Nav Adventurers

It's been soooooo long

2012-02-07T13:03:00.001+10:00

Yes it has been since I last posted....but with Facebook so convenient a-way to update most people, I forget we even have this blog.

Meanwhile since last post....sooo much has happened. Here's some of it....

Jacob turned 1...and has since started walking and a multitude of other fun things.

We had a fabulous 2 night family holiday to Heron Island.

Attended 2 family weddings....2 60th celebrations.....1 funeral

Celebrated our 2nd Christmas together.

Yes we did!

Enjoyed a true blue Aussie Day

Jacob discovered ice cream.

Seen our house build project get to this exciting stage.

B2B...A Family Event!

2011-09-05T10:37:00.001+10:00

A couple of weeks back we entered the local Botanic to Bridge Fun Run. 8 kms is not exactly what I would call fun! But the boys did run it and I walked a steady to turtle's pace behind them...they beat me by a full half an hour! A beautiful morning to be out and about though with 4000+ others. Thanks to the Port Authority for organising the day. We'll be back!

Love a good beach day

2011-06-15T09:47:00.001+10:00

Queen's Birthday weekend rolled around and we had grand plans to go away for a few nights. But due to having a sick little boy we decided to stay home instead and planned a couple of day trips. One was with family friends to the beach for a couple of hours on Her Majesty's birthday. The sun was shining, breeze was gentle, company was fun and the sand, oh so tasty! And BTW...the fish were nibbling! And as evidenced by one of the photos below, JVI did catch one!

A great way to spend a public holiday....sand, sun, splashing!

First Mothers' Day

2011-05-11T09:15:00.000+10:00

What a special day of thankfulness and quiet celebration Sunday proved to be.
My first Mothers' Day was spent with my two favourite boys eating a yummy breakfast, enjoying a full vase of fresh, happy gerberas, playing and a relaxing walk on the beach in the afternoon. Oh yeah...and a treat of KFC chips. Such a nice day with plenty of time to think back over the last year and remember, with a smile, all the bits of being a 'Mum' that I have so enjoyed.
Like....reading stories, seeing the developmental milestones reached, bath time, the first sleep thru, giggles and laughter, swimming, family holiday, rolling -rolling-rolling, cuddles, jolly jumper sessions, staring into beautiful blue eyes, shopping for cute little clothes, hearing 'mum mum and dad dad' for the first time, etc, etc, etc.....

I am so grateful to have the opportunity to be a Mum and to have such a wonderful co-parent in J and such a delightful son in j.

First Family Holiday

2011-03-23T15:30:00.001+10:00

Last week we managed to get away from busy Gladstone to spend 5 days together at Agnes Water. It was so nice to have time out to enjoy each other and just relax. We spent days sleeping, reading, exploring, swimming and playing. A great first family holiday...and here's to many more in the years to come.

Our pool

We spent LOTS of time in the water

Which Jacob just loves

Just like he loves his tucker

And walks on the beach

Family shot

More exploring

Love the view

Not the best waves, but Jon had a fun surfing lesson

The boys bonding with books

We found the beach where K's family used to camp back in the 80s

There's still oysters there

Ahhhhhh...holidays...they wear you out!

Little j and the V8s

2011-02-14T11:23:00.000+10:00

Thanks to Uncle A for the cool driver's suit and to Daddy for explaining to me why FORD is best:)

Weekend Action

2011-02-14T11:14:00.000+10:00

J and the John Deere take on the block!

Winners were.....J and the John Deere and the sun!

Australia Day

2011-01-30T11:36:00.001+10:00

Jon reckons you can't top his Australia Day.
He: competed in a triathlon (his first in 8 years) and survived....had a barby for breaky.....visited with family.....surveyed his new block of land.....drank a freshly ground coffee.....cuddled his wife and son. Sounds alright to me too!
Here's the proof:

Sussing out the course. Which one do you think took the wrong turn in the ride?

Kirsty's Dad (@ 60) competes in his first tri. He led for much of the way:)

Jon finishes the swim leg...on his own

Blitzes the ride

Takes all 3 cups of water during the run

Super competitive as you can see...there's 1.5km to go at this stage

The pace of the action was a little too much for a 4.8month old to keep up with

Hooray! Finished!

Recovery session

More recovering

For both Van I men

Showing off my latest trick

A first....little j with both sets of grandparents at the same time

Visiting

2011-01-30T11:29:00.000+10:00

Jacob has had a great time visiting with both sets of grandparents and friends.

My new swing....yipppppeeeee!

Thanks for the pushes Grandpa.

Thanks for the milk Gran.

Anything you can do I can do Jacob!

Happy Baby

2011-01-23T12:35:00.000+10:00

Little j is a delight. Sorry the vids are so dark tho.

HNY 2011

2011-01-12T08:21:00.000+10:00

We spent a few days at Kirsty's parent's place at the lake over new years. Had a lovely Litzow family Christmas which included highlights of time spent with family, Jacob's first swim, sunshine, a deeper than normal lake and yummy waffles.

My little brother Nat and his baby boy Bas join us for j's first swim

The post-swim recovery session

I love the attention and the warmer water

Celebrating a new year with a carnival walk to wish everyone a HNY!

Andie and Gran enjoy the walk together

j loves his presents...thanks everyone

Christmas 2010

2010-12-28T15:49:00.000+10:00

Despite the rain, we had a great Christmas in Rockhampton with Jon's family. Much of the extended family came up from down south to converge on Uncle D and Aunty M's place. Fortunately, they are well set up for wet weather so we all kept high and dry and found plenty to do for a few days. A highlight, apart from Christmas morning spent around the tree with a gazillion presents (well there was 40 of us there!), was ice skating on the temporary rink that came to town for Christmas. Who'd have thought...ice skating in Central Qld in summer?!?! Anyway, our plans to head south for New Years are looking a little dodgy with the highway cut in one place today. But by the end of the week, we hope it will be smooth sailing and we'll be able to make it to our second Christmas for the year.

Opening Jacob's Christmas Eve present.

Yummo! It was pjs!

Christmas morning...Jacob made sure we were up early.

Reading the new books on Christmas morning.

Family and the tree and presents.

Jacob got lots of fun things from family.

The Van Itallie family @ Christmas 2010

The boys

The snow bunny

Ice skating was a blast!

Real ice...real nice

Happy families @ Christmas

November Lake Visit

2010-11-29T14:33:00.000+10:00

Jon booked a boys' day at the Ashes with some mates way back in July and finally, November arrived!

So Jacob and Kirsty hitched a ride and visited friends and family at the lake while J went to cheer on Hussey and Haddin. He did a good job obviously!

Yep! I am a happy traveller. But getting a little bit too cozy in my capsule.

Cuddles with the cousins

And a beach adventure with Gran

Feet in the water...toes in the sand

Bottom in the truck....kind of

Cousin Rohanna is 4 1/2 months older than me...I'm catchin' up quick

Mummy and Daddy think I'm pretty special. But the real question is...'What do you think of my 6 pack?'

Morning fun with Dad

Grandpa's special chair suits me just fine!

La La La La....Life Goes On

2010-11-23T09:01:00.000+10:00

As we head into the silly season, we have been enjoying many fun days already. Jacob is a delight!

I'm growing! But Hudson and Bluey aren't:)

Yay! I got my library card on Saturday...and promptly borrowed 8 books.

First lift ride....not that I remember it.

Me and my friend T...she's 7 months old and I am almost 3 months.

Welcome back Uncle Mark and Aunty-to-be Rachel.
I have the Full House of Van I photos now!

My first Christmas Carols...the Trinity College choir in action at the shopping centre.

I loved it! So did Mum.

2 things to say: "Turn OFF the light! And FEED me!"

Happy boys!

Life in Jacob Land

2010-11-03T08:59:00.000+10:00

I eat well...as my chubby cheeks show. And I have a Mum who takes silly photos!

I like dressing up. Here's me looking like Prince Charming. Do you like?

The view from where my new house will be.

It wasn't enough for Mum and Dad to get a new baby.....a block of land and a new house are coming too.

Me getting in on 'the new land/house' thing.

I hope the kangas don't move too far away when we move in.

See...I am growing! 6.71kg at 7.8 weeks. That means I have put on 2.3kg since I was born.

Yay for me! And my 'yummy Mummy'....although I call her that for a different reason than Daddy:))

Proof that I was there for the big moment when Dad and Mum signed the land contract. Ok...so I was there in spirit...and in horizontal stripes!

More Family

2010-10-18T09:26:00.000+10:00

Destressing

I LOVE visiting with family...really....wha!!!!!!!!!

See...just need Dad's touch

I LOVE Daddy...he's sooooooo relaxing

Van Itallies.....Jacob is from great stock!

Thanks for my new teddy 'Darwin' Grandma

Good to see you again Grandad....you've changed:)

Two weekends ago we had Jon's family visiting. Great to see Mum and Dad relaxed and rested after their outback adventures. Four generations of Van I men in the house...now that's special!

Dad is Sixty

2010-10-18T09:17:00.000+10:00

Kirsty's Dad turned 60 last week. So the whole family got together at the lake house for a special lunch.

It was a fabulous celebration and topped off with stunning October weather. Dad seemed pretty happy and so were we, considering how well Jacob travelled. Thanks to Mum for organising us all and to brs and sisters, nieces and nephews, uncles, aunts, Nan and friends who made the trip and made the day so special. Love youse all!

All that driving took it out of the boys

Daddy n Jacob

The cousins at play in the lake....brrrrr!

