We stayed in Victoria for 2 months. Initially we stayed at Diannes Mum and Dads and planned to catch up with lots of old friends but due to the extreme heat we didn't get about alot. We went over to Alex for the weekend to Ross and Sarah's engagement catching up with a lot of people there and had a great night. Stayed in our old house that weekend (really exciting stuff that).
Next day we left really early (about 4.30am) hoping to beat the 45 degrees forecast for the next day, we didn't do too bad getting up on Hotham by 7.30 - 8.00am . We spent a couple of weeks up at Rod and Jo's in Omeo trying to escape the heat, it worked a little bit but it was a pretty extreme summer all over.
We were still at Rod and Jo's when the devastating Black Saturday fires hit. First we knew of it was Dianne's mum and dad were under threat from the Bunyip fire coming within 1/2 km of them and they were getting ready to evacuate. We felt pretty helpless as we couldn't get there. All the main roads were closed, the Princes Hwy, Hume Hwy and Maroondah Hwy - it didn't matter which way we wouldn't be able to get through. There was also a big fire getting going about 30km's west of us near Dargo so everyone was on their toes. With all the devastation and carnage that happened, it was very frustrating as we felt helpless. Everytime you spoke to someone, you heard of another loss. It was just so incomprehensible - an area that had been part of our lives for so long - just gone. One good bit of news was that our old place was saved and the family that brought it were okay. The fire came across there on the Sunday morning but all the homes in Crystal Creek Road were saved.
Although we had had a relaxing time at Rod and Jo's and Andrew and Kate's, and we had seen all the family and visited some old friends, we decided to head back to WA a bit earlier than expected. It was just too depressing with the fires and we couldn't do anything to help.
We decided to take our time and go via the Eyre Peninsula in SA. Although it was really hot travelling it was a must see place especially the west coast of the Peninsula, fantastic beaches, great fishing, and spectacular scenery and believe it there was nobody around, naked romps in the emerald green surf just too good (Scary thought eh). Took more time out this time as well to have a good poke around the Great Australian Bight, it is just AWESOME. The power of the Southern Ocean is unbelievable.
After nine days on the road it was time to head back home to the bus on the farm and after so much swagging it was nice to get into our own bed.
Before moving back in though I bombed the bus with bug bombs, it did the job on the spiders and bugs but we were soon to learn the mice need somewhere to live after all the grain had been cut and guess where they decided to set up camp!!!! It's now been 6 weeks and we are nearly there, first go was traps, got about 15, still they came, more traps but they started getting fed and not setting them off, next we had to get the Talon blocks and that started to cull them but we still have to look for bodies so the dogs don't eat them ( deadly stuff for dogs even after the mouse has eaten it) we have had experiences before. Now we've got onto a new idea, apparently if you use a few drops of pure peppermint oil (has to be pure not extract) on cotton wool buds on a saucer and place them where the the suckers are hiding, they vamoose. Well it seems to be working fingers crossed, at least it smells better!!!!
