Port Arthur.....

Port Arthur was a bit of a surprise...never imagined a convict settlement to be situated in such pristine surroundings.  Apart from being together for a short boat cruise and guided tour, everyone headed off in different directions - and every now and again, our paths crossed....

our huonville hideaway

Our Christmas retreat was a home nestled up in the hills near the town of Huonville.  This small farmlet was at the end of a 800m driveway which in itself was an adventure...we loved the rural lifestyle and thoroughly enjoyed the delights of the land...fresh eggs, vegies, and berries of every kind!

Oscar and Elise!

sooo...I haven't been posting that much lately, and I am finally getting around to getting our Tasmanian holiday shots sorted.
Yep...at Christmas the family travelled down to Tasmania.  We stayed at a home near Huonville (more about that later) which boasted every kind of berry as well as a menagerie of animals that we kept an eye on.  Oscar is the family pet who super enjoyed our company and was absolutely beside himself when he got special attention.  That's when Elise, one afternoon, had a sudden burst of doggy affection.  It went well to start with...

a very formal....

....it was a big day for Elise with her Year 12 Formal - and my oh my, did she look beautiful!!    It not only marked the end of school but it was also the end of an era for us as a family - the homeschooling journey is well and truly over.  What a milestone!!

So without further ado....

...when grandma comes!

Mum came and spent 10 days with us...meeting her great-grandaughter for the first time!
The weather decided to put on an awesome display of "HOT" during her time with us!

Here are some glimpses....

...just a walk in the park!

2 girls, 2 dogs....and a park!

la bella!

Touching Timor - Part 5

Ramelau is the highest mountain in Timor-Leste at 2986m and on this day, the team was going to climb the last 1000 metres to the summit...

Touching Timor - Part 4

Discovering Dili.....this was a day spent exploring the sights and sounds of the capital city.

(by clicking on the photo itself you should see a slideshow...hopefully!)

Touching Timor - Part 3

Another day on the island of Atauro saw the group split up and do various activities....the younger and more fitter of those (on both counts I didn't qualify!)  went for a day's trek.