two years has gone by ......

above: Janine took this image of Oscar on 7th Oct 2006

memories of Oscar

our very special little boy

28 March 1998 - 23 May 2012


We lost a special friend today
the kind you can't replace,
and looking at his empty bed
We still can see his smiling face.

  We see the endless energy
the sparkling puppy eyes,
Not the tired, fragile friend
we had to bid goodbye.

  We know he's in a special place
our Lord has for such friends,
Where meadows, fields & flowers
help make them strong and whole again.

We will remember how he'd run to us
to play his favorite puppy game,
And how his ears would perk right up
When he heard us call his name.

But as those precious years went by
And we all aged and grew,
  we found him often slowing down
But we had still so much to do.

We have noticed in the recent times
His ears were not as sharp,
Where is that running ball of fur
The years have shown their mark.

He started sleeping next to us
Was this his special clue,
Because he felt the end was near
We certainly feel that it was very true

  Our Oscar was a special boy
  We know he gave his best,
But as we looked deep into his eyes
  we knew it was the time for him to rest.

It will truly be a struggle
  we don't know how we will face each day,
  we have to let him go - we know
But in our hearts he'll always stay.

This special place our Lord has made
Health and strength, wait for him there,
So with our very special friend
  we are sending all our prayers.

For we  know he's watching over us
and he'll be with us when we cry,
So with one more kiss on his beloved head
  we told our darling boy 

goodbye.

the above is very much the same I wrote out for Zac and also for Pokey.

above: when Oscar was just a tiny little puppy

 

Oscars brother – Pokey - was born in January 1997. 

Then in March 1998, along came Oscar. But sadly 5 days after he and his 3 siblings were born, their mother – Sugar - passed away.

Oscar was 55 grams in weight ....that is the weight of one medium sized egg!
 

These four little five day old puppies ......  what to do? Even the Vet said they would not survive.  

But with the love and care devoted upon them, they survived ... each and everyone of them.

Yes, Oscar is a fighter, his true name is Sugar Ray Robinson (one of the great boxers of all time [1921-1989]) and as with all four puppies, they were named after a famous 'fighter'.

In 2002 we took Oscar and Pokey on a 12 mths holiday traveling all over Australia.

above: in 2002, he used Pokey when he needed some extra height  to see outside the motorhome!

  

In 2005 he had an eye infection and had to have major surgery to have the lens replaced in his eye.

In 2007 both Pokey and Oscar flew to Singapore.

In 2009 he pulled one of his nails out when it caught in his collar, more surgery!

In 2011 Oscar lost his brother Pokey (7th July) and he grieved more than we thought was possible.

Two weeks later we took him to the vet and he was diagnosed with Pituitary Dependent Hyperadrenocorticism. (Cushings Disease) and a month later they found he also had Congestive Heart Failure.

He started off on his medication twice a day, but over the past month it was increased to three times a day. 

In December 2011 we applied for a permit for his re entry into Australia and this was declined due to his health and age.

We wrote a long letter to AQIS (Australian Quarantine) explaining a bit more about Oscar and that he was a fighter and that he would survive the flight, but could possibly struggle with the 30 days of Quarantine. But we were willing to take the risk as we felt he would be OK.

30 minutes later, we rec'd the permit and he was allowed to return to Australia!

He left Singapore on 21st February 2012 and arrived the following morning at the AQIS station in Spotswood where he stayed for the full 30 days.

above: running around while in Quarantine at Spotswood.

 

above: with John when he was in Quarantine

He was very happy to be back with us and settled in very well. We knew we wouldn't have him forever and the vet thought he might survive till mid April .... but we managed to have him for a full two months at home.

We brought him home to Ballan on 23 March 2012.

above: in April 2012 he got to go to Blackwood again where he used to chase lizards 

with his brother Pokey.

One of his favourite things to do was "get in the car". It was such a novelty for him to be able to travel around and he loved it. The minute we picked up the keys, he was waiting at the front door!

