Where have we been?

Hi everyone,

almost forgot about my blogging but thought i would get back in the saddle today after nine months, ooops. We are still living and working in Bunbury, W.A. and very excited about the approaching summer. Its been a long and cold, wet winter but that is now a distant memory as I have my hammock back on the verandah and wearing a sarong around the house instead of 20 odd layers of clothing. Things have been nice and relaxed over here, I think its the general vibe of the place......and we have been getting more social the longer we are here and making new and old friends again!

Taking us back to earlier this year.......

I found work in a lovely gourmet whole foods store called Rusticana, we sell bulk grains, legumes, flours, cereals, etc. and have a deli which sells italian meats and cheeses from France and Italy and antipasto galore. We also sell specialty food lines like truffle oil and imported chocolates, turkish delight, bulk chocolate and confectionary, oils, spices, coffees, specialty teas - you name it! If you are throwing a dinner party, a foodie or entertaining in this area, you shop with us! We also make up gourmet hampers and get especially busy towards xmas/new year period so will be initiated into crazy time soon. I really love it and in my element of course and when things get less hectic, will be starting up a nutrtional type newsletter with recipes etc. for the store.

I also did a brief foray (5 weeks) into government work at the Departmant of Transport but issuing licences and number plates didnt turn out to be my cup of tea so thankfully my lovely boss took me back with welcome arms. Also did a bit of casual work at the 2 healthfood stores in town but at The Rusticana store full time now. Scotty is still really enjoying work with the watercorp and does a bit of travel with it, mostly to areas in the southwest here like Margaret River, Busselton, Bridgetown and up to Perth occasionally. His fave work days are when he goes to the National parks with the park rangers! (his childhood dream occupation).

In February, we had my sis Selly come and stay for a wee while which was great, it was sooooo lovely to see her! Took her for her Birthday dinner to a popular Freo eatery, little Creatures Brewey and had many lovely swims down south. Then for Easter break we had Marty and Ad come and stay for a week and we also had a couple of nights in Margaret river. I drove the boys around the breweries one day and then Scotty drove the following day around wineries. Very nice time, even if we were feeling our age at a noisy backpackers combined with some of us being a bit physically challenged. Ad (hoppy) had done his ankle at soccer and I (spazzo) had a bung knee after a very co-ordinated stunt of racing Scott to the water at the beach and basically tripping (or was i pushed by dear husband? jury is still out on that one) and face planting it in the wet sand at full speed. Landed on my knee, bending it to the side, arse in the air, all while Marty and Ad were behind, pissing themselves. So embarrassing.

We had a rough time in May, as we suddenly lost mum's partner and fiance, Robert. It was an awful time but she is getting there. We had Shazza over here to stay with us for 5 weeks in August/September and that was wonderful to have her here and she's made lots of new Bunbury friends (of course) that she will catch up with when she flies back to us in December.

Other news.......recently had a relaxing week in Bali. It is most definitely a WA rite of passage, everyone we know over here has been like 5 times so because we jump off bridges if other people do, we went. Did nothing much but lie by the pool, eat and drink and swim. The perfect holiday really. Was a good way to celebrate our 5th wedding anniversary!

So the warm weather is here and we are excited about weekends away in our beloved and slightly neglected van again. Next sunday, I will be starting a stall at the waterfront markets here in Bunbury that run until March. Will be doing my flower essences. Scotty joined the golf club earlier this year and has been playing competition on Sunday mornings (he won the b grade championships so that was exciting!) Not sure on our movements next year, definitely staying for the summer, and then after that it will be should we stay or should we go deal, no anwers there yet! Hope you are all well, Leashy and Scott xxxxxxxxxxx

Back on the chain gang....

Hi everyone, again its been a long time between blogs. Thought we would do a quick update of our whereabouts for those of you who dont know (and those of you who dont care as well). So eventually we thought it best to top up the travel fund and that means work, icky sticky. Anyway, Scotty secured a job in Bunbury WA with phone interviews while we were still in SA and he's started as the safety guy for the water corporation which supplies water the whole of the south west. Bunbury has lots of advantages, its a regional city so it has things like sushi (believe me, that gets exciting after a long time in the middle of nowhere), it has beaches, diving, a bay where dolphins swim with you and its close to all the getaway spots. We are an hour from Margaret River and 2 hours from Perth and Fremantle and there is lots of walking and amazing beaches in nearby spots of Donnybrook, Balingup, Yalingup, Dunsborough, Collie, Capel etc. The list goes on, its where everyone comes in WA for holidays if they aren't up in Broome. So we landed here mid Jan and found a flat quite quickly. We are ever so proud that we furnished our 2 bedroom place in a week very cheaply thanks to some wheeling and dealing at garage sales. You can walk to the beach in 5 mins and walk to the main street (Victoria street) in the same amount of time, it has the bars, cafes, pubs, shops, cinema and scottys work. To get to Koombana bay (with the dolphins) and the posh eating and drinking area takes 10 mins! So we are in the thick of things...I'm looking for work still and settling in and walking around lots getting to know the area. My best discovery was a fruit and veg man who sells spray free and local fruit and veg from the surrounding farms, from the beach carpark 4 days a week. So that us in a nutshell at the moment. Will leave you with highlights of travel since we last blogged....

- Happy hour every night at Streaky Bay Hotel (SA), where the free bar food involved prawns in shells, chicken wings, etc. We dont know how they make any money??
- Flinders Ranges (SA) were so spectacular and the walks, though hard, were so worth the pain. The views from some of the peaks were unlike anything we had ever seen.
- A visit to Adelaide and seeing my Mum and Robert who were on a quick holiday there, and going bezerk at the fresh food and asian markets and food halls.
- Crossing the Nullabor and seeing the cliffs of the great Australian Bight (quick lowlight- got into huge argument with border security at SA/WA border and was nearly arrested because i was trying to hide all this fresh food we had just bought and she took away our cactus named Doc! Only state line we have crossed so far that this has happened..)
- Esperance and nearby Cape Le Grand National Park (WA) where we planned on a few nights and stayed for 8 as the water was so blue and the kangaroos were so friendly....
- The green pools in Denmark, best snorkelling so far
- Last weekends concert at Leeuwin Estate Winery in Margaret River where we saw The Waifs and Ani Di Franco - great setting (BYO picnic blanket and food hamper)
- Winning a gourmet food hamper on Australia Day!!!!! (In a karaoke competition...just kidding)
- Scotty going back to work (just kidding again.....)