Kangabums

Happily snoozing roos

Notice the joey doing baby yoga?

More baby yoga

Well, that went quick. It seemed that Dad and Marilyn were here one day and gone the next, with only a mere 16 days of hoopla fun and frolic in between!

First, I must mention that they have earned their super traveller badges. As well as their, ‘I will not complain’ badge, followed by their stunning ‘I survived the whirlwind tour of Melbourne in the rain’ badge, the ‘I am addicted now to Tasmanian wine and Timtams’ badge and a whole slew of others. Wow! And to think that they made it back home safely after a mere 28 hour trip and still love their daughter. Gotta love THEM!

I was especially proud of them both when they said, ‘Yes, we’d love to go’, to my invitation to the Grahamvale School Concert, just an hour after their arrival. Sheer bravery I say! But, they were forging through the jet lag and enjoyed the concert, even from the last row in the back. Brian only had to wake them up once, but it goes to show, that jet lagged travellers and babies can sleep through just about anything.

GPS Amazingo Kids!

I must mention this extraordinary event. I mean, HOLY COW! When we do a concert back home, it’s big. Lots of planning, costumes, singing and practicing. That’s for an hour show on the gym stage. This production didn’t cease to amaze me in watching it’s development. First, the brilliant music and drama teacher, with some help from a few others, scripted a show for the Preps to 2 grade called the Grahamvale Circus. Then, another completely different show for the 3-6 grades called the ‘Amazing Race’. And, amazing it was! Each class moved to a different country, just like in the TV show, and teams were eliminated. A song and dance and very cool costumes accompanied each act. Then, to start off the show, each student had a drum made of some sort of bucket or container, and did a Japanese intro song. Blew me away! In the end, it was the octogenarian team who won the race. Good on ‘em, I say!

Ballarat Visit

Dad and Marilyn had a day on the ground and then we headed off for our Aussie/Tazzie tour! Our first stop on our journey was in Ballarat, Victoria. The gold town! Seriously, one gold nugget mined weighed 152 pounds! That gold rush was Victoria’s birth as a state really. So many immigrants from all over came to find their luck. But, we found our luck there by meeting two gorgeous people, John and Noel. Also known as Frog's Grandparents and Grandparents to Meg, our teacher exchange partner's daughter. We had a great time sharing stories and learning about the area with them. Noel and John are both retired school teachers and live in Mt. Helen, which is NOT Mt. Saint Helen's as I mistook a few times. It's a beautiful area, hilly and full of flowering trees and plants. In fact, John has a collection of a huge variety of iris plants from all over! They even have their own pedigree status and one can check their ancestral chart to find out their history. Noel is an expert skilled quilting expert and walking through their home is a terrific treat! Her quilts all have themes, like an Australian aboriginal quilt--GORGEOUS! She then showed us a work in project, which is highlighting her favourite story books.

Kookabura looking over the little snugglepots and cuddlepies

The first thing I spotted was a rather unusual looking character, known as Banksia man. Upon further research, May Gibbs, in the 1920's- wrote books with this and many other characters based on Australian flora and fauna. Banksia men are scary spiky men based upon the banksia tree seedpods. They steal small babies hiding in the gumnuts.

Banksia man

I love this! May Gibbs was writing before her time as her books are freaky and seriously give a few nightmares to unsuspecting audiences.

Banksia Tree

A most special event occupied when we were leaving. John had us plant a commemorative Rhododendron!

Planting the Rodododo!

The Great Ocean Road

Going to the GOR was not too far from Ballarat. I think we were never went farther than about 150 km on this leg of the journey. Our people mover van was comfortable and thankfully, Brian chose to drive because when our GPS told us to go down Wild Dog Road in the dusk, we obliged. Never doubt the Satellite Navigating machine he said, they know the roads better than we do. That black line is the diabolical dirt road we did in the dusk with a preponderance of pesky wallabies doing the late day road cross. By the time we arrived at our vacation house, we were all ready for a big drink.

