Mum & Dad dancing

From the video footage that Jo had digitalised. It also stars Mike and Heather.
 

Video from Matt's first few days

More beautiful video footage.

A precious video of Sam's early days

Jo has recently digitalised old family videos. Here are some beautiful scenes from Sam's birth and early life, beautifully edited by the son of a friend.

Canyoning adventure

A fabulous weekend of canyoning in the Blue Mountains.

Highlights included: 

• Getting to meet Gavin's wonderful friend Luke who joined us on the adventure. He is so much fun.
• Srini's awesome leadership skills. He has become such a skilled canyoner. We always felt safe.
• Some great abseils down beautiful waterfalls.
• Coming to what I thought was the end of the canyon only to discover some of the best and most beautiful parts of the canyon were still ahead.
• Discovering how much easier and more pleasant abseiling is when you wear gloves!
• Squeezing through some tiny cracks and holes with water pouring through to get back into the lower parts of the canyon.
• Gavin discovering water had got into the dry bad containing his lunch. His very soggy sandwich didn't look very appetising !
• Rayu in his hoodie looking like an ICE official.
• Coming across some very large spiny crayfish (yabbies) in the river. Some were tempted to bring them home for dinner. Gavin, who has just completed an Upschool course about nurturing wildlife, was having none of it!
• A steep climb out of the canyon at the end to enjoy a great view while we had lunch.
• A kilometer from the car, the heavens opened and it absolutely poured. Srini had gone on ahead and we arrived at the road in the bucketing rain, not knowing whether to go left or right.  Watching Gavin try to shield his phone while attempting to call Srini was a sight!
• Sheltering under Srini's gazebo in the pouring rain at Mount Wilson, deciding whether to stay or go. Lots of prophecies about when the weather would clear. Thankfully it did after 90 mins and we were able to set up our tents. I was relieved because I only had a $10 Kmart tent with no flysheet.
• Sitting round the fire eating dinner, chatting, laughing. Always feels so great.
• Luke giving Gavin his luxurious swag to sleep on. Ah, the comfort!
• Sausages and garlic butter for breakfast. A glorious ritual.
• Gavin and I stopping off for an awesome swim on the way home.

Gavin and Luke

Looking surprisingly relaxed!

Climbing out of the canyon to a great view

Mount Wilson camp site

Stopping off for a refeshing swim on the way home

Awesome video footage taken by Ashesh

Priceless videos of Mack

I found these old videos of dear Mack. So precious.

What a hoot!

A Gemini AI video construction based on an old photo of Chris in Antarctica. 

Dennis, Rock God of Waverton

Well it's official, the guy who runs our local Waverton grocery store with his family is nothing short of a Rock God!  How awesome is this version of "To the Moon and Back". Dennis is the singer.

Afrikaburn 2025: The Burns

 The burns at AfrikaBurn are powerful, communal rituals that mark the climax of the event. Towering wooden sculptures—often weeks or months in the making—are set ablaze in a spirit of release, transformation, and impermanence. As the flames rise, participants gather in a circle, watching in silence, celebration, or catharsis. Each burn is different—some solemn, others ecstatic—but all share a symbolic letting go, reminding everyone that nothing is permanent and that creativity, like life, is meant to be lived fully and then released. 

Dog and Man

A message I wrote to dear Mackie

A message Russell wrote to Sally

Commemorating Mackie

The Tower

Ego Check

At the Ego Check Booth, we were asked by friendly counsellors what aspect of our selves we would like to let go of.  We then wrote it on a piece of cloth that was hung up in the booth. Then, a few days later, the Ego Booth went up in a flurry of flames.  Catharsis!  As the booth burned, it was revealed that a large metal heart had been built into the frame of the booth. The wood burned and all that was left was love.

The Phoenix

Angels

Russell volunteered as a fire marshal.

The Clan

Dreamcatcher

The Pot

The Scratch

  

Relevant posts

• Highlights
• Braai get-together to meet each other
• Practising our Thai green curry on the family
• Night at Wolseley Fynbos Farm on the way to Afrikaburn.
• Drive from Ceres to Afrikaburn
• Our wonderful group
• Fellow Burners
• Camps in the desert
• Mutant vehicles
• Art installations in the desert
• The Burns
• Trip home