ADELAIDE - SOUTH AUSTRALIA

WYNNVALE

I was trying to get to Adelaide before Wendy went to work at 2.00pm and it isn't that far from Port Augusta but because we were still in search of the mattress we were running late. And we had a few toilet stops!! and a lunch stop. Wendy rang me a couple of times to see where we were at but the runway was not long enough. She left us the key so when we arrived we could get inside. So trusting she is!! Wendy had said that we could park wherever we wanted too, even in the driveway. Well, When we arrived (and mind you wendy lives in the hills) and saw how steep the driveway was...not going to work, only place is the road. How safe was that going to be? as we pictured being asleep in the van and some idiot running into the back of it. I was happy to park out the front, Clint needed more time to thing of scenarios of danger, which is fair as he is looking after his family.

Wendy and Scott got home around 6pm and it was all excitement plus. The kids were right on to her and I think she loved it. We stayed up until 2am drinking and laughing even Slade had a late night, he was already loving this place. He had foxtel iq and a spa. I was so happy to catch up with Wendy!! We had such a good night. I have to mention how drunk scottie was he made me laugh so much I ached. We were talking about how old we were and scott said he was born in 1970 and I said so was I and we are the same age then he yells out 'Oh yeah what year was that?' What the???? We laughed and laughed. We had many nights like these it was great.

The kids loved it at Wendy's they had a backyard to play in and a house to jump around in. We loved even more because we had them locked in and we didnt need to go searching for them.

GLENELG BEACH
WE went to Glenelg a couple of times, its a little like Freo but without all the wogs and its right on the beach. They have a funhouse for kids which is like our timezone and you pay for the entry and then you can play the games and have as many rides as you like. It was a huge place 2 storey, with bumper cars, bumper boats, water slides and boat slides, huge circus merry go round, train ride, kids soft fall gym, video games, mini golf and ticket games where you win tickets and claim your prize at the kiosk. There was one particular game where you shoots rubber baseballs out of a narrow barrel into 5 baseball size holes while a propeller goes round blocking the holes. Well the propellor wasnt working on one of the machines and we (mostly Wendy) cleaned up on the tickets we collected over 1,000 tickets which gave the kids a decent toy. The girls got a barbie doll each and slade got a water pistol. Slade and Shelby had their faces painted, Slade asked to be Mario from his DS game and Shelby was a butterfly. They had such a good day and they used the christmas money that Aunty Shona, Uncle Andy and Ewan gave them. Thanks guys xx

On another day at Glenelg we visited the discovery centre which had a display of the olden day circus, carnivale style setups. If you ever remember the movie Tom Hanks was in Big and he made a wish to a gypsy in a glass machine to be big and it came true. If you do you know what I mean if not then, in the old days they used to have carnivale's down on the jettys and they were more like a freak show like 2 headed fish etc. They had miniature display boxes of the things you would of seen there. It was a shame not to be able to get pictures as not everyone can get to Glenelg. They also had a display of how the Glenelg beach used to look like back to the days where they wore the full body bathing suits up to today. Very interesting.

HAHNDORF
We did a day trip with Scott and Wendy to the hills and went to a beautiful place called Hahndorf. A place that was originally settled by German people and still has German people live there. We parked on the street and we got there rather early and thought it would be nice to have a look at all the nice little shops on this tree lined town. Little did we know that the teddy bear motorbike xmas run was on and after Clint spoke to some people who were setting up their chairs on the main road they told him what was happening. Over 10,000 motorbikes came through this town most carrying christmas presents for the kids who cant afford it. There was a lot of the riders dressed in xmas outfits with reindeer antlers and tinsel and most of them threw lollies to the crowd. Slade got himself a prime spot on the side of the road and high fived the riders as they drove past and he waved madly at them and he ended up with a bucket load of lollies.

As we were walking up the street looking at little knicky knacky shops the kids spotted a bookstand and all 3 picked a book of their choice and plonked themselves on the footpath and read their books. We have seen this before but Wendy had not and she thought that was just beautiful. (You will see a picture in the links below) We found a little toyshop that the kids dived straight into and behind the counter was a door that lead to a tunnel at the back of the shop and inside was done up like a cave and there were xmas displays of animals, fairies, santa's workshop and peter rabbit displays. You werent allowed to take photo's but Wendy broke the rules and took some. Now I just need to get these pictures from her which might be a little difficult because...Wendy was very fond of Slade Shelby and Isla and she took pictures of them like they were her first baby or like a japanese tourist. Clint gave her a bit of flack for taking so many pictures so she told him that he wasnt going to get these pictures until the kids were alot older so he would realise how important it is to take all of these pictures now. I was not involved in this flacking but somehow I dipped out as well. She'll come around.

Wendy spoilt us all rotten, she cooked almost every night and it was something gourmet each time, pickled squid yum, laksa yum, prawns yum, she also made sure we all had beverages for the nightly relax, chat and drink nights. She would come home with Cartons! of Jack Daniels cans for Clint and Scott and bottles of Baileys for me. And SMOKED SALMON!! I havent had that much smoked salmon since Wendy was in Perth, we had it everyday and on christmas eve we sent Scott down to Woolies to buy us a kilo!! Thanks Scottie And speaking of Scott (or Lazy cock as Wendy liked to call him) he was getting out of some of his home duty tasks so Wendy told us and we had many hysterical times when Scott got out of doing the dishes and was labelled LC. That was funny just hearing Wendy scream it at him. These 2 are very much in love and beautiful to watch even when they are playfully blueing. Remember WEndy when you walked into the bedroom door!!!

Wendy had a pet magpie that she feed morning and night, it flew down from its tree and Wendy would feed it mince and cheese by hand. The kids loved it and maggie occassional took the food from their hand. Isla would call out all day MAGG-I-A waiting for her to come eat the food.

Got all the christmas shopping done for the kids. Wendy minded them for a couple of hours while we got all trollied up with presents. We decorated the van and even got a mini chrissy tree to put in the van. WE left the key out for Santa, some milk and cookied and carrots for the reindeers. We had a picture with Santa and Isla was not impressed at all she cried when it was time to sit up on his lap, she said he looked like Hook from the movie. I think the bearded face scared her a bit. Oh well she might be ok next year.

Anyhoo great shops in Adelaide, the markets were good too except for when I lost Shelby and was almost hysterical, I was fairly calm till they found her and then I broke down. She wandered off looking for me only I hadnt gone anywhere and she troddled off with the shopping trolley, found a security guard and told him she couldnt find her mummy. A nice man came and found me and bought me to her.

There is still so much to see in South Australia so we will be back. We had such a good time with Wendy and it was especially good as I saw her everyday. I miss her too.

We got to catch up with Mick Sarah and Lily from Broome, in Adelaide, Mick has got himself a job so they will stay awhile.

Christmas in the van was just as good as home the kids still woke up screaming SANTA CAME!!!!! and madly unwrapped pressies from Santa. We then went into Wendy's to play with them and then ate and drank for the rest of the day.

See the pics here (paste the link to web browser and away you go)

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2050352&id=1178196973&l=2c30f60053