Yep...brrrrr! Alright

Not much wind...had to rely on paddle power

Jacob at 5.7 weeks with Great Nan at 89.7 years

Four generations

Rev heads!

Birthday boy!

And again

The artists

I love my cousins...and they love me

More recovery needed

Super Cute Super Kid

2010-10-08T22:25:00.002+10:00

Jacob continues to be a delight...you can see why....

Me and my friend Hudson

We're an equal opportunity blog....naked Mummy last time, naked Daddy this time:)

Out on the town for dinner...Daddy dressed me so I'm stylin'!!

Me and My Dad

The happiest family on the block

Birthday...already!

2010-10-06T07:19:00.000+10:00

Hi Everyone!

I turned 1 month old this week...can you believe how big I am getting already?

What did I do to celebrate??

I went in the pram....all the way to the IGA.

I had my first shower....and loved it.

I wore a beanie and took a walk with Daddy in the sling....and fell asleep.

I had a great day:)

Love from

Jacob

In the photos above you'll see me doing all sorts of cool things with all sorts of cool people....I especially liked the visit with my cousins.

Hello Andie! We missed you in the photo but I do have some nice ones of you and me:)

LIFE.....as we knew it....has changed forever

2010-09-22T12:35:00.001+10:00

On more than on occasion in the past 10 days Jon has uttered these words:

"We have a baby in the house."

Each time he says it...there's a sense of awe and responsibility in his voice. And I totally agree. We have been given this priceless gift of a baby boy and wow! He is ours to look after and raise in God's ways....now that IS an awesome responsibility.

I was encouraged by reading II Chronicles yesterday. Solomon cried out to God for wisdom and God loved that prayer and blessed him abundantly. So as I tackle the 3am feeds, that's my prayer too...that God would bestow upon us as Jacob's parents, great wisdom to raise our son well..in a way that honours the One who gave him to us in the first place. If you are a parent reading this, may you be encouraged to petition God for the wisdom of Solomon (even a small % of what he had would help) in doing the most important job on the planet....loving your husband/wife and raising your children.

So below is a collection of pics that show some of the different ways and means of having Jacob in our lives.....

Bath time with Mummy

Nap time with Daddy

A solution for some of the new aches and pains associated with breastfeeding.

Visitors galore...all so impressed with Jacob's placid temperament and good looks, which prompted another classic Jon line...."Obviously it skipped a generation." Hmmmmm......speak for yourself Honey:)

Great Aunty and Uncle Litzow

Great Grandfather and Grandma Van

Great Aunty Margaret and 2nd cousin Deb

Uncle Andrew

Aunty Katherine

Bible reading with Dad

More relaxing tub time

"Ahhhhhh....life sure HAS changed....but now it's even sweeter!"

The BIG Boy's Birthday

2010-09-21T12:52:00.000+10:00

Q: So....what does a new Dad's birthday look like???

A: A little different to last year when we spent the day 4WDing

through Cape York.

2010's version may not have been so adrenalin filled,

but it was very special anyway.

Early start as Jacob has breaky then all 3 of us snuggle.

Big J and little j trip around the house doing the present hunt....complete with abstract art that had J bamboozled on more than one occasion.

Finally....success! Jacob looks like he was a big help:)

Jon had said he didn't need any presents this year....because Jacob was his birthday gift. Little j was very compliant.

The boys take some 'hang time' on the couch....with Jesus.

Happy Birthday to You!! And thanks Tammy for the

delicious cake....perfect timing.

Jacob eats too...not cake just yet though. Dad's final birthday treat....

......feeding his son for the first time.

Kitted out

2010-09-15T14:52:00.000+10:00

Little J has received sooooo many wonderful gifts...thanks heaps to our wonderful family and friends. There's been prams and quilts.....clothes and toys....Bibles and book.....wraps and nappies.....CDs and shoes....
But these 2 special outfits get a photo.

Thanks to Uncle A for the Team Vodafone driver's suit. Watch out for pics throughout next year's V8 season of Jacob dressed like Lownsie, sitting on his daddy's lap and glued to the big screen!

And from one super family, to a super baby...this little suit...complete with detachable cape. Thanks Aunty M, Uncle B and A. Now, I just have to get my super man a matching one:))

Introducing Jacob....

2010-09-15T14:29:00.000+10:00

Our wonderful little baby arrived on September 6th 2010. Here's a little bit of the story....

Father's Day 2010:

Jon eagerly anticipated getting his first FD present.

A bottle of aftershave arrived on 5/09 but the BIG gift...his son....was coming a day later.

Delivery Day 2010:
We arrived at Gladstone Mater Hospital as 2.....one with a passenger though. Looking a little bleary eyed because we hadn't slept for long the night before (we were too excited) and it was an early start for the op prep.

The Moment:
At 10.51am, Jacob Jonathan Van Itallie entered the world. This is Jacob just minutes after he was born...already alert and content. He has the Van Itallie 'M' lips, just like his Daddy. He's a big boy. 9lb 13oz (4.440kg) to be exact! Silly us....in the room before we headed into theatre, we'd guessed that he'd be 8lb 1oz.

First Timers:
Jon's parents are quite delighted to see grand baby #1. A nice 3 day late birthday present for Mum and a 1 day late (Grand)Father's Day gift for Dad.

Bath Time:
It took a while to get there, but once he was in...Jacob loved it.
Very relaxing time....just like every bath since.

8 Times a Winner:
Kirsty's folks love the latest addition to their collection of grand children.
Jacob evens the ledger at 4 girls, 4 boys.

A favourite:
Not a pose I have seen since, so this is a little gem to treasure.

Going Home:
5 sleeps after arriving at hospital, we leave. All three of us!
Excited...thankful.....ready....so very happy.

toast

2010-09-14T22:23:00.000+10:00

So motherhood has not changed me one bit. I still do really silly things...like charcoal the toast, setting off fire alarms after filling the entire house with smoke. Only difference....all before 7am! Proof that multiple multi-tasking only leads to heartbreak...or at least a darn waste of two perfectly good pieces of cafe style raisin toast! Tomorrow I will either: a) stick to one task at a time only or b) have oats for breaky.

The BELLY Blog

2010-08-31T08:55:00.000+10:00

Just a few pics we took of JAK in Mummy's belly - 29/08/10
That's 38 weeks and 6 days. And only 8 sleeps from Delivery Day. Wahoo!

Unwrapping day is Sept 6th via C Section as JAK is breech.

Your prayers are coveted for this day...thank-you:)

Treats, feet, sweet!

2010-08-25T09:57:00.000+10:00

Treat? Feet? Sweet? You work it out!

I think I will let you work out from the photos above which is which from the title! Our August has been spent celebrating our 3rd anniversary.....watching lots of me get bigger and bigger.....looking for acreage land.....attending all sorts of functions (QAL open day bbq lunch line is pictured)....and I thought by touching a snake - something I have never done before - I would be preparing myself for labour - also something I have never done before! I know I know...patting a little python is MUCH EASIER than popping out a baby...what was I thinking?? I am still counting on my climbing Cradle Mtn experience to help get me through labour...if that actually happens. A breech baby on board means a C Section is a real possibility. And if that's the case....only 12 sleeps to go:)

PS Aren't you all very lucky I only showed you the feet in the bath...not the rest of the body:))

Weddings and Gardens

2010-08-10T18:10:00.000+10:00

There's been love and pollen in the air!

Jon had a double-whammy at friends' wedding last month when he played the role of witness and MC. Congrats to M n S...your botanic gardens wedding was a delight!

Some of our lovely friends from church and further afield threw a surprise baby shower for us. It truly was a surprise and it was a special night of games, blessings and prayers. Thanks to all our wonderful, generous friends I had a 2 hour job of sorting through gifts and finding a place for everything. The baby's room is certainly filling up.

Jon has been in his 'nesting' phase....although his prep work has taken place outside the house. He weeded, planted, mulched and mowed on the weekend. Looks great!

The new 'ponytail' and a close-up of the mulching job.

Certainly looks like 'spring has sprung' in CQ...feels like it too! Our front garden is looking so pretty...flowers everywhere.

And in other news.....like the garden, my body keeps growing and growing! And like the wedding, we are eagerly anticipating our big day...only a month to go!

For SALE

2010-07-24T18:34:00.000+10:00

Contact Jon for details:)

Other Stuff....

2010-07-24T12:53:00.001+10:00

Here's a quick update on some of what has been happening in the Van Itallie's days....

Kirsty's belly is getting bigger and bigger as JAK continues to grow and get ready for his/her arrival into the world....D day is supposed to be 5th September.

Jon purchased another toy....an apple! No...not the fruit but the IPAD. He still wears a grin this big after using it!

"Daddy-to-be" gets the job done. First the portacot construction....

....then a well-earned rest!

Visiting the great-grandparents in a very cool Biloela.

Step by Step: The Making of a Delicious Thai Banquet

2010-07-24T12:46:00.001+10:00

One of the great things we did on our little holiday was go to a Thai cooking class. Lots of fun and we learned lots of new things and then had the delight of eating our 4 wonderful curry creations. Below you'll see some of the process required to prepare and present our delish dishes, starring Masterchef JVI!

A most attentive student!

Kirsty learns a new skill....peeling and deveining prawns in one deft move!

Adding to the mortar and pestle cacophony...noisy stuff!

Hmmmmmm Mmmmmm...red curry paste smells great!

So it should...it took a while to make:)

More hands-on work by the aspiring Masterchef.

