On Friday - Linda and I decided we would take Dee to Pinnaroo, it is actually a Crematorium together with a garden of remembrance and a delightful coffee shop in acres of glorious gardens, with pools and water features little bridges over the streams and loads of places to sit and reflect, and its surrounded by bush. Dee came across this lovely place when she was looking for level places for Arthur (her husband - he has been mentioned before - so keep up) when he was recovering from his heart attack. She didn't realise at the time that it was a garden of remembrance or that there was a Crematorium attached with chapels there ! So feeling very proud of herself to have found this lovely area, she took a picnic and Arthur for his first of many walks to recovery. He was highly amused that it was a burial ground - Dee was absolutely horrified - when he suggested that maybe she thought he was more in need of the place that she cared to admit !!!!!
We had a lovely walk and finding a lovely shaded place wherein the wheelchair could fit, we just chatted about anything and everything including Arthurs' ashes being scattered in the sea - that she too would like that for hers, when the time comes. After all, she said, we travelled so much together it would be nice to continue to do that ! What a lovely thought.
We had a stroll about the gardens - it was very hot - so Dee remained in her chair - and by strange coincidence, we found the path to the café - where we not only had a glorious coffee, but shared a bowl of wedges - but had to beat off the crows who were very keen to help us eat them. With the aid of Dee's umbrella we fought them off - there was absolutely NO way I was sharing the wedges they were absolutely delicious as were the accompanying dips !!! Dee was quite tired and decided to have her nap as soon as we got home, and so I went back to Kinross.
Saturday dawned bright - as always - so after the dog walk - Vicky and I went off to shop for the necessary ingredients for Sunday's BBQ - this was for Vicky (and my) family - Dee was to be guest in chief, and we were to be joined by Linda, Laura and her two sons Joe & Fin, Nige (my nephew) his wife Rochelle and their little girl Skye (aged 4) as well as Maddi and Travis (Nige's daughter and son by his first wife) who are the most delightful kids imaginable. Maddi looks after Dee on a Monday - she also looks after her little sister Skye - she is the epitome of an incredible caring and loving girl, not only is her character beautiful, but so is she in looks. Travis is such a gorgeous character too - you can't help but love him, his way out sense of humour - his dog is called Two Michaels - need I say more !!! However, no matter how well you plan an event - something will go wrong.
Dee was admitted to hospital on Saturday, with chest pains, she has a congestive heart problem, as well as her dementia, and when she woke feeling very tired with pains in her back - Linda took the necessary "obs" and discovered her heart was racing - so into hospital was the only sensible option.
Dee - with the indomitable spirit said she would discharge herself as she didn't want to miss the family get together ! However, the girls prevailed on the understanding that all the family would visit her in hospital instead of her running the risk of getting worse by visiting them all at Vicky's & Craig's.
Vicky had a txt from Andrew Rogers (also from Shipham now domicile in W.A.) to say he was going to some exhibition in Perth - it might be of interest to Vicky. She txt back that she couldn't get there, but if he and Amanda had time after the event, it would be lovely if they could join us for the BBQ, with their two boys !
On Sunday - Vicky and I decided to take Jack and Millie to Quinns Rock Beach - its a dog beach about 10 minutes away from their place.
The dark upright shape in the distance by the rocks is Vicky - muffled up against the cold sand - at 6.30am the sand is cold believe me - and the little brown lump to the right of her is Jack - Millie is a little white blob somewhere between Jack and Vicky ! As you can see it's a glorious place to walk the dogs.
It was on Sunday as we were getting ready for the guests, that we heard of Dee's incarceration in hospital and that Kethrine had come up to share the night time duty in the hospital with Linda. These girls are wonderful, one will always stay the nights in hospital with Dee, just in case she wakes up and is confused where she is. The fact that Dee sleeps more soundly than anyone any of us have ever known - is besides the point, the girls will never leave their mum alone, just in case!
We had a cracking BBQ - Craig cooked the meat - he's really got the hang of that, something to do with it being in the blood of Aussie men - I have to admit he is very good at BBQ-ing - he doesn't render the food either a living sacrifice or a burnt offering, he pitches it to perfection.
Vicky make a wonderful dessert -
It tasted as good as it looked !!!
It was wonderful to catch up with all the family - the last time I saw Skye - was 3 years ago - so she's grown quite a bit, she is so well behaved and polite - and carries on a very adult conversation - left me looking a little silly - but there you go ! Obviously I hadn't seen her parents Rochelle and Nige for 3 years either, so it was just lovely to catch up with them all, and as for Travis and Maddi - well I guess 2009 was the last time I clapped eyes on them ! It was a wonderful reunion. Sad that Dee was missing it, but Kethrine came - sadly K's daughter - Laura and the boys had been struck with some lurgy and were unable to make the occasion - however Andrew & Amanda and their two delightful boys Noah and Amos arrived. The two boys were immediately at home with Skye - as they all went to Kindi and had lots to talk about ! They were just so adorable. And it was just lovely to catch up with them all.
