Bill's New Van

 Bill's blue Hilux was nearly 20 years old, we had it for 16 years and it had done 440,000 kilometres, so we figured it was probably not going to be repaired and the insurance company would write it off and that is what happened. Bill had been thinking about getting another Hilux but in the end went for a brand new 2024 Hyundai Staria Van. He will look like a tradie! We went and picked it up a month ago and Bill is very happy with it. He is still going to try and work out how lots of things everything works. He went for the van option as it would be great for transporting his telescopes and has been doing exactly that with all his astronomy outreach work he has been doing. Ultimately his plan is to go out camping with his telescopes out to some dark sky areas. There is talk of taking the birds camping with him as well- will see how that pans out!

Catching Up with Kerrie Robertson in Rutherglen and Milawa

 I had a trip planned to Rutherglen and Milawa to catch up with my friend Kerrie Robertson. Kerrie and I went to Rusden Teachers College back in the late 70's early 80's, We have been friends for over 40 years. Kerrie lives in Warrnambool so we decided Rutherglen might be a good half way point to catch up and also an opportunity to go to Amberesque- a delightful Bed and Breakfast that is a favourite for Amy and I. Amy was coming with us when she heard we were heading to Amberesque. It was only a week after I got back from Melbourne and I wasn't really ready to head out again, but it actually worked out well as it was a good chance to just relax and regroup.

Amy and I left Tuesday morning and met Kerrie at Amberesque that afternoon

This is our favourite Bed and Breakfast, it was such a lovely place to stay for a couple of nights. We got spoilt, enjoyed a lovely breakfast each morning. Sat by the fire at night and just relaxed. Kerrie and I went for an early morning walk each morning, one morning around the lake and another morning up the only hill in Rutherglen to the old water tower made into a wine bottle.

Kerrie and I headed out after breakfast to check out the local tourist office and ended up doing a Bilson's cordial tasting. We then collected Amy and checked out the shops in Rutherglen.

Then later on headed out to Corowa where we went to the Whisky and Chocolate Factory, where we enjoyed a late lunch. The old flour mill had been sold for $1 on the proviso they turned it into some sort of tourist attraction. The buyers were also the owners of the Junee Liquorice Factory.

It was a pleasant afternoon and a lovely setting.

The next day after breakfast we headed off heading to Beechworth on our way to Milawa where we were staying for the next two nights.

We explored Beechworth and had a lovely time in the Honey Shop then headed to our accommodation in Milawa.

Our accommodation backed onto the Brown Brothers Vineyards. We visited Brown Brothers, went down to a Gin Distillery where Amy did a tasting, an interesting place.

Kerrie and I outside our accommodation in Milawa. We were disappointed to see the Olive Shop had gone, and the Mustard shop was no longer there. Fortunately we found the Mustard Shop on the way down to the Cheese Factory, where we enjoyed a cheese tasting and had morning tea out on the deck, it was a lovely morning.

On the last night the three of us enjoyed a lovely dinner at the new restaurant Ada's which was just 3 doors down from where we were staying. Kerrie and I enjoyed this lovely Pearsian Mocktail- pretty yummy!

We headed home the next day, it was a lovely chance to catch up and a nice chance to just relax and regroup.

Goodbye to Bill's Blue Hilux

I had driven Bill's Hilux down to Melbourne to bring home some of mum's stuff from her place at Fiddler's Green. Unfortunately the day I left saw me driving through some stormy weather, and just when I was about 10km out of Benalla it was dark, and there was water across the road that I couldn't see, until the car in front of me braked, when I went to brake I was in the water and aqua planned into the car in front of me. Unfortunately no one was hurt, the others were able to drive home but it wasn't the same for the Hilux. Fire, police and a tow truck turned up, they looked after me, and the tow truck driver drove me into town and  helped me find a motel for the night. I settled in, rang Bill with the bad news, lodged the claim with the insurance company. I didn't sleep that night, after phone calls to Bill and the insurance company the next morning, we worked out Bill would hire a Hilux and drive down and pick me up. So I had time to kill in Benalla. 

I enjoyed a wander around Benalla, they had lots of lovely murals on the walls throughout the town. I enjoyed a walk around the lake, had some lunch then had a bit of a snooze. Bill arrived around 7pm in a hire Hilux, we had some dinner and an early night, slept well thank goodness, it had been a bit of a traumatic few days. 

