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Thank you Tuckers for a most wonderful break! The Tuckers - Jenny and Brian, with daughters Katie, Gillie and Ruthy - are South Africans now living in Australia, on a beautiful 73 acre plot of land in Ellinbank, a 1.5 hour drive east from Melbourne. Friends of our friend Glenda, they invited us into their home even though they didn’t know us, and made us feel so welcome. Over Easter they went away, so we played house, feeding the dog Jabu and the chickens, baking, playing and just relaxing! No sight seeing, no hiking, nothing! It felt strange, but absolutely wonderful! A chance to recharge the batteries! After 11 nights sleeping in a house, we did wonder whether we would be able to readapt into caravan life, but, safe to say, two days back in Cazza and we are comfortable and happy!
The boys loved their time on the ‘farm’. The girls left them a huge box of lego, and the boys spent much of their waking hours building bigger and more imaginative lego creations. William spent most of his time outside building a ‘real’ house, complete with corrugated roofing,
a little kitchenette, a door, carpets, and a plant. He in particular was very sad to leave the Tuckers, and was very proud of his creation - and justifiably so! He - and later Ruth when she returned - spent hours there, eating their breakfast, lunch and tea outside, and constantly making alterations to their home. We also did a lot of drawing, and finally had the space and the tools to do something with our ever-growing seashell collection. We made some lovely mobiles, and necklaces. Paul also kept himself occupied rebuilding a stile which had been damaged by an errant hay bale. And I, well, I didn’t do much! Just relaxed, read, cooked (even made some sushi for the boys which they were excited about), cut hair, and escaped for six hours into the world of Jane Austen (I watched Pride and Prejudice). I also managed to read another whole book, and not a Mills and Boon one. I read Sally Morgan’s My Place. What a wonderful read - one of those books you almost feel privileged to read, an inspirational person.
While it was lovely having the four days to ourselves, it was equally lovely spending days
with the Tuckers. The kids got on very well, and it was interesting chatting to Jenny and Brian - I think we definitely left as friends. It is difficult forging a life in a new country, and for the Tuckers, it was not a conscious decision to leave South Africa, but rather one of circumstance. They both have most of their family and many friends still in Joburg, and visit them regularly. But with children born in Australia, and now having built a most beautiful home on a large plot of land with a mountain ash and eucalyptus forest, a river, an old quarry, and grazing sheep and cattle in their back garden, they say it is unlikely they will return. It is difficult they say, as they are not Australian, but they are also no longer really South Africans either. The girls consider themselves Aussies, but are well aware of their South African heritage, and can sing Nkosi Sikelel’ iAfrika. Both Paul and I look forward to keeping in touch with them, and hopefully catching up with them in Joburg.
We are now in Melbourne for a few days, with a very busy schedule which involves catching up
with friends. LIke South Australia, we are having to rush our time a bit here, as we need to be in Sydney by Tuesday week as Paul is flying to Joburg for his 25-year school reunion. With our original schedule, we had thought we would be coming back this way, but, as with even the best laid plans, changes happen. Yes, I am afraid after much discussion and debate, Paul and I have realised that we were too ambitious to include New Zealand on this journey, and have therefore decided it makes more sense to spend more time in Queensland, and to travel down Western Australia (which, on our original route, would have been missed altogether) rather than try and cram in a visit to New Zealand. New Zealand will have to wait for the next tour! When we originally devised the route, neither Paul nor I were much interested in Queensland, believing it to be very touristy and uninteresting. Well, we stand corrected, as everybody has told us how wonderful Queensland is - and that a couple of months even is not enough to see everything the state has to offer (and then there is still Northern Territory and
Western Australia to see). So, it is onwards and upwards, so to speak. It also means we will get back into sunshine and warmth sooner than before!
It has been great reconnecting with old friends. So far, I have caught up with Milena, with whom I was at university with, and who was also living in Tokyo when I was there. Originally from Perth, she has now moved here as job opportunities are better here for her husband Dave. Like the Tuckers, she misses home, but she goes back to Perth often. Paul also reconnected with Robert Wilson, whom he worked with in the UK. At a bbq at Robert’s house we also met Howard, a 17-year-old Chinese boy who is currently studying IT at Monash University. This is Howard’s second degree, as he holds an Engineering degree which he earned in China at the age of 14! He is an exceptionally bright young man, but very modest, and humble. He was to start Monash at 15, but was told the university could not accept somebody so young, so we went to school here for a year to improve his English, and to pass the time, and now will
be the youngest person to graduate from Monash. Once he earns this degree, he hopes to go to the US to study at MIT.
Meeting up with old friends makes the decision not to go to NZ even sadder - we were really looking forward to seeing Craig and Ali, Bronwyn and Cassie. Will have to make it there on another trip!
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Claire
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What a lovely place to live! Something in the Sunday papers today that may be of interest. The french are now calling their campsites "open-air hotels-complete with spas, beauty salons, massage tables, "room service," and luxury tepees." Meet you in France for your next tour. My kind of camping.