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Published: July 24th 2006
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York, WA
The Nelson Cottage Nan and Mum come to visit us in the West
Somehow we managed to get Nan off the four and half hour flight from Sydney to Perth
and into a car for another 1.5 hours drive to the heritage listed town of York. It was a long trip but the fire place and the old stone cottage were very welcoming at the days end.
The modernising of the York cottage with its reverse cycle air con also helped make our stay warm. We enjoyed a lovely (late) baked dinner chook and half-cooked vegies and roasted our outsides by the must-light fire on the unusually warm night before plopping to bed in the wee hours after a long day had by all.
The first morning for mum and nan in WA was an enjoyable farmyard experience for us. We (over) fed the alpacas and the ducks and Callum picked up some nasty tummy bug from feeding the scraps to the stray chickens and guinea fowl. It was also his introduction to golf and tennis, which he picked up with ease, truly amazing. Making me cringe in shame at his outplaying of his 33 year old mother and wonder optimistically
the chooks
bringing back memroes for nan I think what life he might pursue with such talents.
Our time in Narrogin is best described by photos...see below
Back to Perth again was another long but amusing trip in the car. Four hours in the car with Nan, Callum, Glen, Mum and I. The combined ages were 223. Nan, as she says is a great traveller, and fortunately so too is Callum. He has been such a wonderful great grandson.
Offering help and support to all his guests, never losing patience, never getting stroppy. Much like his Dad really.
A lovely time was had by all at Cindy and Tony's when in Perth. We were treated to a marvelous dinner with home made dessert and lots of Burroughs/McCappion stories for the telling. It was a long day and after saing our goodbyes, filled to the brim. we headed back to our lovely apartment, No. 111 at the Hillaries Boat Harbour.
The next day was more fun, noodle sin a box, Callums face painting and more icecream and treats. It wasn’t fair for Callum to travel all that way without some reward. So we ventured to the aquarium and had a great time with the
fish the sharks the stingers and all the nasty bits. Jay particularly liked the venomous stuff!. IT had turned quite cold by the end of the day and we enjoyed a quiet night in, listening to the rain - Glen and I even grabbed a quick coffee after dark while our baby and sitters were resting.
By week two we had decided it was time to see another side of the state. We’ve done a lot of miles in a short time. Perth to York (150) to Narrogin(150) to Wagin and back (50) . To Perth again( 230) to Dunsborough (300). We reached Dunsborough reasonably early after a pit stop at the lovely ocean breezy coffee spot at Bunbury. Nan had a pie and we hooked into salad sandwiches not before finishing off with a lovely brewed coffee and over indulgent caramel cheesecake with cream, ice cream and chocolate sauce inside the cafe this time. Well worth the windblown lunch indeed.
Nan sat contentedly in the car watching the car park and the passing traffic because Glen had kindly reverse parked into the car spot by the ocean. His intentions were sound, to allow Nan to get to
dunsborough
the glorious sunsets here are one of Mums memories - the wind too no doubt! our picnic spot with ease. But she chose to spend the time away from the cold and in the car, in the warmth, so ended up unfortunately with no view. Luckily we returned to the very same spot on the way home, so the car was parked the right way the second time.
When we reached Dunsborough, Glen went out and did the dobby wally shopping thing while the ladies stayed at home performed a unplanned smoking ceremony on the house. Mostly to develop incantations; ward off evil spirits; warm up the rooms; and finally to test the safe level of smoke before inhalation leads to sever discomfort ( about ten minutes if anyone asks). Which, interestingly enough, is about the same amount of time it takes to cool the house right back down to the sub zero temperature that it was before the fire was lit.
Dunsborough is short for ‘ what have I dones, brother?’ or ‘perhaps more correctly, look what I’ve dones-brother’. It is home to three types of people. Those that bought a place here in the 1980s, when greed was good, and it seemed like a good idea to spend all those dividends
Down from Cindy's holiday home, Mandurah
Finally, on the last day of the holiday a chance to fish in peace and quiet...!? from the grand recovery of the 70s crisis on something - a small seaside shack that might be a good investment someday. These shacks are still here crusted in salt and enveloped in bush. Worth a motsa.
The second mob, are those that have recently completed or about to construct their Vogue five-bedroom luxury sea change home. Bought to support the developer's children's education funds, the real-estate agents newly furbished franchised offices, and/or the bank. We don’t see them very much they are in the mines paying off their loans.
The third group, who are now supporting the recently emerging fledging coffee bean importing business , only drop down on day-trips because they cant afford to the holiday accommodation costs. These poor souls, Generation ZZZ, having not even been alive in the 70s, are resentful of the Michael Douglas oil tycoons and secretly know that the only hope for them is to continue to drink lattes and hope that council rates and interest rates rise proportionately with their heart rates- but know really its unlikey.
The Bush Shack brewery and its Wicked Ale beers served the needs of all. We had finally managed to find something that
The Alpacas, York WA
This little baby was uncharacteristically friendly, we had great fun at feeding time suited everyone, this brewery near Yallingup. It had swings and sandpit and children for Callum and free BBQs and pine trees for Nome. It had a feast of different stouts for Glen; passionfruit beer for Melva to try an indoor fire to relax by and 8minute hot pies for Nan. At last, the pickings of a fine family friendly fortress. So we got there at 11am and didn’t leave til mid afternoon and we might spend the rest of the holiday there I think.
Don’t forget to try the Chile beer, quite a summer drink with a real zing. The most tasty was Dirty Dans with the texture of Guinness but a smooth coffee overtones, very easy to drink. Mum tried to very drinkable passionfruit ‘alcoholic fruit juice’ and the ‘ginger beer flavoured wine -like beer’.
Of course the end of the night without television leads to the question, What is fire? Ignition fuel and oxygen. It is the burning of a candle. It is a living breathing entity. Ummm.
Some anectodes to remember:
*Callum “welaxing his lips” as he falls to sleep in our bed.
*Callum counting in hide and seek with Jay One… two….
Jah Roc Cafe York, WA
nan trying to tyre Callum out before the drive to Narrogin buckle my shoe.
*Nan 's weather reports
*Callum wanting a ‘big’ icecream
*Nan choking near death in the bedroom, and mum yelling ‘do you want a lemon to suck on mum’
*Callum pointing to mums false teeth saying: ‘ yeah she better brush them or they might fall out’
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