Christmas 2018

Whilst staying at Windsor Gardens Caravan Park I was busy from 7th December to 23rd December working various shifts at Santa's Wonderland, Wayville Showgrounds.  I thoroughly enjoy this work however by the end of the period I felt very buggered!! Started talking to Helen like she was a little kid!  Shared the load with other Santas however some days I had 1 shift, some days 2 and then there was the whole day!

Santa has a tough gig!!

 During time off we caught up with family and friends and made sure I had the evening off for our annual Christmas dinner with lifelong friends, which we have been doing for over 40 years!  It is usually the Saturday before Christmas and we have been going to a different venue each year.  We have only missed a couple in our 6 years of travelling and whats more special is that all 5 couples are still married!

Annual Christmas dinner 2018 at the Maylands Hotel

Very special Christmas this year as our kids Briony, Todd and Tenelle flew from the Gold Coast to have a family Christmas in Adelaide.  Our first celebration began with lunch on Christmas Eve at Helen's brother Robert and sister-in-law Rhonda's home together with their children plus partners plus kids.  Helen's sister Glenda also came down from Mt Compass so fantastic to have the 'Miller siblings' together.again.Was great for our kids to spend time with their Adelaide cousins who they do not see very much.  A wonderful day and great lead up to Christmas day- thank you Robert and Rhonda.

Christmas eve lunch at R&R's

A little more serious

Christmas morning Todd & Tenelle gave us all a Christmas T Shirt, Todd organised the shirts and as didn't know our sizes, one size had to fit all!!

Christmas morning began with a visit to our old neighbours at Athelstone (the Hewies) for the traditional Christmas Breakfast.  This has been going for 30 odd years and was a great start to the festivities having a cooked breakfast with some of the neighbours (great memories).  Briony and Todd thoroughly enjoyed the visit this year as it is a wonderful childhood memory - and the Hewies enjoyed having them re-visit after so many years.  Thank you to the Hewie family for your wonderful hospitality.

Traditional hot Christmas lunch was held at my nephew Anthony and his partner Sarah's home and consisted of a majority of my family - siblings, nephew & neices plus partners, great-nephews and neices - totalling 24.  The day was very hot but luckily we all fitted in their air conditioned home.  I slipped out after the main course and changed into my Santa outfit then had every person come up and get a little present!  Helen was the only one who knew, so it was a surprise for everyone and a heap of fun.  A huge thank you to Anthony and particularly Sarah who put up with a huge crew invading her home!  Briony and Todd had an absolute magic Christmas and Tenelle did so well to endure all the new cousins she met for the first time.

A big crew at Anthony's and Sarah's for Christmas, even had Santa arrive!!

Had another day with the kids until they flew back home to Tugun on the Gold Coast.  We then left Windsor Gardens and stayed a night at McLaren Vale Caravan Park in readiness for our Housesit for Karen & Jayson in McLaren Vale for 2 weeks.

Goolwa, Crabtree Farm

From Rupanyup we headed to Horsham, stopping for a coffee and re-stock of supplies before driving to Keith (SA) where we stopped for the night at the Showgrounds.

Keith Showgrounds overnight stay

Travelled down the Dukes Highway through Tintinara and stopped at Coonalpyn to see their Silo Art of 5 Coonalpyn Primary School children - 6 year olds Kiarah Leske and Blake Thompson, 5 year olds Macey Jacobs and Reef Gregor and 9 year old Ciara Johnson

Coonalpyn Silo Art - local school children

Crossed the River Murray on the ferry at Wellington accompanied by a semi trailer, that squeezed on!!.  Checked out the free camp spot at Langhorne Creek (quite nice) before driving to Goolwa, had lunch then set up camp at Crabtree Farm where stayed 5 nights.  Lovely rustic feel and great hosts Michael and Vicki (owners of Goolwa Heritage Bakery).  Had a great stay enjoying some sunshine, some rain plus endued a big storm which rocked the van quite a bit!  Was frequent visitors to the Bakery - great square pasties plus vanilla slices yum, yum!  During the storm night our hosts cooked wood fired pizzas then went into Michael's 'Man Cave' where we warmed up with a great combustion heater oh! and a few red wines!!

Our ferry ride at Wellington was a bit squeezey

Goolwa looking from the Hindmarsh Bridge

Entrance to Crabtree Farm

Our Crabtree Farm campsite was behind the sheds

The rear of the original cottage (dairy farm)

Woodfired Pizza and wine

Yummy pizzas

A couple of Goldfinches 

Booked into Moana Beach Tourist Park for a week - my brother Colin and Yolande (plus Trixie the dog) also stayed.  Caught up with family and friends on southern side of Adelaide and enjoyed staying put for a while although weather did not favour a beach stay - cold and windy!  Booked into Windsor Gardens Caravan Park for a month - catching up with family and friends, doctors appointments, Optometrist appointments,Santa inductions (back at Santa's Wonderland in Adelaide for my annual work committment!!)

