A bit more about the bracelet

When I first saw the bracelets I thought ok they are interesting and unusual and didn't really think any more of it until I saw the lady at the stall knitting - being me I said -
" What are you knitting?" with a confused look on my face - she was knitting with jewellery wire - thats weird -
"I'm knitting the bracelets"
"What?"
"The bracelets their knitted"
Well ... she got me I had a good study and being a crafter myself, then appreciated the work she had put into them. She uses a fine silver wire (can't remember the count) and as she is knitting she threads the beads and stones on to them.
She then sells them for AU$20. I thought she was really clever. Mmm yes I have thought about giving it a go but I'm still studying the end to see how shes finished and started it. lol. She said she had seen it in a book and gave it a go and now sells them.

ITS KNITTED!!!

Well just to put you out of your misery - the bracelet has been knitted - Cool aye. Never thought of doing that. I bet Lani could do that Heather.!
Nicki

Mothers Day Bracelet

Phil and the kids brought me this bracelet for Mothers Day from a market at the Town of 1770. It's unusual and the lady was making more of them while we were there. Anybody wana guess how she was doing it????
Nicki

What happened to my photos!

.Well Mr Blogger what happened to my photos!!!
I had just loaded some more photos and wrote a little about them and they have disappeared!! I was doing it while doing a few jobs and when I had come back it had all gone. Bugger. Well sorry folks but you gotta wait now as can't stop any longer ... rubgy this morning, then I'm off to a crop, busy again in the morning ... does it ever stop??? No wonder I never get any housework done ...

A Fish Called Honda
These photos are fromUnderwater World, Mooloolaba where when you walk in there is a car that has been converted into an aquarium. They first gutted the whole car, made it water proof then filled it up and put fish in it. Where the motor would normally be they have put in a water filter. It was really neat.

MMMMMM Yum!





































Phil waiting for his bit of egg to land in his mouth.













Outside in the Japanese Garden - it had got a bit cooler at night.

Tempenaki - Japanese Resturant

Phil took us out to a Japanese Resturant in Surfers Paradise. It was a Tempenaki dinner and we all throughly enjoyed it. It was a show as well with the Chef cooking our meal in front of us and then he did a show with their knives and salt and pepper shakers. He also threw his eggs into bowl that he had on his head lol. He then threw the cooked egg at us to catch in our mouth. Rebecca was not keen for this so didn't try that. When he had cooked us the rice he then packed it into a bowl and threw it at us loling - James
thought it was great and caught his rice and quickly devoured it. Then at the end of the show he cleaned his cooking tray and wrote backwards with the salt shaker the words 'Thank you very much!! We had such a great night - we had had a busy day that day as well with another visit to Infinity, Ten Pin Bowling, having old time photos taken (this was a wish of Callums - we dressed up as gangsters) and timeout then the dinner at Shogun. What a great day is was. Hope I'm not boring you with my burbling.
Nicki

Cuddling a Koala at Australia Zoo

Cows at the farm we visited.

















Billabong pond at caravan park in Murgon















Fresh fruit! This was something we enjoyed on our travels with our Chilli Bin on wheels - we found a stall on the side of the road on our journey from 1770 to Murgon - the kids tried Pawpaw but weren't keen. The watermelons were devine but we paid for one and left it behind .... lol

Wondai Hotel














Peanut Van at Kingaroy
















The milking pit at the farm we visited

At Lady Musgrave Island just before going snorkling.


















We brought this sign at the Auckland Airport and rode around the country with it on the back of the camper van. James also brought a smaller rugby one and we put that on the front window.













Kookabura sits in the old gum tree ...











James not happy at having to do some writing lol

Oh my

Well I'm back and will be sharing some photos over the next couple of days - just to bore you all! Guess what ... I put all the photos and video clips into Picasa2 and it told me that I have 1111 files - before you think 'Crikey shes gone camera mad' that was also the photos that the kids took ... but doesn't include the ones taken underwater or the ones I brought from the theme parks. I won't be printing them all out as there are a number that aren't any good.
Enjoy!

What a cutie!
Koala at Australia Zoo



















Callum waited a long time to get here- he already wants to go back lol








Spider Crab at Underwater World - these are really cool - did you know they can grow as big as a small car??!!












Walking, looking, talking - quality time on the beach at Town of 1770 - this is what family holidays are about!

Rebecca on the plane on the way over - she got a bit bored on it - think she was waiting to get off and start the holiday!

Kings Beach Colundra, kids having a ball under the fountain.

Hmmm this little fella was in the ladies bathroom at our Caravan Park in Beerwah

Our Chilli Bin on wheels - home for 8 days.

Just before going into the Departure Lounge on the way over.

The journey is coming to an end

Sponge Bob play area, Slides at White Water World, Green Room - you went down a huge slide and then up side to side and out, Wave pool





















Well its a quickie from Brisbane Airport. We have had a wonderful holiday and we are all sad that the end of it is fast approaching. But I have at least 500 photos lol. There is going to be some serious scrapbooking going down when I get home. We had a fantastic day yesterday at White Water World - the kids said they enjoyed it better than the theme parks. We rode all the sides (except Phil and I didn't do the B.R.O Big Red Octopus - which the boys said was great - they rode it 5 times!!) I sat and watched the Green Room before I got the courage to go on it and then had to ride it backwards - very scary!
I better go - will update more when I get home - and if your lucky there will be a photo or too.



