Jamestown

This last week has been very memorable as we have stayed with Dad's cousin on the farm out of Jamestown. John and Pam are typical country folk who are VERY hospitable and we were so blessed by our time spent with them. We have listened to lots of stories about their antics when they were young and even got to see some footage of when Dad was only 3, out with his father and grandfather on the seeder - that is priceless material!

We went to church where Dad initially when as a youngster and where there is a beautiful stained glass window dedicated to Dad's Uncle Victor who died in WWII. There were some lovely folk at church who remember Dad's parents and had lots of stories to tell and things to share about life in Jamestown in the 1930's and 40's.

We took a drive to the farm - Glazenwood - where Dad grew up and even got to see the farm house, and take a walk through it reliving the memories of the old wood stove, the cellar and the sheds that Dad and his brothers helped build. We drove past Dad's Ma Ma's house where he lived for a few years while attending high school in Jamestown (and where he snuck out to the pictures one night, which Ma Ma wasn't very impressed about!) We visited some more locals and the local swimming pool as it was a hot day.

The kids have had a WONDERFUL time playing lego, riding bikes and the motorbike, rounding up sheep and then sending them back to the paddock, shooting off rockets as well as feeding the chooks, collecting the eggs and feeding the pet lamb -named Shawn the sheep!

We took a day trip to Peterborough and some visited the local Motorbike museum and antique gallery (Mum was shocked to find many things which they called antique were things that she used to use only 40 years ago!) and some of us went to Steamtown, which is the museum dedicated to the development of the train system through South Australia and particularly when some 100 trains used to come through Peterborough each day, to be directed north, south, east and west and to be serviced etc.

It was a very busy place and the Sound and Light show we went to one evening gave a fantastic historical overview of what these days of steam meant to the area and the way it built the town up to 7000 people, with thriving businesses and busy workers. And then how the demise of steam meant the closure of so many businesses and now a town with only 1700 people. It really was a wonderful era and the men worked so hard loving the sound of the whistle and the smell of the steam - Jerome loved all this of course.

Peterborough is the only place in Australia where the three gauges - standard, narrow and broad all exist together and are all on the large turntable at the train yards. It was here that many trains were unloaded and reloaded so that the train with its passengers and goods could continue on, with so many changes of gauge throughout the country - SA, Vic were broad, NSW standard and Qld, WA were narrow, I think, here was where much work was done in train travel and transport.

This has been a truly wonderful week and our time with family here in Jamestown has been special and very memorable. We have loved seeing the sights that were held dear by Dad when he was growing up, and we have greatly enjoyed hearing the stories and reminiscing that created his life in the early years before the family left for WA in 1955, when Dad was 17. We can learn so much from history and it has been so wonderful for us to get to know Dads family over here, they are such generous people, cooking wonderful meals and sharing their home with us all. The kids are all wanting to come back for another visit some time in the future, so who knows maybe we will!

On our last night we were blessed to see a most fantastic rainbow arched across the sky, it was long and high and most brilliantly coloured. It was a reminder to us that no matter what we face today, no matter what difficult situation we might be in, or what trying circumstance surrounds us, God is ALWAYS faithful to the promises of His Word, He is not shifting like our emotions or feelings, He is our Rock to which we can turn to in the midst of our trials and He will give us the strength to see us through. He is faithful.

ADELAIDE/WAIKERIE

We have had a fantastic week enjoying South Australia and also the company of family and friends. We were in Adelaide for a few days and visited with our friends, the Wuttke's - Adrian had organized a group to come over to the MMC this year and they have all been very blessed and encouraged by that. We had some wonderful fellowship and we really enjoyed going to church with them. The kids all got involved in the family service with a guest kids Musician which made it fun and interactive.

We took the tram to Glenelg on a sunny Sunday and enjoyed the beach side of Adelaide. The wind was cool down on the coast, but we all enjoyed the ride and our lunch down there. Then we went into the city for a look and to the Botanic Gardens which had huge Morton Bay Fig trees to climb on. It was a nice day out and about.

