Ok my first try at photos. Perhaps I'll try Pt Augusta, I love the drylands garden there, especially being able to grab a wine and chill at the restuarant there.

great shots, I have lived close to port augusta for 30 years and have yet to go and see that garden, I must do it one day

Our son lives in one of the disability houses there Dave. suits him he loves the heat. staff there is great and P t Augusta has worked hard at upgrading their image. everytime we visit I go to the garden, there is always something in flower. I recommend it. Having said that Yorke Peninsula is lovely but we always go somewhere else.

we were offered a "placement" for our son yesterday, you know what, after all these years of waiting and wishing and hoping, we declined it, I cant bring myself to turn the care of my son over to someone else long term, more power to you if you can, the thought filled me with a cold dread instantaniously the arid lands botanical garden is an absolute joy, and it is a credit to joy balluch for continuing it's existance, even though joy and I dont see eye to eye over my bulldozing a few trees in line for the prison expansion a few years ago I still admire what she has done for the town it will be a sad day for port augusta indeed when she retires, she has a fiery temper but her heart is in the right place I must go and see the garden, we visit port augusta regularly, big w and hungry jacks, we also love the yorke and eyre peninsula as well as the murray, I dont think there is a bad spot in aussie that I have found, and I have tramped most of it

Dave we refused his first placement but three years down the line couldn't do it anymore. They say it takes 3-5 yrs to move on, we are 3yrs in Nov, still don't quite know where we are at. Hoping the travel bug will help. Wish you well, it ain't easy doing what we all do, so blessings to you and your loved ones.  It still hurts like hell. But we just couldn,t do it anymore.

-- Edited by ElBe on Friday 23rd of October 2009 09:05:30 AM

as i stated I will not judge you, I am pleased for that you can do it, we have had our son (cerebral palsy) for some 27 years, I do everything for him, we have a huge life outside of the "handicapped" zone (you know all about the circle that we move in as you moved in yourself) but we miss him like hell when we go, I cant bear to leave him for anymore than two weeks and he simply "shrivels" away when I am not there we dreamed of "the after life" for a long time, but we just cant do it, as I stated well done you for having the guts to do it, just try to enjoy life as it was meant to be, not wiping backsides and showering and dressing just yourselves life should be about just simple enjoyment not hard yacca all the time the funny thing is when we nick off and we put our son in placement it takes three staff at $23 per hour around the clock to "care" for him, if I relied on my carers pension for everything it comes to less than $400 per fortnight, it's all wrong

I didn't feel judged Dave and yes it;s absolutely rediculous the carer payment, James had a healthy bank balance while he lived at home. now it takes everything he has and more to live away. As I said he loves the heat so Pt Augusta is good. It's not too far up the road and it,s an easy drive. He has way more family call on him now than ever. We miss him but he seems to be doing ok. He used to shrivel before our eyes when he went to hospitals so I do understand, they are heartbreakers but oh the wisdom they add to our stories.