Wallers (Back From) "Down Unda"

Friday, October 14, 2011

Victoria & The Great Ocean Road - Part 2

From Ballarat and Sovereign Hill we headed to the Mornington Penninsula

This is the sunset at Cape Schanck Lighthouse

Doesn't this rock outcrop look like the profile of a character from a Shakespeare play?

On the Penninsula we went to the Enchanted Maze Garden which kept us entertained for hours
http://www.enchantedmaze.com.au/

When you take lots of photos, sometimes you just get lucky with your timing :)

Aussie Rules, still on the Penninsula

Another highlight was Trees Adventures in the Dandenongs with tons of obstacles and flying fox courses:

http://www.treesadventure.com.au/

Jackson just about to hit a Flying Fox zip line

Crimson Rozella's are everywhere down there

The last adventure on this trip was the Puffing Billy Steam Train which runs from Belgrave to Lakeside, East of Melbourne

http://www.puffingbilly.com.au/

The volunteer staff are some of the friendliest folk you will ever find at a tourist attraction

I don't know anywhere else you can hang out of a moving train while eating crackers

At the far end of the line there was a model railway with over 2000m of track - it's the largest in the Southern Hemisphere

and reminded me of the one my dad built in our bedroom when I was a kid

It was a great trip!

Thursday, September 22, 2011

Winter Down Under

August and September 2011

Life is very pleasant through an Aussie winter.
We never slipped on ice or had to scrape the car but some nights felt colder indoors than I have every felt at home. Because Winter here is more like our Spring, they build the houses accordingly so when we did get a few cold nights, we felt it.

The last couple of months have been two of the most "normal" we have had, spending most weekends close to home and laying low. We did get out to some good sporting events and visited the beach a few times but most weekends were spent in the city, being local tourists.

We take off for Melbourne and the Great Ocean Road on Saturday, more news will follow, until then, enjoy the photos!

We've been to the Olympic Park several times, this was to see the Sydney Swans, our local Aussie Rules Football team - the stadium held over 100 000 people during the Olympics!

Through our You Can mobile phone drive, Sony gave us tickets to the Aussie premier of Zookeeper and the boys met Kevin James

Jackson receiving his Gold award for collecting 100 Mini Merits - he was the first student from years 3-6 to achieve this in his school!

Field hockey can hurt! Jackson got this black eye in practice

This technique looks a lot like a Canadian wrist shot

The Hornets made it to the first round of the playoffs!

All of these Spring wild flower shots were taken within about 300 meters, during a walk we did out near Manly.
This country is naturally spectacular!

Manly beach is in the background

A day out a Maroubra Beach, practicing AFL kicks

And Wendy took a surf lesson

Lots in the picture: Man fishing on rock outcrop (top centre),
surfer punching through wave (barely visible at very left of photo),
scuba diver heading out with his marking bouy
and Wendy is just about to drink some more salt water.
A very typical day at the beach!

Wendy managed to catch a few waves and show some fine form!

Thursday, July 21, 2011

From Cape Tribulation, down

Hi Everyone,

We trust you are enjoying your summer (or winter, depending where you are).
Sydney just had its wettest day in 23 years and it is only 13 degrees outside, BUT we just got back from 26 degrees up around Cairns - not bad for winter eh!

So, after 22 days on the road we are back in Sydney. We fed crocs, swam with sea turtles, walked through rainforests that are 130 MILLION years old, climbed volcanoes that are 27 million years old, built sandcastles, got warm, got wet, played cards, wrote cards, drove through cyclone damaged communities, took four flights, rented two cars and one campervan, fed wallabies, visited hippies, visited friends, made friends, watched sunsets, never saw a sunrise, admired the moon, watched the State of Origin on a 40 ft outdoor screen, played tennis, bocce ball and badminton, sea kayaked, tried scuba and snorkelled...
But not necessarily in that order.

It was a good trip.

June 25th through July 16th...

Palm Beach (just N of Cairns), and Scott below

Wendy modelling her Stinger suit on the Great Barrier Reef

This is Coool!
Taken by the photographer on Wendy's trip; this is actually her and the Sea turtle.
Best shot of the trip.

I wish photos could do it justice.
These are a collection of Wendy out on the Reef and the two of us snorkelling in the Whitsunday's

Hartley's Croc Farm. This fella was named Sollie, after the dog he ate. Notice Scott and Jack

Feeding the locals

Overlooking 4 Mile beach at Port Douglas

Mossman Gorge, just S of the Daintree River

Friendly Butterfly

Buttress Roots and their cool coloring

The only way across the Daintree River

Cape Tribulation under a Rainforest shower

The Daintree is home of the Cassowary, we never saw one...

... but we did see Emu though

... and Termite Mounds

...plus Wallabies at Granite Gorge

Scott checking out the dinosaur footprints

Sunset at Granite Gorge while Jack reads

Barron Falls, near Cairns. It doesn't look it, but they are massive!

The giant gumboot in Tully, very close to where Cyclone Yasi made land fall

We noticed this fellow a long way off, his wings were like foil paper

This photo should be on it's side, notice the ribbons of green granite and the person

Close to sunset on Castle Mtn. in Townsville, overlooking Magnetic Island - eating Nutella

We went snorkelling here at Horeshoe Bay, near Bowen (not island) - Go figure eh!

On approach to Daydream Island, in the Whitsundays

On approach to Whitehaven Beach

Princess Wendy on her boat

GORGEOUS Whitehaven Beach

You can see our yellow boat (where we had lunch - tough life)

Jakson's first Scuba experience, on Daydream Island, with dad

Cool shot from Beerburrum Mtn in the Glasshouse range (n of Brisbane)
with smoke rolling through the valley below.
The Mtns are plugs from old Volcanoes of 27 million years ago.