Launceston's Cataract Gorge

We returned to Launceston, and after having some lunch, we decided to visit the Cataract Gorge which is located between the city centre and our suburb, Trevallyn. Today, the Gorge was the site of the Australian Extreme Kayaking Titles. It was very exciting watching the competitors race through the surging water avoiding huge dolerite boulders.

Evandale

This morning we decided to go to the Market at Evandale. It is held every Sunday at the beautiful village that is located near the Launceston airport. It is an excellent market with all kinds of stalls including fresh fruit, vegetables, garden plants, preserves, cut flowers, trash and treasure , antiques etc. It was a beautiful day. After exploring the market we called in to look at an old church and graveyard on the main street . I particularly liked the naive style of a small angel carved in stone that sits on the top of a headstone in the Church yard.

Raphael is 36

Today was Raf's happy 36th birthday. He is our third eldest child. His birthday reminds me that 36 years ago we moved from Launceston to live in Madang, Papua New Guinea, where I lectured in Art Education for 3 years.

The second photo was taken on the Fox Glacier in New Zealand in December, 1971. We were on our way from Papua New Guinea to Tasmania for the summer holidays. Raf ( on my knee) was about 11 months in this photo. The other two children in the photo with me are Toby (now 38) and Caleb (now 37).

Dinner with Colleen

Our friend Colleen invited us to join with her and some other friends for dinner at her home in Trevallyn. She was using a new rice cooker for the first time, so she enlisted our help. Happily the rice turned out beautifully and we had a very entertaining evening.

Lunch with Alf, Hilde, Nick and Tahirih

Tahirih and Nick joined Nick's parents, Alf and Hilde for lunch at our place. They were on their way to Devonport to take the ferry back to Melbourne after having spent some time over the summer holidays with Nick's parents.

Edie

Our youngest grandchild is Edie. She enjoyed dressing up in her special fairy costume and had several rides on our old rocking horse. She also spent time playing with her new Xylophone.

Christmas day

We were joined by four of our children and their partners as well as four grandchildren for a special Christmas lunch. Our eldest son, Toby is a chef, so he took charge of the kitchen and with the help of others produced a delicious meal.

Island Brass Academy concert in Hobart

Today we went to Hobart ... specifically to attend a special concert by The Island Brass Academy. One of our grand children, Dorian, is a gifted musician. He plays trumpet and as he was performing in the junior section of the Academy as part of the Concert, we decided to make a special day trip to Hobart to see him and hear him perform. It was an excellent concert. We are very proud of Dorian's achievements.

Bruce, Veronica and Cormac Stanley

We contacted our cousins who live at Scarborough and we decided to meet on South Bank for lunch. We actually met at the Art Gallery as there are good parking facilities in that complex. We then chatted as we strolled along the riverbank pathways to the south Bank beach and restaurant area. We spent several hours just enjoying being with family and exchanging news and views while we ate some delicious food and enjoyed the fresh coffee.

We visit David and Betty Scrine

David and Betty Scrine invited us over to their place at Currumbin for lunch. We enjoyed the train ride to the nearest station where David and Betty collected us and then drove us the rest of the way to Currumbin. It was a beautiful day and we enjoyed spending time with our dear friends. We always have lots of laughs with the Scrines. The lunch was delicious too!

We have dinner with Michael, Chris and George Day

The delightful Days invited us over to their home at Bardon for dinner. As a bonus, their son George had recently arrived from New Zealand so it was great to see him again. Michael and Chris had been having quite a busy time since they moved to Brisbane after volunteering at the Baha'i World Centre in Haifa, Israel. We spent a very happy evening with them sharing experiences as well as our plans for the future.

Dinner with more friends at a Thai Restaurant

Lua and John were keen for us to be introduced to some other good friends thay have made, so they organised to meet over a meal at a Thai restaurant . It was a good choice as they served one of my favourite Thai entree dishes - Money Bags. Another very enjoyable evening

Dinner with friends

Lua and John generously invited some friends over for an evening meal. We spent a very happy evening with Michael, Barbara, Jill and Len as well as Lua and John. Fabulous food and fabulous people.

A surprise meeting with Chris Oosterloo

We arrived at the airport to get our direct flight to Brisbane and while we were sitting having a drink in the cafe, I was surprosed to see Chris Oosterloo pass by. I called out her name and she came over to our table. It was quite a surprise as we had not seen each other for maybe 12 years. As well we had lost touch with each other while we were living in Israel so it was an exciting meeting. Chris was also on her way to Brisbane where she has been living for several years. We exchanged phone numbers and planned to meet up while we were in Brisbane.

We meet Valmae Lette-Taomia

Noel and I were at the Scottsdale show and we were delighted to meet our dear friend of many years, Valmae Lette-Taomia. As usual she was looking her radiant self. It was also a pleasure to meet Miriam who was accompanying Valmae on her visit to the show.

Dinner with Peter and Wendy Holloway

Wendy and Peter invited us over for dinner. We go back a long way . Wendy was in the same year group when I first went to Art School in Hobart in 1960 and we have remained close friends ever since. Like me, Peter grew up on the NW Coast so we have many things in common. They have three sons who are quite close in age to our first three sons too. Wendy is a gifted watercolourist and she has continued to produce and successfully exhibit her work over many years. A very happy and stimulating evening with old friends.

We visit Telle in Latrobe

Noel's second godmother lives in Latrobe on the North West Coast. Her name is Telle and she is a delightful lady who loves gardening, like Meg, Noel's other godmother, who lives in Victoria. We enjoyed having afternoon tea with her on our way to Burnie and Wynyard to see other friends.