Monday saw us go to Belair National Park for a picnic and to catch up with friends of Mum and Dad. They were a lovely couple who Mum knew from teacher training college many years ago. It was a sunny day and we went for a walk up to Old Government House and then we drove on up to Mt Lofty at 727m it's the highest peak that overlooks the city of Adelaide. It was a nice view from up there and nice and cool, 12degrees at 3.30pm brrr!

Tuesday was cold morning, about 6 degrees, but it did warm up a bit more. We had a quiet day with a walk to a local park for some and a trip into the city for some, along with food shopping etc.

Wednesday we left Adelaide and headed to Waikerie, in the Riverland region of SA. Our friends here were a couple that renovated Dad and Mum's house on the farm, back in the early 70's. They are a wonderful family whom we have had contact with over many years and we now enjoy the friendship of their children as well. Well we were in for a few days of the most generous hospitality imaginable. As well as local tour guides who took us all around the district giving us a greater understanding of the Riverland and the plight of the Murray River and those who use it.

Having lived in the area most of his life Trevor is a wealth of information. We went along the Murray River to a lookout and went for a walk along the cliffs that border the river. It is flowing and a lot of the lagoons alongside it are brimming with water. It is said if the rain is as good next year, as this year the River may be in flood, something that hasn't happened for some decade or so, and needs to happen to sustain the flora and fauna all along the Murray River. The Murray Basin covers one seventh of our continent and stretches up to Queensland right through NSW, Victoria and into SA, 1450km long and 1000km wide. 1.90 million people live in this area and use 80% of the water that flows down the Murray. Unfortunately we can't sustain that and we have had a new insight about the need to curb our greed so we can allow our environment to continue to produce what we need, rather than what we want. It is amazing to see brown farmland bordering lush green grape vines - all because of irrigation.

We also visited an avocado farm and packing shed, and an orange packing shed which were both very interesting. It is a poor season for the oranges with a hot spell last year causing blossoms to drop and therefore less fruit also late frost didn't help. They will pack 12 tonne of fruit this year as opposed to 40 in a good year and they pack a 3kg bag every 3 seconds with their new packing machine! Some goes in export to Asia and some to the west so keep an eye out for the LocSweet label!

We took a 4km walk in the wetlands at a local winery and then a swim in Lake Bonny at Barmera. It was a wonderful few days and we remembered coming to Waikerie in 1983 as a family, then in 1990 with a group of young people after going to a conference in Adelaide and still the Wuttke's are so hospitable and generous in all they do for their visitors. They are a real example of community both being involved in the establishment of a local Lutheran school and involved in many community projects. What a blessing it is to have time with friends when it is the Lord who links our hearts and lives together. And not only that, they provided an adventure playground for the kids with a bouncy castle, bikes and indoor games, pool table and toys - OUTSTANDING!!!

Family reunion

We left Victor Harbor on Friday and headed up to Adelaide to stay at the Adelaide shores Park, which had a stay for free night (always a bonus when on a budget!) Darren enjoyed speaking at a Men's group on Friday evening.

We enjoyed the park and the pool there, we even had some nice warm days for a change! We went to the National Railway Museum and for a train ride at Semaphore (like Freo). We went to church on the Sunday and then to dinner with some families that Darren had met on Friday evening. It was great fellowship and we were very blessed to meet and encourage some more like minded people.

On Monday we came back to Victor Harbor and then popped back up to Adelaide to pick up Dad and Mum from the airport - great excitement at seeing them and then GREAT EXCITEMENT as Nic and Jen and the boys arrived later on Monday evening. It has been a restful week at Victor Harbor, enjoying the sights and the sunshine. We climbed The Bluff, took a ride on the Horse drawn tram to Granite Island, went out the the mouth of the Murray, visited a Motor Museum and generally the kids had LOTS of fun playing together and enjoying each others company, as we all did. It is sooo nice to see family again and to spend time together.

We are in Adelaide now, we will visit friends, see some sights and will be here till Wednesday when we head out to Waikerie for some time before going on to Jamestown where Dad grew up. We look forward to hearing all the childhood stories from Dad when we go there!