When I last posted, our bags were packed and we were about to set off for Australia. What a trip we had! Melbourne, Dandenongs, Great Ocean Road, Cairns, Cape Tribulation, Port Douglas, total eclipse!, Sydney. All fantastic! Far too many tales to tell, but perhaps a few photos will give a taste of our adventures.
A few of the many surprises of Melbourne:
the Melbourne library (State Library of Victoria) reading room (looking down and looking up),
the Yarra River so full of activity, the architectural mix of old and new and oh-so-unique,
brilliantly colored birds everywhere, and some of the best signs I've ever seen!
From Melbourne we went on to the hills, forests and gardens of the Dandenongs. Delightful!
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| National Rhododendron Gardens, Olinda, Australia |
Next up: the Great Ocean Road! "Great" doesn't even come close to describing this magnificent journey along the Great Southern Ocean. We saw everything from lawn bowling to kangaroos and koalas to penguins to spectacular ocean views - not to mention the spaghetti jaffle for breakfast (not quite as tasty as most of the food we had been enjoying - like pumpkin pinenut feta salad - but so out of the ordinary that Lysa and I just had to try it) and the continued spottings of humorous signs. Marvelous!
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| Mort, Kendall, Lysa, and me at the Twelve Apostles - awaiting dusk and returning penguins |
After our tour of Victoria we flew to Queensland where wonders abounded. Rain forest! Great Barrier Reef! Crawling critters! Swimming critters! Flying critters! And last but oh-so-far from least, the total solar eclipse. If you ever ever get a chance to put yourself in the path of a total eclipse of the sun, DO IT!!!!! And, of course, more marvelous food (tropical ice cream! yum!) and eye-catching signs.
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| Spider at Cairns Botanical Garden |
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| 3-meter Croc in river near Cairns |
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| Flying Foxes - lots & lots of flying foxes in trees in Cairns (then they all fly off at dusk) |
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| In awe of the Total Solar Eclipse (me, Lysa, Mort, near Mount Malloy, Queensland, Australia) |
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| The ocean!!! Happy! Happy! Happy! |
Our Australian Adventure concluded with a few days in Sydney - and delightful surprises continued! Fantastic museums, free historical tours, and a whale sighting!!!!!
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| "The Rocks" area of Sydney - where the convicts first arrived |
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| Sydney already prepping for Christmas |
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| Whale sighting! Off Manly Beach |
Australia, you were very very good to us!
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| Sampling pavlova in Sydney, after another marvelous day |
Can you stand more? 2012 adventures continued beyond Australia with:
Thanksgiving! with both boys and Corinne joining in the celebration.
An early December trip to Michigan to visit mom in Petoskey.
And a Boulder Christmas!
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| Paul's Christmas tree (he got the top, we got the bottom) |
And one of the major highlights of 2012 - Taz puppy!
Adopted one year ago. We are a lucky family!
