While we were in Mooloolaba we visited Australia Zoo where we saw all three of the Irwin family. We even sat near Terri and Robert in the crowd. Darren and I also went on an all day Fraser Island Adventure Tour. We did lots of 4WD trekking in a purpose built bus, drove along the beach, had a bbq lunch in the rain forest and swam in the fresh water Lake McKenzie ( simply stunning ).
The same day we flew out, our girls flew to Hamilton Island Queensland ( further up the coast ) with my brother, sister in law and family. They had an amazing time swimming, kayaking, snorkelling, eating and driving a golf buggy. Our cat Princess went on a holiday to the local pet resort where the workers love her.
This week we've spent time unpacking, doing loads and loads of washing and tending to our garden and chickens. It was back to work on Monday for three of us. Tuesday I was baking and doing more washing. Wednesday was spent in the garden pulling out bushes and pruning.
Unfortunately Thursday morning saw Jessica and myself with gastro. I spent the rest of the day sleeping and watching tv. I was aching so much I felt like a little old granny every time I moved. Darren came down with the gastro Friday morning. By tea time he was up and about feeling a little better. Megan is fine thankfully.
Here's what else we got up to over the last two weeks -
* Washed and reused a few snap lock bags.
* Collected lots of pumice stone from a fresh water creek on Fraser Island. Now we won't need to buy any for years and years to come.
* Baked four loaves of wholemeal bread with extra goodness.
* Saved the shower warm up water for the washing machine or pot plants.
* Picked a couple of handfuls of raspberries and a few strawberries from the garden.
* Kept the curtains closed on hot days and turned the cooling on low just before lunch.
* Gratefully received a couple of fuel discount dockets in the mail. Thankyou Tania.
* Bought home the little shampoo, conditioner and shower gel bottles from our holiday accommodation.
* Darren emptied both compost bins into one of our veggie garden beds.
* Darren mowed all the garden clippings and added them to the compost bins. The grass clippings went into the chicken run. The chickens had fun scratching and pecking at the grass.
* When we were in Mooloolaba we used our saved Flybuys dollars to buy all our groceries for the week. We even had plenty of money left over.
* We carried water bottles wherever we went on holidays. This saved us approximately $60+ dollars for the week based on $3 a bottle and consuming three a day ( we probably consumed four between us ). We also carried snacks with us on our outings.
* Decluttered some of our clothes. I took two big bags to Savers op shop and received two discount stamps.
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On a rain forest walk on Fraser Island while our bus driver cooked our bbq lunch
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| The colored sands on Rainbow Beach |
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| At Australia Zoo |
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| Look what bloomed in our garden while we were away. |
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| My garden work on Wednesday. Yes I puled it all out. |
I'll post more photos of our holiday some time next week.
I have had the pleasure of visiting Australia Zoo twice, and it is one of the most beautiful zoo's I have ever visited. It is obvious the animals are well fed and cared for, and the place is immaculate.
ReplyDeleteWe have also camped at Frazer Island, what a National treasure that place is to. We are so blessed to live in this big beautiful unique country.
Our country is amazing Cheryl
DeleteLooks like a beautiful holiday Wendy! I had a really good week with quite a few savings and I have several baskets of free peaches to work on over the next days. Have a lovely weekend! Love Annabel.xxx
ReplyDeleteFree peaches - what a blessing Annabel.
DeleteHi Wendy, you had a lovely holiday in a beautiful part of the world. The beach that you drove along is "my" beach. It is my absolute most favourite place in the world. We camp at Noosa North Shore as often as we can and often see those bug buses travelling along the beach up to Fraser. What a hoot. That beach is my special place, I have been to that every nearly every year of my life and always feel a deep connection with it. Lovely hubby and I are going up there again mid Feb for a week, I can't wait. Have a great weeekend.
