matter where we go in Australia, we just can't get enough of feeding and petting the kangaroos and wallabies.  And Maggie always brightens up when she sees a wombat.



Wallaby on the left, kangaroo on the right

Wombat

Our last stop of the day was a trip to Phillip Island and the Phillip Island Nature Park on it's southwestern tip.  Again, the southern coastline of Australia is very dramatic!  We stopped for a short walk along an area called The Nobbies, in a tempest of wind and rain and huge waves crashing onto rocks.  Very impressive!

The "blowhole"

And, finally, on to the parade.
The Phillip Island Penguin Parade just might be my favorite piece of our entire trip.  Along the southern coast of Phillip Island lies a stretch of rocky beach overlooked by windblown grassy hills.  This is the home to the Little Penguin (sometimes called Fairy Penguin).  For days these penguins swim at sea fishing, but every few days a group comes onto land to "be social", talking to other penguins and congregating.   Dotted along the countryside are small groups of wallabies and cape barron geese, as well as small burrows which are home to the penguins.  As we moved down to the coastline, we passed through the visitor center where we were sternly warned that there would be no photography.  Darn!
We made our way down to the beach and sat at the front of a fairly large grandstand full of people.  And waited until dusk.
Just as it was becoming quite dark, we caught the first glimpse.  First one, then a few more small bodies popped up among the rocks.  They waited a few minutes to be sure it was safe, and then began the hurried walk across the beach, up the hill, and into their burrows.  Every few minutes, another group would appear as if magic, wait for the courage, and then strike out.  What an amazing site!
And after a few groups had come in from the sea, we stood and followed the walkway back towards the visitor center.  All along the walkway, coming along it, or walking beneath, the parade of little penguins traveled up the hill.  We watched as one or another branched off to head toward their own burrow, as if they knew their address in the neighborhood.  Sometimes one or two stood outside a burrow, squawking at the passersby.  Truly amazing to watch!
We left them to the night, knowing that many would venture back out to sea before the sunrise, and that we had seen a miraculous slice of nature.
Sadly we have no photos of the penguins, so I've borrowed a few from the internet:

Little penguins are the only blue penguins



The penguin grandstand



Grace and her little penguin

Our full photo gallery from the entire trip can be seen here:  http://peterr.smugmug.com/Australia/Melbourne-2015/

Thus ended our Mornington Peninsula/Phillip Island tour, and thus I end my tales of Melbourne.  I hope that you've enjoyed hearing about our adventures.  They will remain fond memories for our family.  We are truly grateful for this time in Australia and for the family bonds we strengthen as we make memories together.

All the best!
-Peter