{"id":3947,"date":"2020-03-31T15:15:59","date_gmt":"2020-03-31T07:15:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/townsontour.com.au\/?p=3947"},"modified":"2020-08-02T21:32:41","modified_gmt":"2020-08-02T13:32:41","slug":"lockdown-life","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/townsontour.com.au\/index.php\/2020\/03\/31\/lockdown-life\/","title":{"rendered":"Lockdown Life"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>After 10 days of what felt like a full throttle adrenaline roller-coaster ride to get to our safe haven, we decided to bunker down and take it easy for a couple of weeks while chaos reigned in the real world. I\u2019ve said a few times now how houses make us lazy, but the haste in which we succumbed this time, even surprised me!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>31<sup>st<\/sup> March, 2020<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>We needed to unlock 3 gates before getting to the property,\n3 gates! Hundreds of Blue Gum trees adorning the dirt road driveway, swayed in\nthe breeze as if to welcome us, as we drove towards the house. I\u2019d already\nconjured up a hundred different images of the lean-to after Jen had described\nthe house as \u201cit\u2019s just a fibro shack\u201d. Just a shack?? Man, this place is <em>incredible<\/em>.\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>More than a little overwhelmed having this place as refuge.\nIt feels like a mansion after our 2x5m box. 4 beds, 2 bathrooms, a lounge,\ndining and kitchen area, not to mention the 250 acres of land to explore. Words\ncannot express our gratitude. Alex and I sprung into action on unpacking and\norganising, kids sprung into action on the new games and books in the house. We\nfeel so safe, life is good. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"is-layout-flex wp-block-gallery-1 wp-block-gallery columns-2 is-cropped\"><ul class=\"blocks-gallery-grid\"><li class=\"blocks-gallery-item\"><figure><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1024\" height=\"768\" src=\"https:\/\/townsontour.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/IMG_0380-1024x768.jpg\" alt=\"\" data-id=\"3908\" data-full-url=\"https:\/\/townsontour.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/IMG_0380-scaled.jpg\" data-link=\"https:\/\/townsontour.com.au\/img_0380\/\" class=\"wp-image-3908\" srcset=\"https:\/\/townsontour.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/IMG_0380-980x735.jpg 980w, https:\/\/townsontour.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/IMG_0380-480x360.jpg 480w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 0px) and (max-width: 480px) 480px, (min-width: 481px) and (max-width: 980px) 980px, (min-width: 981px) 1024px, 100vw\" \/><\/figure><\/li><li class=\"blocks-gallery-item\"><figure><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1024\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/townsontour.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/772B0B4E-0C43-4C30-95E9-B7BF4A42E296-1024x1024.jpg\" alt=\"\" data-id=\"3887\" data-full-url=\"https:\/\/townsontour.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/772B0B4E-0C43-4C30-95E9-B7BF4A42E296.jpg\" data-link=\"https:\/\/townsontour.com.au\/772b0b4e-0c43-4c30-95e9-b7bf4a42e296\/\" class=\"wp-image-3887\" srcset=\"https:\/\/townsontour.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/772B0B4E-0C43-4C30-95E9-B7BF4A42E296-980x980.jpg 980w, https:\/\/townsontour.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/772B0B4E-0C43-4C30-95E9-B7BF4A42E296-480x480.jpg 480w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 0px) and (max-width: 480px) 480px, (min-width: 481px) and (max-width: 980px) 980px, (min-width: 981px) 1024px, 100vw\" \/><\/figure><\/li><li class=\"blocks-gallery-item\"><figure><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1024\" height=\"768\" src=\"https:\/\/townsontour.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/IMG_0368-1024x768.jpg\" alt=\"\" data-id=\"3907\" data-full-url=\"https:\/\/townsontour.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/IMG_0368-scaled.jpg\" data-link=\"https:\/\/townsontour.com.au\/img_0368\/\" class=\"wp-image-3907\" srcset=\"https:\/\/townsontour.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/IMG_0368-980x735.jpg 980w, https:\/\/townsontour.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/IMG_0368-480x360.jpg 480w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 0px) and (max-width: 480px) 480px, (min-width: 481px) and (max-width: 980px) 980px, (min-width: 981px) 1024px, 100vw\" \/><\/figure><\/li><\/ul><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><em>1<sup>st<\/sup> April, 2020<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>No April Fools joke here, this place is ours for the\nforeseeable future. I\u2019m still pinching myself. Slow start today, revelling in\nour luxurious space and reading all the horror stories of Covid in the news.\nAfter lunch, the dreaded schoolbooks came out. After a huge screaming match\nbetween Alex and Reo, things seemed to settle a little and work finally got\ndone. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Decided to watch a movie tonight, after all, what\u2019s the\npoint in having a lounge and TV if you\u2019re not going to use it? Lexi being a\ncreature of habit always wants to watch one of her favourite 5 movies, so we\n\u00b4convinced\u2019 (OK, maybe that\u2019s the wrong word to use), coerced her to try\nsomething new. Oliver Twist seemed a good option. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>BAD CHOICE of movie! I never realised how gruesome the movie\nwas. To be fair, the only bit I remember from this story is \u201cplease Sir, can I\nhave some more?\u201d. Poor Lexi was in tears after seeing a wife bludgeoned to\ndeath by her husband, not that surprising really. Lesson learnt for next time. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"is-layout-flex wp-block-gallery-3 wp-block-gallery columns-1 is-cropped\"><ul class=\"blocks-gallery-grid\"><li class=\"blocks-gallery-item\"><figure><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1024\" height=\"768\" src=\"https:\/\/townsontour.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/IMG_0960-1024x768.jpg\" alt=\"\" data-id=\"3922\" data-full-url=\"https:\/\/townsontour.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/IMG_0960-scaled.jpg\" data-link=\"https:\/\/townsontour.com.au\/img_0960\/\" class=\"wp-image-3922\" srcset=\"https:\/\/townsontour.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/IMG_0960-980x735.jpg 980w, https:\/\/townsontour.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/IMG_0960-480x360.jpg 480w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 0px) and (max-width: 480px) 480px, (min-width: 481px) and (max-width: 980px) 980px, (min-width: 981px) 1024px, 100vw\" \/><\/figure><\/li><\/ul><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><em>2<sup>nd<\/sup> April, 2020<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Cold and rainy this morning \u2013 another notch marked on the\ngratefulness chart, thinking of the alternatives. Still managed to pack a lot\nin. Explored a little of the land today to try and get some bearings. Found a\nriver and hundreds more trees! To avoid another explosion with schooling, we\nswapped books for home economics and a STEM activity: scones and magnetic tower\nbuilding. Made a nice change not having to argue about what we\u2019d be doing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Lexi in tears today thinking she\u2019s got the virus. It\u2019s so\nhard to know how all of this is affecting the little people. We try not to talk\ntoo much about what\u2019s going on around them as they don\u2019t like it and you never\nknow how they interpret the information. Talked Lexi and Reo through what the\nsymptoms are again, how you get it, main areas in Australia where the outbreaks\nseem to be and that we are at a very, very small risk of getting it. After a\nbig cuddle fest, she seemed a bit happier. Reo on the other hand, announced\nlike Trump\u2019s number 1 fan, that it was all the Chinese\u2019s fault! God, I\nseriously worry about that boy. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>New challenge added to the routine today, started Joe Wicks\nwork out, or Joe Wicked as Nanna likes to call it. &#x1f61d;\nReo appeared to get distracted halfway through, but Lexi really enjoyed it to\nthe end. Kids desperate to get a shout out from him. Compared notes of physical\nprowess with the cousins on zoom after the workout, all looked red and sweaty!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"is-layout-flex wp-block-gallery-5 wp-block-gallery columns-2 is-cropped\"><ul class=\"blocks-gallery-grid\"><li class=\"blocks-gallery-item\"><figure><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1024\" height=\"768\" src=\"https:\/\/townsontour.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/20200402_121202-1024x768.jpg\" alt=\"\" data-id=\"3874\" data-full-url=\"https:\/\/townsontour.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/20200402_121202-scaled.jpg\" data-link=\"https:\/\/townsontour.com.au\/20200402_121202\/\" class=\"wp-image-3874\" srcset=\"https:\/\/townsontour.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/20200402_121202-980x735.jpg 980w, https:\/\/townsontour.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/20200402_121202-480x360.jpg 480w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 0px) and (max-width: 480px) 480px, (min-width: 481px) and (max-width: 980px) 980px, (min-width: 981px) 1024px, 100vw\" \/><figcaption class=\"blocks-gallery-item__caption\">STEM<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/li><li class=\"blocks-gallery-item\"><figure><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"768\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/townsontour.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/IMG_1212-768x1024.jpg\" alt=\"\" data-id=\"3926\" data-full-url=\"https:\/\/townsontour.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/IMG_1212-scaled.jpg\" data-link=\"https:\/\/townsontour.com.au\/img_1212\/\" class=\"wp-image-3926\"\/><figcaption class=\"blocks-gallery-item__caption\">Blue scones<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/li><li class=\"blocks-gallery-item\"><figure><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1024\" height=\"768\" src=\"https:\/\/townsontour.