Sunday, May 20, 2012

Strath Creek

beautiful spot surrounded by a 1000 hills

A travelogue of a journey in Victoria with a visit to my n eice's cafe! Such beautiful country where she lives.

STRATH Creek has a thousand hills and attractions, writes BAZ BLAKENEY

WE arrived in Strath Creek after dark and after battling Melbourne traffic.
The area around the creek is described as the Valley of a Thousand Hills, but all we could see in the glow of the headlights was a ribbon of bitumen.
Then next morning, as the sun winked between the trees, behold, what countryside. I didn't actually count the hills, but 1000 sounds as good a number as any.
The rolling hills include the poetically named Mt Buggery, which I am assured was named after the feeling you get when you reach the top. We didn't climb. We weren't looking for that feeling.
Our accommodation, Halls on Falls Homestead, gazes up at Mt Buggery and Mt Disappointment, where explorers Hamilton Hume and William Hovell passed.
The intrepid wayfarers expected to climb the peak and gaze out on to Port Phillip but, alas, were Disappointed. And Buggered, I'll bet.
The accommodation is top notch, cabins fitted with every convenience: full kitchens, wood-burning heaters, large-screen TVs. And everything is solar powered, say owners Peter and Lisan Hall.
Horsy types often visit because there are riding trails galore around there. But it's strictly BYO horse. There are no steeds for hire.
We relished the things we city folk had almost forgotten: the night so silent you can hear your own heartbeat, the sky lit with millions of stars, the misty mornings, and mocking kookaburras.
Nearby is the Hume and Hovell Cricket Ground. Don McQueen built himself a cricket ground roughly on the scale of the famous Lord's in London and aficionados of the ancient game roll up to wield the willow. It's a magical place in the middle of nowhere, a little Shangri-la for cricketheads.
It's available for hire for social matches and the pavilion Don built houses a smart little cafe that serves a mouth-watering list of daily specials and city-grade coffee. The cafe, recently taken over by Chris Adshead and Shaunna O'Grady, is a delight.
The cricket ground has accommodation for cricket fans, groups or even couples. There are many places to get off the beaten track around Strath Creek, with walking tracks and picnic spots.
In summer, apparently Mt Piper, near Broadford, is abuzz with butterflies. It is also handy to Tallarook State Forest, Strath Creek Falls and Warragul Rocks.
Nearby Trawool is an ethereal landscape dotted with granite outcrops. As a motorist who often takes the Hume Highway to Sydney, I wasn't aware such treasures existed just a few kilometres from the main drag.
For a majestic view of the thousand hills, stop off at the Murchison Gap lookout.
Strath Creek is also a handy base for exploring the Upper Goulburn wine region. Close to Buxton Ridge and Gioiello Estate and Little River Wines, it's not much farther to other clusters of vineyards near Mansfield and Alexandra. Make a day of it, or several days.
Kerrisdale Mountain Railway takes visitors on a chug through stunning countryside. There is also a rail museum.
A trail will soon be finished on the disused line between Tallarook and Mansfield, for cyclists, riders and walkers.
THE DEAL
Getting there: Strath Creek is an 80-minute drive northeast of Melbourne.
Staying: Halls on Falls Homestead, Strath Creek. Weekend B&B packages (two nights) start at $320 for two adults. The two cabins sleep up to 12 people or eight.
More: hallsonfallshomestead.com.au, goulburnrivervalley.com.au, humeandhovell.com.au

Friday, May 18, 2012

What sez ogrady

My much-loved Dad Brown with his granddaughter Linda Dale. He gave her away at her marriage to John Ryan in 1988, his last role as that in a long list of roles from daughters to granddaughters before he died in 1989

Dad Brown when he was William Davis
in the New Zealand Army in 1939

I very seldom put my thoughts and feelings on this blog, but rather insert family, my work, historical events and my Church stuff. Today is very cold, sunny with a strong east wind, rather an unsettling day as they can only be with east winds howling around the eaves. I am unsettled in myself and ditressed at the stuff I read in the news at times. Our Federal budget does absolutely zilch for anyone in Australia and we all long for another election. I had family all day yesterday, my brother and his wife. We spent most of the day going through all my files related to various members of our family, with them opting out to get a copy of this or that photo. In return, I will get some necessary articles that were my step-dad's, to help put the record straight of who he really is. You see, blog readers, he was born in Auckland, New Zealand, as William Davis and joined the new Zealand Army under that name. On the way to Cairo in late 1939 the ship berthed at Fremantle and Dad went off to a party out at Armadale, but there were no trains running that night for him to get back to the ship before 5am, consequently he missed it and was listed AWOL. With the help of family down south, he changed identity to that of Leonard Brown and later served in the Western Australian Army, under that name. He ended up with Mum and they had six children, with him taking the responsibility of two that were Mum's to another. Worried over the death certificate just being Leonard Brown when he died, I went to the registrar here in Perth and if I could get something that showed Dad lived as Lenoard Brown in perth in the year he died, the registrar could organise the certificate to include he was William Davis, and brother Ricky can help me with that. Then I can send a copy to the New Zealand registrar and put that side of Dad's life in order. So why am I worried? Or unsettled? As an old lady I sometimes feel that nobody really cares for me, they only care for themselves. I have been blessed to have had this man for a father all my life and he really did care for me and my brother Chris. For me it means I need to get control of myself and pray, and if I can't change minds of some family, then pray for them, leave them in Heavenly Father's hands, and get on with what i do in my own life - write. Dad's Story is completed and brother John has read half so far. The final half will be emailed to him on Monday. then a copy to Helen Weller to try my luck there. I'm halfway through the poems for the disabled artists, such wonderful people with horrific disabilities that have learnt to paint. I've almost completed my poem, a large one, on the colonial lads Charles Harper, Maitland Brown and Andrew Dempster who had such a big impact on the early history and politics of Western Australia. Dad's (O'Grady) book is out by Text publishers and the insertion of the

