Seasonal Greetings, Pop-Pickers!

The holiday is drawing to an end, and I am already starting to dread the return to the British winter, especially the bit where it starts getting dark mid-afternoon! I think December trips to Australia should be free on the NHS (well, not for everyone, only for James and me, in fact). I am also starting to feel very proud of myself for not giving into Ryan's invitation (with accompanying puppy-dog eyes) to spend our first week back in the UK in a freezing cold castle, for a massively discounted price due to the fact that it does not have any form of heating! Those crazy Canadians and their crazy holiday ideas!


Things I will miss about Australia:

1. James beating up his brothers. Coming from an all-girlie sisterhood, this particular fraternal pastime has come as something of a revelation to me. They are like puppies continually assessing their hierarchy in the pack by play-fighting. James, despite the long absence, is still top dog. Duncan nearly passed out yesterday because he refused to tap-out when caught in some sort of painful leg-lock. If you look at this picture carefully, you can see that Rowan's shoulder is about to become dislocated. He, however, was wise enough to tap out 2 seconds after this picture was taken. He's the youngest so is probably used to being beaten up and having to submit.

2. The possums scurrying across our bedroom roof at night. The sounds of their little scratchy feet and their territorial grunts have become strangely soothing at night. Much better than the dawn chorus which sounds like a variety of different creatures going on a murderous rampage and letting out blood-curdling screams right outside our bedroom window!

3. Daily trips to the beach. Even when we have had long study days there has still been time for a quick trip to the sea to revive our spirits, and 5 minutes at the beach is enough to remind me that we are on holiday. And I'm very proud of myself for having managed to evade all those sharks.

4. Seeing James be an Australian. When we are in Oz, he says 'G'day' to people and calls them 'mate'.

5. My new family. I've grown very fond of them all!

Things I will not miss about Oz

1. Tim-Tams - I've decided they are nowhere nearly as scrummy as Penguin biscuits.

2. The dawn chorus.

3. That's about it really.

Road Trip - Crikey!

We have just got back from our road trip from Sydney to Noosa. It was a looooong drive, so we made some stops along the way, including a visit to Australia Zoo (anyone who knows J will know how enthusiastic he was about that, especially given the recent mass-mourning for Mr Irwin - but luckily, he adores me and is happy doing what I want to do, and long may this state of affairs last!!). We saw the crocs being fed and I also got to cuddle a tortoise. I also had my photo taken with a 13 ft python - I was a very, very brave girl. The zoo was quite a friendly one - it didn't make me feel depressed as they often do. The advantage of building a zoo in the middle of nowhere in Oz is that there is plenty of land, which means huge enclosures and apparently happy animals. While we were cuddling the tortoises, I saw something else moving in the enclosure, which turned out to be a long-necked water turtle. It wasn't meant to be there. Apparently, they live (wild and free) in a local pond but try to nest in the tortoises' enclosure every year. If they have already started nesting when they are discovered, they are allowed to get on with it, but otherwise they are transported back to their own home. A zoo which wild animals try to break in to - that's got to be a good recommendation!

The rest of the trip was spent at various beaches. We did a day trip to Fraser Island which was beautiful and amazing - we saw a rainforest growing in nothing but sand and got to swim in the bluest freshwater lake in the world. Alas, not a dingo in sight but we did see sea eagles fishing by the shore. And today, at our last port of call we got to see a whole school of dolphins frolicking in the sea right next to our boat. Then things heated up a little and we left just as it was starting to turn into a full-blown dolphin gang-bang. These are BAD dolphins, Mrs LaRue! Apparently, they are the only creatures other than us naughty humans who have sex purely for pleasure. Maybe that's why, as a species, they smile all the time...


PS. Have sent you all links for photobox page for other photos - if I've forgotten anyone, send me an e-mail...

Teenage Boys and Their Eating Habits

James and I were sat on the sofa, avoiding the midday sun, yesterday and I became fascinated by the eating behaviour of his younger brothers. You see, the kitchen is open plan, so we could see all the comings and goings from our reclined positions on the sofas. Three brothers, one fridge, 3 bowls of fruit, various leftovers. Every few seconds one of them would wander in and start munching something. Often, two or three of them would end up in the kitchen at the same time; all of them would be milling around and chewing. After having observed this behaviour for some time, James said to them 'Look at you! You're like a herd of cows'. Still chewing and somewhat docile (probably from all the food), two of them ignored him and carried on grazing, and one of them looked up and said 'hmngh?' (he's 15 and doesn't talk in proper words or sentences at the moment). And so the ballet continued. All afternoon. James's Mum wasn't there to witness it because, not surprisingly, she was out food shopping.

Down Under

Well, the jetlag is finally abating. Gone is the fuzzy, underwater, I've-just-been-on-a-48-hour-
drink-and-drug-binge feeling and we are both starting to embrace daylight once more. Jamie's house is in Frenchs Forest, a leafy suburb of Sydney, only a 10 minute drive from the ocean. I had my first swim in the sea yesterday - no sharks! Although I did keep seeing Shapes and Things under the water and letting out involuntary yelps every time something as innocuous as a piece of seaweed brushed past my leg. This is what James gets for informing me that sharks have been known to attack in ankle-deep water. Then again, he also warned me to watch out for drop-bears, so it's quite difficult to know when I should be taking his advice with a large pinch of salt.

James has three brothers. I don't know who gets more pity from me - his Mum in this male-dominated household or my poor father living with three generations of Nash women in a house where even the pets were all female. At least we were cheaper to feed - teenage boys eat a LOT. James's mum must be permanently food shopping to keep the fridge and cupboards stocked.

Now that the jetlag is at an end, the real holiday is about to begin. We're having a Sydney day tomorrow, doing a boat-trip around the harbour, going to look at the Opera House etc. Then we're having a Bondi Beach day and then we're heading off for a road trip to visit Frazer Island and Byron Bay. I shall bore you all senseless with photos on my return!

THINGS WE LIKE ABOUT AUSTRALIA:

1. Being woken up by exotic birdsong first thing in the morning
2. Friendly people everywhere, even working in shops - imagine!
3. Cheap, delicious and plentiful supplies of sushi
4. Sunshine, the feeling of warm sand under one's feet and the sight of deep blue seas.
5. They have square crumpets, which are thinner than the English ones and therefore fit conveniently into a toaster. It's the small things in life...

More to follow!