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/20200402_165855-1024x768.jpg\" alt=\"\" data-id=\"3875\" data-full-url=\"https:\/\/townsontour.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/20200402_165855-scaled.jpg\" data-link=\"https:\/\/townsontour.com.au\/20200402_165855\/\" class=\"wp-image-3875\" srcset=\"https:\/\/townsontour.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/20200402_165855-980x735.jpg 980w, https:\/\/townsontour.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/20200402_165855-480x360.jpg 480w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 0px) and (max-width: 480px) 480px, (min-width: 481px) and (max-width: 980px) 980px, (min-width: 981px) 1024px, 100vw\" \/><figcaption class=\"blocks-gallery-item__caption\">Cousin <\/figcaption><\/figure><\/li><li class=\"blocks-gallery-item\"><figure><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1024\" height=\"768\" src=\"https:\/\/townsontour.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/IMG-20200402-WA0019-1024x768.jpg\" alt=\"\" data-id=\"3935\" data-full-url=\"https:\/\/townsontour.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/IMG-20200402-WA0019.jpg\" data-link=\"https:\/\/townsontour.com.au\/img-20200402-wa0019\/\" class=\"wp-image-3935\" srcset=\"https:\/\/townsontour.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/IMG-20200402-WA0019-980x735.jpg 980w, https:\/\/townsontour.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/IMG-20200402-WA0019-480x360.jpg 480w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 0px) and (max-width: 480px) 480px, (min-width: 481px) and (max-width: 980px) 980px, (min-width: 981px) 1024px, 100vw\" \/><figcaption class=\"blocks-gallery-item__caption\">Competition<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/li><\/ul><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed-youtube wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-embed-aspect-4-3 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Get yer Joe Wicks On\" width=\"1080\" height=\"810\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/EzJHbFlRDOY?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><em>3<sup>rd<\/sup> April, 2020<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Days are getting lazier and we\u2019re only on day 4. Only got\nout of bed at 11.30am. So rare I get to &nbsp;snuggle in the warmth of my bed with a good\nbook. Lexi made pancakes and Reo waited on me \u2013 divine. Kitchen looked like a\nbomb had hit it when I finally decided to surface, no daddy help in sight!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Schooling was craft today \u2013 Easter Bonnet making. &nbsp;Great way to get rid of some craft stuff which\nwe\u2019ve been carrying around for the last year that\u2019s not seen daylight, despite\nall the good intentions. Can\u2019t imagine how people are going holding down a\nfull-time job and trying the home schooling too. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Chose the modern \u2018Annie\u2019 as the movie tonight. Far safer bet\nfor Lexi. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Not ventured outside today, in fact, not sure I even brushed\nmy teeth this morning. Don\u2019t remember the kids doing it either. Actually, I\u2019m\nnot sure when the kids last had a shower come to think of it. We may be on\nwater tanks here, but that\u2019s no excuse to stay dirty. Tomorrow can be shower\nday. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"is-layout-flex wp-block-gallery-7 wp-block-gallery columns-2 is-cropped\"><ul class=\"blocks-gallery-grid\"><li class=\"blocks-gallery-item\"><figure><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"768\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/townsontour.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/20200403_123709-768x1024.jpg\" alt=\"\" data-id=\"3876\" data-full-url=\"https:\/\/townsontour.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/20200403_123709-scaled.jpg\" data-link=\"https:\/\/townsontour.com.au\/20200403_123709\/\" class=\"wp-image-3876\"\/><\/figure><\/li><li class=\"blocks-gallery-item\"><figure><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"768\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/townsontour.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/20200403_123729-768x1024.jpg\" alt=\"\" data-id=\"3877\" data-full-url=\"https:\/\/townsontour.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/20200403_123729-scaled.jpg\" data-link=\"https:\/\/townsontour.com.au\/20200403_123729\/\" class=\"wp-image-3877\"\/><\/figure><\/li><li class=\"blocks-gallery-item\"><figure><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"498\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/townsontour.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/20200603_134846-498x1024.jpg\" alt=\"\" data-id=\"3956\" data-full-url=\"https:\/\/townsontour.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/20200603_134846-scaled.jpg\" data-link=\"https:\/\/townsontour.com.au\/20200603_134846\/\" class=\"wp-image-3956\"\/><figcaption class=\"blocks-gallery-item__caption\">Good effort kids!<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/li><\/ul><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><em>4<sup>th<\/sup> April, 2020<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Back to books today! Plan was to get school over and done\nwith straight after brekkie. As always, Alex was the last to sit down, even\nafter rounding up the 2 students after they\u2019d snuck outside for \u2018a quick play\u2019.\nNow we have consistent reception, I\u2019ve begun downloading some of the\neducational apps that are all on offer currently to mix things up a little for\nschooling. Anything electronic is a motivation for Lexi, unfortunately less so\nfor Little Fella.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Afternoon activity was Go Kart racing. So much fun riding\ndown the hill, less so pulling the karts back up again. Wheel feel off one of\nthem on the first try, but Reo \u2018fix-it\u2019 Towns managed to bring it back to life\nagain and have another go. Ended the night with a game of Sorry, so much\nlaughter. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Kids even managed a shower.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"is-layout-flex wp-block-gallery-9 wp-block-gallery columns-2 is-cropped\"><ul class=\"blocks-gallery-grid\"><li class=\"blocks-gallery-item\"><figure><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1024\" height=\"768\" src=\"https:\/\/townsontour.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/IMG_0496-1024x768.jpg\" alt=\"\" data-id=\"3910\" data-full-url=\"https:\/\/townsontour.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/IMG_0496-scaled.jpg\" data-link=\"https:\/\/townsontour.com.au\/img_0496-2\/\" class=\"wp-image-3910\" srcset=\"https:\/\/townsontour.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/IMG_0496-980x735.jpg 980w, https:\/\/townsontour.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/IMG_0496-480x360.jpg 480w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 0px) and (max-width: 480px) 480px, (min-width: 481px) and (max-width: 980px) 980px, (min-width: 981px) 1024px, 100vw\" \/><\/figure><\/li><li class=\"blocks-gallery-item\"><figure><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1024\" height=\"576\" src=\"https:\/\/townsontour.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/IMG_0503-1024x576.jpg\" alt=\"\" data-id=\"3911\" data-full-url=\"https:\/\/townsontour.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/IMG_0503-scaled.jpg\" data-link=\"https:\/\/townsontour.com.au\/img_0503\/\" class=\"wp-image-3911\" srcset=\"https:\/\/townsontour.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/IMG_0503-980x551.jpg 980w, https:\/\/townsontour.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/IMG_0503-480x270.jpg 480w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 0px) and (max-width: 480px) 480px, (min-width: 481px) and (max-width: 980px) 980px, (min-width: 981px) 1024px, 100vw\" \/><\/figure><\/li><\/ul><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed-youtube wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-embed-aspect-4-3 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Go karts\" width=\"1080\" height=\"810\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/Rl2uIM9zp1E?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"768\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/townsontour.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/20200405_192218-768x1024.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-3879\"\/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><em>5<sup>th<\/sup> April, 2020<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>PJ day. Kids played, Alex and I on our phones. Finally\ndressed in the afternoon. Even managed a bit of schooling with limited fights.\nLexi still not convinced she\u2019s free from the virus. &#x2639;\nAnother game night after dinner, lots of fun.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Alex and I started Game of Thrones (GoT) season 8 after kids\nwent to bed. Been waiting to watch this for ages.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Heard scratching noises tonight. After a little searching,\nit appeared to be coming from our bedroom wall. Eek. Think we might have\nfriends scuttling about trying to find food. Traps down just in case they break\nfree!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>6<sup>th<\/sup> April, 2020<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Wow, not even a week in and routine has been completely\ndeconstructed! Kids played this morning and had some iPad time as Alex and I on\nour phones again looking at the news. Europe just seems to be a petri dish of\nCovid. Dressed after lunch, played games for schooling. Alex and I rode our\nbikes to the front gate for a little exercise. Was nice to get out, even if it\nwas a short 3k or so. We\u2019re going to do this every day to make sure we get a\nbit of exercise. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>At midday, Alex started talking about preparing tea in the\nslow cooker. Yum. By 1.30pm he finally finished chopping. Looks like we\u2019ll be\neating dinner by 9pm tonight, so much for the early night planned for the kids!\nWhy we still even say that beats me, they haven\u2019t had an early night since we\nleft Sydney.