July 20, 2025 • 27 mins
This week Geraldine welcomes Jo back to Happy Pants HQ after her trip down to beautiful Walpole, a town in the south west of Western Australia - home to the giant Tingle trees! Be sure to listen in to find out more about those... Plus you'll hear from some very special young guests to the program (Maddie, Ziana, Sabine and Sampson) about their holiday adventures.
Of course you'll also be treated to some fun music, interesting facts and a reading of Magic Beach by Alison Lester, taken from Vision Australia's Feelix Children's Library. It's free to join and full of fabulous content! Find out more on the website here.
Remember, you can write in to the Happy Pants team at radio@visionaustralia.org with any comments, questions or suggestions! We love hearing from you.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
S1 (00:13):
One, two, three. It's happy pants.
S2 (00:30):
Good day. And welcome to Happy Pants, a show specially
for kids and especially for you. My name is Geraldine
and my name is Joe. And together we're your happy
pants team for today. Joe. Welcome back. Did you have
a great holiday? Ah, thanks, Geraldine, I did indeed. You know,
(00:51):
we went to a town called Walpole. It's in the
very south west corner of Australia, right amongst the forest
area where the really big trees are. And there's a
beautiful hiking trail there that takes you through bushland and
even along part of the coast. I've heard about that.
Isn't it where the giant tingle trees grow. Yeah, you're right,
(01:14):
and they are absolutely massive. Big word alert. Massive means
very big and heavy. And there's one tingle tree that
is more than 400 years old. And that makes it
the oldest living eucalyptus tree on the planet. Tingle trees
(01:37):
only grow in this tiny bit of forest. Nowhere else
in the world. So they are pretty special. Isn't that
where there's a tree top walk? Oh, that's a bit
further on. The tingle forest walk we did winds through
the bush. And, you know, we saw one tingle tree
with a hollow in the base so big that you
(01:59):
could fit a car in there. Oh, not that you
could actually get a car onto the trail. The trail
is wheelchair friendly, but nothing bigger or heavier is allowed in.
So the environment won't be damaged. Did you get to
do the treetop walk? Oh, we couldn't miss that, Geraldine.
You know, it's about 600m long and is a walkway
(02:22):
built high above most of the forest. Some of the
tallest trees are taller than the walkway. And if you
are quiet, you can hear birds moving among the branches
quite close to you. You said part of the hiking
trail goes along the coastline. Did you walk that part? Yeah,
some of it. Oh, and we found a wonderful natural
(02:45):
swimming pool, too. It was in a sort of small bay,
and there were big rocks that protected the pool from
big ocean waves. Oh, the sand. It was so white
that it made the seawater seem green. And the water
in the pool was so clear that we could see
everything on the bottom. And there were shells, Shows small fish, seaweed. Joe,
(03:11):
if you could see the bottom, that means you went
for a swim. Wasn't a cold. Well, a bit to
start with, but we were hot and sweaty from hiking,
so being in the lovely cool water was just what
we needed. Oh, we had such a great time down there.
We intend to go back next year. Sounds like a
(03:33):
great place for a holiday. It was.
S3 (03:37):
Yeah. Story time.
S4 (03:41):
Magic Beach by Alison Lester. Hello, my name is Alison.
Would you like to read a story with me? This
story is called Magic Beach. When I wrote it, I
(04:01):
wrote it for Joni. And now, if you're ready, let's
begin at our beach. At our magic beach. We swim
in the sparkling sea. Surfing and splashing and jumping the waves,
(04:22):
shrieking and laughing with glee. Wild white horses are thundering past.
Racing to get to the land, plunging and prancing and
tossing their heads. Then fading away on the sand. At
(04:43):
our beach. At our magic beach. We play in the
sand for hours. Digging and building with buckets and spades.
Invincible castles and towers. The king and the queen are
trapped in the moat. A dragon is spitting out flames.
(05:05):
Princess Belinda is charging the beast to rescue Little Prince
James at our beach. At our Magic beach, we search
in the clear, warm pools, peering at starfish, limpets and
crabs and tiny fish darting in schools into the kingdom
(05:32):
of fishes. We go riding on sea dragons tails, angelfish
ferry a cargo of pearls past creeping convoys of snails.