My whole holiday has been made up of such delightful experiences, I've been oh so very lucky.
Monday came and with it a headache - I cannot explain why - could have had something to do with the wine that flowed so freely into and out of my glass, and once that was consumed the Cloudy Apple went down very well too ! So that might have had something to do with the problem. Vicky and I walked off our excesses at Quinns Rock Beach once again.
We had a fairly lazy morning, and as Vicky had to go and see her consultant for the final check up after her gallbladder operation, she dropped me off at the Hospital to visit Dee, where Maddi, Linda and Kethrine were installed, Vicky came to join us once she had had the all clear from her Man ! The lunch looked absolutely delicious - and I believe Vicky very kindly finished one of her deserts - all heart that girl !
We went home to continue lazing - our days together were getting shorter - when Kethrine turned up with Laura's two boys - I am sure the boys wondered why on earth they were dragged from their homework to visit some old soul and be told she was their Great Great Aunty from the UK - they hadn't a clue who I was or why ! But it was good to catch up with them too. Fin is all energy and into everything and very outgoing, Joe is a dedicated footballer - and his aspirations are to play for Barcelona ! We shall see - their move out to W.A. from Bromley in Essex certainly has been the best for the whole family. (Kethrine is Laura's Mum therefore Fin & Joe's Granny !!! - just so you get the relationships sorted ) For those of you who are unsure of our family, (most folk are !) Dee (my eldest sister) was married to Arthur they had 5 children Kethrine (known as K to the family & friends) Stephen (Steve to f&f) Linda, Sarah, (sometimes know as Sas) and Nigel (Nige) all of whom have moved to W.A. in steady stages, to catch up with Dee & Arthur when they escaped the rigors of the English Climate back in 1982 !
Then we were given the good news that Dee had been discharged and was safely back at home and feeling much happier being in her own surroundings.
Tuesday morning - Vicky and I made our daily pilgrimage to Quinns Rock Beach - before setting off for Freemantle - Vicky Driving - with Google Maps and sliding right ! I have to admit she is a very good driver, and we got there safe and sound. Had a lovely explore around, bought the last of our gifts for Cameron & Archie - and found a wonderful craft shop full of the most exotic yarns and a most unusual little jacket type thing. Vicky immediately decided that I had to knit that for her ! The wool there was horrendously expensive and I know that my wonderful local Time Out shop (in Cheddar ) sells the same yarn for half the price, so armed with the knitting pattern, I opted out of purchasing the wool there an then - besides my case was heavy enough as it was ! (As an aside - every baggage drop off point have fastened a label bearing the legend - HEAVY - 23 kg - surely not !?!?! Until you try to lift the blessed thing - hernia alley !!!)
I had suggested to Vicky before we went to Freemantle that perhaps it would be nice to go out for a meal on Tuesday evening - how about Yanchep Inn - in Yanchep National Park -
Craig's Grandpa - Jasper - was a Park Ranger at Yanchep, Craig spent a lot of time with his Grandpa and his "spiritual home" is Yanchep National Park - so he was delighted when Vicky phoned him to ask if he would like our final evening up at the Yanchep Inn. He came home from work early for that event.
When we got up there at about 5.30pm we were asked by the owner if we would like to feel the kookaburras - would we - hell yes - Vicky is mad about birds - sadly my battery on my phone was fast dying but I do have a rather blurred photo of Vicky with the birds.
There were galas and 28's (28's are a parrot type bird and called 28's as the farmers used 28 shot to kill them - great animal lovers the Aussies !) all flying around going to find roosting places for the night, and as the sun slipped out of sight - the kangaroos started to drift out of the bush to graze on the lawns in front of the Yanchep Inn - it was the most amazing sight - and by the time we left after a delicious meal - it was pitch dark - and there must have been 40+ roos on the lawns, ranging from the BIG males to the tiniest of joeys - there couldn't have been a more fitting end to my holiday of a lifetime.
Earlier on in my holiday one of Craig's colleagues had called around for a drink and natter - it has to be said that I didn't warm to the man - and from his conversation overheard by both Vicky and me - I decided he was a dodgy character and was concerned about Craig's connection with him. Vicky and I nicknamed him Dodgy Tony - well I had to eat my words - well not all of them - because Dodgy Tony lives at Yanchep and when he heard that I was treating Craig and Vicky to dinner on the Tuesday - he put $50 behind the bar, and he was there in fact when we arrived. So my bill at the end of the evening was nicely reduced ! I did thank him at the time, but thought I should (as any well brought up English girl would have done) write and thank him for his generosity ! Which I did upon our return to No 7 Wishaw Loop !
