tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-317189372024-03-13T10:33:49.661-07:00Australia Travel Blog 2006We will be posting information and pictures from our trip to Australia while we are on the road. We will be visiting Melbourne, Brisbane and Adelaide.Mat Joneshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02302863932951561867noreply@blogger.comBlogger20125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31718937.post-1157408774818179982006-09-04T15:24:00.000-07:002006-09-04T15:29:53.550-07:00Crikey!We are deeply saddened by the death of Steve Irwin today. Having visited his zoo on our Australia trip, and seeing the wonderful work he has done, we are truly shocked. Our heart goes out to his family, and the rest of the amazing staff at the Australia Zoo.Mat Joneshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02302863932951561867noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31718937.post-1155880832806839442006-08-16T22:54:00.000-07:002006-08-17T23:00:32.806-07:00Brisbane - Day 7Today we left for the airport at 6am. Our dream trip was finally at an end. We have had an amazing time. We couldn't have had a better vacation. All of our planning actually paid off. After a 12 hour flight, we arrived in LA, then caught our connecting flight to San Francisco. We arrived back at our house 1:30pm, and promptly fell asleep until 5pm.Mat Joneshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02302863932951561867noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31718937.post-1155382225371778012006-08-15T04:29:00.000-07:002010-02-21T09:27:38.229-08:00Brisbane Day 6 - Tiger Walk, Lone Pine SanctuaryToday was our last day in Australia. I guess we were trying to save the best until last. We had booked a 1 hour walk with a tiger at Dreamworld, Coomera. I was a little nervous about being so close to an animal that could rip me apart in seconds, but I figured I didn't have much meat on my bones, so I'd probably be OK.<br />
We arrived at 7:30 in the morning, and were greeted by the photographer, who walked us over to the tiger exhibit. We were promptly meeted by our guide, and then the handlers who brought out Mohan, a white Bengal tiger. Mohan, was 12 years old, and we had previously seen him on an Animal Planet documentary about his 4 cubs, Rama, Sita, Sultan and Taj.<br />
We began our walk, and were immediately led behind, and allowed to pet his back. The only rule was not to go anywhere near the front end, which we were glad to follow.<br />
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During the walk, Mohan would climb and lick the moss off the various trees.<br />
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He would also, scratch his claws as high up in the tree as possible. This was used as a sign to other tigers in the area of how big he was. Occasionally tigers would jump and then leave there marks, to try and trick other tigers.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicGAWzFmPmkVM7lhcTvlTU3x5yrJ_FjdU3aVAtMNK7evxHGK66BAOt75vck_DNOxISUGoeep-RzTUgFPrCVz7eXHjU67sASFZJWFOKjVE7311OPgDQqapBn3jQZm2dqYaAG0GPPQ/s1600-h/BRISBANE_000120.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5440506326750670466" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicGAWzFmPmkVM7lhcTvlTU3x5yrJ_FjdU3aVAtMNK7evxHGK66BAOt75vck_DNOxISUGoeep-RzTUgFPrCVz7eXHjU67sASFZJWFOKjVE7311OPgDQqapBn3jQZm2dqYaAG0GPPQ/s320/BRISBANE_000120.JPG" style="display: block; height: 320px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 214px;" /></a><br />
He would also give the tree a little hug before leaving.<br />
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Apparently, the moss on the trees was a little like catnip, and made the tigers go a little loopy.<br />
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According to the handler, sometimes they would lick a tree that had been scent marked by another tiger, and this would be their reaction.<br />
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I guess tiger pee doesn't taste good.<br />
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As the walk progressed we got to pose with the tiger for some pictures.<br />
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When the walk came to an end, we walked by a place where the staff usually treat Mohan to some milk. Unfortunately, they were out of milk that morning, and Mohan wasn't very happy. He started to whine like a little kitty. He didn't want to go anywhere else without his milk.<br />
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On our way back to Brisbane, we stopped off at Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary, a beautiful little place right on the Brisbane river.<br />
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We had the opportunity once again, to cuddle a koala.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYoY0W5RAEzynGGayZU4r-4os_h9rprNtjsdR3-l3AjNPuCf1gYZPK0f6CNZZGEP_ztlciRBqcs5eAXYJbU4BR4-eMAZ27nAlgdMxEZQ1VPNf9nX9cNe3hP6_aS7jKXUzjgYCMsg/s1600-h/BRISBANE_000187.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5440508832377460834" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYoY0W5RAEzynGGayZU4r-4os_h9rprNtjsdR3-l3AjNPuCf1gYZPK0f6CNZZGEP_ztlciRBqcs5eAXYJbU4BR4-eMAZ27nAlgdMxEZQ1VPNf9nX9cNe3hP6_aS7jKXUzjgYCMsg/s320/BRISBANE_000187.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 320px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 214px;" /></a><br />
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And I managed to get some more great Koala shots.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTJ7iJZQzLIhykM3uTsveROnNASq4nyAJSBwID7UF4YFnmmkLI9lRCQgUNjJp8JStGzAUJlcfS7frjnBBvQGZETsfQ21CTn8GhAJDMC_3eFtRnaGPpasuXPq0OnRv6ZX3FJlSUWQ/s1600-h/BRISBANE_000195.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5440509070248779522" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTJ7iJZQzLIhykM3uTsveROnNASq4nyAJSBwID7UF4YFnmmkLI9lRCQgUNjJp8JStGzAUJlcfS7frjnBBvQGZETsfQ21CTn8GhAJDMC_3eFtRnaGPpasuXPq0OnRv6ZX3FJlSUWQ/s320/BRISBANE_000195.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 320px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 214px;" /></a><br />
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Following our last sanctuary visit of our vacation, we continued on the the south bank once again, for lunch, and a little more shopping.<br />
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As we were walking around, we stumbled upon a beach that had been build up on the bank along the river. The weather was glorious, and many people were out there sunbathing and enjoying the water.<br />
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All along the park here at South Bank, was a walkway lined by curvy posts covered with flowers.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGdvWW4-fN-ov-vHnBDhnrAd3snMhT1s6U-hWTd8PLbL8kOwkjRVX3BMIY-gM492VMh7dPnBrocAfJ4vFZmZk8olLgk3ahuDtzcV9YJGOffbmbd87iyz4UOOafym1ShSRK2g5X8w/s1600-h/BRISBANE_000202.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5440511011794974738" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGdvWW4-fN-ov-vHnBDhnrAd3snMhT1s6U-hWTd8PLbL8kOwkjRVX3BMIY-gM492VMh7dPnBrocAfJ4vFZmZk8olLgk3ahuDtzcV9YJGOffbmbd87iyz4UOOafym1ShSRK2g5X8w/s320/BRISBANE_000202.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 320px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 214px;" /></a><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_0U4GvDDM5teCThRqlK3Zq2CGjPraX8AUm9TtfVhxBhTH0FVz9jjwPM0URIZrbEI8yQlb2Zjsu1xs8plIzDqkYTjKL7Yq5SzOzJ_rJDhgH5yHqwoyNykimIpxEW5lHFykPbJdaw/s1600-h/BRISBANE_000206.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5440511209891046130" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_0U4GvDDM5teCThRqlK3Zq2CGjPraX8AUm9TtfVhxBhTH0FVz9jjwPM0URIZrbEI8yQlb2Zjsu1xs8plIzDqkYTjKL7Yq5SzOzJ_rJDhgH5yHqwoyNykimIpxEW5lHFykPbJdaw/s320/BRISBANE_000206.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 320px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 214px;" /></a><br />
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There was also a path which runs all along the bank of the river, overlooking the city.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjmqqLRBA-zJ8uUWNzITIRWMJNYKCPBsWg5iThIh6DLnY-E3a7RwO45P8KaELOko8mJoa6O3Gh51FWAaCyf_cmjj_q9UrJWj2D4LgyF7x_S9m1tBUPCnKR9kw-07MI5iyWoqUljg/s1600-h/BRISBANE_000209.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5440511427501964594" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjmqqLRBA-zJ8uUWNzITIRWMJNYKCPBsWg5iThIh6DLnY-E3a7RwO45P8KaELOko8mJoa6O3Gh51FWAaCyf_cmjj_q9UrJWj2D4LgyF7x_S9m1tBUPCnKR9kw-07MI5iyWoqUljg/s320/BRISBANE_000209.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 214px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 320px;" /></a><br />
