mildura - day 4 - this is long - lots of photos though - make a cuppa first!

Our last day, both happy and sad.  We were so delighted to be able to spend so much time together with such generous hosts and such special friends.  Typically it's a couple of hours for lunch when we meet up in town.  To have this block of time together was just wonderful.  We all get along so well, biggies, littlies, girls and boys.   A real joy for us all.

Miss Z is Croc Crazy and wears her big brother's all  the time!  In a bid to secure his for herself, and to rid herself of her own, she helped Woo to put her pretty red ones on.

In the end she needed a little help!

We ate inside this morning as the temperature finally dropped (I may have been a little affected by the heat I think!) and headed into town/the river for a walk and look-see before we saddled up and headed back to the Big Smoke.  Ian works in earth moving, which I think doesn't fully describe the size or importance of his job.  One of the jobs they have on at the moment is an enormous overhaul of the 'new' park area along the banks of the Murray. 

We ran a trial on some of the new equipment.  Mmm, that's the big girls on the humiliatingly awkward pully-up-and-down-thinga-ma-jig!

The little boys look so much 'cooler' on the equipment than we did!

It was the perfect morning to go walking.

This is one of the old paddle-steamers, the Rothbury, built in 1881

Beautiful pink pepper berries, unfortunately not edible.

Miss Z

The Chief Photographer - half of these photos are his.  Thanks Ian.

This one is savvy!  She can sense a camera from miles away and will shut down the smile.  Maybe she thinks it'll steal her soul?  Anyway this is a rare photo of her beautiful grin which is usually on display, unless she hears the click of a lens-cap!

This is K175 and that's about all I know!  Oh Ian said that when they were little they were allowed to climb on it.  Grrr for OH & S.

I do love the levers. 

This one was taken by me holding the camera above my head and flailing around wildly until I got a shot.

Our little family.

Air kisses.

Now I tried to edit the next few but when your subjects are a) willing and b) drop dead gorgeous it's just not possible.  They melt my heart.

Friends.

My favourite.

The lilies again.  They make me happy.  Their wide, flat pads and little upside down tutu's popping up almost as if a ballerina has stooped to do up her ribbons.

The jacarandas with the jack .....  For you Alice, I know how much you love them and summer in Australia. 

And with that we packed up and headed for home, with the most glorious sunset following at our sides. 

If you've made to the end, congratulations and thank you. 

E x