Wednesday, April 11, 2007

Easter Break 2007


We went camping to a place just out of the township of Malden in central Victoria. Malden is an old Goldmining town, seen HERE on the map, it is one of many towns in the Goldfields region of Victoria. Above is a picture I took of one of the shop fronts you see in the main street. Remeniscent of days gone by.
Each shop has it's own style and has some wonderful arts and crafts to purchase. The old Butcher Shop and Bakery do wonderful trade at this time of the year. There are galleries, cafe's, antiquities shops aswell as a sweets shop that the kids love to look through. (This Easter we did not go in, because Easter Bunny got the kids too many eggs to begin with!!)
An image from the top of the main street. There was a festival held in the main street on Easter Monday. We opted to stay at the camping grounds, Malden is inundated with people and I didn't feel like scrumming around trying to find a spot for the kids to sit in front to get a look at what was coming down the road. Holiday time is for relaxing, not worrying right?
Instead, we were able to witness the crossing of a herd of sheep from beside the Loddon River at our camp site. A man held a red flag to stop traffic on the country road so that the sheep could cross the bridge safely.
The kids were excited to see this take place. A couple of motorbikes with shepherders aboard rounded them up (the sheep not the kids, LOL). They took them off down the dirt path along the riverside to another paddock to graze.
Minus the sheep, I sat at the campfire and sketched the scene you see now. I can''t seem to find the scrap book used...maybe it will turn up in one of the suitcases I haven't unloaded as yet. Or, perhaps it was used to start a fire? No matter.




Tomas, enjoying our last day at the caravan park. It was a pleasant 30 degree celcius day.



Sarah, up to her knees in the Loddon river. Usually, the water level would be much deeper than this, probably up to Sarah's neck I guess. Evidence the drought is here.

"Can we take one home Mum?" Sarah and Mia with their cousin's toy poodles.


A picture hubby took of some Kookaburras in the camp area. They were making a rucous near the toilet block. Unusual to see so many together, I think we counted 5 of them all together. (Great snaps honey).


Tomas getting cocky on the motorbike. He gave it a great run while we were away. The track he is using is actually in the Cairn Curran Reservoir. The water level has been over 100 feet in depth right there. We took our boat there when I was pregnant with Tomas and that is what the depth finder read.

I will post about Cairn Curran complete with film on Friday for the History Lesson. There are great shots of an old homestead that is usually submerged. There is a picture Nicholas wanted me to put on, it is his first time on his own on the motorbike. Well done Nu-Nu!!

Now, I have got to get back to hanging out washing and get some lunch on for the kids. I have ended up with a sore throat, perhaps from the smoke from our campfires over the past few days? Hubby ended up with some sort of allergic skin rash overnight last night and he still ahd to go into work with anti-histamines on board :(

I accrued one more kid from my cousin's place on the way home from Malden (she has 5 children) , he is having a great time in the big smoke here. After all, to me..what is one more added to the bunch? The more the merrier....have a great day, and I hope your Easter was enjoyable too.


34 comments:

Jay said...

That looks like so much fun. Thanks for the trip report and the pics!

Keshi said...

my my what a grand way to spend the Easter break..kids, fun and laughter. Beautiful!

Great pics too. And yeah, the more kids the merrier adults we have :)

WB Caz!

Keshi.

G-Man said...

Cazzie, what a wonderful way to raise your kids. Our family was a camping family also, and we had the best time in the world...Great pics and a great time. Thanks ..G xo

debi said...

Hi Cazzie, love your pictures. My Grandson has a little motor bike too. He's just 6 so it's a real small one. Looks like your son knows what he's doing. Glad you had a nice Easter.

SaM-GiRL said...

Awwww, I hope they got to take a poodle........=) hehe. Lovely pics.

phishez said...

I've never been away for an easter break. Sad but true. One day I'll get there.

Anonymous said...

Looks like a great holiday.

We've attempted camping at the local Prov. Park a couple of times... looks like Mom and the little one are the only campers here... maybe in another year or so.

It was around 0C here for Easter.... spring?????

C said...

That looks like a great vacation! I'm so ready to take our crew camping. If it ever stops snwing, that is. :-/

Anonymous said...

I knew the water levels were low around Ballarat, but that is worse than i expected... they are on stage 5, correct?