Bubble bubble toil & trouble! But what a delicious aroma!

Plating up....

One of our favourite dishes...Steamed Red Curry of Prawns, Fish & Pumpkin...

on a bed of basil. So delicious!

Jon's ready to eat. We do have a picture of Kirsty digging in...but it's not fit for viewing!

Needless to say, the end result of our labour's was worth it. Such a yummy lunch.

And plenty of inspiration to have a go at home.

Ahhh.....the Simple Things....

2010-07-06T10:01:00.005+10:00

Here's some of the simple pleasures in life we have been enjoying of late.....
warm, sunny winter days
ebay bargains
planning holidays
finishing work units for school....slowly
getting home before it's dark
visits with family n friends
super specials from the op shop
celebrating Jon's 5 years at QAL
State of Origin parties
clothesline full of baby clothes
steady rain on the tin roof
baking
hosting a surprise 30th B'day party
lap walking in the pool
movie nights
watching soccer replays...or at least the bits where they score
getting flowers from my husband
filling the calendar with weddings and other celebrations
sleep ins
watching baby JAK grow...almost before our very eyes
anticipating JAK's arrival...Week 31 has started:)

BIG weeks

2010-06-15T08:30:00.005+10:00

And no....not just because JAK is growing at an astronomical rate...as is my desire for food:)

It has been a HUGE last fortnight and lots of fun along the way.

Two Saturdays ago I assisted my Yr 8 class in hosting an awareness and fundraiser for Destiny Rescue - an organisation that works to prevent, rescue and rehabilitate children in the sex trade. Did you know that every 26 seconds a child is groomed for this horrendous industry....making over 2 million a year? Shocking! So we decided to do something about it. It was a great morning and we had lots of people walk through the doors and purchase jewellery hand-made by rescued girls, donated jumble items and make donations. So excited to say that we sold nearly $1400 worth of jewellery and received over $1000 in donations! How wonderful to work with an enthusiastic and committed bunch of teenagers to achieve such a goal!

We have had family visiting too. Megan, Brad and Andie came north for Megan to be involved in the DR jewellery sale. She spoke as an advocate of DR telling how it all started and what exciting new things are happening. It was great to see pics of their recent trip to the US...seems like they saw and did it all in the 4 weeks they were away.

Mum and Dad Litzow also came for 3 nights and were a great help in the garden! Now it's their turn to go OS with a departure date in early July for the UK and Europe.

We continued to have a full house all last week as we hosted 3 dancers from YWAM - Peita (Aussie), Colleen (Canadian) & Jess (German). They were in town as part of the Mercy ship tour to PNG. Worth checking out what these great young people are doing to help not only families in PNG, but also, Aussie teens. Wonderfully simple ways you can help too....see www.ywamships.org We liked the idea of the birthing kits and bought a few. I'd like to know that when I am having a baby in the comfort of a clean hospital in September, there are women in PNG who might be having a safer and slightly more comfortable birth because of us. And all it took was a couple to dollars to purchase the kit.

I also had the craziness of marking and report writing last week, but with that big hurdle cleared, my days are looking a little saner:) Jon's work days continue to be very demanding as he and a team work towards completing a major efficiency project at QAL. At least we get the thrill of watching another QLD State of origin victory tomorrow night to break the week:)

The Photos to Prove It....

Jon gets in some baby practice...he's a natural!

The crowds at the Destiny Rescue J n J Sale.

To all who came and supported us....

Great family time....

Visiting the YWAM ship with Mum n Dad...

Our 'girls'....

THANKS for more great memories one and all!

Weekend Wonder Moments

2010-05-31T17:32:00.004+10:00

Kirsty and JAK journeyed south last weekend to visit family...in particular newest Litzow family member...Sebastian. Thanks to the tilt train, it was a quick and smooth trip to Cooroy and thanks to Mum and Dad it was 2 days of wonderful catching up time with family. So lovely to see everyone...even via Skype and soul refreshing to spend time with family. Thanks all for your fantastic hospitality.

Here's a few of the wonderful moments captured on film....

Dad and grand-dog Jessie cruise the lake. Jess now climbs aboard herself and despite the backward traveling and constant shaking, she assures me she has a great time on the paddle board.

My first trip through the Clem Jones Tunnel. A great way to avoid city and valley traffic on a Saturday night.

The newest Litzow family...they are a happy bunch....a little frightening looking...but happy. Daddy - Nat...Mummy - Tati.....baby - Sebastian.

Aunty Kirsty is besotted.

Now you know why...how gorgeous is Seb? Or is that Bas?

Visiting the other end of the generations spectrum. Nan is turning 90 later this year and is in pretty fine form considering the number of kms on the clock:)

Yummy Mummy Taryn with #5...the sweet and cuddly Rohanna.

Anything Mum can do we can do too. Rohanna's big sisters and one of her big brothers with their babies.

And for those concerned that Jon was missing all the fun...don't be. He had a fun weekend working on his bike, socialising, eating yummy junk, watching movies and anticipating K n JAK's return:))

The Old and the New

2010-05-02T16:01:00.004+10:00

Or perhaps that should be the NEW and the OLD.

My newest little niece Rohanna Jordan was born a couple of weeks ago and it was wonderful to have a visit with her and her family 2 weekends ago. She is just lovely and it was fun to hold her and think about holding her little cousin-to-be like that in just 20 weeks.

Here's the oldies....nieces Erin, Andie and Brielle. Playing with cousins and eating chicken sandwiches on the floor on a rainy Saturday before going to see a musical...priceless!

The last outing with our trusty camper. The old girl is now enjoying her new home further out west. But as you can see, the new toy has been purchased and used...3 times already. Jon is enjoying his 'rocket ship' - a WR250 2-stroke Husqvarna. He is working towards getting it registered so we'll have 2 vehicles again.

And the final newie is actually an oldie. The camper is gone, the tray is gone and the tub is back on the Navara. Thanks to the Bilo boys who did a great job helping reattach and rebuild the Nav, especially our supervisor, Grand dad!

So with the old gone, it's time for new adventures.

Bring 'em on!

Here's the Newest Little Van I

2010-04-22T10:15:00.004+10:00

Baby JAK is only 20 weeks old this week and having a jolly old time inside his Mummy. S/He has been a great baby so far...hasn't made Mum sick once!

I have just started to feel JAK move...which makes this whole pregnancy thing so very real! I am certainly getting bigger and slower, but I know, 'you ain't seen nothing yet!' Seeing JAK in the ultrasound room was very exciting, so was the news that both baby and Mum are doing fine. Daddy's pretty fine too!

We have started playing 'the name game' and it's proving somewhat controversial! J doesn't like my names and so far, I haven't been a fan of the 1 one name he has suggested. Hmmm....lucky there's 4 months to go before JAK actually needs a proper name.

In other baby-related news....we have officially sold our Carry-Me-Camper! The money is in the bank, but not for long as J will spend part of the weekend looking at new toys..AKA motorbikes! The camper gets delivered to her new owners in the next couple of days and while I am a little sad to say goodbye, I will be saying a big 'hello' to having our style side back for the Navara. So now, back to tenting. Gotta get one though coz our last one got blown to pieces up at the top of the cape last September:)

Lately...

2010-04-06T16:50:00.005+10:00

Remodeling the footpath, family visits, Easterfest in Toowoomba and a

big bill from the mechanic.

Ahhhh! It's been a great couple of weeks.

A highlight of Easter - apart from remembering Jesus' amazing love

and sacrifice - was hanging out with friends in Toowoomba and getting

along to 3 days of fun at Easterfest. It was Jon's first go at EF and

being the sound buff he is, he had a ball. We discovered a few new

bands that hit the sweet spot and revisited some old favourites.

Newsboys still know how to rock!

Spent time with my family in Nanango on the way down and enjoyed a

mud crab lunch and wood fired pizza dinner. Why is food always such

a big part of family celebrations? Not sure, but I know I like it

like that:)

The remodeled footpath was simply Jon and his Dad going crazy with

the chainsaw and taking away one of our big trees. But I am happy,

despite losing some shade, because A. the rubbish truck can now

collect my bin and B. those stinky, sticky seed pods are gone! Maybe

it's a 'nesting' thing happening already, but there's a few other

round the house jobs I am eager to get done in the next couple of

months.

We had to get a new clutch put in our faithful Navara...hence the

bill. But with things looking up re: the sale of the camper, we

should clear that bill soon. And hopefully have money left over for

Jon to make his next toy purchase...a motorbike.

So the days are good and all's well here. Baby JAK was described as

'a happy camper' by the doc the other day, so that makes Mummy

and Daddy pretty happy too:)

Our niece Andie, a happy camper:)

The boys go to town with the chainsaw.

Jon rocks out at Easterfest....Yo! KJ-52!

Andie rocks out too!

Bye bye Easterfest...you were GREAT!!!

And we'll be back:))

The End is Nigh

2010-03-14T15:16:00.003+10:00

From Fraser to Freo....from Lake Eyre to Lawn Hill.....from Tassie to the Tip.

She's served us well!

Yes, we are selling our Carry Me Camper and I think there will be a few tears:(

So glad we have so many great memories of our travels and adventures last year...and wonderful photos too. As much as we'd love to keep it, our needs are changing and certainly a baby on the way means that we need space for 3, not just 2. And Jon wants a motorbike!

So if you know anyone who might be interested in a new addition to their camping gear, let us know. She's a little ripper!

5 Fun Days

2010-03-01T09:52:00.004+10:00

Green!