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<span style="font-weight: bold;">Anna's Aussie Tidbits:</span><br />
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The banana saga continues. I guess bananas are hot commodities here. They go for about $10 (Australian) a kilo, which is about $3.50 a pound! We had dinner at the Belgium Beer Cafe and guess what was on the menu. Yep, banana beer! You know me, something this unique (at least to me), I got to try it. And you know what, it really tasted like banana.Mat Joneshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02302863932951561867noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31718937.post-1155382143524384342006-08-14T04:28:00.000-07:002010-02-21T09:24:29.146-08:00Brisbane Day 5 - Australian Zoo<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><br />
CRIKEY! Today we went to the Australian Zoo. Home of the Crocodile Hunter, Steve Irwin. When we told people we were going to Australia, the first they most people asked us was "Are you going to see the crocodile hunter?". Well, unfortunately, he wasn't at the zoo that day, he was up north doing some research. Bummer! But we still had a great time at the Zoo. By paying a little extra money, we were able to get some real hands on animal encounters, and had most of the day booked up.<br />
Before our first encounter, we went to visit the otters, who were going about to have their daily feeding.<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">Looking for the keeper</div><br />
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</div><div style="text-align: center;">Praying to the fish god.</div><br />
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Next we moved on to the barn yard for the animal feeding session.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgO9fpGmQzMwe-mq95sxPAR8qTnmcOtZ-OETDcQPArbursAO5OtMFBsDkDKcMAbas-cizlaNmD_52Hhb2PLpHj-FHXfBWYgC5Ut1nFYi66g4RJM8v_v8hLHXLRARAVcje1r30KHtQ/s1600-h/aus_zoo_00008.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgO9fpGmQzMwe-mq95sxPAR8qTnmcOtZ-OETDcQPArbursAO5OtMFBsDkDKcMAbas-cizlaNmD_52Hhb2PLpHj-FHXfBWYgC5Ut1nFYi66g4RJM8v_v8hLHXLRARAVcje1r30KHtQ/s320/aus_zoo_00008.JPG" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbBve9YJ9z38RUfwI9epbPTrv-WPk83xP0GsR6cJcEMNZ0qT5GXBoEKS3uA2zLVF3F5OM6dxs8xyDLqbYu7AzcZ1l_7-lZd6c6sJTWUROg1rlk0lK1-0GXOYZlOBINoXEAJ54_Yg/s1600-h/aus_zoo_00011.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbBve9YJ9z38RUfwI9epbPTrv-WPk83xP0GsR6cJcEMNZ0qT5GXBoEKS3uA2zLVF3F5OM6dxs8xyDLqbYu7AzcZ1l_7-lZd6c6sJTWUROg1rlk0lK1-0GXOYZlOBINoXEAJ54_Yg/s320/aus_zoo_00011.JPG" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVBEb4FnqakeJoPvP9cylynA8PamQVXuBCoaEmXOdDNwe4i-q0mYNZcJpQlYMVBZEwAAEcYVKpJYFPuJBulkLTrwpBVgX62DB16eEwkaivm4TSXB1dItbY6B8SLk8vOev15R9bnw/s1600-h/aus_zoo_00010.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVBEb4FnqakeJoPvP9cylynA8PamQVXuBCoaEmXOdDNwe4i-q0mYNZcJpQlYMVBZEwAAEcYVKpJYFPuJBulkLTrwpBVgX62DB16eEwkaivm4TSXB1dItbY6B8SLk8vOev15R9bnw/s320/aus_zoo_00010.JPG" /></a></div><br />
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Anna bottle feeding Bubba the piglet.<br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVnR0y7jDc_iGYGRWW7D6A_AUuRZTw5QDS_j4M_e2vfAoM7cSfZFMHRH5mpZTZ7GoVTW-jkBo3LsguWGxMzAOkBkwWDcXnR4Cr3F-lQL4-F0990bf6c8b8RxARolJ7eLqu6KvDBA/s1600-h/aus_zoo_00012.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVnR0y7jDc_iGYGRWW7D6A_AUuRZTw5QDS_j4M_e2vfAoM7cSfZFMHRH5mpZTZ7GoVTW-jkBo3LsguWGxMzAOkBkwWDcXnR4Cr3F-lQL4-F0990bf6c8b8RxARolJ7eLqu6KvDBA/s320/aus_zoo_00012.JPG" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjW7Ys94WoarSXpD5x81WPQ2B3gv_r0DioXaWHmDA_0tM4qImVhfoRvjzRR4WvddBtFZb_J2JGjf8ZVoSSn-mHYi0EiTNL0eQMhM1nWVd9A9CBw9NHZA61QrVbW8XcLUtDDRvD6Ng/s1600-h/aus_zoo_00013.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjW7Ys94WoarSXpD5x81WPQ2B3gv_r0DioXaWHmDA_0tM4qImVhfoRvjzRR4WvddBtFZb_J2JGjf8ZVoSSn-mHYi0EiTNL0eQMhM1nWVd9A9CBw9NHZA61QrVbW8XcLUtDDRvD6Ng/s320/aus_zoo_00013.JPG" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div style="text-align: center;">Then Suzi got her bottle.</div><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSI4X4zY1S98OGYvbdmyWDWA3xQass03IhyphenhyphenGhQJrEinDB7pQl3zes4LYv415qSnTEs2l9HYGw-723f1MsnqSsv__xHGkL3BOV7qsfWhNC1MBs-N2hTQrPHKkO5kQQgslU2VY8uXg/s1600-h/aus_zoo_00014.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSI4X4zY1S98OGYvbdmyWDWA3xQass03IhyphenhyphenGhQJrEinDB7pQl3zes4LYv415qSnTEs2l9HYGw-723f1MsnqSsv__xHGkL3BOV7qsfWhNC1MBs-N2hTQrPHKkO5kQQgslU2VY8uXg/s320/aus_zoo_00014.JPG" /></a></div><br />
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Next up was our Tortoise encounter. We were planning on meeting with Harriet, their Galapagos tortoise, who born around 1830. She was collected from the Galapagos Islands by Sir Charles Darwin. (Yes, the evolution theory guy). Unfortunately, we did not realize that Harriet had passed away just a month earlier. We were extremely sad. However, we learned that she had enjoyed her retirement at the Australia Zoo, having been moved from the Brisbane Zoological Gardens, where she had been subject to graffiti artists, carving things into her shell :(<br />
Instead, we got to meet two of their other tortoise, Igloo and Goliath, who were in their mid 20's.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIfiteI5oOGTOMrrimP5T0qoMu-h7DvhXVbcxcgbVwiea2yjR831ldUiT9wifAxoNXvOYmc-1F3gAlmNDFSMC2kNkg22xG6net63SKyxykD4jGqyOrncHq022wmvtDfPK1AI8Gtg/s1600-h/aus_zoo_00027.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIfiteI5oOGTOMrrimP5T0qoMu-h7DvhXVbcxcgbVwiea2yjR831ldUiT9wifAxoNXvOYmc-1F3gAlmNDFSMC2kNkg22xG6net63SKyxykD4jGqyOrncHq022wmvtDfPK1AI8Gtg/s320/aus_zoo_00027.JPG" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbNpwpyu80DqxaZtbgjhkNJGHeMpLaPOlCT_VEDN6IJ_K2SHeQycPVfmIQjj5ASAje4yf7-Cb5fKThYaC4W1VXFRyUAxBbG2uFBlzVJgCHrrsC-cRz0nKob5H4_c7fRUgorrhzkw/s1600-h/aus_zoo_00029.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbNpwpyu80DqxaZtbgjhkNJGHeMpLaPOlCT_VEDN6IJ_K2SHeQycPVfmIQjj5ASAje4yf7-Cb5fKThYaC4W1VXFRyUAxBbG2uFBlzVJgCHrrsC-cRz0nKob5H4_c7fRUgorrhzkw/s320/aus_zoo_00029.JPG" /></a></div><br />
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We followed this with a visit to the Echidna, a small spiky marsupial. We sat down in her enclosure, and fed her a mush of meat, worm, and a few other bugs. She had a 17cm long sticky tongue, which was used to lap up the food. It also tickled when she licked between our fingers.<br />
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Next up, the Possum. We had already seen a million of them on our trip, but never got this close to one before. Her name was Hope, and she was a real sweetheart. She was missing a finger on one of her paws. They tried releasing her back into the wild, but she came right back. She was too used to being around humans.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCHbla-NZaZjoBdOXjGvVhUsoeUoa6R5Rj1PMGAamsJ4wv9q8QO9YRu-sGrS39x1SROJccGiTm8D0-bVhig8r94tTJVl0QdmXNTuh6tZX-_t4mmHTS0f6szNEFj7ZZDsB6NTYcrw/s1600-h/BRISBANE_000165.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCHbla-NZaZjoBdOXjGvVhUsoeUoa6R5Rj1PMGAamsJ4wv9q8QO9YRu-sGrS39x1SROJccGiTm8D0-bVhig8r94tTJVl0QdmXNTuh6tZX-_t4mmHTS0f6szNEFj7ZZDsB6NTYcrw/s320/BRISBANE_000165.JPG" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh34wTEytsJFWyIr5mj0Z2G3m5zdKRtnEyKRJIcYHGT5zt-kSRqYKh8SzjR1lXf1n7jGqWgyQs1xXxKES15emZWBZehNJ3nRdBmy7jC3otGw6ELK_SQzIoMysJeYRdDZHm9s0TMVg/s1600-h/BRISBANE_000166.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh34wTEytsJFWyIr5mj0Z2G3m5zdKRtnEyKRJIcYHGT5zt-kSRqYKh8SzjR1lXf1n7jGqWgyQs1xXxKES15emZWBZehNJ3nRdBmy7jC3otGw6ELK_SQzIoMysJeYRdDZHm9s0TMVg/s320/BRISBANE_000166.JPG" /></a></div><br />
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Anna's favorite, the wombat, was our next encounter. One of the wombats actually had a baby in her pouch. Most of the time it had its foot sticking out of the pouch, but at one point it turned around and stuck its snout out. It also stuck its butt out at one point to do a pee.<br />
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Our last encounter was with the Dingos. They were very calm and friendly, and loved kisses.<br />
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On our way back from the Dingos we saw how the wombats get transported around the park.<br />
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As we were heading towards the exit, we passed by the koala exhibit one more time. The sun was setting, and they were becoming more and more active. We actually saw a joey, on its moms back, and then it hopped off on its own for a little adventure.<br />
