Happy New Year - 2022

In what seems like a flash, here we are in 2022. 

Much has happened in the past 22 years and sometimes it seems like only yesterday, which is probably an indicator that one's memory is still functioning reasonably well.

In December 1999 Christina and I lived in a rented house at Seacliff near Adelaide. We were taking a 12- month break from the Territory. My employer, ATSIC (Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Commission) had granted me 12 months leave without pay and Christina had done the same with her job at the Alice Springs Hospital.

Between then and now, we: 

1. Returned to the Territory, this time to Tennant Creek, where I had been asked to help out the office with its grants management program pending advertising of a reengineered job at Alice Springs ATSIC Office
2. Moved back to Alice Springs where I took on a new role that involved not only training and development, but human resources consulting for three offices in the southern part of the Territory. Christina returned to the Alice Springs Hospital after working at the Tennant Creek Hospital and went back into the Midwifery Department
3. Our grandson Tory Jet Muller arrived in November 2001 and I had to remember how to change nappies and bathe a baby again after several decades; Chris was okay, having continued doing it at work
4. In 2004 Christina and our friend June Noble went on holiday to Dubai to meet our other friend, Alison Pyper who was completing a long stint working at a hospital in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The idea was that they'd have a holiday and then return to Australia, which they did
5. In early 2005 following Alison and Christina's recommendation, I applied for a job teaching at the United Arab Emirates Higher Colleges of Technology, not expecting to even get a reply
6. In June 2005 we moved to Al Ain, United Arab Emirates where we spent a wonderful three years
7. Returning in 2008, Christina went back to work at the Alice Springs Hospital and I decided to retire, but I wasn't psychologically prepared for it - I wasted a year
8. I applied for a job as Head Lecturer in charge of the Prisoner Education and Training Department at the Alice Springs Correctional Centre and won it. Much to my surprise
9. After three years at the ASCC I was 65 and decided I'd had enough. I had turned the department into a highly efficient, functional unit and thought it was time to go as the challenge had gone
10. We travelled around Australia for two years in our caravan after we sold our house in 2016 and then moved to Tanunda, SA in January 2018.

We have now been here four years and love it. The people are friendly and many have accepted us as friends, even though we are essentially "outsiders".

Living the dream!

Robin

Cancelled by COVID 19!

Bugger!

Christina had an Embroidery Conference planned at Barmera, near Renmark, a couple of hundred kilometres from Tanunda next Friday through Sunday. We thought we'd go early and spend four days at Renmark, then move to Barmera, a total eight-day break.

As we hadn't towed the caravan anywhere since moving here nearly four years ago, we pulled it out of storage, gave it a good clean, replaced the sacrificial anode, loaded it with our clothes, food and a whole lot of other stuff (think shoes, laptops etc) and headed off.

Renmark caravan park is a huge, well-equipped place. Very nice. We drove up Sunday and spent Sunday and Monday evenings there and looked forward to visiting the Rose Gardens and a couple of distilleries today and a few other places tomorrow.

Unfortunately, this morning we received a report that the SA Government was implementing a complete lockdown of SA from 6 pm and it would last seven days. We also received notification that the conference Christina was to attend had been cancelled.

We decided to head home since it's more favourable to be locked down at home than in a caravan. So, we packed up in the rain and drove home to Tanunda.

Some break!

Anyway, we are both well, have had our two vaccinations against COVID-19 and will sit out the next seven days hanging around the house. We are allowed out to shop for food and do a daily walk not exceeding 90 minutes, so it's not all bad.

We feel very sorry for those people trying to run small businesses, especially hotels, restaurants, coffee shops, hairdressers etc because they have to close. Many of them will not survive financially and while we do try to support them with our custom, the money we spend wouldn't make a lot of difference. 

When we go shopping, we have to wear a mask. Chris bought herself a camouflage mask and an Air Force Centenary mask for me from our local RSL. You can see mine above.

Stay well. Avoid COVID-19.

Robin

Easter Sunday at Port Parham

Port Parham, a small seaside resort is on the eastern side of the Yorke Peninsula in South Australia. For decades it's been the weekend escape for people from the Barossa Valley and other nearby towns.

We were fortunate enough to be invited to stay overnight by friends who have a beach shack.

Port Parham has a tide that recedes several hundred metres from the beach, good fishing and especially, good crabbing opportunities.

Fishermen designed a vehicle called a jinker to tow their boats across the sand to the water and back. Crabs could be gotten with rakes that simply scoop them out of the water and of course there are rules regarding the minimum size permitted and how many can be taken daily. Females with eggs are protected and must be thrown back into the water.

I'm not sure how one determines what a female crab looks like, but those who are real fishermen obviously know.

We didn't go crabbing during our overnight stay, but did enjoy a dinner of crabs and prawns and a lovely bottle of McGuigans cabernat-shiraz.

Here you can see our table of crabs and prawns.

We did a tour of the local towns and sights including looking at the Army firing range that adjoins the fishing zone and generally chilled out chatting, had a few beers, cups of coffee and filled in the 24 hours we were there very well.

After living in Central Australia for so long, it's nice to live where we can drive for an hour and be in a totally different place.

I've never been a real beach fan, but it is lovely to visit it occasionally and soak one's feet in warm salt water and walk on the sand. It's not only good for the feet, but good for the inner person.

Robin