Ready, Set, Jump into Summer 2017 C*U*R*R*E*N*T*L*Y SUMMER BLOG HOP

I know, what you are  thinking?  You may ask. It's not summer? Winter has hit with a vengeance this week! Some of my author friends are currently preparing for their SUMMER blog Hop, dreaming of sun screen. Kids playing Marco Polo in the pool and family road trips, I on the other hand am preparing for WINTER. That means snow men, bon-fires and cosying up in font of glowing embers at night with a hot cuppa and a good book.

My author friends to the north of us will be sharing their summer moments and inspirations in the C*U*R*R*E*N*T*L*Y - Summer Blog Hop to encourage you towards a great summer, however it is up to me to lead the way for those of us embarking on the depths of winter.. Please have a read and enjoy each of their #Gr8Blogs listed at the end of my post for Summer 2017 C*U*R*R*E*N*T*L*Y inspiration.

But for now, let me get you all nice and warm and toasty first off with my completely opposite C*U*R*R*E*N*T*L*Y - Winter Blog Hop 2017 .

*Loving

I am currently loving my early morning country walks with my dog. The fresh crisp air, frost underfoot and fog hugging the mountains like a cosy blanket. The remains of autumn leaves crunching underfoot while Snowy (my fluffy white Japanese Spitz) splashes in every puddle she can find. The cacophony of galahs, cockatoos, rosellas and magpies that protest their disturbance as we walk through their feeding frenzy. The alpacas and ponies that stop grazing and wander over to the wire fence for a friendly pat and I especially love the sight of kangaroos hopping through the paddocks and gracefully jumping each fence easily and naturally. The windchill factor has our temperature dropping below zero degrees celsius most mornings, but that's ok, it means we walk faster and burn more energy.

* Reading

 "Love Your Sister" by Connie and Samuel Johnson.

I have been meaning to read this for quite a while. My to read list is always a mile long. Now that winter is setting in, this means ample opportunity to rug up under thick, warm blankets with some great reading.  Connie has been an inspiration to women with breast cancer for years, her battle has been well recorded throughout Australian media as she has striven to raise funds for breast cancer research. Her brother Sam, put his acting career on hold and rode a unicycle around Australia to help raise attention to the need for breast cancer research and breast check/health awareness. This book is their life journey, their struggles and celebrations. Breast cancer has touched the lives of so many families, including my own, yet it was only a week or so ago when Connie and Sam mounted their final fund raising campaign here in Canberra that I finally managed to buy the book and started reading it. Connie's final wish was to raise $1,000,000.00 in 5c pieces in the shape of a huge heart. Australians really did open their hearts to her as the donations surpassed all expectations and reached over double anyone's hopes or beliefs. I'm finding the book to be quite moving, as Connie talks you through her courageous experience of surviving cancer not once but several times.  Her outlook on life is truly inspirational to anyone going through the stages of this traumatic disease.

* Watching

Dr Who and loving it! This season would have to be the scariest in a long time. There has to have been a moment in every episode where I have nearly jumped out of my skin. David Tennant is my favourite Doctor, but Peter Capaldi is fantastic this season. The story lines have been creative and intriguing.

I've also just watched "Anne with an E" on Netflix. There was only seven episodes in the series so it left me wanting more. The Canadian scenery was spectacular and naturally the story of Anne of Green Gables was portrayed magnificently. If you ever read the book as a child, you will enjoy this series.

 'The Crown" was another superb Netflix series. The early life and reign of Queen Elizabeth 2 and her family is fascinating. Winston Churchill is portrayed brilliantly by John Lithgow and Matt Smith has Prince Phillip's mannerisms perfect. The first season covers events in the Queen's private and political life from 1947 to 1955. I found the historical accounts quite compelling and am looking forward to next season.

*Listening To

I like to listen to a range of music styles and artists. At the moment I am quite enjoying a lot of Ed Sheerin's works. He reminds me a lot of my youngest son's best mate who also plays the guitar and piano. Mike is a rather talented young musician who is a super composer of music scores. He graduated from the Australian Institute of Music and is now completing his honours year at the Australian National University. I am sure he has a bright future ahead of him.

There's always a bit of the Eagles playing somewhere in the mix and this weekend we are off to a concert by a cover band  titled "The Ultimate Eagles" who I hear play all their hits brilliantly. I am very much looking forward to watching their performance.

*Writing

I am currently in the process of working on a number of stories. They are all in various stages of completion.

I have two short stories almost ready to submit to an Australian Anthology that will be released for Christmas. As such, I have written both stories with a Christmas theme. The first is suitable for children ages 8-12 yrs and is about a young boy who in helping a stranded pod of whales, he comes to realise the importance of helping others, while the second story is a fun little tale for children aged 3-6 yrs. It uses my alien character from my Bradberrie Brother's Alien Adventures. It is the aliens first Aussie Christmas and describes all the wonders that he sees and experiences.

I am also working on a middle grade chapter book where the Bradberrie Brothers have a bit of a Bali adventure. It is totally different from the rest of the series as it is for slightly older readers. The third book in the series "Alien Milkshakes" is sitting in the wings waiting for final edits and cover design to be completed.

Not to forget, several other Australian animal picture books I am ready to have illustrated and still working on writing more.

* Thinking About

 I'm always thinking about the never ending list of things to do. Whether it's on my writing list, reading list, study list (I am always learning more about this writing life), our company paperwork, housework, or helping to do more on the house building. The list never seems to end, but I enjoy it all.

