VanDijkTrack

A while ago the lawn was extended by replacing several bushes and a path of stones with lawn turf. The lawn is growing well now so this gives the children more space to play. Especially in the beginning the Brush Turkey liked it as well and tried to take all the grass out for his mould. We had to chase him many times. Already in the first weeks we changed a pond into a sandpit.

In the 1st week of November Jan went to the Broadband World Conference in Sydney. It was fun to learn more about the local Telco&Internet environment and to catch up with a several people. The last day Jan went with another delegate (who made the pictures with his iphone) to the harbor and there we saw the “ms Volendam”, a “The Holland America Line” cruise ship. Although he considered to travel with the ship to NL, he finally took the plane to Brisbane at the end of the day.

The following weekend we bought some mountain bikes at the supermarket for cycling in the neighborhood or in the city with several tracks.  Jorick and Nicole left their bikes in The Netherlands so they were very happy with the new ones.

At Sunday we visited some friends with a pool. Nicole and  Jorick really enjoyed that. At home we have to do it with an inflatable one. When we went home there started a big tropical storm / cyclone and it was astonishing how much water can come down (110mm in 1 hour and around 200 mm over night). It was the worst storm in decennia and many houses were damaged even complete roofs were blown away, roads blocked by trees. At the shopping center a man blown into a drain by water floods and didn’t survive. Coming home we didn’t have any electricity and we were happy having a generator in the shed. The frogs were even climbing the windows.

And now looking forward to Sinterklaas …

Kind regards,

Jan, Anita, Nicole and Jorick

Digging to lay eggs

Wallum Sedgefrogs in the Frog Pont.

The Brush Turkey is still very busy and sometimes he is digging a hole into his mound. We guess that’s for a women Turkey to put in her eggs whereafter the mound gets closed. Several times a women Turkey came by so we are full of expectations. Especially Nicole is looking forward to see some small young Turkeys, but we don’t know if this will really happen.

It was hot.

In the evening we saw the Wallum Sedgefrogs sitting on the leaves in the frog pont. They are very green and make a pleasant sound.

 

We already experienced our first real hot days with a temperature far above 30 degrees. Since we don’t have a pool in the garden, we had to try something else.
 

Swinging in Pine RiversPark

Turning until you fall.

Lunch at Pine Rivers Park.

 

When we visited the Pine Rivers Park the children could play wit a range of attributes while we could enjoy the weather, lunch and read a book. The weather was hot.

 

 

Nicole started with her first tennis lessons. At school there are sport fields including a tennis ground where you can subscribe for lessons. She loved her first lesson and did a good job. Jorick was helpfull to collect all the balls as you can see

1st tennis lesson.

Jorick gathering balls.

Volley.

 

 

 

 

 
 

1st Swimming Lesson.

Follow the leader.

 

Both Jorick and Nicole also started with their first Swimming Lessons. Nicole had already some lessons in NL, but for Jorick this was the first time. Since they like playing on the beach and in the water it would be good if they could swim. The pools in the garden are making this even more relevant.  

 

 

Homework

 

Every day Nicole has to do her homework. She has to read one or more booklets, to make and write some sentences and often some mathematics. She is doing well. On the picture you can see her reading a book. Sometimes Jorick is sitting with her to listen to the stories and to look at the pictures.

 

 

 After having an engagement party in the New Farm Park, we visited the playground there and enjoyed. Especially the mysterious tree was fascinating.   We also could test our new camera there.

NewFarm Park.

A mysterious tree.

Too fast.

Ultra Zoom.

 

Purple trees in Spring.

Again another species. (Striped Rocketfrog)

In Spring the city is decorated with purple trees.
When we got home Nicole saw (again) another frog species (Striped Rocketfrog). We have the frogs here in many models, colours and sizes.

 

 

Kind regards,

Jan, Anita, Nicole and Jorick