We are already nearly half way through our time at Wee Waa, the days are flying past.

This was the beautiful sunrise during the week.

At the end of the first week I had extremely sore feet and was very thankful that it was a long weekend. Bun is helping out in the shop on Saturday mornings so when we shut the shop, we went across the road to the supermarket and bought some chocolate each.  My choice was this new creation, I've always thought that it's not really chocolate if it's not Cadbury!  I am happy to report that this stuff is amazing!!!

Bun had chosen another (much smaller) chocolate bar for himself but says that he was just helping me by eating this too.  I actually think that is all we really ate for the rest of the day and that I might have been working my way up towards a chocolate headache by the evening :)

On Sunday last weekend we went to Narrabri to go to Woolworths as there is only an IGA in Wee Waa and it doesn't have heaps of choices.  While we were there, we went to the RSL Club for lunch.  The decor there is certainly interesting.  It looks like you're in an outback town in the evening.  When they start a soundtrack, it sounds like you're in a thunderstorm, complete with rain (real water) running off the roofline right next to where we were sitting!!

The second week in the shop has flown by and because of rain last Monday and Wednesday, it has been a good week of sales so I'm feeling reasonably confident that Robbie will be happy with figures when she returns.

Bun has been busy feeding animals, running the young dog for exercise as well as pruning fruit trees and keeping the lawn mown and free of clover.

Today (Sunday) we drove to Gunnedah to see Len and Jan, we met them back in April.  After following instructions on how to get to their place, we had morning tea and checked out the view of town from their house on a hill.  Then we had a guided tour of the town and surrounding areas and Jan managed to catch us out in one photo before getting more of a posed one.  It's nice to have a photo of both of us as usually I'm the one taking photos.

After a lovely lunch at one of the local pubs, Len and Jan took us out to their farm.  Len's family were originally from Lameroo but some of the family moved to this area around 1937.  Len was only 1 when he arrived. Over time more land was added to the family holdings but now with Len being the only family member left, he has the most AMAZING sheds Bun has ever seen!!  Honestly you would have thought Bun was a kid in a toyshop!  The sheer amount of equipment filling the various sheds on the one farm left is nearly overwhelming.  I said to Len and Jan that when they ever decide to have a clearing sale, we will return and drink some champagne with them because it will be a BIG day!

I emailed a photo of this bike to Dad today as I knew he would be interested.  It is a 1934 Triumph Silent Scout, only a couple of years younger than Dad!  Len's father rode this bike from Lameroo in 1937 to check out this area and another to see where the family would be able to settle.  He repeated the trip once more before they bought land.

Len and Bun in one of the sheds.  I think I lost count of the number of lawnmowers, both push and ride-ons, after I saw 8 or 9.  Jan said that 3 generations had never thrown anything away :)  Len said he will always remember hearing me say Oh my God!  I think that there is some much history in these sheds but I for one am glad I don't have to decide what to do with it all.  Some machinery will be going to the museum which will mean many people will get to see it.

The multiples of nearly everything are because the contents of many (I think Jan said 8) houses from the various farms and elderly family members have all ended up here.  

The views from the property are beautiful.

Bun had a lovely time checking out the machinery in the biggest shed.  He said everything is immaculate inside, looking like it had been cleaned the day before.

Len's dad still liked to sleep out in the verandah area until he had to go into a nursing home a few years before he died, moving the bed to catch the sun or shade :)

The outcrop in this photo gave this property its name, Gibralter.

There are 2 old Commer trucks parked at Len and Jan's farm so Bun thought James might like to see them.  There is also the old motor home that Len's parents travelled in for many years.  

All in all, we had a great day with Len and Jan.  Bun came home and said it was the best day he'd had in weeks!  This is one of the best things about travelling around, the people that you meet and find that you have things in common and really enjoy their company.  Hopefully we will keep meeting people just out of the blue like this and expand the circle of friends we already have!

I took some photos inside Robbie's shop, for Riverlanders it is like a scaled-down version of Yates Menswear but with more upmarket ladies wear added in.