At our beach. At our magic beach, we walk when
(05:52):
it's cloudy and gray, looking for driftwood, feathers and shells.
Washed up on the edge of the bay. A leather
bound chest with buckles of brass lies tossed on the
sand by the tide. As we push back the lid,
(06:14):
we are dazzled by light from the glittering treasure inside.
At our beach. At our magic beach. We rock in
the tangerine boat. Paddling out to the end of the line.
Then drifting back to the float. The wind fills our
(06:37):
sails as we follow the sun. And the lookouts eyes
are keen. We'll navigate over the edge of the world.
To islands where no one has been. At our beach.
At our magic beach. We laze on the jetty and wait,
watching the watery shadows below for something to nibble the bait.
(07:04):
A monstrous shark has taken the hook. It's struggling hard
to break free. Thrashing and crashing and fighting the line.
As we drag it in from the sea. At our beach.
At our magic beach. We bask in the glow of
(07:24):
the fire. The moon makes a silvery path on the sea.
And the waves come to shore with a sigh. A
beacon is signaling up on the cliff. An answer blinks
back from the bay. Smugglers are hauling in crate loads
of rum. Then silently stealing away. At our beach. At
(07:51):
our magic beach. The old bed is cozy and wide
to the sounds of the ocean. We sleep through the night.
A drift on the evening tide. And that is the
end of our story. Called Magic Beach.
S2 (08:16):
By the way, Geraldine, did you notice that Happy Pants
has given us matching colors this morning? I did, they're
bright green. This kind of green makes me think of
how gum leaves smell after the rain. Hmm. Well, this
kind of green reminds me of how moss feels. Cool
(08:37):
and velvety. Oh, we haven't checked our pockets yet, though.
Happy pants is sure to have put some interesting things
in there. Oh, I was so interested in hearing about
your holiday that I forgot to look for clues. Halfway
through the program. And we don't know what we're supposed
to be talking about. Well. Here He goes. Uh, for
(08:58):
a start, I have a book. It's called Around Australia
by Train. And in this pocket there's a it's a
neat little pack of something. It's a toothbrush, soap, a comb,
some Band-Aids. Oh, this looks like a travel pack. Oh. Oh,
there's something quite big in this pocket. Oh. Hang on. Oh.
(09:23):
All folded up. Oh, just what we needed for a bushwalk.
A fold up hiking stick. Geraldine, how on earth does
Happy Pants manage to get such big things in there? Well,
I must shrink the things first. And as soon as
whatever it is is pulled out of the pocket, it
(09:44):
gets back to its proper size. Um, have you got
anything else there, Joe? Uh oh, yeah, a book. It's
called Pet Friendly holidays, huh? Oh. Oh, I think I've
worked out what we're supposed to talk about today. You've
a book about train travel, Geraldine. And a travel pack.
(10:07):
And I have a hiking stick. I've just been on
a walking holiday. And there is a book about pet
friendly places for holidays. I think today's topic is holidays.
And if we're going walking, it might be an idea
to loosen up our joints a bit first. Hmm. Some exercise,
(10:27):
then perhaps. How about a wobbly walk? Good thinking, Joe.
That should loosen up a joint or two. Everybody on
your feet and let's get ready to wobble. Ready to
(12:21):
rock and roll. Do you have a special place you
would like to visit? Well, there is one place, and
I don't think I'll ever get there. I'd need a
magic carpet or a flying car like Chitty Chitty Bang
Bang or. Or maybe the Hogwarts Express, but I don't
think any of those would actually be available. Big word
(12:43):
alert available. That means near at hand or able to
be used. Mm. That place sounds interesting, Geraldine. But if
it needs magic to get there, is it a real place?
I don't know. And that's why I'd like to get there.
(13:04):
See what you think.
S5 (15:09):
V is for vision. A is for Australia. R is
for radio.
S2 (15:13):
Well, what did you think? Real or not real? Hmm.
I agree with you. But wouldn't it be a fun
place to visit if you could? Talking of visitors, we're
expecting some of our young friends to join us this morning. Oh, yes.