On Sunday (20 May 2012) he was chasing the Magpies outside, on Monday (21 May) he traveled with us in the car to Bendigo for the day. On Monday evening his breathing became erratic and through the course of the night we realised his time was coming to an end.

above: photo taken at 12 noon on 22 May 2012 (18 hours before he passed away) as he lay in the 

lounge room in the sunshine

On the Tuesday (22 May 2012)  he really struggled with his breathing, one minute hyperventilating and the next 'shallow breathing'. I was too selfish to take him to the vet after what we went though with Pokey, but at 3.15am the following morning while I was nursing him in the lounge ..... I knew we had no choice but to call the vet as soon as we got up.

We took him back to bed with us and we held him till he closed his eyes at 6:10am on 23rd May 2013.

Letting him go was the hardest thing I have ever done in my life, unbearably difficult.

He was a special friend I will never forget. 

I know we were blessed to have had him for so long, possibly more than his fair share of life expectancy.

above: John took this photo - Tuesday 22 May 2012

Rest in Peace Oscar 

(Sugar Ray Robinson), 

you fought the good fight right till the end.

we all loved you so much

you were one very special little dog

there will never be another like you.


its now been two years since our little man left us 

and we can honestly say, we miss him every single day.
 

He did leave a huge hole in our hearts 

and life will never be the same again.
23 May 2014

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Ballan Autumn Festival ~ 2014

What a fantastic Autumn Festival the little town of Ballan put on once again!

the weather was kind to us, there were plenty of amazing stall holders, the Fashion Parade was a success, the entertainment was amazing, the fun pet parade, the main street parade was just fantastic ... 

what more could we want?

here are just a few images from the 2014 Festival...

The next Ballan Autumn Festival will be held on

Sunday 22nd March 2015

and the theme will be:


OUR CULTURE, OUR ART

40th Annual Ballan Art & Craft Society Art Show -

[Saturday and Sunday]

Lal Lal Moorabool Photographic Group Photo Exhibition 

PARADE

Pet Show

Wood Chop Vintage Machinery

Historical Society

Model Rail

Street Stalls

Music

Dancing

Displays

Demonstrations

Our Art - Kid's Art Exhibition


Please note & save the Festival website for 2015:

Ballan Autumn Festival ~ 2015

Ballan Autumn Festival is on Twitter & Facebook:

Twitter:

@ballanfest2014

Facebook:

Ballan Autumn Festival Facebook Page

Ballan Autumn Festival Pet Show

The following links take you to three

blog posts from the 

2012 Ballan Autumn Festival:

• Ballan Autumn Festival ~ 2012
• Ballan Autumn Festival Quilt Show ~ 2012
• Ballan Autumn Festival Vintage Cars ~ 2012

Make sure you mark the diary now

Sunday 22nd March 2015 

for another fantastic Ballan Autumn Festival!

Ballan is a rural village in Regional Victoria, just 74 klms west of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. Population is around 2700 and is on the rail link between Ballarat and the City of Melbourne.

see you on Sunday 22nd March 2015 for another fun packed day in Ballan!!


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a taste of the Goldfields Farmhouse Cheese

we were back at the Ballan Farmers Market again earlier last month.  Weather was beautiful and the sun was shining!

... as soon as we walked in we made a beeline for the cheese stand.

Who can resist a taste of good quality cheese?

We sampled a couple of different varieties, but decided on purchasing a piece of the St Barbara. Named after the patron saint of gold miners, St Barbara is a creamy, mild blue vein cheese.

Next time you visit the Ballan Farmers Market do check out the Goldfields Farmhouse Cheeses.

Gotta go ... the wine & the cheese is ready!

catch up next time.

LAL LAL FALLS

The weather was one of those perfect days you get every now and then, so on Saturday we decided to visit the Lal Lal Falls. The falls are located 20 klms SE of Ballarat or 70 klms NW of Geelong. Very easy to get to from either direction. 

The Lal Lal Falls were first discovered in early 1837.

