The year as it was.

Our year started with the move to our new house, it was only a short distance up the hill from the old place but still the process wasn't easy....what a lot of junk we had accumulated that needed to be rationalised. We are really happy with the move, of course still lots to do but isn't that always the case.

The new house on the hill with a even newer deck....hopefully next year the perennial Sir Walter grass will be established and green

Kitchen and breakfast bar in open plan living area

Open plan living area in the new house

After being very busy with the house we decided to volunteer again at the Port Fairy Folk Festival. So in March we sailed from American River to Portland then onto Port Fairy, Victoria in Goshawk.

Goshawk, our Sparhawk 36 yacht saloon after a bit of a renovation job before sailing with her to Port Fairy for the Folk Festival in March

Ants on Griffiths Island, Port Fairy, Victoria

Nankeen Night Heron in Port Fairy, Victoria

Goshawk on the itinerant berth in Port Fairy Harbour, March

In April we returned to Ireland to cruise more of the Irish waterways on our motor cruiser Echidna. We wanted to explore the Grand Canal, the River Barrow and the Royal Canal, the Green and Silver Route.

St Mullins on the River Barrow, Ireland. One of our favourite spots on our canal boating holiday. While there we enjoyed a walk around Brandon hill in the background.

For a few days we were tied alongside the River Barrow bank in in the center of Athy (County Carlow) and enjoyed watching the start of the triathlon

A friendly Waterways Ireland lock keeper who helped us with our passage into Dublin city through "Indian territory", an an unsafe area because of the Traveller (Irish Gypsy) community.

Kimberley joined us on Echidna and we also did a bit of an explore of the west coast of Ireland

The start of the Grand Canal near the River Shannon

Cycling the Milltown Feeder, the supply for the Grand Canal

A bridge on the River Barrow

Carlow Dragon Boaters

Our friend Pat Kinsella with a new addition to his ever growing family!

Steve (KI) and Ants in Cullen's Butchers in Leighlinbridge, County Kilkenny

Echidna high and dry on the tidal River Nore, Inistioge, County Kilkenny. Made famous as the location of the film Circle of friends

Picnic on the banks of the Barrow with friends Scott and Liz (KI) who joined us aboard for an enjoyable couple of weeks.

Scott walking to the next lock alongside Echidna on the Naas branch of the Grand Canal

Foo is here?

Echidna in the Grand canal Dock in central Dublin, no charge for berthing!

Following a barge through the lift-able railway bridge (the so called 'Effing Bridge) to the Royal Canal, central Dublin

The deep sinking on the Royal Canal

At the end of our Irish trip we started to think about what was next? the European canals? do we ship Echidna over to the continent or sell her in Ireland and buy something in mainland Europe? We had given the previous owners our word we would contact them if we were thinking of selling so we did, and they did. Buy her back that is. Echidna (again renamed Nikkijo) is a lovely comfortable motor cruiser and we really enjoyed living aboard and cruising the waterways with her. But now we thought we would explore the options in Europe and the Netherlands seemed the best option for price and selection. So in no time at all we had found and bought Goanna (formerly known as Prince). She is a 30+year old French built Kelt 800 and although compact, comfortable, very well kept and maintained. We are already booked for the next European Summer to go to the Netherlands. Our plans include possibly the "Mast Up Route" through Freisland, the inland lakes, the dyke impounded seas and the coastal waters of the Netherlands and maybe through the Kiel canal to Danish waters.

Goanna (formerly known as Prince) our new yacht. Now stored on the hard in Zeewolde NL

A great cockpit aboard Goanna

For term 3 Jane was given a 10 week contract in Kingscote school teaching Biology and Photography which she found really satisfying and brought some much needed cash into the bank. In October we went to the Northern Flinders camping for two weeks. The arid north was truly blooming with all the unusual winter rain and full of wildlife. Among  lots of outback driving we visited Wilpena pound, Waraweena Conservation Area, Roxby Downs (previously Ants's Grandparent's 400,000 acre Sheep Station), South Gap Station and Hidden Gorge.

A lizard who is hiding, he thinks!! in the desert

A Tawny Frogmouth who also thinks he is invisible in his tree!!! in the outback

A bit of mountain climbing

A flowing creek, most unusual.

4WDing in Warraweena

Entrance gate to the derelict Roxby Homestead , built by Ants's grandfather

Sturt pea on Roxby

Camping at South Gap on the edge of Lake Torrens

Through old friends at the Marshall Islands Ants got a gig as Skipper helping the new owners of Pogeyan a 47 foot Leopard Cat sail from Fiji to New Zealand in November. There was a bit of cruising in Fiji as a shakedown for Ants and the American family. The trip down was 1100 nautical miles done in 7 days with some trade wind sailing and a gentle northerly finish. It doesn't get much better than that.

Andy the son wearing a wireless headset communicating to Rich on the helm.

Rich and Andy in Opua NZ

Rich on Wilson Island, from the film "Castaway"

Michelle in the galley aboard Pogeyan

Rich, Michelle and Andy in Vuda Point Marina, Fiji

Pogeyan the 47 ft catamaran

While Ants was gallivanting in the South Pacific Jane did a bit of relief teaching and Art and then flew out to Auckland to join Ants two weeks. It was her first visit and we probably saw too much.
We started with back to back campervan relocations from Auckland to Christchurch and return and then a hire car for a week visiting friends old and new. We walked beaches, climbed volcanoes, went into wet caves, drove narrow windy steep mountain roads and relaxed with friends. A fantastic holiday!

Jane controlling a West coast rock

In the cold and very dark Stream Cave, Arthurs Pass

Mt Ngauruhoe (Mt Doom from Lord of The Rings)

And still snow on Northern slopes

Enjoying a 40deg.C dip in natural hot water at Kerosene Springs

With Kevin and Kathy (Marshall Island friends) at Opua Yacht Club

Looks very similar to the problems for our KI Hooded Plovers

Rich, our new NZ friend on the Coromandel

and Rachel with Jane at Opito Bay, Coromandel, NZ

The next bay South

Our luxury camper in Arthurs Pass

On the interisland ferry leaving Picton

The dramatic road to French Pass, Marlborough Sounds

Merry Christmas 

and a really Happy New year to you all 

Perhaps some of you will even join us next year in the Netherlands or home here on Kangaroo Island. You would be most welcome.

It is really great to keep in touch or to get back in touch with friends we have lost in the ether!

hugs and kisses Ants & Jane 

This is not Jane