2017
Newell Family News
2017 began for us in
Geraldton visiting our daughter Janet who was just settling in again
after her 7 months in Mauritius. We explored the local desert-like
landscapes by foot and kayak, built a movable hen house for her two
"frizzle" bantams, and enjoyed the time together.
Most of the year we were
"stay-at-homes" with Bob being very busy as President of
the Bribie BUG (Bicycle Users Group) and Secretary/Treasurer of the
Bribie Island Butterfly House
(https://www.bribieislandbutterflyhouse.org).
The first half of the year he played builder's labourer and the
photos below showed the butterfly house and breeding laboratory in
the early stages of construction.
It finally opened in June and is attracting many enthusiastic visitors (5000 in the first six months of being open two days a week).
When time permitted there
was the usual cycling trips and golf games.
Joyce continued developing
Lucky's Labyrinth at the local Arts Centre, adding many rocks, some
plants, and new signs, and starting a Tuesday morning meditation
group to enjoy the peaceful surroundings
(http://bribielabyrinthproject.blogspot.com.au).
The peak of her artistic year was an installation 'Reflections on
Life and Death' as part of the annual printmaking exhibition. (See
following blog). She has also been putting more energy into music,
singing in special concerts with several choirs, and playing recorder
with the Sunshine Coast Recorder Group, the Bribie Island Orchestra
and the Island Celtic Fiddlers group – and is looking forward to
attending the week-long Recorder Boutique in Armidale in early
January. Her enthusiasm for cycling to more remote corners of the
island has been renewed with buying an electric bike (a pedelec that
you still have to pedal to get assistance). An additional
adventure, internal instead of the more physical ones she has enjoyed
in recent years, has been to learn the common and Latin names of
about 300 species of Australian birds by connecting them with a
specific place using techniques discussed by Lynne Kelly
(http://www.lynnekelly.com.au).
This has been an exciting journey as somehow using one's memory in
this way also increases ones enthusiasm for life in general.
We continued westwards
through Emerald and Jericho where our car Snowy stopped for three
days while the local garage mechanic diagnosed, flew in and fitted a
new "crankshaft position sensor". Luckily we just happened
to be at a great campsite (below) and the mechanic was one of the
last two businesses left in Jericho which is declining like so many
of Australia's small regional towns.
Finally we continued to
Longreach, Lochern NP (below left), Jundah, Welford NP (below right),
Windorah, Quilpie, Curriwinya NP, Cunnamulla and Bowra Bird
Sanctuary, Bollen and home.
In October/November we found
ourselves again in Geraldton helping our daughter Janet move from one
rental house in Sunset Beach to another in Bluff Point. The bulk of
the heavy furniture moving took only a half day thanks to a platoon
of Janet's friends. But of course there was lots of packing,
cleaning, moving, more cleaning, unpacking and quite a few small
handyman jobs. Janet does like the little old houses with
"character", but the new one does have a great position
overlooking the Indian Ocean and lots more interesting birds.
Back home there was the
Rugby League World Cup to watch (on TV) and the pre-Christmas
celebrations which will this year culminate with Christmas Day at
Bob's sister's future retirement home in Mount Beppo, between their
farm at Toogoolawah and our old house on the Esk-Somerset Dam road.
In December while we face
increasingly hot summers, Janet sets off on a winter adventure to
Canada to visit Newfoundland where a friend she met in Mauritius
lives and Calgary where Joyce's brother lives. She is hoping there
will be enough snow for some skiing. She returns in mid-January for a
whirlwind 24 hour visit to Bribie on her way back to Geraldton.
After our Christmas at Mount
Beppo there will be the New Year and who knows what future for us,
Australia and the world. At our age we can only grin and bear it, and
only get worried about things that we can personnally do something
about – not a lot these days.
Hallelujah!!!