* Anticipating

Moving into our house. This September will be ten years since we first moved onto our property. I am anticipating that by then, our dream might finally be complete. We have worked hard building it and each time we reach a milestone I am thankful and proud of our accomplishments, but I have to admit, I must be a very patient wife to wait this long!

I am also anticipating another good fall of snow this winter. We had one beautiful white day last year, but it doesn't take long to melt. I always promised my boys a "Snow Day" so that they could have a day off school. It never eventuated. Maybe this year now that they have all moved out of home it just might happen.

* Wishing

The house was already finished and we were moved in.  The shed is pretty comfortable but it's time we moved into the house.

* Making Me Happy

My family makes me happy. Seeing my boys happy, self-sufficient and successful in their chosen careers. I look at them and know hubby and I have raised three amazing sons that we can be very proud of. I love them, their gorgeous wives and my hubby "to the moon and back." :)

It also makes me really happy when I am asked to refill an order for my books at a gift shop or tourist centre. Knowing my books are selling and people are at home reading them to their children at night fills me with a wonderful warm fuzzy feeling. If a child is smiling because a parent has read one of my books to them, I couldn't be happier.

* Seeing in My Camera Lens

I love taking photos of the animal silhouettes in our fireball. One of the best parts of this time of year is sitting outside by our fire at sunset with a cheese and crackers plate and a glass of red wine. Neighbours, friends and family gathered all around to chat and laugh by the warmth of the fire.

What are you currently looking forward to this winter or summer? Please drop me a line in the comments below. Now that the cold of winter has set in, I am sure to be inside by the fire waiting eagerly to read.

Now that you have warmed your toes by the fire, be sure to take a peak and see what some of my author friends are up to this summer. Their links are listed below.  (Or will be in the next few days.)

Happy reading :)

Auden Johnson: http://audenstreasury.blogspot.com/...

Julie Gorges: ..http://babyboomerbliss.net/ready-set-jump-into-summer-2017-currently-summer-blog-hop/

Carmela Dutra: http://www.carmeladutra.com/blog-po...

Cat Michaels: http://www.catmichaelswriter.com/ca...

Tracy Bryan: http://tracybryan.com/feeling-blissful-summer-blog-tour/

James Milson:  https://jamesmilson.com/2017/06/01/ready-set-jump-into-summer-the-2017-currently-summer-blog-hop/

A Land of Sweeping Plains and Flooding Rains (Part 8)

We have a map of Australia hung on our wall at home to which we have pinned all the places we have managed to visit throughout all the years we have been together. There's not much of this fabulous country we haven't seen, except maybe the Daintree Rainforest, located towards the top of the north-east coast of Queensland, that is next on our bucket list. Dorothea Mackeller had it so write when she penned the words to her famous poem "My Country" in 1908. Throughout this journey from coast to coast we had certainly experienced it all. After four fantastic weeks of road tripping and nearly 7 1/2 thousand km,  it was time to turn and head back home. We had seen sweeping plains, ragged mountains, far horizons and jewel-seas. We had driven through both drought and flooded country. All of it was beautiful to me. 

We were now driving across the sunburnt outback gold mining region of Western Australia. The red earth was quite distinct yet it still revealed stunning wildflowers and surprising goannas that appeared to enjoy sunning themselves on the open road.

Kalgoorlie was an amazing old mining town. Not sure what I had expected, but it proved to be rather inviting. The colonial architecture that adorned the streets was fabulous. The people were really friendly and the open mine pit was huge! We also spent a bit of time in the gold mine museum, which was lots of fun. We climbed monster trucks and watched a film that demonstrated a tour of the underground mining.

Eventually we found ourselves making our way back across the Nullabor.  This meant more opportunities for those holes of golf.  This time I can safely report no snakes impeded our game, just a few emu that wandered across the fairway. Back home we are used to waiting for the kangaroos to move off, so we happily waited for the emus to move on too. On our final night staying on the Nullabor we stopped just inside the South Australian border where we played yet another golf  hole and had a fun photo opportunity. 

One last overnight stay in Ceduna gave us a chance to walk along the pier in much improved weather conditions than we had encountered on the way over. Plus I was able to return to the Information Centre who kindly placed an order for both 'Emma the Eager Emu' and 'Frazzled Freya.' My children's books are beginning to spread across the nation. :)

Instead of heading straight home from here, we took one final detour. The Flinders Ranges are spectacular. They rise out of the flat open plains behind Port Augusta in stark majestic beauty. We spent several hours walking through magnificent eucalypt forests and up to the lookout on the rim of Wilpena Pound. Although it resembles a volcanic crater, Wilpena Pound is in fact made from sedimentary rock. The view from the top is amazing, but I admit the most striking thing to me was the grandeur of the gum trees. One of my favourite Australian artists is Hans Heysen who is famous for his paintings of the trees of this region. My mother-in-law used to say that looking out of the windows at our home was like living in a Hans Heysen painting. As we walked through these magnificent trees I wished she could have been here with us, she would have loved it.

Finally after five unbelievable weeks on the road we made it home. When asked what my favourite moment, place or experience would have been, I can't really answer. It was all so amazing! I truly do love everything about this sunburnt country, a land of sweeping plains and flooding rains.

I hope you have enjoyed your tour across Australia as seen through my eyes as much as I have enjoyed sharing it with you. If you stayed with me through all 8 posts, thank you. If you missed any, the links are below.

