Love the Farm Stay

We have had the last the last 4 days at our friends, Roc and Lisa's dairy farm, 30km south west of Shepparton.  We always have a fun time at the farm either helping out around the farm or relaxing helping Aaron doing a jigsaw puzzle.

Every time we pull up to the farm and we open the car door we get that distinct waft of a dairy farm...you guessed it...cow poo and one has to be very careful when speaking that one does not swallow the flies...OMG the flies out number us 1million:1, I reckon.
It is always a pleasure to help out around the farm and in return we always get a home cooked meal everyday and a continuous flow of Nona's beautiful biscuits to eat.
Steve mowed the lawn...around the house...not the whole 150ha, helped drench the calves, fixed machinery and repaired the fences and its always fun riding around on the quad bikes driving through the paddocks that were getting flood irrigated (hmmmm muddy water splashing up behind me, getting covered on my back and running down my arms, the joys of doubling on the quad bike - sooooo much fun).
Of course all the big boys love playing in the big "tonka" tractors.

Where's the diesel?
 

Roc hard at work on the farm

drenching the calves

one...

two...

Yessssss!!!

Big Boy's and their Toys!

fencing
 

It has been stifling hot here in Central Victoria and they hardly ever get rain....except when the wandering weber's arrive:  I'm not sure when they had rain last but the cracks in the ground show that it hasn't been for some time and after we were on the farm for 2 days, in 4am, the skies opened up and it poured but not leaving much evidence when we woke in the morning but again at 9pm the same day there was lightning, thunder and rain, rain, rain; we even had to get the torches out in case we lost power but we didn't have to worry about that while we were awake.  I'm starting to believe myself when we say the rain follows us where ever we go.
We did get to the Tatura swimming pool and do a few laps and I did a pilates class at Roc and Lisa's gym so you can all rest assured we don't sit on our backsides in the car all day enjoying the views of our beautiful countryside, but we don't have any photographic proof of Steve in his budgie smugglers or me in my gym gear so you'll have to take our word for it.

The youngest son, Aaron, loves doing jigsaw puzzles and the last couple of times we have visited there has been a very large puzzle (in pieces) on the table and this trip was no different so at the end of our days we sit around with Aaron and tax our brains doing a great puzzle of  a very red train of 1000 pieces or so.  We did get the train done and left the blue sky and the white gravel for them to finish...good luck guys.





Shoo-Shoo the sheep

Hansel the mini horse

Bull doing what bull's do - calling the girls
 

Saturday 16th February we were up a little earlier than normal to say our goodbyes to Lisa before she left to open the gym and goodbyes to Aaron who had his tennis match and Roc.

We are on our way to Barbara's (Steve's southern mum) in Geelong but first we take the scenic route through Bendigo and went and had a look at where we used to live during the '80s


Our place of residence Bendigo 1982-4

and it was all still there just a bit worn









and a lot more buildings where I used to go to college across the road.


The dry conditions in Victoria Country

The scenic route continued through to Ballarat and have lunch with Cheryl and Bob, whom we met when we stayed in the caravan park in Port Douglas last year and they were quite interested in the tvan as they were purchasing one soon after.  We loved seeing them again and thank you for the lovely lunch and your friendly hospitality....more friends to add to the Christmas Card List.  We had a great day in Ballarat but it was time to move on to mum's. 


A few days in Geelong before we set sail to Tassie on Thursday.