(15:34):
Maddy said she'd be here. And Ziana, Sabine and Sampson
will be joining us, too. I bet that's Maddy. Maddie,
would you mind opening the door for her, please, Joe? Sure. Ah,
good morning. Maddie. Diana, Sabine and Samson are on their way. Oh,
I just got a text. They're almost here. I'll go
(15:56):
and let them in. Your holiday must be nearly over, Maddie.
Did you do anything interesting?
S6 (16:02):
We always go to places where I can feel or
hear something new. The place I like best is the
petting farm. It's only about an hour out of town,
and there are always new baby animals of some sort
to pet. This time there were new lambs to feed.
Sheep coats feel thick and soft and long. But the
(16:24):
new lambs have tightly curled short coats. They feel a
bit like a knobbly jumper.
S2 (16:32):
Well, a little bird told me that you like cooking, too,
and that you're especially good at making s'mores.
S6 (16:42):
That's my favorite. And it's so easy. You take two
cracker biscuits and put a marshmallow and some chocolate in
the middle to make a sandwich. Then put some chocolate
on the top. Lay it on a piece of baking
paper on a plate and microwave it until the chocolate
and marshmallow is melted. Absolutely yummy.
S2 (17:04):
Mhm. Oh, Maddy. I bet they're called s'mores because once
you've tasted one, you just have to have s'more. Oh,
here's the three rogues we were waiting for.
S6 (17:17):
Good morning. Good morning Sabine, and good morning to you too, Samson.
S7 (17:23):
Good morning all. Now, what have you three been up
to these holidays?
S5 (17:29):
We went camping in the bush near the Blackwood River. Well,
sort of camping. We stayed in some chalets on a
farm that belonged to some friends of Sabine and Sam's mother.
There was lots of bush, though. We went for long
treks every morning. It was nearly winter, so there weren't
many flowers out, but we did see lots of different
(17:50):
birds and nearly always a bandicoot or kangaroo. The best
bit was the river. There were kayaks and we all
went kayaking every afternoon. Sam and I had to go
in the double kayaks though. We had to have an
adult in ours in case we capsized or something. Except me.
(18:13):
I had a single kayak all to myself because I'm
the oldest and I've been kayaking lots of times. I
even know how to turn a kayak right side up
in the water if it capsizes. Sam and I took
turns to have Mum or Dad paddle with us. I
liked it when it was my turn with dad. He
compared a really fast so we could race ahead of
(18:35):
the others. When dad went fast, whoever was in front
got splashed. Mum might not have been fast, but she
didn't splash either. If it was your turn with mum,
at least you stayed dry.
S6 (18:53):
Come on. You didn't kayak all day. What else did
you do?
S5 (18:58):
We collected windfall apples and pears and took them to
the shed. There was a very old orchard and the
apples and pears were falling on the ground. I think
Sam found quite a few rotten ones, too. He threw
those at zir and me. Don't tell anyone. But Sabine
and I ganged up one morning and pelted him instead.
(19:20):
He didn't throw any more after that. They weren't eating
apples anyway. They were special ones for making cider. The
fruit we picked up had to be crushed, then left
for a day. It went all brown After it went
all brown, it went through a press which squeezed out
(19:42):
all the juice. I got to wind the handle that
worked the press. Mum's friend gave us a big jug
of freshly squeezed juice every day. The apples and pears
weren't nice to eat, but the fresh juice was yummy.
The rest of the juice went into big vats to
make cider. That would take most of the winter just
(20:05):
sitting in the vats and going bubbly. We didn't get
to taste that though. Strictly for grown ups only. The
drink made from apples is called cider and the drink
from pears is called Perry. After all, the juice was
squeezed out, all the apples and pears stuff was loaded
(20:25):
into a wheelbarrow and fed to the cows as soon
as they saw that wheelbarrow coming. All the cars came
galloping right up to the fence. There was only one
thing I didn't like about the holiday. You should have
heard her scream. It was only a king's skink.
S6 (20:47):
What was it about king skinks that made you scream, Sabine?
