Trivia of the Day

Blype is the name given to skin that peels off after a sunburn.

All By Myself...

So Darcy, Maureen, Sam and Max are all safely back home in Canada recovering from jet lag. They are also sharing tonnes of stories and gifting cool Aussie prezzies to their loved ones.
It was a fantastic visit, and I was so blessed to have them here with me. Tears were shed on their departure, but after a couple days I am feeling less fragile.
My Aussie mates have taken me to see two shows: (One bad, the other good.) I've had two good dinners out, and I've done some reading and research for the directing projects I have coming up in the new semester.
I'm not really all by myself...

Craig and Anna

We connected with Craig and Anna on Darcy’s last day in the city. Craig is Brad’s (Darcy’s husband) oldest friend, and Darcy met him while they were both in their undergrads at UVic. He has been living in Australia for 7 years with Anna, his partner. We met up with Craig for lunch on Brunswick Street, and then later went to their home for dinner. Anna made us a very Aussie meal: yummy lamb chops and mashed potatoes!

Waiting for trams...

Melbourne is a huge city! 4 million people mean the streets are bustling and the public transport is chugging to make connections all over town. I sometimes wish I could have a nap like Sam and Max while waiting for a tram!

Trams in Melbourne

The last two days in the city were shopping days. Both boys were legend in their patience with Darcy and me as we pushed them in strollers down Brunswick Street and the City.

Darcy compares UGG prices and sizes at Queen Victoria market.
The best thing? Other than Darcy was able to tick off all of her prezzies on the list for people back home? The Trams. Sam "Yoved" them!

Penguins!

The Little Penguin Parade on Philip Island was the second destination on "Our Massive Day o' Fun". .The penguins were "Supa Cute". We watched them waddle ashore and walked with them up to their nests. Max waved and talked to them and Sam wished them all a good night!

...and if we had a pictures to post of all of us in our special Philip Island Penguin toques that Darcy bought for us all in a fit of consumer craziness, they would definitely be here! (It WAS quite chilly and windy and rainy, so all the warm weather clothing and accessories purchases were justified.)

Right now that disposable camera is on it's way to a 7.5 hour layover in LAX. Stay tuned for pics...sometime in the near future!

Note to Self #12

When planning a massive day of fun, kid-focussed tourist activities, ALWAYS make sure your digital cameras are charged!
My camera battery died before we had even finished at the laundromat in Melbourne, and Darcy's battery died soon after Puffing Billy chugged across the trestle bridge.
Old fashioned disposable cameras are just not the same!

Puffing Billy!

Maureen caught the train out to Sale on Saturday morning, and Darcy and I took the boys on TWO adventures that day. In the morning, we drove Northeast to the Dandenongs to ride the Steam Train known as Puffing Billy.

Conductors about to "Rock-Paper-Scissors" to call the "All Aboard!".
It was on the chilly side...maybe around 12 degrees with a bit of a breeze and some rain. We rugged up and enjoyed the trip through the hills.

For the Birds!

Feeding the birds is another great thing to do in Lorne at the Cottages. All you need to do is shake a jar of birdseed, and everyone soars or flaps in.
Maureen and some Sulfur-Crested Cockatoos

Max and a King Parrot.
Sam wasn't too sure what to do when a Crimson Rosella landed on his shirt. He remained relatively calm!

Zephyr and the Boys

Matt and Jasmina's dog, Zephyr is the best dog ever! In fact, she is the Official Guest Relations Manager at the Great Ocean Road Cottages! She loves kids, and Jas and Matt let us take Zephyr on a walk on the beach with us one morning.
We had a great time! It was sunny and it rained just a bit, so we had a great rainbow to enjoy as a result.

Sam was a great ball thrower for Zeph.

Max had a good time too. He chucked the ball a few times, but mostly ran around in the sand with his Grandma. Max LOVES being IN the water, so the fascination with the sand is not completely a reflection of his genuine interest in it. It's mostly a result of the adults constantly redirecting him from the edge of the water and the potential of getting totally soaked.

Playing on the Beach

While the weather is quite a bit cooler here than on the East Coast, we had a lovely morning in Lorne on the beach.
Max checks the swell at Lorne.... and sadly, there's not anything worth surfing.
Sam got a new toy...one of those velcro catch game. He loved it!
While Sam tossed his velcro ball with his mom, Max motored around on the beach.

Fun on the Pier at Lorne

We missioned from Caloundra back to Brisbane, and then back to Melbourne. That meant a new rental car and a trip out to the Great Ocean Road and Lorne. On our first day, we walked with the boys along the beach to the pier.



We chatted with one of the local fishermen who showed the boys a squid and a little fish. Max seemed more game than Sam!
Moody fishing poles.A Dad-sized one and a Kid- sized one.

Moon over Moffats

The Beaches on the Sunshine Coast were beautiful and very kid friendly! We spent the better part of one day at Moffats Beach. Paola surfed, Darcy and Maureen sunbaked and the kids played in the rock pools and the playgrounds.

As the sun set at Moffats, flocks of Lorikeets (little parrots) landed in the pines and swarmed the sky just like Starlings do back home!

Note to Self #11

When one is faced with a dire shortage of toilet paper, and no one has remembered to purchase any throughout the day, enlist the help of a 2.5 year old. Together, commandeer an unattended roll on a seemingly innocent trip to a public toilet.
Shocking but necessary!

Everybody Needs a Nap!

Max in Lorne, Kangaroos, Sam in Surfers... and even Dingos!

Pantheism at Australia Zoo

Both Buddha and Ganesh are recognized here.
While Ganesh is pretty traditional, Buddha bears a striking resemblance to Bindi and Bob!

Sexy Roo!

Who says Kangaroos don’t know how to work a camera!

More Magic!

As Darcy and Max watched the Burmese Tigers in their enclosure, one walked over to the glass and touched noses with Max (who was also wearing orange!) on the other side of the glass!

We rode the zoo shuttle to and fro throughout the morning, and on our last ride, our guide, John, gave Sam a very special Crocodile lapel pin. I think that made Sam an Honorary Croc Hunter for the day. Sam thought John was great!

While we were looking for Agro, the meanest Croc in the Zoo, we spotted a really cool random lizard climbing up a gum tree.

The Tasmanian Devils were mating. (“Wrestling” according to Sam.)

What Constitutes "Magic"?

At the beginning of our day, we were blissfully alone. Even though the zoo was busier than before, we always seemed to be ahead of the crowds, and had the animals all to ourselves.
We had our official “Cuddle Photo” taken with Sienna, the Koala.

We met a Wombat and Tila the Camel out on walks with their keepers.

We had “Red Kangaroo Heaven” all to ourselves or at least 20 minutes!

An Emu, which we decided was named Edwina, walked with us all the way as we passed through her enclosure.