The above map shows the roads we traveled on from Ballan to the falls. Most of the roads were bitumen, but became gravel once we turned off onto Harris Road. As seen in the following images:

 
The following image shows the falls as they were many years ago.  The top right image is a Hand coloured tinted lithograph by Charles Troedel - circa 1864.  The lower right is a group of women at the the base of the Lal Lal Falls,  circa 1905. The main image on the left is of a group at the base.  30 Sep 1896.  All three images (in the one below) are courtesy of Museum Victoria.

Lal Lal is home to the spectacular Lal Lal Falls - a name meaning ‘dashing of waters', as determined by the original Wuthaurung community inhabitants. The Falls are also significant as the spiritual resting place of the Kulin Peoples.

The township of Lal Lal was originally part of an extensive sheep run established in 1845 but later formed around the discovery and mining of iron ore, lignite, kaolin (clay) and to a lesser degree, gold. The opening of the Lal Lal railway in 1862 cemented the township as an important mining location and site for transportation of minerals.

The town grew with people mostly associated with the local mining industries and with it came development, hotels and a favourite pastime of the era, horseracing.

Lal Lal became a popular tourist destination because of the Falls and its country racing program. The New Year's Day Race Meeting drew crowds from far and wide with over visitors flocking to the event by steam train. A special train line was built to link the railway station with the race course.

image above is at the carpark and picnic area of the falls. There is a small playground, toilets, two BBQ's and under cover seating.  Plenty of grassed area for the children too!  The following images will show you how beautiful the Lal Lal Falls are and certainly worth a visit if you are in the area:

The image showing the seat, is a lovely spot to sit and meditate, there is no noise of traffic or people, just the gentle sound of the waterfall and the birds chirping!



Photos by Leone Fabre

Information on the Lal Lal area from "Growing Moorabool" website.





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now have a new blog for you to follow!!

have decided to house the cooking and baking area's 

of this blog to another area.

The new blog is titled:

TASTY FUN

over the next few weeks they will be 

gradually moved, so start following the new blog
to try the following tasty recipes!

go over to the new blog now

and hit the follow button

Ballan and the Red Dot!!

Today - 22nd March 2013 - we have been in Ballan exactly one year. 

Sometimes it feels a lot longer than that, sometimes less, but all I can say is that it has been a huge year for us both, a year of settling in, a year of upheaval, lots of laughter, some sadness, being cold, friendships and everything in between!

..... and after 12 eventful months we are settled in and love it!

Way back in June 2009, a young man named Ayob bin Ismail also arrived here from Singapore, but as Wombat Regional Arts Network's International Artist/Designer-in-Residence.

Each artist/designer-in-residence was asked to make an artistic or design contribution to the Shire and Ayob’s gift was a piece of windart for Ballan. 

Ayob's windart weathervane is called The Red Dot.

The term "little red dot" is used by both Singaporean politicians and ordinary citizens with pride and with a sense of the nation's success despite its physical limitations. Most people refer to Singapore as the "little red dot" with affection, there is even a Red Dot Award for best Product Design etc. So the term is widely used in and around Singapore.

When we decided to leave Singapore to return to Australia, the big decision was "where to live" and after much thought and discussion we settled on Ballan ..... its a big move from The Red Dot to Ballan. There was a lot of thought about where to go, what to do, where to live and our heads were up in the air over many things. A bit like a weathervane!

It was not until a few weeks after moving here that we came across Ayob's Red Dot and it felt like there really was a link between Ballan and Singapore!

The Red Dot - as seen above - has 7 red plates with differing diameters. Each plate represents an element contributing to the arts and design landscape synergy in Ballan.

The elements represented include the town's:

• community
• landscape
• historic values
• cultural values
• arts practices
• vibrancy and energy
• tourism.

the above image is not mine, but is a copy of the front page of the Moorabool News in which Ayob and his Red Dot take pride of place!