S5 (20:51):
When we were carrying stuff in from the car, I
saw a shiny black tail disappearing under the shallow veranda
right where I was going to put my foot. It
looked like a big black snake, so I screamed, but
it wasn't. There was a family of king's skinks living
under the chalet, and Sabine saw the tail of one
(21:12):
as it went home. The thing I liked about the
skinks was when they came out and used their sharp
claws to run up the side of the chalet so
they could sunbathe on the patio roof. There was one
very big one, about as long as my arm, and
four small ones, which were probably babies. They weren't so
(21:36):
frightening when I could see one properly. Just a very big,
very black lizard. But I still don't like them when
all I see is a long, slinky black tail.
S6 (21:47):
Would you all like to go back next year?
S5 (21:50):
I would, there was plenty to see and do all day,
every day, and I was interested to see how cider
and Perry were made. Me too. I love going out
on the river. Next time I might be able to
have a single kayak like Diana. My best bit was
watching the King skinks run up a tree, hunting for
(22:11):
spiders and insects under the bark. I hope we go
back next year so I can see how big the
babies have grown.
S6 (22:20):
That sounds like a great holiday place. Thank you all
for coming in and sharing your holiday adventures with us.
S5 (22:29):
Thank you for having us. Now, someone mentioned cakes for
afters and juice. I distinctly heard the word juice. Come on,
you two, stop nattering or we'll miss out on morning tea.
S6 (22:41):
Thank you.
S8 (22:42):
See you guys. Bye.
S6 (22:44):
Bye.
S2 (22:46):
See you all in a few minutes. Joe and I
will just tidy up here, and then we'll join you
for morning tea. Yeah, and we'll have a tea party.
(23:53):
So what have we done today? Uh, well, we did
some wobbly walking to loosen up our knees, and we
heard about the oldest and rarest eucalyptus trees in the world,
the tingle trees in the south western Australia. We had
two big words. Massive, which means very big and heavy
(24:15):
and available. Available means near at hand and ready to
be used. Our visitors. That was Maddy, Xena, Sabine and
Samson came in to tell us about their holidays. And
we also heard about s'mores. Yum! I'm going to try
and make some as soon as I get home. Oh,
(24:35):
they sound luscious. Me too. I'll buy some digestive biscuits
on the way home. They work just as well as crackers.
Talking of s'mores, I need two biscuits to make each s'more.
If I want a s'more for each of five people.
How many biscuits will that be? Uh, well, two crackers
(24:56):
for each s'more. And you want five s'mores? Oh, that's five.
Lots of two. Which comes to five, ten, ten, ten
crackers will do it. Well, I'm sure everyone will want
more than one each. And that's why they're called s'mores,
after all. So how many biscuits or crackers would I
(25:17):
need to make? Two s'mores each. Okay, well, if you
needed ten crackers to make five s'mores, then you would
need twice as many to make ten. Twice means two lots.
So two lots of ten comes to ten. 20 and
(25:37):
before you ask to make ten s'mores, you will need
ten marshmallows to Geraldine and ten squares of chocolate as well.
Oh no no no. I love my chocolate. So I'm
going to melt a square of chocolate on the top
as well. And that. See how good my maths is?
(25:58):
We'll come to 20 squares of chocolate, 20 biscuits, ten
marshmallows and 20 squares of chocolate will make ten s'mores. Mm.
Sounds like a plan, but maybe ten won't be enough. Oh, well,
you can always make some more, huh? If there was
(26:21):
anything in today's program about which you would like to
know some more. You can find us on radio. Keep
wearing those happy pants and we'll catch you next time.
S9 (26:50):
On the lands of the Whadjuk Noongar people. Vision Australia
Radio acknowledges Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples as the
first Australians and the traditional owners of the land across
our working area. We pay our respects to elders past,
present and future in maintaining their cultures, countries and their
spiritual connection to the lands and waters. Vision Australia Radio
acknowledges and respects the genuine diversity and richness of Aboriginal
(27:14):
and Torres Strait Islander peoples across Australia. Happy pants has
been made possible with the support of the Community Broadcasting Foundation.
One, two, three. It's happy pants.