Bill and I drove to Wangaratta the next day, where the Hilux had been towed too and where the assessment would take place. We unloaded the old Hilux into the hire car and made our way back to Canberra. It was good to finally make it home.

Zonta 2024

 In July I was involved again with helping out the Zonta Ladies for their Annual Birth Kit Packing Day. They have been using our church hall for at least 15 years now and I have been helping open up and set up for them for the last 7 years. It is such a fantastic service project to be involved with. This is a bit about what they do.

Who we are

The Birthing Kit Foundation (Australia) is a humanitarian organisation that provides birthing kits and education in clean birthing practices to women birthing at home in remote regions of the developing world.

What we do

We work in partnership with the Australian Community and a number of Global Organisations to pack and supply Clean Birth Kits to pregnant women living in rural communities and low-resource settings around the world. To date, 2.8 million Clean Birth Kits have been distributed to women in need. Kits are given to mothers through community outreach programs, supplied to health facilities for use by doctors, midwives and nurses or distributed to traditional birthing attendants. They are designed to support hygienic practices and environments during childbirth in under-resourced settings.

Our Achievements

We have supplied over 2.8 million clean birth kits to women in remote regions of over 30 countries, trained over 10,000 traditional birth attendants and contributed to the prevention of FGM in communities that were killing their women in childbirth. The impact of our work can not be underestimated, with many unexpected benefits for the women and communities we support. 

This year they made a presentation to me to thank me for the help that I had given them over the years. It was such and unexpected and lovely surprise. It has been such a privilege to be involved with them.

Mum's Memorial Service

 Mum had prepaid for her funeral, she was prepared! She didn't want to have her coffin at the funeral, so she had issued instructions. The funeral home was to organise a short graveside funeral service at the Berwick Cemetery, where mum had purchased her plot, this was to be for immediate family only and then there was to be a Memorial Service later, organised at the chapel, by the family. So that is what we did.

So mum's graveside service was held at Berwick Cemetery, it was a beautiful, sunny day. The cemetery was just up the road from our old house in Lyall Rd ( the house is no longer there). There are lovely views across Berwick, with lovely gum trees and there were some native birds to serenade us. 

Berwick Cemetery was at the back of the Berwick Tennis Courts where mum and others of the family had played tennis for years. You could hear the sound of the tennis balls being hit. I remember back when I was a teenager, if you hit the ball over the fence you had to scramble through the graves to find the ball. Mum was to be buried in the new lawn cemetery area which was just lovely.

Simon's ashes were also being put in mum's grave as well, so that made it an emotional time for Bindi, Mia and Charlie

The family began to gather

Some of the grandson's acted as pall bearers, which was a nice touch.

After a short service the coffin and ashes were lowered and we had a chance to file pass and throw in a rose.

Some of us then headed back to mum's place at Fiddlers Green and the grandchildren had the chance to look through mum's stuff and choose some keepsakes to remember her by.

It was a nice opportunity for the grandkids to catch up. All the females selected one of mum's shell jewellery pieces to keep and wear at the funeral in her honour.

Bindi insisted on taking a photo of me with this photo from my mission days- rather a long time ago.

Kelly and Mia, looking at the quilt Amy made for mum's 70th birthday.

Mia, Bindi, Charlie and I then headed down to the Narre Warren Chapel where we were having the Memorial Service for mum. We took down the food I had brought from Costco for the refreshments. Gary had dropped off the Costco Sandwiches. Some of the women from mum' ward were going to set up the refreshments. They were happy to help and do something for mum.

Setting up the display for the Memorial Service

The ladies from church did a wonderful job taking care of the food, it was great not to have to worry about that side of things.

There were a few grandchildren photos taken. Lachlan and Amy had already left, they needed to head to the airport with Bill, they also called in to see Hilary and Stuart on the way which was nice. Hilary had come to the funeral so was lovely to catch up with her.

Even managed to get a family photo earlier in the day a rare occurrence.

It was a long day, but it was a lovely celebration of mum's life. I am sure she would have been pleased with how it all went. The weather was perfect, there were lots of familiar faces that I haven't seen for many years in some cases. Was nice to finally get home and process all that had happened that day.