I so enjoyed my girl's midweek-end in Sydney last week. 'Wicked' (the musical) proved to be very green and very fun. Man! Those girls can sing! So can Megan!

Family & Friends!

Lovely to spend time with my sister and Mum. We did lots of walking, rode the ferry numerous times on beautiful Sydney Harbour and did the teeniest, tiniest bit of shopping. Back in Qld, and I had the opportunity to catch-up with great friends and see my brother play ultimate disc at the state hockey centre...in the rain! I will add that I am not thoroughly convinced the world of transport is thriving....3 plane flights - all delayed! 2 long bus rides - hour long delays! No wonder people drive!

Romance!

Caught the train home...an 8 hour trip (I am still rocking this morning!)....to be welcomed back by a loving, creative and generous husband. Life's sooooo good!

News!

And as a bonus, we just entered week 12 of being parents!

February

2010-02-11T09:11:00.004+10:00

Remembering the 'good old days'.

Yes, we are back in Gladstone and settling into life as we knew it...albeit a little differently to 12 months ago. For instance, due to all the rain and a flat tyre, Jon has been chauffeured to work most days rather than taking the bike. And Kirsty is now working 1.1 days a week, rather than 4. Suits her to a tee by the way!

There's a few new things on the horizon for us in the near future and a couple to come in the more distant future. Kirsty is having a mid-week girls' weekend in Sydney in a couple of weeks' time. Jon has gotten straight back into running club and making use of the Lifestyle Package from work....namely the free movies at the local cinemas.

So....post-travels, life goes on. Sure it's not quite as exciting as last year and we are doing far fewer kilometres and haven't used the camera in a l-o-n-g time, but we've been preparing for our return to reality for a while now and seem to be making the adjustments without too much culture shock!

Red Clawing with Grandfather

2010-01-18T12:32:00.005+10:00

We have had a good week and a bit in Biloela, Jon's hometown. Dad and Mum Van Itallie have offered wonderful hospitality, Katherine has taught Jon the intricacies of 'Band Hero' and Grandfather VI has taken us out on Callide Dam in search of the elusive red claw. Actually, they have proven to be not-so-elusive. We caught 202 in 5 days! Lots of fun on the water pulling in pots, dodging angry red claw scampering around in the bottom of the boat, rebaiting pots with all sorts of delicacies (they seem to favour passionfruit and Sunlight soap!!) and counting turtles. Then we go home and dehead and devein them...now that's fun! Oh yeah, then we get to cook them and eat them....the best bit! Thanks Grandfather for taking us out in your tinnie and thanks Grandma for cooking them all for us!

Callide Dam currently sits at about 6% capacity. Still a popular place to fish, red claw and ski.

Grandfather and Jon get the tinnie ready.

"Home, home on the range." It's a strange combination out here....sea birds and bovines.

Hooray! A catch!

Grandfather prepares to rebait the pots.

Kirsty acts as ballast at the front of the tinnie. She tended to favour the 5PM trips rather than the 6AM sessions!

Now that's a catch!

Lately....

2010-01-17T20:45:00.004+10:00

...we have been:

...beguiled by blowholes...

...basking on beautiful beaches.....

....wiped out by windsurfers....

....loving the lake....

Now we are back in Central Queensland spending some time with Jon's family in Biloela. We have made good use of the local swimming hole as days have been in their mid 30s and it has been fun spending time on the dam with Grandfather....you'll see pics soon.

The Delightful South

2009-12-09T17:51:00.004+10:00

I never thought this true-blue Queenslander would say this, but....

I like NSW...a lot!

We've been tripping around the coast of NSW for the past 2 weeks and as the pics show, there's been a lot to see and like and do. I wonder how many of these places you recognise.

N___________ Heads.

F_________ - T____________

N_____________

Friendly fellow campers at Canton Beach, near The Entrance.

Now the real fun begins.....

We had a blast during the 3 days of the Sydney Telstra 500...the final round of the V8 Supercar Championship for 2009. It was the first time it was held at Homebush in the almost dormant Olympic Park precinct. And it was a huge hit! Not just because the racing was amazing...which it was. But because of all the 'extras'....like.....

......the Showtime crew.....Yamaha freestyle motocross and the Hilux Heroes...

......being able to get 'up-close-and-personal' with the beasts....

.....access to the ute, mini and porshe pits (and all the big cute guys you find there)....

.....the crazy wonders you found round every corner (30 inch wheels on this baby!)....

.....evening concerts in ANZ Stadium. This was 60 000 or so for Cold Chisel. It went OFF!....

......panel interviews with the big names of the sport

(who do you recognise up there on stage?)....

....more posing with the beasts, including the famous 'Green Eyed Monster'.....

......being so close to the V8s you could almost touch them. That's Jamie Whincup on his victory lap after winning the championship for 09.....

....celebrating your team's victories and buying some cool merch.....

Certainly a highlight in the 'events' category of our trip. And we love that we were there for the first ever one at Homebush.

South of Sydney, the coastal beauty continues....

The Grand Pacific Drive......if you look real hard you'll see the 665m Sea Cliff Bridge.

W______________....hint! Home to Wayne Bennett.

Mystery Bay....awesome camping spot, despite the rainy night.

Beautiful place for a swim though.

The Whole Set!

2009-12-09T17:48:00.003+10:00

We did it!

Finally, after 10 months traveling and more than 40 000kms, we collected our final 'most' point. This time it was the eastern-most....Cape Byron, NSW.

We explored the lighthouse and the cape, posed for photos and then celebrated with a swim at Byron's Main Beach and a hot chips on fresh white bread lunch.

Hmmmmmm! Life continues to be....oh so good!

Cape Byron.....looking from the south.

The lighthouse and Jon...the most awesome driver in Australia in 09.

You did it Honey! Hip Hip!! Now he wants a new challenge....something about getting up to the highest point in Oz seeing as we have already been to the lowest.

That's the most eastern point on Australia's mainland in the background....right between our heads.

Main Beach, Byron Bay....full of schoolies and backpackers.

Happiest of Days

2009-11-24T12:43:00.005+10:00

We just had a fantastic weekend.......

Friday night was an unexpectedly late one. Dad was driving back to the lake with Nanna when the car broke down. So at 11pm Jon and I were called upon to undertake a rescue mission......drive south of Caloundra and extract the subjects from the roadhouse cafe. We successfully completed our mission, arriving back at the lake at 1am Saturday morning. My poor 88 year old Nan!

Saturday dawned too early and warm, but it was to be an exciting day as Nathan and Tatiana arrived, ready for their afternoon wedding. We enjoyed lunch on the deck with friends and family before the ceremony on the shores of the Noosa River by Sandy Cove. It was a great afternoon with family, which turned from a wedding into a dunk-a-thon. All the kids.....the little ones and most of the big ones....ended up in the river (some by choice and others thrown in) for a cooling swim.

The deck at the lake was the venue for dinner and the brothers-in-law manned the barbie, creating succulent morsels for the rest of us to devour.

Many CONGRATULATIONS to the happy couple!

Sunday started with waffles for breaky....on the deck. The fuel of champions, it charged us up, ready to play our first ultimate disc game. Jon, Dad and I got roped into the first round of the BUS (Beach Ultimate Series), organised by Nathan and played at Noosa. Great fun...with Jon proving to be the Ultimate Hero.....catching the disc in the end zone to win the game for the 'darks' 9-8! As fun as the game was, the recovery swim afterwards, was even better. And much needed....both to cool down and wash the sticky sand off.

We're both in recovery mode.....enjoying the breeze by the lake, minding the 'grand-dog' while M & D take a mini-break and packing up to get ready to head south.....again.

Loving Spring

2009-11-12T17:04:00.002+10:00

There's just something in the air....

*cough cough*.......

It's smoke!!!!!

Sadly, lovely Lake Cootharaba is covered in smoke today and we can't even see the other side of the lake....most unusual. It smells and is ugly, but we are still sailing and smiling.

Gotta love Mondays.......breaky on the deck (which merged into coffee and cake thanks to the great company and conversation)......a sail.....lunch on the deck.......a siesta........another sail.......a walk........dinner on the deck.

The pics below show some of the fun we've been having in the south-east in late spring.

Looking towards the old jetty and 'or beach' on a clear day at the lake.

Jon carves up the lake on the kneeboard.

And catches lunch!

Kirsty does her best to stay upright.

"Happy Birthday Gran!"

The results of Sally's fab art classes and my niece and nephew's creative streaks.

Still on The List

2009-10-20T11:22:00.007+10:00

If I made a list of my favourite places in Australia, Fraser Island would be so near the top. To me, it epitomises so much of what I love....sunshine, freedom, splendid scenery, beach living, 4 wheel driving, swimming, simple living, camping and adventure.

We've just spent 3 nights on the island with our parents...both sets!!...and Kirsty's sister, husband and 3 of our nieces and nephews. Perfect weather - sunshine and cooling breeze. Well-timed early afternoon low tides. 2 cars bogged....not the Nav (of course!) The worms were biting and the pippys were almost jumping into the bucket. Dolphins were playing in the south and sea eagles spread their majestic wings in the north. And the best bits - Lake McKenzie, Central Station, Eli Creek, Ocean Lake, the Maheno and all the beaches - were showing themselves off to full advantage.

Sadly, we couldn't get all the way up to Sandy Cape as they've closed a couple of tracks due to severe beach erosion, but there was still plenty to see and do to the south.

