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Tweed Initiation
We’ve passed the Tweed Initiation! Life has been exciting up here. Thursday (30th March) we had an impressive amount of about 700ml rain in a day – surrounded by water we felt like we were back in our former Scotland Island house. But there was more to come that night. It was dark, noisy, scary and power went off so we couldn’t see what was happening here or further upstream via internet. However, we passed the Tweed initiation test well! Those who have been here longer than us can no longer say that we haven’t seen a ‘real’ flood. Our house and garden are as though it didn’t even rain but the fences didn’t fare so well – especially our brand new regen fence. Some of it survived and stands draped in vegetation litter. Amazingly my kayak tied to the fence survived. Our river-side land now stands much higher on possibly a foot or more of silt. I remember learning at school about the fertility of the silt deposited on the Nile floodplains – well it happens on the Rous river too! We are very happy this didn’t happen 2 years ago. We moved here on March 26th 2015 (2 years and 4 days before Debbie sent us her love) and didn’t know anyone or anything about local matters.
We helped our neighbours fix their fences – worse than ours. Grahame has picked up lots of tips from Martin – will come in handy when we get to fix ours. The cows were bored confined to a few small paddocks but it will be some time before we can let them out so their owner came and took them back. They even increased in number – a new calf was born during the flood.
Ironically the worst part was having NO WATER inside the house when outside it was everywhere! No power means no water for us and power was off for several days. Guess what – a generator and solar panels have instantly been escalated to the top of our ‘to do’ list. We were however, more prepared than we thought – found a 15l container of water and lanterns in our camping supplies.
Numinbah road was littered with trees and landslides so we were cutoff in both directions – the causeway wasn’t even visible. …not that we wanted to go anywhere! However with no phones, internet or news of any sort we were concerned about Chillingham village so walked up on Saturday, climbing over the huge tree blocking the road. Rounding the corner, we were delighted to see Bucks farm, Chillingham Village store and hall looking as though nothing had happened. We were even more delighted to see Trevor’s bridge standing in all its glory over the pond. Further on play equipment from the preschool strewn on the broken walkway was a saddening site and a preview of the extensive damage to the preschool we saw later on. The good news is that the landcare plants some of us planted behind the preschool and next to the fire brigade over 2 Sundays were still alive. Judy and Milton’s house had been ankle-deep in water but with the help of friends a lot of cleaning up had been done by the time we arrived – a big job but they were cheerful. Unusual things happen in a flood – a freezer full of frozen food had turned up in their garden – owners unknown! On Monday we made it into Murwillumbah and saw the devastation and heartbreak of some small business owners in South Murwillumbah. But the cleanup has been well done and everyone is helping each other and doing what needs to be done.
Power eventually returned after several days, then NBN and phone after several more days.
Chillingham village houses as well as Murwillumbah have been badly damaged as have many roads. Lismore and Murwillumbah made the news but Chillingham didn’t – no news centre here and no road access! At the Chillingham Community Centre last Sunday we held a free sausage sizzle. It was a wonderful event – such a special community and so good talking with locals, some I hadn’t met before. Natural disasters like this are draining emotionally as well as physically. Tweed council, SES and fire brigade have been fabulous. It took some time to open our roads and get power reconnected because most of the Tweed council trucks and equipment were flooded – there were only 2 working, that employees had illegally taken home for the night! 4 handsome firemen arrived at our place last week to check we were OK. They were from Sydney. I was very happy to know that they were checking all properties – because everyone was cut-off both physically and electronically (no power, internet or phone) I was concerned for older farmers etc. The SES people at the sausage sizzle, some also from Sydney, were also fabulous – talking to people and asking how they could help, washing out flooded homes etc. Cleaning up after a flood is a big job. We now have a porta-loo in a tree beside our river as well as garbage bins – and I found a toy racing car. The good news is that our river regeneration program is still going ahead despite the damage to fences.
All pretty-much back to normal now, except for the fences. Life continues to be an adventure.
Posted in RousHouse
Local Rocks
Since moving to Chillingham, one of my favourite pastimes has become fossicking for interesting rocks carried by our river, the Rous. Although a complete novice I’ve collected some pretty rocks.
I was delighted to discover Alec Chapman at the Chillingham markets. Alec has been fossicking for rocks since very young and has become quite an expert. His stall ‘Crystal Cravings’ is a must to visit at the markets. Beautiful crystals and stones – and you will leave much more knowledgeable after a chat with Alec.
Alec educated me about the names of some local ‘rocks’. But what to do with all the rocks I collected?
They’d look good polished I thought, though not all of them – some are best kept in their natural state. My husband tuned in and a rock tumbler arrived on my birthday. The picture below is the first result – and there are better stones to come! Examples of carnelian, chalcedony and green jasper all appear. I’ll find out more names for next time.
Now a new question – what to do with the polished rocks? Rock art seems the way to go!
Posted in RousHouse
New Zealand tour with Chillingham Voices
Very successful tour. Pics and notes coming soon.
