Back to Kanangra....

Happy Monday Morning!

What a fun weekend. Thanks to Bill and Karen for the RIPPER of a barbie on Saturday night. It appears that the kids were all home- what better time for a barbie! We joined Bill and Karen, their children Shannon, his girlfriend Emma, their son Chris, daughter Sam and her boyfriend Shane, their neighbours Robyn and Don, Karen's sister Jodie and her partner Darryl, Bill and Scott's mate Dave and his wife Deb, the kids, Alex, Liam, and a couple of others I did not see hide nor hair of all night for a great night of reminiscing, wine tasting and bbq. Can't get much better than that, can you ?!

Oh, but wait... you can!!!

Danny and Wattsie joined us from Queensland and Sydney on their way to Wellington and we topped it off with a bushwalk in Kanagara-Boyd National Park.... you remember Kanagra.... it was where we went to Reduce Speed Campsite....

We set off on Sunday morning and had to drive back to Lithgow to Karen and Bill's because Scotty left his wallet there Saturday night. But that is okay because Jenolan Drive loops like a letter "C" around Lithgow and so we could go straight to Lithgow and drive to Jenolan from the Eastern side of Lithgow and back track to Kanagra through Jenolan.

(This is the first time I have tried to place a map in the blog and I can not get it centred or scaled to what I like. So, to see the "C" loop, you have to reduce the scale by one notch on the thingy, then put your cursor so you get the hand next to the red "A" pointer of Kanagra-Boyd National and drag down toward the bottom right right hand corner and you will see Bathurst appear in your top left hand corner and Lithgow in your top right hand corner and be able to see where we went)

View Larger Map

Easy-Peasey.

As mentioned a couple of weeks ago, we were in National Parks and could not take the kids, which means that Dolly (Grace's Yorkie) couldn't come either. I'd like to see YOU tell her that! She had her jumper on and harness and was ready for action. But alas and alak, to no avail. Cute as she is...

We arrived once again in time for lunch... food just tastes better outdoors somehow. As you can see, Kerry, Andrew, I, Scott and Grace were pretty happy to be in the great outdoors.

On Saturday I took the kids for a walk around Mount Panorama (again) and was in shorts and a singlet because it was so nice. I realised that we would be in the mountains on Sunday but thought it would still be nice. I was wrong. Well, sort of. It was just chillier than I was prepared for. So, thank you, Kerrys' Nanny for Kerry's wonderful jumper! (It kept me warm!)

Scotty and Grace were good girl guides and were prepared, and of course Kerry and Andrew are ALWAYS prepared.... I guess I am just the optimist!

Shortly after we had lunch we started a bit of a wander and what to our wondering eyes doth appear?? (It was not 3 reindeer)

But our wallaby and kangaroo from a fortnight ago... Can you find him? He is a little wee wallaby to the left of the tree in the very middle of the photo... he was little.OK, here is a tough-y, then: Can you see the joey? (for those of you who are not aware, a Joey is a baby Kangaroo) Can you see him?

Can you see him? How about now? (Click on the photo to see the oval around the joey)





He did not wait long to join his mum and mates....


Shortly after, I almost stumbled into this wombat hole... I love wombats, and took a peek in, but I could not see him.

After the excitement- a nice walk in the fresh air, joined by wildlife (Andrew and Scotty normally qualify but in this instance we also saw Kangaroo, Wallaby and a Wombat hole but no Wombats) a great picnic with family it was soon time to head back to Bathurst.

We got back in time to watch the rest of Hidden Valley (a v8 race in Darwin) followed by a disgusting NRL match- Parramatta Eels v Penrith Panthers..... the Eels were atrocious. They clearly deserved to lose. Guess who I tipped this week?! It was disgraceful. Just a terrible game.

Ah well, after such a great explore this weekend, if the worst I have to complain about is losing my tip in the Eels match, I guess I am faring pretty well.

Hope all is well in your world!

Bring on NEXT weekend!!

By the way, for those of you counting with Scotty and I, we have 25 sleeps until we land in Newfoundland!!!! YAY!

Jen's New Work

Well, week 1 has come and gone and I am feeling good about the new job.

For those of you unaware, I am the new manager at Riverside Centre. The NSW Department of Ageing, Disability and Home Care have 3 remaining Large Residential Centres. These are institutions for people with developmental and physical disability. The NSW state government are in the process of changing disability services across the state. (Thankfully.) DADHC is the largest human services organisation in NSW and as the name suggests, encompasses aged care, disability services and home care services.

