The neighbours Mick and Lou visit us preplanned just before 11am. It is Remembrance Day. We have our main flag up on the van and have also put up our small one. With prompting from the TV inside the van, we on the outside observe the minute silence.
Now see this from the media. Absolute sign of disrespect: Outrage as Sydney fans BOO during the minute’s silence for Remembrance Day at State of Origin
New South Wales and Queensland battled it out in ANZ Stadium on Wednesday
A commemorative service was held before the kick off for Remembrance day
Sydney fans interrupted the minute of silence and the last post by booing
Football fans flocked to Twitter to slam those responsible as ‘disrespectful’
I would have stopped the proceedings and asked all those who wanted to BOO to come onto the oval and show their commitment by being clearly identified as opposed to being the cowardly little brainless TWATS that were anonymous and hidden in the crowd.
There is action near the park office. So with the caution of an elephant, I visit and get the low down from a nice chap who I think was the excavator driver. The neighbours, that is the adjoining house, is getting a pool and these guys are getting access to excavate via the van park. These photos will mean nothing to anyone except people in the park. Anyway, I wanted to post them.
We hit the road for shopping, solid and liquid. Here in North Adelaide Village I trip over a raised inspection cap about an inch higher than ground level. I should sue for psychological trauma and be compensated for potential future similar trauma’s which are bound to be compounded by retrospective flash backs to the current experience, but I’m neither an American or a dickhead, so I won’t.
We clear the post box, have a coffee and small apricot roll and head to Officeworks to get some folders to finally address the BIG bag of receipts and other items to be saved and or filed.
Home for 5pm beers with the neighbours. This fluffy little guy was milling around, obviously not long out the nest.
We chit chat, laugh and call it a night because that’s what it is. It was a better day than yesterday.
A sort of ‘nothing’ day. Also, hot, windy, a bit dusty.
Neighbours will be tied up most of today and tonight. we decide to extend a couple of days to take care of a few things in the city, but will spend the day cleaning out cupboards.
It got so hot, the air conditioner was put on. Lunch, continued sorting up and cleaning out.
Showers, TV.
BIG thunder storm.
Bed.
How’s that for a big day. Shouldn’t have bothered.
Played with the awning as in turning it to the correct rotation position.
Installed the large privacy full length shade. and repositioned the small end shade. That was under close supervision of ‘The Coach.’ (Neighbour Mick.)
Commissioned the evaporative air conditioner.
Inspected the TV for potential to put outside. I need yet another lead.
Got out the BBQ. Neighbours Mick and Lou came over.
Had a great meal off the Barbie with snags, patties, chops and salad. Also gin and tonics and white wine and red wine and a little whisky. That’s without an ‘e’.
Flag down.
Pack up and showers for bed. Simple but pleasant day.
Towards midday, we and our neighbours Lou and Mick are off to the central market.
We go direct to Lucia’s for great coffee and food.
Anne orders her favourite sweet and thinks (?) tejilado is how it is spelt. It is Portuguese but apparently the Portuguese person who made it has gone.
… and the coffees of course, not to be taken intravenously.
Pasta and toasted sandwich was knockout.
On the way out we spot this gentleman with a ‘snappy’ had, so we quiz him.
He tells us it is a Carlos Santana (guitar player/singer) hat and shows the CS symbol on it. Turned up edge all around means it is a ‘gutter’ hat. No reason to doubt him. After all, that forms a gutter. Available from Adelaide Hatters apparently.
No photos of the fabulous Charlesworth Nuts stand. Roasted, salted Australian Macadamia nuts. To die for. Slight exaggeration.
English Pork pies to be served cold. Our purchases are in the freezer. That’s a bit too cold. Thaw before serving.
Anne salivating in front of the cheese and small goods and nibblies display.
Tip of the cheese iceberg.
Social distancing ignored when you are hungry. I stood back.
Home and we inspect and play with our toys we bought from yesterday.
Stainless steel bolts, flat washers and locking nuts to repair the broken step on the van. One of the four bolts broke and have not been able to use the fold out step for a week or so. Also, glue for the broken, wooden, chopping board.
The broken bolt had to go here. The row of slots and holes in the black bit. Middle hole. Step now fixed.
Head phones and an extension lead so Anne can watch and listen to TV from reclined in bed if I am on the phone.
N.B. We bought head phones and lead for this reason in Alice Springs. They were wrong. four poles and not three. JAYCAR agreed to replace them even though the purchase store was 1500 km away and not 100% related.
Two highly recommended lights come bug zappers for inside use in the van. One for me and one for Bruce as requested. Also Eneloop rechargeable A3 batteries. Hold 95% of their charge after a year. Again, JAYCAR.
