Australia Day long weekend

We spent the weekend visiting my husband's parents out in western NSW. It seems very appropriate to spend Australia Day out in our beautiful countryside. Even though I grew up on the green far south coast I do love western NSW but it is so dry on the way out there. The skies were bright blue and the land was yellow. It is often yellow out there but this time the was hardly any pasture - just bare ground on many properties we drove past.  For you farmers out there, I really feel for you as it's such a tough life being so dependant on the weather...

....Although I would love to live under these big open skies.  These are all iPhone photos taken while we were driving (well I took them while Phil was driving) along at 110km per hour. It surprises me sometimes just how good the camera on the iPhone is, even my iPhone which is very cracked with half the front screen missing and I can't ever turn my phone off as that ability is broken. I can't wait till my contract finishes later this year.

Then late Saturday evening, while we were having an Australia Day BBQ, the rain clouds rolled in - sunset was gorgeous with pink tipped grey clouds. My parents in law were very glad to have some rain in their tank - they are on town water but use rain water for their garden.  It was still very hot and humid but much more comfortable and hopefully the rain will fill the dams and make it all a bit greener out there.

I am sure farmers out west will be grateful for this rain even though the same weather system is wreaking havoc to Southern Queensland and North NSW. Australia is such a land of contrasts. Bushfire, floods and drought all at the same time. So tough especially as it happens year after year. I don't understand why councils allow people to build homes on flood plains.

The trip back home was quite miserable and even scary at times especially coming back over the Blue Mountains and along the freeway into Sydney.  our car slid a few times with all the water on the road but luckily all the drivers were taking care and driving slowly.

We did have a lovely stop for lunch at our friends' vineyard and winery, Cargo Road, in Orange on the way home. Such a beautiful spot and it was lovely to catch up with friends and give the kids a break from sitting in the car all day. James is very entrepreneurial and has some great events organised for later in the year that I'll be blogging about soon.

I hope you all had a good weekend and stayed safe from floods, torrential  rain and wind. What did you get up to?

I have a little giveaway over on my facebook page today so go check it out.

Fiona xx