Fishing at the Southend drain

When I was a kid I remember going fishing here a fair bit. Mainly with my mum, or my Gran. Gran lived in Southend, and we'd spend a lot of time here in the holidays.

It seemed fitting that I ended up here in the afternoon with my daughters on Mothers Day on a whim. I can't remember who's idea that was, but after the idea had stewed around in my brain, I quickly packed the car and we were down the road.

Such a peaceful place despite the sound of motorbikes buzzing about when we got there.

Summer and Brett are not the most patient of fisher people. Isabel and I are kindred spirits when it comes to fishing. As the rain set in around five o'clock, she and I donned our jackets and hoods and would not budge. The other two sitting in the car reminding us it was raining(like we didn't know that), and Summer could be clearly heard complaining in the back seat.

We had already caught two good mullets, and the fish had gone off the bite but I didn't want to spoil Isabel's determination and perseverance. I know that feeling oh so well, she is just like me when it comes to fishing. We could stand there all day. I guess it shows we have hope, faith and persistence. It's not such a bad thing.

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As the sun set on 2018

We headed to Southend in the afternoon, driving along the beach to find a spot not too windy. The go kart was unloaded first, then the beach mat, chairs and esky were put in position.

We were ready to say goodbye to 2018.

It was a beautiful day and we couldn't have had it any better. Dinner was cooked on the back tray of the ute, on our camping bbq, sausages and lamb chops. So Australian. With bread and sauce.

Friends joined us. The kids searched for white currants on the bushes in the dunes, close to where we trudged over for toilet trips. They rode the go kart along the beach, the other beach goers, amused by the sight. The surf was perfect as they swam and dug in the sand.

The sunset was beautiful, the beach full of holiday makers, doing the same thing as us. Saying goodbye to another year. Camp fires dotted the coastline, as darkness came and we waited to watch the  early fireworks, across the bay at Beachport.

Then it came time to pack up and head home. We never made midnight, after a tiring day at the beach.

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A weekend to remember

As far as Australia Day long weekends go, this one was the best!

On Friday morning we made our way down to have Australia Day breakfast in the park. I love the eggs cooked in toast and the bacon. It just tastes so bloody good, surrounded by our friends and other community members.

Around lunch time I jumped on a bus at the Sommery (local pub) with a heap of other cool humans to attend the Red Hot Summer Tour concert, at the old gaol in Mount Gambier. It was awesome. I had the BEST day! 

The line up was amazing and I had a glorious time, reliving my youth. The portaloos were a disgusting mess by the end of the day though, can I just say.

Moving Pictures, Screaming Jets, Chocolate Starfish, Baby Animals, The Angels and Suzi Quattro. They were ALL fantastic performers, I hadn't seen any of them before. I am totally signing up for next year, I hope the showmenship is as awesome.

Saturday we hung out at the beach until the sun went down. Another fantastic day with our neighbours, this is becoming somewhat of a tradition, and I like it!

Sunday we were all relaxed with a quiet day at home with the aircon, before school begins for the year, and I go back to work at the gymnastics club for Term 1.

How did your long weekend go?
Tell me. What bands take you back to another time?

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Southend Bush Tucker trail - Coastal connections

At this time of year Natural Resources South East hold the Coastal Connections programs for children in our local coastal towns.

For the last couple of years I have had intentions of taking the kids along, but life gets busy and I forget.

It seems you need to be quick to book in, because places fill up fast. I managed to get myself and the girls booked into the Bush Tucker Trail event in Southend. Isabel decided she didn't want to come(only because I was cleaning a holiday house in Rendelsham on the way), so Summer and I went along yesterday.

We ate icecream on the beach first and went to the "Geltwood" anchor lookout to kill some time before the tour. I can highly recommend the 'unicorn' Gaytime. YUM!

It was very interesting to learn which plants we can can enjoy getting a taste of along our coast. I was even surprised at ones I'd never noticed before. It was a biggish group and most of the time we were lagging behind a bit, so I didn't catch some of the proper names of the plants, and google wasn't much help, so I can't pass on all the names of things. They all tasted okay!

We tried wattle seeds, a bit nutty. The guide said if you roast them they are amazing, a cross between popcorn and roasted nuts. Any wattle seed is edible so I am going to find a tree and raid it of seeds.

I was a little disappointed that the tour guides didn't point out the Muntrie berries to the other people on the trail. I could see them and knew of them. The guides were not from our area, and it seemed silly to me that they wouldn't point out an edible berry, native only to our area of the Limestone Coast.

The guides took us along the Rainbow Rocks walking trail, with fantastic views of the coast line I hadn't seen before, or for a long time. Going back again soon!

Native cherry. The seed is on the outside of the fruit! that little black bit. The fruit is the light pink berry.

This plant has loads of Vitamin C, and seafarers in the old days used it to avoid or cure scurvy. You need to cook it first though or it will make you crook. Bit like spinach apparently.

White berries, don't ask me the name. They don't taste too bad. 

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