I absolutely love camping on the beachfront...despite the south easterly winds and sand blowing every which way....so it was great to have 2 nights camped on the dunes. And it was fun building sand cars and damming the creeks and playing tennis ball golf and all the other fun bits that go along with camping with kids.

Thanks everyone for a great time....and cheers! to the Tenacious Terracan, the Dominating Defender and the Courageous Colorado. You gave the Mighty Navara good competition but just weren't quite up to the mark. Maybe next time!

We've Done It!

2009-10-10T10:00:00.010+10:00

In one sense I guess you could say our round Australia adventure is over. We have completed the lap, arriving in Biloela where it all began way back in February. BUT we are NOT done yet!

Grandma is shocked? dismayed? bamboozled? by Jon's post-lap analysis. Grandfather thinks it's a great story.

Not quite the finished product as we plan to keep on driving. But if you look really closely you can see where the mighty Navara has taken us since February....south, west, north, south, west, north, east, north, south.....all over really! 37 000+ km.

And the best bits.....definitely July-September which was spent across the top of WA, NT and QLD hitting all the 4WD 'Big Ticket' items like: The Kimberleys, Gulf, Cape York. Tassie and the Victorian High Country still rate a mention in the 'best bits' list.

We get to go back to Fraser Island next week.....wonder where it will rate?

Blackdown Tableland

2009-10-05T10:42:00.002+10:00

Once again we have found a little piece of magic....right in our own backyard. Just a few hours north-west of Gladstone is Blackdown Tableland NP where you can: 4WD the loop track; bushwalk amongst wattles, palms and eucalypts; swim in a clear cold pool at the base of a waterfall; sit back, relax and watch the birds and butterflies; camp amongst the big trees in the well set out NP campground and soak up breathtaking views from the escarpment lookouts. God's creation is awesome! And we had a great couple of days checking it out and enjoying it last week.

Travelin' South

2009-10-05T10:39:00.004+10:00

Since leaving the awesome Cape York Peninsula, we have ventured south....way south. Here's a few of the sights and delights we have enjoyed over the past 2000 km.

Big Crystal Creek swimming hole is about 1/2 an hour north of Townsville. It offered a welcome cool down on a hot day and despite the dust haze and a nearby bushfire billowing smoke, we had a great dip and picnic lunch here.

Jon's new best friends. Actually there were four cute kookaburras who swooped in and stole half of his sandwich straight out of his hand near Finch Hatton Gorge (an hour from Mackay). As you can probably guess, Kirsty was the only one who thought they were cute.

We really liked the two swimming holes in the gorge, especially Wheel of Fire at the end of the walking track. But this place does rate as 'winner' for having the coldest water we have swum in during the whole of our trip. FREEZING! It was fun to sit on the warm rocks after our quick plunge and watch everyone else's face as they either tentatively dipped their toe in the water or unsuspectingly, dove straight in...only to surface spluttering and sprinting back to the edge to make a quick exit.

Eungella National Park.....home of the elusive platypus. Sadly, they were so elusive you'll just have to enjoy these little critters instead. Plenty of turtles, lizards, birds and goannas....but NOT even a ripple in the platypus pond. Which has done absolutely nothing to help me in my quest to prove to Jon that Ornithorincus anatinus are not just a figment of peoples' imaginations.....they DO exist. Really!

That dust haze was becoming a real bore after 5 days traveling in it. But this view down through the Pioneer Valley from the campground at the top of the Eungella range was still pretty special. For an even better one make sure you check out www.eungella.com.au You'll even find a platypus pic there too.

You just gotta love Queensland!

How'd ya be?

2009-10-04T19:20:00.003+10:00

Isn't it ironic?

We have travelled 36 000 km+ on all sorts of road surfaces.......dirt, sand, gibber rock, gravel, bitumen....

We have passed thousands of vehicles (and had a handful pass us)....road trains, camper vans, 4WDs, family sedans, motorbikes.....

And some of those vehicles have thrown rocks our way.

BUT it wasn't until we took a drive through Mossman, north of Cairns, on a quiet afternoon in a 50 km zone that we copped a big chip in the windscreen that has now become........

A Ridiculous amount of Fun.

2009-09-27T19:24:00.009+10:00

I must say that for anyone who owns a 4wd in QLD, the Cape trip is like a rite of passage into 4wd manhood. Apart from the challenge of machine against nature, if you come out the other end with a vehicle that is still drivable, you are guaranteed to have had the most fun you could have ever dreamed of.

After hanging out at the top of australia for a while we headed south and checked out the mouth of the Jardine River. As you can see below it was a little soft and eventually we stopped going forwards. Fear not, the max tracks came down from the roof rack and we were going again in no time.

I have realised that a long wheel base with limited articulation and a heavy load results in lots of 3 wheel action. The poor navara was consistantly negotiating creek entries & exits on 3 wheels. Kirsty wasn't too sure about that but I was loving it.

Under advice from many different travellers and locals that spoke of the 19 drowned engines this season, terrifying stories of water logged interiors and many tears that followed as people tried to cross the northern creeks, we bypassed the deep crossings heading north. But after we had crossed the ferry over the Jardine heading south we had a meeting and decided to do what everyone, including what our guide book suggested not to do, and that was hit the OTT heading south. This turned out to be the best decision we made all year.

Nolans crossing was our first victim, and after walking it and finding the holes we put on the tarp and away we went. There were still echoes of the screams of anguish from the day before when a cruiser drove straight in without looking and got stuck in the hole. The water level rose inside the car until he eventually got it snatched out in reverse only to run into the bank and add some panel damage to the bruised ego and soggy carpet. Both our cars got through without drama.

It's a horrible sound as the exhaust burbles under water and this distinctive swamp aroma drifts in through the vents, but a great adrenaline rush.

Next we hit Logans crossing which was a little deeper again and much wider but again we fitted the tarps and carefully made our way through. The Hyundai definitely got a lot of second looks to make sure they really were seeing what they thought they had seen.

The log bridge over cypress creek really is a buzz. Getting bogged is something you can handle. Having a bridge collapse under you is a horrible thought, fortunately it held together for us.

Cannibal creek put us to the test. Narrow entry into a deep but narrow crossing with a tight turn into a steep slippery exit. Both of us took a few goes to get up and the max tracks came out again to give that extra bit of traction as the front left wheel came off the ground.

Go the nav.... We timed this well as two troopies towing trailers had just spent 1.5 hrs winching themselves up this bank before we arrived.

The final test was coming out of Palm creek. We could smell the ice creams at Bramwell junction only 3km down the track but the nav just couldn't get traction up the steep ledge, even with the max tracks. So out came the winch and up we went. Victory was ours.....

If you had diff locks, you would most likely claw your way up this crossing, but I just couldn't find the button to engage them.... The winch worked well.

For dad this crossing was where he stamped his authority... unfortunately for me and the nav. With max tracks in just the right places he had his first attempt as we all watched and with opposite wheels off the ground he stopped in the same place I did. We all took a photo and turned to get the winch setup. Only a few moments later I spun around as I heard the Terracan revving to see it launched off the ledge come crashing down on the side steps as it bottomed out and then bounced up the bank. Needless to say dad had a smile from ear to ear and a chest bigger than Arnold Schwarzenegger as he jumped out of the car triumphantly. Mum was horrified by the crunching sounds that came from the car. But needless to say, and I quote "dear it was worth it to beat Jonno..... and the side steps are only a little bit bent". So the Hyundai conquered the OTT North and South.

The OTT....on the way up!

2009-09-26T18:59:00.003+10:00

We're back from our 2009 Cape York Adventure and still smiling.

Had an absolute ball and can't wait to try it again.....soon.

As you'll see, lots of challenging 4 wheel driving which had the boys debating and discussing and reliving all the best bits late into the night. As per usual, the photos just don't do any of this amazing trip justice....nor do words for that matter. But they help us relive a brilliant couple of weeks and hopefully give you a taste of what's up there in the north, waiting for you to explore and experience.

As to the big question....would the Terracan survive??? You'll have to wait for the next post...."The OTT......on the way down!"

BTW, a big shout out to our Carry-Me-Camper buddy: Wayn'o from Weipa. We passed Wayn'o on the bypass track at Gunshot. The brave lad had given it a red hot go, but sadly on that day, no go. Funniest thing....he knew us! He's been following our blog! Small world! Thanks for your feedback Wayn'o. You're a legend!

And now....the proof is in the pics...................

Preparing the first crossing...Palm Ck. If you can survive this one, you can do 'em all. Maybe?

The Nav takes on crossing one. That drop is much steeper than it looks and the fine white dirt on top takes away your traction, so be prepared to s-l-i-d-e.

The Nav's through....now the Terracan has a go. Phew! Made it! We're off to a ripper start on the OTT.

The first wet creek crossing....Ducie Ck. One of the easiest and dirtiest. No swimming here.

Jon makes it through Gunshot.....not in the Navara though. We decided to give the poor girl a day off, after all, we still have a few months of traveling left to go.

The entry to Cockatoo Creek.....which is followed by dodging the holes in the creek bed....then avoiding the ruts and the rocks on the exit bank. Great fun!

The reward for surviving the southern section of the OTT......2 amazing days at Eliot and Twin Falls. Fantastic swimming.

How lucky are we? We had delightful Fruit Bat Falls to ourselves for the afternoon.

The exit out of Canal Creek was pretty soft and sloppy. 3 attempts on this slope and we got through. Meanwhile, Dad had crossed further east in the Terracan and couldn't make it up the bank. So, he had to reverse back into the creek, do a 12 point turn and cross back onto the south side, before trying a different route.

