Spring 2012 down under begins

So when I last wrote I had just completed a day camp with Guides and Mark was ill. I am glad to say that Mark is now much better and is back to paper writing in style. He spat out his last paper in a week and a half. 

September for me was accompanied with a visit to the dentist almost every Saturday, I am glad to state that my teeth no longer hurt and I have a pearl white smile again. J.  In between all the dentist visits we visited friends; I was kept busy with girl guides and preparing for our camping trip during the public weekend to the Flinders Rangers. 

At the beginning of September we had dinner with Georgia, Jason and their young family. Ben showed us how much he had grown and Juliet and Rhys were kept busy with the largest strawberries I have ever seen, whilst Mark provided the entertainment. 

 

During the dinner Georgia and Jason asked me to be Ben’s godmother. I am very privileged and over the moon that we will always be a part of this lovely families life. 

 At Guides we have introduced our new leader Izzy, we have given one of our girls her 10 year star and this weekend we held a big indoor camp with all girls from the Knightsbridge hall.  During which Fi shows the girls how to tackle Challenge Hill (obstacle course). 

Izzy 

Grace and Judy

Fi shows the girls how its done. 

During the Guide camp this weekend we had a extra camper, who would share our meals. Kookaburr sits on the wheely bin (thanks mum for that one).

Last weekend for us was a public holiday weekend, so we decided to take the tent up to the Flinders Rangers and walk St Mary’s Peak which is 1’171 meters high.  It was a 9 hour walk and 21 kilometres in length. I have to say it was mainly climbing and was the hardest mountain I have ever climbed, but the view was out of this world. 

 

 

 

Claire at the top of St Mary's Peak. 

 

Monday morning was difficult as neither of us could move much, so we packed up camp and went for a drive around the region. We found a lovely café in Binman for lunch and then continued onto Parachina. 

Photo's below are Marks from our Camping trip. 

The Great Wall of China 

Old House

Wilpena pound

View from the top of St Mary's peak

 

Rock Wallaby

Bunyeroo Gorge

Porter Lagoon

Last week I help run my first Guide Dog Kids camp, we went shopping, taught the kids about money handling, we introduced them to a number of hi tech devices to help them complete activities of daily living, with development their food preparation skills. We even took them tandem biking and I piloted one with a 10 year old girl and they learnt how to play goal ball. We had a great time. 

The clocks have gone forward here this weekend, so we are now 10.5 hours in front of the UK at the moment.