Sorry guys. Have missed a day. Just didn't feel up to writing the blog after a long day on Friday nor indeed on Saturday but woke up at crack of dawn this morning (Sunday 19th October) and write this to the tune of the dawn chorus - mostly the screech of parrots. Love your comments. Keep them coming if you want me to keep this up as it encourages me to know that at least someone is taking an interest. You ask for more photos so will attach a load. I haven't mastered the layout very well so the continuity of the photo may be a bit confusing. I can't seem to get the photos beside the text that explains the content but will be able to make all clear upon our return at the illustrated talk!! No falling asleep at the back there.

The Quad bike is great for getting about here at Ellerston - plenty of street cred - but Marilyn enjoys the Golf buggy - see photo of her with Aly - our hostess - and Monty the mut. Most of the men get about the place on Uts (Utility Trucks). More about my exploits on the Quad later. Next photo - Marilyn with her latest bestest friend - a jack of all trades official Kangaroo culler, tree doctor (he was at the house here to inject some gum trees that are looking a bit sick) better on the horses. Marilyn has got some tips for the Melbourne Cup. He put his teeth in just for the photo. Next a couple of shots of the Vets clinic followed by two of the main guys Johno and Stuart with sun glasses on his hat(Jim's brother who was one of the top Australian players with a 7 handicap whose playing days were ended about three years ago when he had a terrible accident and broke his neck. Now has plates to hold him all together. Next is a homestead spotted on our drive into the ranges. Then a long distance view from the ranges. The gum tree speaks for itself. Another homestead not the portaloo dunny in the back. Return to Ellerston from the road. I have never seen Marilyn play golf but she did at one time. She never told me her handicap but perhaps it was the fact that she was never told that you have to buy a set of clubs. The next two are the par 5 9th hole. first the tee to the crest of the hill second from the hill to the green behind the trees on the left. In the middle of the course is the Gocart track. Hole 7 is a tricky one . Its a par 4 and from the tee to the fairway is over 220 yards. The green is guarded by the bunkers to the right behind the tree. Then a photo of Jim Gilmore our host - the general manager. Finally a group of supporters watching Ellerston White playing in the Tournament that started on Saturday.L to R Mandy Fisher (Husband Jeff plays for Ellerston Black - he comes from Wale) Marilyn. Helen (another small world case - she comes from Hayling Island and went to school with Hedgers) Jim G. and his son Neal. Hope that all makes sense.

Friday morning was another morning spent with Al watching him shove his arm up Mare's arses. He uses an ultra sound scanner to check if the breeding mares are at the right stage to be inseminated or the receptor mares are ready to receive an embryo. Also he treated a mare that was very lame indeed. To my ignorant eye it looked for all the world that she had a shoulder injury but in fact it was a stone bruised hoof which I am told can be very sore indeed and prevents the animal from putting her hoof to the ground. Its a bit like a blood blister under your nail that hurts like buggery until the pressure is released. In the afternoon M & I took a tour around on the Quad bike - M driving with me on the back. Quite happy and pleased with herself until she read the warning signs on the bike that no passengers were to be taken.there follows a wobbly but manage to persuade her that it would be OK to continue as the signs were only there to protect the manufacturer against claims. Even so she got off and I had to drive down some of the steep slopes. Called on Shelly (Surrogate mother to the baby Wombat) where we found her with Aly and Ella having a sundowner on the veranda. Marilyn insists on a last cuddle of the wombat. Dinner in the evening at the Club You go to the hotplate counter where you are served the meal of your choice lamb, pork, chicken etc Vegs which included pumpkin -v nice - sweet corn and all the usual. You can also cook your own steak on two big grilling griddles. The cold counter has nice salads king prawns oysters Asparagus etc.There is a well stocked help yourself desert table in the middle of the room. Marilyn considers the Pavlova is to die for. We also went there on Thursday evening when Jim suggested we had steak. He cooked two of the most enormous T bone steaks I have ever seen. Sadly they were a bit tough and I think the reason is that they don't hang the carcass for long enough. When we went to the butcher earlier in the week I had seen a carcass that had only just that minute been slaughtered and he told me that they hang them for two weeks.

Saturday was the start of the week long tournament. There are four visiting teams and two from Ellerston Each team plays one of the other teams each day and then there is a finals day. The horses are stabled in the guest stable blocks scattered about the estate. The vehicles they have are vast. They can each take 21 horses. Spent the morning having a tour about the estate on the Quad bike taking photos and planned to spend the rest of the day watching the Polo but my plans went slightly adrift when the bike died on me in the middle of the golf course. Out of petrol so walked in what I thought was the right direction to get back . Fortunately I found the farrier shoeing one of the visitors horses and got a lift back to the house. Now we leave Ellerston and drive back to Sydney. Had hoped to be able togo viaNewcastleway and look up Tara but sadly she will not be at home today. Lets hope the driveback will be less traumatic than the drive out. Will stop in the Hunter valley and hopefully buy some wine.