Ayob's visit was generously supported by Nanyang Polytechnic (School of Design), Wombat Regional Arts Network and by Velislav Georgiev and Tor Roxburgh's public art business Zabelski Han and their gallery studio complex Omnibus Art Gallery.


Tor Roxburgh has written an extensive blog on Ayob's visit to Ballan, and can be viewed HERE.

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Q U I E T !!!!!!!

yes, that's right ....

Q U I E T !!

One of the 'quiet carriages'. Photo: Jason South

V/Line have "quiet carriages"

That means switch mobile devices to silent, turn down electronic devices, and speak quietly. Those annoying ringtones, loud conversations and bleeping video games will be banned from seven country train carriages.

“This is about creating some space that encourages fellow passengers to further respect each other’s journey.”

If you want to have a chat, you can use the rest of the train. But one car will be clearly labelled with signs, both inside and outside, requesting a quiet environment.

Queensland Rail trains have successfully had "quiet carriages' for over two years and hopefully it will be successful here in Victoria too. 

Not everyone is happy with the idea of "quiet carriages", but they still have 4 other carriages to choose from to chatter, use their cell phones, play electronic games etc.... a "quiet carriage" is for those that prefer to read quietly or just relax and enjoy the journey!

V/Line allowed six months to judge whether its customers wanted to embrace the quiet carriages, and they did.

So all lines have a "quiet carriage" now.

VLine says they are simply asking for community co-operation from people who travel on V/Line to co-operate while in the quiet carriage.

Please check the carriage you are in when boarding a VLine train and have respect for your fellow passengers if the carriage you are in is labeled QUIET!
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Ballan Farmers Market - February 2013

Here we are into February and yes, am very well aware I am running behind in my blog posts and there are quite a few events happening around the area over the next few weeks that I do need to let you know about!

But first of all, don't forget the Ballan Farmers Market on this coming Saturday!

The Farmers Market is again looking splendid and lovely to see everyone out and about enjoying themselves.  Last month it was a beautiful sunny day here in Ballan and it was lovely to see so many people wandering around chatting to each other, having coffee at the Mill Cottage, purchasing the fresh produce and generally enjoying themselves!

But there was a new person there I had not seen before.

I wonder if you got to see him?

the littlest busker in Ballan!

so cute to watch him play his 'guitar' to all the passers by.

This Saturday the market will have the usual fabulous stalls plus a new meat and small good seller, loads of berries, fruits, even a wool producer and moorabool landcare display.  So get down there early to make sure you don't miss out!

Hope to see you there too.

click LIKE on the Ballan Farmers Market Facebook Page for all the latest information.

Fresh Produce is always available at the Ballan Farmers Market as you can see in one of the previous blog posts HERE.

Dates: 2nd Saturday of the month
Location: Mill Cottages gardens, Inglis St, Ballan

and a couple of those events coming up are:
Ballan Vintage Tractor Pull & Engine Rally - Ballan Racecourse Reserve.  
17th February, 2013.  Grounds open Saturday 16th February 2013 and some camping facilities are available.
The Ballan Autumn festival just gets better and better! Enjoy the fantastic street parade with wood chop, art and craft shows, bands, amusements, concerts, pet show, and much more..... that's coming up next month!

Colac Colac Caravan Park at Corryong!

above: image taken 6:30am

During these past Christmas / New Year holidays we traveled to Corryong to visit the NE part of Victoria. Being well over 20 years since we had been in that vicinity we were looking forward to exploring some of the area.

We camped at the Colac Colac Caravan Park as this was the park our friends had booked into. We stayed 6 days / 5 nights. They were in their Camper Trailer while we stayed in their pre loved 'tent'. We had a lovely time together and it certainly helped to have perfect weather!

You can read the previous blog post about the drive from Ballan to Corryong HERE.

The Caravan Park has approx 400 shady tree's which makes for ideal camping in the heat of summertime!