I haven't sold any of these boots yet but they are cute.

The assistant helping on Saturday mornings seems to think that reading the paper is included in the list of duties!

Apparently there is no such thing as too much bling on a belt!!

Stroker likes to say hello with a kiss if he gets the chance.  Bun usually waits until I've left for work before letting the dogs out so that I can arrive at work with muddy paw prints.

We've talked to all the kids today and they are all well.  Some discussion about the impending arrival  has seen a few different dates thrown around for when we think bubs will make her debut.  Kara thinks 

17 days early, Steven 9 days early, Callie 7 days early, Bun 2 days early, Ben 1 day early (I think that's because he has booked a flight into Adelaide for late on the due date) and I think 2 days late.  We'll all have to wait and see.  The prize for the lucky winner is a small bag of fries from McDonalds but Kara reckons that if she wins, she gets chocolate!!

Anyway I'd better finish up and go to sleep, ready for another busy week in the shop.

Cheers

Anne

We're at Wee Waa now!

We left Killawarra on Saturday last weekend after saying goodbye to all the Hirst family.  It was so lovely to spend more time with them all again and we have said we will return.  Bun left them a list of tree varieties for the fruit orchard they have planned for the future.  Perhaps we'll be able to visit in the future so he can prune again for them :)

Bun took this shot the day before we left.  They got just enough rain to enable them to finish planting and Bun was helping move trucks back to sheds so I was able to have a little run in 'Big Red'.  It was a good little run, back and forth to the paddocks, but the dust and 'air-conditioning' meant my hair was a tangled mess by the time I'd finished!

I loved the sunsets at Killawarra!

While we were at the property, I crocheted a couple of hats for the two older girls and then started on something for the baby.  Check out the size of the cute little bootie!!

When we left Killawarra, we headed to Warialda and decided to stay there that night.  This shot was taken from a lookout above the town.  The plan had been to travel to Bingara and then diagonally across to Narrabri.  However when we woke up on Sunday there was rain and low clouds.  After waiting until about 9am to see if the clouds were going to lift a little, we gave in and decided to go through Moree.  We had been at the pub for tea the night before and were talking to some local guys.  They had said that the road from Bingara was good but had some steep sections and had a few curves so we decided that we would take in the scenery another day.

It actually rained all the way to Wee Waa and then stopped when we got here.  We arrived at Robbie and Mick's about 1.30pm so that gave us plenty of time for a good look around and to get some instructions.  You can see what the weather was like in these shots, the sun had just come out when I took these.

Bun spent Monday and Tuesday with Mick, getting used to all the animals that need feeding.  There are 5 camels (self-sufficient), about 60 cattle (about half could be having calves soon), guinea fowl, chooks, ducks, geese, a bull called Reggie and 2 dogs, Jackie and Stroker.

This is Stroker, Bun's new offsider!  He has enormous jumping abilities, being able to just bounce straight up to about 6 foot high!  Bun says that the best way to control him is to ride the motorbike around the boundary of the property every morning with Stroker running alongside!  After he's done about 5kms of running, he's pretty biddable!

I opened the curtains of the van the other morning and saw this sunrise!  I quickly grabbed the camera to get some shots in before it disappeared.

Bun set off on his morning run with some fencing tools to fix some problem areas.

Reggie the bull!  Bun gave him some hay the other day and apparently Reggie was 'very happy to see him' hahaha

Max is the old male camel and Robbie did say that if we wanted to 'desex' Max while they were away, they would be very pleased to have that taken care of!  I don't think it's going to happen lol

The female is quite curious and comes in for a chat and head rub.  However the noise they make is quite funny.  I said to Bun that it sounded like Max had the noisest case of wind I've every heard!

Stroker is curious about the camels but shys away if they get too close to the fence.

He loves to cool off in the trough at the end of his run.

One of the girls at work has a daughter in child-care and they are fundraising, the temptation of these sitting on the counter at work is just a bit too much for me.  I consoled myself with the fact that I was eating one of these on Kara's behalf!!

