Avon Descent '09

Well it was Avon Descent time again and this year we went for a drive up to Toodyay for the race, and what a ripper of a day it was. Just in case you live on the other side of Australia and don't know what the Avon Descent is, well i'll give you a quick run down.





Well the Avon descent is an annual, two day, white water event involving both paddle craft (Kayaks and surf skis) and small motor boats. It runs from Northam to Perth along the Avon river which becomes the Swan river along the way.







It is the only event in the world where power craft race paddle craft (guess who wins!) The course has Grade 2-4 white water rapids and its 133 gruelling kilometres tests the endurance of the fittest athlete.... bugger that!








The top class in the powerboats is the 10hp super class. these boats have hydraulic jacks which enable the motor to be jacked up...cool. The motors are unmodified and run a surface piercing propeller, these powerboats can reach speeds of approximately 70km/h fairdinkum.















The kiddies watching the boats coming down the rapids.










After the power boats came pasted we then droved the little way into Toodyay, here we are about to cross the old foot bridge across the Avon river.






















The view from the bridge, here comes some paddlers.











At Toodyay was the International Food festival and the council put on a free kiddies party, with free painting, bouncy castle, bucking sheep and other things. And the first thing the kiddies got into was the face painting, we have one tiger, one spiderman and a lion!






Here's the little lion.




















Then it was time for spiderman to give the bucking sheep a go, he lasted about three bucking turns.... ride them cowboy.










And Jacko the tiger lasted just one more bucking turn then spiderman, and on his forth turn it was good-night-the-fox!
















Then the mob attacked the MacDonnals Farm, which had a fence around a bunch of farm animals. Here is little Red taking on big Red.... yeah that's right little red won! No joke Oscar is scared shitless of chickens, don't ask me why but it's really funny watching a big kiddy running away with a small chicken following. ha,ha





You wouldn't think we feed them hay! (bloody kids)










And finally here is Jacko with a piglet, which was his most loved farm animal, and no Jacko your not having one mate!









After that we had a ride on a mini train from the Newcastle train station, here's spiderman having a gander.








And here is our train after we got off it's a little ripper hay, after a feed and a couple more goes on the bouncy castle it was time to hit the road back home to Middle swan. And that was the end of our Avon day out, we had a ripper time and we can't wait till next years event.

The New BHP Tower

On a beaut sunny winter sunday morning me and two of the nevilles, went for a drive into Perth to have a gander at the New BHP Billiton Tower. as you can see it's up and going with about six or seven floors already started, this tower should be finished sometime in 2012.









This is what the tower will look like when finished, and with 46 floors I wouldn't like to be the friggin window cleaner!

















Here's Harrison.




















This pitcher behind the kiddies show what the Perth skyline will look like once the tower is built, next to Harrison is the Central Park Tower which is now the biggest tower in Perth. But not only does it become Perth's biggest tower at 886 feet, but it also becomes Australia's tallest office building, surpassing the 120 Collins Street building in Melbourne which is at 866 feet.





Here's one of the cranes.... Jacko wanted me to put that photo in.
















And how much would you expect to pay for a building like this I here you ask? well don't expect much change from $500 Million! Strewth. But on the subject of Tallness this tower is only a little fella next to Australia's largest Tower which is the Q1 (1,060 feet) on the Gold Coast, which is actually the tallest all-residential building in the World! But the Q1 is only a baby next to the Burj Dubai in Dubai which come in at a ripper 2,684 feet 'Holy crap'.










And seeing we were in town why not have a little gander around the place, here are the kiddies with one of the kangaroos that the tourist love getting photos in frount off... Say cheese!

























See ya from Perth!