January 25th, 2010 AndrewD
Over the break we had two quick trips away, both involving water. The first was spent with friends for two days down at Currarong (near Nowra on Beecroft Peninsula surrounded by Navy land and National Parks), 1 block away from the beach. The time was spent in the water, drinking beer and eating seafood.
Lynsey basically spent time with her friends and Lee-Ann and I took Alyssa to the beach and for walks on the rocks.
Some of the wildlife - feathered variety
Some of the wildlife - crab (hidden in the rocks)
A week later we decided to venture down to Wee Jasper near Yass for an overnite camp. Wee Jasper is a small town approx 55kms from Yass. You have Carey Caves and Goodradigbee River. We camped right on the river at the Swing Bridge Reserve (one of approx 4 reserves).
To the left of our tent
To the right of the tent
Alyssa going with the flow
Lynsey floating by
For more on Wee Jasper – http://www.weejasperreserves.com.au/
Posted in Family | No Comments »
September 28th, 2009 AndrewD
Yep, the heading is correct I have a part time/casual job. I now work in retail. I work Sundays 10.00am – 2.00pm in the Little Dog Bookshop, Yass. My first time in retail and the job is only till Christmas, but I thought it would be a great way to meet people in town. The shop itself is a small indi bookshop with various other items eg cards, candles etc. You can visit the site at http://littledogbookshop.blogspot.com/.
So Sunday was my first day and Kate the owner showed me how it all works and next Sunday I open and close, no help. And one other thing about the shop – it is certified caron neutral.
Little Dog Bookshop, Yass
Remember shop local, you are not only helping the community but also the environment.
Posted in Yass | No Comments »
July 3rd, 2009 AndrewD
As I back out of cycling advocacy in Sydney (Currently I am VP of BikeSydney (http://bikesydney.org and I was Pres for 8 years – and VP of Bicycle NSW for a number of years as well). I turn my mind to my new patch – Yass. Now the Federal Gov has been passing out Stimulis Packages for infrastructure. So far there has been a general one and one for cycling. Councils could apply for this money – well Yass has applied for nothing cycling related. Time they realised there is a cyclist in the village.
Looking at the Yass Council website I find this
Yass PAMP and Bike Plan
In 2005 Yass Valley Council engaged the services of Community Development Initiatives Pty Ltd to prepare an integrated Pedestrian Mobility Plan (PAMP) for the township of Yass and a PAMP strategic overview for the villages of Murrumbateman, Bowning, Binalong, Gundaroo and Sutton. The project included a review of the existing Bike Plan for the township of Yass and was funded by the Roads and Traffic Authority and the Motor Accidents Authority
Key aspects of the development of the PAMP and Bike Plan were:
- To facilitate improvements in level of pedestrian access and priority, particularly in areas of pedestrian concentration.
- To reduce pedestrian access severance and enhance safe and convenient crossing opportunities on major roads.
- To facilitate improvements in the level of personal mobility and safety for people with disabilities, older persons, children and other user groups, through the provision of pedestrian infrastructure and facilities which cater to the needs of all pedestrians.
- To ensure pedestrian facilities remain appropriate and relevant to the surrounding land use and pedestrian user groups.
- To link existing and planned road user plans in a coordinated manner, such as maintenance programs.
- To meet obligations under the Commonwealth Disability Discrimination Act (1992).
- Increase bicycle usage in the Yass Valley Council area.
- Encourage alternative methods of transport.
- Improve community health.
- Provide safer routes for bicycle users.
A number of community consultations were held in each of the towns and villages as part of the development process. This also included individual meetings with representatives of community groups such as the Access Committee, aged care facilities, community centres and schools. In total 54 consultations were held, with 27 group/services and 27 individuals being consulted. For further information please contact Yass Valley Council Road Safety Officer on 6226 9249.
Nothing else, but pointsbelow are encouraging
- Increase bicycle usage in the Yass Valley Council area.
- Encourage alternative methods of transport.
- Improve community health.
- Provide safer routes for bicycle users.
As I cannot find anything else on the website regarding this or cycling. I quickly fired off an email this aftrenoon.
Hi there, I have noticed in 2005 that there was a Yass PAMP and Bike Plan. Could I get a soft copy of this as I cannot find it on the Yass Council website (obviously if it is on the website could you email me the URL).
Also did Yass council apply to any of the Federal Gov stimulus packages in relation to cycling? There has been at least two packages that could be used.
Package: $40 million National Bike Path Funding as part of the Jobs Program
Package: Regional and Local Community Infrastructure (CIP)
If no request were made for the above, where is Yass Council up to in adopting the Yass PAMP and Bike Plan in particular in regards to the points mentioned on your website?