What was your favourite tale from our journey? Was it finally seeing the majestic whales off the Western Australian coast? The dolphins or Emus? Perhaps all the beautiful wild flowers? Please drop me a line in the comments below.

Part 7

Part 6

Part 5

Part 4

Part 3

Part 2

Part 1

A Land of Sweeping Plains and Flooding Rains (Part 7)

How are you at navigating? Are you any good with reading maps? Do you use the sun to gauge direction? I'll admit navigating has never been my best attribute, yet as hubby is the driver that leaves me as the navigator. Sometimes that is not a good idea especially on the other side of the country. No matter how many times we have visited Perth, I can't get the hang of the sun setting over the Indian Ocean when I have grown up watching it rise over the Pacific. This seems to throw my sense of direction out every time. I know the sun sets in the west, but my brain tells me it rises over the ocean, so I have this internal argument whenever we are in Western Australia as I just can't determine north in my mind. It's an internal struggle that baffles me. I was in the midst of working through one of these navigational struggles when we departed Perth. Hubby as usual, just started to drive not waiting for my directions. He knew where we were heading. I'm glad one of us did. Our next planned stop was Geraldton, a 4 1/2 hour drive north if we didn't detour. Only problem was, I wanted to go via the coast road and it took me some time to work out exactly which road hubby had taken. We were further inland than I had hoped. After some discussion, (and convincing on my behalf) I found a road to take us across. An hour later we were back on track heading towards the Pinnacles.

The Pinnacles Desert is an amazing place that we have been to before, but I wanted to take the opportunity to visit the Information Centre in the hope that they might be interested in considering my books. We did take advantage of being there and drove through the site again. The Pinnacles are stunning limestone formations that jut out from the desert floor in a fashion similar to a termite nest. They rise from the yellow desert sands in various heights up to 3 m tall and number somewhere in the thousands. As you wind your way through the drive, there are places to pull over, allowing you the opportunity to walk around and take spectacular photographs. It is believed these limestone Pinnacles were formed from the shells of an ancient sea bed. At various locations you can see the superb aqua of the ocean as a perfect background. The visit did prove worthwhile, the manager of the Information Centre was delighted with Emma the Eager Emu and Frazzled Freya and to my excitement placed an order to stock both books. After all, if you are lucky and stay in the area overnight, you will be more than likely to see both emus and frill-neck lizards so my picture books are perfect for their gift shop.

Geraldton to my surprise was a much larger town than I had expected. My Grandfather had been stationed there during WW2 so I was interested to see what it was like. It is a very well maintained town with beautiful old federation architectural buildings down the main street, but there are also many new modern buildings around as well. The harbour is filled with an abundance of fishing boats and yachts. I thought it was really quite pretty. We only stayed overnight though as the plan was to reach Shark Bay and Monkey Mia the next day.

The drive from Geraldton to Shark Bay should have been easily done by lunchtime, but there was so much to see we didn't arrive until well after dark. We detoured off the main highway across to the coast to see the very small fishing village of Port Gregory and its amazing Pink Lake. The lake becomes pink at certain times of the year due to bacteria in the algae that gets trapped in the salt granules that cover the ground instead of sand. A bit of local sense of humour was on display, look closely at the fisherman in the photo. Everyone stopped to take a pic, myself included, I couldn't resist.

We continued along the coast road to be able to stretch our legs and do the Kalbarri Coastal Cliffs walk. This walk should come with a warning, it's not for the faint-hearted.  There are several walks to choose from, all along sandstone cliffs that plunge around 100 m to the ocean below. They do provide spectacular views and you can choose the short walks to some of the lookouts. However we decided to take a path between lookouts that leads along the edge of the cliff top. About halfway around I realised this was perhaps not a good idea. The wind felt like it was almost gale force and hubby is frightened of heights. The path was so close to the edge he was terrified. There are no railings to protect you from falling off the edge. He gripped my hand so tight I thought I would lose circulation. He was so relieved when we reached the end of the trail, until the moment he became aware he would have to turn around and make the trek back along the path to reach our car parked back at the opposite end. I should mention also, be sure to take plenty of water with you if you ever do this walk. The path is very exposed, there is no shade and it is quite hot, even with the wind.

To my delight, even though my son had said it was a bit late in the season for wildflowers north of Perth, we found many stunning examples. I couldn't resist asking to stop the car to take photos of wildflower displays the likes of which I had never seen before.

Swimming with the dolphins at Monkey Mia had been on my bucket list for years. On arriving at Shark Bay I was so excited, the time had finally come. To top things off, as we drove around the back streets of the small town we came across a couple of emus grazing in someones yard.  Unfortunately Monkey Mia did disappoint me a little. It has become too touristy. What was once a pristine wilderness area is now set up to make money. Be prepared to pay to enter the National Park, pay to watch the rangers feed a small handful of the older dolphins, pay to go out on a boat to see the dolphins. No longer are you allowed to swim with them either. In fact you are not allowed in the water at all if the dolphins are there. I understand the need to protect them as the place has become very popular and it would be far too much for the dolphins if everyone were allowed to touch them. Our understanding of protecting animals has improved so much and it is good to see them well cared for. An English tourist tried to wade into the water to touch the dolphin we were photographing, the park ranger appeared in no time to demand he step back and leave the water. Still couldn't help being a little disappointed, I had come so far and was so close, but could not join this magnificent creature in her watery world.

