The Tramp revisited

Posted on May 27, 2016 by kathy

I am pleased to report that Michael’s crowdfunding campaign (see post on The Tramp) has successfully concluded. It has been a turbulent journey with wonderful support from myriad avenues, both known and new.

The Tramp CD_Novel Mock

Thank you to all those who believe in Michael enough to pre-order books and CDs and to others who generously pledged support without reward. Congratulations to the new custodian of The Beast, the hand crafted cigar box guitar that will be heard on the CD.

1.The Beast

If you are contemplating crowdfunding your next project you will need a very thick skin and be prepared to learn some lessons on friendship along the way. There are still many hours of work ahead for Michael and I wish him much success, he deserves it.

Wauchope

Posted on May 25, 2016 by kathy

There aren’t a lot of options for somewhere to stay overnight through the middle of the Northern Territory, we fortunately found an oasis in the desert. Not far from the Devils Marbles is the tiny settlement of Wauchope, 375km north of Alice Springs. The hotel opened in 1930 to serve the needs of the local miners and cattle workers.

1.Devils Marbles Hotel

The accommodation wasn’t five star luxury

3.accommodation

but it was clean, comfortable and cosy

4.room

and I liked the sentiment found on the wall above the bed.

5.room

The garden was immaculate

6.garden 7.garden 8.garden

with a couple of quirky features

and a great spot to relax with a beverage

11.beer garden

by the pool.

12.pool

The locals were very friendly

13.boxer

and eager for a game of football.

14.dog

Adjacent to the dining room,

the winery offered a wide selection to choose from

17.winery

to accompany our sumptuous meals.

Before leaving the next morning, we had a closer look at the rusted wrecks garaged at the front of the hotel under the harsh desert sun.

21.cars

We were observed from on high by this magnificent creature.

33.bird

I hope he found a tasty morsel for breakfast.

twenty years

Posted on May 19, 2016 by kathy

Twenty years ago on this day something happened that changed my life. I was invited to a barbecue by a very special friend, there was someone she thought I should meet. “I’m not interested”, I said, but I went anyway. Little did I know, she had said the same thing to the “someone”, with the same response. The rest, as they say, is history. We had a couple of dates

Mark Worthington’s 40th, June 1996

Whalers Inn, Victor Harbour, October 1996

and before long we were cohabiting. We’ve had some good times, both at home

My 40th, March 2000

St. Peter’s Old Collegians black tie dinner, August 2001

Dawesley, July, 2004

Harj’s 21st, July 2006

first Tasmanian winter, June 2009

after a hard days work, July 2009

7th wedding anniversary, January 2010

and away.

Caddo Lake, Texas, September 2008

The White Lion, Tenterden, Kent, October 2008

Spirit of Tasmania, November 2008

Loongana, March 2009

Sydney Opera House, December 2010

Cradle Mountain Lodge, July 2011

La Lucciola, Seminyak, Bali, November 2012

Breeze at the Samaya, Seminyak, Bali, November 2012

Il Castagno, Tuscany, May 2014

Uluru, N.T., June 2015

Sails in the Desert, Uluru, N.T., June 2015

We’ve had some adventures

Hanson Bay, Kangaroo Island, February 1998

Wilpena Pound, Flinders Ranges, June 1998

Huon River, Tasmania, November 1998

scenic flight, Sydney, December 2010

Snake Hill, Cradle Mountain, July 2011

Ayung River, Bali, November 2012

scenic flight, Uluru, June 2015

and some silliness.

Lake Fyans, The Grampians, June 1997

shopped till we dropped, Melbourne, October 1999

pick of the bunch, November 2000

moving in, Dawesley, November 2001

The Balhannah Chainsaw Gang, October 2002

Xmas card, December 2009

Xmas Day, December 2009

new chairs, May 2010

Harbour Bridge Climb, Sydney, December 2010

Fish Spa, Sanur, Bali, November 2012

Waldheim’s Spa, Cradle Mountain, July 2011

39.with Kevin Bloody Wilson,Launceston 08.14

with Kevin Bloody Wilson, Launceston, August 2014

Six and a half years after that fateful day, we had a very formal wedding

Wedding, Dawesley, January 2003

and reception.

wedding reception, Dawesley, January 2003

Along the way, we have learned the essential ingredients of a successful relationship. It takes a lot of teamwork,

moving rocks, Dawesley, October 2005

building shed, Stowport, May 2012

a bit of role play doesn’t go astray

Sovereign Hill, Ballarat, October 1999

Murder Mystery dinner, ‘The Watersdown Affair’, June 2001

Murder Mystery dinner, ‘Archeologically Speaking, It’s the Pits’, March 2004

Spider Witch & The Ghoul, Halloween, October 2004

and most importantly, don’t argue over the little things.

with Charlie, November 2009

It’s been a fabulous journey, looking forward to the next twenty……

Devils Marbles

Posted on May 11, 2016 by kathy

In the middle of nowhere, 1084km south of Darwin and 393km north of Alice Springs, the Devils Marbles are spectacularly scattered across the desert.

1.Devils marbles 3.Devils marbles

Located in the traditional country of the Warumungu, Kaytetye and Alyawarre people, they call the Devils Marbles Karlu Karlu, which literally translates as ‘round boulders’.

4.Devils marbles

The stones are made of granite and have been formed by erosion over millions of years.

5.Devils marbles

They vary in size, from 50 centimetres up to six metres across.

6.Devils marbles

Many of the giant stones are precariously balanced on top of one another, appearing to defy gravity.

8.Devils marbles

They continue to crack and erode today, creating an ever-changing landscape.

10.Devils marbles

The Devils Marbles have great significance for the Aboriginal people and there are many ancient creation legends surrounding Karlu Karlu. Many of these stories are secret and only a few can be shared with visitors. One of the main Dreaming stories for the area relates to how the Devils Marbles were made. An ancient ancestor, ‘Arrange’, was walking through the area making a hair-string belt. As he was twirling the hair to make strings, he dropped clusters of hair on the ground which turned into the big red boulders.

11.Devils marbles