We arrived back in Rocky at the end of last week after our massive 5 week trip down the east coast of Australia and round Tasmania (I know it's part of Oz, you don't need to remind me) by road. The last few days of the trip were relaxing and stressful by turns, ranging from a day on a farm herding cattle to battling through torrential rain that the windscreen wipers couldn't keep up with.
Outside a small town called Armidale, in the village of Uralla, is a sheep station called Gostwyk. We spent a few days there with friends of Lydia's family on the way down the coast, and managed to stop over again on the way back up, and I had a go at herding cattle from the seat of a quad bike (no more horses unfortunately). I did so well (yes, I say so myself!) that I felt I'd earned a symbol of my success, and while Lyd and I were shopping in Armidale we bought an Akubra to make me a true Aussie.
Armidale was also where Lydia had seen a ring with a green pearl that she decided should be her upgrade engagement ring, and we had arranged to pick it up on the way back. Unfortunately it wasn't ready that day, and as we were leaving the next day there was the possibility that it wouldn't be ready in time. However the jeweller came through and we picked it up on the way out of town in the morning.
So now we're back in Rocky you'd have thought the weather would be a bit more predictable as we're sheltered by the mountains. Oh no! We've had one of the hottest days this year, followed by rain that woke us in the night and caused flash floods that made it to the news!