We had lunch at the Aquarium and had a fascinating tour by a marine biologist who shared so much knowledge of the marine life of the area. To complete our day we took an off road drive through the red sand dunes. Once again we came across emus, this time a whole family, with chicks as well. They were gorgeous. I loved finding them out in their natural habitat. 

My lack of navigation skills had proved not too much of a problem. We made a few unnecessary detours, but in the end, they proved to find some wonderful worthwhile places to see.

Have you managed to navigate a trip successfully or discovered amazing unplanned places? Where did you go?

Next week: The return trip begins. Gold mining towns and back across the Nullabor.

A Land of Sweeping Plains and Flooding Rains (Part 6)

Sometimes one of the best things about a road trip is the journey, other times it is the destination. In this case it was both of these and more, for it also meant catching up with family and friends. Two weeks after leaving the east coast of Australia we finally reached our destination on the west coast, Perth, the current home town of our eldest son and his wife. Perth is a beautiful city and I love any excuse to visit this amazing city on the Swan River, but most of all, I love the chance to spend time with Jason and Elisa. We walked in the nature reserve near their home and discovered an abundance of magnificent wildflowers. We did the same in the Botanical gardens in Kings Park which are in the heart of the city and display a fabulous array of native flowers from all the regions of Western Australia. Being late September was the perfect time, it meant the wild flowers were in full bloom. 

The Swan River wine growing region is on their doorstep, so naturally we always spend a day exploring a winery or two, the Margaret River Chocolate Factory and a coffee and fudge factory that were irresistible!

All the touristy things aside, it was great to simply catch up and spend precious time at their home chatting, seeing the improvements to their garden and patting my two 'grand-doggies' Peppa and Phoenix.

To my delight I also had the opportunity to catch up and have lunch with two amazing friends. One is a girlfriend I became very close to when we were both expats in what seems like another lifetime.  Back in the 90's we lived in Thailand and our husbands worked together. Bringing up an Aussie family in a foreign country very different from ours, produces a bit of a culture shock and tends to bind you together forever. Whenever I visit Perth we try to get together if possible. The other lunch was even more amazing as it was with a friend I had not seen since my wedding day some 32 years ago! He had moved to Perth for work and we had lost touch, thanks to the wonders of the internet we were now back in contact and hubby and I were able to enjoy a great lunch catching up on all the years we had missed in his life. It was wonderful! 

Next on the agenda was a couple of days down south in Margaret River, wine growing capital of Western Australia. Friends from Sydney coincidentally had booked a great holiday house and invited us to join them. We have been to Margaret River a number of times over the years, but like Perth, I never tire of visiting this beautiful region. The wildflowers were still in full bloom and we were lucky to spot whales not once but twice! The beach beside the mouth of the river is a well known surfing destination for the west coast and is also popular as part of the world surfing competition. It was great to see the area had been upgraded since our last visit. The local council had obviously spent quite a reasonable amount providing paved walkways and seated areas. We sat there and watched a number of whales breaching out beyond the wave breaks. In the evening we were able to sip Margaret River wine, taste Margaret River cheese while laughing with great friends on the balcony of the house, watching more whales and the golden glow of the sunset over the ocean. It was perfect. We had a day exploring boutique wineries we had not discovered on earlier visits as well as cheese and chocolate factories we had not been to before. There was no need to do the limestone caves, I think we have covered most of them on previous visits. This was a short stay after all and not the time to do any caving'

On the way back up to Perth we paid a visit to another long time friend from Thailand days. Lunch at their place meant more wonderful memories, great laughs and a fabulous walk along the beachfront at Mandurah. Returning to Perth we had one final visit to make, dinner with friends hubby worked with in Darwin and a special stop by the Whipper Snapper Whisky Distillery to pick up a few special purchases as we have a small interest in the company. It was time for a taste of the product. I admit I am not usually a fan of whiskey but found myself pleasantly surprised by the flavour. I can appreciate that it is becoming a preferred alternative for the palette of many young businessmen.

We then had one last evening with our son before heading north for the final leg of our journey. As usual it was heartbreaking to say goodbye but I know he has to lead his own life. After all it is part of the natural cycle of life for the young to leave the nest and venture forward on their own journey. It is now our time to continue our next chapter in life also. Life is itself a journey we should embrace and enjoy each and every moment we share with loved ones.

When you travel, is it the journey or the destination you look most forward to?

Next week: Geraldton, Monkey Mia, Dolphins and more wildflowers.

A Land of Sweeping Plains and Flooding Rains (Part 5)

'Are we there yet?" Sound familiar?  It is a constant question we here as a parent whenever we attempt a road trip. Games, activities, books, songs, everything a resourceful parent can think of is usually needed to keep the kids occupied along the journey.

Yet oddly enough, it had been a week since departing home and I had not been tempted to say it even once!

To say the scenery so far had been nothing but spectacular is an understatement and the experiences so far had been surprising and outstanding. We had still so much more ahead of us.

It had taken seven days to travel through flooding rains, across sweeping plains and even the treeless Nullabor with its incredible rugged cliffs that drop into the Great Australian Bite, but we had finally reached Esperance in Western Australia and I had witnessed my first whale sighting. You can tell Esperance is known for whale watching, there is a fabulous sculpture in the park on the beach.