Riverside Centre, is one of 3 remaining LRC (Large Residential Centres), as I mentioned. Hunter Residences encompass facilities at Stockton, Tomaree, Peat Island, and Kanangra which are all located in the Newcastle to Central Coast area of NSW. The Metro Residences are Marsden (at Westmead), Lachlan (at Ashfield) and Grosvenor. And then there is Riverside. Riverside is in Orange on the campus at Bloomfield. Between these 3 LRC there are over 1,500 residents.

I am really excited about working at Riverside; the role is a new one and so there will be a bit of an adjustment for everyone. The people are great, the staff are compassionate, competent and take pride in their work. The residents are happy and engage well and the facility itself is stunning. It is heritage listed and just gorgeous.

Monday was a bit fragmented and Tuesday I had an exec meeting in Sydney with the other LRCs. Wednesday things started to really pick up, which was a ripper because I arrived on Thursday morning and it was fan-bloody-tastic.

I did my thing until half ten again then wandered down stairs and had a chin wag with the admin crew.

After that, I said to Russell, the retiring Nurse Manager Accommodation & Services, that I was going walk about. Which I did. I got back to the office around 4pm!!! I had a lot of people to see and chat to. I really enjoyed it and the feedback was great and the staff are wonderful and compassionate and committed and the residents are delightful. I have picked up a few drawings already (a few residents who were very outgoing whom I met on Wednesday remembered me when I dropped in on Thursday and so I came back to the office with three drawings and pictures they had drawn for me and are now on my wall)

Here is the run down:

There are 6 units, one of which is the admin office.

They are all named for Rivers, hence the name Riverside. When Riverside was a part of Bloomfield hospital (1940's until 1985) the units were named after local rivers and when someone from Bloomfield was coming to the disability units they would say they were going to 'riverside' which explains things well because there ain't no river round here!

The buildings are absolutely gorgeous- as I mentioned they are heritage listed. Huge ceilings, beautiful mouldings, leadlight windows, all the beautiful things found in heritage cottages.

The campus is gorgeous also- it is surrounded by a country golf club on one side, a nature reserve on two other sides and I can't see what is on the other side of Bloomfield hospital from here in my office. Bloomfield hospital is a mental health facility with 10 or 12 units for the care of mentally ill patients and two drug and alcohol units. There is also specialist centres (6 in all) so Bloomfield is big. It is part of the Department of Health and is not us. We separated from Health in 1985 when DADHC was created. (NSW Dept of Ageing, Disability and Home Care) I have been out to Bloomfield a lot with my work with Lifeline.

Riverside is actually 8 units, 2 of which are vacant and no longer used, but because they are heritage listed, they can not be demolished so they are just there and are empty. One of them, Ward 5 will become a laundry and the washing machines arrived today and will be installed next week. (another story)

The organisation is structured like a hospital, but it is NOT a hospital in that sense of the word. I will draw you a chart: (just click it to see a larger image)

A Legend for you:
RUNM = residential unit nurse manager

RN = Registered Nurse

EN= Enrolled Nurse

AIN = Assistant in Nursing

I will start with the residential units:

Bell Unit- Bell is a unit for frail aged clients and is run by Ray (RUNM) and has 16 residents- I really like Ray, he and I are going to get along a treat.

Namoi Unit- Namoi is a bit of a mixed bag and is run by Kerry and has 15 residents- I have not had a chance to catch up with Kerry but her staff are all ok

Macleay Hostel- has 3 very highly functional residents and is the flag ship unit of Riverside- it is fitted out with all the mod cons and looks a treat. It has a kitchen and dining area unlike the other units which have a place where residents go and are fed by staff or at least where they pick up their meals to feed themselves, but in Macleay, the residents cook and prepare their own meals which is really, really good. (A nutritionist comes in a day a week to plan the following week's meals for each unit)

Peel Unit- has 14 residents, this is the only all male unit. It is divided in 2 operational units, one is high functioning and the other is very low functioning. There are 2 CJP (Criminal Justice Program) clients here. Both Macleay and Peel are run by Chris- I must have spent 2 hours here, it is great. A really well run ship and Chris and Ray are like peas in a pod and work closely, I really like Chris also. Peel does not have the luxuries or mod cons of either Macleay or Bell; largely due to the destruction of property which happens here. It also has a fenced and secure yard. Whereas the others have open courtyards and gardens and are really pretty.

