Side trip to Wangaratta

And why wouldn't you? Some more of our best friends were meeting us here. We were invited by Yve and John to pull the van into the front yard and the first thing you notice when you walk into the home are the colourful yarn throws and blankets Yve has been making for charity. She is always producing something to be shared. Such a generous person. Meanwhile John is now very involved with renewable energy and happy to be in a region that is actively embracing change for the better. The community are so lucky to have these two in their midst. Yve and John are just new settlers in town but Robyn, with Gracie and Rob, have been here a bit longer. Sue and Glenice travelled up from Melbourne and took the train home the next morning. A little later Trina drove down from Albury after work (too late to join us on the walk around town). We worked with all these people at School of the Air in Katherine between 2000 and 2004. 

They were exceptional times, adventurous times for all of us, and we share some wonderful memories. We were so privileged to share those experiences and when things didn't go as expected, we were there for each other to make the best of it. Tonight we have laughed about the good times and the bad, sniggered about the sub-standard staff we were expected to work with, and lauded the ones we admired. There were so many characters among the staff, so many who didn't 'fit the bill'. They did their best and learnt a lot. Some 'cracked the code' and some went back down south within 12 months. In our 4 years teaching there we drove 4wds across the Top End and flew to offshore islands, got to stay on cattle stations, fishing camps and in remote communities, made friends with people from all walks of life who by then were calling the Territory home, and met others who might never know where home is. But when it comes down to it, the kids we were teaching, like kids everywhere, were eager to learn and be exposed to new ideas. 
We shared a sumptuous dinner with these people who we feel very indebted to for making this reunion possible. Thank you for making the effort. What fun it was! We talked about each of you all the way to Tocumwal the next morning and hope the next time we see you is not too long off. In true Yve style, we were laden down with bags of fresh picked herbs and blood oranges as we drove off. 

I have now added a widget to the sidebar that lists the posts in chronological order with newest on top. Some people were finding it difficult to find older posts if they had missed the publishing date. Just click on the 3 lines in the right hand corner of 'The Joy is in the Journey' header and then open the drop down arrow beside Post Updates 2019. Close the sidebar with the top right hand arrow.