Friday, February 22, 2013

Skink

Joey in the pouch!

Yes, Kangaroos poop in the woods...and everywhere else they go!

Mom and Joey.










Berry Beach!



Sunset at the Nobbies!






First, I owe everyone an apology.  I have been having so much fun and working that I was to tired to post, so here is an outline of my time over the past week:

2-15-13
Grampians Great Escape
- Ash was our tour guide
- There are pull off areas on highway called nap stations
- There are farms everywhere full of sheep, cows, and steer
- I met a great couple, the Australian version of Stan and I, Brian and Karen from Perth
- We headed on the bus from Melbourne to the Grampians, one of the world's oldest and most spectacular mountain ranges - rich in Aboriginal history.
- In 2006 70% of Grampian National Park burned in a wild fire.
- I had morning tea at the charming township of Beaufort.
- We saw unique wildlife along the way including wild kangaroos and a vast array of birdlife.
- I visited the delightful town of Halls Gap for lunch...Meat pies and H&P.  it's what's for lunch
- I walked through the breath-taking Wonderland Ranges.
- I visited the  Brambuk Aboriginal Cultural Centre.  This is where I got to walk in the woods.  The forest smells like eucalyptus and while walking in the woods I could hear the bees swarming to the blooming trees.  I got to see a mob of wild kangaroos and I saw a joey in it's mom's pouch.  It was all legs and tail sticking out!
- I hiked to the Jaws of Death and Balconies Lookout and experienced awesome views and scenery.  i saw smoke from the wildfires.
- We also went to Boroka Lookout where I got to spend time with the fairy wrens
- We ended up at the base of Australia's most inspiring waterfall - Mackenzie Falls.
- On the way home I thought I saw a big jack rabbit.... It was a roo
- I saw lots of wild things - skinks, lorikeets, fairy wrens, rosellas, mynah birds, miner birds, magpies (female is less white), and cockies (white crested cockatiels).
- The day finished up with a cheeseburger and fries at Mackers (McDonalds)

2-16-13
Queen Victoria Market
- Went shopping for goodies this morning at the Victoria Market.  This is an open air market that is 130 years old.

Phillip Island Tour
- Steve was the tour guide on our adventure.
- San Remo was where we stopped to have lunch
- The first adventure was Panny’s Amazing World of Chocolate!  I was in heaven!  We toured the factory and were able to eat coco beans (they are bitter like dark chocolate), play games with chocolate, interact with the mechanical penguin who dispensed candy, played with the candy designer, I made an M, then I purchased some things.  There was a huge portrait of Dame Edna made out of chocolate pieces.
- Then it was on to the Koala Conservation Centre where I strolled through this eucalypt woodland and came ‘face-to-face’ with koalas in their natural habitat. The Koala Conservation Centre has unique tree top boardwalks and close viewing areas that allowed me to see how truly amazing koalas are. The boardwalk provided exceptional koala viewing and amazing views of a beautiful natural wetland area. I didn't catch a glimpse of this year’s koala joeys, as they took their first adventures out of the mother’s pouch, learning to climb, find food and meet each other but I did get to see and video a few koala's in motion! The Centre promotes koala conservation and this ecotourism attraction has been essential for saving Phillip Island’s koala population and natural bush environment. The new close viewing area plays host to a special koala breeding program over the next year, ensuring it remains a key player in the conservation of these important animals. Unlike a zoo, the Koala Conservation Centre is really unique as I got the chance to see these magnificent creatures in their natural habitat, living as they would in the wild. There was also a woodland walk that wanders through the natural bush, amongst hundreds of different species of Australian wildlife, (including wallabies, possums, echidnas and snakes) and I got to spot the koalas in the trees.
- Then it was on to Berry's Beach and its cool Pacific waters and beautiful cliffs and rocks
- We did gourmet food tasting and wine tasting at the Phillip Island Winery, tasting of four Gippsland cheeses and five locally produced wines.  It was very tipsy tasty
- We spent sunset at Point Grant and the Nobbies, the sunset was breathtaking!
- Then it was on to the amazing Phillip Island Penguin Parade, where I took a waddle on the wild side and saw wild Fairy penguins.  I experienced the magic of little penguins returning home at sunset to one of the largest penguin colonies in Australia. I took a walk down the Penguin Parade boardwalks through the penguin colony to the beach. I saw the penguin burrows where some penguins were resting during the day and where the other penguins returned to at sunset.  There were penguin made burrows and man made ones too.  They looked like little doorways into the earth.  Penguins have sensitive eyes and a bright, sudden flash or unusual light can frighten or disorientate a penguin. To ensure penguins keep coming back to this special area we were asked not to take pictures at the parade.
- We returned home at 1:30 AM

2-17-13
Today I flew to Albury, to Charles Sturt University.  I flew from Melbourne to Sydney to Albury.  We flew over the mountains and the Murray River which separates Victoria from New South Wales.