Posted in Events
Spring Flowers
New rose – ‘Fearless’, iceland poppies, california poppies, snap-dragons. Some of the delights of our garden.
Posted in RousHouse
Taking off 2 – Chillingham Voices
We’ve survived enjoyed our ‘dress rehearsal’ – now its time to pack. Chillingham Voices are off to tour New Zealand October 3-13.
Posted in Events
Tyalgum Music Festival
Tyalgum music festival was a big success. The music was superb – loved ushering.
Creating new songs about our area with Cathy Milliken was very special – a unique happening. Chillingham Voices and Murwillumbah Philharmonia choirs performed them well. I’ve only heard praise for the event.
Posted in Events
Grandma by Myles
Grandma
by Myles Cover (Joyce Hammond’s grandson & Nettie Cubbin’s great-great-grandson)
Presented as part of the launch of ‘Cradled by Man’ at Nettie’s birthday party
King Island July 16th 2016
We would like to give thanks
to a wonderful woman from Manx
Who had a great love of history
and loved to uncover a mystery
Her ancestors you see
had a strong link with the sea
Her grandma Nettie
who you, no doubt, know already
Was born on the shore
whilst the wind did roar
As their ship, the Netherby
was claimed by the sea
But the story does not end there
for although it is quite rare
Our family is amongst the ranks
of those who came from Manx
And Joyce, that is her name you see
knew that it was meant to be
These two islands, at the ends of the earth
were both of very similar girth
This story and many more
she would tell us, and we would never bore
Cause her creativity was amazingly rare
and so was her purple hair
She also had a great sweet tooth
and that, my friends, is the truth
For she would often skip the main
cause it was, simply, too plain
And instead go straight for pud
seconds you ask? Yes she would
And us boys, her grandkids, would try in vain
towards our parents, to explain
That we wanted dessert first, that was our choice
and why couldn’t we, we were just following Joyce
So without Joyce, historian, storyteller and sleuth
and our mum Jenni, in truth
We would not have, to this island flown
cause we would not have known
About our incredible family tale
and how we all hail
From a remote little beach
from here, an arm’s reach
Posted in Events
150 year Netherby Celebrations: Shipwreck and birth of Nettie (my great-grandmother) on King Island beach
Netherby celebrations – King Island July 2016
150 years after the Netherby met its fate
We returned to King Island to celebrate
The survival of all passengers and crew
Plus the birth of one more – brand new
On Thursday 14th we went to the shipwreck site
And saw the wild surf, felt the wind bite
The hardship of that event hit home
And called forth from me this poem
Meeting many descendants was a real treat
Getting us all there an amazing feat
The organisers deserve accolades galore
The locals a warm welcome did ensure
My family basked in Caroline’s colours so bold
In fishermen’s houses buffered from the cold
Surrounded by her art even in the shower
She is truly a living treasure
The lighthouses soar high, the cheeses taste divine,
The penguins are cute and the art sublime
But the restaurant without food is unique for sure
And the cream cakes to die for
Our ancestors, the Cubbins, from the Isle of Man did sail
But were wrecked on another Isle and lived to tell the tale
Interestingly their Isle and the Isle of their daughter’s birth
Share a love of cream-cakes as well as the same shape and girth
Nettie’s birthday on Saturday night we did celebrate
We sang happy birthday and cut the cake
‘Cradled by Man’ was launched and Myles shared his wit
Then the bush dance began and around the room we did flit
A wonderful weekend full of King Island charm
Friends Ted and Carmel showed us their impressive farm
The food, the people, the museum, the art
We explored, we laughed, King Island you took our heart
Many thanks for the organisation superb
For the tales of many descendants we heard
For the food and good cheer
But especially for the memories of ancestors so dear
The wonderful celebrations on King Island were all recorded. See Netherby2016.com – go into facebook page and look at videos. Myles super poem is there and my speech, sadly missing the part at the beginning about the similarities between the Isle of Man and King Island: size and shape almost the size – but more importantly they both make exceptional cream-cakes.
Posted in Events
Quaint & Curious
Premier showing of the ‘black lace dress’ and dinner suit.
Complete with full slit makes me feel like an opera singer.
Posted in Events
Myles and Jane Wedding
Myles and Jane’s wedding was like no other
Complete with, in Seattle, the other brother
Bob, the kelpie, bedecked with bow-tie
Between man and wife did lie
Jane looked so beautiful in her dress of red lace
Lovely flowers, thanks to Lucy, embellished the space
Myles striking in his pink shirt and beard of red
A wonderful setting in which to be wed
Family witnessed the ceremony inside
Oblivious of the deluge drenching others in its stride
When Myles gave Jane her wedding ring
Frank couldn’t stop his smile widening
Then champagne corks popped and cheers we did make
A wedding, news of success and a birthday cake
Jane was married, had a new job and turned thirty
Indeed a hat-trick – a win of three
Without getting wet to lunch we walked
And ate delicious food while we talked
The food and company were very special – a real treat
And not getting wet quite a feat
To cap the event we partied on
At an iconic Uni pub – the Duck and Swan
Many friends came to celebrate the special day
And talked, ate, drank and danced the night away
The speeches were insightful and fun
Especially that of Myles, our son
The cake was unique, featuring watermelon
The friends impressive – a strong bond
June 4th 2016 was a day many will remember
In Chillingham 10 inches of rain caused a raging river
And in Sydney houses crashed into the sea
For an exceptional pair what day could more fitting be
(Bob showing off his bow-tie)
Posted in Events
We have hens
‘Spicks’, ‘Specks’ and ‘Short black’ – have settled in well.