Woods Farming and Heritage Museum, Rupanyup

After viewing our last Silo Art booked into the Rupanyup Lions Club Park and walked to the Woods' Farming and Heritage Museum for our arranged tour at 1pm. The museum was started by the Wood's brothers and contains exhibits of history collected by their family including tractors, trucks, farming implements, televisions, biscuit tins, old photo's etc etc etc. They also have a re-creation of the town's shops from the relevant era.  There is just so much to see, we spent 2 hours and thoroughly enjoyed our visit, particular thanks to volunteer Robert who was so enthusiastic, helpful and very friendly.  Thoroughly recommend a visit - bookings are essential.

A huge shed with 6 rows of tractors!

Estimate more than 70 tractors on display

Ronaldson Bros & Tippett Type N 2HP Engine (1949) and generator plant.

Large display of stationary engines - note sign collection on the wall

Butter shortbread tin collection - the HK Monaro brought back great memories

Rotary fridge - had never seen one of these before

One of the re-created stores - the mechanical workshop

Massey Ferguson tractor

I remember these from the Wheetbix packets many years ago!

Re-created General store

Never seen a Malvern Star bike like this one before

Huge display of sewing machines

Silo Art Trail

The Silo Art Trail starts at Rupanyup and finishes 200 km north at Patchowollock and its web site provides more detail of the Artwork.  We started in the north and finished at Rupanyup.

Another pleasant drive through country Victoria travelling through little towns - Lalbert, Culgod, Berriwillock, Woomelang and stopping at Lascelles for our first Silo Art for the day.

Lascelles - local farming couple Geoff & Merrilyn Horman, part of a family that has lived and farmed in the area for four generations

Lascelles -  Geoff  Horman

Lascelles - Merrilyn Horman

Patchwollock - local sheep and grain grower Nick (Noodle) Hulland

Roseberg - depicts Mallee farmers past, present and future

Roseberg - quiet time with Mallee farmer and his horse - love, trust and understanding

Roseberg - young female farmer - grit, tenacity and character

Brim - this was the first silo artwork to appear in Victoria and depicts an anonymous multi-generational quartet of female and male farmers 

Brim - farmers expressions that exemplify the strength and resilience of the local farming community - at sunset.

Brim Silo Art lit up at night

Stayed the night at Paddy's Park in Brim - nice bush setting with a lake.  I rode my bike back to the Brim Silo's at night to photograph the silo's all lit up - quite a spectacular sight.

Next morning drove through Warracknabeal and onto Sheep Hills Silo Art which depicts members of the Barengi Gadjin community, including local Elders Uncle Ron Marks, Aunty Regina Hood and two younger members of the community.

Sheep Hills - Silo Art

Members of the Barengi Gadjin community

Last Silo we visited today was in Rupanyup - the work captures the spirit of the community and provides an accurate insight into rural youth culture.  The featured faces are those of Rupanyup residents and local sporting team members, Ebony Baker and Jordan Weidemann.

Rupanyup - Ebony Baker (Netball) and Jordan Weidemann (Australian Rules Football)

Spanner Sculpture (Spanner Man)

Had another lovely drive through country Victoria passing through farmlands.  From Prairie travelled west and joined up with Loddo Valley Highway, then turned off Highway to Boort.  Had a nice lunch at Cafe Renu then drove out to the 'Spanner Man' for a 2pm tour.  John Piccoli welds giant sculptures out of spanners (hense the Spanner Man).  John leased out his mixed grain and stock farm after running it for 3 decades, from his wheelchair (polio in 1949). After leasing the farm he had a void so decided to do something with the boxes of spanners in his shed.  This was an absolutely great tour and his sculptures are unbelievable.  Certainly highly recommended and bookings are essential.

One of John Piccoli's chair sculpture in the Park in Boort

Some of the simpler artwork on the wall of the outdoor area where John gives his presentation.

Wild looking bull, note the peacock in the background.

You can see the detailed spanners on this seat.

The fish is in exact perspective and the bucking horse in the background.

A shearer

Draft horse and wagon

Collection of farm machinery each side of the driveway. 

John's workshop with the current sculpture, kangaroo tail hangs on the block and tackle.

Don't forget to call, it's really worth a visit.

Stayed the night at Quambatook Caravan Park - very quiet as only ones there!