Wednesday 29 April 2015

Back from our holiday in Victoria

We have had 12 days away on a holiday in Victoria, involving the Great Ocean Road, The Grampians, the Goldfields and the Yarra Valley. We were very lucky with the weather when in Victoria-- whilst Sydney and NSW got battered by storms and rain.

We started our holiday on the Great Ocean Road-- staying at Wongarra and then at Port Fairy. We tried to do as many walks each day as we could-- especially in the National parks.

Koala in the Otways National Park
 
The Otways Light House
 
The 12 Apostles on the Great Ocean Road
 
London Bridge
 
Prior to 1990, this piece of rock was connected to the mainland. But in 1990, a piece collapsed and formed this island. 2 people were stranded on the island when it collapsed and had to be rescued by helicopter. Reminded me of the child's nursery rhyme "London bridge is falling down".

 
 
Waterways at Port Fairy
 
A nankeen night heron-- it fishes at night.
 
 
Shearwater  (mutton birds) burrows
 
The shear water birds come to Griffith Island each year to nest. They leave the island to fly back to the Aleutian Islands in mid April. We walked around the island in the daytime-- we saw quite a few dead baby birds-- and no adults. Then I realised that the adults were out to sea in the day time and come in at dusk. The lady at the information centre told us that the adults left the island to fly north approximately mid April and she was not sure if they had gone as it was the 16th April. I was determined to see them and hoped that they would be back that evening. We walked back to the island that evening and waited and waited-- to no avail. The mossies and wallabies came out, but no adult shear waters came back! We must have missed them by a day or 2. There were 5 of us on the island waiting very patiently-- we had a chat instead. The babies were still in their burrows-- they were very quiet-- apparently they do not leave until 3 weeks later and manage to catch up with their parents in New Zealand on their journey north.
 
 
The next day we headed off to the Grampians. They were desperate for rain there-- it had been very dry. The waterfalls were dry too.
 
Southern Grampians taken at Dunkeld
 
Venus Baths in the Grampians.
 
View of the Grampians from a lookout
 
An Echidna
 
The only other echidna (in the wild) I saw was over 30 years ago. So can you imagine my delight when I saw this little creature trundling down to the water's edge, having a drink, turned around and trundled back into the bush. If I tried to get any closer , it rolled itself into a ball-- so had to keep my distance to not scare it.
 
Then it was a journey to the goldfields. We stopped at Maldon for lunch on our way to the B+B.
 
The Village Patch at Maldon
 
Don't you just love the sayings on the quilt-- all about chocolate-- and I agree with them.
 
Part of the 5000poppies display at Daylesford.
 
Cyril's at Trentham-- a delightful gift shop-- it was warm and inviting and Kay who runs it, was very welcoming.
 
A vintage Singer sewing machine in a shop window at Kyneton.
 
I will continue the journey in the next couple of days.
 
Cheers,
Yvonne
 
 

 
 

 
 
 
 
 

Thursday 9 April 2015

The AQC and an old table runner

I have sent off a collection of brooches and buttons to Marilyn of The Patchwork Teahouse in Warburton, Victoria. She always takes a selection of them to The AQC-- and this year was no exception.  I meant to take a photo of them before they went into the parcel-- but in my haste to get them to the Post Office, I completely forgot to take the photos. Anyway, please visit Marilyn at  Stand 53 at the AQC .


I have been trying to tidy up the house-- it was getting desperate--and washed a table runner which I had made about 2years ago, ( NB I have washed it a few times in the 2 years!) and whilst  ironing it, I realised I had not taken a photo of the poor thing. It is difficult taking a photo of a table runner-- and here is my terrible photo-- again I was in a hurry. ( why I am always in a hurry I will never know).

Blue table runner with elongated hexagons
 
Sometime ago,I had gone to a fascinating book shop in the city, and here were  some samples of tea cosies from a tea cosy book. They were just beautiful.
 

Colourful samples of tea cosies

Enjoy the AQC if you get a chance to go there next week.

Cheers,
Yvonne

Saturday 4 April 2015

Happy Easter, and No FNWFs for me

Wishing all the bloggers and their families a Very Happy and Holy Easter.

Friday night was FNWFs hosted by Cheryll.


I had every intention to join in-- but family came in unexpectedly ( which is always lovely) and that was the end of any sewing. Mind you, it was like the loaf and fishes story-- I had 2 pieces of fish for 3 of us, but had to feed 5 in the end-- it is amazing what one can do to stretch a meal.

Anyway, I decided I would join in with the Northern hemisphere bloggers and sew on Saturday morning. Well did I have a shocking night on Friday night with the worse sore throat in a long time. I felt lousy yesterday and achieved very little and still feel lousy this morning. It is Panadol every 4 hours and lots of fluids and rest. Cannot get any inspiration to do anything else. So I am sorry, Cheryll, for doing nothing for this FNWFs.

Hop onto Cheryll's blog ( click on the FNWFs logo on my sidebar) and see what the other bloggers have achieved.

Happy Easter.

Yvonne