….still trying to get good photos – they love scratching under the trees.
They are very good girls – put themselves to bed …even by 5pm when I have to go to choir.
Posted in RousHouse
Last mango – 1.5 kg
Our mango tree produced fruit for the first time. Storm early December destroyed most of them …but the few that remained grew sooo big. …and tasted really good. The last one weighed 1.5 kg and lasted us all week for breakfast.
Posted in RousHouse
Raising the Flag at RousHouse April 2015
Our first flag …present from Rex & Myles …the Isle of Man. Proper flag-raising ceremony! ..during rainy Easter.
Posted in Uncategorized
My Rous river rock collection
Too many precious stones for verandah …now fairy rings around the oak tree.
Our masked lapwing residents (plovers) clearly enjoy the fairies! This is their favourite spot in the garden.
Posted in RousHouse
Chillingham Choir Christmas Party
The Chillingham Voices Choir holds its Christmas party each year in early January – most sensible! This year it was on Friday Jan 8th.
A great night – wonderful performances by many choir members and a delicious dinner at interval.
The highlight of the night was ‘Bad Abba’ – performed by 4 delightfully bad, be-wigged ‘Abba – gals’ …plus guitarist.
Grahame and I did our bit. We both recited ‘The move to RousHouse’, a piece I quickly put together. Grahame recited his ‘Lights in the Darkness’ from the book ‘Water Access Only – Tales and Images from Pittwater’, which made a big impact on many judging by comments afterwards. …and the fun-piece I wrote for my Chillingham bridge buddies (who are all altos in the choir), ‘The Alto Bridge’, was sung by Liz, Lou, Susanne and myself. Our rehearsal was such fun – we all love ‘Queen’ – and the performance, being towards the end of the concert, after we’d all had too much champagne, was predictably less than perfect but loved by the audience. I still keep singing it – can’t get it out of my head!
The Move to RousHouse
It was late last March that we made the move
Not knowing about you people who groove
We were greeted by ducks and ibis too
Who like the rain more than we do.
Unpacking was fun
Punctuated by meals in the sun
Space is the essence of our house
Together with the delights of the wondrous Rous
It didn’t take long
Before we were part of the song
The community is such a treat
Warm, crazy, caring, fun – truly neat
Choir is a great night with Harley at the helm
And the ‘Hot Chilli Chicks’ dwell in a higher realm
The music is great but supper is the heart
…not to mention Lynne’s eggs for baking that tart
Bridge is not for all – but the morning teas were such fun
A few came and went but the core group didn’t run.
Lou, Liz and Susanne have become my best mates
The competition is fierce …but first rate
Two more are learning but we need two more
…. to make a table of four
Grahame won’t play, nor will Brian or Ed
They must be scared they will be beaten by the women they wed.
Our vege garden has been a sight to behold
Broccoli, snow-peas, more than can be told
The coffee, a labour of love, is so fine
And the lemon cello truly divine
Growing anything at all is a breeze
But how to stop the weeds?
We sit and watch the lawn grow
Maybe Hugh will make us a robot to mow
Collecting cow-poo under a vivid sunset sky
Is one of life’s treasures money can’t buy
Our platypus is such a joy to see
As are the birds, frogs and rainforest trees
But the best part of all it is clear
Is that it is so good just being here
Creative juices are flowing
Each moment precious adventures sowing
Lights in the Darkness
The Alto Bridge
(To the tune of ‘We three kings’ – no chorus)
Although we always sing in tune
To sing ‘the tune’ would be a boon
But without us there would be
…no-o-o harmony
We allow the sops to stand out
But really we have more clout
Don’t be fooled – we are not slow
Though we always sing low
We are the bridge because we think
Providing the most essential link
Joining sops, tenors, basses too
Really we are the glue
To a challenge we always rise
So it really is no surprise
Not only singing is our quest
We play bridge with the best
(to the tune of ‘We are the champions’ by Queen)
We are the bri-dge girls my friends
And we’ll keep on bridging ‘til the end
We are the bri-dge
We are the bri-dge
No cards are too hard
‘cause we are the bri-dge …for the choir
Posted in Events
New Years Eve – Great Birthday
New years eve 2015 was a wonderful, memorable birthday. Began with delicious breakfast cooked by Myles, Jane, Rex, Jemma. Then birthday cake cooked by Grahame.
Finale – New Years Eve Masked Party at RousHouse …our house-warming party.
No mask – no party!
Fun, peaceful way to see in 2016 surrounded by family and good friends.
Posted in RousHouse