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>As it was, the food was cooked on a \u201cfast\u201d slow cook, so\ndinner wasn\u2019t too late. Another fun games night. Clearly, kids have not been\nrun enough today as they were a nightmare getting to bed. Reo was scared too,\nas he also heard the scratching last night. Told him it was just the wind. &#x1f609;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>7<sup>th<\/sup> April, 2020<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Can\u2019t believe we\u2019ve been here a week already. Need to snap\nout of this lethargy and regain a little more order to our routine (do we even\nhave a routine?!). Breakfast has been a bit of a random affair with each of us\njust getting it when we fancy. Today, we all managed to sit down together and\neat by 9.30am. We are so going to struggle getting back to a more structured\nlife once we return to Sydney. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Lexi made brownies this morning, I started a sourdough and\nAlex &amp; Reo put tea in the slow cooker. Apart from that flurry of kitchen\nactivity, it was a lazy morning. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>We weren\u2019t really sure if we were really allowed to, but decided\nto venture out and head to a local beach today. As we reached the end of the\ndirt road joining us to bitumen, we saw a police car. Hearts missed a beat for\na second as we thought they were there to stop us moving. As it was, they were\nthere for completely unrelated business. Phew. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Really surprised at how busy Peaceful Bay was, at least 4\nother cars (busy for WA in lockdown I guess!). Nodded a hello to others from a\ndistance, still feels really weird not being able to freely socialise like\nwe\u2019re used to. The beach is fabulous. So nice to be able to swim in the clear,\ncool water. Kids had a ball. Felt a little naughty to be out but justified the\nexcursion as our exercise for the day. No one needs to know we have 250 acres\nof land to play on. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Bit of persuasion needed to get the kids into shower\ntonight, but after 3 days AND a swim in the sea, it needed to be done. And \u201cno,\na swim in the sea does not count as a wash Lexi\u201d. Why do they resist so much?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"is-layout-flex wp-block-gallery-11 wp-block-gallery columns-2 is-cropped\"><ul class=\"blocks-gallery-grid\"><li class=\"blocks-gallery-item\"><figure><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1024\" height=\"768\" src=\"https:\/\/townsontour.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/20200421_094852-1024x768.jpg\" alt=\"\" data-id=\"3894\" data-full-url=\"https:\/\/townsontour.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/20200421_094852-scaled.jpg\" data-link=\"https:\/\/townsontour.com.au\/20200421_094852\/\" class=\"wp-image-3894\" srcset=\"https:\/\/townsontour.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/20200421_094852-980x735.jpg 980w, https:\/\/townsontour.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/20200421_094852-480x360.jpg 480w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 0px) and (max-width: 480px) 480px, (min-width: 481px) and (max-width: 980px) 980px, (min-width: 981px) 1024px, 100vw\" \/><\/figure><\/li><li class=\"blocks-gallery-item\"><figure><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1024\" height=\"768\" src=\"https:\/\/townsontour.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/IMG_0613-1024x768.jpg\" alt=\"\" data-id=\"3912\" data-full-url=\"https:\/\/townsontour.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/IMG_0613-scaled.jpg\" data-link=\"https:\/\/townsontour.com.au\/img_0613\/\" class=\"wp-image-3912\" srcset=\"https:\/\/townsontour.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/IMG_0613-980x735.jpg 980w, https:\/\/townsontour.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/IMG_0613-480x360.jpg 480w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 0px) and (max-width: 480px) 480px, (min-width: 481px) and (max-width: 980px) 980px, (min-width: 981px) 1024px, 100vw\" \/><\/figure><\/li><\/ul><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><em>8<sup>th<\/sup> April, 2020<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Felt we were in a scene of The Wizard of Oz last night. Woke\nto howling wind about 4am, with intermittent banging, thought the house was\ngoing to take off and we\u2019d wake to find 2 red shoes poking out from underneath\nit. I felt a ripple of panic as a loud thump reverberated around the room,\nalas, it was only Reo jumping down the stairs announcing his presence as he\u2019d\nalso been woken by the wind. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Breakfast was again a family affair and after completing a\ndire morning of schooling (Reo and Alex at loggerheads again), we decided fresh\nair was needed and headed out for our \u2018exercise\u2019 to the beach again. The beach\nwas so busy (at least double yesterday\u2019s count), we had to drive further afield\nto distance ourselves. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The excitement of the day was saving a kangaroo. I guess had\nwe not frightened it in the first place returning from the beach, said rescue\nwouldn\u2019t needed to have been done. However, there we were, watching the poor\nthing try to push itself through the fence it had become stuck in, with little\neffect apart from getting itself even more wedged. The cows in the field next\ndoor were pretty interested too, so Alex jumped over the fence to scare the\ncows, as they were scaring the roo and said rescue mission commenced. Finally,\nwe managed to free it and off it hopped without even a backward glance of a\nthank you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Dinner tonight was by candlelight, Sovereign Hill candles no\nless, which the kids really enjoyed. A quick game of Uno before bed and they\nwere asleep before 8pm. Magic. All the little highs like tonight certainly\noutweigh the $h!t fight of schooling. We even squeezed in a GoT before bed. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed-youtube wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-embed-aspect-4-3 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Roo Rescue\" width=\"1080\" height=\"810\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/wzVeBL_xOPo?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><em>9<sup>th<\/sup> April, 2020<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Breakfast completed by 8.15am, we are nailing this routine malarkey.\nAfter a slightly shaky start with Reo on schooling, that too was done and\ndusted. Today, I shall call myself Super Mum! <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Caught up with some friends for first time in a while this\nafternoon, feel a bit more connected to the outer world now. It feels like\nwe\u2019re living in a bubble a world away from everyone here, as in many ways our\nlife hasn\u2019t changed that much, we\u2019re just not moving currently. It\u2019s hard to\nimagine what it would be like to work while all this is going on. We are on our\nphones so much now catching up on the news mainly of Australia and UK. It reads\nlike a horror movie. We drove to Denmark to pick up some supplies, the road was\ncompletely empty. After not being in a town for a while and reading all the news,\nwe half expected zombies to be walking around after Armageddon.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>We were stopped by a very friendly policeman on the way in,\nwho said our car screamed \u2018traveller\u2019. He also clocked the NSW rego and ran the\nplates. After a license check, proof we were living local (email from Mal with\ndirections to the farm) and a couple of questions from the kids, we were\nallowed to go on our way. Lexi wanted to understand if he changed his rubber\ngloves every time he stopped someone and checked their documents (he did), and\nReo wanted to know why he had 2 guns! Once it was explained that one was a gun\nand one was a taser, the policeman was questioned no further. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"is-layout-flex wp-block-gallery-13 wp-block-gallery columns-2 is-cropped\"><ul class=\"blocks-gallery-grid\"><li class=\"blocks-gallery-item\"><figure><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1024\" height=\"768\" src=\"https:\/\/townsontour.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/IMG-20200420-WA0008-1.jpg\" alt=\"\" data-id=\"3959\" data-full-url=\"https:\/\/townsontour.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/IMG-20200420-WA0008-1.jpg\" data-link=\"https:\/\/townsontour.com.au\/img-20200420-wa0008-2\/\" class=\"wp-image-3959\" srcset=\"https:\/\/townsontour.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/IMG-20200420-WA0008-1.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/townsontour.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/IMG-20200420-WA0008-1-980x735.jpg 980w, https:\/\/townsontour.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/IMG-20200420-WA0008-1-480x360.jpg 480w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 0px) and (max-width: 480px) 480px, (min-width: 481px) and (max-width: 980px) 980px, (min-width: 981px) 1024px, 100vw\" \/><\/figure><\/li><li class=\"blocks-gallery-item\"><figure><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"782\" height=\"602\" src=\"https:\/\/townsontour.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/IMG-20200413-WA0035.jpg\" alt=\"\" data-id=\"3943\" data-full-url=\"https:\/\/townsontour.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/IMG-20200413-WA0035.jpg\" data-link=\"https:\/\/townsontour.com.au\/img-20200413-wa0035\/\" class=\"wp-image-3943\" srcset=\"https:\/\/townsontour.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/IMG-20200413-WA0035.jpg 782w, https:\/\/townsontour.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/IMG-20200413-WA0035-480x370.jpg 480w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 0px) and (max-width: 480px) 480px, (min-width: 481px) 782px, 100vw\" \/><\/figure><\/li><\/ul><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>10<em><sup>th<\/sup> April, 2020<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Day of catching up with friends and family again. So funny seeing Lexi &amp; Reo holding conversations with their buddies. Must put \u2018go outside\u2019 on my to-do list for tomorrow. Lexi entered an impromptu baking comp with Celli from the UK, to see who could make the best banana bread. Not being able to taste both, I really couldn\u2019t comment on who won. OK, the 9-year old\u2019s was better, not that I\u2019m biased or inferring her talents are inherited from her amazing mother. She also made tea for us. She\u2019s becoming quite the little chef. New dish tonight \u2013 tuna pasta bake. Just a little help needed with the sauce, otherwise self-sufficiency all the way. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Think I should start a shower chart as I really can\u2019t\nremember when Lexi &amp; Reo last had one! Did they even brush their teeth this\nmorning? The days are blurring into one. Reminder in phone for kids to shower\ntomorrow. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>2 hours of GoT. Storyline so tense. Great series. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"is-layout-flex wp-block-gallery-15 wp-block-gallery columns-2 is-cropped\"><ul class=\"blocks-gallery-grid\"><li class=\"blocks-gallery-item\"><figure><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1024\" height=\"746\" src=\"https:\/\/townsontour.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/20200427_183610-1024x746.jpg\" alt=\"\" data-id=\"3898\" data-full-url=\"https:\/\/townsontour.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/20200427_183610-scaled.jpg\" data-link=\"https:\/\/townsontour.com.au\/20200427_183610\/\" class=\"wp-image-3898\" srcset=\"https:\/\/townsontour.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/20200427_183610-980x714.jpg 980w, https:\/\/townsontour.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/20200427_183610-480x350.jpg 480w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 0px) and (max-width: 480px) 480px, (min-width: 481px) and (max-width: 980px) 980px, (min-width: 981px) 1024px, 100vw\" \/><\/figure><\/li><li class=\"blocks-gallery-item\"><figure><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1024\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/townsontour.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/IMG_0796-1024x1024.jpg\" alt=\"\" data-id=\"3903\" data-full-url=\"https:\/\/townsontour.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/IMG_0796.jpg\" data-link=\"https:\/\/townsontour.com.au\/img_0796\/\" class=\"wp-image-3903\" srcset=\"https:\/\/townsontour.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/IMG_0796-980x980.jpg 980w, https:\/\/townsontour.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/IMG_0796-480x480.jpg 480w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 0px) and (max-width: 480px) 480px, (min-width: 481px) and (max-width: 980px) 980px, (min-width: 981px) 1024px, 100vw\" \/><\/figure><\/li><li class=\"blocks-gallery-item\"><figure><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1024\" height=\"490\" src=\"https:\/\/townsontour.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/IMG-20200502-WA0028-1024x490.jpg\" alt=\"\" data-id=\"3945\" data-full-url=\"https:\/\/townsontour.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/IMG-20200502-WA0028.jpg\" data-link=\"https:\/\/townsontour.com.au\/img-20200502-wa0028\/\" class=\"wp-image-3945\" srcset=\"https:\/\/townsontour.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/IMG-20200502-WA0028-980x469.jpg 980w, https:\/\/townsontour.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/IMG-20200502-WA0028-480x230.jpg 480w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 0px) and (max-width: 480px) 480px, (min-width: 481px) and (max-width: 980px) 980px, (min-width: 981px) 1024px, 100vw\" \/><\/figure><\/li><\/ul><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>11<em><sup>th<\/sup> April, 2020<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Caught up with the East side ex-work gang. I even had a\nshower and washed my hair for the affair! Such a fun call seeing what\neveryone\u2019s been up to. Amazing how we can all talk so much when we\u2019ve not been\nup to much apart from work, work, work and staying inside. Well, them, not me. Such\nan energising call. Listening to their stories was another reminder for the\ngratefulness chart. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Further bursts of energy in the kitchen today. More\nsourdough, a large muffin by Lexi (didn\u2019t have a muffin tray so improvised!)\nand Reo, with a little help from daddy, made tea. We are going to have to be\nrolled out of here at this rate. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"is-layout-flex wp-block-gallery-17 wp-block-gallery columns-2 is-cropped\"><ul class=\"blocks-gallery-grid\"><li class=\"blocks-gallery-item\"><figure><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1024\" height=\"792\" src=\"https:\/\/townsontour.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/IMG_1013-1024x792.jpg\" alt=\"\" data-id=\"3923\" data-link=\"https:\/\/townsontour.com.au\/img_1013\/\" class=\"wp-image-3923\" srcset=\"https:\/\/townsontour.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/IMG_1013-980x758.jpg 980w, https:\/\/townsontour.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/IMG_1013-480x371.jpg 480w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 0px) and (max-width: 480px) 480px, (min-width: 481px) and (max-width: 980px) 980px, (min-width: 981px) 1024px, 100vw\" \/><\/figure><\/li><li class=\"blocks-gallery-item\"><figure><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"914\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/townsontour.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/IMG-20200330-WA0056-914x1024.jpg\" alt=\"\" data-id=\"3962\" data-full-url=\"https:\/\/townsontour.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/IMG-20200330-WA0056.jpg\" data-link=\"https:\/\/townsontour.com.au\/?attachment_id=3962\" class=\"wp-image-3962\"\/><\/figure><\/li><\/ul><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>12<em><sup>th<\/sup> April, 2020<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Easter bunny found us. Hurray! WA Premier announced on\nsocial media we were allowed down the beach\u2026.. say no more Mr. McGowan. We. Are.\nThere. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Tried a different beach to our \u201cexercise beach\u201d. Secret\nHarbour is a little gem of a place and as it\u2019s secret, we had it all to\nourselves. Weather was glorious, it was so nice to be back in the water. Got\nback to the farm later tonight, so did a 180 on my previous statement to the\nkids and decided they didn\u2019t really need a shower as they\u2019d been in the sea. &#x1f61d;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Started watching the Andrew Lloyd musicals on YouTube.\nObviously, Jesus Christ Superstar today. Bit weird to be honest. Kids weren\u2019t\nfussed about watching it and they wouldn\u2019t have enjoyed it or understood it for\nthat matter. Maybe we need to up the ante on Religious Education as part of\ntheir curriculum.&nbsp; <\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"is-layout-flex wp-block-gallery-19 wp-block-gallery columns-2 is-cropped\"><ul class=\"blocks-gallery-grid\"><li class=\"blocks-gallery-item\"><figure><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"768\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/townsontour.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/20200412_074356-768x1024.jpg\" alt=\"\" data-id=\"3885\" data-full-url=\"https:\/\/townsontour.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/20200412_074356-scaled.jpg\" data-link=\"https:\/\/townsontour.com.au\/20200412_074356\/\" class=\"wp-image-3885\"\/><\/figure><\/li><li class=\"blocks-gallery-item\"><figure><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"768\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/townsontour.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/20200412_074353-768x1024.jpg\" alt=\"\" data-id=\"3884\" data-full-url=\"https:\/\/townsontour.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/20200412_074353-scaled.jpg\" data-link=\"https:\/\/townsontour.com.au\/20200412_074353\/\" class=\"wp-image-3884\"\/><\/figure><\/li><li class=\"blocks-gallery-item\"><figure><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1024\" height=\"768\" src=\"https:\/\/townsontour.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/20200412_065205-1024x768.jpg\" alt=\"\" data-id=\"3883\" data-full-url=\"https:\/\/townsontour.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/20200412_065205-scaled.jpg\" data-link=\"https:\/\/townsontour.com.au\/20200412_065205\/\" class=\"wp-image-3883\" srcset=\"https:\/\/townsontour.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/20200412_065205-980x735.jpg 980w, https:\/\/townsontour.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/20200412_065205-480x360.jpg 480w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 0px) and (max-width: 480px) 480px, (min-width: 481px) and (max-width: 980px) 980px, (min-width: 981px) 1024px, 100vw\" \/><\/figure><\/li><\/ul><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed-youtube wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-embed-aspect-4-3 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Secret Bay\" width=\"1080\" height=\"810\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/uUHPThOZ--M?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"is-layout-flex wp-block-gallery-21 wp-block-gallery columns-2 is-cropped\"><ul class=\"blocks-gallery-grid\"><li class=\"blocks-gallery-item\"><figure><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" src=\"https:\/\/townsontour.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/org_3065ce090b99157c_1586669644000-1024x683.jpg\" alt=\"\" data-id=\"3941\" data-full-url=\"https:\/\/townsontour.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/org_3065ce090b99157c_1586669644000-scaled.jpg\" data-link=\"https:\/\/townsontour.com.au\/org_3065ce090b99157c_1586669644000\/\" class=\"wp-image-3941\" srcset=\"https:\/\/townsontour.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/org_3065ce090b99157c_1586669644000-980x653.jpg 980w, https:\/\/townsontour.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/org_3065ce090b99157c_1586669644000-480x320.jpg 480w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 0px) and (max-width: 480px) 480px, (min-width: 481px) and (max-width: 980px) 980px, (min-width: 981px) 1024px, 100vw\" \/><\/figure><\/li><li class=\"blocks-gallery-item\"><figure><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1024\" height=\"768\" src=\"https:\/\/townsontour.