Crossing the Jardine River by ferry is more expensive, but it's safer! Funniest moment: the guy who sells you your ticket asks what make of car you have. Dad told him a Hyundai Terracan and he just looked blank. Never heard of it! We wonder if we just made history....The first Hyundai to the Tip!

Made it! What a great feeling! I want to do it again....and again....and......

Jon's pretty happy we made it to the Tip too!

It's God's own country up here.

In the Beginning

2009-09-25T20:33:00.003+10:00

As promised, here's a couple of photos of the first few days of our trip north from Cairns.

The Crew - Nathan, Dad, Mum (Litzow), JVI & KJVI : Rex's Lookout on the Captain Cook Highway between Cairns and Port Douglas.

Beautiful Mossman Gorge....a great place to cool off.

Noah Beach in the Daintree Rainforest.

On the way to Cooktown. The Lions Den Hotel was established in the 1800s to serve travellers and then tin miners living and working up north.

Jon's BIG catch (he he!)

Delicious dinner with great friends in Cooktown.

The Trek - the first few days

2009-09-18T10:55:00.005+10:00

Lakefield National Park would be beautiful in the early dry. For us, in the late dry, it was a place to breeze through fairly quickly. But historic homesteads, loaded mango trees and lagoons teeming with bird life, as well as the European tourist crashing his motorbike in the bulldust pit right in front of us, made for an entertaining day of driving.

Up through Coen and out to Chili Beach in Iron Range NP we drove. CB has to be one place most people would consider 'paradise' to look at. White sandy bay lined with coconut trees, clear water lapping oyster-laden rocks….very nice! But who knew paradise could be so windy??? Mum and Dad had to do a 2.30am shift of their tent just to get a break from the constantly flapping fly. But we really enjoyed the 2-day break out there on the east coast.

Next it was a 5 hour drive across the state to the other side…Weipa in the west. We arrived to smoke-filled skies and a really hot Sunday afternoon. But there was a pool….ahhh! Relief! A one night stay in town was followed by Maureen’s wonderful town and mine tour. We got to see the bauxite mining process ‘up close’ and see where the raw material that Jon works with in Gladstone every day comes from.

Back on the Peninsula Development Road and with the Old Telegraph Track firmly in our sights, we could feel the excitement building. The real adventure was about to begin. The dream was about to become a reality. And the question we had asked as we left Cooktown was about to be answered.....

Old Laura Station in the middle of Lakefield NP. Looks mighty dry now, but lots of green mangoes on the trees.

Kalpowar Crossing in Lakefield NP. The brave fishermen took on the barra and crocs....

and lost.

Day 2 and the UHF antennae is stuffed. Oopps. The rot that started in Kakadu has truly set in. Fortunately we were still able to be in contact with our 4WD buddies 'TC2'....that'd be the 2 in the Terracan.

The boys get into the oysters at Chili Beach in Iron Range NP on the east coast opposite Weipa.

Chili Beach....windy but beautiful.

Strange critters in the NP up this way:))

Our campsite in Weipa.

Bauxite mining near Weipa.

A memorable day in Weipa....Nathan calls to tell us he is getting married to Tatiana.

Let the (Fun &) Games Begin!

2009-09-18T10:41:00.005+10:00

As Mum and Dad Van Itallie departed, Mum and Dad Litzow arrived….with (Kirsty’s brother) Nathan in tow. With the full team now assembled, our Cape trip was ready to begin.

We enjoyed the winding roads through the Daintree rainforest as they took us into a new Top 5 campsite….Noah Beach (just south of Cape Tribulation). Nestled under a rainforest canopy and only metres from the white sand and azure waters of the ocean, this was a perfect base for a bit of Fathers’ Day exploring in the area. We even found a nice, croc-free swimming hole to enjoy.

The Bloomfield Track has to be one of Australia’s top drives for those lucky enough to own a 4WD. It winds its way through rainforest on the edge of the east coast, offering stunning views out over the reef and ocean. Creek crossings, an ice-cream stop at the famous Lion’s Den pub and a waterfall swim in a ‘local secret’ were some of the highlights as we made it to Cooktown.

We had a great 2-night stay with ex-Gladstone friends David and Emily. Jon caught his first fish of the trip….so what if it was a tiny herring to be used for bait! Cooktown has a very colourful history and it was great to stand in places where Captain Cook had stood over 200 years before us and enjoy a lovely dinner over the water at D & E’s favourite restaurant ‘Cook’s Landing’.

We farewelled Nathan before hitting the road for Cape York….just the Terracan and the Navara, and the question: “Will we make it to the tip of the top in one piece?” (Actually the Navara drivers thought no such thing, but they did wonder how the Hyundai would go.)

PS...Taking too long to load photos with only 2 bars of service, so you'll have to check back in a week or so to see them....sorry:(

Surprise!!

2009-09-18T10:32:00.003+10:00

The mobile phone rang just an hour after we’d set up for our week-long stay at Ellis Beach – north of Cairns. Mum Van I was on the line and asked if we’d like to join her and Dad for dinner. What in the world?? Turns out she and Dad had just flown into Cairns and were headed our way for a 3-night stay in a unit at Ellis Beach. What a treat! We had 3 lovely days and nights of catching up with family, enjoying the beach, swimming in the pool and sampling some of the fine food on offer at Palm Cove. Thanks guys for our birthday dinner and the memories of our Ellis Beach surprise.

Looking north up Ellis Beach.

Enjoying our pool for the week.

Full moon rising over Double Island.

Mum and Dad Van Itallie drop in for a visit.

A Little Gem

2009-09-04T10:12:00.005+10:00

Halfway between Cardwell and Tully and just 20kms off the Bruce Highway we discovered Murray Falls National Park. Tropical rainforest, cascading waterfall, invigoratingly fresh water...perfect! And a bargain at $5/person/night. We hiked, swam and relaxed...oh and ate Jon's delicious pancakes for dinner. So the question I asked in NT as we swam in crystal clear freshwater rivers and rockpools: "Do we have anything like this in QLD?" has been answered: "YES WE DO!"

Gotta Love This Life

2009-09-03T16:20:00.004+10:00

In Mount Isa today but ummmm....which way should we go next??? The original plan was Normanton, then Cooktown, finally Townsville.

Mount Isa Mines stand just on the edge of downtown Isa. Funniest thing. At least we had the winds blowing the right way for our visit....no foul mine odours heading our way.

Richmond waterpark...no I didn't just push the button and watch it run. I jumped in ,clothes and all, closely followed by my brave husband.

Lunch on The Strand in Townsville with Jim and Marie. Thanks guys!

Taking in the action at Dairy Farmers' Stadium in the 'do or die game' for the Cowboys.

Sadly, they died.

Sitting in Mc Donald's on Wednesday morning in Mount Isa, I was reading the Courier Mail. And discovered that the Broncos were to play the Cowboys in Townsville on Friday night. 'Let's go!' says my ever-spontaneous husband. Half an hour later, we'd booked internet tickets using Maccas free Wi-Fi and hit the road for the 900km journey to the game. We travelled the Flinders Highway through all sorts of exciting towns....Cloncurry, Richmond, Julia Creek, Hughenden, Charters Towers and discovered a few more of the delights Australia has to offer. Bomb bunkers aplenty in CT, muttaburrasaurases in H, artesian spa in JC and a fun little waterpark in dry old Richmond of all places. The road itself was pretty flat and boring but the many l-o-n-g (and wobbly) road trains and plenty of big road kill certainly added some interest to the trip. Our arrival in Townsville on Friday was to a wonderful lunch and some sightseeing with Jim and Marie....the owners of the company Jon worked for for 8 yrs in Gladstone. They were headed to the game that night too. Small world! For the record, the Broncos won.....which sadly, ended the Cowboys season for 2009. Better luck next year boys!

Lovely Lawn Hill

2009-09-03T15:39:00.003+10:00

I said in an email last week that anyone who has ever told me Lawn Hill National Park - north of Mount Isa - was beautiful, was so right. We had a lovely couple of days camping in the national park and canoeing the middle and upper gorges, swimming and bushwalking. And we weren't alone. A swarm of grasshoppers...in their millions....maybe their billions....or even gazillions....gate-crashed our visit. As did 2 VERY hot days...thank goodness for the cool water in Lawn Hill Creek.

Jon swims with new friend Richard in LH Creek. No sign of 'Whitelip'...

....the menacing, enormous catfish.

Lawn Hill's famous palms look a little worse for wear. The grasshoppers' favourite treat seemed to be the tips of the palms leaves.

Undarri Falls divides the middle and upper gorges. You carry your canoe about 50 metres up and around the falls to explore the upper gorge.

View from our swimming spot up to the middle gorge at 8am one morning.

Ahhhhhh...lovely!

I'm hoping that if you click on this photo and enlarge it you'll have some idea of how

prolific the grasshoppers were.

Across the Savannah Way

2009-09-03T15:18:00.004+10:00

From Broome to Cairns the Savannah Way stretches across northern Australia for 3501 km. A mixture of road surfaces...gravel, bitumen, bull dust, gibber rock and everything in between make it one of 'Australia's great adventure drives' and it proved to be a little bit that way for the now experienced 4WDers from Gladstone, QLD. With the masterful driver, Jon, behind the wheel and the always-improving navigator, Kirsty, in the passenger seat, the Van Itallies drove and drove and drove...and had a lot of fun while making the haul from Mataranka NT to Domadgee (QLD) before taking a detour down to Lawn Hill NP. Places like Roper Bar, Borroloola, Southern Lost City, Butterfly Springs and Hell's Gate were visited as we clocked up a few more kilometres exploring wonderful Oz.