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After the zoo, we headed back to Brisbane. We had a dinner reservation at Urbane Restaurant. This was to be our first 'expensive' meal of the trip. The meal was phenomenal. The owner/chef of the restaurant worked before at the French Laundry, in Napa, and Per Se, in NY both owned by renowned chef Thomas Keller. The entire meal was based on a tasting menu, where the dishes were small but satisfying. It was designed as a 6 course meal (1 starter, 1 pasta course, 1 fish course, 1 meat/poultry course, 1 cheese course and 1 dessert). Before we even ordered, our canape came to the table. I had carrot foam and Anna got mandarin jelly with olive crumbs and chives. I started with Wagyu Beef cheeks, slowly braised, which melted in the mouth. Anna had the Queensland Scallops. For our pasta course Anna had Gnocchi, which was as light as clouds and vanished when placed in the mouth. I had Mac & Cheese, with tasted divine.<br />
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Instead of having 2 meat dished we opted for 1 meat dish and 3 fish dished. The 3 fish dishes were New Zealand Cod, Himalayan Rock Salted Hervey Bay Tiger Prawns and Squire Butter Pot Roasted Bouillabaisse. As someone who normally doesn't enjoy fish, I ate every single bit. For our meat course we had Free range Poularde with black truffle jam. In between the courses here, we also got a palate cleanser. Frozen Greek yogurt with cucumber for me and green apple granita with balsamic glaze for Anna.<br />
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We decided to skip the cheese course, and instead opted for 3 different desserts.The first was cookies and cream, a white milk chocolate mousse, with short crust coco cookie, and local strawberry juice. Next was A New Orleans Beignet, with a thick caramel shake. Our meal ended with a candy plate, featuring a sour strawberry rollup, vahlrona chocolate coated macadamia nuts, chambord gelee, chewy french cherries, toasted marshmallow and apricot, and cotton candy.<br />
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This was the best meal of our trip. One of our best meals ever.<br />
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<span style="font-weight: bold;">Anna's Aussie Tidbits:</span><br />
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Rest in Peace Harriet.Mat Joneshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02302863932951561867noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31718937.post-1155382077343622922006-08-13T04:27:00.000-07:002010-02-21T09:12:59.080-08:00Brisbane Day 4 - MarketsWe decided once again that we needed a day of rest from the animal sanctuaries, and had to do some shopping for <strike>tourist crap</strike>...erm, nice lovely gifts for our friends. The local markets sounded like a sure thing. There were 2 large ones, one on the South Bank, and the other at Eagle Street Pier. We picked up our rental car for the rest of the week, then drove across the river to the south bank market. Knowing that we were going to be doing a lot of walking today, we grabbed some breakfast at The Point restaurant. The food was great, I had cocotte, a baked egg dish, and Anna had a risotto cake. However, the service was lousy. This was mostly due to under-staffing. Lauren, our main server, was very good. She was running around all over the place, mostly due to the fact that Belinda, the other waitress, was slower than a koala high on eucalyptus.<br />
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Having filled our tummies, we hit the market. We found a great wine stall where they made fruit wines. Instead of adding fruit juice to wine, the wine is actually fermented from different fruits. Anna picked up a bottle of garlic wine. It was a little too weird for my liking, but Anna thought it was good. One of the stalls was run by an aborigine, Murruppi (Daniel Murphy), who was from the Djirribal language area. Both his parents were removed from their homeland at a young age, and put on reserves in the early 1900's. His stall was selling original aboriginal art work, including canvas, boomerangs, and didgeridoos. We picked up a couple of items, and then headed off to the Eagle St Pier market.<br />
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This market was a little larger than the first one, running along the Brisbane river banks, but we didn't find many gifts. We purchased some hand made art for a couple of friends.<br />
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Our day ended back at the apartment and cooked dinner. Honey soy chicken, with boiled potatos and Asian noodle. We then settled down in front of the TV to watch Australian Idol, again.<br />
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<span style="font-weight: bold;">Anna's Aussie Tidbits:</span><br />
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I saw the biggest toilet flush button at a shopping center today. It's so big I thought it was the opening of the sanitary bin. (It's about a foot by half a foot) I only realized it was the flush button when I couldn't find one.<br />
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Chocolate filled bananas? Yep, someone here has a device to hollow out the middle of bananas and filled them with various items such as chocolate, whipped cream and hazelnut spread.<br />
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Kangaroo scrotums?? Yep, they sell them. They make them into all kinds of things, from Beer Bottle opener to golf ball carrier to coin purses.<br />
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<a href="http://www.univenter.com/images/order_kangaroo_scrotum_bottle_opener_s.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://www.univenter.com/images/order_kangaroo_scrotum_bottle_opener_s.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 220px;" /></a><br />
<a href="http://www.samos.com.au/site_folders/35/samosimages/money_scrotum_2.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://www.samos.com.au/site_folders/35/samosimages/money_scrotum_2.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 320px;" /></a>Mat Joneshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02302863932951561867noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31718937.post-1155382036334337042006-08-12T04:26:00.000-07:002010-02-21T09:10:55.351-08:00Brisbane Day 3 - Tangalooma<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjglicz0ocgad42TERlmrA5GKEQXmBHQRKGWEkFBEsfnmYk-F-I2ClDx72P_iMOYlwijV2y6PyYKIX37Tw_Dh_uh_9HC0zYMvkc00QPH5BYBhpXR-33YQ9xDYzOaNxd4R57r4IPlg/s1600-h/brisbane_00131.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjglicz0ocgad42TERlmrA5GKEQXmBHQRKGWEkFBEsfnmYk-F-I2ClDx72P_iMOYlwijV2y6PyYKIX37Tw_Dh_uh_9HC0zYMvkc00QPH5BYBhpXR-33YQ9xDYzOaNxd4R57r4IPlg/s320/brisbane_00131.JPG" /></a></div><br />
Our second day on at Tangalooma began with a Pelican feeding at 8:30 in the morning. Everyday, people congregate at the beach to feed the pelicans. Usually 3 or 4 of them will come in each morning for their treat. A staff member, with microphone, provided us with detailed information about the pelicans.<br />
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Immediately after this, we boarded a boat for a 3 hour eco-cruise.<br />
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The main attraction on this cruise was the potential for viewing the elusive Dugong.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWqPHNbOhk5hPHn1LOoYucriB-x_GhKAC49U-w10_O36Yuiv2gCVwvy8TsuIKPjggXEPETQrPL52dk-fLxPDjAXs3D3A87J7-8qAqtv_jmCgBFlZrY858htdEhVe9U7coAXtbqWg/s1600-h/dugong.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWqPHNbOhk5hPHn1LOoYucriB-x_GhKAC49U-w10_O36Yuiv2gCVwvy8TsuIKPjggXEPETQrPL52dk-fLxPDjAXs3D3A87J7-8qAqtv_jmCgBFlZrY858htdEhVe9U7coAXtbqWg/s320/dugong.jpg" /></a><span style="font-size: xx-small;"> </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Photograph by OSF/D. Fleetham/Animals Animals—Earth Scenes</span></div><br />
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Allegedly, there were a herd of around 600 of them in the Moreton Bay area, so our hopes we high. Although, the tour guide warned they were lucky to see 1 or 2 on a normal outing. The cruise itself was a very smooth ride, and the weather was beautiful. The clear waters made it easier for spotting creatures of the deep. Our first encounter was with a pod of dolphins, which swam along side the boat.<br />