£10 bet that led to the writing of this book, and written by Jacinta Tynana is wonderful, a lovely epitah to Dad and her grandfather Frank, Dad's brother. At the same time as the copy of Dad's book arrived in the mail yesterday, the paper tole I had been after for some months, of Snugglepot and Cuddlepiefor little Hayley, arrived . Will add that to my paper tole I am currently doing of the Perth Australia Temple. So stop moping Colleen.

And another two Temples. They are beginning to really mushroom across the world. Such blessed events of these ensure the work for ourselves and our ancestors will continue on ten-fold. Let us all pray that these Holy edifices will be found in every nation before long.

Connecticut and Indiana Mormon Temple Renderings Released

Salt Lake City —

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormon) has released renderings of the Hartford Connecticut and Indianapolis Indiana Temples, as well as the site location of the Hartford Temple.
The proposed plans call for the Hartford Connecticut Temple to be built at 1024 Farmington Avenue in Farmington, Connecticut. The Indianapolis Indiana Temple site (in the city of Carmel on the southwest corner of the intersection of W116th and Spring Mill Road) was announced in January 2011. Renderings of both temples are below.

Indianapolis Indiana Temple

President Thomas S. Monson announced construction of both temples at the Church’s October 2010 general conference.
While tens of thousands of Church meetinghouses are open to all people who wish to attend religious services there, temples are open only to faithful Latter-day Saints after they are formally dedicated. (See a Mormon Newsroom article explaining the difference between the Church’s chapels and temples.)
Latter-day Saint temples differ from the meetinghouses or chapels where members meet for Sunday worship services. Temples are considered “houses of the Lord” where Christ’s teachings are reaffirmed through baptism and other ordinances that unite families for eternity. In the temple, Church members learn more about the purpose of life and make covenants to follow Jesus Christ and serve their fellow man.

Monday, May 7, 2012

A Fourth birthday

Jayden and I

No 1 grandson Joshua and I

Danny getting jayden organized for his race down the driveway while his son little Jack looks on, waiting his turn

Murray with a chubby little Hayley

Terri with Jayden and Joshua

My wonderful little grandson had his fourth birthday and Mum and Dad gave him a party on the Sunday, the day after his actual birthday which was the fifth of May. Terri's sister was there with her three girls, Danny came with little Jack, so Jayden had his cousins to share the day with. Party games were played and Flinstone-type kiddie cars rocketed down the driveway to the detriment of life and limb to their very junior drivers. The rain held off and the sun came out to make it a special day. And this Nanna was delighted to have her photo taken with a couple of her precious grandsons.

Kansas City Temple

Mormon News report. I get a lovely, fuzzy warm feeling when I read of a new Temple opened somewhere. Kansas City is a big Temple and so beautiful. The work that goes on in these Temples is vast and Eternal and will continue throughout the millenium. All families are Eternal or have eternal potential. Believe it so and work out your salvation to be part of it. I love the Holy Temple, love to visit and perform ordinances work there for those who have left this veil of tears.

Salt Lake City —

The Kansas City Missouri Temple was formally dedicated Sunday in three sessions by President Thomas S. Monson of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormon). The dedicatory sessions were broadcast to congregations of the Church within the temple district.
President Monson said this “stately and magnificent temple in the lovely part of the country, really the heartland of America ... will shine as a beacon of righteousness to all who will follow it's light; the light of the gospel, the light of the Savior.”

Elder Jeffrey R. Holland of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles and Elders William R. Walker and Donald L. Hallstrom of the Seventy accompanied President Monson during the weekend's events.
The purpose of a temple dedication ceremony is to set aside the building for the work of God. A Latter-day Saint dedication ceremony includes a special prayer designating the building for Church use and asking God to bless the structure and grounds. A dedication ceremony generally also includes music and talks from Church leaders.
Prior to the dedication, President Monson sealed the temple cornerstone, a tradition marking the end of construction and the beginning of the sacred work inside the temple.

And on Saturday, more than 3,000 Latter-day Saint youth performed in a cultural celebration titled, "Of One Heart in the Heartland." Cultural celebrations are held prior to temple dedications to recount the history of the area through song and dance.

Sez O'Grady

family In The Wars