Narran Unit- Narran is the unit with the most dependant and low functioning residents, it is run at the moment by Kate who is on leave and has 18 clients.

So, in testing your math, there is 66 clients, however 86 is the capacity with about 40 or so staff.

The other unit, in case you were not paying attention after looking at the org chart, there was another unit which I have not mentioned, Severn Oakes is a Day Program facility only, there is a coordinator there as well as domestic staff however it is not a residential unit.

There is a juke box and dance room as well as an art and craft room and a theatre room in Severn Oakes. Each unit also has a garden and a covered picnic area and a pretty back yard feel. Severn Oakes also has the relaxation room and spa area for residents.

Finally, Nymagee is the unit that is no longer direct care and has been transformed into an office for the administrative centre. In this office is the admin clerk, the account clerk, the Nurse Manager and his off sider, a Nurse Systems Support Coordinator and myself.

Now, there was a whole range of other positions which appear on that org chart, but they are vacant.

In a nutshell, now then, you have a bit of a picture of my new centre. More on the job another time. Hope you have a stellar weekend! I am about to take the kids for a walk.

Toodles!!

Sunday Boil Up in Boyd River National Park

Ever wonder what peace, tranquillity and serenity look like?

I can show you.....

Welcome to Boyd River National Park. This is where Scotty and I, and Kerry and Andrew spent a leisurely Sunday this past weekend. We could not take the kids, unfortunately because we were exploring a National Park and our ferocious beasts might do something horrendous and go on a rampage against Echnidas, Wallabies, Kangaroo, Wombats and other native wildlife. Not to mention the wanton destruction of all of the wonderful natural and native flora and fauna....

Yes, I am talking about our precious kids. They are forbidden to enter National Parks for the previously mentioned reasons. I mean, I know Neville comes off all aggro and Ginny is unpredictable and well Muffy and Sash are just volatile, violent creatures who firecely attack any and all who cross their path.... so it is best that they stay at home.... alone.... without anyone.... no company....

Now that I am over it and have received my grief counselling, I will tell you all about our trip to serenity and quietude...

We, the AWESOME FOURSOME, that is to say; Kerry, Andrew, Scotty and I set out on a Sunday expedition of quantum porportions...

Firstly, we drove to Oberon (where we went to the pet expo last weekend!) and took the Tourist Drive to Jenolan. Stopped for a pee and a chat to the information centre lady. (She was very nice and helpful). Then we drove to Jenolan Caves and Boyd River National Park on our way to Kanangra Walls for a bush walk. It was really pretty and quiet and we had a relaxing morning.

We followed this path that was straight out of a CS Lewis or Lewis Carroll story and I thought that perhaps we would end up with Narnians but alas and alack, no Pevensie children turned up. I thought I saw a mad hatter at one stage, but as it turned out, I was mistaken, it was just Kerry. I won't mention who Tweedle-dum and Tweedle-dee were, though.

We walked this path, avoiding or jumping into (depending on if your were Tweendle-dum or not) various puddles and enjoyed the fresh air and life to turn a corner to end up.....

at the edge of the world.

You can not get a sense of depth or dimension from this photo, which is unfortunate, as it is one of the most breathtaking sights you shall see.

After admiring the Blue Mountains, Kanangra Walls, and various other sights from our look out (I think I could see Newfoundland from here, but it turned out to only be Tasmania) we decided it was high time for some lunch. All that bushwalking creates an appetite... or, if you are Andrew Hobbit who has 5-7 meals a day, getting to Kanangra Walls was DEFINITELY lunch time.

So it was off to find a picnic site. Scotty could not take the vertigo any longer caused by Kanangra Walls so we hoofed it back to the Prado and drove to another area with less cliff and more flat bits.

We went to Reduce Speed Camp Site.... honestly, that is what the sign read: "Reduce Speed Camp Site". Only later to discover that we were at Boyd River Camp Site and not Reduce Speed Camp Site, afterall.

We got a wonderful fire going and had a boil up. It was a beautiful way to spend a Sunday. Here we were, sitting around a roaring blaze enjoying a cuppa and a tasty feed when Skippy turns up.

Closely followed by Wally the Wallaby who just had to check out who on Earth was making all that noise.... (it was Jen!)

