We're resuming our exploration of the smallest state...

   Yes, world wide web, the travelling Woodleys are now in Eden their first stop in NSW; and as I write this I am looking over...

...with the sound of waves crashing on the shore 
one hundred metres away, water birds making melody, and the breeze through the surrounding trees...

(maybe not the best photos or descriptive words but exactly as it is...)

...and now back to Tassie...

(take a deep breath - this one's a marathon through the memories in images)

...in the midst of a stomach bug we made our way south (via Freycinet National Park where we accidentally caught up with some old friends on their honeymoon - thanks Mr and Mrs Harslett for the tuna!) from the Bay of Fires down the beautiful east coast to Campania (just north of Hobart) where 
Uncle and Aunt Bean live...

...starting straight away with the garden tour...

...followed the next day by a rollicking drive around their 
hobby farm on crates in a six by four behind the tractor 
(needless to say this was Israel's highlight)...

...and as we were catching / recovering from the bug we mainly stayed around the farm collecting eggs, feeding the sheep, eating fresh blackberries, and enjoying the view...

...apart for a girls' only outing to Richmond to view miniature Hobart Town and admire the oldest convict built bridge in Australia (along with a visit to the famous homemade lolly shop - 
needless to say that this was Levente's highlight!)...

(here is a picture of me just to show that I still exist)

...and how could I resist Port Arthur - haunting, historic, and huge. I had six hours there and only covered about a third of the site... of course partly due to my obsessive compulsive need to read 
every bit of information provided! and take an 
excessive amount of photographs...

(and while I was there poor Nick was trying to recover from his bug while nusing Aravis through his bout - a fact I was only aware of after my lovely, thought-provoking day out)

...and so to Hobart to visit cousins Mr and Mrs Swindon and second cousins who have never met, all happy to play together catching bumble bees, presenting theatricals and being read to...

...a visit to the Salamanca Markets (with their weird and wonderful buskers) and Battery point...

(oh yes, we're trendsetters, we are...)

...and always with this view to gaze upon from our 
cousins' lovely house...

  

...and so the travelling Woodleys keep following the path 
and turn westward...

We're continuing our exploration of the smallest state...

   Yes, hello world wide web; if you are at all observant you would have noticed that the travelling Woodleys are four months into their travels, and nearly into New South Wales, yet have only recorded their adventures to midway through Tasmania...


   Well, slowly but surely we will keep filling you in but if you want to know just where we are then click on the tab 'the order of things' at the top of this blog.


   So to resume...

Leaving Beechford to continue our circumnavigation of Van Diemen's Land, we headed east through the delightful pastoral countryside with many rushing riverways and hills 
graduating into mountains...

...after conquering the Weldborough Pass finally arriving at our free campsite at the Bay of Fires -  dry temperate bushland setting (perfect for acting 'kings and queens')...

...with beautiful white 'sugar' sand, reddish granite rocks reminisent of Victor Harbor,  and lovely weather for beach play (and fishing)..

...a visit to St Helens' foreshore and floating fish'n'chip eatery, as well as second hand book shopping and browsing in the library (resulting in too many books - no, there can't be too many books!)...

...again a campfire, this time with damper and marshmellows (mmmhmm)...

...then off south to the Bean relatives...
(to be shared soonish!)






P.S. Just watched the royal wedding - 
surreal, regal, joy-less or -ful? What do you think?

We're celebrating the greatest day...

   On a friend's bush block near Mossiface - no one around, 

surrounded by God's creation...

...far from tourist crowds, chocolate eggs, and misguided bunnies...

...instead the travelling Woodleys celebrate 'Jesus is Risen' with communion of tomato soup and garlic bread...

...with simple wrongdoings written down and thrown into the fire...

...and a reading out of childrens' Bibles of the 

greatest truth ever told ...

Then hear these gems come from their lips:

'When people come to know and believe Jesus, it's like they have passed the gate of Satan and come to the gate of Jesus' (Trinity)

'If people say not to love Jesus we'll say we love Jesus and 

we'll disobey you' (Levente)

[and courtesy of Colin] 'heh heh heh heh heh heh, 

Jesus rocks the world!' (Israel)

He is risen indeed!

We're back in the land of Bean (or how I got my blogging fervour back - Part Two written first)...

   Here the travelling Woodleys are again with Grumpsy and Oma, 
in Seaspray...

...and as you know we are serious about our food so here's 

(some of) our supplies for the week...

   So how did I recover from falling off the blogging wagon? Part One and the real reason will be revealed soon; but in the meantime here is the extra motivation (or Part Two told to you first)...

   In one night of card playing with Mr and Mrs Bean all of the following is heard...

'If we're going to be active, then let's be active, so when we're not active we can not be active'

(Grumpsy; on getting annoyed at us procrastinating starting playing, while he is considering going to bed yet or not)

(as we start the game)

'We're going to have grace with people this time'

Grumps to Oma: 'People, sure...but what about you?'

Oma: 'I'm a person too!'

Oma licking the chocolate crumbs from the bowl (I have told you how we love our food) 'Ooh, I hurt my tongue muscle'

'Oh right, you just take three or four hours on your shot, the rest of us will worry about the world'

(Grumps; when Oma is deliberating too long on her next card to play)

Oma: 'I wouldn't have done it that way'

Grumps: 'Well, you're you and I'm me and never the twain shall meet!'

'Creativity is a trait that you should respect and appreciate and acknowledge and encourage'

(Grumps: when he and I completely changed how we were playing the game in a way that made it impossible to win but upped the fun factor particularly at the late hour that it was)

[disclaimer: if none of you find this funny, I did - so too bad!]

Postscript: like Mama, like daughter...

Aah, Seaspray...
(welcome back, world wide web)

We're having a mind block at the moment...

  


   Stuck at the moment for inspiriation, motivation, something-or-other-ation so...


   Here's the travelling Woodley's supremely funny children...

Levente: 'Will a mirror still mirror if no one is there?' 

(out of the mouths of babes and etc...)

(photo by my little sister Mrs Quast)

Trinity counting through ordinates: 

'First, second... forth, fifth - what did I miss, Issy?'

Issy: 'Three-th'

Mama: 'No, you say third, Issy'

Issy: 'No, I say three-th'

(Issy on the jumping pillow at the caravan park in Doncaster)

(Trinity attempting to get on the slightly antsy horse at 

cousin Schroeder's farm)

(isn't he the cutiest cutie ever...P.S. with the squealiest squeal ever!!)

   So, world wide web... I'm signing off until my blogging flow comes back...


   Meanwhile back on the farm...