I love getting out of the city, the people are nicer and the atmospehere is so much better...

Camping fishing and dirt biking, what a fantastic trip. WB Cazzie

Trundling Grunt said...

Very cute kids you have and it sounds like you had a great time. Looked sunny and warm. Damn.

Melly` said...

Oh good on you for going camping! I regret not going away this year! Enjoyed the photos and especially love the shots of the kids!

The Stormin Mormon said...

I still remember my first motorbike ride. I was hooked...

angela marie said...

Wow, what fun! I cannot believe the stories about how high the water WAS in those places and now is gone or so low...wow!

Thanks for dropping in at my place, it's nice to meet a new friend! (Or crazy person with 4 kids...same thing.) LOL!

Javatari said...

Did you find any gold? I'm convinced that these so called gold mining towns never had any gold to start off with and it was just a 'ye olde world' tourist scam!

G-Man said...

Mornin Cazzie!!
Er BTW, What time is it now?

Cinders said...

Hi Cazzie, I was going to send u an email but I couldn't find an address. Hubbies shop is in Thornbury. It would be one of the best F&C shops in Melb - he still cuts and peels potatoes etc.

Re the weight thing. I have about 15kg I need to lose to get me back to where I was. I know my blog is a weight related one but I never have anything exciting to say about it. I try to remember to love myself as I am and anything lost is a bonus.

Your kids look like they loved their break. My hats off to you with 4 kids - well done.

Lucy said...

Hi, your son could ride his green bike well. If we live in the other country in Japan, I make my sons ride bikes. Anyway it is no area to ride for kids in Japan.

captain corky said...

Great pics. It's pretty cool that you guys went camping during the Easter break.

Chris Morris said...

Honestly, I don't think we'll need to visit Australia again. All we have to do is read your blogs.

Glad to see y'all had a good one.

M said...

oh it looks like a wonderful holiday. i especially liked the sheep roundup and the cookaboura (sp?) pics...how fun. Sorry I havent been 'round...just trying to catch up from my trip. When you get a chance, stop by and look at the photos I've been posting...arizona was unbelievable. but it is good to be home & just trying to get back to normal...well, maybe not normal...but, you get the idea. ;)
~meredith

Crabby said...

Your little ones are sooo cute!

Cazzie!!! said...

Jay, it sure was fun mate :)

Keshi, I agree, I ,ove having the kids around, when there are extra, they never seem to fight.

G-Man, yes, I love camping too, my family never really camped, mum hated it. But, when I joined the RAAF Cadets, that all changed, I went out on bivouac all the time. Nothing like sleeping under a Hutchie :)

Debi, Tom's bike is a 125cc, it does have some go in it for sure. They all want a 4 wheeler, but I won't get one, too many people come in through the emergency doors with fractured collar bones from flipping them.

Sam-Girl, I'd like to say I did get them one, but we didn't :( I really want to get them a labrador or a german shepherd or an Australian border collie. I had the latter as a little girl.

Phishez, we all should go away together some time...do you like to sleep in each morning? If so, welcome to our camping...the kids sleep in on hollidays :)

Farmwifetwo, yeah, give i a go next year...gotta take pics too. Nothing like an Easter egg hunt in the scrub :)

Candace, ohhh, I couldn't do snow. Wait until Autumn or so, that would be great.

Aidan, I beleive they are on 5 restrict, from the signage there in the area. Cairn Curran is at 2 percent water level, amazingly and sadly low.
I agree with the country people, they got time to chat and take in the scenery more so that city people. I am a country girl still at heart. I bet I am similar too Stace that way, you just never want to leave the country once you get back there.

QOD, yes, I wished I had taken a stroll down the main street and got images of each place, I shall do that next time.

Trundling Grunt, yes, each night went down to about 8 degrees celcius, but the mornings were glorious with getting up to about 27 degrees celcius on one of the days. Sometimes it rains all Easter break, but it did not.

Melly, I love your pics too of your Easter and your kids, I feel a connection when I look at them you know...all good. Love your dog :)

Stormin Mormon, I know, my first ride was on an old Honda motorbike, was used as a postie service bike. It had a wide long seat on it and we fitted 3 of us kids at a time on it. I beleive my Uncle still has it and it still goes!!!!