S2 (00:30):
Good day. And welcome to Happy Pants, a show specially
for kids and especially for you. My name is Geraldine
and my name is Joe. And together we're your happy
pants team for today. Joe. Welcome back. Did you have
a great holiday? Ah, thanks, Geraldine, I did indeed. You know,
(00:51):
we went to a town called Walpole. It's in the
very south west corner of Australia, right amongst the forest
area where the really big trees are. And there's a
beautiful hiking trail there that takes you through bushland and
even along part of the coast. I've heard about that.
Isn't it where the giant tingle trees grow. Yeah, you're right,
(01:14):
and they are absolutely massive. Big word alert. Massive means
very big and heavy. And there's one tingle tree that
is more than 400 years old. And that makes it
the oldest living eucalyptus tree on the planet. Tingle trees
(01:37):
only grow in this tiny bit of forest. Nowhere else
in the world. So they are pretty special. Isn't that
where there's a tree top walk? Oh, that's a bit
further on. The tingle forest walk we did winds through
the bush. And, you know, we saw one tingle tree
with a hollow in the base so big that you
(01:59):
could fit a car in there. Oh, not that you
could actually get a car onto the trail. The trail
is wheelchair friendly, but nothing bigger or heavier is allowed in.
So the environment won't be damaged. Did you get to
do the treetop walk? Oh, we couldn't miss that, Geraldine.
You know, it's about 600m long and is a walkway
(02:22):
built high above most of the forest. Some of the
tallest trees are taller than the walkway. And if you
are quiet, you can hear birds moving among the branches
quite close to you. You said part of the hiking
trail goes along the coastline. Did you walk that part? Yeah,
some of it. Oh, and we found a wonderful natural
(02:45):
swimming pool, too. It was in a sort of small bay,
and there were big rocks that protected the pool from
big ocean waves. Oh, the sand. It was so white
that it made the seawater seem green. And the water
in the pool was so clear that we could see
everything on the bottom. And there were shells, Shows small fish, seaweed. Joe,
(03:11):
if you could see the bottom, that means you went
for a swim. Wasn't a cold. Well, a bit to
start with, but we were hot and sweaty from hiking,
so being in the lovely cool water was just what
we needed. Oh, we had such a great time down there.
We intend to go back next year. Sounds like a
(03:33):
great place for a holiday. It was.
S3 (03:37):
Yeah. Story time.
S4 (03:41):
Magic Beach by Alison Lester. Hello, my name is Alison.
Would you like to read a story with me? This
story is called Magic Beach. When I wrote it, I
(04:01):
wrote it for Joni. And now, if you're ready, let's
begin at our beach. At our magic beach. We swim
in the sparkling sea. Surfing and splashing and jumping the waves,
(04:22):
shrieking and laughing with glee. Wild white horses are thundering past.
Racing to get to the land, plunging and prancing and
tossing their heads. Then fading away on the sand. At
(04:43):
our beach. At our magic beach. We play in the
sand for hours. Digging and building with buckets and spades.
Invincible castles and towers. The king and the queen are
trapped in the moat. A dragon is spitting out flames.
(05:05):
Princess Belinda is charging the beast to rescue Little Prince
James at our beach. At our Magic beach, we search
in the clear, warm pools, peering at starfish, limpets and
crabs and tiny fish darting in schools into the kingdom
(05:32):
of fishes. We go riding on sea dragons tails, angelfish
ferry a cargo of pearls past creeping convoys of snails.
At our beach. At our magic beach, we walk when
(05:52):
it's cloudy and gray, looking for driftwood, feathers and shells.
Washed up on the edge of the bay. A leather
bound chest with buckles of brass lies tossed on the
sand by the tide. As we push back the lid,
(06:14):
we are dazzled by light from the glittering treasure inside.
At our beach. At our magic beach. We rock in
the tangerine boat. Paddling out to the end of the line.
Then drifting back to the float. The wind fills our
(06:37):
sails as we follow the sun. And the lookouts eyes
are keen. We'll navigate over the edge of the world.
To islands where no one has been. At our beach.
At our magic beach. We laze on the jetty and wait,
watching the watery shadows below for something to nibble the bait.
(07:04):
A monstrous shark has taken the hook. It's struggling hard
to break free. Thrashing and crashing and fighting the line.
