Austalia 2nd Half

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LEECHES!!! more later...

Journal # 41 2/18/06

The last few days we have been in Melbourne, Victoria staying at a youth hostel. The Hostel is also equiped with a bar and that is where all the backpackers go. It has an internet cafe and that is where I go. Mostly I do school here, but I did have to tour the city with my family.

Journal # 42 2/22/06

LEECHES!! not yet...

Yesterday we had dinner with David Yaffe. Not my dad, David Yaffe, but another man with the same name. We had drinks at his apartment and then went to a Chinese restaurant for dinner. I don't know if this will be a theme throughout our trip...dinners with David Yaffes. We will have to keep the phone books away from Dad.

We visited the Melbourne museum which had a great wildlife exhibit.

We took a ferry to Raymond Island to find Koalas and found them in a lot of the trees. They had almost killed many of the trees by eating all of the leaves. We drove up the coast of Victoria into New South Wales stopping along the way at libraries so Natalie and I could do school work.

LEECHES!! o.k...

We went deep in the woods to camp and the next morning discovered there were LEECHES in our campsite and around the river. At first Natalie was finding them on her feet and ankles.
Mom pulled a huge one full of blood off her stomach.

We did a hike up Pigeon House Mountain which was LEECH infested and I had to go up ladders and stairs that were LEECH infested. The bloodsucking worms got on my neck and in my hair.

Australia so far has been really fun.

Next stop, New Zealand.

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Photos

Near The Top
Odd Flower

Natalie Has Visitor
Natalie was rinsing off and a goanna walked up to her and flicked its white tongue.

Wombat
We never got to see one of these in the wild, but their burrows are everywhere.

Possum
Found in a tree above our tent.

Koala
Raymond Island was full of Koalas.

Koala 2
They don't do much.

Koala Habitat
The Koala likes this type of gum tree.

Koala Food
Koalas eat Eucalyptus leaves.

Comments

[Nancy Carson]

Great post
But no photos of leeches?

[Cousin Nina]

Sounds like an incredible adventure!
FYI--let your folks know that Cousins Rich and Alma Shure are now in NZ too. Last message from them was in Dunedin. Their e-mail is: alma shure [[e-mail]] Be on the lookout! Also, if you get to Dunedin--look for albatross and for yellow-eyed penguins--quite amazing!

[Roberta Levin]

AWESOME
Hi Guys, Everything about your trip sounds truly AMAZING. I love getting your Blogs! Keep having fun on your great adventure. Roberta

[suzanne northrop]

swimming
Hi! DID YOU GET A CHANCE TO SWIM AT THE GREAT BARRIER REEF? I ALWAYS WANTED TO DO THAT AND YOU WERE THERE OR NEAR WEREN'T YOU? I READ ABOUT SHARKS ON THE COAST WAS THAT NEAR YOUR TRAVELS? YOUR TRAVELS LOOK SO EXCITING. I IMAGINE YOU WILL SEE THE PLACES FROM THE HOBBIT VIDEO IN NEW ZEALAND. I'M TEACHING LANGUAGE ARTS TO 8TH GRADERS NOW . CLASSES OF 32 FOR 5 PERIODS A DAY. ABOUT 160 KIDS A DAY, ITS VERY HARD AT TIMES. WE WERE READING "HOLES" I'M SURE YOU HAVE SEEN THE VIDEO.

[SUZANNE NORTHROP]

CHRISTIE'S BIRTHDAY
HAPPY BIRTHDAY CHRISTIE , I FORGOT TO SAY THAT IN LAST NOTE. SOON YOU WILL HAVE TRAVELED THE WORLD! I'M SENDING YOU WISHES FOR A GREAT DAY!