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The bay is also full of sea turtles, however we were told not to expect any sightings, as they can stay under the waters for hours at a time. Well, it must have been our lucky day. We experienced about 15 minutes where turtles would surface every minute or two, to bask in the sunshine. Our guide said it was the most she had ever seen at once, and was very surprised.<br />
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There was also an abundance of bird life over the waters.<br />
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Unfortunately, after hours of searching we were unable to find any Dugongs. They even have one, named Fatty, that normally hangs around close to the resort, but even he was in hiding today. The captain offered to take us out on a tour again for free the following day, however we were checking out this evening, so didn't get another chance to search for the Dugong.<br />
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After grabbing a quick lunch back on shore, we headed over the the quad bikes for a 1 hour spin around the island.<br />
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This turned out to be a total disaster. About half way through the tour, they seperated the group, sending me in one direction and Anna in a another. My group went on a slightly more advanced trail. I spent the whole time looking behind me, wondering where Anna was. When we joined back up with the group, it appeared that Anna was stuck with the 'novice' group. Basically she sat on the hill for 20 minutes, while the family in her group took photographs. As you can imagine, Anna was a little upset. We went back to the tour desk after the ride, where they promptly refunded our money, rather than feel the wrath of Anna.<br />
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After this, we boarded the ferry back to Brisbane, for the final few days of our trip.<br />
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<span style="font-weight: bold;">Macarthur Chambers - Downtown Brisbane</span><br />
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For the last few days we are staying at the Macarthur Chambers, which is in the heart of downtown Brisbane, next to Queen St Mall, the main shopping district. Anna definately made a great choice with this apartment. The rooms were beautiful. Ours was a 1 bedroom apartment, which had 2 bathrooms and a study. The first picture shows the living room and kitchen (loaded with modern appliances).<br />
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There was also a large balcony outside, which was accesible from the dining room and bedroom.<br />
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Connecting the bedroom was the main bathroom with spa tub :)<br />
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All of the apartments here are privately owned, and rented out to tourist whenever not occupied. There was a 2 bedroom apartment up for auction while we were there, expected to sell for between 450 and 600,000 US dollars.<br />
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<span style="font-weight: bold;">Anna's Aussie Tidbits:</span><br />
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</span>I discovered mudbugs at dinner today. What's a mudbug? Well, it looks like a lobster without its head. Just a lobster tail like body with a small, flat head attached. It taste a bite like crayfish but the texture is very tender and flaky, like fish. <span style="font-weight: bold;"><br />
</span>Mat Joneshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02302863932951561867noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31718937.post-1155382016176208132006-08-11T04:25:00.000-07:002010-02-21T09:01:00.289-08:00Brisbane Day 2 - TangaloomaWe woke up bright and early this morning to get ready for Tangalooma. Before departing, we decided to just grab breakfast at the hotel. You know it's bad when you get frozen hash browns and canned juice. It's worse when we found out how much it was. We then caught the shuttle bus to Holt St Wharf in Brisbane. From here we were to catch a ferry which would take us on a 75 minute journey to Moreton Island. Our destination, Tangalooma Wild Dolphin Resort, is the only resort on the island. The island is one of 3 islands off the coast of Brisbane which are the largest sand islands in the world.<br />
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Our main reason for choosing this resort was for their dolphin feeding program, where wild dolphins come to the shore each evening for feeding.<br />
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Our ferry arrived at around noon, and we immediately went to the tour desk to plan our activities for the next 36 hours on the island. Before we knew it, our schedule was packed with Parasailing, Desert Tour, Quad Biking Tour, Pelican Feeding and the Dolphin Feeding.<br />
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Within an hour, we threw all our luggage in our room, and headed off on their desert tour. We boarded a huge dune buggy and hit the narrow, sandy single lane roads of the island, heading for what they call the desert. The ride was bumpier than the Matterhorn at Disneyland.<br />
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The views were fantastic. It was unbelievably peaceful up there.<br />
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But the best was yet to come. Sand tobogganing. This was the only reason people booked this particular tour. We climbed high upon the sand dunes with a wooden board in hand. It's such a hike that Anna almost didn't make it up to the top. Once we reached the top we laid on our stomach and was pushed by the tour guide over the edge of the dune. We zoomed down the hill at approximately 40 km per hour. I think I actually blacked out a little, and Anna was screaming most of the way down there.<br />
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Once that tour was complete, we headed straight over to the para sailing hut. Initially, it was just going to be Anna para sailing. Since I have a fear of heights, falling and open water, I figured it wasn't the sport for me. However, I was talked into it at the last minute, and we boarded the boat, along with one other fun seeker. We were all pretty nervous as we didn't know what to expect. The first person up in the air was a Scottish lady. (If anyone out there reading this knows this lady, who was on tangalooma on the 11th, let me know as we have some photos we were supposed to email to her). Next was our turn. We decided on doing the tandem parasailing so we could both be up in the air together. They hooked us up, we stood on the back of the boat, and slowly they let out the rope as we were hoisted up in the air.<br />
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Within second my fears were gone. It was so quiet and still up there, and the views of the island were stunning. I think we reached a height of about 150 meters. The water below us was crystal clear. The breeze was a little chilly, but the sun was shining.<br />
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They kept us up in the air for about 10 minutes, bringing us down within inches of the water. We told them we didn't want to get wet, so I think they were just messing with us. They lifted us back up in the air for a few more minutes, then we began our final descent to the back of the boat. Once our feet were firmly back, we were unhooked from the parachute, and headed back for shore. We spent some time enjoying the wildlife on the beach before the sunset.<br />
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After dark, it was time for the dolphin feeding. It's great seeing these wild dolphins come to the beach and wait for the food. Because there were a lot of people, we were only allowed to spend about a minute in the water with the dolphins.<br />
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On to dinner we go. Being the only resort on the island, we didn't have much food options. We ended up at the buffet, which was the worst we've ever had. (Yes, much, much worse than breakfast) Anna actually had a plate of rice with soy sauce. Yeah, it was that bad.<br />
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<span style="font-weight: bold;">Anna's Aussie Tidbits:</span><br />
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Bring cup noodle. It's cheap and can be your best friend. Bring 2, maybe 3. I wish I had.Mat Joneshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02302863932951561867noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31718937.post-1155215343751631152006-08-10T06:08:00.000-07:002010-02-20T18:48:44.875-08:00Brisbane Day 1The last leg of our trip was finally upon us. We were both excited but disappointed at the same time. It feels like we've been out here for a month. God knows what kind of mess Luke and Alan have been creating while I'm away from the office :) Our websites are still up, so that's a good sign.<br />
