2016!!!!

2016!!!!!!!

It still seems unreal to be writing at the end of 2016 – where have all the years gone???

2016 is a milestone year for us – Joyce celebrated her 70th birthday in style on 5 November meaning we have both now passed the magic three score and ten mark – and certainly consider every year from now on a privilege and a bonus – but NOT a right. As we age, we have become more concerned about how our society has been making marking of the years for as long as possible a right, and almost a badge of honour without considering either quality of life, or the costs to our society. Interesting insights to how our society is handling death can be found in Stephen Jenkinson's book, Die Wise. At his website www.orphanwisdom.com.

The other milestone for us is the death of Bob's mother, Kath Matskows, in November at the age of 95. Her journey in the last years of her life, especially her last years being 'well-cared for' in a nursing home has certainly made us more reflective on how we would like to complete our life journeys. Making the Christmas card list this year also brought home how many friends and relatives have died in recent years – and how this list will continue to grow. The greatest challenge to us all is to accept and grow through endings and change – and death is certainly the greatest of these.

Life for both of us, as for most of our friends, has been somehow more frenetic this year as we try to pack in as much as possible in response to the rush of time.

Joyce has again had an adventure trip – this time a 3 week (2 X 10 days) backpacking expedition onto the escarpment in Kakadu National Park – which was a very rewarding challenge, and an interesting area to visit. Getting fit for the trek involved walking and carrying a backpack wherever I went on Bribie, as well as exploring many untracked areas of the Island for several months before the trip.

The recorder group which had been a major part of Joyce's life for over 20 years broke up at Easter, and regrouped on the Sunshine Coast to become the Sunshine Coast Recorder Group, meeting on Thursdays instead of Tuesdays . Although the new group is smaller than the old one, the four of us who have been playing together regularly have been enjoying exploring the group's extensive collection of music – and are sounding better and better all the time!! I am also still playing bass recorder with the Bribie Island Orchestra, and soprano in a newly-formed and very successful Celtic music group.

Artistically, the focus of my year was the Printmaker's 'Trans.form' exhibition in August and the building of a meanderinglabyrinth at the Bribie Island Community Arts Centre . 

 Bob has been very busy helping with the construction of a butterfly house on Bribie - and  has required all his organisational skills to bring in reality a very complex and logistically challenging project.  Opening date will hopefully be sometime in 2017...

 He continues to be an enthusiastic golfer, playing 2 to 3 times weekly, and to be president of the Bribie Island Bicycle Users Group.  Both of us ride regularly with the group, which has become an important social centre for many of the about 40 active members.  

Janet is still in Geraldton, after an interesting and rewarding 7 month break in the middle of the year in Mauritius with a post graduate course in Endangered Animal Management run by the Gerald Durrell Foundation.  Like many in her field of environmental management, she continues to work on short-term contracts which are becoming increasingly scarce.

Craig is in Atlanta Georgia, and enjoying yearly skiing expeditions to Canada and France.
  

Joyce's brother Alan, sister-in-law Linda, and niece Heather visited for 2 weeks in November - it was great to be able to catch up with them, especially as we both are feeling hesitant about any more overseas travel as we have already had the privilege of seeing a wide range of places, and would like to spend more time exploring close to home.  Who knows what the future might bring!!

We will be spending Christmas in Geraldton with Janet catching up on her adventures, and talking about the coming year.  Our thoughts will be with our many friends around the world as we celebrate the beauty of our world.

Love and wishes for flexibility and a sense of humor when facing the joys and challenges of 2017,

Joyce and Bob

2015 XMAS BLOG

Bob & Joyce Newell, Bribie Island, Australia

The year 2014 to 2015 transition found us on the high seas in the Southern Ocean with swells of 3-4 metres from the west and on top of that up to 1 metre wind waves from the north-east. The ship rolled and pitched in a confusing fashion so we were all a bit green around the gills especially poor Janet who was quite seasick. 

Fortunately New Years found us at the Campbell Islands returning from Macquarie Island and just a day and two nights of the high seas before docking in Bluff on the far south of the south island of New Zealand. Despite the confused seas and quite cool and windy weather we have had a fantastic trip walking on the amazing subantarctic islands, viewing prolific wildlife and kayaking in calm inlets and wild seas – it seems we were the first tourists to kayak at Macquarie Island. 