ReplyDeleteFi
Hi, Wendy. I'm glad that you enjoyed visiting Fraser Island, it's such a beautiful place to go. We have spent most of the school holidays here at home with just a few special outings, saving us quite a lot I think. Now though, it's time to get ready for school again next week so most of my frugal efforts have been related to that. This week, I mended both my son's school bag and my husband's work bag instead of buying new ones. I have baked in the early mornings before the heat really got going and now have a freezer full of school goodies. I've also made ice-cream, peanut butter, and lemon butter. I've sewn a new top with fabric I bought on sale and made a dress too. I will wear both when I do some relief teaching this year. And, I have kept on menu planning...I think I can call it a new routine now! Meg:)
ReplyDeleteHi Wendy,your holiday pictures are great & looks like you had a wonderful holiday i hope to take a holiday up that way in the future,i have been busy in the kitchen today making cowboy biscuits and a flan iam having visitors tomorrow and didnt have anything to offer but now i have :) we have had a lot of unexpected guests dropping in lately so its always good to have things ready to serve. xx
ReplyDeleteI am happy to share a pantry success from this week. Two of my daughter's friends needed a place to stay the night before conference since they were driving in from out of town. Knowing their mother would be bringing them and they'd be arriving around suppertime, I invited the girls and their mother to have supper with us so Mom would be spared having to stop for carry-out on the way home. I made a nice, homemade supper, but they unexpectedly arrived with little brother in tow, and he has severe food allergies. Yikes! But the pantry came to the rescue! Because I stock plenty of canned (both store-bought and homemade) food, I was able to pull out some basics and quickly prep something to feed little brother without much incident. Real food and a stocked pantry for the win!
ReplyDeleteBlessings, Leigh
Sounds like you all had a wonderful time away - you all deserve it....but home is nice too hey.
ReplyDeleteLovely photos! Looks great.
ReplyDeleteTania
Hi Wendy,
ReplyDeleteGreat photos of your holidays.
I love it when you tell us about your week day by day.
This week I did a lot of sewing, mending and finished cleaning out my card making stash.
I cut my own fringe, saved water from the shower and cooked all meals from scratch.
I picked lots of things from the garden and did my menu plan up until the end of February. I don't usually do 6 weeks ahead but I'm trying to only use all the meat etc from the freezer, pantry and fridge.
When I went to buy my milk and fruit. Coles had Taco shells and Taco cups on clearance for $1.00 , so I cleared the shelves.
Oh, and I "received" some Lemons via our neighbours for free, heee
Have a great week, xxx
Maureen
Hello from the UK
ReplyDeleteI have finished the spring cleaning!!! I always do it in January so as the weather improves I can be outside. I used vinegar and Aldi washing up liquid to wash all the paint word windows and other hard surfaces, I will wash the curtains when I can dry them outside.
This week I made bread, 2 fruit cakes and 2 almond cakes, I always batch back so I don't to save heating the oven too often. The almond cake was very dry so I mixed it with syrup and made treacle tarts with them which were delicious and I made mince pies at the same time.
I shopped in Aldi as usual and got some yellow sticker tea cakes and some egg pasta 2 for the price of one in Waitrose. We are still eating from the freezer so we did not need much.
I used 2 home-made cards for birthdays we only buy birthday presents for the children at the age of 18 they get a big present and are then adults.
I dried all the washing on the airer, there was a lot of washing this week as hubby had a lot of spills, he has Parkinsons and a spectacular tremor. I used white vinegar as fabric softener.
My most spectacular saving this week was on paving slabs. After recycling some I was still 10 slabs short so at the local large building yard they were £3.84 each hence the total of £38.40 it was 10% off from seniors on Wednesday, we had a £5 voucher and I found a gift card that was still in date. When we got to the till the slabs had been reduced so we only paid £16.
We are pulling the curtains at dusk to help keep the cold out but opening them in the day to get the solar warmth during the day, it is quite chilly here at the moment but the days are lovely and sunny. Our summer is still some months off so I feel quite jealous of your holiday.
Have a good week
Chris
YOur vacation looks lovely! We re freezing up here in the northern areas of the United States. I have been dreaming of warm beaches. :)
ReplyDelete