* Increase bicycle usage in the Yass Valley Council area.
* Encourage alternative methods of transport.
* Improve community health.
* Provide safer routes for bicycle users.
Andrew Dodds
Lets see what they make of this 
Posted in Bikes, Yass | 4 Comments »
May 10th, 2009 AndrewD
As we continue into the venture of country life we slowly become more ‘Yassified’, that for me is the knowing of how things here in this town work, and I would say probably work in a lot of country towns. The latest is knowing who has lambs to slaughter. Friends of ours here have some sheep running on a few acres, mostly they are on the pasture and a little bit of top up grain. So Lee Ann got the offer “do you want one?” The answer a hesitant yes and the price “$50″, basically for the butchering. We also gave them a dozen of eggs in the spirit of bartering (yes cash did change hands but really IMHO not enough).
These people make no money off it, they do it for their own meat supply. And a qualified butcher does everything else. They reduce cost by giving a lamb to the person that supplies the grain etc.
So really not sure what we would get, we basically said, give us the legs, shanks, shoulders (boned), scrag (neck) and the other main cuts, which has basically become various chops. When the lamb was delivered in a big tub we needed to separate the meat, this is where Hugh Fearnley-Whittinstall (http://www.rivercottage.net/) and his book ‘River Cottage Meat Book’ comes into its own. And I do recommend this book. it goes thru all the cuts of different meats. We basically bagged and labeled each and placed them in the freezer (and we have a bag of liver, kidneys and heart).
Lynsey next to the lamb
The other thing about this lamb is that it is spring lamb. That night we made crumbed french cutlets which the kids devoured. Lynsey was gnawing the last bits of the flesh from the bone. mmmm meat. That should do us for a while anyway.
Posted in Food, Yass | No Comments »
January 17th, 2009 AndrewD
Not that I am a religous person, but we do try to eat fish once per week and more often than not it ends up being Friday night.
For the past year we had not had any fresh fish as the only available fish was through Woolworths – the unfresh people and for the longest time I was asking, where is the fish man? why has every other small town I have visited have a fish guy, that travels from town to town? Well after a year of being in Yass, Lee Ann found the fish man. he comes on Thursdays and parks his van from 11am – 1 pm, and then he is off. I guess after a year of being here some of the locals are beginning to drop some secrets.
As usually fish is not the favourite on the kids menu I have been trying to make it fun for them. So hence home made fish fingers. Alyssa likes to help . Basically cut pieces of firm white fish (approx 400g) into finger size chuncks. Have three bowls, 1 with flour, one with eggs (we use 3 eggs) and one with bread crumbs (we make our own and freeze it in cup size bags.
Dip fish in flour, then egg and then crumbs. I then shallow fry in a frypan until golden brown. We serve them with a sweet chilli mayonnaise (1/2 cup mayonnaise, 1/4 cup sweet chilli, squeeze of lime) and roast veges. The kids love them and thy taste great. And don’t worry if they are not orange like the packet version!
Fish finger production line
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March 10th, 2008 AndrewD
With all the pieces in the press about plastic bags recently in the pressI have decided I must write about it. My issue is I don’t get it. Why can’t people stop using them? And why do they kick up a fuss when people start talking about a fee applied to them?
Prior to moving to Yass I lived in the inner Sydney suburb of St Peters and the closest shopping centre was Marrickville Metro, I guess the type of shopper was one that is environmentally aware and I would guess that 40% of people bought their own reusable bags. Here in Yass I have noticed that it is different and that when we are in either Woolworths or Franklins that we are usually the only people using reusable bags. Is it that country people don’t really care about the damage that bags do? Or is that they are just not aware of the issues?
As I look out my sliding door while I write this piece, I don’t notice the pollution as much as in Sydney, I don’t see the plastic bags blowing around in the street – is this the reason?
While on this subject and if there are people reading saying “I reuse my shopping bag, I use it as a bin liner” or “I could not survive without my plastic shopping bags” here are a few pointers on how I go about a full life without shopping bags.
- Use canvas recyclable bags, I have approx 24 bags in a central place at home that we grab when we go shopping, even if we are just going into a small store we usually have at least one with us, just in case.
- Place some boxes in the boot of your car then you can wheel the supermarket trolley to your car and place the items in the boxes.
- Separating your waste at home – recycling in the recycling box, green waste in the compost/worm farm, and food scraps etc in a few layers of newspaper, placed in the bin – see no bin liner needed.
