News for 2001

Victor's brother Robert was staying with us for nearly 4 months till April. During January he went north for a week to Airlie Beach to settle some business and meet some old friends. He helped Victor build a new green arch as an entrance to our croquet lawn. Starting in February, he found a teaching post at a school in Geelong for the first term.

Barbara went by bus to Adelaide for a week in early January, then later that month, Angela, James and family came over from Adelaide for a couple of days. Wendy arrived from California at the end of January. Barbara and Victor started taking Spanish lessons at Ocean Grove, from a young Venezuelan teacher. Barbara continued her weekly piano lessons with her wonderful German teacher, Regina Thomae.

Victor was executor for Father's estate, and spent an enormous amount of time with the ensuing paperwork. He also did some short VB6 contracts in Melbourne. Later he re-commenced giving training courses in VB6 and Access for a couple of Melbourne companies. Barbara went to Adelaide again in February to stay with Kim whilst Russel was on a business trip to New Zealand.

During the summer, Barbara and Victor enjoyed bike rides along the Barwon river, boogie board surfing at Ocean Grove beach, and lots of walks along the coast and inland. In April we drove to Adelaide for a long weekend, for Austin's 1st Birthday. Then we brought Paul and Melissa back with us, to stay for a week. Barbara went with them to Melbourne Zoo and the aquarium and the science museum. They flew back to Adelaide on 29th April.

In June, Karen announced her engagement to Lee Beasley.

In May, Barbara and Victor drove up north for a 3 day visit to Mildura, right at the northernmost tip of Victoria, on the river Murray. We passed through Clunes, a fascinating gold rush town in the dividing ranges, where it was very cold. But as we approached Mildura, the weather became much warmer. We visited Wentworth, in New South Wales, at the confluence of rivers Murray and Darling. We stopped in Avoca on our way home, and saw the wineries of the Victorian Pyrenees in their autumn colours.

Winter seemed to start early, and we had a log fire going in our family room almost continuously from late April right through to mid September. In June we went to a fantastic performance of Gilbert & Sullivan's Mikado, by a visiting English company - Carl Rosa Opera. Victor laid new paving connecting the fountain to one of our green arches. In July we engaged a piano expert to rebuild the internal hammers and felts of our piano, which dates back to about 1895. It is now as good as new, well, nearly! At the end of July, Barbara went to Adelaide for Cameron's 9th birthday.

In August we took a two week holiday to Fiji. Please see the travel web section for pictures and notes from our Fijian holiday. At the end of August, Angela and James and family came over from Angaston for a few days. They went on to Falls Creek to let Paul, Melissa and Cameron experience the snow and a skiing holiday.

In September, Kim, Russel, Alexander and Samantha came to stay with us for a week. With Barbara they visited Anakie Fairy Park, near Geelong. Russel came with Barbara and Victor to meet John Howard, Australia's Prime Minister, at a function in Ocean Grove. Barbara and Victor continued their systematic walk in stages along the coast, starting from Point Lonsdale in our Bellarine Peninsula. By October, we reached Aries Inlet. So much of the coastline here is spectacular, and as it is away from the road, most people who don't walk never see it.

In November, Barbara's youngest sister Deirdre and her family visited us for a few days.

In December Victor's youngest brother Alan, and his family Carole and Alexander, came from Sydney, for 3 days just prior to Christmas this year. We enjoyed a large Christmas reunion in Drysdale, together with Karen and Lee, and Chris, and Heather.