That's me

Apollo Bay was our first stop. This is a smallish fishing village but grows to 10 times the size in the summer months, which are November-February. A trip to the Otway National Park was our first stop-- a rain forest with THE MOST AMAZING trees I have ever seen! Canada and the US have it's share of beauties, I must admit, with the Cathedral Forest, and the Sequoias, but these gum trees grow extraordinarily fast! The girls and I took the flying fox (aka zip line) tour and Dad, Marilyn and Brian ventured out on the treetop walk. We learned that only a mere 45 years ago, the forest was burned to the ground. Because these gum trees need a fire to release the seeds, it started a new growth and they actually grow about 1 meter per year! We zipped between trees, enjoying the marvellous display of foliage and occasional land yabbie diggings!

Also, these towers that lead you through the forest are built with the ecosystems in mind. They are attached by clamps that expand as the tree grows and not drilled in or damaging to the forest.

It was really spellbinding for us to be zipping around AND at each stop there were so many different birds giving us the evil eye.

Being brave 30 meters up

The Otway light house

A drive down the Great Ocean Road the next day proved to be yet another adventure! We were heading toward the Twelve Apostles rock formations, but got sidetracked and went to the Otway Lighthouse. As we headed out to the peninsula, we suddenly ventured upon a forest of almost leafless gum trees. Look no further than UP and there was a large consortium of koalas resting and munching peacefully above us. Of course, we stopped. As we wandered around, they sleepily looked down, bums resting in the crouches of tree branches.

Bonnie and I planted ourselves under one gum forest patron who seemed to be in a heavily induced snooze and no sooner, we heard and FELT the ploppings, of well, little koala pellets. Thankfully they poo out little round balls, and not huge piles of plop! Umbrella recommended next time. But, we did then see a mom and baby crossed the road. Man, those are cute! And I'm glad to see them in their natural environment, eating and flushing out copious amounts of gum leaves.

The Otway Lighthouse is a very historic place and has saved many lives. The lighthouse keeper told me that hundreds of

ships arriving during the gold rush, and incoming convicts, crashed into the rocks and reefs just below where the light house now stands. It is a WINDY and STORMY place I tell ya! We were there on a peaceful day and I felt the gentle gale force winds.

We continued on to the Twelve Apostles and the rain and wind picked up. I now know why there are only eight or so apostles still standing after Emma and I braved the walk out to the lookout. I felt like I could be blown down, but it was a staggeringly beautiful scene below.

Lighthouse snack break

Sadly on the way back to Apollo Bay we witnessed a heartbreaking scene. We've been fortunate in not hitting a kangaroo, although there have been a few close calls. But, the people in the other lane coming towards us weren't so lucky. As soon as dusk approaches, the kangas and wallabies start their late day strolls. In anycase, one was hit and teetered around in the middle of the GOR. So, I slammed on the brakes, pulled off to the side and ran up the middle. Dad, of course, came after me yelling to stop. (Yet another badge earned--Chasing Crazy Daughter Badge). In the end, I just lifted up the special friend and placed him onto the grasses on the other side. Later, I found out that if you come across these unfortunate animals, that you are to check their pouches for a babyroo. And I guess that you are supposed to carry a can of pink paint to spray on their bodies to show they are joey-free and have been checked. WAHHHH! Canadians just carry extra OHenry bars in case they slide in the ditch.

The next day sunnified! (That's a new word, not Aussie slang, I just made it up.) I woke Dad up bright and early for a deep sea fishing adventure. I'm not sure if he was relieved that it was warm or disappointed. I knew his feelings about getting seasickness, but we went armed with KWELL, an anti-nausea pill, which did the trick! This trip was too much darn fun. First of all, we met a great family of three. Rose, her 12 year old son Ashley and their exchange student Jean-Pierre from Columbia who was 17. So, we all boarded the fishing troller with about 10 other people. The first thing they said was DON'T TOUCH a fish that you catch before they see it because one of the fish, is called a 'mother in law' fish, and the reeeel name, I can't remember. In any case, these little orange spiny babies will cause you enough pain with their stinging spines to make you want to be eaten by a shark. Thankfully, I don't have a mother in law that makes me feel this way!!! Mine is a lucky catch! In any case, Dad caught one right off the bat!