Angela, LOL, yes, crazy mum of 4 kids IS how I describe myself to my friends and patients :) Welcome and I love your blog too.

Javatari, hehe, we never did try our hand at panning for gold there. But, in recent times some people did discover some gold up that way, they got a fair bit of money for it too. There are heaps of mounds from old diggings. This is the area where people from all over the World rushed to to try and find their riches..especially the Chinese people. Read about recent finds in the link below.

http://uqconnect.net/mitcheltongemclub/goldrush.html


G-Man, it is 9:20am here right now, Friday the 13th.

Linda, my hubby works on that train line out there, if you want, you can email to me at
caz_v8@yahoo.com.au
He will bring the boys in for some dinner sometime soon, they eat ALOT him and his mates :)
I see what you mean about loving yourself, sometimes I look at me and say, "Oh no"and other times I am all positive....when I get to read my positive book that is.

Cazzie!!! said...

Lucy, I guess we are lucky to have such a space to take the kids motorbike riding then. Australia, well, Victoria, has many tracks to ride n and people have farms we can go ride at too. I wish we had a farm, so we could all ride every day. Also, that I could get a horse to ride with my girls.

Cptn Corky, thanks man, it was a good time had by all.

Beefcake, you HAVE to come still, I mean, the computer can't put across the smell of the bush or the taste of marshmellows on the campfire...you have GOT to come experience these things :)

armalicious said...

These are great pictures! Cute kiddos! Glad you had a great Easter.

Bibi said...

That looked like fun ... I love to camp, it's the best! Hope your throat is feeling better.

Anonymous said...

Cazzie, being a mommy of my own brood, I truly enjoyed your blog today...darling family! Thanks for coming by my blog so I could meet you! Hope this finds you well, and I'll be back to visit more.

The chocolate bilby just cracks me up. Bunnies and bilbies...what's up with that stuff?

butterflies said...

Great pics.:)
Thanks so much for the words of encouragment..youre a DOLL:)and its ppl like you who keep me going.

The Dog of Freetown said...

No pictures of bees though. I need evidence.

Steph said...

You are the best mum ever! You do so much with your kids and never whinge or bitch about them at all.
Bless ya!

Minka said...

wow........now that is a vacation I wouldn´t mind you taking me on :)
And also: you daughte ris named Mia??? That is my aboslute favourite name for a girl, for when I have children.
Just a beuatiful and happy family!
Congratualtions!

jillie said...

You and your family always look like you're having so much fun....

I told Robert I want our next BIG trip to be to the land down under....

Have a great wknd ;o)

general_boy said...

Ahhh... makes me nostagic for my days as a moto-x kid. I seemed so indestructable!!!

*shudder*

Jezzy said...

lWow - looks like you had a great time!

Cazzie!!! said...

Arm, thanks for visiting, yep, it was a great time.

Bibi, it is slowly recovering, I think, my throat that is. Soon as it does, I am off to visit my friend Rebecca in hospital.

Chikken, welcome to my place. I am sure we both have fun stories to tell. Life is never dull :)

Butterflies, I am glad this post made you happy, smiling is such a nice thing. Huggs to you..stay strong :)

Kieran, I wish I had taken pics of them now, and I could even have taken pics of them at Gisborne yesterday..we went for a picnic and they were there in droves!! They did not disturb us, as we let them do their thing, but I think they were looking for moisture. There was ziltch water in the river there.

Steph, oh, you should be a fly on the wall sometiomes..lol, I am sure my neighbours wonder what the commotion is next door to them sometimes. But, I wouldn't change a thing.

Minka, Mia is 4 years old now, her big brother Tomas named her whne she was born. He put my name, Carolyn, in the middle. So, she is Mia Carolyn. When she spoke to saome fellow campers the other day, she introduced herself as, " Hello, I am M.I.A Mia..with a dot com dot A U in it" They laughed, because not only did she spell her name, she also informed them she has a dot on the I in her name :)

Jillie, let us know if you venrutre our way, I am sure we could take you to some places, or direct you to some yourselves :)

GB, yes, it is scary, I thought I was too, until I broke a few bones as a kid. Still, I don't regret having had all the fun that lead up to it all.

Jezzy, we sure did, thanks for visiting :)