Welcome Esmay!!!

Well as you might of know not only did we loose our old Dora the commodore, but one month latter we also lost our very loved Fordie the Van. So with all these losses in our family we had to go out and buy a new car, well okay second hand but new to us! So after a days looking we brought home our NEW family member...... ESMAY THE COMMODORE!















Fairdinkum it's rear end looks as beaut as Elle Macpherson's







The car was named after a great aussie TV star, the one and only stickybeak ESMAY WATSON from the ridgie-didge aussie series A country practice.


And now for the sat's

HOLDEN VT COMMODORE ACCLAIM WAGON

While Commodore has long been Australia's favourite driver's car, the VT sets a new benchmark in driving dynamics, delivering even more confidence-inspiring ride and handling attributes. A stiffer body structure, wider track, longer wheelbase and across-the- range independent rear suspension make a direct contribution, and VT Commodore also benefits from all-new brakes, new steering gear and a re-tuned suspension featuring state of the art Hydro Bush (hydraulic tension rod bush) - a feature previously exclusive to luxury marques and now incorporated for the first time in a locally manufactured vehicle. Traction control is standard on the Acclaim wagon. The totally new braking system provided bigger, more powerful brakes, with a better feeling pedal action and improved resistance to fade. Commodore's proven and responsive 3800 ECOTEC V6 4 speed auto produces even fewer emissions, through an updated fuel injection system, and maintains competitive fuel economy and performance figures.
Petrol Tank Capacity: 75L
The sophisticated handling and safety advantages of electronic traction control, standard on V6 Acclaim model, are offered for the first time in a locally manufactured vehicle. Also has a trip computer and cruise control. The longer
wheelbase VT Commodore wagon, with its increased structural rigidity and independent rear suspension, offers truly sedan-like ride comfort and safety.
Driver airbags are now standard equipment, as are rear centre lap/sash seat belts in wagons and sedans. Front seats are equipped with pyrotechnic buckle pre-tensioners, which are triggered by the airbag sensor in collisions of moderate severity. In more severe frontal accidents, airbags will also be activated. After the sensor has been triggered, the engine and fuel pump will automatically turn off, doors will unlock and the interior light switch on. Rear seat backs are strengthened for protection against luggage impact and seat structures have anti-submarining ramps to prevent occupants sliding under the lap belt in a collision.
Improvements to Commodore's class-leading security system include remote deadlock release, free-turning door lock cylinders, a steering column lock that slips when forced and a new, 16 million code electronic immobilisation feature that means no two cars will ever share the same key code.
RAC car review.

Fordies last trip to Toodyay

So with the old red van Fordie packed with fore little kiddies and a good packed picnic of we drove up the road to the old township of Toodyay. We didn't know then but this was going to be the very last trip for Fordie as after this she started to play up quite a bit, then a slow trip to the mechanics gave us the news that old fordie had blown a head gasket and in such an old van it couldn't be fixed (well not cheap anyway). But as for our drive to Toodyay it was a nice and easy trip and before we knew it we were their.





The main and about only reason for a trip to Toodyay is for the little park next to the Avon River. Not only does it have some beaut swings but it also has a ripper little old kiddie train, that you sit on and it takes you along the line for a bit then returns you to the station. But for some reason it didn't open up today but we still had a great time at the swings, as you can see.




Here is sarah having a go on the flying fox, most times she got across but every now and then like now she just didn't make it. Each of the kiddies had a fair fews goes on the fox except for the little bloke Oscar. He didn't like the look of that thing, so he kept to the three little slides that he loved. This is about as close as he got but i'm sure in a year or so he'll be just as mad as the other ones.












Here we have a flying Harry giving it a go and loving it, but my favorite thing is when they run out of steam and come to a stop in the middle. They just hang their and start bitching and moaning for yours truly to give them a push to the end, so slowly I get up and walk over and give them a nudge. But between you and me it's a lot better when they give up and come dropping to the dusty earth with a thud! ha,ha. Much more fun believe me.




Yes, Oscar thought he would hang around the slides and he loved them as the others had goes on the flying fox. But all good things must come to an end, and after filling their little tummies with our picnic we jumped back into old fordie for what would be her last drive home.



And here is probably her last known photo, poor old girl she was a beaut van to drive and over the last couple of years we have jammed so many trips in and around the perth escarpment that you could fill a book with.... or a blog! So bye old girl and thanks for the memories.

Back to Northam

Well it has been about two years since i packed three of the little nevilles into Dora the commodore (which since, has gone to that commodore graveyard in Halls creek) and drove up to old Northam. That trip i had Jacko, Sarah and Harrison. But for the return trip we used old fordie, and found an empty seat for the little moptop Oscar.



The first think we hit was the playground, which is the main reason we drove up their in the first place. Their got a couple of playgrounds and the kiddies love it, here are two of them on the Union Land train with Oscar hiding which he loves doing (little mug).



Got him! The little fella doesn't like getting his photo taken, or he just likes giving the old man the run around. Which ever it is he does a beaut job of it, can you imagine having all three kiddies looking at the camera and getting the last little one to look at me. In fact the average is about one in five photos, all I can say is thank God for digital cameras!! On average I wipe away about twenty photos every outing which if I had to get them all developed, then get all shittie with the kids and then throw them out. Well I wouldn't take that many photos hay, so like I say thanks for digital.




Here is the little fella hanging out at the swings and as soon as I took this photo he saw me and turned around and started carrying on like a raw prawn, ha ha I got ya this time mate, also now you can see why I call him moptop hay. It can't be to long before one day he finds himself trapped in the bathroom with a shaver chaceing after him, then he'll be just one of the mob again.




Heres the mob all together hanging out with that strange horse in the park, Harrison didn't have the guts to get up on it but as you can see, it's as high as he can go for Jacko. Sarah was doing the right thing sitting on the saddle and little Oscar the grouch was chucking a wobbly, little bugger.




Then it was time for us to go walkabout along the Avon river (which becomes the Swan river as it gets closer to Perth), we crossed the river a bit further down then walked back up till we came to the pedestrian suspension bridge.

Here is a photo I took the last time we were up here in the bush and as you can see the little nevilles have changed a fair bit over that time, but as you can see I couldn't get the little red head to turn around.



Here we have the old photo of Jack, Sarah and Harrison on the suspension bridge, and no joke thay loved it. Even with the old fella giving the bridge a bit of a swing but all that did was make them laught! Strange kiddies my mob hay. And here is an updated photo we took yesterday, not only can you see that the kiddies have gotten a lot older but one of them don't really like suspension bridges ha,ha.
The poor little knee-biter was going off like a centipede on a hot plate! The other ones were making the bridge swing and i'm trying to stop them while trying to take a photo, and Oscar was having a cry and i'm trying not to laugh, well as they say 'Everything is funny as long as it is happening to somebody else'.


But as you can see he warmed to it after a bit and by the time we made it to the other side he was all smiles, but to see what would happen I said lets do it again and as I got to the bridge he started going off again so maybe not ha,ha. But we had a beaut time and the all the kiddies were happy and the picnic went down real quick. We had some hungry tummies after our walk and our next trip is to Toodyay as their got a beaut set of swings also, so we will see ya for now.