how quickly the fog returns

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Perhaps I jinxed us by publicly declaring how well the girls were sleeping. Perhaps the girls are yet again trying to teach us something about expectations... but it is amazing how quickly you can become undone by a few rough nights. Those pre-molar teeth seem to be causing some grief after all. Hence the lack of blogging because my bed time has become 7.30 again instead of 8.30!

Anyhow, this is meant to be a travel blog so I guess I should be writing about exciting things we are doing rather than having a whinge about the lack of sleep we have been having.

Despite foggy brains and hurting heads we have still been determined to make the most of our holiday. Since I last wrote we went to bongil bongil national park for another rainforest walk which was beautiful: walking through paperbarks and palms and ferns and staghorns while listening to wompoo doves and breathing in the eucalypt tinged sea laced air. We went out to Bellingen markets and spent lots of money on yummy food and clothes for all three girls. The girls loved the markets: all the colours and music and people. We have caught up with family friends who moved here from Melbourne a few years ago: had another picnic with them at Boambee creek. Today we drove out to Dorrigo national park and did a short walk (managing to return to the car before the rain set in) out there through absolutely stunning world heritage listed rainforest which is remnant from Gondwana days. With very little imagination you could almost picture a dinosaur walking through the tall trees. This made a nicer fantasy then thinking about running in to a drunk hunter -- I was appalled to learn that the NSW Government is allowing hunters in to this park - even though it has world heritage listing.

We have seen lots of wildlife on our trip: bush turkeys, whales, goannas, pelicans, a diamond python, an unidentified almost stepped on snake, lots of birds and glossy black cockatoos. The girls really enjoyed crawling after a bush turkey in the picnic grounds at Dorrigo national park today.

The week in Sawtell has flown - is it always that as your trip is coming to an end time speeds up? As though even thinking of returning to the City is enough to speed up time. Sorry to be brief, but the day is rapidly flowing in to evening and I need to get some dinner ready. Something that will make the girls very very sleepy... perhaps I could make a Casuarina needle soup. (Apparently Australian Aboriginals used to give their children Casuarina needles as a sedative to help them sleep). Mmm . . .

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Photos

getting packed up
for the rainforest walk in Bongil bongil national park

sun dappled heads
Leila and Jono in Bongil bongil national park. There were lots and lots of these staghorns throughout the park.

Jono and Leila
in Bongil Bongil national park

holding hands
Ameya holding hands with her daddy as we walk through Bongil Bongil national park. Aint that just so sweet?

double load
I was holding both girls while Jono went to the toilets at Bellingen markets. We got a few comments from passers by . . . and thought it worthy of a photo

hanging on the beach
Hanging out at Boambee creek with Jeff and Ange and Niah

The girls enjoying the water
beach babes they are becoming!

Leila goes in deep
Not so keen on swimming but she really enjoyed walking through the water - goose step style

Leila goes in deep
Here is a better example of the goose step

bathing in the sun afterwards
just for a little while, and don't worry grandparents, we had sun cream on the girls :)