This Adventurous Age

Adventures travelling and working around Australia.

Author Archives: wendyviney


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1999 Travels October 6

WEDNESDAY 6 OCTOBER    HEALESVILLE

We were up at 6.45am, because we both had appointments with our doctor, starting at 8.40.

John was put onto a new anti-inflammatory – Celebrex, and given anti-reflux medication. He was also given a serious order for a colonoscopy, given his siblings’ history of bowel cancer.

I had a routine test done, and some rough skin burnt off my nose – sun-damaged, but not of concern. He was satisfied with my blood pressure – 140/90. We both got new scripts written.

Continued on to Waverley and picked up the Chescold fridge – all fixed, for $60.

Then we went home. I left Dad’s ashes in my wardrobe. We left things we are not taking to Tasmania. John put the roof rack contents back up there, on the new rack. I searched for one of our warm sleeping bags, in case we decided we wanted to do an overnight hike whilst in Tasmania, but couldn’t find one, so I took a grubby, thinner one from the store cupboard in the shed.

On the way back, in Healesville, took the grubby sleeping bag, and the two lambswool seat covers from Truck, to the big dry cleaners there.

John is, understandably, quite upset at the prospect of a colonoscopy, however, I phoned and made the appointment for him.

Tea was soup, rissoles and broad beans.


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1999 Travels October 5

TUESDAY 5 OCTOBER     HEALESVILLE

We were up fairly early, due to having dentist appointments. Down the highway again – getting to know the road from Healesville to Lilydale, very well. At least, it is a really pretty drive.

John was in the chair for ninety minutes. The next visit may see his work completed, for which he will be exceedingly grateful!

The stitch was taken out of my jaw, which has healed adequately.

We went to a local funeral place, and collected my father’s ashes, which they had been holding for nearly three years! Rather remiss of me, I guess, but I have not been able to decide where they should go, and brother is no help. But it feels more appropriate that they should now wait at home, and I will leave them there when we go back tomorrow.

Went on to the bowls club for practice, which was not very enjoyable. John was grouchy after the dental ordeal, even though it was he who insisted we do the bowls.

It was after 4pm when we got back to the van – and it was a very late lunch!

Tea was more of the mushroom soup, and fried rice.


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1999 Travels October 4

MONDAY 4 OCTOBER     HEALESVILLE

John wanted to go to Lilydale for us both to practice bowls, so we hit the highway yet again.

When we got to the club, there were games on and no space for casual practice. So we went to the Lilydale Lake and walked around that, which was enough exertion for the day.

Back at the van, I made a batch of mushroom and barley soup. We had some of that for tea, with cold roast chicken.


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1999 Travels October 3

SUNDAY 3 OCTOBER     HEALESVILLE

After breakfast, we drove back into the city – to go to the annual Woodwork Show at the Exhibition Centre.

Refuelled Truck on the way – 70cpl.

We hadn’t been to “Jeff’s Shed” before and found that impressive, in that it is very suited to the exhibiting function. There were sufficient ticketing points so we didn’t have to queue for long. But the floor gets very hard after a while of walking and standing around on it!

The show was much more interesting than I had expected. John found a book on walking stick making that he’d been looking for, for a while. There were, of course, lots of the latest machines there, for him to dream of having, one day!

From there, we drove to Brunswick, to a specialist print gallery to see my brother’s latest exhibition. It was the last day, so we were lucky to catch it. He’d sold most of the exhibits, so did really well with the small monotypes that are his latest direction. They are very “moody”.

After we’d finished looking around, we had coffee with brother, and arranged to have dinner at their place, in a couple of weeks.

Back to the van. I was conscious that there were two small chickens to be roasted, and time was getting on. It was fortunate that they were small, because I managed to have dinner ready about 7pm.

I phoned a couple of friends, to arrange to catch up, while we are here.

We got fuel in Lilydale, this morning, on the way through. We are really using up the diesel with all the city driving. Did another 152kms today.