Posted in Climate change | 1 Comment »
January 27th, 2008 AndrewD
Well it has been a hectic 24 hours this Australia day, racing down to Sydney for Australia Day 08. We have been going to Enmore Park for 8 or 9 years (friends, bands, beers and fireworks). So we thought next year we will probably know more people here in Yass and there has to be a BBQ or two somewhere we can crash (or if not hold our own and invite people here) so this was a bit like out last hurrah. Also Australia Day for our family does mark the end of the silly season.
While down in Sydney we also did the school shopping, uniforms as my eldest heads off to high school and shoes for everyone – I cannot believe it takes so long to find a pair of black shoes.
I know this is out of order but on the way down we also stopped off at Cooma Cottage the home of the Australian Explorer Hamilton Hume
“Pioneering pastoralist Cornelius O’Brien built this single storied colonial cottage in 1835, and between 1839 and 1873 it was home to Australia’s great overland explorer Hamilton Hume. A creative owner-builder, Hume added his version of Palladian style wings and a Greek Revival portico. Set in a pastoral landscape the house represents an extraordinary taxonomy of vernacular building techniques and includes a fine, mid-nineteenth century stables outbuilding. Situated on the Yass River, Cooma Cottage is in the heart of some of New South Wales’ richest sheep grazing country and during the 1830s, brothers Henry and Cornelius O’Brien joined other pioneers such as Hume in settling these rich, open plains.”
Quite an interesting building. It started off with only two rooms and before Hamilton Hume died, he had added to it 7 times. And in the front (the original front) there is a massive old olive tree which was planted by Hamilton and is still there 150 years later, I have to say it is massive. Definitely if you are driving thru Yass stop there and do the tour. While the property is owned by The Nation Trust there is a local group of volunteers (Friends of Cooma Cottage) that organise the tours, and the house also needs approx $500k of work to fix up so if anyone is feeling generous This is also where the Hume and Hovel walking trail starts.
Posted in Sydney, Yass | No Comments »
January 12th, 2008 AndrewD
Well with all the rain, the crab grass and patersons curse are raging. Anyway I’ll deal with that over time. So on the 3rd Jan I ordered some sleepers and soil from the local landscaping shop Robinson’s in Yass. So they rocked up the day I called them and delivered everything.
So grabbing my trusty hoe I cleared a 3×3 metre patch. Layed some cardboard on the ground followed by sleepers and sugar cane mulch. Now to move the sleepers, of course they were no where near where I needed them. After trying to carry them (lasted about 50cm) I pulled an old dog chain out of the car and dragged them to where they were required. I stacked the sleepers two one top of each other. Then I used my wheelbarrow (Christmas present – thanx Santa) to place soil in the newly formed vege patch. And to finish it off a few bags of pea straw and blood and bone.
Here is where I cleared away the Patterson’s Curse
And here it is with soil and mulch
On the 6th Jan 08 I planted in my 2.4×2.4 metre patch. The seeds were nothing unusual just Mr Fothergill’s
Sweet Corn 12
Zucchini 4
Lettuce 6
Lettuce 6
Spring Onions 3 rows
Also in some containers I planted
Parsely
Broccoli 4
Cauliflower 4
Posted in Gardening, Land | No Comments »
January 3rd, 2008 AndrewD
Well late 2006 we started looking at houses – I had always wanted a straw bale house but for a few reasons that did not occur. Looking thru some different magazines we decided upon a to look at some homes that are built in a factory, transported to the land and tied down.
For some reason there is about 4 of these places in Wagga Wagga so off we went. In the end we chose a home by Better Look Homes (http://www.betterlookhomes.com.au/), they had the design we liked and came in at the right price as well.
Also one of the advantages of a home like this was they did all the council work (in regards to the house) and they know the councils. Also as Yass council is notoriously slow it would mean that we would have a house on site within weeks once the council approval came thru, rather than wait upto a year for someone to build something for us.
Posted in Building | No Comments »
January 2nd, 2008 AndrewD
The block itself is in the rural NSW town of Yass – the dream itself started a long time ago but we went looking for something in this area and we found this in our price range (actually probably a thousand or two more than I wanted to spend). So we ended up purchasing the land in 2006.
The size is just over 1 acre approx 35 metres wide and over 100 metres deep with a slight slope to the south west corner.
Previously people had horses on it so they sprayed the Patersons Curse – Of course it just keeps on coming back. Here is what it looks like when we purchased it.
It is locate just behind the Yass Show Grounds (OK there is a block between) and it is close to the main town – the block is classified as rural but we are only approx 2kms from the main street.
A blank canvas if I had ever seen one. But a year later we would have our house here.
Posted in Land | 2 Comments »
