And the Todd is flowing!

These photos were emailed to me from our friends at Alice Springs - they have just arrived back to the Alice after some weeks in Queensland. They managed to get through the floods in Longreach and other places back to the Alice, only to find that the usually totally dry Todd River was in full flow, in fact flooding in some areas. The GHAN train line has been washed away north of the Alice, so right now supplies and passengers are not getting up north via the railroad.

In the meantime Victoria and parts of New South Wales are on "catastrophic" bush fire alert today - 40 degrees plus with high winds.

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And it's still super frigid in the Northern Hemisphere

Kid's and icicles

Have just received some photos from the freezing Northern Hemisphere - still so cold - icicles everywhere in Sheffield.

However, grand nephew and neice (Jack and Emily) are enjoying their pick of the long icicles.

The 35th George Bass Surfboat Marathon

Commenced at Batemans Bay on January 3rd and finished 7 days later in Eden - 180 kilometres south of the Bay. It is the longest, toughest surf boat race in open sea in the world - and is again being sponsored by the Australian Navy. The Navy supports the Australian Surf Rower League and this Marathon because of an alignment of many of the attributes of surf rowing and the Navy itself (not dissimilar to the Brits and their forces with yachting!). Some 28 teams competed from around Oz including a team from Holland this year.

It was a comfortable and clean start at the Bay, but each day bought it's problems with hyopthermia, exhaustion etc.

A Ladies team faces a wipeout here

The surf was really up

The team below were this year's winners - THE CANBERRA VIKINGS

Now this raises a large question - there ain't no surf in Canberra, just a very large lake!! I suspect these Viking's get all their practice down at the Bay's beaches, some 2 hours across the Clyde Mountains west of Canberra. Now the winners of the Ladies teams was also from Canberra, but they were partnered in the surfboat by members from the Queensland Caloundra (a beach near Noosa) team.

86 today!!!

Today, my Godmother turned 86, and 8 of us went to Sanctuary Cove to celebrate, she is amazing, just so active. Frank and I hadn't been to the Cove before, sooh many shops and yachts, built around another Greg Norman designed Golf Course - we will need to go back another day for a full wander. Of course cousin Ails and her husband Rod happened to pick up a couple of things on sale there before meeting us.

The one on the left at 86 is incredible - no comment on the one widening on the right!!!

A close friend in the USA commented not long ago how much Auntie Nalda looks like Mum when she knew her, and she does now. Auntie is sitting patiently waiting for her daughter Ails to "de shop"!!

We celebrated at George's - a greek seafood affair!

Auntie playing with a few gifts and toys!!

Ash and Sue - next big family celebration will be when Sue turns 50 at end of February!!! The cake arrives, and the staff sing a hearty "happy birthday" thingo!!

The local theatre - there was an Abba show on this evening which would've been great to see.

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We left the restaurant at 3 pm, and then Frank, Auntie and I went shopping at Southport afterwards - bought a couple of nice linen shirts at Rivers (yes - identical) and something for the Brig for our trip to NZ.

Pinchin' mangos at the Glades Resort

Still not sure when we are going to lose some "reno and Chrisso" weight and those large folds!!! After our walk this morning and actually achieving a few other things, we took off with Carol, our neighbour, to her parents place at the Glades Resort at Robina, an 18 hole golf course (designed by Greg Norman) surrounded by about 500 different abodes. The goal was to finish up at the Club House for lunch, which was lovely, including the food. Carol's Father and Mother, Ian and Sally have just acquired their new golf cart - which Ian used to transport us from their house through the golf course, with many detours and stops - to lunch and back again.

Ian and Sally's place next (left) to the large tree!

Transport for 5, not always that slow - Ian!

Carol spots the mangos, I immediately left the transport, took some photographs, but also accompanied her in the mango hunt.

We picked up about a dozen mangos - so we are all happy!!! She is still at it!!!!!

Not a lot of walkin' here

The Northern Hemisphere has just been hit again, we received these from our brother in law in the north of England this morning of their place today. The Xmas tree is still up in the courtyard, guess Kevin and the neighbours will dismantle that today - don't think anyone is driving anywhere!!

Still think their own courtyard looks charming dressed in snow, but I bet it is a tad freezing.

Walkin' off the "folds"

Well, with all the festivities nearly over, and the rain sort of disappearing - we are back to walking daily again. A couple of days ago we drove to Kirra/Currumbin - for a walk, - early morning as it is starting to get a tad muggy now that we are in the stormy hot season on the Gold Coast.

Early start for the girls in their surfboat!

So much action early in the morning, 'specially at the Surfboard riding schools.

Kids over the Holidays

While we are really warm here, Jack Wroe is heavy into his ice hockey in St. Paul, Minnesota. This photo came as a Christmas card from Jenny (his Mum) and Jack. Apparently Jack is now in the A Grade for his group, and is off playing on the ice 7 times this week.

Ethan Wroe is enjoying his works of sand on one of the Kiwi beaches! And Imogen Wroe is testing out her new playhouse in Auckland, with a special Ozzie hat on (from Berrima)

And in Denver, Colorado, here is Caitlin and Apollo(the canine) Boston, enjoying their tree. Caitlin's father (Jeff) spent some time with us in the mid 80's on our farm.

Thanks to Mum - Monica, lovely photo of the Boston's babe and grandbabe - 2 years old (& grand-dog)!!.

'The World' docks in the Bay!

On 29th December "The World" cruise ship docked in the waterways at Batemans Bay, just west of the Tollgate Islands for a couple of days. This ship is a luxury residential ship with 165 private residences - some residents are permanently on board, while others reside part of the year, and rent out their apartment at other times. Frank and I last saw this ship in November 2006 - it cruised straight past the house we were renting in Russell in the Bay of Islands, New Zealand. Apparently for those of our friends and family who have visited the Bay, special tours were available to Mogo Village, Mogo Zoo, the original Gold Rush Colony, and the Clyde River Cruise.

Now the excitement for the Bay is that Matt Damon and his family were reportedly on board, and actually were seen buying fish and chips in Batehaven (some locals say they have his autogragh!!

Some just couldn't resist a closer look!!

While some relaxed and read a book!!

These photos were taken from my cousin Nalda's balcony, just behind our old house. Surf Beach is in the lower part of the photo, and "The World" is at the top. Apparently it was quite a picture at night!!!!!

Back to the Matt Damon sighting, was he on board or not, there are those that say he actually spent his Christmas and New Year in Cambridge, Boston, Massachusetts, and others who agree he will definitely be at the Ice Hockey match watching the Boston Bruins versus the Philadelphia Flyers - tidbit - the Bruins won!! - (what fun, we watched the Boston Bruins many moons ago!!). JUST WHERE WAS MATT (MR. BOURNE) Boston or Batemans Bay ???

HAPPY NEW YEAR

Can't believe another year has slipped by - to think that 12 months ago we were sitting in the Sydney Botanic Gardens right near the Opera House on the Harbour "Lawn with a View" watching the Sydney Fireworks live with Frank's nephew Nick and his fiance Clare, her family (all from England) and Susan. It was a great night and quite a show. Below are some photos of last night's display in Sydney.

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But when midnight hit Queensland, we were fast asleep, after a quiet night eating left over lime pie and lemon cheese tart and ice cream. We were still too full from our lunch at Budds Beach.!

Then relaxation on the beaches at our Gold Coast We hope 2010 is a very healthy and pleasant one for all our friends and family.