Have had ourselves a huge few days

Mike's Uncle Frank and his new wife Debbie from Scotland have been visiting.  They've actually been out already for about 6 weeks or so, but came down to stay with us last Thursday and went home yesterday.  It has been so much fun, I haven't stopped laughing.  Couldn't understand a thing he was saying, but laughing nonetheless.  He sounded like Billy Connolly on speed!!!

All he wanted was to see a kangaroon in its own habitat and we gave him that by the bucketful.  Thursday early evening we went down to Tower Hill and saw kangaroos, emus and a few koalas added into the mix.  Frank was in his element.  It was really quite beautiful as the sun was setting and kangaroos jumping about everywhere.

And look at this little fellow.  I am not kidding, we heard a grunt high up in the tree and as we stood there watching, he slowly made his way down the trunk of the tree and sat looking at us at eye level.  It was magic.  Then he crawled right out of the tree and walked off up the track.  We kept saying it heard one too many of Frank's jokes so he was out of there!

And there were emus everywhere.  At times getting a little too close for comfort, they have quite the beak on them!  

Friday Mike took his uncle gold detecting up bush.  I think Frank thought you would wander along and see gold specks just littered across the ground.  If only it was that easy.  The poor man was absolutely exhausted by the time they got home with their four rusty nails they found!

Saturday we had a brilliant day, took them to our favourite place on earth.  The Grampians.  They were really having trouble getting their heads around the fact we would just jump in the car and drive for what seemed like hours.  It wasn't hours, it's only an hour up the road, but to them it seemed like it.

It was funny taking photos like this one.  I would be crouching down in the grass taking photos through fences and hear Frank back on the road yelling out to me "Aye, you don't have to look through the fence, it's just up there, take the photo lass."  Then when I showed him what was I getting he kind of nodded but still thought I was nuts.  But after that every time he took a photo he would with much circumstance crouch himself down, wiggle his butt (which he said I did!!) and snap a shot.  Had me in hysterics every time.

It's wonderful being able to forge new relationships with an Uncle that Mike had only met once or twice when he was a little boy.  It was absolutely terrific.  

Oh yes, what does one do with tourists to our country, have them stand in the middle of the road and take their photo!

We headed to Halls Gap and had a delicious picnic and look around, and then up to a couple of the nearby lookouts, poor Debbie and her vertigo.  But she was a trooper and kept up with us.  I absolutely love this part of the world.  We've often said we would live there in a heartbeat, but when you consider in about 5 years they've had 2 major bushfires and 2 floods, errr maybe we'll just visit.

Here is Boroka Lookout, looking back over the township of Halls Gap.

And what do you know, I was a twinnie with Uncle Frank, we had the same shorts on, almost.

The view from Reed lookout was spectacular.  Let's fact it every view was spectacular.

Frank was a hoot.  At one stage I set my camera up with the timer so it would take a photo of all of us.  Not to be outdone he said he was setting his camera up on a timer! ha!  I did not stop laughing all weekend.

The kids were just as enamoured with their new great Uncle Frank as we were.  We went in to the surf club for breakfast on Sunday morning and the kids (minus Wes who was umpiring) came in as well.  A bit of a contest as to who would sit next to Frank.  Afterwards I got some photos of the group outside.  Actually that span him out completely, the fact we would get in a car and drive 40 minutes for breakfast, apparently they don't do that in Scotland.  He soon worked out that out here in the country we have to drive a distance for everything!

And sadly today they started their journey back to Scotland, full of memories of a wonderful time in Australia.  We thoroughly enjoyed getting to know another branch of the family tree.

Oh but before I go, there was a bit of international rivalry over the weekend.  Years and years ago Mike's Uncle Jim and Aunty Gwen came out from Scotland (Frank's older brother).  Again, we took them up to the Grampians for a terrific day out and came across Jimmy's Creek.  Jim had to stop and get his photo taken next to the sign and apparently he has talked about it for a long time. 

We came across Jimmy's Creek yet again, and not to be outdone Frank grabbed the photo opportunity and asked me to put my photoshop skills to action.  

We nearly started an international incident when he sent the photo to his brother Jim, who apparently, according to his daughter, went off into a major sulk after he saw that they had renamed Jimmy's Creek to Frankie's Creek since his visit to Australia all those years ago.  If only he realised!  Oh dear.