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/IMG_0883-1024x768.jpg\" alt=\"\" data-id=\"3904\" data-full-url=\"https:\/\/townsontour.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/IMG_0883-scaled.jpg\" data-link=\"https:\/\/townsontour.com.au\/img_0883\/\" class=\"wp-image-3904\" srcset=\"https:\/\/townsontour.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/IMG_0883-980x735.jpg 980w, https:\/\/townsontour.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/IMG_0883-480x360.jpg 480w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 0px) and (max-width: 480px) 480px, (min-width: 481px) and (max-width: 980px) 980px, (min-width: 981px) 1024px, 100vw\" \/><\/figure><\/li><li class=\"blocks-gallery-item\"><figure><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1024\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/townsontour.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/DJI_0122-1024x1024.jpg\" alt=\"\" data-id=\"3891\" data-full-url=\"https:\/\/townsontour.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/DJI_0122.jpg\" data-link=\"https:\/\/townsontour.com.au\/dji_0122\/\" class=\"wp-image-3891\" srcset=\"https:\/\/townsontour.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/DJI_0122-1024x1024.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/townsontour.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/DJI_0122-980x980.jpg 980w, https:\/\/townsontour.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/DJI_0122-480x480.jpg 480w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 0px) and (max-width: 480px) 480px, (min-width: 481px) and (max-width: 980px) 980px, (min-width: 981px) 1024px, 100vw\" \/><\/figure><\/li><\/ul><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed-youtube wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-embed-aspect-4-3 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Beach iso\" width=\"1080\" height=\"810\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/vtxkwjfIiLY?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>13<em><sup>th<\/sup> April, 2020<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Another disastrous morning of schooling. This time Alex and Lexi at loggerheads. I\u2018m certainly no angel, but I need to inject Alex with a MASSIVE dose of patience. &nbsp;Bit of a miserable day all round really, although we were greeted with a gorgeous rainbow after the rain.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Alex and I took a walk later in the afternoon and startled a\nTiger snake, or should I say, we were startled at startling the snake.\nCertainly made my heart beat faster. At least we know where it lives now as\nwe\u2019ve already seen it on the drive when we\u2019ve been in the car. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed-youtube wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-embed-aspect-4-3 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Snakes\" width=\"1080\" height=\"810\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/vVyeaFidlyQ?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>14<em><sup>th<\/sup> April, 2020<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>We drove Minty into Albany today for the service we missed\nin Melbourne. Was a little worried we\u2019d be stopped by the police for towing the\nvan, but all OK. The excitement today was another animal escapade, this farm\nliving certainly has new experiences for us city folk. A bat flew into the\nhouse and Alex did a great job of trying to catch it. He did question why it\nwas him, but we were all laughing and screaming so much we couldn\u2019t answer him.\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed-youtube wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-embed-aspect-4-3 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Holy Batman\" width=\"1080\" height=\"810\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/x6GxDSaqCmw?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>I\u2019d like to say that after 2 weeks in lockdown life got more\nexciting, but I\u2019d be wrong to lead you astray. I thought having the house we\u2019d\nfall into an easy routine, but the opposite became true. The bike riding and\nJoe Wicked fad didn\u2019t last that long and as time went on, we all descended in\nto more and more electronic entertainment, especially when the weather was bad.\nMany days became PJ days and I think I won the prize for staying in bed the\nlongest, having breakfast and lunch there and only rising by 3pm after being\nensconced in my book.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>We fell into lethargy and disquiet for the first few weeks,\nreading too much news propaganda and explaining snippets to the children when\nthey allowed. While Lexi &amp; Reo rarely verbalised their feelings about the\nvirus, little tell-tale signs gave away their anxiousness. After Lexi\u2019s initial\nconcerns she\u2019d contracted it, her nails were now picked down to the wick, after\nshe\u2019d tried so hard to grow them after she left school last year. Reo started\njumping into bed with us, with whatever quirky reason he could think of. He\u2019s\nnever been a great sleeper, but we soon got into a bad habit of him coming in\nevery night. One morning he even announced that he\u2019d had such a poor night\u2019s\nsleep due to not having a pillow to lie on, he\u2019d bring one next time. It wouldn\u2019t\nhave surprised me if he had. We did a little quiz with them which their cousins\nhad passed on, Reo was far less interested in it than Lexi, but it gives some\ninsights to their developing brains. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>(Questions asked separately to the kids)<br>1. What is the Corona virus? <br>R:&nbsp; It&#8217;s always on the news. It&#8217;s where people die and where people can&#8217;t go out<br>L: a virus<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>2. Who is the prime minister?<br>R:&nbsp; I can&#8217;t remember<br>L:&nbsp; Scott ScoMo<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>3. How many days have we been in lockdown? (We were in week 7)<br>R:&nbsp; 14 days<br>L:&nbsp; 8 weeks<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>4. What did mummy wear yesterday?<br>R:&nbsp; I don&#8217;t know<br>L: Jeans, top and slippers <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>5. Do you want to go back to school\/nursery?<br>R:&nbsp; NO (very shouty), no, no, no no, no I do not want to go to school<br>L:&nbsp; No<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>6. Who is the first person you are going to hug when lockdown ends? <br>R:&nbsp; Nobody<br>L:&nbsp; Issy<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>7. Where is the first place you want to go when lockdown ends? <br>R:&nbsp; Taronga zoo (which is in Sydney!!)<br>L:&nbsp;&nbsp; Hmm that&#8217;s a tricky question, we&#8217;ll&nbsp; return to that. [Once thought about it]&#8230;.. Perth<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>8. What do you think we can do to get rid of the corona virus?<br>R:&nbsp; I don&#8217;t really know<br>L:&nbsp; Everyone stay in lockdown (I still like cousin Caitlyn&#8217;s answer of &#8216;shoot it with a gun&#8217;!!)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>9. Is mummy a good teacher? <br>R:&nbsp; No<br>L:&nbsp; Yes, better than daddy <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>10. If corona virus were an animal what animal would it be?<br>R:&nbsp; A dog, because dogs are viscous and can make people die cos they&#8217;ve got very sharp teeth <br>L:&nbsp; A bat, as that&#8217;s where it came from<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>11. How did the Corna virus start?<br>R:&nbsp; From the Chinese<br>L:&nbsp; Someone ate a bat <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>12.&nbsp; If you had to wear protective clothing to help you what would it be?<br>R:&nbsp; Mask, gloves and definitely clothes<br>L:&nbsp; Eye roll (muttering I hate wearing protective clothing) a mask, long jeans and long t-shirts<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>13. What would you say to Scott Morrison if you met him?<br>R:&nbsp; erm nothing (gets shy)<br>L:&nbsp; Keep everyone In lockdown for another 2 weeks<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>14. What has been your favourite part of Lockdown so far?<br>R:&nbsp; Watching movies<br>L:&nbsp; Getting to watch tonnes of movies<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>15. Are you worried about anything?<br>R:&nbsp; No<br>L:&nbsp; Not really&nbsp; <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>We tried to vary the schooling and use apps and TV programs\nas alternatives to books, with debateable results. Our trump card had been\nremoved from us with no excursions allowed, so we had to get creative in other\nways. They loved <em>Science Max, Experiments at Large<\/em> and we carried out a\nfew experiments over the weeks. The TV and iPads continued to feature highly\nwith schooling and subsequently they seemed glued in the hands for more YouTube\nviewing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed-youtube wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-embed-aspect-4-3 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Kids Science Pt1\" width=\"1080\" height=\"810\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/I9HfhiS1t9c?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed-youtube wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-embed-aspect-4-3 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Kids Science Pt2\" width=\"1080\" height=\"810\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/gRwS_WfNzJ4?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>As time drew on, we began receiving comments from friends\nand family, who were now being indoctrinated into the anguish of home\nschooling, and acknowledged we weren\u2019t just on one long holiday. OK, maybe we\nare on a long holiday, but they understood it was interspersed with spikes of\nfrustration and irascibility when schooling takes place. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>As some restrictions were lifted late April, you could feel\nthe change in attitude. There were significantly more cars on the road, everyone\u2019s\nspirits appeared lifted and small groups of people began appearing in town. If\nyou must be in lockdown, this place was a good place to be. The area is\ngorgeous, with both beach and inland areas to explore. We visited most beaches\naround Denmark and even though there is so much to offer inland, we always\nfound ourselves gravitating towards the sea.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"is-layout-flex wp-block-gallery-23 wp-block-gallery columns-2 is-cropped\"><ul class=\"blocks-gallery-grid\"><li class=\"blocks-gallery-item\"><figure><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"909\" height=\"512\" src=\"https:\/\/townsontour.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/IMG-20200420-WA0022.jpg\" alt=\"\" data-id=\"3944\" data-full-url=\"https:\/\/townsontour.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/IMG-20200420-WA0022.jpg\" data-link=\"https:\/\/townsontour.com.au\/img-20200420-wa0022\/\" class=\"wp-image-3944\" srcset=\"https:\/\/townsontour.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/IMG-20200420-WA0022.jpg 909w, https:\/\/townsontour.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/IMG-20200420-WA0022-480x270.jpg 480w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 0px) and (max-width: 480px) 480px, (min-width: 481px) 909px, 100vw\" \/><\/figure><\/li><li class=\"blocks-gallery-item\"><figure><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1024\" height=\"768\" src=\"https:\/\/townsontour.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/IMG_2067-1024x768.jpg\" alt=\"\" data-id=\"3921\" data-full-url=\"https:\/\/townsontour.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/IMG_2067-scaled.jpg\" data-link=\"https:\/\/townsontour.com.au\/img_2067\/\" class=\"wp-image-3921\" srcset=\"https:\/\/townsontour.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/IMG_2067-980x735.jpg 980w, https:\/\/townsontour.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/IMG_2067-480x360.jpg 480w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 0px) and (max-width: 480px) 480px, (min-width: 481px) and (max-width: 980px) 980px, (min-width: 981px) 1024px, 100vw\" \/><\/figure><\/li><li class=\"blocks-gallery-item\"><figure><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1024\" height=\"768\" src=\"https:\/\/townsontour.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/IMG_1113-1024x768.jpg\" alt=\"\" data-id=\"3925\" data-full-url=\"https:\/\/townsontour.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/IMG_1113-scaled.jpg\" data-link=\"https:\/\/townsontour.com.au\/img_1113\/\" class=\"wp-image-3925\" srcset=\"https:\/\/townsontour.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/IMG_1113-980x735.jpg 980w, https:\/\/townsontour.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/IMG_1113-480x360.jpg 480w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 0px) and (max-width: 480px) 480px, (min-width: 481px) and (max-width: 980px) 980px, (min-width: 981px) 1024px, 100vw\" \/><\/figure><\/li><li class=\"blocks-gallery-item\"><figure><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1024\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/townsontour.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/IMG_0904-1024x1024.jpg\" alt=\"\" data-id=\"3905\" data-full-url=\"https:\/\/townsontour.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/IMG_0904.jpg\" data-link=\"https:\/\/townsontour.com.au\/img_0904\/\" class=\"wp-image-3905\" srcset=\"https:\/\/townsontour.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/IMG_0904-980x980.jpg 980w, https:\/\/townsontour.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/IMG_0904-480x480.jpg 480w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 0px) and (max-width: 480px) 480px, (min-width: 481px) and (max-width: 980px) 980px, (min-width: 981px) 1024px, 100vw\" \/><\/figure><\/li><li class=\"blocks-gallery-item\"><figure><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" src=\"https:\/\/townsontour.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/org_81ad9b7d02a26ca1_1589342752000-1024x683.jpg\" alt=\"\" data-id=\"3940\" data-full-url=\"https:\/\/townsontour.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/org_81ad9b7d02a26ca1_1589342752000-scaled.jpg\" data-link=\"https:\/\/townsontour.com.au\/org_81ad9b7d02a26ca1_1589342752000\/\" class=\"wp-image-3940\" srcset=\"https:\/\/townsontour.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/org_81ad9b7d02a26ca1_1589342752000-980x653.jpg 980w, https:\/\/townsontour.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/org_81ad9b7d02a26ca1_1589342752000-480x320.jpg 480w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 0px) and (max-width: 480px) 480px, (min-width: 481px) and (max-width: 980px) 980px, (min-width: 981px) 1024px, 100vw\" \/><\/figure><\/li><li class=\"blocks-gallery-item\"><figure><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1024\" height=\"768\" src=\"https:\/\/townsontour.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/IMG_1510-1024x768.jpg\" alt=\"\" data-id=\"3918\" data-full-url=\"https:\/\/townsontour.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/IMG_1510-scaled.jpg\" data-link=\"https:\/\/townsontour.com.au\/img_1510\/\" class=\"wp-image-3918\" srcset=\"https:\/\/townsontour.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/IMG_1510-980x735.jpg 980w, https:\/\/townsontour.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/IMG_1510-480x360.jpg 480w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 0px) and (max-width: 480px) 480px, (min-width: 481px) and (max-width: 980px) 980px, (min-width: 981px) 1024px, 100vw\" \/><\/figure><\/li><\/ul><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed-youtube wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-embed-aspect-4-3 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Circular Pools\" width=\"1080\" height=\"810\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/UXFshtjJWSQ?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>More people were out and we met another travelling family, <em>The\nGoldrings Gap Year<\/em>, Curt &amp; Andrea with their 3 kids, Bella (14), Tiana\n(11) &amp; Jax (9) as we explored Green Pools. It felt strange at first as we\nbegan sharing our stories of how we\u2019d found ourselves in Denmark, but soon the\nkids were off playing (no social distancing going on there!) and we were\ntalking like we\u2019d been friends for years. We agreed to meet up for a BBQ where\nthey were camping the following night and then dinner at ours in a few days\ntime, and just like that, our social life began again.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"is-layout-flex wp-block-gallery-25 wp-block-gallery columns-2 is-cropped\"><ul class=\"blocks-gallery-grid\"><li class=\"blocks-gallery-item\"><figure><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1024\" height=\"768\" src=\"https:\/\/townsontour.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/IMG-20200506-WA0003.jpg\" alt=\"\" data-id=\"3946\" data-full-url=\"https:\/\/townsontour.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/IMG-20200506-WA0003.jpg\" data-link=\"https:\/\/townsontour.com.au\/img-20200506-wa0003\/\" class=\"wp-image-3946\" srcset=\"https:\/\/townsontour.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/IMG-20200506-WA0003.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/townsontour.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/IMG-20200506-WA0003-980x735.jpg 980w, https:\/\/townsontour.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/IMG-20200506-WA0003-480x360.jpg 480w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 0px) and (max-width: 480px) 480px, (min-width: 481px) and (max-width: 980px) 980px, (min-width: 981px) 1024px, 100vw\" \/><\/figure><\/li><li class=\"blocks-gallery-item\"><figure><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1024\" height=\"768\" src=\"https:\/\/townsontour.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/IMG_1702-1024x768.jpg\" alt=\"\" data-id=\"3919\" data-full-url=\"https:\/\/townsontour.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/IMG_1702-scaled.jpg\" data-link=\"https:\/\/townsontour.com.au\/img_1702\/\" class=\"wp-image-3919\" srcset=\"https:\/\/townsontour.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/IMG_1702-980x735.jpg 980w, https:\/\/townsontour.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/IMG_1702-480x360.jpg 480w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 0px) and (max-width: 480px) 480px, (min-width: 481px) and (max-width: 980px) 980px, (min-width: 981px) 1024px, 100vw\" \/><\/figure><\/li><\/ul><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>We\u2019d been told that Denmark has some of the best geocaches\nin the world, so some days we set off for an adventure to find them. A local\nguy has made some fun ones, including a bomb to find and it was nice to get out\nof the house and stretch the legs when we were in the doldrums. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed-youtube wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-embed-aspect-4-3 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Geocache fun\" width=\"1080\" height=\"810\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/y0kEmLoeTug?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>It was nice to have the kitchen and we were very active in it\nover the weeks; pancakes, sourdough, cakes and muffins. So much so that we got\nthrough over 15kg of flour in the time we were there! The highlight being the\namazing birthday cake, Lexi (with the help of Reo) made for daddy\u2019s lockdown\nbirthday. Made from scratch, she baked over 2 days to cook and decorate it. It\nwas a labour of love and the result was incredible. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"is-layout-flex wp-block-gallery-27 wp-block-gallery columns-2 is-cropped\"><ul class=\"blocks-gallery-grid\"><li class=\"blocks-gallery-item\"><figure><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"576\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/townsontour.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/20200426_173258-576x1024.jpg\" alt=\"\" data-id=\"3895\" data-full-url=\"https:\/\/townsontour.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/20200426_173258-scaled.jpg\" data-link=\"https:\/\/townsontour.com.au\/20200426_173258\/\" class=\"wp-image-3895\"\/><\/figure><\/li><li class=\"blocks-gallery-item\"><figure><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"768\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/townsontour.