Next on our agenda was picturesque Cape Le Grand National Park. However, on the drive around from Esperance came another wonderful surprise, a must stop and see. In the middle of a farmers paddock we found a full size replica of Stonehenge. It stood complete as it once would have, some 3,000 or more years ago. We had so much fun walking between the stones, unlike the original in Salisbury, England that is roped off from tourists. This replica invites you to touch and feel the atmosphere. It is designed so that it too, can catch the summer and winter solstice. Naturally, I couldn't resist, I had to press my hands against the stones just in case I could travel back in time. (Outlander fans know what I mean.) Not that my husband would have been impressed if he lost me. Then it was time to run for shelter as the inevitable storm rolled in across the plains. We chatted inside the tourist centre to the very friendly owner while we waited for the rain to abate before continuing our journey to the cape.

Cape Le Grand National Park was everything we had heard it to be and more. Pristine pure white sandy beaches stretched around every corner and nestled in little sheltered bays. Rugged rocky outcrops of massive granite peaks rose in spectacular formation among the rolling heathlands that include an abundance of amazing wildflowers. Western Grey kangaroos are said to roam the beaches but we didn't see any while we were there. My guess is you would have to stay overnight in a camp site to see them at dusk or dawn the same as we see the kangaroos at home. There were many bushwalking trails to take advantage of to see the sights, unfortunately we did not stay long enough to take in any of the longer walks. So I have added that to my bucket list, I will return one day to do some of these beautiful walks.

That evening we were expected in the little country town of Mt Barker. Friends of hubby lived there and we were due for dinner. We enjoyed their company so much, one overnight stay turned into two nights. They drove us around town and the surrounding countryside, pointing out which farms were owned by which family members. We were convinced by the end that their families must have owned most of Mt Barker and the surrounding region. They took us up to visit a private little chapel on a hill overlooking the town, that had been there since the 1800's. The gardens looked really pretty with the canola fields in bloom as a backdrop before taking us to lunch in a quaint little winery. Until then, I had no idea this was a wine growing region of WA. I must admit, both the wine and lunch were rather yummy!

While there, we popped down to the coast to the town of Albany. I had hoped to see Albany on a previous visit to WA, we came close, but didn't quite reach it. Albany is an old whaling town, also famous as the place where our troops were sent off to Gallipoli at the beginning of WW1. On leaving here, this was the last time so many of our young men saw their home land. There is a huge museum in their memory here but we spent so long at the old whaling station museum we didn't have time to visit both. The tour of the whaling museum was fascinating. I am so glad the Australian government decided to stop the cruel slaughtering of such a magnificent and majestic mammal back in the 1970's. They are continually updating the exhibitions, adding more 3D and interactive sites. It is very informative with so much to see, do and explore, be prepared to spend a full day there. Also be prepared for the unexpected, we walked into the coffee shop only to hear my name called out and a lady rushed over to embrace me. I couldn't believe my eyes, we were on the other side of Australia and ran into someone we knew from home! How coincidental was that!

After our two and a half day visit with friends in Mt Barker it was time to start making our way up towards Perth where we would finally be able to spend some precious time with our eldest son and his wife. As we have previously visited the Margaret River region several times, (and planned to visit a bit later in this trip) we bypassed it after an overnight stop in Denmark, (the town not the country) and only stopped to take the occasional photo of wildflowers. Arriving in the south-west of WA in late September meant all the wildflowers that the region is famous for were all in bloom. The splendour of colour was everywhere.

It had now been almost two weeks on the road and I was so excited with the thought of seeing my son, yet I still refrained from asking the proverbial question, "are we there yet?" I was savouring every moment.

Have you experienced that "are we there yet?" feeling? If so, where were you heading? Did you enjoy your road trip? Please leave a comment in the comment box below.

Next week: Perth, family, friends, Margaret River and more friends.

Don't forget, if you have missed any of the journey so far, and you would like to catch up, it's easy, just click on any of the links below.

http://www.sandrabennettauthor.com/a-land-of-sweeping-plains-and-flooding-rains-part-4/

http://www.sandrabennettauthor.com/a-land-of-sweeping-plains-and-flooding-rains-part-3/

http://www.sandrabennettauthor.com/a-land-of-sweeping-plains-and-flooding-rains-part-2/

http://www.sandrabennettauthor.com/a-land-of-sweeping-plains-and-flooding-rains-part-1/

A Land of Sweeping Plains and Flooding Rains (Part 3)

Do you have a bucket list? Have you managed to tick anything off that list?

I have been fortunate in my life, so far I can tick off a number of dreams from my list. In no particular order they are -

1. Sipped a glass of champagne while taking in the view of Paris from the top of the Eiffel tower.

2. Ridden a camel at sunset along Cable Beach in Broome, WA. 

3. Swum under a waterfall in more than one outback Australian waterhole.

4. Strolled around Monet's magnificent gardens in Giverny, France.

5. Slept in a haunted castle in Ireland.

I could go on but then this list would be far too long.

This journey,  was another memorable bucket list experience I was excited to finally achieve.

So far we had crossed through the wine and fruit growing regions of NSW, during massive floods (Part 1), the wheat belt of country Victoria and South Australia and had now reached the beginning of the Great Australian Bite. The Nullabor was in reach.(part 2.)

