Ian from Sydney

Oopps! cheers.

Just thought I would pop in and say hello as it has been an age since I visited your page. You have some wonderful photo's added since I last looked. Love the cloud formations - wonderful and the birds which I have never seen such beautiful colours. Hope you are now rested and recovered from your long trip. xx

G'Day Ian, at least one other noticed, got a message on my page.
I recently had a flight to and from Gawler (Adelaide), that was fun, took a photo of Point Cook from the air, thought of you and your flight training days.

Put the photo in my gallery, not the best shot it was to overcast.

Is that really your new baby Ian? I am suitably impressed. I take it you mean to hit the road big style! Spain was as usual lovely. Temperatures in the seventies meant wonderful afternoons sipping sangria and eating tapas by the beach... endless fun for five days. I love the country and the people, such a beautiful place to be.

Ian, thanks so much for your note:

"Judy, I like what you say- and how you say it." Now, I'm here, I'm going to check out that motor home -- looks intriguing!

Hi Ian and thank you for your concern, I sent you a private message. If that is your motorhome, wow! I bet you are anxious to go. It looks wonderful and Mercedes engine...double wow! Cruise control will keep you from getting in trouble! I would like to hear more about your plans...trip plans!

Orianne, I am happy to say that this motorhome is our new baby. We bought it at the Sydney Camping and Caravan Show last week. We did a terrific deal and part of the deal is to leave it on display in the dealer's showroom for a few weeks before we pick it up.
It has two single beds down the back - we had single beds in our old caravan and far prefer it that way, it looks and is roomy and we can change the bedding to suit our own needs. Besides, tucked out of sight in between the beds is a washing machine!
It comes with the usual stove, refrigerator, microwave, flat screen TV and a shower and toilet. It also has a reversing colour TV and a small double lounge with a table that swivels out of the way up the front.
Everything is accessible from the cabin and the passenger's seat swivels around to face the table.
To say that we are as excited as schoolkids would be an understatement.
Trip planning consists of crossing the mountains and turn right (North) in winter and turn left (South ) in summer - then follow the nose of the vehicle. We hope to see parts of Australia we haven't seen before.

Oh, and I almost forgot - reverse cycle air conditioning.

Superbe...to say the least...Enjoy! It sounds very exciting. So happy for the two of you!

I just went through all of your pictures at Flickr and it was a great journey. I love looking at pictures. I was born 100 miles from NorthBay where you visited your cousin.

What fun you two will have with your new home! Am sure these next two weeks will fly by. What is your first destination after you get it? Will if have a name (your rig, not your destination)? My friends call theirs Harvey the RV (Arvey). I know, groooooan! Anyway, congratulations on the new toy!

What a wonderful idea to name your new vehicle in honor of Anne's mother -- I am sure she approves! Well, happy trails wherever you head out to -- just keep that camera at the ready, please! And now,

Congratulations, Ian and Anne, you happy campers!
Just wondering though, with only two beds...where will we all sleep?!

Hello Ian - oh, I can see you driving down the highway already. I'll put a sign up on the corner near my place so you know where to turn off.
I hope you've got a licence for that thing, I don't think your pilots licence will help!
Cheers!
Anne

Oh Ian...stop!

Must say, I loved the '27' comment. Going to have that one framed.

noice Ian.. love the new Motor Home..

Hubby and I have a caravan, no where near as Luxurious as this van. (There is a piccie of it on my flickr page). like you we have single beds, for the same reason as you do..

hehe.. all fun!!
Gail and I are not related.. we call each other twin because we are almost 'twin brides'. Gail got married a week before I did in 1983.
vdV/Steve and I call each other Cous, vdV has a dutch father, and my parents are dutch. so we are Sudoku Dutch Cousins !!

Rolanda, I got it. I suspected it was all in fun, but you never know in this crazy world of ours. Thanks for the explanation.

Truly enjoyed The Man from snowy river on your Utube and copied the Url in my Favorites. What a beautiful story of courage, determination and strenght. Thank you so much. André loved it.

Ian, I've seen films of heli pilots putting their tail down on the water - or extremely low hover over the ocean. Ocean is tough because of the water's continuous movement & possibility of being swamped. The cool and calm necessary is unbelievable.

Thanks for posting that You Tube Ian. I have always enjoyed The Man From Snowy River, in fact I own it on DVD, so this was quite a treat. Cheers my friend!

And I love the Sunliner! Have fun in it touring around the country.

Thanks for the snowy river video - it's one of my fav movies and I quite enjoyed watching it - I love that pony. Thanks again and enjoy your day, Mary

Thanks, Ian, for the trip down memory lane with "The Man From Snowy River". I have the videos and music. Wonderful!