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/20200427_110438-768x1024.jpg\" alt=\"\" data-id=\"3897\" data-full-url=\"https:\/\/townsontour.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/20200427_110438-scaled.jpg\" data-link=\"https:\/\/townsontour.com.au\/20200427_110438\/\" class=\"wp-image-3897\"\/><\/figure><\/li><\/ul><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed-youtube wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Daddy\u2019s birthday\" width=\"1080\" height=\"608\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/WinahxtxPeM?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>While it was an unsettling and confusing time with fear,\nuncertainty and countless hardships for so many around the world, all hard to\nget away from in the news, it was heart-warming to see the stories of community\nspirit, celebrities &amp; musicians supporting fans with streaming free\nentertainment and the innovative ideas people were having, as they were forced\nto slow down and rethink the norm, reconnecting with themselves and each other.\n&nbsp;Even the world seemed to be slowly healing\nitself, as pollution dropped significantly with everyone standing still.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>After inspiration from their cousin Daniel, Alex started a\nproject with Lexi and Reo which encompassed craft, IT, English, media studies\nand creative thinking and it ended up spanning most of our time at the farm. To\nbe fair, it was more of a labour of love for Alex and after many discussions on\nits direction and who controlled the program, the kids lost a little interest\nand left him to it. The outcome was fantastic and credit to all 3 of them for\npersevering. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed-youtube wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Gems In Space\" width=\"1080\" height=\"608\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/dAmzCr5KLYk?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>With all the cold nights, we\u2019d utilised a fair chunk of the\nwood for the wood burner. We needed to restock to ensure Mal and Jen were cosy\nnext time they came to stay. Mal had said we could use their old farm ute to\ndrive around and collect some more \u2013 can\u2019t think of a better place to restock\nthan a tree farm. After a recharge of the battery, the ute started first time\nand off we went to find some wood. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Harvesting had started on the trees and we\u2019d been talking\nwith the felling crew who said they\u2019d cut some logs for us when they came\nacross dead trees they couldn\u2019t use, but part of the fun was igniting the\nhunter-gatherer in us and taking the chainsaw out! <\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed-youtube wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-embed-aspect-4-3 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Now That\u2019s Wood Cutting\" width=\"1080\" height=\"810\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/FOQpbREteEU?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed-youtube wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-embed-aspect-4-3 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Love that saw\" width=\"1080\" height=\"810\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/7P3ApNEE7Ek?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>We stopped on the edge of the forest where we\u2019d already seen\nsome bits to collect and jumped off the ute to grab it. Reo was on the back\norganising the wood while the three of us passed it up to him. As we were\nhappily trudging around, we suddenly smelt smoke and after a quick check under\nthe car, we could see the grass in flames under the engine. Thinking some oil\nhad dropped and set alight, we rolled the car back off the flames and Alex unlatched\nthe bonnet to check the engine, to which grey smoke bellowed out. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"is-layout-flex wp-block-gallery-29 wp-block-gallery columns-3 is-cropped\"><ul class=\"blocks-gallery-grid\"><li class=\"blocks-gallery-item\"><figure><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"769\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/townsontour.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/IMG_2563-769x1024.jpg\" alt=\"\" data-id=\"3928\" data-full-url=\"https:\/\/townsontour.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/IMG_2563.jpg\" data-link=\"https:\/\/townsontour.com.au\/img_2563\/\" class=\"wp-image-3928\"\/><\/figure><\/li><li class=\"blocks-gallery-item\"><figure><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1024\" height=\"498\" src=\"https:\/\/townsontour.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/20200524_103525-1024x498.jpg\" alt=\"\" data-id=\"3901\" data-full-url=\"https:\/\/townsontour.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/20200524_103525-scaled.jpg\" data-link=\"https:\/\/townsontour.com.au\/20200524_103525\/\" class=\"wp-image-3901\" srcset=\"https:\/\/townsontour.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/20200524_103525-980x476.jpg 980w, https:\/\/townsontour.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/20200524_103525-480x233.jpg 480w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 0px) and (max-width: 480px) 480px, (min-width: 481px) and (max-width: 980px) 980px, (min-width: 981px) 1024px, 100vw\" \/><\/figure><\/li><li class=\"blocks-gallery-item\"><figure><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1024\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/townsontour.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/20200524_102414_Original-1024x1024.jpg\" alt=\"\" data-id=\"3900\" data-full-url=\"https:\/\/townsontour.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/20200524_102414_Original.jpg\" data-link=\"https:\/\/townsontour.com.au\/20200524_102414_original\/\" class=\"wp-image-3900\" srcset=\"https:\/\/townsontour.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/20200524_102414_Original-980x980.jpg 980w, https:\/\/townsontour.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/20200524_102414_Original-480x480.jpg 480w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 0px) and (max-width: 480px) 480px, (min-width: 481px) and (max-width: 980px) 980px, (min-width: 981px) 1024px, 100vw\" \/><\/figure><\/li><\/ul><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Lexi and I began to run back towards the house to get a fire\nextinguisher. What I hadn\u2019t realised was that the engine was already a fireball\nand our little extinguisher would have been completely ineffective. Alex was\nscreaming something which I couldn\u2019t hear, so Lexi continued to the house and I\nbegan running back towards the smoking car. I then heard \u201cCALL TRIPLE ZERO\u201d and\nwas soon on the phone to the emergency services. We had no idea how long they\nwould take, all we could do now was watch as the ute coughed out thick, black\nsmoke, banged and popped as it burnt to the ground. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed-youtube wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-embed-aspect-4-3 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Oops!\" width=\"1080\" height=\"810\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/gAOjNsAaU3s?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Emotions were high. As it was petrol, Alex and I were\nexpecting a firework display once the fuel tank caught alight (maybe we\u2019ve been\nwatching too many action movies), but thankfully that didn\u2019t eventuate. The\nfire brigade arrived and swamped the car with water, then foam, to ensure there\nwould be no secondary fires. The team were all local volunteers, very friendly\nand Lexi and Reo got to sit in the truck and play with the sirens and radio.\nEven with all the chaos around us, as we huddled and chatted with the guys\nabout what had happened, Reo whispered to me, \u201caren\u2019t we supposed to be social\ndistancing?\u201d. It was true, we were, and we moved away a little to ensure we\nwere following what we\u2019d been preaching to the children every time we went out.\n\u201cNever a dull moment with Towns On Tour\u201d, Reo piped up as we walked back to the\nhouse.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"is-layout-flex wp-block-gallery-31 wp-block-gallery columns-3 is-cropped\"><ul class=\"blocks-gallery-grid\"><li class=\"blocks-gallery-item\"><figure><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"768\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/townsontour.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/IMG_2186-768x1024.jpg\" alt=\"\" data-id=\"3938\" data-full-url=\"https:\/\/townsontour.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/IMG_2186-scaled.jpg\" data-link=\"https:\/\/townsontour.com.au\/img_2186\/\" class=\"wp-image-3938\"\/><\/figure><\/li><li class=\"blocks-gallery-item\"><figure><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"768\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/townsontour.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/IMG_2185-768x1024.jpg\" alt=\"\" data-id=\"3937\" data-full-url=\"https:\/\/townsontour.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/IMG_2185-scaled.jpg\" data-link=\"https:\/\/townsontour.com.au\/img_2185\/\" class=\"wp-image-3937\"\/><\/figure><\/li><li class=\"blocks-gallery-item\"><figure><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"768\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/townsontour.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/IMG_2187-768x1024.jpg\" alt=\"\" data-id=\"3927\" data-full-url=\"https:\/\/townsontour.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/IMG_2187-scaled.jpg\" data-link=\"https:\/\/townsontour.com.au\/img_2187\/\" class=\"wp-image-3927\"\/><\/figure><\/li><\/ul><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed-youtube wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-embed-aspect-4-3 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Fire chief\" width=\"1080\" height=\"810\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/lovyRd5iIdM?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed-youtube wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-embed-aspect-4-3 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Parking the Ute\" width=\"1080\" height=\"810\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/LfZDUZwvyzY?