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Anyway, so now we are in Brisbane, which we have been looking forward too because its a little further north than Adelaide and Melbourne and the weather will be a little warmer. We were told by the taxi driver from the airport that the summers get to around 100 on a regular basis and it gets pretty humid. Glad we came in winter. Our first night was spent at the Stamford Plaza Hotel right on the Brisbane River. The view from our window on the 8th floor was pretty nice although the hotel room was a little outdated.<br />
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Considering this is where all the 'dignitaries' stay when they visit, you would think they may do some upgrades. Our bathroom was hilarious. On the vanity next to the sinks was a built in 5 inch black and white TV. You know, the one with the little dial that you turn to tune into the different TV channels. Maybe its there to just make older folks feel at home.<br />
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After settling into our room, it was time for dinner. Today, being a travel day from Adelaide, was going to be a day of relaxing. We decided that we would hop over to the south bank of the river, to a relatively new area, aptly named 'South Bank'. One great thing we found were the river ferries. They run up and down the river from 6am until around midnight. We hopped on one right outside our hotel and 15 minutes later were down the river on the other side, ready to explore.<br />
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There are footpaths all along the river bank which make it easy to get around. Along the south bank was a small park area, and a wide variety of restaurants, from Italian ( a common favorite in Oz) to Turkish. After an hour of walking around to explore, we settled on a Japanese restaurant for dinner. The food was pretty good, but not quite as good as home. Once we were finished, we caught the ferry back to the hotel and prepared for our next 2 days adventure at Tangalooma Beach Resort.<br />
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<span style="font-weight: bold;">Anna's Aussie Tidbits:</span><br />
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Adelaide Airport Bathroom Sign: "Adelaide Airport uses recycled water for flushing - DO NOT DRINK." Who came up with that sign? Someone who tried the water or knew the person (people) who did?Mat Joneshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02302863932951561867noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31718937.post-1155213236192066052006-08-09T05:31:00.000-07:002010-02-20T18:47:39.823-08:00Adelaide Day 5 - Cleland Wildlife Park & Warrawong SanctuaryFor once our day started without bacon, eggs and mushrooms. While it has been nice to have an aussie breakfast, Anna has finally got sick of them. (Pies too) We decided to take a stroll to one of Adelaides main shopping district, to locate a place for breakfast. After visiting the tourist information office we were directed down Rundle St where we were told there were lots of great breakfast places. Turned out there was only about 3, and they didn't look too appealing. We chose the least 'dodgy' of the 3 and ordered our food. I had some traditional english fare, the crumpet, however it was really soggy, which is not a good sign. Anna chose something equally bad, and headed back to our car to begin the real fun. More animal parks.<br />
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First on the list was Cleland Wildife Park, a little gem we discovered in a local tourist book. It was located high in the Adelaide Hills. The roads leading up there were pretty narrow and windy, clearly sign posted to slow down. Anna declined to acknowledge the signs, and I had several heart attacks along the way, which caused our first argument outside of an airport.<br />
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The park itself was pretty similar to some of the other parks we had visited, with hand feeding of Kangaroos and wallabies. However this time we were able to get up close and personal with the Koala, and Anna even had the chance to cuddle a Koala.<br />
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They also had a great noctural animal building where we got to see one of our favorite animals the Bilby.<br />
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We also saw a variety of other nocturnal animals.<br />
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Our evening was spent at Warrawong Wildlife Sanctuary, a sister site of Little River (we visited in Melbourne). The sanctuary consists of 5 seperate regions which each house animals native to the area. Warrawong used to be open farm land, but was converted 30 years ago into a wildlife haven. We saw many different species there, including possums, platypus, bilbies, potaroos and koalas. There was actually a prize for the person who spotted the first koala high in the trees, and I won :) We were treated to 2 free animal chocolate bars.<br />
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While we had a good time, it was a little difficult to get any good photos, or see all the animals, as we were in a fairly large group of people who made a lot of noise. (especially the kids)<br />
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After our tour we headed back to the city. Anna had discovered an Indian restaurant that she wanted to try, <a href="http://www.jasmin.com.au/">Jasmin</a>. It turned out to be really good food, and restored a little of our faith in Adelaide restaurants.<br />
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<span style="font-weight: bold;">Anna's Aussie Tidbits:</span><br />
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If you want to have close encounter with animals, ask for a private tour. Yes, you're paying more. But you will have a totally different experience, a much better experience. If you're spending so much money coming to Australia, you may as well just shell out a little more for an experience of a lifetime.Mat Joneshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02302863932951561867noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31718937.post-1155213026026044512006-08-08T05:29:00.000-07:002010-02-20T18:45:22.442-08:00Adelaide Day 4 - DowntownOur morning was filled with adventures. We first took the row boat out onto the lake next to the cottage. When the many ducks and birds saw us coming, they did not hesistate to approach us and "asked" for food. We did bring some bread with us and it was fun having a bunch of them follow us in the boat as we row around the lake. There was a small (really, really small) island on the lake that had a gazebo in it with a table and some chairs. We would've stopped but we were worry that we couldn't manage getting on and off the boat (we had a little bite of trouble getting on it....), so we just rowed back to the cottage.<br />
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It's time to head to downtown Adelaide, so we packed our things and said goodbye to the ducks. Before we got to downtown though, we had to make a stop to see the largest rocking horse in the world (although it didn't rock).<br />
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This place was actually a woodwork factory that made a variety of kids toys. They also had a little wildlife park there, where we were followed and headbutted by one of their sheep during our walk around the entire park.<br />
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We also did get chance to see some other wildlife too, such as kangaroos, wallabies and peacocks.<br />
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After the toy factory we began our approach to downtown Adelaide. We were not too sure what to expect, as we had heard that it was a fairly small town, and some people laughed when we told them that Adelaide was part of our trip. It turned out to be fairly dissappointing. While I'm sure it is a wonderful town to some people, coming from San Francisco, it is rather boring and limited. Also, for the first time on our Aussie trip we did not feel safe walking down some of the streets. We did have a fairly good time at the local market, and found a nice deli where we picked up some indian food to reheat for dinner that evening. Our hotel for the next few days will be the Franklin Central Apartments, located in the heart of downtown. One novel thing we discovered about Adelaide (from looking at the map) is that the Downtown area is completely surrounded by park area.<br />
