Wooooo Hoooooo Christmas is here!!

Merry Christmas everone!!!! I really loved Christmas because I got a eucalaly and so has Holly and now we can play together.

Love Anna

End of School!!!!

Our end of year concert was held in the school grounds under the boabs and was like fully sick!!!! We also had an end of year disco, which was totally rad!!!! Mum seems really happy that the school year is finished and she is also on holidays.

Ruby

OMG!!!!! its a frog

Now that the wet season has arrived there are alot more insects. And where there are more insects, there are more frogs to eat them! Although Dad is a bit scared of them we love them!

Ruby

Dead famous

The Broome Health Service Christmas party was held at the Cable Beach Club. Very nice venue. Very strange crowd.....The theme was dead famous. A hell of alot of dodgey Steve Irwins turned up. The twin towers were there, a few dead superheroes, plenty of dead actors, Freddy Mercury, Sid Vicious and Nancy. Not a good night to get sick in Broome.........

Taipans go down in the semi

Well its all over for this season for the Taipans. After getting absolutely smashed by the Cyclones for most of the match we ended up needing 90 odd off the last 12 overs. We only had 9 players and looked gone for all money when the boys threw caution to the wind and had a "good old fashion slog". Basically the opposite to what I'd been telling them all season. The slogging seemed to work alot better than the straight bat I've been preaching and we ended up needing 20 off the last over. The first ball went straight back over the bowlers head for four and an improbable victory seemed to be in the offing. Alas the young fellas off stump was bent back with the next ball and they nurdled a few around for the rest of the over to leave us about a dozen runs short. All in all an honourable defeat and a good finish to a season that has been alot of fun.

The wet season

It seems the wet season has begun. All the tourists left town weeks ago - and alot of the locals are starting to head off to more pleasant climates for their holidays.

Its very hot and humid almost 24 hours. We all seem to be coping pretty well though. The kids seem to be running around oblivious to the heat and I seem to be drinking a lot more beer than usual.

Its now stinger season so swimming at the beach is out, the water is pretty hot anyway. So now we have to freeload off friends with pools - and perhaps the odd unsuspecting resort.

The first big dump of rain came last week accompanied by an extremely loud and bright thunder and lightning storm. We started off enjoying it on the verandah but we were quickly forced inside by the rain and scaredness of thunder.

I've done my cyclone training so hopefully we'll know what to do should one come this way!

The mighty Taipans

The Taipans u/13 cricket team got off to a shakey start this season under the watchful eye of Terry and myself. After three straight losses to begin with we were dreading the anouncement that we had the full support of the board - code for "you'll be sacked after the next loss".

Thankfully the boys stopped listening to us and have won the next two matches. One more home and away game and then it's finals.

I had pledged to resign if we didn't make the finals in my first season. Very brave since all four teams play off in them, however we have to start somewhere.

The boys have assured me that I am actually quite a good football umpire compared to my cricket umpiring.

Reasons to be cheerful in Broome (part 1)

Mangos, Matsos & Mustacha's.

Well its mango season in Broome at the moment. There are mango trees all around town with big fat mangos hanging off them. We've grabbed a few off the tree across the road and usually pick up a box from the Saturday markets, so its gone from sharing one a week in Melbourne to eating as many as you like here in Broome. Tracey has almost perfected her daqari (that's how you spell it isn't it??) recepie and the kids are starting to turn orange.

Matsos is the town brewery which is perched on the foreshore of Roebuck Bay. It is a very pleasant afternoon spent under its verandas looking across the mangroves and the blue, blue water. Oh and the beers not bad either.

I'd like to say the mustacha is all for charity (Movember) but alas it has been alot longer project than that. Now that the family have got used to it and approve, it's probably time for it to go.

Cape Leveque with the Karatzicos's

Probably spelt that wrong but not to worry. Theo, Mary, Alexia and Thomas came up for a week which we spent half in Broome and half at Cape Leveque. Great to see them again and they have promised to pass our regards on to Coburg.

We stayed in a thatched hut on the beach, the weather was warm and the insects were few which was very fortunate beacuse I somehow managed to forget all three of our tents. Apparently they should be one of the first things to pack when you go camping. Amazing! We all survived I am happy to report.

Holly and Brin came along so they could be jumped on by a whole lot of kids for a few days.

Once again it was sensational up there, not many people and beautiful beaches. We visited a couple of the aboriginal communities nearby called Lombadina and Chilli creek which were quiet and shady. Once again there was alot of swimming, sleeping, reading and eating. Very relaxing indeed.

Barn Hill & Porth Smith

We travelled South about 100km to Port Smith and Barn Hill station for a week of R & R.

Port Smith is a caravan park on a lagoon that fills and completely empties twice a day. Some friends from Broome came (Nina & Geoff) who had a boat. Darcy and I went out fishing with them and had a great time pulling in some very sizable fish (sorry no photos you'll just have to trust me on thet one).

Barn Hillis a cattle station that has a very shady camp ground with real grass and even a bowling green! The beaches and rock pools were fantastic and almost deserted. We spent many hours each day in the water and met lots of nice people while we were down there. Roses the cattle dog has taken herself off on extended leave for the past 7 months and adopted us as her famly while we were there. Apparently she chooses a family when they arrive, and goes where they go, sleeps under the van and basically becomes one of the family. As soon as they start packing up she heads back to the caretaker and waits for another suitable family to arrive.

Its "Gapo"

The woodge has finally lost her top choppers. One was loose and Rube smacked her in the face with the soccer ball to dislodge the good one, and next thing you know you loose them both on the same day!

The Barn Hill Station fairies left some pindan, some gumleaves, some glitter, some shells and ten smackers.

Broome Hash House Harriers

I've started running with the Broome Hash House Harriers which is an interesting combination of running and drinking.

A bit difficult to explain, but alot of fun.

Check out www.broomeh3.blogspot.com/ for a left field blog.

Harry & Grace

Harry and Grace have been up for a week from Perth during the school holidays which has been great.

We all went up to Cape Leveque and visited One Arm Point and Beagle Bay on the way back to Broome.

It has been really fun catching up again and hopefully we can do it again soon.

Guess who's team won the Granny??

Enough said.

As far as I am aware we are still married.

Photographic competition

Ruby and Darcy went to a photographic program down at Reddells beach.

Rube won first prize in the wildlife category with her piece titled "Reddell's beach is bloomin beautiful". Here she is pictured at the display at the boulevard shopping centre with Grace who is obviously blown away by the beauty of the photograph. Ruby won her picture printed onto a canvas frame.

Darcy won third prize in the landscapes with his picture "Reddells beach rocks" and won a snorkelling set.