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>It\u2019s always important to share good news with bad news, so\nwhen Alex spoke to Mal, he shared the good news of the ute starting first time,\nbefore revealing the bad news that it was never going to start again! &#x1f628;\nThey were extremely understanding and just thankful that no one was\nhurt, but it didn\u2019t remove that tinge of guilt we had. It took a few hours for\nthe adrenaline to subside and a glass or two of wine with the dinner that night\nwent down well. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>More restrictions were lifted, the 13 segregated regions of\nWA now morphed into 4, allowing us to travel further afield. We were a little\nhesitant to leave wondering if further outbreaks would happen and we\u2019d be left\nstranded in the cold without our warm, cosy farmhouse to protect us; we\u2019d got\nrather used to our home comforts. There was also a forecast of a once in ten-year\nstorm heading our way, so decided to hunker down another week or so, ride out\nthe storm in the house and see what happened as an increase in people began to\ntravel. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"is-layout-flex wp-block-gallery-33 wp-block-gallery columns-2 is-cropped\"><ul class=\"blocks-gallery-grid\"><li class=\"blocks-gallery-item\"><figure><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1024\" height=\"768\" src=\"https:\/\/townsontour.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/IMG_0938-1024x768.jpg\" alt=\"\" data-id=\"3906\" data-full-url=\"https:\/\/townsontour.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/IMG_0938-scaled.jpg\" data-link=\"https:\/\/townsontour.com.au\/img_0938\/\" class=\"wp-image-3906\" srcset=\"https:\/\/townsontour.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/IMG_0938-980x735.jpg 980w, https:\/\/townsontour.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/IMG_0938-480x360.jpg 480w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 0px) and (max-width: 480px) 480px, (min-width: 481px) and (max-width: 980px) 980px, (min-width: 981px) 1024px, 100vw\" \/><\/figure><\/li><li class=\"blocks-gallery-item\"><figure><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1024\" height=\"768\" src=\"https:\/\/townsontour.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/IMG_0760-1024x768.jpg\" alt=\"\" data-id=\"3914\" data-full-url=\"https:\/\/townsontour.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/IMG_0760-scaled.jpg\" data-link=\"https:\/\/townsontour.com.au\/img_0760\/\" class=\"wp-image-3914\" srcset=\"https:\/\/townsontour.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/IMG_0760-980x735.jpg 980w, https:\/\/townsontour.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/IMG_0760-480x360.jpg 480w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 0px) and (max-width: 480px) 480px, (min-width: 481px) and (max-width: 980px) 980px, (min-width: 981px) 1024px, 100vw\" \/><\/figure><\/li><\/ul><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Undoubtably, the weather knew we were going and clearly\nupset. Dark moody clouds haunted the horizon and then the rain clouds opened. The\nwinds were strong and it took a while for the kids to settle. There was a lot\nof banging &amp; rattling and by midnight we were four in a bed. After an hour\nor so of wiggling bottoms trying to get comfy, Lexi and I retired to her bed\nleaving Alex and Reo more space. Thankfully the roof stayed on and we could report\nback all was well.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed-youtube wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-embed-aspect-4-3 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Stormy weather\" width=\"1080\" height=\"810\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/kYeCtEYwDbU?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>We\u2019d been in the house 7 weeks now and had been putting off\ncleaning Minty (procrastination is our middle name), ready to hit the road again.\nWe could put it off no longer!!! The slow process of packing up began. We had\nspread ourselves out well and it took a couple of days to remember where it all\nwent back in the van. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>We returned to Albany for Tinfish to have a service and fitted\nin some more sightseeing at Porongurup NP, beginning a 4.4km return hike up a\nmountain 1 hour before sunset. Beautiful views from the top of\nCastle Rock Granite Skywalk which we just made before the sun disappeared, and\na rather creepy dark walk back!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"is-layout-flex wp-block-gallery-35 wp-block-gallery columns-2 is-cropped\"><ul class=\"blocks-gallery-grid\"><li class=\"blocks-gallery-item\"><figure><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1024\" height=\"769\" src=\"https:\/\/townsontour.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/IMG_2671-1024x769.jpg\" alt=\"\" data-id=\"3930\" data-full-url=\"https:\/\/townsontour.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/IMG_2671.jpg\" data-link=\"https:\/\/townsontour.com.au\/img_2671\/\" class=\"wp-image-3930\" srcset=\"https:\/\/townsontour.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/IMG_2671-980x736.jpg 980w, https:\/\/townsontour.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/IMG_2671-480x361.jpg 480w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 0px) and (max-width: 480px) 480px, (min-width: 481px) and (max-width: 980px) 980px, (min-width: 981px) 1024px, 100vw\" \/><\/figure><\/li><li class=\"blocks-gallery-item\"><figure><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1024\" height=\"768\" src=\"https:\/\/townsontour.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/IMG_2673-1024x768.jpg\" alt=\"\" data-id=\"3931\" data-full-url=\"https:\/\/townsontour.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/IMG_2673-scaled.jpg\" data-link=\"https:\/\/townsontour.com.au\/img_2673\/\" class=\"wp-image-3931\" srcset=\"https:\/\/townsontour.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/IMG_2673-980x735.jpg 980w, https:\/\/townsontour.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/IMG_2673-480x360.jpg 480w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 0px) and (max-width: 480px) 480px, (min-width: 481px) and (max-width: 980px) 980px, (min-width: 981px) 1024px, 100vw\" \/><\/figure><\/li><li class=\"blocks-gallery-item\"><figure><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"768\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/townsontour.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/IMG_2678-768x1024.jpg\" alt=\"\" data-id=\"3932\" data-full-url=\"https:\/\/townsontour.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/IMG_2678-scaled.jpg\" data-link=\"https:\/\/townsontour.com.au\/img_2678\/\" class=\"wp-image-3932\"\/><\/figure><\/li><li class=\"blocks-gallery-item\"><figure><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"768\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/townsontour.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/IMG_2617-768x1024.jpg\" alt=\"\" data-id=\"3929\" data-full-url=\"https:\/\/townsontour.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/IMG_2617-scaled.jpg\" data-link=\"https:\/\/townsontour.com.au\/img_2617\/\" class=\"wp-image-3929\"\/><\/figure><\/li><\/ul><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>It looked like WA was doing well on the Covid front and\nplans were announced the state would completely open, apart from certain areas\nwith vulnerable indigenous populations. There was absolutely no excuse for us\nnot to hit the road again. The day before we left, the final bed linen wash was\non, when I heard a terrible banging noise coming from the laundry. It sounded\nlike there was something inside the machine trying to get out. We stopped it\nand pulled out the wet bedding to see that the drum had come off whatever was\nsupposed to hold it on! Oh no, further bad news to break to Mal and Jen. &#x1f62d;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The open road was calling, the sun was shining and we had to\nleave the farm before we broke something else. The following day we locked the\ndoors, put flip flop to metal and flew the nest to freedom. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed-youtube wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-embed-aspect-4-3 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Farewell Denmark\" width=\"1080\" height=\"810\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/v9SsgYngCJg?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>After 10 days of what felt like a full throttle adrenaline roller-coaster ride to get to our safe haven, we decided to bunker down and take it easy for a couple of weeks while chaos reigned in the real world. I\u2019ve said a few times now how houses make us lazy, but the haste in which we succumbed this time, even surprised me!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":3942,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"off","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":""},"categories":[13],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/townsontour.com.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3947"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/townsontour.com.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/townsontour.com.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/townsontour.com.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/townsontour.com.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3947"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/townsontour.com.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3947\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3975,"href":"https:\/\/townsontour.com.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3947\/revisions\/3975"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/townsontour.com.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/3942"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/townsontour.com.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3947"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/townsontour.com.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3947"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/townsontour.com.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3947"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}