Bun is helping in the shop on Saturday mornings with me and swears that one of the older ladies today was flirting with him.  He reckons that he 'made the sale'!!  It should be interesting if that continues :)

We've just finished the first full week here so we're almost a quarter of the way through the job already.  

Although I had a big headache at the end of the first day because of trying to absorb so much information at once, it has become easier each day.  Hopefully everything will continue to run smoothly while Robbie is away.  It's a big thing to trust someone with your business, house, vehicles, etc so it's nice to be thought worthy of that trust.  Mick actually asked Bun if we were interested in working for them during the wheat harvest as cooks/helpers so I guess we've made a good impression.

There is not a lot at Wee Waa but we plan to have a good look around on weekends.  Next weekend we will head to Gunnedah to catch up with Jan and Len, a couple we met there in April.  Also Kate and Roger are going to be heading through sometime next week on their holidays so it will be great to see them.

Baby's arrival date is only about 8 weeks away now!!

Cheers for now

Anne

We are still at Killawarra!

We are really enjoying the time here with the Hirst family.  It has been easy to become involved with the work and the local community.  While Bun has been kept busy on the property, I have been to numerous exercise classes with Mim and Jaimie, sewing days with Mim, helping look after little girls as well as reading plenty of books and quilting and knitting.  I certainly haven't had time to get bored or restless :)

Bun found this moth sitting outside one morning and was fascinated by the colouring on it.

I thought Callie would like Bun's pose in this photo!  It actually shows the front of him for a change :)

The Moonie River runs along a boundary of the property here and flooded in late January this year.  There are still logs across the water in numerous places.  We tried fishing the other weekend, well the guys did anyway.  The girls sat beside the campfire and had a wine!  No fish were caught but some beer was consumed and some funny stories were told so all up we had a great afternoon.

Some photos will look pretty similar but I'm trying to master the camera still.  You wouldn't believe how many photos get deleted once I've had a chance to have a good look at them on the laptop!

Last Wednesday we had rain nearly all day.  It was just what was needed here for the planting to be able to continue.  It was pretty cold that day too. As I'd been to Dalby the day before, we were cosy in the van with a column heater and another large mat on the floor.  They will both come in handy in Wee Waa as I'm sure it will get chilly there.  This photo was taken the morning after the rain when there was thick fog.

I managed to get the first stars of the night in this shot but I'm thinking that a tripod might make it onto the Christmas wish list so that I can try for night shots.

We are planning to pack up here on Friday afternoon and then leave on Saturday morning.  It will be sad to say goodbye to the family but Jaimie has said that we should 'call in on our way home from WA next year'!  She's a Pom so maybe she doesn't realise just how far 'out of the way' that is hahahaha.

While we are based in Wee Waa, we will catch up with a couple that we met in Gunnedah in late April.  Len and Jan stopped to chat about the truck and van set-up as they would like to set themselves up for some travelling. 

Kate and Roger are also going to head over on holidays and call in to see us.  I'm not sure whether Mum and Dad will drop in too.  I will be working in the shop Monday to Saturday lunchtime so we won't have a lot of free time to go far together but I'm sure that Bun will get to look around some more.  If it's warm enough, he might ride the bike but we all know that he hates the cold!

Callie is still hunting for work so hopefully it won't be too much longer before she has some good news. Steven has a new (to him) ute and is very happy with it.  It sounds like they need to put something in the back so that Storm doesn't slide around too much :)

Josh and Kara only have 9 weeks left to wait for bub to arrive.  Kara finished up at work on Saturday and by that night there were pictures on Facebook of the baby's nursery all set up!  I think the girls were excited to get it all organised :))

Ben is due back this coming weekend after another work trip to Indonesia.  He had hoped to be able to hire a bike and ride around but wasn't able to find anything. 

That's probably it for now.  We will only be about 10kms out of Wee Waa on the property so should have plenty of service for the phone and internet.  Who knows, maybe we'll have TV reception too :)

Cheers!