MORE inside mats. BUNNINGS.
New outside mat to replace the one we cut up for the inside step.
BUNNINGS ($6)
Now, another thank you. My great breathalyzer stopped working after about a year. HARVEY NORMAN had no trouble replacing it at no charge.
These head phones from HARVEY NORMAN Alice Springs, had a problem. Same thing. The Adelaide store replaced them without a hitch. Good PR.
This was from Alice Springs JAYCAR. HDMI 3 metre cable $69.95 marked down to $15.
Now … summer is coming and we will be free camping. We have a generator but we don’t want to have to crank that up every day if it is just a little too warm. So we are experimenting with this small battery operated evaporative air conditioner. Runs for 4 to 6 hours depending on the fan speed. About 10 hours to charge via the transformer 240volt adaptor. JAYCAR (around $99)
… or to avoid having to get out the inverter to have a 240volt source to charge it, we bought a 12volt DC car charger to plug in anywhere in the car or van. JAYCAR.
Tinkered with most of them. Evaporative air cond Monday.
Neighbour Mick coached me on the installation of the end privacy screen which is generally just machined shade cloth.
‘The Coach’ advised the awning had to be lowered a bit and also the stainless steel clothes line had to be relocated higher to avoid fouling with the new end screen.
Tonight’s meal, our turn for pay back. Chili Con Carne with yoghurt, avocado cheese and corn chips. Anne’s formula is a winner. A few drinks a good chat and nights end.
Sunday, 8th November 2020
A slow start but clothes line shifted and end screen installed. Later the big screen the full length of awning. But that’s another day.
Afternoon we go to Phil’s and Ann’s house which we call ‘The Villa’ because it is a villa, as far as home styles are concerned.. The ladies stay and the boys go to Lakeside Rowing Club for a commemorative day. Doug Raymond has served the club and rowing for 50 years and deserved a little recognition. The club chose to give him a lot. A sit down nibble type lunch or heavy afternoon tea and a few speeches. As the driver I sat there enjoying the occasion with my ‘guest’ free drinks ticket in my pocket and my light beer in my hand which extended to two light beers total over 2.5 hours. Never mind. It was a good occasion with lots of rowing talk and shaking of hands.
Back to The Villa for a bubbly with the ladies. It is decided it is a good idea to get a Thai takeaway ordering at 5.30pm. A whole 20 minutes and the pick up drive of 5 minutes means we are eating in 30 minutes after the hone order is placed.
A walk in the garden reveals a new addition. Spectacular.
Food done. Not much left.
A drink, or two, or three, Anne is driving and it is nights end.
Getting hot tomorrow. What’s this damn weather all about? Like Samuel Clemens (Mark Twain) said, ‘Every one talks about the weather, but nobody does anything about it.’
N.B. Some have said it may have been said by Charles Dudley Warner.
We pull out of Gawler, early for us, which means on time or near 10am.
The boom gate is working!
On the way to Adelaide we fill up water tanks and diesel because we want to check the van weight in the worst possible scenario.
We pull into Paramount Browns and onto the weighbridge. A little over the combination weight limit but manageable.
On to Levi Park and it is like coming home.
We are meeting traveler friends Lou and Mick. They arrive about five minutes after I turn off the engine, hence missing the mayhem by the smallest of margins. Levi Park is a great spot but it is a tight park and has no ‘marriage savers.’ (drive through parks * ) Having said that we finally bring the van to rest by cancelling the reversing and I weave through some obstacles to do a more or less drive through.
* N.B. Most arguments and shouting between couples occurs during reverse parking in van parks. Hence being able to drive forward directly into a park without backing so not needing guidance from the spouse, is said to be a marriage saver.
We set up, do some shopping, mainly liquid, and are treated to an evening meal by Lou and Mick who have set up adjacent to us. A good time is had by all, as per usual and we all crash.
Friday, 6th November 2020
A lay in, then off after lunch for odds and ends.
First stop is the crushed can recyclers. Seated in the car, (covid requirement) I am handed my $8.70 which is all mine for the 4 seconds it took me to turn and hand it to Anne. Now it’s hers.
Next, Bunnings for the bolt to fix our step, a mat and some glue for the cracked wooden cutting board.
Then Jaycar and success getting a refund on the head phones and extension lead that are 4 pole and not three. Successful because we bought them in Alice Springs. We made it up to them by buying several caravan items which I will present to the blog tomorrow.
On to Harvey Norman for another couple of similar challenges. Again details tomorrow.
