New Friends from Africa

On February 23 Vedaste, Jeanette and the children arrived from South Africa to settle here in Grafton. They travelled from Johannesburg, South Africa, on an Humanitarian visa to resettle in Australia.

After fleeing Rwanda in the 90's Vedaste and Jeanette lived in Kenya for four years where their first child, Doreen, was born. They were forced to leave Kenya so then travelled to South Africa were they have lived for the past ten years. It was here in South Africa where the boys, Providence and David, were born.

The family seem to be settling in well to Grafton and the children are enjoying school at Grafton Public. Vedaste hopes to get work in translation/interpreting and migrant assistance area.

Kayaking

Ahh, now there's nothing like a quiet paddle in our kayaks on the Clarence. Here we are at Eatonsville upstream of Rogan's Bridge on a cool July afternoon.

But things are a-lurking in the depths. Large aquatic beasts (fish?) detected on our fish finder as we paddled upstream to the junction with the Orara.

Our Overseas Visitors

Our friends from France visited us in July. Aurelie and Mehdi come from Ecquevilly, a village about 40km west of Paris and while Aurelie has been out to Australia before (back in 2003) this was Mehdi's first time.

Their three weeks visit to Australia took in Melbourne (including the Great Ocean Road), Sydney and the Blue Mountains, Grafton, Byron Bay, the Sunshine Coast and then up to the Whitsundays before heading back home. Much to see in just three weeks!

It was lovely to see them and, maybe, next time we do it will be as their guests in France!

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Moreton Bay - Peel Island

One beautiful Saturday back in May we set out from Cleveland (Brisbane's southside) across Moreton Bay to Peel Island in our Carribean Safari runabout. Such a perfect day for boating!

After morning tea on the island's shore we walked to sandy beach to the eastern end of the island. Ahhh, the soldier crabs and the oysters - not for eating, mind you - the spectacle of these little crabs marching across the sand . . . and those lovely oysters just sitting there on the rocks. Wonderful!


All the little crabs marching off somewhere. Scampering here and scampering there . . .

Beginnings . . .

Just experimenting at this stage