Then, we all waited for the perfect catch. I caught a dog fish, one guy on the other side started catching flatheads, but apart from that and the occasional MIL (mother in law), we weren't having much luck. About this time, a sassy albatross came flying in with his 5 foot wing span and gave us the evil eye! I gave Dad a tap and pointed to the bait that lay on the deck. He tossed me a fish and I, in turn tossed it to the albie. Suddenly, there were a few more. WHERE THE HECK DID THEY COME FROM? Needless to say, we bonded. A few more stolen bait bites and we were friends for life. But, still no fish. Then, it was time to start heading back. On the way, the boat slowed and suddenly Jean-Pierre scored BIG! He reeled in a gorgeous bream which made everyone seethe with jealousy. As soon as this happened though, we all started feeling tugs on our rods. Seems they had stopped over a reef. My beauty was delightful! He was an iridescent large bream, and after I got him high enough to make everyone jealous, I told our guide that I'd rather let him go and be free where fish were meant to be. Ya, right. As soon as he was set free, that albatross flew up and literally gulped my first deep sea fish into his already filled gut!! Everyone cracked up, except me.

My bream...notice albie on the bottom left?

Dad's first catch, a mother in law

My dogfish being released by our guide

A random retriever watching Emma, Bonnie, Jean Pierre and Ashley at a surfing lesson

In the end, we invited Rose and the gang over to barbeque Jean-Pierre's bream and it was that TASTY!

Tasmania

I did not take this photo of Hobart! I left it to the professionals.

I just love the sound of this...Tasmania. Sheesh, what comes to mind? Tasmaina Devils and a very far away place for us Canadians. It's like the farthest reaches of antipodal existence that I'll probably ever get to set foot on. We flew from Melbourne to Hobart, in about an hour. Now, Hobart is a beautiful city! It's a top spot in travel magazines for being one of the most picturesque places, and I agree. We were lucky enough to be there on a Saturday for what is Tasmania's most famous market, Salamanca Market. It runs down near the harbour front. But, sadly it started to rain and blow--that seems to be a common thing we found out. But, when the stalls started to blow away, the shop keepers hastily gathered up and one lady said to me that they had just announced a storm approaching with gale force winds. We all ran to the car with many umbrellas flipping upside down.
Off to our next destination was in order anyway.

Port Arthur
Going to places you've never been is also risky, especially when you book everything over the internet and just base things on pictures. We were very fortunate in all of our accomodations though as every place we stayed was comfortable and interesting.

After we arrived in Stewart's Bay Lodge, we knew we were in for a treat! Dad said, Hey. let's just stay here for the next week! It was a log cabin nestled in a gorgeous gum forest with a treasure trove of little bays surrounding it. The sergeants' wives of the penal colony at Port Arthur, would use the little coves to swim far away from the wandering eyes of the convicts.

Shell show that we put on

Unusual rock formations on beach

Bonnie, Emma and I wandered down to the shoreline. We started stumbling upon some amazing finds. There abalone seasnails shells tossed upon the rocks and the occasionaly sea urchin that had gotten a ride in with the tides. We kept snooping around looking for the sea urchins as they are this beautiful dark purple colour and interesting patterned spines when suddenly Bonnie screamed! My first thought was SNAKE! She yelled for us to come and see the giant sea urchin! Emma and I stumbled over the rocks to get a peek and she smugly smiled, It's not a sea urchin. Look! It's an echidna!

Wow! Sure enough, there was a hefty echidna snuffling around with its long nose, quite oblivious to our presence.

Remains of the Penitentiary

Port Arthur is a dichotomous tale of tragedy and of the sublime. When you walk into the area, and see the stone buildings, cobbled paths and manicured lawns surrounded by glorious giant trees, it's hard to believe the stories that unfold about this first settlement of Tasmania.

