Australia Day

A little bit of Aussie humour for Australia Day …….(author unknown)

The sun was hot already – it was only 8 o’clock
The cocky took off in his Ute, to go and check his stock.
He drove around the paddocks checking wethers, ewes and lambs,
The float valves in the water troughs, the windmills on the dams.

He stopped and turned a windmill on to fill a water tank
And saw a ewe down in the dam, a few yards from the bank.
“Typical bloody sheep,” he thought, “they’ve got no common sense,”
“They won’t go through a gateway but they’ll jump a bloody fence.”

The ewe was stuck down in the mud, he knew without a doubt
She’d stay there ‘til she carked it if he didn’t get her out.
But when he reached the water’s edge, the startled ewe broke free.
And in her haste to get away, began a swimming spree.

 He reckoned once her fleece got wet, the weight would drag her down.
If he didn’t rescue her, the stupid sod would drown.
Her style was unimpressive, her survival chances slim
He saw no other option, he would have to take a swim.

He peeled his shirt and singlet off, his trousers, boots and socks
And as he couldn’t stand wet clothes, he also shed his jocks.
He jumped into the water and away that cocky swam
He caught up with her somewhere near the middle of the dam.

The ewe was quite evasive, she kept giving him the slip
He tried to grab her sodden fleece but couldn’t get a grip.
At last he got her to the bank and stopped to catch his breath
She showed him little gratitude for saving her from death.

She took off like a Bondi tram around the other side
He swore next time he caught that ewe he’d hang her bloody hide.
Then round and round the dam they ran, although he felt quite puffed
He still thought he could run her down, she must be nearly stuffed.

The local stock rep came along, to pay a call that day.
He knew this bloke was on his own, his wife had gone away.
He didn’t really think he’d get fresh scones for morning tea
But neither was he ready for what he was soon to see.

He rubbed his eyes in disbelief at what came into view
For running down the catchment came this frantic-looking ewe.
And on her heels in hot pursuit and wearing not a stitch
The farmer yelling wildly, “Come back here, you lousy bitch.”

The stock rep didn’t hang around, he took off in his car
The cocky’s reputation has been damaged near and far
So bear in mind the Work Safe rule when next you check your flocks
Spot the hazard, assess the risk and always wear your jocks!

Freedom

Good news!   Six weeks after my fall,  I have thrown away the leg brace and most importantly, can drive the car again.  Looking forward to getting back to normal.  Celebrated by having my first swim of the season, and looking forward to getting to the gym tomorrow even if it is only for a gentle walk on the treadmill for now.

In the meantime, I put my enforced rest to use by finishing off a long overdue cross stitch, which involved far more work than I had imagined.  Just washed it in a little dishwashing detergent and it came out looking nice and clean.  It will look much better after it has been pulled into shape and framed.

img_0777-1

Geraldton,WA

Friday, Dec 2:  This morning we awoke to find ourselves in Geraldton, WA.  That’s what I love about cruising – unpack once and we get to call a floating 5-star hotel “home”, with ever changing views!

geraldton

 

This was our only tender port, so we had to get a ticket and wait our turn for the tender boat.  It only took about 15 minutes to reach the shore.  So off we went for a look around town.  Little did I know that the day would not go according to plan.

geraldton-10

 

Perched on a pristine coastline, Geraldton boasts gorgeous beaches, a thriving multicultural and Aboriginal community, a friendly country vibe and impressive cultural and architectural heritage.  Added to all that, it is only a 4-1/2 hour drive from Perth.  Unlike our previous visit, we were very impressed with the number of volunteers who met the ship and welcomed us.

We decided to visit the HMAS Sydney II Memorial again and this time there were volunteers there to explain how the dome-shaped memorial stands in remembrance of the tragic sinking of this vessel in November 1941 after an encounter with the German raider Kormoran.  The 645 metal seagulls represent the fallen crew.  Interestingly, on 16 March 2008 the final resting place of the ship and her crew was located 112 nautical miles off Steep Point, the most westerly point of the Western Australian coastline.

geraldton-8geraldton-7

We also visited the ornate St Francis Cathedral, designed in 1915 which took 23 years to complete.  It is made from local Geraldton stone and quite impressive on the inside.

geraldton-1geraldton-2

On the way back to the tender in the afternoon I had an unexpectedly close encounter with the boardwalk.  I think that deserves a post of its own!