Off to York

Well it was time to pack Esmay the commodore and take her out for her first sunday drive, and what better way to go then a nice sunday drive to YORK. Now for any nevilles out there who don't know where York is, then it's about 97 km's from Perth city and about a lazy 80 km's trip from our home. It's a real beaut old fashion bush township situated in the fertile Avon Valley, and sits on the muddy banks of the mighty Avon river. Now for a bit of history.... York was founded in 1830 as the first inland settlement in Western Australia, by a bloke called Ensign Dale who was given the task of exploring what lay east of the Darling Range. He decided to call the place York after he was reminded by the rolling green countryside, (in the middle of winter) of his native homeland of Yorkshire in England. Funny thing is if he had seen the place in summer he might of called it after Aries bloody rock!!! Fairdinkum, just like most places in Australia when it becomes summer it just turns to every shade of brown you can think off.





Here's the kiddies in the main street on the Avon Terrace, which still has the fashionable facades of the old days which gives it that real beaut old bush township feeling.


We then headed down to the river and hit the picnic area and the swings, then we started our bushwalk for the day which went along the banks of the Avon river. The walk is called THE AVON RIVER WALK TRAIL, which carries on for just over a kilometer then you turn around and walk back. In this picture the kiddies are on the Mini Mongers bridge, this is about the half way mark.

And here is the mob at the old crossing of the Avon river, in summer I might of let the kiddies have a little splash about but this being a nippy cool winter morning I might have to keep an eye on them. And after a nice little bushwalk we came upon the thing which we were coming to see......



That's right a beaut old suspension bridge!! Now I just love these old suspension bridges and three of the kiddies love them too, can you guess which little neville doesn't like them? .... That's right poor little Oscar wasn't all that chuffed with the idea of crossing a river on a swinging piece of wire, but he came along (well he wasn't staying by himself hay) and all the way across he kept telling me what he thought of this silly bloody idea that his old man had. But he made it to the over side in one piece and was happy when we set off up the road towards an old church at the end of the street, it turned out to be the Holy Trinity Church of York. After having a gander we went back down to the river side and crossed the bridge again, with a little Oscar having his say in this bridge crossing caper idea till we got to the other side.
Here is the kiddies just hanging around and you guessed it Oscar was next to me holding me hand, no chance of getting him standing out there with that silly mob.



But just to stir the little fella up we went across again, well you never know when we will be up this way again hay. And the other kiddies were all up for it but between me and you I think they just like seeing Oscar going off, well it is funny to see believe me.








After a walk and some sticky beaking there was only two more things for us to do, the first was to fill our hungry tummies with some beaut fish n' chips. And the other was a short drive up to the top of Brown mountain for a gander from the lookout. Now this lookout is a real ripper mate, the photo doesn't do it justice. You can stand up top and see right around the whole countryside, it's one a those real beaut lookouts that is really worth the drive up to have a gander. And this brought us to the end of yet another one of our little bush trips, and the end of Esmay the commodore's first road trip with us but differently not the last.

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.