2010 Family Fishing Trip - Update

Annual Trip confirmed as being Thursday 25th of March through to Sunday. Athough it is not possible for Sara and Scott to come that weekend it remains the most likely weekend for most.

Sam's Trip to the Northern Territory

Sam wanted me to put up some of his pictures, taken with my TrailCAM, from the NT trip.

These pictures are two of about 100 that were taken around the body of a dead cow on the station Sam camped at near Mataranka, NT. It wouldn't be a good idea to knock yourself out in the bush around in this area!

Photos taken at 6.30 am and 3.45 am on July 9th this year

In other news, Kristin wanted to know when the family trip is next year. We will do it again Thursday 25th of March to Sunday 28th of March -- the first weekend of term holidays, and a week before Easter. Everyone to be there on Thursday night again. Scotty may be too old to play footy next year, so we will see him!!!

Perhaps there might be some reasons why "M" won't be camping out on this trip!

Fox spotted on TrailCAM

A fox wanders past at 9pm on 17th April 2009

Trail Cam Pics

After the family trip Russ left the TrailCAM attached to a tree trunk, with the lure of left over buns from Michelle's Dad (thanks Heinz!).  The following photos were shot in the next week.  In fact, we had 150 different photos.  Many times it went off, for no apparent reason.  But a reason must have been there....slithering past, unseen.  These are the pick of them.  

Click pictures to see a bigger version. 

Russ dropping the bread buns for bait

Wedge-Tailed Eagle (Flying in at 10:04 and landing at 10:10am)

Magpie Lark

Red Fox

Brushtail Possum

Easter 09 Meredith, Harry, Diana and (10th and 11th April)

Harry and Meredith, Russ and Davo, Hugh and Diana and Jill and I had a couple of days over Easter. On Friday, Emma went to Confest with Rach and Matt.....on Sunday Jill and I left to go to Hughies funeral in Wyche. All others left as well barring Russ and Davo who stayed between Gunbower and the block over Sunday and Monday (catching - and releasing - five more cod!).

Weather perfect; Russ said we caught and released nearly 20 cod. No european carp I can recall at all! I caught a yellowbelly (Golden Perch) and cooked it up for Meredith and Harry to have a taste.

We brought nearly all the Whymoul Bridge back to camp (it was being replaced) as it produced ideal redgum/campoven wood. Di and Hugh provided the bulk of the meals and we cooked a lovely lamb campoven and vegies on Saturday night. H, D, H and M went on a couple of quite long walks along the river to keep the limbs moving; in fact camp was deserted when we arrived just before lunchtime on Good Friday - everyone out on a walk. No goannas (they appear to have moved on), although put up the TrailCAM from the weekend before and got 150 pictures - most notably an eagle, fox, possum, magpies, crows, treecreeper and a couple of butcherbirds.

Emma, Matt and Rachel came through on Friday on the way to Confest on the Edward- in the little VW. It went very well; they picked up tents and gear and had a great trip. Back on the Tuesday night after Easter. Must buy a little roof rack/tub for the VW

Shower went well, but must remember to recharge each 36 hours or so.

Most of the camp attended the Easter Murrabit Market. Harry had promised to buy me a big, useless and hopefully heavy engine to put somewhere and never use -- but he couldn't see one. It was a big market though; everyone had fun.

Diana and Hugh were very impressed with Davo's Hobie canoe and may look at the estuary model for Toora. It is pedal driven and really moves along.

The River? Began the Environmental release on March 9th. Came under the bridge on the Moulamein Rd on Sunday March 29th. However, didn't get to the bend until late Wednesday April 8th/9th. Almost exactly one month ie 30-31 days. Didn't reach Gregor's over Easter. I think Sam said that Cartwheel was 6.4km from the bridge by GPS and Gregors 6.2km from Cartwheel....and I think Sam said it went through Gregors 14th-15th. So about 10 days to get to Cartwheel from the bridge, and about 7 days to Gregors from there.

Will post a bit more on the trip soon - I have to upload some photos as well.

Family Trip April 2-5 2009 - How it went

Everyone had a good time and Kristin never saw any goannas. The kids had a particularly good time. Rohan, Eric and Lottie are checking out the action on the river; Thomas is trying out Sam's line in the boat.

Liza, Emma and Mel took over 100 photo's - mainly of the kids! In the next few weeks we will get the photos onto the internet or probably better onto a CD and send them to everyone so they can print off the photos they like.

I think we had 29 family and cousins attend - if you count Russ as a cousin/family. Weather was very kind; river came up on the Wednesday after we came back, but that didn't matter. There had been enough water for the canoes and the kids. We did catch two cod (and release) over 60 cm in length.

Highlights? Having Pat and Len come (they hit a kangaroo on the way out Saturday night); Sara and Matt (Guitar and didgeridoo, with Josh in accompaniment). Market was good; and Gordon and Eirlys came across for a chat. Good fires, courtesy of some wood from the old Whymoul Bridge and the dinner on Saturday night that Jonesy cooked. Pretty yum as usual. Matt taking 2 hours to put up the 1 minute tent.

Nathan Shannon came up with Josh on Saturday I think (Josh came Friday). Josh met Nath in the little yellow Suzuki in Barham....and brought home some more wood from the bridge on the way back. Josh had a tent that was about 15 cm too short for him. Sara made plenty of that!

Spud went for a long walk with the "black and purple Oargee" spinner, but no luck. Although he did catch a cod on a hogback lure in the camp hole (Cartwheel Bend). Sam shot 6 ducks for Len on Saturday morning I think and plucked them at camp - just as Gordon came over. Stephen took two back to Melbourne and cooked them up. First duck for many years.

Next year we will all come again on Thursday (almost everyone did) and this time we will put a bit of time into planning the meals so that we don't have so much additional food. We had two lamb roasts (3kg boneless); two of Spud's chooks and Jonesy brought a pork roast on Saturday night. We had perhaps a chook and a bit left.

We will do it again next year with 2010 dates being Thursday 25th of March to Sunday 28th of March -- the first weekend of term holidays, and a week before Easter. Everyone to be there on Thursday night again. Scotty may be too old to play footy next year, so we will see him!!!

Update on Family Trip - April 2-5 2009

The news on the trip

Pat and Len are coming and will be with us 3 nights beginning on Thursday night for dinner. They will stay in Barham (Golden Rivers Apartments) and I will drive them up, in their car, on early Thursday.

The Murrabit Market is on Saturday 4th while we are there (that is the inset picture). A compulsory large attendance first thing in the morning, with maybe a coffee scroll at the Barham Bakery on the way back

Kristin is nervous about the goanna's on the block. Security is at all time highs (unlike the protection of the Sri Lankan cricket team in Pakistan) and we should all be safe. After all, we have tried to hunt a goanna into Len's tent and they don't go in easily (March 2003)

Matt and Michelle are early commitments to being there with kids on Thursday evening - and Matt will bring his didgeridoo (Sara guitar).

River is expected to be good (an environmental flow is coming down) but we may run out of time. The flow began coming on March 9th. That will give it just over three weeks to reach our bend and it will be a close thing! We may be overlooking a very dry bend in the river!

Communal dinner will be arranged on Saturday night; apart from that we will largely look after each other's needs - have a resident four burner, hooded barbecue on the block now (ex Darren and Belinda)

Adults coming - Keith, Pat, Spud, Glenys, Andy, Ceri, Josh, Matt, Michelle, Pat, Len, Jill, Kris, Sara, Scott, Meredith, Sam, Stephen, Emma, Liza & John, Melanie, Russ