Melbourne Pettys - Jan 2013

New Years on the Gold Coast, the gang goes to EFY, Calvin gets his mission call, we get two new Stakes, Marion turns twenty-one. 

  

On New Years day we went to the Burleigh Heads beach early to get a car pack then met up with the Parkers who had a good spot on the grass. Went for a surf, it was pretty big and the water is so warm. We had a barbeque lunch on the beach then I went for a walk on the tracks around the Head. They were interesting tracks through the trees growing among the boulders. I saw a couple of Brush-Turkeys which are large black birds with a read heads and yellow collars. Went for another swim, I even swum between the flags which I think was a first then we headed home. 

Tamborine Mountian

The next day we headed up to Tamborine Mountain for a look around. From there you can see all the Gold Coast and up to Brisbane. There was a circuit track through the rain forest at the top that took about an hour. Austin and I thought we would give it a go while Carmen and Vern went and bought some lunch. It was a lovely walk and although it was a very hot day it was nice and cool under the trees while we were heading down. However on the way back up it was a different story, by the time we got back to the top we were cooking. Vern had bought a large bottle of water so I poured some of it over my head and felt a lot better. There was a man made glow worm cave up there also so when went and had a look at that which was interesting. I hadn’t realised that only Australia and New Zealand have glow worms. We stopped by the Hettig’s for a swim, then that evening Vern and I when to the Royal Pines for a birthday dinner for Tracey Harris, Penny Ball an old friend from school was there as well.

Woolgoolga

On Thursday the third we packed our gear and went to the Hettig’s place. Marion took Austin and Carmen to Dream World for a go on the water rides. I dropped Ellen off at her work then we just lazed around the pool until we went to the temple in Brisbane that evening. We picked up Ellen at her workplace, Joanne met us there as well then we headed for the Temple. It was very nice we had a look around the grounds and across the street at the view of the city centre across the Brisbane River.

Friday we said goodbye and headed south. We stopped off at a nice small town by the Clarence River called Maclean then at Woolgoolga for a swim. Carmen and I went snorkelling around the rocks. As we swam over a sandy area and Carmen spotted a sting ray that gave us a bit of a fright. That evening we stayed in Taree again and bought some pasta and pizza for dinner.

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On the fourth it was back on the road again. We took a detour through Newcastle and had a look at the main beach. We liked the old part of town, it was about as old as Australia gets. We stopped for lunch at Swansea. It was over thirty degrees but cool in the shade by the water. Our next stop was at the Sydney Opera House via the Harbour Bridge. We walked around and watched all the shipping. It was very nice I really like the look of Sydney and driving on the roads is a thrill.

Then it was onto Canberra. It got up to thirty-five degrees then the clouds came over and as we pulled into Canberra there was thunder, lighting and very heavy rain. We had been invited for dinner at the O’Grady’s so we went straight there. We almost drowned going from the car to the shop to get some drinks. Then we stayed at Les’s place that night. On the seventh we headed home to Melbourne. It was a very hot day close to 40 degrees when we hit Victoria. We stopped for lunch at Wangaratta then pushed on home.

The next week was a pretty quite one. Dylan was at home most of the time as Calvin had taken over his pool construction job while he took a couple of weeks off for the Youth Conference (EFY). Vern and I went to the Movies to watch the Hobbit and I did a few jobs around the house and that was about it.

Ellen and Marion came down from the Gold Coast on Saturday the twelfth for their last EFY councillor training. After church we dropped Ellen, Dylan and Marion off at La Trobe University which was the venue for EFY. Vern took Carmen and Austin there the next day. That was the start of an even quieter week with just Vern and I at home. It was very strange and the dishes were really easy to do.

Dylan at EFY

That week Calvin’s mission call arrived and he decided to wait to until Saturday to open it so everyone could be there. So early Saturday morning of the nineteenth I went and picked up Carmen and Austin at EFY, they had had a great time but were very tired. Later on in the morning Calvin went and got the rest of them. We gathered in the lounge room and he opened his letter and found he is going to the Vanuatu, Port Vila Mission. Everyone was pretty excited but none more than Jordon Fox who was on the phone to Marion. He served there and we could hear him yelling on the phone.

That evening there was a special Ward and Stake Council Leadership meeting with Elder Pearson of the Seventy who is also a member of the Area Presidency. The meeting involved the three northern stakes and I was asked to conduct. He spoke well and I got lots of material for the Ward Conferences that I can use. I liked his straight forward style.

Sunday the twentieth there was another special meeting of the three northern stakes. Another Stake was created called the Craigieburn Stake and Clayton Williams the Bishop of Craigieburn Ward was called as the Stake President. Our Stake has lost Seymour Branch and Craigieburn Ward and gained Footscray Ward. Those Wards that were directly affected attended our Stake Centre and with the help of the boys we managed to squeeze over 1000 people in. Vern and the girls viewed the meeting at the Deer Park Stake Centre.

Going to the Big Day Out - Australia Day

That afternoon we had a bunch of people over for an early 21^st birthday party for Marion. She was heading back to the Gold Coast that night so it was the only time we could have it. Ellen stayed for another week and went with Carmen, Austin, Issac Gibbons to the Big Day Out rock concert on the twentieth. They had a great time, the headline acts were the Red Hot Chilli Peppers and the Killers.  

Sunday the twenty-seventh Calvin gave his first ‘final’ talk in Sacrament. He wasn’t happy about it but always gives it his best shot. I wasn’t able to be there since I had to go to the new ward in our Stake, the Footscray Ward. This is Janet’s Ward since see just lives around the corner. Calvin did a great job by all accounts, I got some feedback from members in the Ward and he ended up having to speak for almost twenty five minutes.

Since Australia Day was on the Saturday the holiday was on the Monday. We had a Stake activity at the Northcote swimming pool. Vern and I didn’t swim we just sat and chatted.

Calvin on his long board

That night I didn’t fell well and I was worse in the morning. Since it was after a public holiday work requires a medical certificate so off I went to the Doctors. I had a throat infection and he gave me two days off. I didn’t think I was that sick but who am I argue.

Vern got some bad news at the end of the month; the partner of her Sister Natalie in Auckland had an aneurism and died. Kyle had not been well for some time with a heart disease and had been given only a few years to live, Still this was a shock since she was not even forty. Vern flew out on Friday the first and will stay a couple of weeks.