Mid Spring

How pleasant is this  - on Friday morning many places were hit with that white stuff - IN MID SPRING!!

Sandy sent me these she took on Friday of her place in Lithgow, near the Blue Mountains

We had the air-conditioning on a couple of times last week - and on Friday we reversed that to heating!!!

What a lovely day and night

What a delightful day - Auntie Beryl held an afternoon tea for me, she actually had china from my Mum, some of Mum's collection of lovely rice paper serviettes, and porcelain from other parts of our family - loads of thought, and delicious goodies to eat.

Above is the Brig, cousin Ails, cousin in law Sue, Auntie Beryl and Ails's husband Rod, and below is cousin Ash on the left side.

Auntie and I are looking at the year on that lovely cake she made - that many years ago she and Auntie Nal (they had planned a double wedding) needed to delay their big day, until their older sister's babe was born - Moi,  straight after the end of WW2.

Have to say, both Ails (whose Mum (my godmother) died last year, and my mum died 4 years ago), really love these days which Auntie Beryl puts on for us - just takes away so much of the loss - how lucky are we to have her with us.

Then we went around to Kumi and Bob's, Kumi had, as usual prepared  a delightful dinner, and there were 10 of us there to celebrate - a rather late and fun night.

This day was topped off by phone calls from New Zealand and the USA, lovely cards and special gifts - Ian and Sarah,  yours specialties will go into action this evening!!

******

Earlier in the week, Monday, we farewelled Col, Den, Adrien and Kevin back to the land of the Long White Cloud.

We met for lunch at the Currumbin Surf Club

Had a lovely lunch above the beach

Watched the planes come in to the Gold Coast airport

climbed up Elephant Rock

looking back to Broadbeach where they had been staying

then to the Airport for their early evening flight to Auckland - so great catching up again.

It's "Libran" time

What a month for birthdays - so many I know - all over the world.  Well over the last few days, Col and Den have been across from Auckland - they are staying in an apartment in Broadbeach with another New Zealand couple, both Col and Adrien were here celebrating their 65th's - so we helped Col with hers!

Seven of us travelled via bus to the Coolangatta Surf Club for lunch

It was an absolutely stunning day

It's school holidays, so the beaches had plenty of swimmers 

Col's cake

Below - Moira, Col, Moi and Adrien

A toast to"the girl" (she is taking the photo)

We found Marilyn and Elvis

at the Surf Club's front door

Off to the bus stop -  balloons and all

It was a fun day and our public transport does work here.

The following morning Frank picked Den and Kevin up early and dropped them at our Golf Course for their 18 holes, and Col and Adrien went shopping.  We all met at the Golf Club at noon, had a drink, and watched the golfers and the club setting up for a wedding at 3pm that day.

We all walked back to our place, and had a late barbecue lunch - salmon steaks and salad.

Again it was another delightful day.

En route to York

Now I am over 3 months behind on our trip to Europe - however we are getting there.  After spending 3 days in Whitby we decided to drive to York, through the North Yorkshire Moors.

How delightful it is

Sheep grazing all over

and the scenery around us was just so peaceful

We called into the Moors information building for a short time

Then back onto the Moors again

We were stopping every few minutes to check out the views

The surrounding Dales were a picture

Just loved this route.

We stopped in the picturesque town of Helmsley

and had a great sandwich from this Deli above

and checked out this Book Shop above.

Not long before entering York, we spotted these fields of red

How magic was this

Red flanders poppies everywhere.

Yes, and we stopped again - what an entrance for us.

We checked into our Hotel - The Churchill

Which was in a beautiful Boulevard, so very close to York's Minster.

The hotel was great, Winston was absolutely everywhere, and the hotel even had it's own Churchill Cigar Bunker outside for those who enjoyed a cigar. 

******

 The following day, David (Frank's eldest), Dotti, and grandson Jack were going to show us around the Minster, which we were very much looking forward to.

Ah, the Olgas

What a magic shot this is - received this from our friend Lisa who lives out at Ayers Rock, it was taken by a friend of hers -  Virginia McGowan.    How great, Camels, backed by Desert Oaks, and the whole photo backdropped by the magnificent Olgas (Kata Tjuta) in the Uluru National Park 300 plus hundred kilometers south west of Alice Springs.

The Olgas cover an area of 8.37 sq. miles - there are a total 0f 36 domed rock foundations, with the highest being Mt. Olga at 3,497 ft.  The colour changes at different times of day are outstanding, and I do love this photo.

Migaloo is heading south

Today, Migaloo, our white humpback whale (thought to be the only one in the world), really played around off the Gold Coast, he had been seen off Moreton Bay south of Brisbane yesterday.  Migaloo means "white fella" in aboriginal.

He is now heading south to Antarctica with the other humpbacks

but today hung around our waters

breaching for any of those lucky ones who were able to see him

Just magnificent, 'specially this big babe.

This is just about the tail end of the Whale season here, they will cruise north past us again from early June 2013.

This week at Bondi

How wonderful for these Surfers yesterday at Bondi - you never know what companions you can meet in the Surf?

I will never tire of Dolphins - they are the most magnificent part of nature's wildlife.