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The rest of our evening was spent doing laundry. We purposely picked this place, knowing it had laundry facilities, so we only had to take 4 suitcases, instead of the usual 8.<br />
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<span style="font-weight: bold;">Anna's Aussie Tidbits:</span><br />
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The food court at the central market is a little different than ours. Among the many Asian stalls (somewhat like Panda over here), you get a plate to load up the items instead of being given, like a buffet. It's charged by the plate, not weight, so good for the big eaters. Also, competition is hot among the stall. Two stalls we passed by had sign for $6. To try to lure our business, one stall lowered its price to $5 and then the other across shouted to us that it'll match the $5 deal. In the end, we went to a restaurant. Just didn't like the idea of all these food sitting out with people picking at it. We're not willing to risk getting sick for cheap food.Mat Joneshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02302863932951561867noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31718937.post-1155196109947460022006-08-07T00:46:00.000-07:002010-02-20T18:43:42.662-08:00Adelaide Day 3 - A tale of 2 B&Bs (Barossa Valley)We spent most of our day between our two B&Bs, Almond Hill in Angaston and Stonewell Cottage in Tanunda. Both B&Bs are so wonderful that we could easily spend a week at each.<br />
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First, Almond Hill. It is an amazing place. Our room was so meticulously kept with surprises at every corner. We loved every little details of this place. We started our morning by cooking up another Aussie breakfast.<br />
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When we ate until we couldn't anymore (there was a lot of food!), we went outside to feed the donkeys.<br />
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As soon as they spotted us walking toward the fence, they ran over in hope of getting treats. After some eating, petting and pictures, we bid our farewell and went to see Sandra, the owner. She invited us into her home next door and we were in awe of the place. She's planning of selling it in a few years to move into a city and we're seriously thinking of buying it! It was so warm, and open, and airy, and inviting, and artistic. We spent some time chatting with Sandra, buying some of her hand-made hood-scarf and playing with the dog (Felix) and the cat before heading off to Tanunda.<br />
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Before we checked in, we went to check out the downtown area of Tanunda. We discovered a new treat in a local bakery called a Lamington. It was 2 pieces of really light and airy sponge cake, dipped in chocolate and covered in coconut flakes, then filled with fresh cream. Yummy! We followed this treat with a pot of tea at a new cafe that had just opened that day. It was actually an internet cafe, and was the first internet cafe in the Barossa Valley area. Even the owner of the cafe was surprised that no one else had thought of it earlier.<br />
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Our afternoon adventure was a last minute hidden treasure of the valley. Actually, it was about the only attraction in the valley besides the wineries, and not really a treasure. Norm's Coolies is a dog show by an old australian guy 'Norm' who has about 40 Collie dogs that herd sheep and walk upright on their back legs. That was about as exciting as it got. We ended up sitting in the middle of a group of about 30 senior citizens for almost 2 hours, while Norm struggled to keep all the dogs under control. The only good thing was that we got to pet the dogs, which were all sweet and friendly.<br />
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At Stonewell, we stayed in the Cupid's Cottage. It's off a small road between rows of grapes and a small lake. The cottage lounge overlooked the beautiful lake, and we even had our own row boat out front. The cottage has a small kitchen/dining/living room area, a bed room with a spa tub in it and a bathroom. It's ready for us to move in! After another drive into town and found nothing much available in terms of dinner options, we ended up cooking our first dinner at the cottage. After dinner and a soak in the spa, we settled in front of the TV (no fire this time; Mat couldn't get the fireplace working....), and watched Australian Idol.<br />
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<span style="font-weight: bold;">Anna's Aussie Tidbits:</span><br />
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When you're given a carrot to feed a donkey, don't break it into small chunks. It will not understand what you're doing and mistakes your finger for the carrot. If you want to know if it hurts, ask Mat....Mat Joneshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02302863932951561867noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31718937.post-1155021660422122452006-08-06T00:10:00.000-07:002010-02-20T18:35:42.992-08:00Adelaide Day 2 - Wombat RiseDay 2 started our with a 2 and a half hour drive north to the Barrosa Valley region of Southern Australia. Our sole purpose of adding Adelaide to our Aussie trip was to visit Wombat Rise, a small wombat sanctuary. After checking into our B&B, Almond Hill, we headed over to see the wombats. On entering the driveway, we were greeted by Sarah, their resident guard wombat! She was lying in the middle of the road. Fortunately she moved for us as we approached. (the owner told us later that he accidently ran over her once)<br />
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The owners were an elderly British couple, who moved down under in the 70's. They quickly developed a passion for the Australian wildlife, and a hobby of caring for injured animals soon became a fulltime job. They gave us a tour of the grounds, and we met all of their rescued animals.<br />
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Anna fell in love with a kangaroo named Tiny. Tiny was itching and Anna gave her a good old scratching. Then Tiny proceeded to say thank you by grooming Anna's jeans and jacket.<br />
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Our evening was spent back at the B&B, snuggling in front of our wood burning fireplace watching a movie.<br />
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<span style="font-weight: bold;">Anna's Aussie Tidbits:</span><br />
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Drive thru liquor stores?! Yep, saw quite a few around here. Not sure how that's suppose to stop people from drinking and driving.Mat Joneshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02302863932951561867noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31718937.post-1155020892070305062006-08-05T23:52:00.000-07:002010-02-20T18:38:42.771-08:00Adelaide Day 1<i>Sorry again for the delay in posting, we have not had any internet access in the last 4 days. I will post pictures as soon as I can find an internet cafe where I can upload my own pics.</i><br />
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Our journey to Adelaide started out the same as any other journey, with a big argument at Melbourne Airport. Airports seem to bring out the worst of both of us. Turns out our flight was an 'international' one, as it continued on to Singapore after dropping us off in Adelaide. Which meant we were late checking in, and at the wrong terminal. We arrived at the departure gate about 3 minutes before boarding began. Anyway, we finally made it, and our wonderful journey continued.<br />
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Our first stop in Southern Australia was Victor Harbor, a small coastal community on the southern fringes of the state. We hired a car, and began our 2 hour drive down there. On the way we ran across a wonderful little wildlife park called Urimbirra, where we got to see even more Kangaroo Joeys. Apparently it is Joey season, and we came just at the right time to see them. They also had several Koalas, and for the first time, we actually saw one move :) Most of the time they are just sitting in a tree sleeping!<br />
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Following this we traveled to Victor Harbor to check into our Hotel overlooking the bay. The views were magnificent. As we drove in over the hill, we were gobsmacked.<br />
