Australia

Melissa Yeomans

New experiences and journeys

July has been HUGE.  I had the opportunity to drive to Goolwa South Australia for the Australian Schools Team Racing Championship where DeckHardware was a sponsor and I was an umpire.  I had never driven to South Australia before so it was a bit of an adventurous two days!

I could not believe after hearing so much about the Sturt Highway it was raining for a fair percentage of my drive.  Water everywhere and some green fields! So this is outback Australia? It was fantastic to see them getting some rain even though it did make the drive a little more stressful.  I stopped overnight in Hay but unfortunately only had a limited amount of daylight to wander around. What an experience to be able to see so much of Australia, even if only from the view of the Van.

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Heading to Goolwa in Winter meant ensuring I had my fair share of Thermals packed. Staying warm in a RIB can be tricky as you don’t move around a great deal.  The event was fantastic and if you are interested check out the Down Under Sail Facebook page where you will find some video of the on water action.  To see 24 teams from around the Country participating in some brilliant racing was fantastic.Lucky enough I did not have to drive back, Phil aka Dad took over in South Australia with the van to see some of our DeckHardware customers.  Flying back was certainly much faster!

Just a little rain when I arrived in Goolwa!

The next month is a busy one as an Aussie Sailing Fan. I would like to wish everyone on the Team a MASSIVE Good Luck. I can see increased coffee consumption in my future.

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Melissa Yeomans

A weekend to get away

IMG_0964On the weekend I headed to Canberra for a bit of a break to recharge the batteries.  Why Canberra a few of my friends said especially given the time of year? Well there was a little fun to be had.  It has been a very busy year and it was time to take a break and enjoy myself a little.

Friday evening I arrived just in time to stop by the Canberra International Music Festival and the National Carillon. It was FREEZING but well worth stopping by to listen to.

It was the first time I had heard the Carillon and it certainly was remarkable to listen too in such a setting.

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Saturday morning was the start of the Shitbox Rally and coming from a family that loves cars it was a bit of fun to see the effort put into the event.  Not only by the organisers but participants too!

So what is the Shitbox Rally? Here is an excerpt from their Facebook page “It’s a rally, but what is different about this one is that we take shitty cars and see if we can drive them across Australia. During this time we will truly experience the Australian outback and have a hell of a laugh along the way.

This rally is for those that want to have an adventure, that crave something different, something memorable, but most importantly, it’s for those who want to raise much needed money for charity.

Many of us have been affected by cancer in one way or another. Whether it be parents, family, close friends, people we know or ourselves that have battled or are battling cancer, this all too common disease has touched us all. We not only want to raise awareness and money for the Cancer Council, but we want to be able to offer support and a friendly ear to those that have suffered or are suffering.”

IMG_1057I had a great time wandering around checking out the different vehicles chosen by those taking part!

Once I left the cars I headed to the Australian War Memorial. It was as you can imagine an experience I won’t forget with their latest exhibits telling so many stories of our past. What did however catch me off guard was the photo of my Great Uncle Jim in one of the galleries.  Larger than life on the wall the photo of him sitting at the ABC news desk.  No one in the family knew it was there!

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I then headed back to my hotel for a simply amazing late lunch/dinner before heading out to a Canberra International Music Festival Concert.  A double quartet which was so nice to sit back and enjoy! Such varying styles of music played as well which was fascinating the skill shown by the musicians.

Sunday Morning I headed to the National Museum of Australia for a stroll around to see what is currently on exhibit. I wish I had a full day to spend here to take it all in.  Sadly outside was closed due to strong winds that were causing some branches to fall in the surrounding areas! Talk about windy and cold! What a way to spend the morning, History, Old Cars, musical instruments and boats! After hearing the conditions I of course as a sailor had to go have a look for myself.  Great short chop and a big breeze in cold weather and rain.  NOT sailing conditions!

IMG_1078Before heading home to Sydney I stopped via the Old Bus Depot Markets to get my mum a few Mother’s day treats and a bit of lunch before heading home.  Fudge, Three flavours of honey and some stone baked bread! YUM!

It may have been just a short weekend away but it was so good to do something different and not work related for a change! I really should remember to do that more often…

The question is where to next time? Sailing, Music, Cars, Good Food, is a good way to spend a weekend.

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