On their website it says:

This spacious park that is 6 km west of town, under large shady trees and alongside a popular trout stream. The budget-priced park in ‘Man from Snowy River’ territory has all the necessary amenities and is ideal for a few days stay or an overnighter. Facilities include - toilets and showers (disabled access), laundry, telephone, kiosk/shop, gas refills, ice, camp kitchen, barbecues, playground, internet terminal and pet friendly accommodation. Tent sites, powered sites, drive-thru sites fitting large motorhomes and cabins are available.

and the facilities that are available are:

• Barbecue
• Playground
• Onsite laundry
• Cooking Facilities
• Ice
• Individual Taps (89)
• Essential Food Store
• River Water
• Shade
• Washing machines & dryer
• Drive-through caravan sites
• LPG exchange & fill
• Truck and/or coach parking

There is a walking / cycling track from the Caravan Park into the town of Corryong (6 kms) but do take a hat and sun block as the track is quite exposed to the weather and has no shade.

The Caravan Park has over 102 sites on 15 acre's, though I imagine it is only crowded during the main holidays of Christmas, New Year, Easter and long weekends. We personally found it to be crowded with some of the campers parked virtually on top of one another. Though having said that, I assume it was by choice as there were many groups of campers parked together. Mostly family groups which is an ideal way to get together and spend quality time.

We had sites 101 & 102 and when two other camper vans started to hook up to our site, we queried their site number only to be told: "oh no one bothers about site numbers when its busy, we all camp where we can".  Which I feel the owner is probably unaware of!

The day we arrived (26 December) it was about half full and was very pleasant to have all the grass and tree's around us, but by the following morning many others started to arrive and we soon realised if we want to have total peace and quiet its perhaps better to come on the shoulder season.

Though the six days we stayed was much quieter than one would normally expect with so many families and young children staying there. There were only a couple of nights where we had neighbours that stayed up till well after midnight talking and laughing and then New Years Eve of course, but overall it was OK with most campers being considerate of their neighbours!

Its a great family park and nearly all the families we noticed had very young children and all had bicycles.  Perhaps this is the ideal situation to teach the children about road safety! Some of the children had obviously gotten new bikes for Christmas and were learning to ride, but the parents need to teach them to ride with a helmet at all times, to know the road rules and to be aware of all vehicles and the park is the ideal place to reinforce this!

Though perhaps also the car and van drivers need to be reminded to keep under the 10 km speed limit and to watch for the young children that suddenly dart out between parked cars!

Keeping under that 10 k limit also will help keep the dust down.

The park has some great non-powered sites by the Nariel Creek where all the children (and adults too) spent most of the days.  The park is pet friendly too .... in the time we stayed we saw many dogs but rarely heard one bark. I think they were also enjoying their holiday.

Do check out their website as they have both powered and unpowered sites as well as cabins.

The owners of the park are very friendly and go out of their way to make sure your stay is enjoyable. I would imagine that it would not be easy dealing with many people at this time of year, but they still keep smiling!!

IN SUMMARY:

• great Caravan Park suitable for all sized vehicles and campers.
• Plenty of shade for the hot summer days.
• Pet friendly.
• Perfect spot for families with children. Playground available.
• Busy over the Christmas / New Year period.
• No swimming pool but Nariel Creek is suitable for 'playing' in the water!
• 6 km's from Corryong - which has Supermarket / Pharmacy / Hospital / camping store / banks etc.

Further blog posts will be uploaded over the next few days on our visit to NE Victoria.
Previous blog post on the drive from Ballan to Corryong via the Hume Freeway and the Murray Valley Highway is HERE.

I appreciate the helpful advice that is available on the following websites:


Old Tallangatta

Colac Colac Caravan Park

Tallangatta (Sydney Morning Herald)

The Mitta Mitta River (DPI)

Lake Hume (Wikipedia)

Huon Reserve Rest Area (Caravan.com)

 

Colac Colac Caravan Park

1994 Murray Valley Highway

Colac Colac

Victoria, Australia

3707

	cccp01@bigpond.com
	(02) 6076 1520
	http://www.colaccolaccaravanpark.com.au