The Kids’ Visit

The Phillips family has come full circle with the visit of the three children back to Boggy Creek where it all began.  Pamela, Peter and Patrick drove up from Canberra in Pete’s flash new car.  We had a great time together.  First we walked around the property, visiting Josh at the Shamballa cemetery (the flame tree we planted in his honour has grown), saying hello to the neighbours that were around – most haven’t seen the kids since they were little – and generally going down memory lane.

Pat standing in front of the big bamboo in the garlic paddock

Playing cards on the verandah

We had lunch in one of the many cafes in town and the kids marvelled at all the up-market shops that have sprung up in the last 20 years.  Pam and Pete drooled over the clothes at Kakadu but Pat, having absolutely no interest in clothes was totally bored.  Then we visited Bat Island in North Bellingen.  The beautiful, if a bit smelly, fruit bats summer over every year on this island in the Bellinger River.  It is a magnificent sight to see them go out to forage at sunset. 

Fruit bats hanging from the trees

We had a great two hour paddle in the river near Fernmount.  Pam even saw a platypus in a billabong.

Pete and Pat on the river

Pat being the woodland Pan

The last day of their visit we went to Dorrigo and took the Wonga Walk in the National Park – an easy 2 hour walk through two waterfalls.  The park is such a special beautiful place.  The trees are gigantic and the abundant flora and fauna make it a magical woodland.

On the Wonga Walk, indulging their mother for yet another picture

The kids dwarfed by the big trees

The boys at the waterfall

A great night at the Federal Hotel then an early morning group selfie and they were off – Pam to start a new phase of her life in London, Pete finishing up his training as a primary school teacher and Pat stepping up to the responsibility of a flat, work and uni and developing good social networks.  We are extremely proud of all of them.

Dinner at the Federal Hotel

Early morning group selfie before the kids hit the road

Finishing Up the Renovations

Despite the rain, we (mainly Bob and the fantastic builder, Peter) have managed between the showers to finish almost all of the projects.  We actually did have about 6 days straight with no rain but then Cyclone Marcia in Queensland has given Bellingen another solid week of rain.  The good thing is that this rain has not been the usual torrential downpour and there hasn’t been any flooding.   The bad thing is that this rain has been quite relentless.  Everything is going moldy.  Bags stored in a cupboard in the house for just a few weeks are covered in white specks.  We have been assured by our neighbours that Bellingen hasn’t had rain this persistent for a very long time – just our luck to be here during the wettest 4 months in years! 

Swollen Boggy Creek

Moldy backpack

The big change to the house is the repair of the verandah and extension of the roof so the weather stays off the wood and steps.  It makes the house looks much bigger.  

Bob and Peter working on the verandah

Finished - almost - lattice to be added

Inside the house we have painted and scrubbed, built new wardrobes and cupboards, put new flooring or carpet throughout and added all the bits of missing trim to finish off the edges that were never completed 20 years ago.

New floating floor with tiles

New doors and shelves in the wardrobe

New carpet in the bedroom

We have doubled our water storage capacity by installing another 5000 gallon water tank and adding some guttering to the workshop.  It was quite an impressive sight watching the delivery truck charging up the bush track then rolling the tank into place next to the old cement one.  The rain has also revealed some drainage issues.  We have been having great fun digging trenches in the mud thinking Boggy Creek has turned into the Somme. 

New water tank

Drain taking water away from the workshop - sump and piping to be added

Trench taking overflow water from the dam

Finally, after three weeks of delay due to the rain, the storage container has arrived.  The sad business of packing up again and handing over the house to good tenants (fingers crossed) looms.  Not for the first time have we shaken our heads at the irony of working so hard to make the place nice only to leave it to tenants who may or may not maintain it.  

Storage container being delivered in the rain, of course

Just 5 more weeks before we return to Turkey but the time is already being booked out – the kids coming for a visit (so excited!!), a trip to Canberra for some final administrative chores, and surgery for Bob – but these are for future blogs.

Still cursing and marvelling at Mother Nature

The rain continues in this sub-tropical paradise.  Rain is not unexpected for this time of year but it is still hard to take.  We have been back about two and a half months and have had less than 25 days when it has not rained and most of the rain is quite torrential.  The biggest frustration is that the rain is stopping some of our major building and repair work.  The clock is ticking and we need to get these projects done.  Still there are enough other tasks on the ‘to do’ list to keep us busy and in the meantime Mother Nature is providing us with some sweet gifts.

First there is Turkey Lurkey, our surrogate pet who comes most evenings for his slice of bread and food scraps.  He has become quite friendly, eating out of Bob’s hand and even attempting to come inside – cheeky thing!

Turkey Lurkey coming for his feed

Cheeky thing trying to come inside

Eating out of Bob's hand

Then there is the azure kingfisher that flits around the dam feasting on the hundreds of tadpoles.

Kingfisher looking for tadpoles

Finally just along the road where the school bus passes every weekday is this brilliant floral display.  I haven’t been able to find out its name, but it is certainly a beauty.

Gorgeous display

Meanwhile the creek rises and falls with the downpours and nature continues its seasonal cycle on this special Co-op.

Creek rising again

Rain, Rain and the Vagaries of Mother Nature

On Sunday Bob and I decided to check out the old pump site on Boggy Creek below our house.  I had a quick look at the area about a week ago and thought it might be a great place for a bit of a dip on a hot afternoon.  We were presented with the idyllic sight of a babbling brook glistening through the dappled sunshine, flycatchers darting about and staghorn ferns gracefully hanging off fallen logs.  

Boggy Creek on Sunday

Staghorn fern hanging over the creek

Flycatcher

 Although the scene was delightful the cooling dip didn’t eventuate as the water was little more than ankle deep in most places.  Then Monday we had a night of torrential rain, thunder and a spectacular lightening show.  The rain bucketed down in impressive cloud bursts, at times at a rate of 8 inches/hour.   A total of 6 inches fell overnight.  The sound on the roof was deafening and we had to shout to each other to be heard. 

We woke up to a dam nearly overflowing but fortunately the newly graveled driveway withstood the deluge and the gravel stood its ground.  

 

The very full dam

The driveway still looking good

The idyllic scene of a babbling brook from Sunday turned into a muddy, but cleansing torrent.  Ironically we had commented Sunday that the creek could use a good flushing out as there were lots of fallen branches and leaf litter.

Muddy torrent

The Staghorn fern looking bedraggeled

The bridge had been underwater overnight but fortunately it recedes fairly quickly and we were not flooded in this morning.  But the creek looked quite different from a month ago.

Boggy Creek at the bridge a month ago

Boggy Creek this morning after 6 inches of rain overnight

As I am writing this Tuesday afternoon the sun is shinning but black clouds are forming and thunder rumbling.  Looks like we are in for another show.  Hope the dam holds.