Creek and river crossings a plenty....although as the dry season comes to an end, there wasn't always water to navigate. But every one did have a 'do not swim' sign. This is definitely croc country.

And huge roo country. This fella stood defiantly on the road for a time before bounding off into the scrub. You probably can't tell by the pic, but he was a BIG boy....we actually thought he was a car then a cow before we got close enough to see him properly.

Great communication out here.

Sometimes when you're camping, you just have to improvise. The ground was so hard and rocky here we couldn't drive the tent peg in, so we found this truck diff-housing that someone had 'lost' along the way and used it.

The Way.

See.....

2009-08-26T08:35:00.005+10:00

Mindil Beach markets in Darwin....Jon struts his stuff. Mick was impressed....so was I.

Sunset in Kakadu.....15 minutes after it, you get carried away by wetland mozzies.

Ooppps. Turn your head (or computer) on it's side and then you'll get the idea. A little croc in the Adelaide River.

The obligatory shot of the happy couple...at Yellow Water, Kakadu.

One of the many Aboriginal artworks we have seen....the weird little guy on the right is Lightning Man.

Days in the sun

2009-08-17T18:02:00.005+10:00

And the kilometres just keep clicking over....

Darwin was great...hot and sandfly ridden...but it was terrific to catch up with a Gladstone friend working for YWAM and get to the beach markets and opening concert of the Darwin Festival. Troy Casser-Daly puts on a good show:)

Kakadu had a flying visit from us....just 2 nights. But it was good to go see what all the fuss is about and I can appreciate the World Heritage listing. We saw aboriginal rock art, billabongs, birds and a few crocs, along with LOTS of tourists. Also, a little travel tip...NEVER camp at Merl. I nearly didn't live to tell the story. No not crocs attacking.....but swarms of ferocious, carnivorous, ravenous mosquitoes!

Now....Jon's currently firmly wedged under the Navara investigating a mysterious 'clunk' while I got to go shopping in Katherine....needed to buy an anniversary gift for Mr Wonderful. It's 2 yrs tomorrow:)

Tomorrow...as long as the car gets sorted - again - we'll head to Mataranka and then tackle the second half of the Savannah Way across the Gulf. We aim to be in Cairns by the end of the month, relaxing on a beach somewhere and getting ourselves psyched for the Great Cape Adventure with my folks.

Since WA

2009-08-10T21:31:00.005+10:00

Keep River NP...one of the NT's best kept secrets

Can you spot Jon at Edith Falls?

They build jolly big termite mounds in Litchfield NP.

'Crazies' at Florence Falls.

Buley Rockhole lovers.

Yes...we are back in the Northern Territory and can't get over the late sunsets, the heat and the flies. Very different from WA.

But the scenery is lovely and the swimming has been great! Haven't seen a croc....yet! But we are off to Kakadu later this week so I am sure my 'croc counter' will be working over-time.

Since crossing the border we have visited:

Keep River NP - a mini Bungle Bungles

Katherine - home to the very popular hot springs

Nitmiluk (Katherine Gorge) - sheer rock faces and a wide, cold river

Edith Falls - the full moon rising over the escarpment was truly beautiful

Douglas Hot Springs - left foot hot, right foot cold

Litchfield National Park - I'll never forget Sandy Creek Falls or Buleys Rockholes

Now we're in Darwin and readjusting to traffic lights, shops and the worst sandflies since Broome.

Having a ball....as we have been for almost 6 months now!

Ahhhhhhhhh!

2009-08-10T21:24:00.005+10:00

The day was HOT....the air was, the ground was, my body was. And there were flies everywhere. Thick and fast they landed on any exposed flesh as soon as you emerged from the safe cocoon of the car. A few biting march flies joined the less vicious varieties and made life just that bit more uncomfortable. Smoke filled the air to the south. A late dry season burn-off made sure that the blue skies were hidden, at least in one direction. And the road was rough...a true 4WD track which even made us have a 2nd attempt on one of the exits from a creek crossing.

We arrived at the carpark of Sandy Creek Falls in Litchfield National Park (120kms from Darwin) and I was a little disappointed to see that it was still another half hour walk into the falls. Did I really want to take that hike...what with all the flies, the heat and the fact that it was 12 midday?

Yes...I did, because the ranger's sign promised it would be worth it.

So 1.7kms and 24.03 minutes later.....

PARADISE FOUND!

You can't conquer the Kimberley's

2009-07-31T23:04:00.003+10:00

Jon Says: The Gibb River Road and Kimberley country are not something that you can conquer. It is not a challenge that you can claim as a victory when you exit the other end. This country decides if she wants to let you pass through unscaved or not. It is country that you have to treat with respect. It is beautiful and inspiring and breath taking and every thing that you could hope for but it can knock you down any time she wishes.

We escaped relatively un harmed this time with no flat tyres and no shockie damage. We did have to replace a set of bushes in the rear springs in Kununarra but this was the worst of it. Each day I would check over the car fairly thoroughly and every 3^rd day or so I would find something else that had rattled loose and needed attention to prevent it becoming a disaster. A few stories of the adventures people we spoke to had, 3 punctures in one day, 4 punctures over 3 days, 3 shock’s gone on the car and one on the trailer then waiting over a week for parts to be flown in, broken wheel stud, snapped torsion bar, broken roof racks, cracked chassis, shockies on every 3^rd or 4^th car that travelled the Mitchel Plateau, damaged rims and it goes on and on. There have also been 30 car roll overs this dry season already.

I have a new worst road travelled this year. The 78km into the Mitchel falls now has this trophy and took 3.25 hrs to negotiate having the worst corrugations I have ever seen. We have a new dearest fuel price too at 195.9 cents/litre for diesel.

But as much as I could try to describe how amazing this country is I would fall short so all I will say is God is very clever. If you ever get the opportunity to explore this land, DO IT….. Prepare your car properly and allow enough time that you can drive steady, don’t expect to spend much time over 60 km/hr.

First time in a helicopter for both of us. It was sooooo cooool. No doors. We flew over the Mitchel falls and got to see them from the air. Great fun.
The aboriginal art was very good on the Mitchel Plateau and lots of it. Very different to the pantings I've seen on the east coast which are more like hand prints and boomerangs.
Looking over the Pentecost River to the Cockburn Ranges, the colours on sunset were incredibly vibrant. We saw our first salt water croc in this river. We took the torch down at night and shone it from the banks to see red eyes looking back at us. This made Kirsty grateful she was sleeping in a rooftop tent.
No wonder some of the roads are such poor condition....
Where's your phone mate?.... Well it's in the fringe cobber!.... Of course it is.... Calling home to say that we won't be off the Gibb Rd when planned, we are taking longer to soak it up.

The Kimberleys

2009-07-30T21:25:00.009+10:00

Kirsty says:

WOW!

I would totally understate the magnificence and grandeur of the Kimberleys if I tried to describe this place to you. No words can really do this amazingly beautiful part of Australia justice. But then again, our photos are also just a second rate reflection of how great our 16 days on and around the Gibb River Road were. But I am going with that option....a collection of snaps that show just some of the highlights of this remote and wonderful part of God's creation. The best bit for me is the kaleidoscope of terrific memories Jon and I get to take away from our 2 week adventure through this land of rugged beauty and mystique.

Some places we enjoyed....Windjana Gorge, Tunnel Creek, Lennards Gorge, Charnley River Station, Mornington Wilderness Sanctuary (Dimond Gorge especially), Adcock Gorge, Galvans Gorge, Manning Gorge, Drysdale Station, King Edward River, Mitchell Falls, Ellenbrae Station, Home Valley Station (Pentecost River & Cockburn Ranges) and all the beautiful gorges, rivers, falls and waterholes in between.

Horizontal Waterfalls

2009-07-12T22:39:00.007+10:00

Jon says: - Let me take you along with 35 people looking for the thrill ride of their lives …..

Imagine the most beautiful water littered with 1000 islands standing strong yet humble against 1000’s of years of constant hammering from the elements. Think of 100 different shades of red, these are the colours that paint the battered landscape and cliffs you will see today. Scattered amongst the rugged cliff faces are secluded beaches that call your name like a long lost friend. You are now on the coastline of the amazing Kimberleys.

8m of tidal change and for the most part the surface is calm but underneath the current roars at up to 25km/hr trying to move in and out around these islands. Then imagine a gap between two immovable cliff faces no more than 30m wide with the mighty ocean trying to pry them apart with close to 1000 l/sec roaring through that small passage. Now you are at the Horizontal Waterfalls.

Picture this, 9 tonne of “state of the art” motor vessel constructed with one goal in mind…. 4 x 350hp V8 Yamaha outboards bolted on the back and a skipper that learnt to drive in the armed forces evading enemy fire. With a lazy cruising speed of 32kts (60km/h), she drinks 212 l/hr of fuel turning over at 4200rpm. We are onboard the MV Attitude which is so new that the paint is barely dry.

