Bob's Birthday Bash Moves South

Following from the blog's last post, Bob Davis celebrated his birthday again a little bit further south. Ian McLean reports:

Bob Davis' birthday bash in our nation's capital at the Weston Club
was a nice mix of family, friends, former colleagues at Canberra
Grammar School ... and stalwart Asopians Keith and Ingrid Jackson, Rod Hard and Ian McLean.

The brief remarks by guests about their recollections of Bob's earlier
days soon turned into a "Roast" with the stories and the language
become increasingly raunchy, and hilarious (you had to be there).

The first photo shows the guest of honour flanked by freeloading
friends Keith and Ingrid (left) and Ian and Rod (right).

Ian wasn't sure what was taking place in this photo, but as
he's always looking for some way to blackmail the rich and infamous,
he just kept his finger on the shutter release.

Rod chatting with Bob's son-in-law and daughter.

Bob cutting his birthday cake under the supervision of his
amazing grandson Ned and granddaughter May.

The Moose turns 70

Last Sunday family and friends gathered at Tweed Heads to join Bob (Moose) Davis on his 70th birthday. A group of Asopians were also present:

Young Bob (Moose) Davis

Henry, Barry, Diane, Dave, Bob, Brian and Denis

Brian, Dave and Colin

Brian from Northern Rivers and Dave from Sydney come for the day.

Henry and Bob

Jamie and Barry Vincent

Barry and Jamie came down from Hervey Bay

Ros and Denis Burrell

Dubbo Dave Kesby

Elissa, Smoth Brian and Colin

Bob, Diane, Denis, Ros and Henry

Bob receives his birthday cake

Photos by Elissa Kesby, Diane and Bill  Bohlen

Burra S.A. Visit

On a recent trip to South Australia, with a group of friends, we stopped at Burra and called in on Val who kindly served afternoon tea for us.

Val lives in The Smelters Home, a former Burra hotel built in 1849, a very nice historical place.

Val and Diane on the terrace of her former hotel.

Cheers,

Bill and Diane

Bill and Diane's USA Tour 2011

We've just returned from a great trip through the United States of America, traveling over 10,000 km by plane, car and coach. 

Click to enlarge map

We stayed in Los Angeles for a couple of weeks with our daughter Sonya, SIL Bernard and grandson Fox. They showed us around LA and of course tinseltown where they live. It was great spending some time with them.

The family together in Los Angeles

Then we flew to New York where we stayed for a couple of days before joining our 23-day cross country tour as shown on the map above.

 A boat trip took us out to the Statue of Liberty

In Yellowstone National Park we came very close to a grizzly bear, on the same day some poor hiker was attacked and killed a little further in from where we were.

Close encounter with a grizzly bear

Some of the waterfalls in the Yellowstone National Park are fabulous as is the scenery everywhere in the park.

Waterfall in Yellowstone

Of course Old Faithfull didn't disappoint us even though we had to wait over an hour for its performance.

Old Faithful in discharge mode

In the Grand Canyon

From Las Vegas, we took a helicopter flight over the Hoover Dam into Grand Canyon where we landed in the canyon for a champagne lunch.

Flying over Hoover Dam

And finally we arrived back in Los Angeles which was the place the old Route 66 terminated at Santa Monica Beach.

Route 66 ends at Santa Monica Beach

If you follow Diane's blog, you'll see more details of the trip over the next few weeks.

Cheers,

Bill and Diane

MINI REUNION IN SOUTH AUSTRALIA

In April, Colin, Peter and Margaret went to SA to visit Val, Lorraine and David. They are all from the 62/63 ASOPA intake. Margaret supplied the following photos and information.

Val lives in a heritage listed corner hotel (Smelter Inn 1849), in Burra Nth on the Barrier Highway. We stayed in the top end of the single storey bulding which Val has set up very comfortably with bedrooms, sitting rooms and a kitchen. The bathroom has been updated with a heated floor which you sure need as tempertures plummet!

 Burra is full of historic buildings. Peter and Margaret outside  the Police Station

Colour coordinated Colin

Colin left and Val right

Val took us on many sight seeing tours. We travelled through little villages before coming across Martindale Hall.Wow this building is really something, having featured in the movie Picnic at Hanging Rock. It is a large square building with rooms radiating around a square downstairs hall overlooked by a second storey with a glorious staircase. it is managed and run as a B&B set up as well for 'Host a Murder' parties.

The Collegians, Dave, Lorraine, Colin and Peter

The Antique Fair was set up over the weekend at the High School and Town Hall. We arranged for Lorraine and David to come up from Adelaide for lunch and have a potter. It was lovely to have a catch up and the collegians had great discussions.

St Mary's Church

 We went to the Anglican Church St Marys which is part of the Willochra Diocese. There is a magnificent organ within however the dear old organist played the hymns far too quickly! It was a very cold morning!

The Grande Hotel

 Val took us back to Adelaide and kindly placed us in the Grande at Glenelg, a beautiful position overlooking the Ocean. We left the following morning for Newcastle; Colin left very early for Brisbane.

Road to Sirinumu Dam

Those of you who have lived in Port Moresby, you are probably familiar with the Sirinumu Dam above the Rouna Hydro-electric power station. It was a popular picnic spot for a Sunday outing including a swim.

Well look at it now:

We used to drive up to Sirinumu Dam on Sundays in my Ford Falcon sedan. Don't think that would be possible now.

The pictures were taken by Ben and Rebecca who both still work in Papua new Guinea

Ted Egan needs your help

Bill,

What chance including the following in your blog?

Ted Egan

Ted Egan, of Northern Territory fame, and who shared part of his training with kiaps at ASOPA has called on our assistance in tracking down Don Gaffney, a past teacher in PNG.

Col and Wendy Booth were quick onto the scent having run across Don on Kar Kar. They initially got word that Don might have been teaching at the great black/white board above. There is now doubt about that and we are trying to establish where he might be contacted - probably somewhere in Brisbane - if the Booths' lead is accurate. Who can spread the light?

Ted is eager to make contact as Don had a great version of "Frankie and Johnnie were Lovers" -in pidgen.

Ted's email address is         ted@tedegan.com.au

Cheers and beers,

Henry B