2-17-13 to 2-22-13
Work, work, work with the CSU team. It was great to meet everyone face to face and I made a new friend at the Uni!  Lesley thank you for being my 'mate' and chauffeur :)

On the 22nd, I was able to take a break for an hour and go bird watching with Dr. Maggie Watson, an Ornithologist!  She is from the US and she was an awesome tour guide.  I was able to see the lab that the students work in and the 'stuffed' samples of the collection on campus.  I was able to see eagles, parrots, owls, and other indigenous birds of Australia.  Like me, Maggie falls prey to birds turning their butts toward her while she is trying to identify them and there are quite a few black and white birds and little brown birds!  She is a professional and was having issues identifying them, it made me feel better about my skill level!

Tomorrow it is back to Sydney for my last days of fun.  I am going to the zoo, aquarium, Manly beach by ferry, and maybe the on and off bus.  Talk to you all later... miss you all and I'll be home soon!

Wednesday, February 13, 2013

February 10, 2013
Blue Mountains and Wildlife Park Tour - This is what I did today...
- Drove over the Sydney Harbour Bridge, the largest steel arch bridge in the world nicknamed the "Coathanger" because of the arch-based design. The bridge was designed in 1924 to connect the northern and southern shores of the city.
- Drove along the Bradfield Highway towards the Blue Mountains.
- Went through the National Park along the winding Cliff Drive, with views of the Megalong Valley
- Echo Point is perched on the edge of a 170 metre cliff face
- Echo Point has views stretching across to the Three Sisters - a trio of rocky pinnacles.
- I learned about the Aboriginal dreamtime legend of the Three Sisters.
- I watched Aboriginal Dancers and musicians
- Scenic World, where I enjoyed the 360° views, taking in the vista of the Jamison Valley
- I took the Scenic Cableway across the valley
- Originally constructed for a coal and oil shale mining operation, the Scenic Railway is said to be the steepest cable driven funicular railway in the world, with an incline of 52° over a distance of 415 metres
- It hailed today while we were there
- Our next stop was at the picturesque and quaint town of Leura
- We stopped for lunch in the village of Leura
- This town is famous for its antique stores and of course its Candy Store which is stocked floor to ceiling with more than 1,000 unusual sweets gathered from all over the world.
- Next we stopped at Featherdale Wildlife Park, one of Australia’s largest private collections of Australian native animals and bird life
- The park is situated on seven acres of natural bush setting, I was able to hand feed kangaroos, wallabies and emus and i enjoyed a face-to-face encounter with one of the friendly koalas
- I got to pet a koala, they are soft and smell like eucalyptus, which is their main food source
- There are 235 types of eucalyptus trees. 
- Sydney Olympic Park was our final site
- it was the site of the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games

February 11, 2013
Port Stephens and Dolphin Watching - This is what I did today...
- Today I visited the picturesque coastal town of Port Stephens
- I traveled through the beautiful Hawkesbury Ranges.
- The Hawkesbury region is situated among Wollemi and Blue Mountains National Parks
- Next stop, the Australian Reptile Park, (one hour north of Sydney) on the Central Coast
- I interacted with a few forms of wildlife, like Hugo, a giant but gentle Galapagos tortoise
- I tried to feed the kangaroos but the emus where more interested in the feed
- I visited Elvis, a huge saltwater crocodile
- They offered snake and funnel web spider milking – the park is the only supplier of many venoms that are critical in saving hundreds of lives each year - I didn't partake in these activities!
- Then I went on to Port Stephens, Australia’s blue water paradise
- Port Stephens’ quiet golden beaches are surrounded by crystal clear water and never ending blue skies
- I went on a huge boat and went out on a dolphin watch
- We searched for dolphins
- We saw about 20 dolphins in a pod
- The beautiful and gentle Bottlenose dolphins have several pods in the area so there is was a very good chance of seeing one
- The Worimi Conservation Lands (Stockton Bite Sand Dunes) is the largest sand dune system in Australia. Stretching for 32 kilometres, this surreal landscape is barren of vegetation and has dunes that climb up to 40 metres high.
- We traveled on a purpose built 4WD to Stockton Bite where I sand-boarded at a medium to high speed down the enormous dune

February 11, 2013
- Today I flew to Melbourne
- Did some shopping at the Melbourne Center

February 12, 2013
- Today was back to work, I was coaching the CoursEval Team at the University of Melbourne :)

Monday, February 11, 2013



Some Dingos For Stan... Dingo fact, they don't bark, they HOWL like wolves :)

OK ... busy day today.  I promise to write a lot tomorrow as I am flying to Melbourne!  The highlights of my day were seeing kangaroos fighting and sand dune surfing!  The dune surfing was the most fun I have had in a long time.  The hard part is trekking up the dune, the easy part is putting your butt on the board (small snow board sized) and going down the hill.  The picture is of me right after, with the dune that I surfed behind me, taken by the instructor, Matt, who told me I could do it :)



Sunday, February 10, 2013

I'll document my adventures when I have time... For now here are a few pictures from today's adventure.










These are from the Blue Mountains, an aboriginal center, and the animal sanctuary :)

Saturday, February 9, 2013

I forgot to mention earlier that the people watching here is just fabulous!  I saw all walks of life and all types of people.  I joke about people in NY not looking in the mirror before going out in public but it must be an international thing.  The only difference here is that I saw no one wearing pajama pants in public but there were people in short shorts that should have known better.

