Learning with Frankie

 So this afternoon we went out in a Safari vehicle to learn about indigenous culture. Our local indigenous guide was Frankie.

The Safari vehicle was pretty rough

Frankie strips down a Pandanus leaf into fibre for basket making

Wild Horses

Frankie draws a traditional image on a traveller's arms.

Cathedral termite mounds

Robert playing a traditional indigenous instrument after Frankie showed us how it was made.

End of a fabulous day.

Shady Spot

Our travels across Arnhem Land were quite comfortable in our air-conditioned truck but whenever we stopped for a break we had to contend with temperatures over 30c. 

On some of the longer days we had our morning teas or lunches along the road. Our Tour Leader from Outback Spirit, Greg, was able to find some shady spots to enjoy our breaks. For lunch today he took our truck off road and parked it under a bridge! This spot on the Goyder River kept the vehicle cool and gave us a nice spot to enjoy our picnic lunch.

Shade for our bus/truck

It was obvious that we weren't the first visitors to this spot

The Goyder River - It is the Dry Season

Goyder River

Goyder River

It seems to be a huge bridge for the trickle of a river

Cooking in PJs

We love having grandchildren visit in the school holidays.

Muffins and Cookies are on the agenda today. Cooking in PJs is cool.

Appuldurcombe House

We braved the summer showers and chilly conditions this morning to visit a site recommended by our mate Heather.

Situated in a sheltered spot on the top of a hill with stunning views this shell of a stately home would have been a handsome residence before it fell into disrepair. It was once the grandest house on The Isle of Wight. https://www.english-heritage.org.uk/.../appuldurcombe-house/

We managed some photos before we retreated to the shelter of our rental car.

It was a short walk down this path to the house

There were many information boards telling the story of the site

The entry at the rear of the house

The large front reception room has been reroofed and made weatherproof

This appeared to be original flooring

This looked like a minor staircase. Unfortunately we didn't see a plan of the property.

This board shows how the house was decorated in the 1800s

As we entered via the rear of the property we didn't see a view of the house until we had been through the interior. 

The original very attractive front entry

Curves and Circles

My photos today focused on curves and circles.

We had a full day on the Isle of Wight. Fortified by an English breakfast we spent over four hours at Queen Victoria's holiday home, Osborne House, before taking to the road to explore more of the Island's coast.
























Regal crockery
















Corridor at Osborne House


Queen Victoria's bathing machine


Windows from Swiss Cottage, the Royal Children's play house


We enjoyed the coastal view from the car

We were accompanied on our drive by steady rain which discouraged us from lingering at scenic sites. We rounded off our day with dinner in a local pub.

We enjoyed a taste of Sicily with our dinner