I've not finished blogging about Australia but I am getting awful close and maybe that's why I've not been so religious blogging every day the past week. Maybe if I don't blog so often I can make it all last just that much longer?! Seriously I know that isn't logical thinking but...who knows?!
At any rate it will be until mid week before I'll get a chance to blog again as I have to go back to North Dakota to finish up some of mom's estate matters. My 'sage' advice here is, if at all possible, never get named an executor of some one's estate if you can help it and surely not one of your parents if possible. It just tears open your wounded heart every time you have to deal with yet another part of the estate and, in my case, selling mom's condo which is the 'last' home I have to remember her at even though she was at the condo for about 2 1/2 years after moving off the farm after 58 years of living there. I can visit the farm whenever but my childhood home was torn down 3 or so years ago so it's not really home anymore.
Anyways...please check back in 3-4 days as I will be back blogging about my last few days in Australia and then who knows what after that?! I do want you all to know that I greatly appreciate your interest in my blog & would love any feedback you might have.
Until next time...wherever you are...have a great day!!
Saturday, April 30, 2011
Wednesday, April 27, 2011
Off to Healesville Sanctuary
We were off to the Healesville Sanctuary which was about an hour from Melbourne tucked in the foothills of the Yarra Valley. The Sanctuary has approximately 70 acres (30 hectares) of Australian bushland and is home to about 200 different species of wildlife including koalas, dingos, kangaroos, wallabies, wombats and are also successfully breeding both the duck-billed platypus and the helmeted honeyeater and a great variety of other animals and birds.
We started to wander around the sanctuary and were soon to see probably the number one animal most visitors to Australia are dying to see...a real life koala and this time, unlike Tasmania, the koala was closeup in a tree and wide awake...no sitting on top of a green tarp! I got some amazingly cute pictures of the koala...it definitely seemed as if he were posing for all of us!! They are so damned cute you just want to hold them and hug them and squeeze them but that option was not available at the sanctuary though there are other places one could go to have that experience.
I did, however, get to go in the enclosure for a closeup encounter with this guy a while later and he was about as disinterested in our small group that had paid extra to do this as he pretty much slept through our experience. But I think most of us were thrilled to be able to get up so close whether he was sleeping or not.
I hadn't been paying too close attention to the brochure we each received when we went in to the sanctuary but after my koala experience Natalie guided us quickly to what was the Birds of Prey arena to see the Birds of Prey presentation put on by staff at the sanctuary.
Not exactly sure what I was in for as we milled around waiting for the doors to open to the entrance I was soon going to be surprised by what I was soon to experience. We would soon be thrilled to see such Australian raptors as the Black Breasted Buzzard, Peregrine Falcon and the Wedge tailed Eagle to name a few as they flew in and around all of us gathered in the arena.
It was an outdoor classroom of sorts and there is nothing quite like feeling the wind from flapping wings as a raptor soars past you to a spot in the arena. Of course Natalie and Helen both would have to explain what it was like to be slapped by the wings of an eagle...I was watching the eagle as they were watching the handler and tried to get Natalie's attention but it probably was a good thing that I didn't as the eagle swooped right over them slapping them with its wings. If only I had had the video camera going...it was just an awesome sight and a show that was well worth it!!
As we were filing out after the Birds of Prey show there was one of those moments that probably only I could appreciate but it touched me deeply. Natalie was once again leading the way through the mass of people with her mum Helen following and of course me bringing up the rear. It was like a mass of salmon trying to swim upstream and squeeze through the double door entrance/exit. Helen was just about to the middle of that squeeze area when she stopped, turned around, saw me and said "just looking for my family." Can't begin to tell you how those few words touched my heart and I hope that memory remains with me always!!
We continued wandering around the sanctuary going in and out and here and there looking at all we could see. There is even a hospital there where you can go in and watch surgeries, etc. as they are being done as they treat sanctuary animals or working on one of the many orphaned, sick or injured animals that are brought there every year. We got to watch a vet and his assistant take some type of snake out of a pillow case...who knows what was wrong but I'm guessing it was poisonous since Australia just so happens to have 10 of the most venomous snakes in the world and 8 out of 10 of the top venomous snakes are found in Australia but it's just a guess!!
It was a great day at the sanctuary but we hadn't finished our sight seeing yet. After a lunch and wandering around more in the sanctuary we would be off to several vineyards on the way back to Melbourne but I'll leave that for another blog.
Until next time...wherever you are...have a great day!!
If you would like to see more pictures from the Healesville Sanctuary here is a link to that photo album on Picasa: Play slideshow
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| Koala |
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| Yours truly with a Koala! |
I hadn't been paying too close attention to the brochure we each received when we went in to the sanctuary but after my koala experience Natalie guided us quickly to what was the Birds of Prey arena to see the Birds of Prey presentation put on by staff at the sanctuary.
 |
| I believe a wedge tailed eagle. |
It was an outdoor classroom of sorts and there is nothing quite like feeling the wind from flapping wings as a raptor soars past you to a spot in the arena. Of course Natalie and Helen both would have to explain what it was like to be slapped by the wings of an eagle...I was watching the eagle as they were watching the handler and tried to get Natalie's attention but it probably was a good thing that I didn't as the eagle swooped right over them slapping them with its wings. If only I had had the video camera going...it was just an awesome sight and a show that was well worth it!!