We approach the waterfalls with respect and awe, marvelling at the speed and volume of water flowing into the bay behind this narrow gap. The water level drops more than 1m into the bay as the tide rises faster than the water can force its way in. Then as the boat turns to face the falls the 4 engines roar like a lion into battle as the throttle hits the stops and 1400hp is unleashed. We surge ahead and the speed quickly hits 40kts (74km/h) as we leap into the falls, we bounce, we are forced sideways by the immense turbulence, there are screams of excitement, we drop suddenly and then we are ejected out the other side, what an amazing rush. We are now hurtling into the bay at 47kts (85km/h) when the skipper turns hard into full lock and the boat leans onto its side. Port side can touch the water while starboard side is requesting permission to enter Qantas’ flight path. The hull is clawing for traction as we buck and skip across the surface sideways while the topside engine fights with the rev limiter as the prop surges in and out of the water. The three driving engines spin us around 180 degrees in the blink of an eye as we launch back into the falls. This time we jump up the falls overpowering both gravity and the turbulent wall of water, more screaming, the boat bucks as we come back down, skips sideways, shudders, the engines roar un-relentlessly as we explode back out of the falls triumphantly…..

The crew have this mischievous grin like a teenager that has just taken their dads Ferrari for a joy ride and gotten away with it as they realise they have the best job on the planet. The passengers cheer and clap with great approval as they acknowledge they have just had the thrill ride of their lives.

The remaining day trip to and from the horizontal waterfalls took us through the beautiful Bucaneer Archipelago where we got to swim and relax on beaches, one with sand whiter than white haven bay in the whitsundays, weave in and out of islands that range from rocky outcrops from the water to cliff faced giants to tree topped beauties and even past working iron ore mines. We saw dolphins but no whales this trip. As we turned for home the soft afternoon sun brought the colours to life as we passed by the many islands back to our camp at Cape Leveque. What an amazing day to remember.

Kirsty says: - Jon can write all the posts from now....

One of the many secluded beaches we saw on our trip. Some were surrounded by rock like this one, others by plants.
Silica Beach on Hidden Island - whitest, softest, finest sand I have ever seen. Allan Bonds failed resort of the 1980's used to bring guests here for a champaign breakfast. We had chocolate cake & a swim......
The Horizontal Waterfalls. There are 2 passages like this, the 2nd is only 13m wide and too dangerous to drive through. You can see the level drop off on the right hand side of the pic. Hard to see but it drops over one meter.
MV Attitude. Count them, 4 - 350hp outboards. Makes you drool just thinking about it. The boat is worth a cool $770k and made in Brisbane by Woody marine.

Whirlpool passage. The surface looks like rapids over a rocky river bed, but this is just from the huge tidal movements - no rocks in sight. Its a place of extremes, the Kimberley....

Broome Broome

2009-07-09T10:30:00.004+10:00

Such a fascinating place! And relaxing....ahhh! Really is a great holiday destination, especially in winter. We have been here 3 days and enjoyed every minute. Some of our mini-adventures in Broome include....watching the sunset and the full moon rise over the water; swimming at Cable Beach; going to church; tours of a pearl farm and 'Pearl Luggers'; shopping; lunching in a restaurant overlooking the ocean; wandering through beachside markets. Really feels like we are on holidays.

Cable Beach on the Indian Ocean - the tide changes here are phenomenal....100 metres plus of beach is covered or exposed, depending on the tide. The water is crystal clear and a cool 22 degrees. And we even body surfed a couple of waves at highish tide.

A pearl oyster....so ugly yet what they can produce....WOW! Of course there's the pearl...either a cultured or a Keshi, but Kirsty even tried pearl meat...which goes for $400+ a kilo in Asia. This is the average size of the pearl oyster grown at Willie Creek Pearl Farm, north of Broome. In the creek, it filters 150 litres of water each hour thanks to tides rushing in and out at 25kms/hr.

Hard Helmet diving for pearls took place in Broome for 100 years, right up until 1974. Originally, local Aborigines dived without any gear, but as the areas along the coast were fished out and divers had to go deeper for the oysters, new ways of surviving the dive were needed. Still, over 900 Japanese divers are buried in the town cemetery. Most died excruciating deaths from 'the bends.' BTW, the helmet weighs 35kg and the diver also carried 2 x 35kg weights on his front and back; wore a 13 kg suit and 10kgs of woolen clothing as well as 8kg weighted shoes. And most divers were 50kg, 5 foot 2 Japanese men.

And what did they risk life and limb for??

Not this beautiful thing! This is a 21 mm pearl worth between $100 00 - $120 000. Now, the cultured pearl industry is HUGE, but originally, divers were after the shells so that Mother of Pearl buttons could be made. Yes, the saying around town is 'Broome was built on buttons.'

Another famous (or at least well-marketed) Broome activity is to watch the full moon rise over the Roebuck Bay mudflats. It creates the 'Staircase to the Moon' phenomenon which we saw last night. While our amateur photo really doesn't do it justice, hopefully you get the idea that this is another one of God's amazing creations. He's just so clever!

We are off up to Cape Leveque today (3hrs north of Broome) and looking forward to a boat ride to the Horizontal Falls on Friday. Hopefully we'll see a whale or 2 on the trip and have more cool pics to show you soon.

Port H

2009-07-03T12:50:00.003+10:00

We have now been a week and a day in Port Hedland. On arrival last Thursday afternoon, we'd anticipated being here just 1 day. Glad we're not on a schedule or close deadline. Some clunking under the car revealed the front bushes on the rear springs (sorry to get technical) had 'flogged out'. Advice from the local ARB guys turned out to be wrong....you can't just fit bushes, you have to refit springs. So the first order from Perth turned up Wednesday morning....wrong parts:) But we reordered and right now, at this very moment, the Nissan is being refitted with new rear springs. Which means we should be on our way to Broome tomorrow.

It has been a blessing to have a house for the last 5 days though. We popped in to see old friends last Friday and they offered for us to come and stay...which we did from Sunday. They left on Tuesday for a 4 day family holiday in Broome, so we have had the run of the place since then. All we have to do is feed the cat. Thanks Brad and Glenda and girls....your generosity has been so very much appreciated.

Port Hedland is definitely a BIG industry town. It is home to Australia's busiest port with 300m long ships being loaded with 200 000+ tonnes of iron ore. And Australia's longest trains run between here and the mining town of Newman, again, full of iron ore. Some are over 3kms long! What all those big numbers means is that lots of locals work in industry earning big $$ and pushing rents and house prices through the roof. How about 1/2 a million for a three bedroom 1 bathroom house? Or a minimum $1500/week rent?? Crazy really.

Almost makes the high prices at home seem like nothing.

Been a While

2009-06-25T10:09:00.004+10:00

Our adventures up the Western Australian coast have continued, even taking us on a detour inland to the Pilbara. From the dramas of the dented rim at Steep Point, we were able to buy a new rim in Carnarvon. And take in some of the local sights - including a river of sand that suppports 176 fruit and veg plantations - and tastes....yummy! pure fruit iceblocks. Coral Bay beckoned and we spent a night there after an afternoon snorkelling with the snapper. Exmouth - gateway to the Ningaloo Reef - was next. More snorkelling and sight seeing. Jon was fascinated with the naval communications base there and Kirsty loved that only 10 steps into the ocean and you were on reef. We detoured inland then, to mining town Tom Price....home of the richest iron-ore deposits in the world. But we weren't there to look at the mine. 50ks out of town you come across one of the most amazing places we have seen on our journey.....Karajini National Park. 3 days exploring gorges and waterholes was so fun....as was joining the mule team in an SES rescue. We helped pull an injured tourist in a stretcher and an SES guy 70m up the side of a gorge cliff. Cold nights out there....frozen dew on our bonnet one morning...but days warm enough to swim. From there we visited Millstream NP and last night was spent in industry boom town, Karratha....where we felt a little like Mary and Joseph - no room in the inn!

Swimming in Fern Pool, Karajini NP.....yes! Jon DID go in too:)

Circular Pool, KNP.....one of the most beautiful spots in Australia....in our opinion.

Hiking through Weano Gorge to Handrail Pool.

Cape Range NP.....near Exmouth. The reef is JUST THERE.

The mighty Gasgoyne River in Carnarvon. Farmers access underground water through bores in the riverbed.

And then there was the NEXT day...

2009-06-14T19:55:00.002+10:00

After Friday's 'greatness', Saturday started off not quite as well. We had our first tyre casualty. But we did make it to Carnarvon by later that afternoon, despite the earlier setback and hope to be able to get things fixed on Monday. BTW, it seems we don't have a puncture of the tyre, just a dented rim. Not sure which is worse, considering the cost of an alloy rim!

Let me explain...

2009-06-14T19:41:00.007+10:00

....what a great day looks like:

First....wake up to warm sunshine and gentle waves lapping the shore, just metres away.

Next....listen to an informative talk on dolphins while standing shin deep in water and watching 5 dolphins cruise by just a metre or 2 away.

Be one of only a handful of people selected to feed one of 3 dolphins a fish for breakfast.

Celebrate with a bowl of porridge which proves to be very interesting to the local emu mob.

Take a 3 1/2 hour 4WD out to the beach....dirt roads, bush tracks, beach driving.

Watch your husband get to live one of his dreams...making it to the western most point of Australia.

Set up camp right by the water...again.

Sit back and relax as the sun sets and a golden, just-off-full moon rises over the water.

Ahhhhhhh! Now that's my definition of a GREAT day.

Now here's that GREAT day in reverse....sorry!

View from our camp spot out at Steep Point.

Jon poses at Steep Point....Australia's western-most point.

The emus at Monkey Mia are ever-so friendly.

Feeding 'Surprise' her fish.

One of the other friendly faces at Monkey Mia....'Nicky'