The following pictures will give you a little taste of the trip:

Once on dry land again in Invercargill, NZ we hired a car and drove west and north spending three nights in Te Anu and two in Queenstown before returning to Australia and a bit of “rest and recovery”.



At the end of January we camped a night at Neurim Creek via Mt Mee and in February two nights at Forest Glen, during which Bob threw caution to the winds visiting the coast and ordering a new bike from the Electric Bike Centre – a Gazelle Orange C7+ Step-Through for $3750. The pedelec nature of the bike has done wonders gently strengthening his knees to the point that he no longer complains or hobbles up the stairs.

The next few months were quiet with Bob concentrating on playing golf, riding the bike, watching rugby league and a bit of stained glass. Joyce playing recorder, bike riding and catching up with friends. Together we kayaking in the passage and enjoyed a kayak camping trip to Mission Point (up the Pumicestone Passage).

Joyce went on her third Camel Walking Trip for three weeks in June/July and again she enjoyed the outback experience near the Northern Territory-Queensland border immensely.


August was our next big trip taking the overnight train to Cardwell on the far north Queensland coast from where we hired a double expedition kayak and took a leasurely ten days to kayak the about 100 km from Lucinda to South Mission Beach.

We started along the east coast of Hinchinbrook Island and Goold Island. Then there was a long paddle across to the Family Islands where we camped on Coombe Island. Finally we island hopped north to South Mission Beach in choppy windy seas sheltering behind each island for a short rest.

There we had two days to repack before taking the overnight train home from Tully – for “rest and recovery” again.

Towards the end of September Joyce's printmaking group put on a one week exhibition at the Arts Centre gallery. One of Joyce's initiatives was a labyrinth outlined on the gallery floor in dried Banksia leaves of which there is no shortage on Bribie.

In October we enjoyed a few days at Bellthorpe Stays in the first of their new cabins (came on two semi-trailers and bolted together). Lots and lots of walks taken and birds seen, including Regent Bower birds from the veranda.

The end of October saw Joyce and friend Kim Bennie take a conducted walk along the coast of New South Wales near Yamba. One highlight was three brolgas grazing by the track as they passed.



November saw both Bob and Joyce convert to “stand-up” computer desks so we shall see how that goes over the next few months.


Craig, now 40!!!, and his partner, Karen Donogue, moved to Atlanta Georgia at the end of March, and continues to enjoy the busy and well-paid life of a IT geek. 

Janet, now 35, is still managing to go from contract to contract with her work as an ecologist focusing on endangered plants around Geraldton, Western Australia.  One of her main projects, a planting of 23,00 trees mid-year was blessed with 50 mm rain from a localised storm just a few days after planting finished.  She is spreading her wings in 2016 to spend 6 months in Mauritius from April studying Endangered Species Management as part adventure, and partly to update and broaden her knowledge of the field.

This Christmas will be a visit from Janet and a stay at home/visit family affair for Bob. Joyce will be again at the Woodford Folk Festival from December 20th till just after the New Year volunteering and partaking.

Plans for 2016 include a 3 week trek off track in Kakadu National Park for Joyce in June
http://www.bushwalkingholidays.com.au/ksc2.shtml (this time without camels to carry the loads, so lots of get-fit preparation, and hopefully some overnight walks will be needed!).  We also hope to organise a kayaking trip in the Whitsunday Islands. 

Merry Christmas and a happy New Year to all our family and friends.

Experience the magic of a labyrinth on Bribie

Update:  The labyrinth is now up!

Creating a labyrinth for Bribie:

2014 Christmas Blog

Bob & Joyce Newell, Bribie Island, Australia

The year 2013 to 2014 transition occurred with Joyce volunteering and attending the Woodford Folk Festival. (http://www.woodfordfolkfestival.com).   Woodford was great – both helping put this massive village together (I helped with mainly sewing decorations), and the Festival itself.  Bob took advantage of Joyce leaving to visit Janet in Geraldton (Western Australia) which included Christmas together in Exmouth (Yardie Creek Homestead) and Red Bluff (137km north of Carnarvon), building furniture, and golfing.

