Bright Hotrods

Well we finally left Bright and are now in Echuca on the VIC-NSW border camped out in the bush on the banks of the Murry River. I'm sitting 20"from the waters edge beer in pocket on chair just gone dark with a paddle steamer going by all lit up, cockatoos screeching and kookaburras going off.

Bright was great and had plenty to do there,I got a great 1hr flight in the morning and then decided to land and pack up and get to next destination.

We caught up with an old friend from Broome Dave Millard who was an electrician but now owns a small supermarket in Stanhope, lets just say I woke up a bit rough.

Our bush camp here is awesome and I have run the generator for the first time and used our little hot water system much to the humour of our kids .

I finally feel we are settling in and look forward to more bush camps as this is magic.
After another couple of days we will head off to Bendigo and then the Grampians.

Weather is starting to really warm up now but no doubt the Grampians will be colder.
Leave you with a couple of the 200 pics I took of the hotrods.

Galvo

I think it could do with some bigger tyres?

A Happy Car

One of the 100 flame jobs

No room for the kids :)

The Stig Even Made an Appearance

Plenty of 50's and 60's


More Flames


Just Ugly


Nice Caddie

More Pics

First Snow (Slush)

Graces B-Day Brekkie

All Together

Snow Cone Time

Rare Pic

Sugar Fix

Bright Bull

Well still in bright, weather hasn't been much chop for flying but a couple of days ago I had a great flight which had me viewing down and across the Victorian Alps. It was very cold but have some new gloves now as took ages for hands to thaw out.

Anyway views were spectacular and i managed to fly averagely well for a while and managed about 1900m and 1.5 hours straight line distance of 14.5 km.

Towards the end when I was getting low I got belted by a really rough thermal a few times so called it quits as was very cold.

Decided to land in this nice paddock with some cows at the other end.
As usual they were really interested to see me and jogged over to say hello, I gathered the glider up before they could walk all over it and started walking to the fence with them in tow, then all of a sudden i here this thundering and turned to see all the cows scattering and a very big black beast bearing down on me.

As I was still attached to the harness and wing there wasn't a lot i could do so I just knelt down and prayed, The BEAST came to a sudden Holt about 15" away with dust everywhere and the bull bellowing and stomping his feet sniffing the air (I'd say to wonder what the new poo smell was). He was not happy then began semi circling me it was at this point that I mumbled something like mum.

I just kept my eyes low and myself as small as possible , after about 1min he got bored with me and I managed to back away to the fence slowly with him only showing disapproval a couple of times.

He then got the whiff of one of his ladies and got back to doing what Bulls do.
once I was safely over the fence I gave him whats for and if i had the freezer space I would've bought him and then made steaks out of him :)

Anyway it was Graces B-day yesterday and we drove u[p to Mt Buffalo and had a look around, we then went down to a park where the girls went for a lilo along the river and had a play ,cake and drinks and then home.

Mt buffalo is beautiful but some real fire damage from a few years ago, so a lot of dead wood around.
Anyway we have decided to stay a little longer as really nice here and we are not in any hurry plus there's a hot rod gathering here on the weekend and judging by the cars that are here now it will be something worth seeing, approx 300 will be here.

Anyways must go hope your enjoying our jaunt.

Galvo

Rosella
Dead WoodView near the HornDebs Saving the DayThe Monsters

From Manilla To Bright (VIC)

Well we've been pretty busy and havn't had a connection for a little while so will give you an update.

We left Manilla and went to Dubbo to see the Western Plains Zoo, I also managed to get new rear springs on the car there and it is much better now with the shocks and springs.

On our way to Orange to catch up with Chris and Bill before they headed back to Perth we stopped at a small town called Parkes. This is where the movie the Dish was made and they have a huge radio telescope which was instrumental in bringing the pictures of the the first landing on the moon.

We then caught up with Chris and Bill in Orange and stayed just one night but we got to see a bit of the place and the kids had a stay over with nana, which they loved.

We then headed south again stopping at some small towns for breaks.