Edited to add Photos of White Water World

Busy busy Busy

well we've had a couple of full on few days. Phil has toncilitis and the dr gave him some pretty strong antibiotics and prednezone tablets. He was feeling about 90% better the next day after he had started taking them. So we went off to Movie World on Thursday - we all really enjoyed it so much to see and do. After our day we went and got changed in the carpark at Outback Spectacular as it was next door to Movie World and waited for the doors to open. What a fantastic show - it started with music in the hall and then we went throu to the Arena which seats 1000 people. Phil and I reckoned there was about 800 there. We all got a stockmans hat and were served tea. The horses were great and there was even camels and a helicopter as part of the show. we all came home tired from our busy day and night. Then next morning we all decided to go off to Dreamworld where we rode the roaring rapids ride 7 times lol. The kids also took part in the slime show - James had to put a cream pie in his own face - you couldn't have chosen anyone better to do that to himself! We had a great day and are going back to Whitewater world which is next door to it on Monday. Today we have been to Carrra markets - wow with every turn there were more stalls. Found a fantastic bead store - never seen so many beads - and yes Heather I did buy a couple! We have just come in to Pacific Fair (big shopping centre) for a look around.
Love Nicki

Off to Surfers

We picked our car up - a brand new Toyota Camry - woohoo - kids couldn't believe it and one of them was heard to say - "its not like our hoady car at home". Its only done 3,000 kms. Phil is just in his element. We travelled down to Surfers Paradise and found our apartment which is in the middle of Surfers - we have walked this morning down to the mall. We were going to go to Warner Brothers but because Phil isn't well he is going to the dr and we will go tomorrow. Wow this place is busy for us country hicks. Phil and the kids are in timezone while I am here typing this. Well I had better go - can't load photos - sorry - had tried to get wireless so that I could use the laptop but no luck. You'll just have to wait loling.
Take care everyone.
Love Nicki

Off the Tourist Route

We had fish n chips from Agnes Waters - very expensive - tried Baramundi $4.00AU per piece of fish but had to be tried. Phil thought it tasted like a mud fish - didn't really like it. Good news was that it was our first takeway food in Ozzie. Just as well as we couldn't afford to eat all the time with that sort of price. We left 1770 on Sunday morning (Happy Mothers Day Mums!!) after a visit to the local market and went to Mirium Vale and then down to Biggerdin where we had lunch at a park. We had brought fresh fruit from a honesty box road store and left one of our water melons behind! We stuck rain as we came down into Goomori - we were tried cheese at a cheese shop and brought an ice cream - ouch again $2.80AU per scoop - things are certainly more expensive here. We then went to Murgon and stayed in Burmbarbah Bush Park - this was voted by us all the best caravan park of the trip - it was so clean and tidy - saw a lot of kookaburras here - while the kids were playing cards one sat on the light and called to its mate the kids thought it was hilarious. We went down to spy the wallabies and on the way saw lots of lorrikeets - unfortunately no wallabies thou. The next day we went to a dairy farm out at Wheatlands - they have been in a drought for 10 years. Phil found this really interesting. Then down to Kingaroy - this was a lovely town and had really friendly staff at their visitors information centre. Kingaroy is know for its nuts so nuts were purchased here. We all tried boiled peanuts as well. Not my cup of tea but Phil enjoyed them. We then followed the highway down to Coolbuture which was just out from Brisbane - this caravan park was voted most scary - lots of permanent residents which was fine until one of them asked me if I was scared of the boogy man. Phil started to feel sick here and yesterday was not much better. He is going to the doctor today - think he has tonsillitis. We got back to the camper van depot around 12pm and check it back in. Just as well we had nil excess as it looks like we had hit something on the top of the sombero part - didn't feel anything thou and didn't even realise it was there but it definately wasn't there when we picked it us some must have been us. They rang a taxi van for us which took us back to the airport.

Gidday Mate!

Gidday folks - hope all is well in NZ - hear there is a lot of rain in the BOP. Well our journey in our camper van has come to an end. We had a fantasic time in it but we are all pleased to be somewhere with a bit of room.
We had a grea tour around the Bundaberg Rum Factory - thought the kids might have got a bit bored but they really enjoyed it - didn't realise the Australian Government took 2/3rds of the money made from the rum in taxes. It was interesting to see how small the bottling plant was for the amount of rum made. We had tastings mmm yum - Green with envy are we Gary!!??!!We then went to the Ginger Beer Barrel to taste all their products and to look at their interactive display which the kids enjoyed and a laser type show that James kept trying to see where the man had disappeared to. Onwards then to the Town of 1770 where we stayed in a site that was right on the beach - saw our first kookaburra here - more excitement! Needed Callum to verfify that thats what it was - our little wildlife warrior. The sand was beautiful and white but no time here to swim as tide was out when we were in! Next morning up at 6am (which isn't hard when you are in bed at 7pm lol) to get the boat out to Lady Musgrave Island which is a protected island with no inhabitants. We were ferryed out to the boat and went straight to the top so that we could sit in the wind - wasn't just wind we were struck with but all advised to put rain coats on as well - when I got off I was saturated even with the raincoat. Woo hoo what a trip - it was rough as - Bec and Phil both sick - I wasn't prepared to leave my seat as I knew that would be the end of it lol. The staff were great - they had there eyes on everyone as it is a regular occurance on the way out. 90 minutes later we arrived at the reef - as we came in we saw a mantra ray. We docked onto the poontoon and we were in the first group to go over to the island - there is only birds there - lots of nests for muttonbirds. The turtles nest there in the season unfortunately they only had 15 turtles nest this year but the previous year there was 200 of them - they think they knew that there was bad weather coming. It was then back to the boat for lunch and then a trip out on the semi submarine - we saw turtles and lots of reef fish - then it was out for snorkling. Bec enjoyed swimming but the rest of us enjoyed the snorkling and seeing all the reef fish - particularly the angel fish. The trip back was so bad but still quite swayey (if there is such a word lol)

Happy Faces - Underwater World - Mooloolaba

A new breed of Fish - The Great Scared Callum

Family Shot - Australia Zoo - Beerwah