Big Sunnies!

In Australia we noticed a trend of gigantic sunglasses. I, of course, had to try them out. Here are a few...

go to september and read about the bully lorakeets!

Here are the pics that go with my previous Lorakeet post.

I figured if I posted the pics with the original no one would see them!

First picture, I was not expecting the bird to land on me, can you tell I'm a little startled!

Picture 2.. Clearly we've bonded!

Three of my Favorites

Milford Sound, Fiordland National Park, NZ


Lake Pukaki - Near Twizel, NZ



Tasman Glacier, Mt. Cook area in NZ

Don't Let the Emu Out.

Really? Cause I think that if one comes running toward me I may not be able to heed this sign.

Pictures on the web! My pictures!

I think this will work. I am putting up all my pictures, with captions, in web albums in Picasa. Here is the link. I will try to blog more specifics like Kris. I just did the Great Ocean Road album. So cool!

Jenny's Crazy Road

When driving from Twizel NZ to Queenstown NZ, we took a crazy road through a mountain range that led into Queenstown. This road was nuts, tons of switch backs with one side rock face and the other side a huge drop. Jenny was driving part of this road and we noticed about 3/4 of the way down the insanely steep hill that there were signs saying "Check Your Brakes." Why now? Why when we have made it this far should we worry about our brakes. Wouldn't it be pretty clear at this point if our brakes weren't the best?

Here's a shot from the high point of the road before we started the straight drop down.

Meet Biddy - Everyone's favorite knitter

This is Biddy.



We met her in Queenstown , NZ at the Warf Market on our last day in New Zealand. Biddy makes hats, scarves and other knitwear. She explained to us that she tends her own sheep, spins and dyes the wool and then makes her goods. I'm not sure if she sheers her own sheep but I'm going to think that she does. It just makes Biddy cooler. She told us that for some of her hats she uses fruit juice for dye. The results are some pretty loud hats and I have to wonder if you feel like a melting popsicle if it rains on your hat.

The best part though is that in front of each basket of hats Biddy had placed pictures of the sheep who provided the wool for those hats. If you click on the picture above you can see one of the sheep photos on her table.

Biddy is da bomb! Want to meet her, check out her web site!

Fancy Bathroom

We found this in Port Douglas.

Rainforest Habitat - Port Douglas

Owl in disguise.



This is a Kookaburra. Contrary to what I thought, it is by no means a marsupial. My bad, thought it was. Nope, it's clearly a bird. And when it is sitting in the old gum tree as the song goes, we learned that's another name for a eucalyptus tree.

Sydney Fish Market.

Check out the piece of fish in the pelican's beak. The pelican started to close in on Rosemary. We decided to head inside after that. And, Australians are serious about their food. This is one of many signs for sashimi and sushi queues.

Huh, I just noticed too that the Pelican has a bit of a Matrix thing going on with it's one leg up and wings spread out. Guess it was serious about protecting the fish slab.

Cassowary!

Reflections in the Tasman Sea

Mmm rubber

The Kea is a type of Alpine Parrot that lives in New Zealand. We first saw one on the way to Milford Sound when we stopped to look at a glacier. The bus for our tour had a partially see through roof, running along each side of the roof so each seat had a great view in pretty much all directions. When the bus pulled into the lookout spot the Kea's descended on the bus and sat on the roof. There are signs everywhere saying to watch out for the birds because they like to eat rubber, the weather stripping off of car windows and have also been known to attack hiking boots to get their rubber fix.

Kris and Dominic take out people with a paraglide chute

Brendan caught Kris and Dominic on video as they cruised in for a landing.

Melbourne and Geelong - Go Cats!

When we flew into Melbourne after Port Douglas. It was the start of our Great Ocean Road adventure. Sis and Rachel decided to be designated driver while Kris and I would be the designated kids-in-the-back.

It was dark and the front seat drivers immediately got lost. I think they made one correct turn before it all went wrong. Let me tell you pulling over for directions on the left is not easy.

Anyway we found the Western Road which turns into the Princes Highway which become Rt 101 (I always thought of soft rock when we drove on it) which is the Great Ocean Road. They have better highway names in Australia.

We were headed for Torkay where the resort was but by Geelong we were starving. We tried to stop at the restaurant on the Wool Museum for some food but they were closed for a private party. Stupid us! It was the AFL premiership and Geelong was playing against Port Adelaide!

We ended up at a diner like place called, of all things, Texas, watching the game and eating sandwiches. We didn't stay for the end but the Cats ended up winning and Geelong went mad with joy.

Victoria (the state) kept feeling joyful as the Melbourne Storm won the national rugby title.

We were in a sports mad country in a province with two winning teams. How can you go wrong? Kris and I bought Cats tees on the side of the road.

Signs

Photos from a friend

Hi,
Our teammate and friend Rosemary created a website with her photos from the trip. She is an artist and it shows in the pictures she takes. She has graciously said I can post the link.

We were not together for the entire trip but she traveled with the Wandering Wallabees to the races, a day in Sydney, Ayers Rock and Port Douglas.

Enjoy!

Jenny

Paragliding still rocks!

We are back from our amazing trip and catching up with bloging and pictures.

Here are two clips from my paragliding trip with my pilot Dominick. The first one starts my death spiral and the second one finishes it . In the first video you can see glimpses of a white parachute, that's Jenny! Check out my goofy grin. The wind got pretty strong and chilly in the last spiral. Everyone should try it.






Hmm..the videos look kind of dark in these clips, hopefully you are seeing much brighter shots as the day was perfect. Brilliant blue skies with few clouds.

Paragliding story

While I was waiting to take off on my paragliding trip I watched another pair of women arrive. (Paragliding seemed to be mostly women.) I watched as the instructor explained how to move forward towards the cliff and give a physical demonstration using one of them as an example. He held the strings of the glider as she tried to walk forward. I thought it was interesting until he paused, looked at the second woman expectantly and she responded with a flood of of non-English sentences and a great deal of hand gestures. Then it was a lot more interesting.

One down 3 to go

Posting from Auckland--one flight down and 3 to go until we are back in Philly!!

Wow!