Anzac Day 2010

Before the sun rose on our Anzac Day out, I woke up five sleepie little kiddies at 4 in the morning. It was nice to wake them up instead of the other way around, which over the past nine years has happen a fair few times. Today was going to be a special Anzac day as this was going to be not only Oscar's very first Dawn service, but also we had Chase to have his very first one also.













The whole mob at Anzac Day 2010.










Chase at not only his very first Anzac Day but also his first Dawn service, he's probably thinking 'What happen to my warm bed dad'.









And while were talking about little ratbags here's the other little one having his first Dawn service, yes it's Oscar under the kiddie blanket trying to keep warm.




'THE SANDGROPERS'

Now that the sun's up it's all smiles ready for a day at Kings Park, he might look all cute n' innocent but under that beanie lyes a 100% ratbag!!!

Talking about Ratbags... here is Sarah at her forth Dawn service, she's about the only sheilah I know who can smile at ten to six in the morning!

And here's yours truly with me little fella Chase, Jacko is become a little ripper with the camera hay.

So after the sun has risen and Dawn service is over for another year, what's left to do in Kings Park.... well picnic time ofcause so we drove down to Kings Park's Synergy Parkland

which is a ripper play area for the kiddies.

If you have ever driven through Kings Park you would know that the street is tree lin

ed with individual plaques dedicated to Australian service men and women who died in WW1 and WW2. Last year we started a tradition of picking one soldier each Anzac Day and finding out a little about him, this year we picked a soldier by the name of Albert J Woolcock. Who fought and died in the First World War, the poor bugger found himself fighting in the bloodiest battlefield in history... The Western Front FRANCE. He was born in Ballarat (Vic) and moved to Boulder Kalgoorlie to live, he joined the 2nd Tunnelling Company so we think he might of been into the mining game in Kalgoorlie before signing up. His Rank was SAPPER which during World War 1 a sapper was known as a miner, they were used to dig narrow tunnels from their trenches under 'No mans land' till they reached the German trenches. Of cause this was dangerous work attempting to out-manoeuvre and undermine each other, often lethal to our sappers inside their tunnels. If the Germans heard our sappers digging under their trenches, then they would leave and destroy the trench burying our soldiers underground. But if successful then they would

leave strong mines and retreat to ignite them, causing a tremendous explosion destroying and killing everything above them.Our soldier Mr Woolcock died at Rouen France on the 28th of March 1918 at the age of 45, while he was underground the enemy Gassed his trench tunnel. He died of his wounds and is buried in France, never to come home. I think it's very important that the kids listen to these story's, and understand what these great soldiers have given up for us.

Bike day in the hills

It was a beaut barmy saturday morning when we threw the bikes into the boot, and set out for a days riding the BMX tracks up in the hills. Technically speaking Perth only really has one hill, which is called the Darling range but we like to call it 'the hills'. So on the way we stopped for a short ride at the Stratton jumps, as you can see Harrison was having a ripper time. Then back into the commodore and off up the hill to a place called Chidlow, where as you can see Jacko lost the plot and went ass-over-tit.









But he wasn't the only casualty for the day as one after the other little nevilles kissed the dirt, mainly the little fella Harrison who seems to spend more time face in the dirt then friggin' riding.









Then again.... then again..... and again, poor little sod but the loves it so lets just hope he gets a bit better!








Then it was time for the little princess to become a 'accident statistic' as she came-a-gutser with a ripper crash, as she went over the hump she just come to a sudden stop! That's when we found out that the hump was washed out, but she didn't find out until she went over... ha,ha poor little sod. Okay during the video you might hear me laughing in the background, but fairdinkum I might of laughed but I laughed compassionately!!!
















And for the record after heaps of stacks and falls, the little fella finally got his first jump. As you can see his frount wheel is just of the dirt, so officially that is his very first jump.... okay it mightn't look that massive but to the little fella HIS A LEGEND!











Then we drove into the bush a bit further and came to a little town called Wooroloo, and fairdinkum it had the best BMX track that I have ever seen. Funny because the town it self only has about twenty houses, but the best track that we have found so far in Perth. Jacko had a ripper time giving it his all in the jumps, as the other little nevilles just poped about the place. But that was it for the day as the sun started to set, but it was a beaut time and i'm sure that we will differently be coming back to this track.

Biking around Perth

Well this was gonna be our first big ride around Perth in ages, as now Harrison has become a ripper rider it was time to give him a good ride around the bush city. We drove to Charles Paterson Park which is better know as 'the Park near the Casino', opened the boot of the commodore (thats the best thing about the wagon we can fit two big bikes and three kiddie bikes into it) and got the bikes out. But before we set of on our ride we got a photo with the black swan, with the city and the WACA in the background.














Our second photo opportunity was after 1.4 kilometers, funny how you forget how sore your arse is after riding a friggin' bike. So a quick stop to relive the freckle and grab a photo under the Graham Farmer Bridge. Then another on the bridge over looking East Perth, which was gonna be our next stop.









suddenly we came across this little Park in Claisebrook Cove with these strange sculptures in it, so a nice little stop for a drink and a photo opportunity with these things. These sculptures were made from junk metal salvaged from the old Perth Gasworks which were on the site years back, there known as STEEL MAGNOLIA and suppose to look like plants..... cool. Just a little way down the bike track we came apon this old little wharf, so had a rest and another drink and a gander at the old thing. Trip computer was 2.4kms.







Harrison taking a rest on the old wharf









Then a ride to the little Park at East Perth where the nevilles had a swing and a drink, then a ride threw the little cove you see in the back ground and to the other side of this cove to Haig Park.





After that stop we did some serious kilometers under two bridges and along the Riverside Drive, to we reached the Bell tower at Barrack Square. The trip computer rushed up to 7klms, and fare dinkum I had the sore arse to prove it. Here's a bit of history of the bells for ya....
'From one of London's most famous churches, in Trafalgar Square, the St Martin-in-the-Fields bells have rung out to celebrate many historic events such as, England's victory over the Spanish Armada in 1588, The World War II victory at El Alamein in 1942, ringing in the New Year at Trafalgar Square for more than 275 years, celebrating the coronation of every British monarch since King George II in 1727, the homecoming of Captain James Cook after his voyage of discovery in 1771. On his return to London in 1771, the bells of St-Martin-in-the-Fields, the bells of the admiralty, rang out to welcome back a hero of the Age of Discovery'. So there ya go. This was also our tucker time and for a change we were going to eat that bad stuff, you know all that stuff that we love like a nice sausage roll with dead horse washed down with a fanta..... arrrrr the good stuff!






During our feed Harrison wanted to show my brother Mark Perth's BHP TOWER (By the way this is a link.... i'm starting to get this computer lingo hay!) when it's finished it will be the tallest tower in Perth but only third in Australia.





Then it was back on the bike and off we went back along Riverside Park, on our way back to the carpark.










And of cause it wouldn't be a ride if we didn't finish with a little feed, and this time it was a ICE CREAM FIX! Sometimes I think the kiddies only go out with me for the feed, but then again it might just be the great bonding feeling that you get..... yeah right i reckon it's the ice cream too! And just for the record the trip computer came in at 11Kilometers, not bad for an 'out-of-fitness' old fella with one very sore freckle and a few ratbag kiddies. Come to think of it i'm not that bad as i am in shape, well round is a shape!