As we were filing out after the Birds of Prey show there was one of those moments that probably only I could appreciate but it touched me deeply. Natalie was once again leading the way through the mass of people with her mum Helen following and of course me bringing up the rear. It was like a mass of salmon trying to swim upstream and squeeze through the double door entrance/exit. Helen was just about to the middle of that squeeze area when she stopped, turned around, saw me and said "just looking for my family." Can't begin to tell you how those few words touched my heart and I hope that memory remains with me always!!
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| Vet working on a snake. |
It was a great day at the sanctuary but we hadn't finished our sight seeing yet. After a lunch and wandering around more in the sanctuary we would be off to several vineyards on the way back to Melbourne but I'll leave that for another blog.
Until next time...wherever you are...have a great day!!
If you would like to see more pictures from the Healesville Sanctuary here is a link to that photo album on Picasa: Play slideshow
Sunday, April 24, 2011
Driving Around Port Philip Bay
When I returned to Natalie's from the Fitzroy Gardens she informed me that her mum Helen had called and she and Bob would be picking me up at 10 a.m. the next morning. What Natalie didn't tell me was what exactly we were going to be doing...I was in for a nice treat come the next morning!
Helen arrived right on time the next morning and there was little time for chit chat and we were off on what would turn out to be an all day driving trip. When Helen asked me if I was ready for the day I said I thought so which brought a quick question from her...'did Natalie tell you what we were doing today?' My response was all Natalie had said was that I was being picked up at 10 a.m. but nothing about what we were going to do. Helen just chuckled and shook her head hearing my response.
What I soon found out was that we were going to drive completely around Port Philip Bay which is the largest bay in Victoria and one of the largest inland bays in all of Australia. Well...almost completely around as you had to take the Sorrento/Queenscliff ferry and cross the bay.
It was a lovely day, bright and sunny and not overly hot as we started out. Our first stop was at Arthurs Seat which overlooked Port Philip. Silly me...while we were there I did not think to take a picture of the oversized chair that represented Arthurs Seat...what was I thinking?! Obviously I wasn't...
As we wound our way back down from Arthurs Seat Bob found a spot along the bay where there was a picnic table and we stopped for lunch. Helen had packed a picnic lunch for us and it was delightful sitting along the bay. Before I knew it it was time to continue on our journey and we found ourselves at one of the marinas along the way. It was nice to walk out onto the pier and people watch and enjoy the sights and sounds of the marina and I had to chuckle at the golden lab patiently waiting for his master to catch a fish...looked like it had been a ritual that had been done more than once.
We headed off to the marina where you can catch the Sorrento/Queenscliff ferry to cross Port Philip Bay. Bob thought that we were too late for the 2 o'clock ferry but he had us right on time and before we knew it we had driven aboard the ferry and headed to the top to enjoy the 35-40 minute trip across the bay. After my rough sea adventure in Tasmania I was glad to see that it would be smooth sailing across the bay and it seemed like no time had passed and the trip was over and off we were to see what else the day had in store.
Bob knew so much about this area that I was quite amazed... until I asked and he told me that this had been his backyard as a kid. It warmed my heart that he would take me to places he ran around as a kid. I gotta tell you...no tour could ever hold a candle to the personal touches I had been experiencing on my dream trip to Australia...it would be hard to put in words just how amazing it all had been thus far and the days now were waning to a handful.
We ended a wonderful day with fish and chips from a local takeout which we took to Natalie's and had a bit of wine and beer too...I was sure liking this one kind of Tasmanian beer...yum!! A perfect ending to a damn good day!!
Until next time...wherever you are...have a great day!!
If you would like to see more pictures from the trip around Port Philip Bay here is a link to that photo album on Picasa: Play slideshow
Helen arrived right on time the next morning and there was little time for chit chat and we were off on what would turn out to be an all day driving trip. When Helen asked me if I was ready for the day I said I thought so which brought a quick question from her...'did Natalie tell you what we were doing today?' My response was all Natalie had said was that I was being picked up at 10 a.m. but nothing about what we were going to do. Helen just chuckled and shook her head hearing my response.
What I soon found out was that we were going to drive completely around Port Philip Bay which is the largest bay in Victoria and one of the largest inland bays in all of Australia. Well...almost completely around as you had to take the Sorrento/Queenscliff ferry and cross the bay.
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| Arthurs Seat |
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| Waiting while his master fishes from the pier. |
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| Heading across the bay on the ferry. |
We ended a wonderful day with fish and chips from a local takeout which we took to Natalie's and had a bit of wine and beer too...I was sure liking this one kind of Tasmanian beer...yum!! A perfect ending to a damn good day!!
Until next time...wherever you are...have a great day!!
If you would like to see more pictures from the trip around Port Philip Bay here is a link to that photo album on Picasa: Play slideshow
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