After leaving Ceduna we were amazed at the size of each wheat farm that stretched for kilometres.  Our first stop was Penong Windmill Museum, located in the tiny town of Penong on the edge of the Nullabor. The museum was officially opened only a week before we arrived, so it was all brand new. The towns folk were rather excited about their new exhibition. Since solar pumps are beginning to replace windmills across the Australian landscape, this community decided to salvage some of the most iconic windmills, restore them and place them altogether in an outdoor museum as a tribute to the way things once were. We had a wonderful time walking around and reading the information about them all. I was surprised at the difference in sizes of them. Included in the collection is the largest windmill in Australia that spans over 35 foot.

Just around the corner and across the road, we played our first golf hole. Yes folks, before leaving Ceduna we had paid a visit to the Information centre to pay our golf fees to play the Nullabor Links. Friends had told us about this and it seemed a great idea. The Nullabor Links comprises of 18 holes of golf that span from Ceduna all the way across the Nullabor with the final hole to be completed in the old gold mining town of Kalgoorlie,  situated in Western Australia, 1,388 km from Ceduna in South Australia. That would have to be the world's longest golf course! It is a brilliant idea to make tourists take a break along the long straight stretches of road. You will find a golf hole at each roadhouse, caravan park or town along the way. Most of them are pretty rough, dry, with a lot of dirt and overgrown scrub, but that makes it all the more fun as you tackle the unique obstacles that arise. A fair warning to those who decide to give it a go, while we had a lot of fun, be careful. I teed off at one hole and as I walked up towards my ball for my second stroke, a brown snake slithered across my path and attempted to take my golf ball. For my overseas readers, an Australian Brown Snake is one of our deadliest snakes, it will strike if it feels threatened. We decided that was enough golf for that particular hole. The snake won that particular hole that day!

How anyone can say the drive across the Nullabor is boring, I'll never know. We found it fascinating! There was so much more to stop and see than I could have ever imagined.  The word Nullabor comes from the Latin derivatives of Nullus - no and arbor - tree. It is a flat open ancient seabed with almost no trees to be seen for miles. That being said, on leaving Penong, we detoured along Point Sinclair Rd, across Lake Macdonnell all the way to Point LeHunt to find another long jetty ideal for whale watching, disappointingly, there were no whales in sight that day. There was however a great picnic spot with a shelter and wall covered in clever mosaic art pieces. I took photos of them all to show my neighbour as she is in the middle of a long term mosaic project, I hoped these might inspire her. 

On return to the Eyre Highway we continued our drive until we reached the next detour that took us to the Head of the Bite and the Great Australian Bite Marine Park for that first glimpse of whale watching. Due to the massive storms that had been through the area in recent days, the seas were churned up and it was rather muddy near the coastline. This meant the whales were further out to sea than normal. We did manage to spot one or two, but it was difficult. The boardwalk was well set up with several vantage spots to look for whales, including some sheltered areas from the inevitable biting winds and rain. That day though, my quest for whales was not satisfied. Undaunted, the search continued. 

Do you have a bucket list?

Have you ticked anything off it yet?

Be sure to add your list in the comments below. :) 

Next week : More discoveries along the Nullabor and we finally make it to Esperance, but do we find whales?

An Enchanting Underwater Adventure!

Kids love magic and sea creatures! Put them together and you have "The Magical Aquarium" by Cat Michaels.  An enchanting underwater magical sea adventure that is delightful, imaginative and inspiring.

I was lucky to win a copy of this wonderful ebook during a giveaway Cat ran during the launch of this latest short chapter book.

I don't want to give too much away, suffice to say, the characters are charming, the story telling is perfect for the intended age group and the illustrations are rather cute.

My first impression was this was a story that only girls would find interesting. So I decided to test my theory. I tutor a neighbour's  ten year old son after school and asked him to read the first chapter to gauge his opinion. After all, the best reviews always come direct from a child. He enjoyed that first chapter but no surprise, agreed he thought it was more suitable for the girls in his class, so I didn't press him to read further. The following week when given the choice to go back to "Zac Power, Frozen Fear" by H. I. Larry or continue with the "Magical Aquarium," to my surprise he chose .....drum roll please...... (you guessed it!) "The Magical Aquarium!" A second chapter in, we wrote a couple of sentences about the story so far, then he asked if he could download it himself so that he could finish it this week. He didn't want to wait until I returned next week with my tablet to be able to continue reading. You can't get a better reaction than that! I was very impressed. Cat's story had drawn my reader into her imaginative world and piqued his curiosity.

My theory fell flat. This is a book for all kids. They will love meeting the sea creatures in it. Some are a bit quirky, there's a vegetarian shark and a sea turtle with an itchy nose that needs to be scratched. Kids learn all about touch tanks where they can have the hands-on experience of feeling unusual creatures and walk through underwater tunnels to view all kinds of amazing underwater friends. Of course there is something quite magical that happens while the children visit this particular aquarium, but you are going to have to read the story to find out. No spoilers here!

You can tell Cat Michaels is a former school teacher like myself, at the end of the book she has included  a glossary of what she terms "Challenge Words" for young readers to check their understanding of meaning. Included with these are gorgeous photographs to further visually demonstrate comprehension. This is a perfect conclusion to a magical underwater adventure.

My only concern is that Cat has a stingray in the touch tank. I know they are generally considered docile animals and will only attack when frightened, mainly when stepped on in shallow waters when they are skimming through sand unseen. However, I think as an Australian, seeing them lurking off our shores quite frequently, I am a little more wary. The "Crocodile Hunter," Steve Irwin taught us an invaluable lesson about how dangerous a stingray can actually be if we are not careful. If you read this enchanting book with your children, maybe it is worthwhile having the discussion, a touch tank where children can feel animals under supervision is one thing, but some things are best left alone when discovered in their natural environment.

