Our Journey Home to Kangaroo Island

Fred the very enthusiastic kelpie Pup from Quorn SA

A lunch spot on the MacIntyre central NSW

Hi Folks, We're home...we got back to Kangaroo Island Friday last. Leaving a roasting hot 40's Adelaide to arrive home to a cool 15 and rain....so I've been dressed in the jeans and winter woollies ever since, Ants is in his usual tee shirt/shorts and thongs, much more durable then me. Our house was delightfully in really good nick and, thanks to our last tenant Faye, still quite clean despite being vacant for a couple of months. Our amazing Majuro experiences seems to be slowly slipping into the longer term memory banks. I loved the girly time I had with Majuro mates in the last few weeks...especially the muumuu day at Wallaby Downs!!!!. Ants has had a great sail home and a good time catching up with Brisbane mates.

Nyngan....A memorial to rescue helicopters in flood times

A classic Australian country building

The last couple of weeks has been great fun, gallivanting across the Australian countryside.  After I flew into Brisbane, Ants collected me in our hire car and we went back to Break Free for the night. She's moored at Victoria Point, Moreton Bay until we collect her in January. Amazingly enough we can check on the mooring anytime through a local online 24 security camera web site called Point Halloran Storm Watchers.

The following day we called to Jonica, Ants sister, for an overnighter at Ipswich. Jonica has produced some inspired artwork and it was interesting to spend some time with her. After Jonica's we drove down to North Arm Cove, Port Stephens to visit friends Pete & Sandy, Break Frees previous owners. Again like Jonica, Sandy produces amazingly beautiful artwork which I found inspirational! Ants and Peter talked yachts.

Glider at Narromine Aerodrome NSW

From Port Stephens we drove west to Narromine near Dubbo and stayed in a campsite next to an Aerodrome which had just hosted the Australian Junior Gliding Championships and is internationally renowned as a gliding spot! I had never stood up close to a glider before...they are low to the ground and have a huge wing span...awesome looking machines. Ants was chatting to a Czechoslovakian glider pilot who wanted to fly 1000km in a day!

The Paroo River at the Coach & Horses campsite Paroo National Park NSW

Some of the Paroo River residents

Campsite at Coach & Horses, Paroo River

A long drive then to the Coach and Horses Campsite on the Paroo River near Wilcannia...real outback country...red river gum trees, pelicans and kangaroos galore. Oh yes and we used a $12/ 2 person single skin tent (brand new from KMart) with a inflatable mattress for $19 (we have about four tents back on KI) I was shocked that tents are now so cheap!. Leaving there we drove across to Quorn (northern SA) to catch up with friends Anne & Michael and their new kelpie pup Fred....more fantastic dramatic landscapes....its a shock seeing the humongous Australian landscapes again after the Majuro north Pacific flatness and sea views.

Then to Adelaide to stay with Ants's mum. I had my Australian citizenship test  last Thursday morning and  thirty minutes later received a congratulatory  email from the Minister of Immigration. No worries mate! After seeing lots of the relatives in Adelaide we arrived back on the Island in the rain, cold and wind!

We both would have liked to visit Canberra but we're saving a visit until we have more time to spend looking around the city as it deserves a few days at least. Christmas is here so Ants dug out the decorations and we have a tree up.   So........

Ants standing on the deck at home on Kangaroo Island

Jane on deck next to the very alive Kangaroo Paw (yippee)

A holly jolly Christmas and a Happy New Year to you all....
miss all you Majuro people big hug from us Janexxxx & Antsxxxx