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Our evening entertainment had already been planned ahead of time. We were going to see more fairy penguins, which lived on Granite Island. The tour itself was pretty badly organized. There were over 100 people crowding the place, scaring away most of the penguins. We did get lucky and see a few penguins though, and luckily they allowed us to use cameras (unlike Phillip island). I have a few good pictures that I will post shortly.<br />
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<span style="font-weight: bold;">Anna's Aussie Tidbits:</span><br />
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30 minutes time zones? Yep, Adelaide is 30 minutes apart from Melbourne. And when we go to Brisbane, it'll be another 30 minutes added on.Mat Joneshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02302863932951561867noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31718937.post-1154690002880318852006-08-04T21:53:00.000-07:002006-08-04T04:17:30.040-07:00Melbourne Day 5We originally planned on spending the day at another wildlife park, but decided we needed a day of rest instead. After a night of tossing and turning on our not so comfortable bed, we woke up in a very bad mood. So much so, we called the front desk to see if we could check out early without having to pay for the second night. They said no, and we decided to stick it out. Then a miracle happened. I heard screams coming from the bathroom. I ran in to find water bubbling up out of the bathtub drain. Well, it wasn't really water; it was yellow, with brown chunks. Anna was livid. She stormed downstairs to some babbling idiot at the reception, who was of no use. She came back and told me to pack our bags. She promptly called the Sofitel hotel where we stayed our first night, and spoke with their quest services manager, Terrence, who immediately arranged a room for us for tonight. An hour later when we checked out, the manager from the Windsor hotel showed up and offered to upgrade our room for the night. It was a little too late for that, so they didn't charge us for our first night stay, and didn't dare to charge us for the second night. Anyway, we are now happily settled in our room on the 43rd floor overlooking theYarra River.<br /><br />The rest of our day was spent touring the various neighborhoods. We started out over at the Docklands area. This is an upcoming area, very similar to South Beach. We had lunch at a waterfront restaurant named Berth. Anna loved the glass fireplaces they had there. After lunch, we took a stroll back to Victoria Market, to do a little more shopping before we left. Our plan of getting souvenirs didn't work out, but we were able to pick up a hand carved wooden vase made by a local artist.<br /><br />It's now 9pm, and we are sitting in a Kinkos/Fedex updating our blog before we depart for Adelaide in the morning. We may not have internet access for a few more days, but will update when we can.<br /><br /><strong>Anna's Aussie Tidbits:</strong><br /><strong></strong><br />Iced coffee, it's not what you think! I ordered one during lunch and wondered why it took so darn long to get it. After all, it's just coffee over ice, right? What came to the table was something a little different. Coffee with milk, no ice, but a scoop of vanillla ice cream on top. Always ask before you order.Mat Joneshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02302863932951561867noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31718937.post-1154647136277410122006-08-03T15:58:00.000-07:002010-02-20T18:29:25.481-08:00Melbourne Day 4 - Little River Earth SanctuaryAfter breakfast, we drove back to Melbourne to check into the Windsor Hotel. The hotel looks great on the website, and on the outside, but it's not what I expected. The rooms were probably the talk of the town in the early 20th century. Looks like all they did was put in electricity and plumbing to the darn rooms since the hotel opened. Our king bed is actually put together by two twin beds! We want to go back to the Sofitel!!!!!!<br />
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Anyway, this evening we went to the Little River earth Sanctuary, which is about 45 minutes drive outside of Melbourne, right next to the You Yangs. (The name 'You Yang' comes from the Aboriginal words 'Wurdi Youang' or 'Ude Youang' meaning 'big mountain in the middle of a plain'. Aboriginal people enlarged natural hollows in the rocks to form wells that held water even in dry seasons.)<br />
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<b>Anna's Aussie Tidbits:</b><br />
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Plastic syringe disposal boxes are found in most public restrooms here in Melbourne. This means they either have a high incidence of diabetes, or a tons of druggies :)<br />
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Gelato seems to be the latest craze here. There are a ton of them on every street.Mat Joneshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02302863932951561867noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31718937.post-1154573231038249542006-08-03T15:43:00.000-07:002006-08-03T05:45:12.956-07:00ApologyIm sure you are all sitting there and checking our blog every five minutes for updates :). Unfortunately we haven't really had much internet access until today (August 3rd). I am in the process of adding our blog for the past few days. Should be appearing shortly!Mat Joneshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02302863932951561867noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31718937.post-1154641640313626222006-08-02T21:43:00.000-07:002010-02-20T18:26:23.433-08:00Melbourne Day 3 - Phillip IslandI awoke to the smell of bacon, sausage and eggs drifting through our accomodation. No, the farm wasn't on fire, Anna was preparing us breakfast. Our hosts at Rangers Run B&B provided us with all the necessary ingredients for a scrumptious aussie breakfast.<br />
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After devouring our food, we went outside to explore the farm a little more, where a friendly male goat developed a bit of a crush on Anna.<br />
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Written by Anna:<br />
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Our next stop was Phillip Island. The reason for visiting Phillip Island was to see the lovely wild fairy penguins (only about a foot tall full grown) that come back to shore from the ocean every night. Instead of going to the usual viewing area, we booked the ultimate tour that takes us to a separate beach to see the little ones. Since they come in at night, we had to find something to do on the island during the day.<br />
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After checking in to The Castle, we headed to the Koala Conservation Park. It has several koalas in the enclosed area and some just hanging around the rest of the woodland. We weren't able to spot any in the woodland, but we did get to see about half a dozen of them in the enclosed areas. The highlight here was definitely seeing the baby koala.<br />
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Next stop was the Wild Animal Park. We didn't have this place on our agenda, didn't even know it existed. Glad we saw the sign and made a stop. This is why we came to Australia for! Inside the park, wallabies and kangaroos roam around freely. They not very shy and will come up to people to get food. (They gave us food to feed them.) Again, we were lucky enough to spot some more babies. The baby wallaby below was closed enough for me to touch, but I didn't want to scare it and patted the mommy instead. The strange looking creature below is an echidna.<br />
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In the evening, we went to the beach armed with night vision binoculars to watch the little, somewhat clumsy penguins walked within feet of us to their burrows. It must have been a good night because we saw hundreds of them. We were told that there had been nights in the past that only 3 penguins showed up. Unfortunately, we were not able to take any photos because it may scare them away.<br />
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Annas Aussie Tidbits:</span><br />
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Darn birds! For some strange reason, many birds like to hang around the highways. Instead of being on the grass, they would walk across the road, slowly, walk across the road! Some of them also like to glide across the road at bumper height. I think I hit one....and narrowly missed several others.<br />
