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Published: January 3rd 2015
December in Perth - well this includes part of November as well.
Initially we stayed at the Club Capricorn Caravan Park while we helped our son get the parking area at the front of their home prepared. It was weird really, because when we pulled up in front of the home for the first time, we looked at the area and our hearts sank - it looked too small. Anyway, we got out of the motorhome and when we paced out the area it was going to be more than adequate. So we backed the motor home onto the site to check levels, and quickly worked out that there was a bit of work to be done before we could stay on site for an extended time.
You would think that Perth would be pretty warm in December. We haven't found that to be the case this year due to southerly winds most days. So while the thermometer shows mid to high 20s Celsius, and humidity quite low, we have at times felt chilled when out in the wind. Even the local Galahs have their feathers ruffled.
On our first weekend here, we went to the Perth Hot
rod Club's show at Yanchep National Park. The hours that go into restoring/rebuilding these older vehicles is amazing, as is the glistening paint finish in most cases. I had to take a picture of a yellow Austin A 40 that was on show. My Dad had an Austin A 40 Devon when we lived in Invercargill (NZ) and we travelled many miles in one of these most reliable cars. However, I do remember Dad having a brake failure driving from Milford Sound back to Invercargill where he had to use the gears and hand break to get us home safely. The A 40 here looks a little different as it is mounted on a Toyota Land Cruiser cut down chassis.
Finally, Canon Australia released the new PowerShot SX 60hs bridge camera with 65 times digital zoom. What a good camera this is. The Sony I bought in Tasmania has been pensioned off, and after a few weeks use of the SX60, I was impressed enough to get Margaret one for her XXth birthday, celebrated just before Christmas. This camera is very quick to operate and get onto the next shot, and zooming and focus are easy to manage as
well as quick. So Marg's SX40 camera (hand me down from me) is now retired.
Over a couple of weekends I gave our son some assistance to build a small retaining wall and then levelled out the site. I think we dug out about 3 cubic metres of sandstone soil and then used a compacter to make a solid base for the motor home to park on. The 4 tonnes barely made a mark, so we were happy with the base. We then spread about 3 cubic meters of pea gravel over the park and several paths around the house.
With that task done, we were able to park the motor home on site and connect up water etc. The other thing that got done was my back. I ended up really hobbling along. I jokingly asked for a walking stick for assistance. Our grandson Ben made a lego walking stick, but unfortunately he discovered before I took it for a test drive, that it was too unstable. However, granddaughter Rebecca came to the rescue with the near perfect solution, her Unicorn Hobby Horse! Good thinking and it worked well.
After several trips to the Dr, a
CT Scan plus a spinal injection, a truck load of pills, I can report a steady improvement in comfort and movement as I write this in January.
Meanwhile, progress on landscaping continued flat out, but by and large I could only advise, and not give much physical help. The end result is that their newly constructed home has good paths right around, a super large patio area paved in a great pattern, lawn growing fast, and now they just have to wait until March for the builder's contractor to landscape the balance of the front of the property.
Being somewhat house bound for the past 4 weeks has been frustrating, but the grand children always have something to show us or share with us.
The area where our son and daughter in law have built their home is in one of only a few areas where the endangered Carnaby's Cockatoo (Short beaked cockatoo) can be seen in the wild. These birds are distinguished from the general varieties of black cockatoos by their white circular pattern by their ears. They have also a patterned black/white look under their tail feathers. Very rapid urban development around Yanchep plus destruction
of old growth gum trees in their breeding areas has reduced their population quite seriously. There is a management plan to address this, but I am not too sure if the local authority for the area is genuinely committed to their habitat being preserved.
Yanchep is a coastal town, and is blessed with the Yanchep Lagoon. This lagoon is a very popular swimming spot, and our grand children are currently getting swimming lessons here over the school holidays. The schools here also use the Lagoon for swimming lessons, so the kids are well catered for in a very water orientated community.
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Mum & Dad
non-member comment
Good blog
Didn't you do well. The lagoon looks good and handy. Free swimming for all is a great idea. Your effort with the sight layout etc has saved your. Family heaps. Well done but watch out for backs and hearts now. You need to get ready for the long haul home.v