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1999 Travels October 2

SATURDAY 2 OCTOBER    HEALESVILLE

John had bowls at Lilydale in the afternoon, so after an early lunch we drove there. He went to bowls, I had a lovely walk around the Lilydale Lake – about 3kms. Then I brought Truck back to Healesville.

Did a bit of food shopping in the town, bought papers.

Spent some time reading the weekend papers, then it was time to go collect John from bowls. He was happy because he’d played well.

We drove on to his daughter R’s, in Carlton, for tea. She was pleased to see us but was not feeling too well, after a big night out, last night! This was the first time we had seen her flat.

Tea was ricotta ravioli with pumpkin sauce, and rice pudding for desert. All suitably mushy for me! For which I was very grateful to R.

John gave R his sister’s opal pendant.

We were ordered out at about 9.30! The long drive back to Healesville was quite good, at that time – too early for the crowds from pubs, theatres and the like. All that running around today tallied up 199kms.


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1999 Travels October 1

FRIDAY 1 OCTOBER     HEALESVILLE

I was pleased to see the end of September. It had mostly not been a great month.

John drove to Lilydale to practice bowls, and was away for several hours.

I had a quiet day around the van.

In the early evening, we drove back to Lilydale to have tea at a hotel where K’s brother in law is chef. The meal out was K’s birthday present to John.

While we were driving down, I took a phone call from John’s brother C, who wanted to thank us for the family photos I sent. I had a chat with him and Z. He got ‘flu really badly after returning from Melbourne – thinks he probably picked it up on the plane.

For tea I had chicken parma and John had fish. There was not a huge choice, especially for someone with limited chewing! It was an enjoyable night – good to spend time with K and P.


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1999 Travels September 30

THURSDAY 30 SEPTEMBER     HEALESVILLE

We set out today to take care of a number of things that needed doing.

Our first stop was at a manufacturing jeweller in Croydon, who had been recommended to us. He really knows gemstones – we were impressed. We ordered a ring each to be made using two of the cut zircons from Mud Tank.

Drove into the city, to Radio Parts, where John bought some new bits for the TV aerial. The quest to get a TV picture that he is happy with is a never-ending crusade for John!

Since we were not too far away, we went to Station Pier, checking out the route we would be taking the van on, to the ferry. We walked around the pier, checking that out.

Returned in the direction of home via the former SE Freeway – it was very slow travel.

We detoured to take the Chescold fridge to Electrolux in Waverley, for repair of the gas workings that failed in the Simpson Desert.

My face was very swollen and seemed infected, so it was back to the dentist. He checked other teeth and found them alright, so I was put on a course of penicillin. I was cross and unhappy.

Tea was soup for me. John had fries, bacon and eggs too.


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1999 Travels September 28

TUESDAY 28 SEPTEMBER     HEALESVILLE

We had late morning appointments with our dentist. He did some more work on John’s tooth.

Then it was my turn. What was to be a filling replacement turned into an extraction, because the whole tooth was cracked. My dentist had a ’97 record of this being so, but it hadn’t been mentioned by the man who did the root canal filling on it in Cairns! I felt cheated, because the root canal was therefore always doomed to failure, so I paid a lot of money for a poor service. Because of the cracks, the tooth came out in pieces, and it was not pleasant!

We drove to Ringwood so John could take the video machine in for repairs. Then we went back to the van, getting fuel in Lilydale for 73cpl.

After four hours, my gum was still bleeding. I phoned the dentist and we had to drive back there so he could stitch the wound – yet more anaesthetic. The bleeding was due to the aspirin I take each day. Not expecting to have the tooth out, I hadn’t stopped taking this – and hadn’t even thought to tell him, in the shock of finding out the tooth had to come out. But I was amazed that the aspirin has such a pronounced effect.

I finished the day feeling extremely sorry for myself.

Tea was just soup!