After spending a refreshing couple of hours with a roaring fire and local wildlife, we decided to take a spin to Jenolan. My mum can attest to the fact that there is not a single stretch of straight road in the whole blooming country..... well, if she was with us on Sunday, she would be right.

We went tearing around hairpin turns and bends that made you pucker up, or at least grab onto rails, car seats, driving companion or whatever you could lay your hands on quickest- which as it turns out, is not a good practice if you are trying to eat, are holding fresh eggs, or trying to sip hot coffee, or, note to self: if the person sitting NEXT to you is trying to do either of these.

The drive is a pretty one and the destination, simply stunning. I think I may have got a sun burn on the roof of my mouth. I know I kept banging my head on the window attempting to look up at caves and mountains and things which were looming so high. I had to wear foundation today to cover up the bruise on my forehead- first day of the new job and I did not want to show up black and blue.

We went in and out of tunnel after tunnel and past these caves and massive rock formations which are just gorgeous. There is a hotel at Jenolan and we could not, for the life of us, figure out how they got the materials there to build the ruddy thing in the first place. I don't think they drove the road that we took....

I was impressed at the coach and bus activity there and the shear number of tourists out and about.

We had a marvelous time- as work has been challenging and stressful for some of the AWESOME FOURSOME, I think this trip was just what the doctor ordered, even if it was without the kids.....

Sunday at the Oberon Pet Expo

The kids decided a trip to Oberon was on the cards....


In fact, they would not let me leave the kitchen until we went for a drive...


They guarded the door pretty well, so it was off to Oberon...


Just what is an Oberon, you may ask?

Oberon is not your average small rural country town. Oberon's natural beauty, altitude and climate, as well as the proximity to the world heritage listed Jenolan Caves and greater Blue Mountains national parks system makes it one of the most prettier towns in the area. (which is saying something as I feel we live in God's Country)

At 1,113m, Oberon is the highest town in the Blue Mountains region. (which makes it bloody cold). It is the perfect hub from which to explore a multitude of unique attractions, towns & villages, including Jenolan Caves and Kanangra Boyd National Park. With four distinct,idyllic seasons and the most beautiful scenery in rural NSW, a visit to the region will reward & delight. So that is exactly what we set out to do, today.


Fast facts

• Oberon was proclaimed a village in 1863
• Popular area for trout fishing, bushwalking and fossicking for sapphires.
• 180 km west of Sydney, population 2,700

Why go there

• It's the highest town in the Blue Mountains region and some 30 km from the world-renowned Jenolan Caves.
  
• It's a strong rural community producing lambs, (yummy!) beef cattle (barbie anyone?) and a wide range of vegetables. (who needs veg when you can have LAMB?!)
• It is particularly delightful in spring, when the appearance of bulbs and colourful wildflowers joyfully greet the season. But we went today in the winter cold...
  

History
The traditional owners of the land where Oberon now stands were the Wiradjuri people. Settlement commenced along the Fish River after the discovery of gold in 1823. The town was first known as Bullock Flats, but when it was proclaimed a village, it became Oberon.


Every great trip must kick off with sustenance, which is where Cafe Savannah comes in:


It was a quirky little shop with knick knacks
And bric-a-brac
And it almost made me think of Stephen King's "Needful Things"

But we just had coffee and got out safely.

So why did WE go there you might ask??!!
Why for the Oberon Pet Expo, of course!

So what exactly is a Pet Expo?
It is a place for pet freaks like us to meet other pet freaks and feel somewhat normal....


There was agility demonstrations, a dog show and of course the odd raffle or two, and the standard jumping castle and sausage sizzle happening. All of which created a fun, fairground sort of experience. But the real event, was the fly ball.


For the un-initiated, Flyball is a relay race between two teams of four dogs. Racing side by side, one dog from each team must go over four hurdles, trigger a flyball box pedal, catch (retrieve) a ball and then return over all four hurdles to the start/finish line where the next dog eagerly awaits.


After watching these kelpies, border collies and a maltese who I must admit looked out of place in the queue, but put on a real show- it was time to take volunteers. Well, Neville just had to have a go.

Let's just say that he would not be in contention for the Australian Fly Ball Association Division 5550 Championship, let alone, Division 1. But he gave it his best.

Now, after watching Sir Lame-lot have a go, I will sign off with a video clip of two of the newbies trying