That being said, I still believe this book is worthy of 5 star(fish) for it's imagination, creativity and environmental awareness. A great way to start a discussion with the kids at home or in your classroom about looking after the world's oceans.

https://www.amazon.com/Magical-Aquarium-Cat-Michaels-ebook/dp/B01MY98FX2

https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/the-magical-aquarium/id1173085945?ls=1&mt=11

Love is in the Air! - International Book Day Blog Hop

"Love is in the air everywhere I look around  Love is in the air every sight and every sound And I don't know if I'm being foolish Don't know if I'm being wise But it's something that I must believe in And it's there when I look in your eyes"

Sorry I'm not about to break out into John Paul Young's song, Have you started singing it in your head yet?

I'm not about to start ballroom dancing either, even though I loved "Strictly Ballroom" (maybe I'll watch that again tonight)!

Now that I have your attention!  Valentines Day is just around the corner, a day to remember our loved ones. Valentines Day is also International Book Giving Day!  Why is International Book Day held the same day? It is a day devoted to instilling a lifelong love of reading in children and providing access to books for children in need. For this reason I decided this year as a special treat I would focus on my love of reading and sharing that love with children.  

How am I doing that? In case you haven't heard by now, I have joined a group of fantastic Indie Authors to help spread the love in a Blog Hop  devoted to the love of books and a giveaway of some of their 's (and my) awesome children's books. More on that later, for now, please read and enjoy, then read the other #gr8blogs listed below for more fun loving book inspiration. Don't forget when you finish reading to be sure to enter the rafflecopter competition for your chance to win one of 14 amazing picture books and ebooks so that you too, can help share and spread the love of books with children everywhere!

Reading - How do I love thee, let me count the ways - 

1. I love the smell of opening the pages of a freshly printed new book.
2. I love snuggling with a child and sharing the wonder and surprise of what they find inside the story.
3. I love that stories can take you on adventures to far off places and unknown worlds of discovery and imagination.
4. I love that books are filled with endless opportunities to learn.
5. I love that you can escape everyday reality for awhile inside the pages of a fantasy, mystery or adventure.
6. I love the fact that sharing a book with a child is time well spent, a bonding time and memory building time.
7. I love reading a book to an eager class of wide eyes, and watching the anticipation on their faces as I reach the climax.
8. I love reading a book that inspires a child to write their own imaginative story or draw a wondrous illustration.
9. I love hearing a child ask to hear a favourite bedtime story read aloud "just one more time!"
10. I love it when they fall asleep clutching their favourite story and you know they are dreaming of that special world.

Can you think of any other reasons to love reading? I'm sure there are plenty more. Leave a comment below, I would love to know what you think.

Thanks so much for stopping by and sharing a bit of the reading love of International Book Giving Day. Don't forget to read these other #gr8t blogs from my fab author friends.  It's not too late to join our Rafflecopter competition either. Entries close 15th Feb so you still have time to share in the love of our book giveaway. While you're reading these blogs check out these authors awesome books you might like a chance to win!

Cat Michaels, Cat’s Corner - goo.gl/QctwSl   

Julie Gorges, Baby-Boomer Bliss -http://babyboomerbliss.net/celebrating-international-book-giving-day-free-book-giveaway/

Carmela Dutra, A Blog for your Thoughts - http://bit.ly/2kUcH1F

JD Holiday: JD's Writers Blog http://jdswritersblog.blogspot.com/...

Corrina Holyoake, http://corrinaholyoake.blogspot.co.uk/...

James Milson - http://wp.me/p3RsfU-151

Tracy Bryan - http://tracybryan.com/blog/valentin...

Rosie Russell - http://booksbyrose.com/kidlit-blog-...

Terms and conditions: There is NO purchase necessary to enter or win. Eight winners (still to be determined exact amount) will be randomly drawn through the Rafflecopter widget within 48 hours and notified by email once the giveaway ends. The winners will then have 72 hours to respond. If the winner(s) do not respond within 72 hours, a new winner(s) will be chosen. This giveaway is open to all who live in and outside of the US. However, as there are several sponsors of this giveaway who live both domestic and international. Print books are available only for domestic country of author origin; ebooks offered outside author's country of origin at their discretion.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

International Book Giving Day Coming Soon!

It's almost here! International Book Giving Day is the same day as Valentines Day, Feb 14! 

What does this mean?

Spreading the love of books to children everywhere!

It's such a wonderful idea I decided to jump onboard and join in the giveaways this year.

I'm trying a lot of new things this year. I started my email list, (finally), now have to start writing my first newsletter. So exciting. :)

I even joined the scary world of the twittersphere. (Wish me luck on that one, I'm a bit nervous about that).

One thing I am really excited about though is joining my author friends from all over the world to bring to you the chance to win free copies of all our gorgeous children's books. This is your chance to get books into the hands of children you love and read aloud with them some fabulous new stories. Sharing the love of books and reading on Valentines Day, has to be a great idea, don't you agree?

International Book Giving Day is a day devoted to instilling a lifelong love of reading in children and providing access to books for children in need. It falls each year on Valentines Day and what better way to say I love you than by giving your loved ones something they can enjoy reading over and over again. What better way to tell our children, grandchildren, nieces and nephews we love them than with the gift of a book!