Remains of the church

The British, upon landing there, were drawn to the timber. A settlement soon developed, but then it became a convict settlement for the British and Irish offenders, some as young as 9 years old. They would arrive at the port which is a stunning view to behold and then realize the life they were destined for. Some of the crimes committed were so petty, that you realize there was more to sending them there than meets the eye. For example one young boy of 14 was sent from Bristol England because he stole a women's handkerchief. It was a way of clearing the unwanted out. Not many people escaped but a few tried. One in particular, fled on foot, and reached the only route to escape called the Neck, which was a highly guarded isthmus. The clever lad watched for days to figure out how to get by the dogs and finally came up with a plan. He found a dead kangaroo, skinned it and got inside. He hopped along until the dogs started barking and alerted the guards. At first the guards paid no heed as they said, Only a 'roo. But one guard then had the idea that it was a mighty big 'roo and would make a good stew. So they raised their rifles. The convict quickly yelled for them to stop! The guards laughed so hard at the circumstance that when they took him back to the colony, they said, Be soft on this man! So, he only received 20 or so lashes as a punishment.
The juxtaposition of the guards homes sitting above the overcrowded penitentiary was hard to swallow. After the colony closed, the whole area became derelict and different parts were sold to private owners. In the end, it's a open museum that runs solely on the money collected as admission. It is definitely worth further researching.

On to Freycinet National Park along the East Coast of Tasmaina. We arrived near dusk, and you know that means only one thing! The drive out to Cole's Bay was only about 25 km, but due to a prolific assortment of happily jumping and scurrying animals, it took us about an hour. Plus, the only light we had were the stars which I must say are OUT OF THIS WORLD! You see, the road to Freycinet Forest has only been open since 1980. Before that, it was a winding unsealed (gravel) road that ended badly for many.
In any case, it's an absolute beauty.

There are plenty of beaches to wander around on and trails to hike. One trail in particular,led us up one side of the mountain and at the top, there's a look out down to a crescent beach called Wineglass Bay. You can only get there by hiking the steep rocky trail or by boat. But, in the end, it is worth climb and you are greatly rewarded at the end.

Truly crystal white sand as soft as baking powder between your toes, a light clear crystal blue water with nothing but sand and a few fish scooting about. Mmmm...and even though it was extremely cold, I jumped in! Hey, you can't go all the way there without doing a polar dip. Also, the welcoming mama wallaby was very sweet!
This water though, got its name from the early days when all sorts of whales would pull in to rest on their migration. And, didn't those whalers know it! Sadly, they were killed by the hundreds for their blubber which was sent back to England to burn in lanterns. Thus, the wineglass bay name-- the waters were a red wine colour due to all of the whale killing. I guess the locals still find whale bones scattered on the beaches and take them for keepsakes in their yards.

Creatures of the Night

One night, Emma and Bonnie and I went out in search of snacks. There wasn't much open but we did drive down into the park for a night explore. Within minutes, we came across the first of many possums. Now, these guys are about as big as a cat. And, they have feel the threat of nothing. So, as we saw the eyes on the road, we slowed down to have a great view of this one grooming himself. He eventually scooted off into the trees. A bit farther up, the same thing happened. But, they didn't always venture off! Some just sat staring lazily at us as if to say, What do YOU WANT? Finally, Bonnie leaned her head out of the window and gave the greatest feral cat meow that a human can do. Well! That possum suddenly realized the threat and bolted up a tree like lightening.

Now, you may think I'm silly in comparing a possum to lightning, but the next day on our Sea kayak tour, our guide told us that those possums can run as fast as Usain Bolt! Hard to believe.

Bonnie with a dog named Bonnie who's the same age as Bonnie

And as you can imagine, there are many animals that succumb to car deaths. Our guide also told us that because most of the Tasmanian Devils have died on the east coast due to viral facial cancer, the road kill doesn't get eaten quickly. This used to be the Devils' job.

Bicheno and Surrounds
Weirdly enough, we spent the days wandering around and finding fun. Not hard to do on this land! We hiked along the coast near a town called Bicheno. And took in a penguin night walk. WoW! Those little guys work hard. And they've been doing the same thing for hundreds or more years. Following the same path out to sea two hours before sunrise, swimming out 20km for food, and back again at night, only to have to climb enormous boulders to their roosts. The guides for this operation have strict rules--no cameras, quiet shoes and must stay in designated areas only. They are retired teachers and take this job seriously, I'm glad to say because these little fairy penguins are a society of creatures that need protecting. They mate for life, build homes, look after and wait for each other, work in packs and are easily lost. If dogs or feral cats get at them, they can kill

up to 20 per night.
So, the next day, a few wineries, serious yummy eating and a great time was had by all!