As we drag it in from the sea. At our beach.
At our magic beach. We bask in the glow of
(07:24):
the fire. The moon makes a silvery path on the sea.
And the waves come to shore with a sigh. A
beacon is signaling up on the cliff. An answer blinks
back from the bay. Smugglers are hauling in crate loads
of rum. Then silently stealing away. At our beach. At
(07:51):
our magic beach. The old bed is cozy and wide
to the sounds of the ocean. We sleep through the night.
A drift on the evening tide. And that is the
end of our story. Called Magic Beach.
S2 (08:16):
By the way, Geraldine, did you notice that Happy Pants
has given us matching colors this morning? I did, they're
bright green. This kind of green makes me think of
how gum leaves smell after the rain. Hmm. Well, this
kind of green reminds me of how moss feels. Cool
(08:37):
and velvety. Oh, we haven't checked our pockets yet, though.
Happy pants is sure to have put some interesting things
in there. Oh, I was so interested in hearing about
your holiday that I forgot to look for clues. Halfway
through the program. And we don't know what we're supposed
to be talking about. Well. Here He goes. Uh, for
(08:58):
a start, I have a book. It's called Around Australia
by Train. And in this pocket there's a it's a
neat little pack of something. It's a toothbrush, soap, a comb,
some Band-Aids. Oh, this looks like a travel pack. Oh. Oh,
there's something quite big in this pocket. Oh. Hang on. Oh.
(09:23):
All folded up. Oh, just what we needed for a bushwalk.
A fold up hiking stick. Geraldine, how on earth does
Happy Pants manage to get such big things in there? Well,
I must shrink the things first. And as soon as
whatever it is is pulled out of the pocket, it
(09:44):
gets back to its proper size. Um, have you got
anything else there, Joe? Uh oh, yeah, a book. It's
called Pet Friendly holidays, huh? Oh. Oh, I think I've
worked out what we're supposed to talk about today. You've
a book about train travel, Geraldine. And a travel pack.
(10:07):
And I have a hiking stick. I've just been on
a walking holiday. And there is a book about pet
friendly places for holidays. I think today's topic is holidays.
And if we're going walking, it might be an idea
to loosen up our joints a bit first. Hmm. Some exercise,
(10:27):
then perhaps. How about a wobbly walk? Good thinking, Joe.
That should loosen up a joint or two. Everybody on
your feet and let's get ready to wobble. Ready to
(12:21):
rock and roll. Do you have a special place you
would like to visit? Well, there is one place, and
I don't think I'll ever get there. I'd need a
magic carpet or a flying car like Chitty Chitty Bang
Bang or. Or maybe the Hogwarts Express, but I don't
think any of those would actually be available. Big word
(12:43):
alert available. That means near at hand or able to
be used. Mm. That place sounds interesting, Geraldine. But if
it needs magic to get there, is it a real place?
I don't know. And that's why I'd like to get there.
(13:04):
See what you think.
S5 (15:09):
V is for vision. A is for Australia. R is
for radio.
S2 (15:13):
Well, what did you think? Real or not real? Hmm.
I agree with you. But wouldn't it be a fun
place to visit if you could? Talking of visitors, we're
expecting some of our young friends to join us this morning. Oh, yes.
(15:34):
Maddy said she'd be here. And Ziana, Sabine and Sampson
will be joining us, too. I bet that's Maddy. Maddie,
would you mind opening the door for her, please, Joe? Sure. Ah,
good morning. Maddie. Diana, Sabine and Samson are on their way. Oh,
I just got a text. They're almost here. I'll go
(15:56):
and let them in. Your holiday must be nearly over, Maddie.
Did you do anything interesting?
S6 (16:02):
We always go to places where I can feel or
hear something new. The place I like best is the
petting farm. It's only about an hour out of town,
and there are always new baby animals of some sort
to pet. This time there were new lambs to feed.
Sheep coats feel thick and soft and long. But the
(16:24):
new lambs have tightly curled short coats. They feel a
bit like a knobbly jumper.
S2 (16:32):
Well, a little bird told me that you like cooking, too,
and that you're especially good at making s'mores.