 

Red Bluff Tent Cabin, WA

Bob and Janet at Kalbarri NP, WA

 Bob's Furniture, WA

Janet's Gingerbread Tower, WA

Home again, Joyce continued with her Tuesday recorder group in Maleny (70 km north-west), now in about its 20^th year. This year Bob joined her trips with joint early morning bird-watching at Mary Cairncross Park (rainforest) and Baroon Pocket Dam (mixed eucalypt forest) followed by being driving-range volunteer at the Maleny golf course (9 holes under construction).

Looking over New Course 

Clubhouse & Driving Range

As well we enjoyed Bribie and surrounds with cycling, walking, kayaking trips, seagrass monitoring, printmaking, laughing, and singing (Joyce) and golfing (Bob).

Various “Green Men” (tree spirits) 

Rainbow prints and Orabela quilt

Special trips included camping at Caloundra while Joyce joined in a scratch performance of Handel’s Creation, having Janet visit for ten days in May, a couple of camps at Booloumba Creek (north-west of Maleny), and a special kayak trip up the Pumicestone Passage to Caloundra and back in May/June (two days up, one day resting, two days back- about 30 km each way).

In June we joined about ten others at a volunteer week at Lake Allom on Fraser Island making a new walking track and renovating several buildings at an old forestry camp. We enjoyed visiting the island after quite a few years absence. It is still a magical place but is showing signs of over-use (and abuse) by many more visitors – once a quiet haven but now on the backpacker must-do list.

 

Lake Allom, Fraser Is 

Western beach, Fraser Is

A special treat in July were some genuine Dutch stroopwafels (an ALDI special) which revived memories of our time in the Netherlands forty years ago.

Joyce departed on her second camel trip in the first-half of August this time to the eastern Simpson Desert with 17 pack-camels, 4 cameleers, 8 to 15 fellow walkers and 3 to 4 naturalists. She thoroughly enjoyed the 200 km trek over seventeen days, the solitude of the desert, and the comfy swag and myriad stars at days end. Further information at (http://www.desertexpeditions.org/great-white-lakes-expedition.html and photos from one of the group members, Cecilia https://www.flickr.com/groups/2672518@N21/pool/ (8/14 photos only – Cecilia was also on an earlier part of the trek this year in May in the Western Simpson, where the sand was much redder.)

 

Joyce and Billie 

Joyce's overnight camp

Camels on the move

Landscape with trees

August 20 saw Bob elected President of the BribieBUG (Bicycle User Group). The BUG organises a programme of social rides and advocates for improved facilities on the island and adjacent mainland. A few interesting years coming.

In early September we returned to Lord Howe Island (about 600 km SE in the Tasman Sea). We thoroughly enjoyed our two weeks spent golfing in the early morning and then cycling, bird-watching, walking, beaching and even a kayaking trip over the coral reefs.

 

 

White Terns 

 

Lord Howe Woodhen

 

Lord Howe Golf Course

Putting by the lagoon

Pandanus forest 

 

Typical Lord Howe shoreline

October brought a second track-making volunteer week at Lake Allom on Fraser Island. Then followed by a week in a Tannum Sands cabin while Bob ran a Daesim training course at the Gladstone QAL alumina refinery.

Rough track cleared

Finished by Terry the Tractor

We have one last trip planned for this year. Dec 11^th we fly to Christchurch, New Zealand, to meet Janet and together spend a week on Stewart Island (just south of the NZ South Island) before joining our Heritage Expeditions Galapagos of the Southern Ocean cruise on December 23rd for 12 days visiting Subantarctic Islands south of New Zealand (The Snares, Auckland Islands, two days at Macquarie Island and at Campbell Islands on the return trip). We are looking forward to lots of sea-life and bird-watching, a bit of kayaking and hopefully some unusual relatively good weather on the Southern Ocean (visit http://www.timeanddate.com/weather/australia/macquarie-island to see what the weather is usually like). More news on this trip after we return.

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.