Tag Archives: Duncan

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Broke Down Again

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Things are not looking good in the vehicle department for this bunch right here! Tomorrow will mark a month since our first hotel stay and in this month we have been in three different motels due to the van needing to be fixed. The fuel line keeps busting and it seems that it all stems from someone along the way forgetting to put a nut or something on the rod. Nice, right? I know that people make mistakes but this van has been looked at by multiple mechanics and we won’t even get into the last mechanic that looked at the van before this Ford dealership and sending the van without being able to start or have power. Not too impressed with them!

So, a motel has been our home for awhile and Duncan has been enjoying it. Kids see it as being an adventure and not to mention that he has been able to “plank” between the beds and between the bed and the mini fridge. I still have to get some pictures of it because it is hilarious.

We did get to webcam with my family yesterday which Duncan proceeded to show them all his cars and toys. Hey, when you are so far away and only “see” everyone once a month you take what you can get, right?

We might be out of the motel today or we might be staying here another night. I hope we are out on the road by tonight though. Figuring out meals to cook in the microwave is starting to get harder even though we’ve been doing really well to keep our grocery bill down here.

Duncan had noodles (Ramen type) last night for dinner because he didn’t like his meat pie. I didn’t blame him because microwaving them are not good at all. It seemed quite rubbery and I don’t care for them anyway. So, noodles for dinner and then he requested them for breakfast as well. I obliged. Breakfast of champions!

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Hot, hot, hot!

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These pictures were about the last time that Duncan needed a sweater. His Nana knitted that sweater for him too and he was only able to wear it about three times before we came up to Queensland so Jamie could do some work and well, it’s too damn hot hear for anything more than a shirt and shorts. I’m even contemplating buying a pair of shorts or two but I really hate wearing shorts and showing off my legs, being out in the sun all the time it might be necessary for me to just give it up and get some shorts though.

This past couple of days we’ve had some down time and we went to Target and bought Duncan a pair of sandals which have Thomas the train on it. He loves the things which is good because before my sister sent him a pair of monkey shoes, getting him into a new pair of shoes was like dropping a cat in water.

I think I would rather be in the heat than the cold sometimes and we didn’t really have to go through much of a winter here since we’ve been in Queensland for awhile now.

Jamie got a card reader for the laptop so we can pull pictures off of the camera while on the road also so I can keep the photos in check, hopefully.

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Northern Territory Rest Area in Australia

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Although we did not go very far into the Northern Territory, we were still there and we stopped at the rest area for a bit. The flies were still absolutely horrible but, we had to stop because the van was really acting up. Jamie wanted to give it a bit of a rest as well as this was where the job ended for Jamie. There really isn’t that much to say about the Northern Territory because we didn’t go into it except for this.

Duncan did have fun stretching his legs and running around. He had pretty much free rein of everything because there was no cars around too often and he was having fun getting on the benches and just hitting stuff like the signs. Nothing that he could break, naturally.

It was quite hot in the “outback” as you can tell by Duncan’s nice little red face and shorts. It did feel good to begin with but once the sun keeps beating down on you from the van and the glass makes it hotter, it’s horrible. We were sweating in the van while the air conditioner was blowing on us basically full blast.

Some day, we will be going all through the Northern territory and when that happens, we will be more prepared for the damn flies!

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Keeping in Touch

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When we came to Australia I had a fear for Duncan. My fear was simple, that he would forget the family that he has back in the US, that because he was so young, out of sight out of mind would play a huge part. I am not sure what age that plays a huge role for a child’s mind or when that begins happening but today, for the very first time in our four months of being here in Australia, those fears were put at ease.

Since Duncan’s birthday had just passed and then we went out on the road for about two days, I figured it was about time that we webcam with my mom and family in the US. I hadn’t actually spoken (besides IMing and Facebooking) with them in about a month, which reminds me, we’ve got to not go that far in between web cams and I need to do it with my older sister and nephew and make sure that my younger sister and nephew are there so I can see them! Anyway, I told him we were going to talk to Gaga today and he said, “Gaga!?” Very excited. That made me happy but also wonder, was he just repeating my words?

When we got onto the webcam and my mom popped up, his face light up like Christmas and he yelled GAGA! Inside, I gave a huge sigh of relief because no, he had not forgotten. He hammed it up, he smiled at the songs that my brother and mom sang to him and he talked back to them. He said a bunch of words that they hadn’t been able to hear and even showed things and yes, shot them with his piece of trash that was turned into a gun in his imagination.

So, had he forgotten about them? No, not in a million years. He was talking to them on the webcam like he had not even left that house, like he has still been there the whole time. He blew them kisses when they were going to go and even said night night because they were going to bed (it was noon here and 10pm there).

I am glad my fears were unfounded and that even though they are out of sight they are not out of mind. I know they’re never out of my mind.

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Bits and Bobs in Echuca, Australia

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Bringing our round of Echuca, Victoria, Australia posts to an end, I decided to show you the pictures that didn’t quite fit into any of the other posts.

Duncan isn’t sitting on a bench up there, he’s actually sitting on a log, and it is absolutely huge. These things are all over the place to show people how large the trees get.

At least, that is why I think they have them all over the place in different towns. I really have no idea and should probably look it up. See how small Duncan is compared to the log?

This is just a little decoration inside of a roundabout in Echuca that I thought looked kind of neat. I think more of the roundabouts should have pretty things in them.

I was told what these birds are but, I of course have forgotten. I do know that they are quite loud and annoying!

Here is another bird that I thought was gorgeous but have no clue what it’s called. In fact, I only saw the one of this bird and am glad that it let me take a picture.

Echucha, Victoria was a lot of fun to look around the one part of it. I wouldn’t mind spending more time checking out the rest of the town.