Craig came into my room to say good bye to me before he went to bed (he goes to bed at about 8pm because he's up for work at 4am !!! And yes there is a 4am in the day - one I have got used to seeing over the last month !) He very sweetly told me, yet again, that he enjoyed my visit and that I could come, visit and stay for as long as, or even for ever, with them, and he would be very happy with that arrangement. Probably because I did his laundry .... but all the same it was very kind of him, he's a lovely chap, typical Aussie bold, brash but with a heart of gold.
Anyway when Vicky gave Craig my letter to dodgy Tony - Craig, knowing my opinion of the man, asked Vicky what I had written, was I telling him off !!!! Vicky assured him that I wouldn't do that, but I probably was thanking him. Apparently Dodgy Tony was totally over bowled that anyone should write and thank him, so he too thinks I'm a very lovely lady - that's two people in the world - my credibility is gaining !
So here we come to Wednesday morning - packing - that in itself was a bit of a effort - but I did manage to get everything in - and it weighed in at 33 kg. Heavy !!!
I went around the house taking photos - as if I would ever forget a single inch of the place that had been my home for over 3 weeks ! It was incredibly difficult to say good bye - not only to Jack and Millie - but to leave Vicky after such a brilliant holiday where, and I never thought I would ever have thought this - but it happened - where Vicky and I moved from Mother and Daughter relationship to being the very best of friends. It is the pinnacle of my holiday - worth every penny and more.
My lovely daughter, mad, infuriating, stubborn, loving, loveable and with the biggest heart of gold - how very difficult to say goodbye and not know when we will see each other again. I'll leave you to imagine and then multiply that by 1,000 + times !
It was one long 3 hour wait for my flight - it wasn't a full flight but sadly I was sat by a delightful gentleman who had a bit of an internal problem, coupled with the turbulence from the outside and the flatulence from inside the aircraft - it was an interesting flight !
Off to Kuala Lumpur on the 4.30pm Malaysian Airlines (at this time I hadn't heard - because Vicky refuses to have the TV news on as she says its too depressing - about the tragedy in France) flight. Arriving at 22.00 hours - Rog and Sarah were there waiting for me- so very kind of them - because its 70k from their home to the Airport - and there is a perfectly good train service - but thankfully they are very kind hearted did the airport run for me. The temperature was about 30 + C even at that time of night.
The following day Sarah and I went down to Little India and had a browse amongst the market stalls - there is such a lot of wonderful craft, wood and material for sale - I could have filled my suitcase with so much beautiful and unusual work, but sadly - it was not to be. We had a lovely lazy lunch in a beautiful store and just chatted about everything, Dee mainly needless to say, and Sarah has promised to keep me up to date - which is so reassuring.
Then re-packing my suitcase - and off to the station. Where because I was flying Malaysian Airlines I could purchase my ticket for the airport train and then take my luggage to the Malaysian Airlines baggage drop, collect my boarding pass and my baggage claim ticket and I wouldn't have to worry about my luggage until I reached Bristol Airport ! Brilliant - although I have to say I was just a little concerned that it might not get to its destination the same time as me - but I was wrong - it did, and it was one of the first ones off the plane and onto the carrousel !
This train from KLSentral to the Airport is amazing - its non stop and covers the 70k in 30 minutes - spits you out at the airport very close to departures. I had three hours to wait for my flight there ! As I left the train the girl sat next to me left alongside me - so I asked her where she was heading - she too was going to Amsterdam - so we decided to wait together to pass the hours, she was a delightful girl about late 20's and of Finish extraction about 6 foot tall, blond, with quite a few facial piercings - but absolutely charming and a very interesting character she had been on her 3rd gap year !!!
A full flight for our return to Amsterdam - 13 hours - of unremitting turbulence - the seat belt sign was on practically the whole of the time. Well all the time I was awake - I think I dozed now and then, but with the chap in front having his seat fully reclined and the person behind using my head rest as an aid to get out of the seat - as well as the folk he was letting out of their incarceration in the middle seats, it wasn't the most peaceful or restful in my career !!!
We landed at 6.am local time and the flight left Amsterdam at 9.30am - thankfully it left on time because at about 10am the whole airport was closed as they experienced a major electrical outage.
It was lovely to fly in over the UK - Mel tracked our flight over the North Sea but lost us - because his programme locked out after 30 minutes, apparently we were flying in close formation - two other aircraft either side of us but behind us - and when Mel logged back on the two were still there, but out plane had disappeared. We had obviously landed - I've never been through an airport quite so quickly - I was out and ready for Mel to collect me by 10am !!! Worry not its not a 30 minute flight - Europe were on Daylight Saving I guess - as we are now - time zones are there to confuse the already befuddled mind !
Back home at No 6 Glovers Field by 10.30am - so very much better than that horrendous coach journey from Heathrow !!! Its worth every penny extra to fly from Bristol !!!
Thus ends my Antipodean Odyssey - thanks for following it !
If you are brave enough - photos follow .......
I do have loads more photos - but will save those until you are brave enough to ask to see them !!!
Thank you so much for following my journey - its been such fun blogging - I hope you've had as much fun reading it !
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