S6 (16:42):
That's my favorite. And it's so easy. You take two
cracker biscuits and put a marshmallow and some chocolate in
the middle to make a sandwich. Then put some chocolate
on the top. Lay it on a piece of baking
paper on a plate and microwave it until the chocolate
and marshmallow is melted. Absolutely yummy.
S2 (17:04):
Mhm. Oh, Maddy. I bet they're called s'mores because once
you've tasted one, you just have to have s'more. Oh,
here's the three rogues we were waiting for.
S6 (17:17):
Good morning. Good morning Sabine, and good morning to you too, Samson.
S7 (17:23):
Good morning all. Now, what have you three been up
to these holidays?
S5 (17:29):
We went camping in the bush near the Blackwood River. Well,
sort of camping. We stayed in some chalets on a
farm that belonged to some friends of Sabine and Sam's mother.
There was lots of bush, though. We went for long
treks every morning. It was nearly winter, so there weren't
many flowers out, but we did see lots of different
(17:50):
birds and nearly always a bandicoot or kangaroo. The best
bit was the river. There were kayaks and we all
went kayaking every afternoon. Sam and I had to go
in the double kayaks though. We had to have an
adult in ours in case we capsized or something. Except me.
(18:13):
I had a single kayak all to myself because I'm
the oldest and I've been kayaking lots of times. I
even know how to turn a kayak right side up
in the water if it capsizes. Sam and I took
turns to have Mum or Dad paddle with us. I
liked it when it was my turn with dad. He
compared a really fast so we could race ahead of
(18:35):
the others. When dad went fast, whoever was in front
got splashed. Mum might not have been fast, but she
didn't splash either. If it was your turn with mum,
at least you stayed dry.
S6 (18:53):
Come on. You didn't kayak all day. What else did
you do?
S5 (18:58):
We collected windfall apples and pears and took them to
the shed. There was a very old orchard and the
apples and pears were falling on the ground. I think
Sam found quite a few rotten ones, too. He threw
those at zir and me. Don't tell anyone. But Sabine
and I ganged up one morning and pelted him instead.
(19:20):
He didn't throw any more after that. They weren't eating
apples anyway. They were special ones for making cider. The
fruit we picked up had to be crushed, then left
for a day. It went all brown After it went
all brown, it went through a press which squeezed out
(19:42):
all the juice. I got to wind the handle that
worked the press. Mum's friend gave us a big jug
of freshly squeezed juice every day. The apples and pears
weren't nice to eat, but the fresh juice was yummy.
The rest of the juice went into big vats to
make cider. That would take most of the winter just
(20:05):
sitting in the vats and going bubbly. We didn't get
to taste that though. Strictly for grown ups only. The
drink made from apples is called cider and the drink
from pears is called Perry. After all, the juice was
squeezed out, all the apples and pears stuff was loaded
(20:25):
into a wheelbarrow and fed to the cows as soon
as they saw that wheelbarrow coming. All the cars came
galloping right up to the fence. There was only one
thing I didn't like about the holiday. You should have
heard her scream. It was only a king's skink.
S6 (20:47):
What was it about king skinks that made you scream, Sabine?
S5 (20:51):
When we were carrying stuff in from the car, I
saw a shiny black tail disappearing under the shallow veranda
right where I was going to put my foot. It
looked like a big black snake, so I screamed, but
it wasn't. There was a family of king's skinks living
under the chalet, and Sabine saw the tail of one
(21:12):
as it went home. The thing I liked about the
skinks was when they came out and used their sharp
claws to run up the side of the chalet so
they could sunbathe on the patio roof. There was one
very big one, about as long as my arm, and
four small ones, which were probably babies. They weren't so
(21:36):
frightening when I could see one properly. Just a very big,
very black lizard. But I still don't like them when
all I see is a long, slinky black tail.
S6 (21:47):
Would you all like to go back next year?
S5 (21:50):
I would, there was plenty to see and do all day,
every day, and I was interested to see how cider
and Perry were made. Me too. I love going out
on the river. Next time I might be able to
have a single kayak like Diana. My best bit was
watching the King skinks run up a tree, hunting for
(22:11):
spiders and insects under the bark. I hope we go
back next year so I can see how big the
babies have grown.