Boulders in and around Bicheno

Back in Shepparton

As you can imagine, the party didn't end with us arriving back in Shepp. Now, TimTamming is a new sport which I plan to carry on the spirit of when returning home. You simply bite the corner off of a timtam at each end, then slurp up your favourite liquid--milk, tea, coffee or port. Seriously good and deathly addictive! We had to hide the Tim's after awhile because early morning kitchen snooping and tamming was taking place. The culprit, and winner of the TimTam award goes to...DAD! He could find timtams with in the dark, silently and stealthily without making a sound.

The next weekend we went down to Melbourne to do some sightseeing and crammed in alot! Brian was the hero of the weekend though as he ran a half marathon! He came in 5,693! (Out of 35,000 various competitors)

And sadly, they had to go home. But, we had a great time! And with their added new suitcase filled with goodies and Tazzie wine, I know that they left with fond memories of Australia!

Healesville Sanctuary

One of Emma's photos

One of Bonnie's photos

We made sure that Happy Trip Hangover didn't hit us too hard. I figured we would all be having fun withdrawl so I booked the girls into a photography day class with none other than my wildlife hero...STEVE PARISH! He's David Attenborough famous in the Australian wildlife world. So, it was thrilling to see my girls get to learn some photography skills with him and about 15 other kids. And when I picked them up, I GOT TO MEET HIM! And I got kissed by a dingo. Both were extraordinary moments for me!

Me and Steve and some other girls

Halloweeners

We tried. We resisted with all our mights! We even avoided the candy isles in the shoppes. But, in the end it GOT US!! Halloween was celebrated by, well, us. Now, let me tell you about Halloween here. Some people are TOTALLY against it as it represents the taking off of yet more American ideals. Then, there are a few people who are trying to rev up the action. I was hoping for a year off in all honesty, but then some friends said, Hey! Don't make plans for Halloween. We're taking you to a party! We gratefully accepted, and I was overcome with dread. Costumes! UGH! Well, Emma and Bonnie took Brian shopping (I claimed illness and feeling faint). They did all of their own prep. And in the end, I thought we were all pretty gorgeous. But the funniest thing was yet to happen.

Our friends picked us up and we drove off into the sunset along unsealed roads to...AN OLIVE FARM! Well, I cracked up! Their hall was decorated with bats, witches, and various scary displays. There were about 5 long rows of tables in which a demure crowd of normally dressed seniors were all chatting. When we walked in, they stared, mouths open. Uh, hi? In any case, we had the BEST time! Our table was quick to share their BYOB wines, the food was fabulous--all you could eat homemade pasta and salads and olives, all prepared by the owners. They were darling! Barely able to speak English even after all of the years here from Napoli, they were great fun! They had also rented a karaoke machine and one witch, about 80 years old, serenaded all of us with some great tunes! The four kids, well, teenage zombies, got colouring books and a surprise present. And, we all won bottles of their Rainbow Gold Olive Oil for dressing up. We laughed all night and when we left, I told the couple that I would be coming back next year!

Notice the knife sticking through the Monsieur's head?

And on the topic of scary things...

There's a place about an hour away in Euroa, called Polly Mcquinns. It's a beautiful weir in the river with rocks and waterfalls and a giant boulder to jump off of. Bonnie's friends took her so I investigated further to see what it was all about. Seems, years ago, when gold miners were passing through, they used this as a bathing spot. There's one particular place where supposedly it is bottomless. And, to boot, there was a miner, who couldn't grow a beard, named Polly Mcquinn. Bravely, he jumped off the infamous rock and never emerged again. His ghost roams the area, although I didn't see him. Emma, and her friends, Keenan and Leah (German exchange student) climbed to the top of the boulder. I wasn't comfortable with them leaping off into the abyss, so I said that I would see if it really was bottomless. I wandered out onto the rocks below and hit a slippery section and went D...O...W...N.... It's a murky little area, so I stayed under just long enough get their goats! And as far as I could tell, it was bottomless!

