We're emerging again to complete the saga...

   So... can I have a welcome back from you, dear world wide web, as I continue to relate the travelling Woodleys' adventures one year after last acknowledging you?... Thank you, I'll take that as a yes; and give a brief (ha!) but hopefully satisfying overview of the year of our Lord two thousand and twelve before covering the states of Queensland and Western Australia with more depth than they have initially been allocated!...

(edited to add - DID I REALLY THINK THAT I COULD 

INCLUDE ALL OF 2012 IN ONE POST... I'M LUCKY I'VE EVEN 

GOT TO THE END OF JANUARY!!!)

   After a year of phenomenal growth, the beard is finally sacrificed...

...to reveal a rather surprising eighties' rocker look...

....while relaxing in Adelaide's summer heat 
at a generously provided house-sit...

(many thanks Mr and Mrs Parry)

...during which we were privileged to attend and 
participate in a friend's beach baptism...

...before moving to another house-sit at a fellow homeschooler's 
(yes, that's you, Mr and Mrs Decrevel) 
house to celebrate the big boy's fourth birthday...

(being fellow homeschoolers, there are enough books to satisfy even me!)

...followed by our annual Bean family getaway...

...which just happened to be at Normanville soon 

to become our new (and glorious) local beach...

(the last time we were to use our trusty Viscount... 

already been back out west with friends to whom it now belongs) [sniff]

...then a taste of South Aussie skies again as we stay for the 

longest time in a year at one place - two full weeks with 

our lovely friends the Monaghans...

...interspersed with some Woodley family fun...

...and a decadent rainbow welcome back cake...

(thank you Auntie Leslie!)

...finally on our way to the new abode we pass 

our old place where we began this whole trip...

(maybe the eighties' rocker look as not so bad after all!)

...celebrate our oldest's ninth birthday...

...appreciate the hardy and (mostly) reliable caravan one last time...

...before drawing ever closer to our destination...

We're remembering our time with grandparents...

   After three and a half months away the grandparents came...


   Well, it was to be expected as we had taken away half of the grandkids from both sides! and lest I sound like the travelling Woodleys do not appreciate that sort of familial love we surely do...

   Taking leave of our miracle house we headed to our Bean grandparents' rendezvous at a simple beach house reserved for the week in Seaspray. On our way there, a slight detour taken on purpose for the scenery turned into a much longer detour as we discovered many roads closed of on account of the weeks' heavy rain... including all access to the area we were planning on camping in prior to Mrs Alkemade offering us her holiday house...

Arriving just after dark we settled in and readied ourselves for a week of fun Bean-style with Grumps and Oma...

(there were six in the bed, and the little one said...)

 Our outlook of scenic farmland...

...rewarded us with glorious sunsets every night...

...and the weather was such that we could endlessly read the paper...

...walk to the beach (and have a token swim and splash at the rivermouth - it is after all where the  Southern Ocean, Antarctic Ocean, and Tasman Sea meet!)...

(What boy wants to leave his pants on at the beach?)

...as well as various other Bean-ish pursuits such as 

eating, card-playing, debating, and random other activities as illustrated by the photos below...

...and thank you so much, Grumpsy and Oma, for allowing two tired parents to go out for a whole day!!! and watching four energetic little Woodleys (so we could people watch, window-op-shop, lunch at a cafe, walk on the beach, and all sans kids!)...

...Shazza was on a week's holiday as well of course - 
and now Aravis calls all dogs (in fact all animals) 'Shazza', 
like his siblings before him...

...we enjoyed the classic sunsets and weathered village...

...and Aravis built on his walking skills to finally walk [almost] anywhere [almost] all the time...

...then on to Mossiface to Nick's work colleague's bush block for a quiet, peaceful Easter weekend...

...which would not be complete without some more extreme sports in true travelling Woodleys style; this time 
with Mama getting in on the action...

...and with this marvellous view...

...we celebrated our Saviour's death and resurrection with 
soup and garlic bread communion, 
writing down and throwing our 'sins' into the fire, 
and reading together the Easter story out of the children's Bibles...

(beautiful son who immediately and innocently nominated 'not obeying Mama and Dada straight away' as his wrongdoing to be written down and thrown into the fire)

...finally some four wheel driving for the caravan on our way out and onto Cann River to meet Grandma...

{to be continued ASAP but all of us are down with a cough and a cold at present, especially yours truly; so it's time to retire for the night and bid you adieu, world wide web, for now...}