Appollo Bay

Hi Everyone, I am having a very quiet time here in Appollo Bay. It has been disappointing weather wise too. Mostly rainy, both heavy rain and light showers, overcast for most of each day and quite cold. I am at a caravan park outside Apollo Bay, called Marengo Holiday Park, about 2 kms from town, which made it a bit difficult!
I found a masseuse when I first arrived, and as I have been having some trouble with my neck and shoulder I booked in. She half killed me , but that did the trick,  I went back yesterday for another go and feel really good at the moment.
 I have taken some short walks around the beaches, the colour of the water is beautiful blue/green, and the rocks are greeny grey.
I stayed at Colac, with a solo lady I met at the motorhome rally at St Arnaud, she took me for a few drives, and out with some various friends for meals, and then when I got here she came down and we went for a drive around. This is what is difficult with a motorhome, no wheels once you have parked.
 I am also having trouble with (one of) my tvs! One doesn't work, I',not sure why, and the other one doesn't get a decent picture, only SBS and Win, neither of them working properly, pixellating and picture failing on and off all the time. I am totally fed up! Apparently bthe park is not a good reception area! 10 days and virtually no tv!
As I said a very quiet time, but I am getting lots of handsewing done!
 Keep well and safe travelling to my fellow travellers, always  thinking of you
 Love vicki

solo rally

Hi Everyone, I have been attending another motorhoming rally over th last ew days. It is at ST Arnaud, sort of eastern, mid victoria. ( I am sure it has an official name). I left Nagambie and drove through some minor roads to Heathcote, and then on to Logan, which is actually only a pub. They allow parking behind the pub, very quaint!, they have a shetland pony which has been photographed in the bar, it is an appaloosa (spotted) and its name is Henry.
From there we drove on to St Arnaud, where we parked at the recreation ground. A lot of sporting facilities, a good club house and a few pokies! plus a good restaurant! There were  about 30 motorhomes from the solos, plus quite a few from other chapters, all up about 60-70 motorhomes. There was a lot of stuff happening at St Arnaud over the weekend, we had a welcome from the Mayor on Friday night, and a bbq. there was a street market, on saturday morning and then we went to a concert by Eric Bogle with a meal on sat night. That was quite good, then Sun there was a symphony orchestra production of Beethoven's 5th. plus a monster town garage sale. There was a small quilting display and I chatted to the ladies whose work was on display , and tomorrow I am joining them at their quilting day.
 I met some lovely ladies,who have kindly extended offers of hospitality for me and doigs donga! So I think it was a great weekend. The solo folk have been  tremendously helpful. One couple from qld. have sorted out my bedroom tv, a fuse in the power cable was blown, and they also sorted out my "little" problem with the toilet, a new o ring got that happening. Amazing the help all these people offer to pefect strangers!
I hope you are all having a wonderful time as I am. my thoughts are with you all
much love
vicki

Revisit Kinglake

Follow up to Kinglake

Hi everybody,
I have been having a really lazy time at Nagambie, Victoria, with my friend from way back in Exmouth and Donnybrook, days. We have talked our heads off , drunk bottles of bubbly, put a few bets on the horses, (Melbourne Cup) and Oaks etc. On the weekend we went to see her daughter, who I last saw when they left WA, in 1988!
Courtney is a beautiful young woman whom I have the utmost admiration for. She and her partner had been in their own home at Kinglake for 6 months when the fires went through in feb 2009. They lost everything! Apparently as most people, they also didn't have top insurance cover, but they did have some. They strated to rebuild quite soon after, and have now got a gorgeous new home on their land. Her man works in WA in the mines, fly in fly out, so she carried most of the load of the rebuild, while also still being at uni finishing her degree and working full time. whew!
Imagine having to go out and get everything from scratch. Undies, all clothes, shoes, bedlinen, china, cutlery, just everything.!! She made the comment that she washes her clothes frequently because she still doesn't have enough work clothes for a week's work! I don't know how she stood up to all that trauma!!
Any way we had a wonderful yak, and she recalled the times when as a child she came over to wa to be with her fatherfor summer holidays and visited my ex-husband and seeing my kids, Genevieve and Ben, I hadn't really thought about that, so it was interesting to have some insight into what was going on in the family after I had moved on.
I had a phone call today from sister Jean who is cruising on Radiance of the Seas on her way to NZ. The ship was in Melbourne, and tonight we saw it on TV before it left harbour for Hobart! Once again I am quite envious of any one else cruising when I am not!
I had a few bets on the Melb Cup, had 3rd, on a bet plus a sweep. Then proceeded to put those winings on Oaks day, and those winnings (some of them), on Stakes. whooee! $241.00 on one race, $200.00 on another and generally picked a few winners! Not so good for my hosts though!I have really enjoyed chilling out in Nagambie, and ready to move on tomorrow.
Hope you are all keeping well and safe travelling. love vicki