Travelling from Darwin to Canberra - Day 1

I know that I have been a little behind in posting but I did not realise that I have not posted any of the photos of the ducks on our journey from Darwin to Canberra.  How remiss of me!

I left Darwin on Saturday 10 December, staying in Noonamah with friends on the Friday night. The ducks were happily tucked up in their travelling basket in which they were to spend the next three months, though none of us realised that it would be quite that long before they came out.  During the last month they were in their basket they could very easily have been settled onto shelves but by then there was a shyness about coming out and maybe they had been to so many places during those three months that the basket was a safe cocoon for them.

Now, to the photos -

Ducks in their basket in Darwin - quite a cosy fit and there were no complaints about the closeness

All of the ducks at the bird bath in Noonamah

my friend Chopper was very well behaved with the ducks and enjoyed the photo op as much as they did

I am starting to notice a trend that my family and friends all want to get into the act of either suggesting possible duck photo opportunities or taking photos of the ducks, no matter how dismissive they have been of the ducks up to that point.  This was no exception by Noonamah friends.  These three photos (plus a few others) were sent to me later in my trip.  While I was still in bed on the Saturday morning, they had taken the ducks out into the garden and snapped these photos.  I am glad they did.

And if you are wondering where the hell is Noonamah, yes, that is the slogan, it is 45 ks south-ish of Darwin on the Stuart Highway on the way down south.  My friends live off the highway in a wonderful tropical paradise which has been my pleasure to visit fairly regularly over the last few years. I spent many R&R weekends out of Darwin and there was always fun times in the kitchen, sometimes experimenting, great food, good wine, excellent conversation and general relaxation and sleep.

An excellent place to begin my very serious journey down south for the next adventures in my life.

ducks at Pakenham Upper

During my stay in Melbourne in January this year (2011) there was a day trip to a small farm in Pakenham Upper.  Perfect day with lunch consisting of good fresh bread, butter (not margarine) and home-made raspberry jam made from the raspberry bushes which feature in the first pictures, along with a cup of tea.  There was a walk down to the dam and of course the ducks came as well.  

The kids enjoyed the photo op as much as the ducks, and of course the dog wanted to get in the picture or did he just want to molest the duck?  Best leave that train of thought alone.  

And the adults were in there as well giving the ducks a helping hand!  Lovely day.

And I ate a few fresh raspberries as well and, boy, they tasted good!

Yep, that duck sure looks good!

There was one big duck .....

...... and then there were two.

Note Maj duck soaking up the sunshine before the trek in New Zealand -
Maj has the pink top and mauve crown at the bottom middle of photo

And now it's time to say goodbye!!!

Maj in New Zealand

In April, Maj duck went hiking in New Zealand with her new owner.  By all accounts Maj enjoyed herself.  I think I would if I was carried in a warm backpack or pocket all the way.  The way the girls, who did the actual hiking, are dressed it looks as if the weather was cold.


Here I could write a synopsis of Milford Sound and add pictures from other websites but as I did not do this trip I am not going to do any of that.  Below is the Wikipedia link and the photos the girls took.  I admire the stamina and adventurous spirit of the girls but cannot see myself doing this trip so am thankful that at least I have friends that went so I can see it through their eyes. 


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Milford_Sound

Maj at the 8 mile post

Maj being very adventurous and not looking down

Sorry, girls. I had to include this one to show Maj has made it to the mountains and as you were so rugged up hopefully no-one (except us in the know) realise who you are.

At the end of the track

And that is Maj on the far left of the bird bath to show how well travelled she is.  This was taken in tropical Noonamah, just outside of Dawin.

National Folk Festival in Canberra at Easter

This little duck was very happy to accompany me while I was volunteering at the National Folk Festival in Canberra over Easter.  The first time I have been to a folk festival and it was fab wandering around and hearing so many people playing music, singing, dancing and entertaining.  Great atmosphere and will look forward to going along again next year.

Easter ducks

These ducks are really getting out of hand.  I have so many photos that I have not posted yet.  They certainly like a photo op.  And that is without the photos from Maj duck who went walking in New Zealand with her owner - okay, Maj was carried, the owner did the walking.  I have heard the photos are fab.  Can't wait to see them.  In the meantime I will continue with what my ducks have been doing.

Here are the photos of the chocolate Easter duck last year and the lucky duck who went on holiday at Easter 2010, photographed at Burrill Lakes on the south New South Wales coast.

Yes, the beak is gone.  This stopped him from quacking!

Now for the latest 2011 photos of the chocolate Easter ducks.  I have just finished eating the large one in the white wrapper and the chocolate was very good.  He also came with a quacking device inside his stomach so when you shook him he quacked.  Don't you always shake your chocolate ducks?  If you haven't been, maybe you will from now on.

Cheesequacker made a new friend - the one with the quacker inside.
He is Italian, made by Caffarel, so naturally smart.

And the little brown chocolate duck was also very good.  His beak was white chocolate dyed orange and was fun!  The eggs are Lindt chocolate and fabulous.  I had fun.  Did not bother with eating the black duck as he looked as if he could be a little rubbery.

In Canberra

Wow, it is ages since I have written.  The process of travelling and changing the place that I live in has been huge!  I am now very happy to say that I and the ducks are comfortably ensconced in Canberra, quite a change after the tropical north.  The ducks have not been very active, probably due to the colder climate but they will have to become acclimatised to, and it was a long trip from Darwin to Canberra via Melbourne.  
So, straight to photos of the ducks out of their travelling basket and on with their lives in our new home. 

 The ducks surveying the scene to see where they wanted to sit.

 The ducks spread around the house in their chosen (for now) positions.

Cheesequacker naturally gravitated
to the kitchen.

The two big ducks have settled on the table after several years in the bathroom.

These are the new bathroom ducks.

Decorator duck is decorating.