We finish with dinner at Phillip and Ann’s and late home to lower the flag. I hope the flag police didn’t spot it.
Tomorrow we inspect and install our purchases. We will play with our new toys.
A sleep in and a slow start, a chat to a couple coming in and we are off.
I click the old truck out the front of the office while departing and also the rather grand gates. Anne clicks a few other items but I haven’t down loaded her camera.
Gawler is only 35km away or 28 minutes but we cannot get into Levi Park in Adelaide till Thursday so we need to kill another night.
We land in Gawler late and pass the day without taking one photo.
So instead I will fill the gap with a video sent to me by Ken. It is part of a Russell Coight episode. It’s a laugh.
Before we leave Auburn Caravan Park, a neighbor shows me a worthwhile toy. Bug zapper from Jaycar. $30. Charges USB, goes all night. Specifically for inside the van, not outside. He says it works like a charm.
Time to pull out from our nice shady spot. Well the back half of the van is shady. Auburn Oval caravan Park $25 a night powered.
See? Shady at the back.
At Saddleworth caravan Park to empty the toilet cassette. it’s open. you don’t have to stay there to use the dump point with wash hose. $25 a night.
Spot this van with a unique awning wind out but look at the photo below, same van a little closer.
Is that a wind generator? The three half spheres whizzing around.
While in Saddleworth, we have a walk round and not too mush open. However this little café is doing a lot of business. ‘Ready, Steady, Eat Cafe’. Neat as a pin. Lounge chairs.
Roast beef with gravy, creamed cauliflower, peas, carrots, roast potatoes. $6 small, $10 large. Plus pies, pasties, sausage rolls from Sevenhills bakery, the red grape (or berry?) Plus stuff like choc donuts etc.
Look at the street names. Definitely a ‘horsey’ town.
Bit of street art.
Public toilets in the main street. New, immaculate and no front door. They can’t be locked. Says something about expected users.
Second hand store with all sorts inc brass and cast iron beds.
They got a mans shed.
Much like Auburn, they are mad on roses as well.
On to Marrabel. Famous for the rodeo and bull ride. Big sculpture on the corner.
Pub is closed. Hope that’s not a permanent fact.
Finally to Kapunda. Still hot so had to use the van park for power for the AC.
A big dam at the back of the park.
Immaculate ablution block.
An old phone box doing nothing.
The camp kitchen with BBQ. nice and neat.
TO bed, cool enough now to not need the AC and in the whee hours it is even necessary to pull on the covers.
Another day and we extend. While paying I spot this one in the managers wall.
Sound advice. (?) ‘Never go to bed angry. Stay up and fight.’
Well … it’s the same thing isn’t it? You stay up and fight till you run out of puff then tired, you stop arguing and go to bed. Good.
Should look familiar. posted yesterday. HEY! It’s a small town. There is only so much scenery, especially when you are walking.
My queen of pose, on the bridge over the Wakefield river. She has collected a beautiful posy thanks to unsuspecting neighbours. Not true. Mainly public flowers. Mainly.
love the roses at the end of the vine rows.
Mount Horrocks Wines. This is at the old Rail station.
Camera magnet.
Winery only open on weekends.
Iris’s (?)
Even the hedge is nice.
Nice place. Back to the park. No invitations to 5pm drinks.
Cool but clear and sunny morning. I catch up to current on the blog the whole morning and cleverly conceal the fact by doctoring the dates.
Lunch time, Anne has spent the morning working and being very polite about me sitting at the computer in my PJ’s or our caravan equivalent.
Bad, bad news. Sean Connery passed away. Damn, damn shame. Great actor. Not just 007 but others including Indiana Jones and the last crusade when he played Harrison Fords father, which should have narked his because he is only 12 years older than Harrison.
NOW FROM HERE DOWN IS WHERE THE LOT GOT DELETED BY MISTAKE.
So this is an abbreviation of what had been done because I am reasonably PEEVED.
The shady walk to the van.
Part of the walk to town
War memorial with roses. Love roses.
I had a peddle car as a kid but the Clare mens shed made this plane.
Love old buildings…
… and old cars. Haven’t seen one of these for years.
The Rising Sun Pub. The ONLY pub.
IGA supermarket and Hardware store. Both needed. Both closed.
Anne pilfering roses.
Seen this before. A rose bush at the end of each row of vines.
Church and Annes head.
More roses but miniature.
The lovely lady who sold Anne the waist coat. Very shmicky.
Beer and wine with the next door neighbor.
Chicken sausages, chops and veg for meal.
Glass of red (OK two) and a glass of port. (OK two).
To bed, perchance to dream …. or maybe even a nightmare.