Books are a small gift that can last a lifetime and make a huge impact! You could inspire a future author, a journalist, a scientist, the possibilities are endless. Never underestimate the power of giving a book, you never know where the imagination and creativity may lead.

So, now you know what Book Giving Day is all about and you love the idea too! What do you do next?

• You can take a loved one to the library and share a book with them.
• Read aloud at home with a special someone, maybe even a neighbour's child
• Donate a much loved old children's book to a family, charity or hospital in need.
• Visit a bookstore and buy a book for someone you love.
• or you can join our giveaway.

I am so pleased and excited to be sharing in my first giveaway with some of my special author friends in this Book Giveaway Extravaganza! In total there will be 14 signed copies of our books as well as ebooks all ready to giveaway with love especially to you. The Giveaway starts Wednesday 1st February and runs through to 15th February 2017.

Marianne Dubuc – creator of the 2017’s official poster – has also created these beautiful bookmarks. Print one out and add to your book when you give it to someone you love. Don't forget to write a few special words of love in the inside front cover. The receiver will love and treasure it.

Join the Giveaway - entries open 1st Feb 17

For more information on how to enter for your chance to win see the details below.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Terms and conditions: There is NO purchase necessary to enter or win. Winners will be randomly drawn through the Rafflecopter widget within 48 hours and notified by email once the giveaway ends. The winners will then have 72 hours to respond. If the winner(s) do not respond within 72 hours, a new winner(s) will be chosen. This giveaway is open to all who live in and outside of the US. However, as there are several sponsors of this giveaway who live both domestic and international. Print books are available only for domestic country of author origin; ebooks offered outside author's country of origin at their discretion.

Now you know how I plan to spread the love on Valentines Day, how about you?

Let me know in the comments below.

How to Make a Magical Fairy House for Your Garden

Do you have fairies at the bottom of your garden? Do the fairies help clean your house? Pick up after the kids?  Or perhaps hide the odd sock or two? 

Have you ever thought about building a house for the fairies in your garden?

A few weeks back I began to embark on a new project for our garden. Little did I know at the time that it would become a joint project between my husband and myself. He became so excited about my little project that he almost took over and before I knew it, my little magical fairy house was an enormous family project bigger than "Ben Her!"

My advice before you start, plan your strategy wisely. If you want to build something as grand as ours then be my guest and follow my instructions. You can always choose to simplify it and build a fairy house with not quite as much decoration. Whatever you decide, it will still be magical and delight all who set eyes on it. That is, friends, neighbours, and family with imagination. But be warned- be prepared to put in quite a lot of time! It is worth it in the end and we did have a lot of fun and laughs along the way. So worth every minute. It is a great way to spend quality time together and after all, shouldn't everyone have a little magic at the bottom of their garden?

Note: Most of the materials we used were gathered from around our house. So the fairy house was made at very minimal cost.

Step One: Select a suitable plastic container of a size you would like the basic structure to be. We chose an old bucket that had a split in the bottom, useless for water now, but ideal for a fairy house. Use a felt tip pen to draw a plan on the bucket then cut out the windows and door.

Step Two: Cover the bucket with a collection of flat stones. River stones work well, we collected ours from the beach. (It was a great excuse for a day out at the beach by the way.) They are in a variety of sizes, shapes and colours. You can use craft glue to stick them on however this takes awhile to dry and they tend to slide if you don't hold them long enough. I found the best tool was a hot glue gun, just be careful not to burn your fingers while manipulating the smaller stones. I admit I had a few blisters!

Step Three: We added an entryway. This is an additional feature of our choice. You can choose to leave off and keep things simple. My husband screwed timber walls to the bucket before adding the roof.

Step Four: Add a roof to your fairy house. Again we used left over timber from the construction of our house. We are lucky to be owner builders so have plenty of material available. We then added packing timber to the roof and spray painted it dark grey to look like shingles.

Step Five: The walls of the entryway are made from paddle pop sticks to resemble timber. I painted them brown.

Step Six: We added a door with a miniature hinge to be able to open and close it.

Step Seven: Cover the windows to help make the inside weather and spider proof with plastic. The plastic is glued on from the inside.

Step Eight: Add any desired additional ornaments. In our case we added a weather vein, spray painted gold. A crooked pipe chimney and a silver satellite dish. To complete the look I added tiny flowers under some of the windows to give the illusion that the fairies had planted their own garden and sprinkled gold fairy dust across the roof. We also found some tiny items from a model ship we had never found the time to construct, so added the lantern, windows and shields. It is amazing what you can find around the house to use to decorate if you have a bit of a rummage. 

Step Nine:  Make sure it is sealed from the weather by spraying completely with a varnish.

Step Ten: Add a couple of fairies, select a position in your garden and enjoy the delight on visitors faces.

Here is the finished magical fairy house in our selected spot under our Chinese Elm near my bird house and emu statues. One day I will have the rest of the garden completed around it and hopefully it will be filled with lots of fairies including some of the blue fairy wrens that currently nest in the garden near my kitchen. Perhaps when there are enough small shrubs in this garden they will feel safe to move across.

Do you have a spot to put a fairy house in your garden?

If you build one, send me a photo and I'll add it below. Maybe we could start a collection.

I'm thinking about writing a story about an Aussie fairy family. If you would like to hear more or have any ideas, join me in my awesome readers newsletter group. I'd love to discuss any idea you might suggest.