I got to pet two Australian Labradors today, an older black labby girl and her little yellow sister.  I miss my Cinder.

I went for Thai food for dinner.  It is different here, I guess location is key.  The Pad Thai here is sweeter with very thin rice noodles... Very yummy in my tummy!
Today was a busy day on foot!  My first stop was Starbuck's for an iced Mocha!  My next stop was Hyde Park, a smaller version of Central Park, with pigeons and some kind of ibis birds.  Then it was on to the Royal Botanical Gardens, the Sydney Opera House, the Harbour Bridge, and the Quay.  I have decided that on my return to Sydney at the end of my trip that I am going to take the Hop On and Off Bus tour and go to either the Taronga Zoo or the Wildlife Sydney or the Sydney Aquarium.










Here are some pictures of my adventures today!

Friday, February 8, 2013

Ok last night I went to bed at 6 pm...and I woke up at 6 am.  I don't know what I'll be doing today but it will include eating a hearty meal and sight seeing.  Talk to you all later.  Miss you all and love ya!

Thursday, February 7, 2013

Hello from Sydney Australia!

I am settled into my hotel in the central business district.  I took a nap and a shower and now I am going to get a little more sleep.

I have tomorrow 'off' to go exploring.  Things here are expensive.  I bought a liter of Coke Zero and some chips and it was 11 dollars!  It is also very HOT here, it is 26 degrees Celsius or 78 Fahrenheit!

The flight here sounded long, fourteen and half hours, but actually it went by really quickly.  We took off, they fed us a nice dinner with real plates and silverware, then I watched the movie Frankenweenie! For my dog lover friends, this movie is funny and awesome.  I started watching The Perks of Being a Wallflower and fell asleep for 6 hours.  Then I got a glass of juice and a candy bar :) I stayed awake and re-watched the Wallflower movie.  I took little cat nap and then watched Hope Springs... slept through most of it... I got a nice breakfast and then found that I could find more movies, I ended up watching American Beauty and the Big Bang Theory... then we landed.

My cell phone issues are fixed, thank God for internet chat services for customer service.  Verizon screwed up the set up of my phone but Anna, the service person, fixed it all up!

Good night from Australia - ;)
I am here...finally... The flight was good slept for about 7 hours and napped on and off.  They have a huge assortment of movies and tv shows.  I highly recommend premier coach, it is spacious and comfortable and the feed you all the time.  My cell phone is not working here even though I paid for it and signed up for everything.  I am sending a nasty gram to Verizon.  I am getting settled in at the hotel and will post more later.

Wednesday, February 6, 2013

OK - I am finally able to log in.  I am at LAX airport and it is 9:45 PM PST/12:45 AM EST.  My day has been an adventure, that is why I couldn't log in at O'Hare.  In true Buffalo style, there were a bunch of issues at the airport.  Our plane was 20 minutes late getting to Buffalo, then the jet way for the incoming plane was broken, so we moved from gate 10 to gate 26.  A little girl on our flight must have had a feeling about this, as she ran away from her mom and toward gate 26, the little girl won that foot race.  We arrived in Chicago about 45 minutes late and that gave me 30 minutes to get to my flight.  I was in Concourse F and needed to be in C.  I boarded the bus and got to my gate in the nick-of-time.  No lunch for this traveler.

As I settled into my aisle seat the couple next to me started chatting, which was fine but they chatted, talked loud, and fidgeted the whole four and a half hours.  They needed the restroom 3 times!  I tried to sleep and faked sleeping so they would just leave me alone.  I know that sounds mean but I was so tired I didn't want to deal with them! 

Arrival at LAX was uneventful until I got to the baggage claim and the lady told me that my bags were sent to Newark NJ and not LAX!  I was about to cry when she said that they would be here by 5 PM PST and I could pick them up.  So, my Aunt Jan and Uncle Norm picked me up and we had a wonderful dinner.  This is the first week in my life were I saw all of my uncles in three days!

Norm dropped me at the United terminal to pick up my way-ward baggage and dropped me at the Qaantas terminal, where I have been sitting since 8 PST.  I have changed into my comfy, unflattering yoga pants, my Michigan oversized sweat shirt and a tee-shirt.  Contacts out and ready for sleep.  Goodnight my friends and the next blog you will get will be from Aussie Land!  Good Night Mates!
I am in the Buffalo Airport, starting the first leg of my adventure.  I should be so excited but I am just dog tired at this point.  My mom is getting settled into the new facility, she is still in Hospice care, just not at the Palliative Care Center.  These past few weeks have been so emotionally draining that I am looking forward to the 14.5 hour flight, so I can sleep.  Thanks to my friend Trish, I have about 30 books on my iPad, so I can read too!  I am planning on posting from every airport today, even if it is a one liner!

For my Buffalo peeps, there are three ladies sitting at the airport and they have Tim Hortons roll aboard suitcases, they are Canadian I think, but I think it's cool that they have luggage from a coffee shop...oh did I mention that the cases are the same colour (see :) Canadian spelling) of the carry out coffee cups... Talk to you later from O'Hare :)