taking a leap of faith

Froggit enjoying the view at Polly Mcquinn

And who needs to buy Halloween stuff when you find this in your bedroom! There's a funny story to this one! Emma, Keenan, Leah and Bonnie were all hanging around in Emma's room and Bonn's fell asleep with her face near the wall. Leah, who's just learning English, looked towards Bonnie and saw this Goliath climbing up RIGHT next to her sleeping beauty face. She could only utter strange noises but that got the attention of Emma and Keenan. Suddenly, I hear an ear piercing bloody murder scream and go running. Bonnie is just opening her eyes and if you ever seen a person jump up fast, it was HER! Anyway, turns out to be a harmless huntsman, with spider webs caught all over his legs. He's probably been living there over the winter months, I imagine. I tried to get him onto Emma's card bookmark, and the thing was so heavy, it bent and he fell! He was as big as my palm spread out. But, for all of you spider lovers, you'll be glad to know he arrived outside safe and sound.

And here's the email we got from the office because...it's...SNAKE SEASON!

GRAHAMVALE PRIMARY SCHOOL

Principal: Lynley Eadie Assistant Principal: Peter Frizzell

SNAKE ALERT PROCEDURES

During recess and lunch breaks students need to be reminded to stay away from the fence line as a preventative message. Where balls are to be retrieved, teacher permission must be obtained and students are reminded to check for snakes before entering the orchard.

The following steps should be taken if a snake has been seen anywhere within the GPS school grounds:

The immediate response is to move away in a quiet and calm manner to a safe distance.

(Where possible have students return to their classroom or work area.)

Do not try to catch or kill the snake.
If possible do not take your eyes off the snake.
Under no circumstances should you follow the snake.
As soon as practical, notification should be made to the office.

(This could be made through a yard duty teacher, phone or sending a message with a student.)

Office staff will notify Senior Staff of the sighting of a snake.
Once assistance arrives all students and staff must move away from the area.

In the event of a snake bite occurring, the following treatment must be undertaken:

Use D-R-A-B-C approach (assess Danger, check for Response from the casualty, check Airway, Breathing, and Circulation) to assess the situation and the injured person.

Seek medical aid urgently. Use the red ‘alert’ card in the Yard Duty Pack or classroom and send to the office area or phone through to the office. First Aid procedures will be implemented and office staff will phone for an ambulance.

Calm the bite victim.

Apply a pressure immobilisation bandage over the bitten area and around the limb.

Apply the bandage firmly enough to compress tissue, but not so firmly as to restrict the flow of blood to the limb below the bandage.

Where the bite is to an arm or leg, bandage from the bite to the fingers or toes, then up to the armpit or groin.

Bandage as much of the bitten limb as possible.

Apply a splint to the bandaged limb with a second bandage.

Do not remove the splint or bandage once applied.

Continue to monitor the vital signs using “A-B-C” (Airway, Breathing, Circulation).

WARNING:

Never wash the venom off the skin as retained venom will assist identification.

Never cut or excise the bitten area.

Never try to suck the venom out of the wound.

Do not try to catch the snake. However, a description of the snake may assist medical aid.

Bandages applied during field treatment should not be released.

Verbatim

You won't find dag on this fine fellow!

If you live way the heck out in the woop woop, you live waaaay far away. But just crank your ACaDaCa really loud, like maybe my favourite, Thunderstruck or TNT, and you'll have some serious duff duff to pump you through to the woop woop. Your car speakers might blow up though. When a kid's been naughty, they look sus which usually gives them away. And if you drop your grey lead in class, just bob down and pick it up. Running around on the playground playing chasey can be a dangerous sport, especially if you bash into someone and stack it! Just pull yourself off the ground and brush off. Kids cop flack for running too fast if they get caught. Now, hens lay bum nuts, dogs lay barker's rolls and dag is poo stuck to sheeps' bums. A duffer is a foolish guy who tries to steal a dag bummed sheep. I'm not too flash about the whole idea myself. And sometimes too much family time feels like you're living in each other's pockets.