OUR FIRST CHINESE RESTAURANT OUTING

Our very first Chinese restaurant experience was at Yaralla Sports Club in Gladstone.

Hezel ordered some kind of deep fried pork dish...

and Fran had a Maroccan beef dish.

Eating with chop sticks

This Jewboy had enough pork to last him years.
We're outa here...!

HEZEL'S BIRTHDAY 2009

What started out as a normal drill-'n-fill day at Queensland Health...

...turned out to lunch with work mates...

...and fun and games...

...for the birthday boy...

...then pizza and wine at the Marina...

...and a long distance chat with family...

...a perfect end...

...to a perfect day...

...and an awesome view.

A BIRD'S EYE VIEW

Sunrise at Gladstone airport.
Die res van die dag was 'n perfekte dag vir vlieg.
Hezel het saam met ons vriend Pik gaan vlieg om die mooiste uitsig van Curtis Island te kry.

MIDDLE OF THE MONTH

Dirkie - op sy beste!

Fran's first day of work as a dental assistant in Australia.

My eerste dag van spoegsuig in Australia.

First heavy rain since we arrived in Gladstone. Our own waterfall in our backyard.

ATHLETES

Wimpie en Dirkie is waarskynlik die fiksste Jack Russells in Gladstone. Hulle hardloop gemiddeld 20 km per week saam met Hezel en is mal daaroor.

MARATHON MAN

Hezel getting ready for his daily running session in training for the Gold Coast Marathon later this year. Because of the heat and humidity it is much more bearable to run at night - hence the head lamp and special night vision glasses.

TRUE BLUE AUSSIES

AUSTRALIA DAY
WITH
OUR NEIGHBOURS

Ian (above, next to Kiara) and his wife Hope (below), our friendly next door neighbours.

Hope and their sweetie pie daughter, Sophie, here with Declan,
our next to next door neighbour

Declan and his wife, Kym

True blue Aussies, born and bred in Australia
Above is Sophie, Abbey, Kiara and Sam

AUSTRALIA DAY

AUSTRALIA DAY
ONE DAY INTERNATIONAL
SOUTH AFRICA vs AUSTRALIA
HELD ANNUALLY
AT
BEARDMORE PLACE

We spent a wonderful day outside in our front yards and had a barbie (BBQ) later that evening.

DIE ARK

"Cane toads" - net voor dit reen kom al die paddas uit in ons tuin. Hierdie is giftige paddas en die honde het klaar geleer om van hulle af weg te bly.

Die hele tuin is vol van hierdie klein groen paddatjies - "green tree frogs". Party mense reken hulle is giftig, ander nie - so die honde los hulle ook maar uit.

Dirkie

Wimpie
Hulle lewe albei al lyk dit nie so nie - probeer net afkoel onder die dakwaaiers.

SHOPPING

Daar is altyd redes vir uitverkopings: Kersfees, Nuwejaar, Australie dag, die koningin se verjaardag, so daar is omtrent elke week 'n ander uitverkoping. Hier is 'n tipiese aanbod deur Harvey Norman, die plaaslike meubelwinkel. Dis reg! Geen paaiemente vir 'n jaar en 'n half.

Savannah betaal vir 'n paar items by 'n winkel met die naam BigW - amper soos Kloppers in Bloemfontein (die aussies noem dit sommer Bigdub, kort vir "Big dubble-u"). Hier gebruik sy die "Self Checkout": jy scan self jou items, kies dan hoe jy wil betaal, sit kontant in die masjien (of gebruik debiet-/kredietkaart) en vat jou kleingeld. Die masjien groet jou vriendelik en se^ altyd: "Thank you for shopping at BigW. Please take your items".

GREAT BARRIER REEF

Dagbreek van die laaste dag van 2008. Oppad na Town of 1770 vanwaar ons met 'n boot vertrek na Lady Musgrave Island.

Onthou om te SLIP! SLOP! SLAP!

Boot gooi anker af en almal spring in die water om te snorkel op die Great Barrier Reef.

Elke boot moet 'n vlag laat wapper - al is dit hierdie een.