Ian, I have been overwhelmed by the kindness shown to me for my birthday. It really does make your day to find well wishers from all over the world.
From the bottom of my heart, I thank you.
I really did appreciate that 27 thingy, made me feel like a million bucks...you wouldn't happen to have a million bucks would you cos I really feel like it?!

Terrific sunset picture. Enjoy your new toy.

Hi Ian and Anne.
Very, very NICE motorhome.
Being the sticky beak that I am I would like to see what is inside it as well!!
There will be no stopping you now.
Ciao for now.

Hi Ian. Thanks for the note about the snorkeling. The question seems to have been answered already by Chris/Canberra, so that's taken care of but when i did the sudoku in question instead of my son snorkeling in sunny Fiji (a new photo, too!) lo & behold climate change, venue change, there's my son snowboarding in Japan neat Mt Fuji (a repeated repeat!)!!! So I missed the new & only got an oldie!

Ian, your words of encouragement were really helpful, and thanks so much for sharing the story of your artist friend and how she's been able to carry on doing what she loves. My diagnosis has been a shock on many levels, and is ironic, too, because like your friend, I'm in the arts (I'm a novelist). So I'm hoping that progression will be slow and I can continue for many years. If not, then I'll just have to be open to new possibilities and call upon technology for help! Thanks again for taking time to suppport me; it means a lot.

Your new motorhome looks very nice. I hope you and Anne have lots of happy trips in it. There are lots of great places in Australia to visit. I would like to see more of it myself!

Ian, I see you have a new toy. We had one of the large ones but I would like one about that size now. Have a fun time in you new RV / motorhome / caravan.

Hi Ian, I would love to meet you and Anne if you are passing through Dubbo on your trip up north. Let me know if you decide to go this way. There is lots to see here. I know you have been before but you may not have seen everything and you can take lots of beautiful (or really hard ones)photos for the jigsaws.

Thanks for your kind words Ian. I am sorry to take so long to reply. We miss Muffin so much. We are in the middle of renovating and that is keeping us very very busy. Hope all is well with you.
Wendy

Hi Ian, thanks for your concern. yes every thing is A OK. Hubby is still on holidays which means less 'puter time. We have been busy in the garden and have had some quality time together. Cheers.[he goes back to work Monday].

Hello Ian, I guessed you were from Victoria and note you were recently down this way. I am originally from Glenaire, a district west of Cape Otway. You were in the RAAF? My second cousin, Bill Gravell (dec'd) was CO of various stations and last posting was Point Cook. I do have photos on Photobucket. http://s292.photobucket.com/albums/mm2/Elizabeth_from_Portarlington/
Only a few as I am experimenting and part of a small group who meets to learn. I would love to submit photos if I could just get my head around how to do it!! Many thanks for your inspiration, I enjoy your work very much.

Hello Ian, I have just phoned my dad and read to him your comments about Bill (known as Boy in the family). He was tickled and I will send him a copy (with a little editing - Bill died in 1993) as he would like to give it to Boy's widow Lyla who is in a nursing home. Boy and my mum were cousins and my mum's hearing is such that phone calls are very difficult. I am humbled by your comments and will tell (boast) to my photography group friends - I have already mentioned this site to them and told them of your photos! Angie has been a great source of advice and I will revisit how to upload photos to here. I gather you and Anne are hitting the trail - I shall follow with great interest. Would you and Anne please accept a jar of ripe tomato relish, it always wins first prize. It is an old, tried and true recipe. When you are down this way, pick up some more. Thankyou for the opportunity to actually talk to you.

Ian, thanks for your friendship during this mercifully brief journey through hell! Believe me, I was at a loss for words when I heard the news too, but who am I to argue with a retinal specialist? Now my husband says I'll be able to watch him grow old gracefully and grow more handsome with the passing years. Oh, brother ...
Have a wonderful weekend, Ian!

Ian, just browsing in your Gallery, I found the picture of you in the Morning Suit, how dapper you are. I also love the car, I had an MGB & loved it, because of a lack of good mechanics I decided to sell it, now have a Miata.
Added more flowers to my gallery, the iris are in bloom now.

Getting praise for a photo from the master cheered me up!
All my photos are on simple Nikon digicam. Half the time, it doesn't go off when I push the button, it waits a few seconds, and that drives me crazy! Thank goodness it went off for me just as the dolphin reached the center of the hoop. Also, I made the mistake of buying one without a viewfinder, and you cannot see that mini-TV screen in bright light.
What brand do you use?