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Port of Echuca in Echuca, Victoria, Australia

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Port of Echuca is home to Australia’s largest riverboat fleet. Sounds pretty impressive, huh? Port of Echuca is a really pretty strip with old buildings and shops there. We didn’t go into any of the shops because it didn’t look like any of them were open when we were there.

Walking down the dirty street of it made it feel like it was really in older days and I liked that they had different little things set up on the sides of the path that showed how things were taken to a from places such as carts and more redgum log wagons.

They had about three of these carts lined up but I thought the yellow one was the cutest, don’t ask me why.

Duncan’s bike came in really handy here too because it saves our arms from having to carry his little butt around since he has some aversion to walking more than ten steps. However, we had been walking awhile and I would have liked to been carried as well. It would have been nice but is there anyone to carry me? No! Life is unfair.

See, another redgum log wagon with a big log on top. I couldn’t imagine the man and horse power that it would take to get these logs from point a to point b.

Here is the blacksmiths building which is so cute.

I love that they have old items and things that look older in this strip of Port Echuca because it really brings the feel together. At first it kind of reminded me of Old Sac.

And what better ending to the place than having Duncan do a photo or maybe ten on a bright blue wagon?

Surprisingly enough, he didn’t throw a fit when Jamie took him down from it either. Something must have come over him!

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Echuca, Victoria, Australia – The Ducks

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After walking around the wooded area of the area in Echuca, we checked out the pond that was there which had ducks of course. To begin with Duncan did not want to go down to the water, he wanted to go on another path around it and that was that. I had to basically drag him by his arm and show him that there were ducks in the water. Once he saw the ducks he knew there was fun to be had there.

He was clapping at the ducks until he discovered that he could throw stick towards them and we wouldn’t get after him for it. So the stick tossing commenced and sadly the ducks thought they were going to get some tasty grub from him.

Once things were getting tossed into the water, more ducks were flying in and making a landing to see what the other ones were getting that they weren’t. Then a group of birds, I’m not sure what kind, came up on the surface to get a closer look at Duncan.

We are still unsure what kind of birds they are and if they are even related to the ducks, maybe adolescent ducks? Either way they were a lot more brave than the ducks that were hanging around in the water.

When we decided to go and check out the paddle steamers, Duncan did not want to leave and decided that he would try to make a break for it and run into the water. He didn’t quite anticipate the fact that the mud would be slippery and Mom would be right behind him. Luckily he didn’t fall but he did slip and scare the daylights out of himself. Ducks are fun but the mud, that stuff is slippery!

 

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Echuca, Victoria, Australia – The Walk

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We stopped in Echuca, Victoria, Australia just to have a look around because Jamie wanted to show me the paddle steamers. Before we went to see the paddle steamers we walked around the area they had which was around a pond and near the Murray River I believe it was. I’m not too sure really. Thankfully, we brought Duncan’s bike so that we didn’t have to carry him and he loved it. The only problem we had is that he has to steer it and it doesn’t go so well when he isn’t paying attention or just has no desire to steer the dang thing!

There wasn’t too much in the way of interesting sights except the wooded area was really gorgeous. It wasn’t anything special but sometimes that is the best types of views, just appreciating the things that are everyday.

The bridge was quite big and it was interesting to go underneath. The sad thing is that you can tell people are there with some garbage and bottles strewn about. I really hate when people go somewhere and can’t care enough to pick up their own trash. Appreciate the world around you and take the trash with you!

While walking, we walked by a house boat that we assumed you could rent because there were people packing up their belongings and coming out of it. I think it would be really neat to be rent a house boat for a weekend and just experience it.

I would say that we spent about a half hour or little bit more just walking around the wooded area and we didn’t even go all through it. We just walked in a great big circle before going to look at other parts and making our way to the paddle steamers.

Next time, I think I would like to walk through more of the wooded area and see what there is all the way out there.

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Beckom, New South Wales, Australia Rest Area

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On our way back to Jamie’s parents place we stopped at the Beckom rest area in New South Wales for lunch. It was a very quiet rest area that had toilets so it was quite the plus for me! That painting was done on the side of the toilets and it says “Home of the Bunyip”. This is what I grabbed off of Wikipedia about the Bunyip and it was pretty much what Jamie told me when I asked him what the hell a Bunyip was.

The bunyip, or kianpraty, is a large mythical creature from Aboriginal mythology, said to lurk in swamps, billabongs, creeks, riverbeds, and waterholes. The origin of the word bunyip has been traced to the Wemba-Wemba or Wergaia language of Aboriginal people of South-Eastern Australia.

So, that’s a Bunyip lesson for you that I bet you didn’t know you needed to know!

While we were at the rest area there was only a few people that passed in and out, really quiet area to make lunch. Make lunch we made indeed, nothing special, just some ground beef and chorizo. Duncan thought it was pretty neat to be able to run around without us pulling him back because there were trucks around or streets. He got up and down from the bench as he pleased and even sat on top of it.

This is the first time he has ever really been “camping” as we are calling it so he is getting all these new experiences that he probably won’t remember much of but we will remember it and have the pictures to tell him that he was all these places. Naturally, he’ll say something like he doesn’t remember it so it never happened.

While lunch was cooking he got a bit thirsty because exploring makes you that way. So, Jamie made him up some milk.

Of course, you can’t make it without the boss supervising you so, he had a bit of help.

Can’t tell that they are father and son, can you?

I think we ended up spending about an hour or so there altogether just chilling out and eating. We had the time to pass so it wasn’t a huge deal which was a bit nice.

Of course you have to do the touristy thing and take pictures in front of the things they had there, and that was two poles (although you only see one) which had the names of places on it. It was hand painted so it was really cute. We thought this rest area was really nice, I’d definitely stop there again.