Busy Busy in Ayr

Well since our last update we have been busy with life in Ayr and now only have one month before we depart.

Firstly - we think we have confused a few people about Larry.  He is NOT a wee dog - Larry is our family Leprechaun (GNOME) and he is travelling around with us having a bit of fun. Here is another wee photo of him and I on our travels - this was at The Blow which is quartz created by two large fault lines.

I am now working as a volunteer at Vinnie's (St Vincent De Paul) opportunity shop - and loving it.  What a dedicated team of ladies that work there, and some have been volunteering for 20,30,40 years!  I unpack the sorted clothing and hang the items up, stock the shop and also help in the shop when it is busy (which is often).  It is certainly a change from corporate life - but I am loving it.  Dave continues to sort out the daily issues at the corn farm.  Next week it looks like he will be working on the tractors.

Over the last few weeks we have caught up with some of our NZ friends - Linnie and Pete from Red Beach & Nola and Stan from Melbourne who we will see  again soon as they are just down the road in Bowen where we will spend 2 weeks before heading away.  Mark and Vicky (from Red Beach) who have been travelling OZ and are on their last leg before heading home also visited us in Ayr.  Sadly we missed seeing the Rosie's who completed the Gold Coast marathon and then headed to Port Douglas for the warmth - it's just a bit far to drive for a weekend visit from Ayr. We look forward to seeing some of our Canterbury friends in September further north.

We have had lots of site seeing trips, so photo's follow with a little information.

The Burdekin (Ayr) sugar cane crush for the 2013 season is well underway and is estimated at 7.44 million tonne. These pictures are from one of the local mills.  Each night & early morning the cane is burnt for harvest, leaving what the locals call black snow (or soot) around the town.

 

 

 



We took a drive out to historic Ravenswood and then the Burdekin Dam, so these pics are from the Dam.

The stunning Burdekin Dam

 

The slipway at the bottom  is very rarely dry enough to cross.  So off we went to the other side.

And from the other side. 

Just on dusk and on our way home - a flatty.

The following weekend we took a drive out to local Groper Creek - Dave and our friend Vince

(the young ones) talking to the locals - STILL no fish caught -even by the locals.

 

 

 

Once again, keep warm and love hearing from you all.

Celia, Dave and Leprechaun Larry!