S6 (22:20):
That sounds like a great holiday place. Thank you all
for coming in and sharing your holiday adventures with us.
S5 (22:29):
Thank you for having us. Now, someone mentioned cakes for
afters and juice. I distinctly heard the word juice. Come on,
you two, stop nattering or we'll miss out on morning tea.
S6 (22:41):
Thank you.
S8 (22:42):
See you guys. Bye.
S6 (22:44):
Bye.
S2 (22:46):
See you all in a few minutes. Joe and I
will just tidy up here, and then we'll join you
for morning tea. Yeah, and we'll have a tea party.
(23:53):
So what have we done today? Uh, well, we did
some wobbly walking to loosen up our knees, and we
heard about the oldest and rarest eucalyptus trees in the world,
the tingle trees in the south western Australia. We had
two big words. Massive, which means very big and heavy
(24:15):
and available. Available means near at hand and ready to
be used. Our visitors. That was Maddy, Xena, Sabine and
Samson came in to tell us about their holidays. And
we also heard about s'mores. Yum! I'm going to try
and make some as soon as I get home. Oh,
(24:35):
they sound luscious. Me too. I'll buy some digestive biscuits
on the way home. They work just as well as crackers.
Talking of s'mores, I need two biscuits to make each s'more.
If I want a s'more for each of five people.
How many biscuits will that be? Uh, well, two crackers
(24:56):
for each s'more. And you want five s'mores? Oh, that's five.
Lots of two. Which comes to five, ten, ten, ten
crackers will do it. Well, I'm sure everyone will want
more than one each. And that's why they're called s'mores,
after all. So how many biscuits or crackers would I
(25:17):
need to make? Two s'mores each. Okay, well, if you
needed ten crackers to make five s'mores, then you would
need twice as many to make ten. Twice means two lots.
So two lots of ten comes to ten. 20 and
(25:37):
before you ask to make ten s'mores, you will need
ten marshmallows to Geraldine and ten squares of chocolate as well.
Oh no no no. I love my chocolate. So I'm
going to melt a square of chocolate on the top
as well. And that. See how good my maths is?
(25:58):
We'll come to 20 squares of chocolate, 20 biscuits, ten
marshmallows and 20 squares of chocolate will make ten s'mores. Mm.
Sounds like a plan, but maybe ten won't be enough. Oh, well,
you can always make some more, huh? If there was
(26:21):
anything in today's program about which you would like to
know some more. You can find us on radio. Keep
wearing those happy pants and we'll catch you next time.
S9 (26:50):
On the lands of the Whadjuk Noongar people. Vision Australia
Radio acknowledges Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples as the
first Australians and the traditional owners of the land across
our working area. We pay our respects to elders past,
present and future in maintaining their cultures, countries and their
spiritual connection to the lands and waters. Vision Australia Radio
acknowledges and respects the genuine diversity and richness of Aboriginal
(27:14):
and Torres Strait Islander peoples across Australia. Happy pants has
been made possible with the support of the Community Broadcasting Foundation.
Popular Podcasts
On Purpose with Jay Shetty
I’m Jay Shetty host of On Purpose the worlds #1 Mental Health podcast and I’m so grateful you found us. I started this podcast 5 years ago to invite you into conversations and workshops that are designed to help make you happier, healthier and more healed. I believe that when you (yes you) feel seen, heard and understood you’re able to deal with relationship struggles, work challenges and life’s ups and downs with more ease and grace. I interview experts, celebrities, thought leaders and athletes so that we can grow our mindset, build better habits and uncover a side of them we’ve never seen before. New episodes every Monday and Friday. Your support means the world to me and I don’t take it for granted — click the follow button and leave a review to help us spread the love with On Purpose. I can’t wait for you to listen to your first or 500th episode!
Dateline NBC
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Special Summer Offer: Exclusively on Apple Podcasts, try our Dateline Premium subscription completely free for one month! With Dateline Premium, you get every episode ad-free plus exclusive bonus content.
24/7 News: The Latest
The latest news in 4 minutes updated every hour, every day.