If you want ketchup (they call it tomato sauce here), mayo, bbq sauce, tartare sauce, or even salad dressing, be prepare to shell out 30 cents or so. No free sauces here! Well, maybe at McDonald's....Mat Joneshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02302863932951561867noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31718937.post-1154607942324273722006-08-01T21:13:00.000-07:002010-02-20T18:21:41.189-08:00Melbourne Day 2 - Victoria Market & Moonlit SanctuaryWow. That must have been the most amazing nights sleep we've ever had in a hotel. Not sure it was the jetlag, or the luxury mattresses they have on the bed. Either way, we woke up refreshed and ready to hit the road. At 7am we headed our the door to Queen Victoria Market, Melbourne's best location for Fresh fruit, Meats, Dairy Products and Seafood. There was also a huge section of vendors selling clothes, watches, toys, and tourist crap.<br />
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We decided that we should try and experience as much good food as possible at the market, and promptly ordered A Mini beef pie, and a mini Pasty for breakfast. Australia is famous for its meat pies (that can be held in the hand) and we intend to try as many as possible while we are here :) This was followed by Greek Yogurt, with Strawberry topping, which was the best yogurt we have ever tasted. Who knew yogurt could taste good.<br />
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To finish off our australian breakfast, we order 6 freshly fried donuts, filled with strawberry jam. The sign said 6 for $3.60, so we assumed they could only be bought by the half dozen. Well, apparently they could be bought single too, so now we were stuck with 3 each. Turns out 6 was the perfect number. We devoured them in no time, and feeling very guilty, decided to walk the 2 miles back to the hotel. That probably cancelled out at least 1 of the donuts.<br />
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After the market, we returned to our hotel to check out. Our next leg of the journey took us to the Mornington Peninsula, to Moonlit Sanctuary, a 25 acre reserve for Nocturnal Australian Wildlife. Slowly Anna is getting used to the driving, and is driving just like she does back home. We had one little surprise, with a Roundabout in the middle of a road where the speed limit was 100kph. It crept up on us without us realizing. Luckily there werent any other cars on there, but we flew right across it, before we realized what it was.<br />
Oh... everytime we make a left turn, the windshield wipers go on. The controls are opposite over there too, and on numerous occasions we both go to the wrong side of the car to get in. The funniest part is watching Anna grab in the air to her left for the seatbelt :D<br />
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We had an unbelievable adventure. We took 2 tours. One at day the other at night. During the day time tour, our tour guide pulled a Baby Kangaroo out of her bag, which had just been rescued the night before from her moms pouch after she was killed by a car. This experience alone has made the whole trip worth while. We were able to pet her, which made our day.<br />
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Here are some of the other Critters we saw during the nighttime tour.<br />
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This evening we stayed at Rangers Run, a small B & B close by the sanctuary. We had a beautiful 'apartment' with a wood burning fire and jacuzzi in the courtyard.<br />
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The family also keep several different animals on property, including goats, sheep, ducks, geese, guinnea fowl and 2 llamas. The B&B is named after their first Llama, Ranger, who unforunately is going blind.<br />
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<span style="font-weight: bold;">Annas Aussie Tidbits:</span><br />
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During our drive to Ranger's Run, we had to make a stop at McDonald's. On the outside, everything looks the same. But when I walked in, I thought I was in a Bistro! (They're called McCafes) It had classical music playing and the furniture looks like those you've find at a local bistro. Also, instead of pictures of burgers, different type of espresso drinks offered there adorned the walls.<br />
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International calls on our prepaid cellphone are half the cost of calling anywhere within Australia. How stupid is that?Mat Joneshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02302863932951561867noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31718937.post-1154572119470136352006-07-31T18:50:00.000-07:002010-02-20T18:12:34.789-08:00Melbourne Day 1Finally, we made it down under. After 28 hours of travel time, we touched down at Melbourne Airport at 9:30 am. The flight was surprisingly good. Pleading with one of the stewardesses, landed us emergency exit seats, with tons of leg room. Each seat was also equipped with a TV with tons of movies and TV channels on demand which came in very handy. Anna, who claims she cannot sleep on airplanes, managed to sleep most of the way, and that was without the aid of tequilla.<br />
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After clearing customs, we made our way to pick up our rental car, which made us very nervous. Having to drive on the other side of the road is pretty scary. Luckily, Anna took it in her stride, and we survived our 15 minute ride to downtown Melbourne, although we did miss our exit, and get lost in the harbor district. Eventually we made it to our hotel (The Sofitel), where I promptly showered. (im surprised customs didnt pull me off to one side, cause it smelled like I had dead animals somewhere on me.) Maybe they need to add showers on those new double decker planes.<br />
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The hotel was amazing. We chose it for the views of the city. Our room was on the 37th Floor, overlooking downtown.<br />
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During the afternoon, we immediately hit the streets, dining on Wonton in Chinatown, Meat Pies by the Block Arcade, and Italian pastries at Brunetti's.<br />
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Brunetti's is located just off Lygon street which is famous for several blocks of italian restaurants, cafes and gelato shops.<br />
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By 8pm we were exhausted, and almost fell asleep in the hotel restaurant. Halfway through the meal, we asked them to serve the rest up in our room, which they were more than happy to do. We ate the rest of our food in approximately 2 minutes, plopped on the bed, and were sound asleep within minutes.<br />
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<span style="font-weight: bold;">Anna's Aussie Tidbits:</span><br />
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Australians have 2 flushes on their toilets. Full flush & Half flush.Mat Joneshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02302863932951561867noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31718937.post-1154026494178513682006-07-27T11:42:00.000-07:002010-02-20T18:05:43.029-08:00The Anticipation MountsWe are now only 2 days away from our departure to Australia. Our trip will involve a 3 stop tour, including Melbourne, Adelaide and Brisbane. Of course the biggest adventure will be getting over there. Being 6'5" on an airplane is no fun, especially in Economy Class, for 17 hours. Guaranteed, the person in front of us will recline their seat as soon as we are up in the air, smashing my knees into tiny little pieces. Come on people, at least give me a little warning before you do that! With any luck, I will be able to get emergency exit seats once we check in. Our travel time will be much longer than 17 hours. We first have to get from San Francisco to L.A., with an 8 hour stopover, before our Qantas flight departs for Melbourne.<br /><br />Once we arrive, we have approximately 5 days in each location. We are hiring a car for each leg, and will be travelling to various wildlife sanctuaries in the surrounding areas. Having just upgraded our digital camera, and purchasing some new lenses, we are hoping to capture some great shots, which will post here along the way. Highly anticipated are the <a href="http://www.penguins.org.au/content.asp?pg=54">Penguin Parade</a>, near Melbourne, and wild dolphin feeding in <a href="http://www.tangalooma.com/">Tangalooma</a> (off the coast of Brisbane).Mat Joneshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02302863932951561867noreply@blogger.com2