Canowindra had a fish fossil museum, then it was Cowra the site of a large Japanese POW breakout where a couple of hundred Japanese POW's were killed and 4 Australians. They also had this Japanese Garden there that was 14 acres the biggest in the southern hemisphere and was stunning, I don't think my pics will do it justice.

We then had a roadside camp just south of Young and then a big drive to Bright.

Bright is an alpine town and is in the heart of our snowfields, it is a really nice spot and we are going to stay for a week. I have had 2 small flights here and there is a spring festival so has been great for Debs and the kids.

They had a great fireworks display last night and it's the first time Lucy has seen them she was wrapped. It was a really good night.

Looks like more rain for a few nights but the camper seems to be nice and dry.

We seem to be always waiting on our mail? it seems to take ages to get it and is a little tricky in planning ahead.

Anyway must go .

Galvo

The Dish (A must see Movie) Parkes NSW

Obvious

Western plains Outlook

BongoKing of the Beasts

Japanese Garden - CowraJapanese Garden - CowraJapanese garden - CowraPrehistoric Fish MuseumMt Canobolis

Manilla

Cold in Manilla

Lucy and new bike

Emily

Emily

Snug as a bug

The Mountain @ Manilla (Mt Borah)

The West Take off @ Sunset

Hi all sorry it's been a while And I know your hanging out:)

Any way We have left Manilla and are now in Dubbo. We have had to put new shocks and springs on the cruiser as was too soft for towing our Camper trailer and is much better now.

Manilla was blown out for the first few days but I managed 3 flights and 2 good ones.

The first was just a 30 min flight but got back up the hill and managed to fly 21.5km.

And the next day Approx 17km.

I hopefull will get some good pics at the Western plains Zoo.

We all have bikes now and are going to ride around the zoo on Pushies then it's off to orange to catch up with chris and Bull before they head back to Perth.

We might give them some whining kids to take with them??

There's a couple of Pics from our drive to Manilla as well some nice waterfall spots we stopped at.

Tia Falls

Aspley Falls

Leaving Laurieton

Well it's time to leave Laurieton :(

We stayed a few extra days as our mail hadn't arrived.

Hopefully it is here tomorrow or it will have to get forwarded on.

I have had a great time and got some good flying in, and the kids have had a great time to.

We went for a fish today (no Luck) and saw some whales cruising the coast so girls were all excited.

We are on our way to Manilla (another famous paragliding venue where they hold one of the world cup rounds) on the way we will camp near some waterfalls and do some hikes (walks) It's only 4 hours to Manilla but we will take two days.

Then It's off to The Western Plains Zoo so should get some good pics there.

We have to get the kids and Debs some bikes before hand as you can ride a pushbike around the Zoo, and they need them anyway to keep them amused at campsites.

Anyway some pics of Laurieton to leave you with we will definitely come back this way on our way back up the coast.


Galvo



Kids to the right, See I wasn't always flying I do give up perfect flying conditions to be a good Dad .




Mother and Calf Humpback having some fun on there way to Antarctica




Girls just want to have fun




Our campsite in Laurieton


Some we visitors to our front door, Lucy throwing bread (Wood Ducks)

Once again Dads doing the right thing, Bands at the surf club, gliders in the air.

Emily signed up for drum practice at the last campsite in Umina. That night they all did there thing at the talent show, It was really good and quite funny at the same time they played for 30min.

Emily banging away, They had a guy play first and they followed

Just had to leave you with this view at take off , at 1000m it looks even better :) Taff I'll take you for a flight one day :) Steve committed .

Great Flight

Had a great flight off of North Brother 2 hrs and got to cloudbase in my first thermals :) Some pics Debs took, I have the orange and white and grey glider.

Also had a great 1 hr flight today off of middle Brother . Heaps of police around and I startled one copper as i came into land as they were in the middle of a drug bust we think but wouldn't tell us.

Debs has been home schoolingand we will hang here till end of weekend then head out to some waterfalls and then Manilla then onto the plains zoo in dubbo.

Galvo