It was nice to get out of the humidity for a couple weeks! Australia’s weather was perfect, warm and dry. Christmas and summer were on their way.
Precious ones: Kangaroos, koala bears, wallabies, emus, wombats, platypuses, Tasmanian devils, whales, seals, dolphins, and so many more animals I would love to hug and kiss…and some I actually got to touch! My biggest challenge was not to scare these sweet ones with my crazy “I love you” face!
Silly Emu
Whales
Sitting on a boat and experiencing whales and dolphins swimming up to take a closer look…magical; whales have been a favorite of mine for as long as I can remember. This was a surreal moment for me…a four hour tour wasn’t long enough. It was a mind calming experience. The whales were humpbacks migrating back into cooler waters. We seen quite a few of them that day, however, the ones that swam up the closest was a momma and a baby…which couldn’t have been more perfect for me than if I had planned it myself. The baby whale (calf) would swim up to the boat and look at us and then he would roll over onto his side and stick his flipper out of the water. And it was a fine flipper! Precious. The pictures do not do the size of these mammals justice. They are massive animals. Beautiful, huge, sleek, curious animals.
A fine fin indeed!
Sitting on a boat and experiencing whales and dolphins swimming up to take a closer look…magical; whales have been a favorite of mine for as long as I can remember. This was a surreal moment for me…a four hour tour wasn’t long enough. It was a mind calming experience. The whales were humpbacks migrating back into cooler waters. We seen quite a few of them that day, however, the ones that swam up the closest was a momma and a baby…which couldn’t have been more perfect for me than if I had planned it myself. The baby whale (calf) would swim up to the boat and look at us and then he would roll over onto his side and stick his flipper out of the water. And it was a fine flipper! Precious. The pictures do not do the size of these mammals justice. They are massive animals. Beautiful, huge, sleek, curious animals.
A fine fin indeed!
Koala Bears
First I must surprisingly say (for me anyways) they are not bears at all, but marsupials. They have a pouch, like a kangaroo, only theirs is upside down, that they carry their babies in. Koalas are cute and slow, but also very temperamental. They are slow brained animals…I am told this is due to a low energy diet of eucalyptus leaves…and a small brain. (The Koala handler at the zoo shared this bit of info to me!) They sleep about 19 hours a day and the rest of the day pretty much eat and lounge. I had the good fortune of visiting the koalas a few times while in Australia. I even got up bright and early (6:00am!) to go have breakfast with them. I had 45 minutes of quality alone time with these cute, cuddly creatures. And I’m not sure they even knew I was there. They were still groggy and sleepy, I can relate!
First I must surprisingly say (for me anyways) they are not bears at all, but marsupials. They have a pouch, like a kangaroo, only theirs is upside down, that they carry their babies in. Koalas are cute and slow, but also very temperamental. They are slow brained animals…I am told this is due to a low energy diet of eucalyptus leaves…and a small brain. (The Koala handler at the zoo shared this bit of info to me!) They sleep about 19 hours a day and the rest of the day pretty much eat and lounge. I had the good fortune of visiting the koalas a few times while in Australia. I even got up bright and early (6:00am!) to go have breakfast with them. I had 45 minutes of quality alone time with these cute, cuddly creatures. And I’m not sure they even knew I was there. They were still groggy and sleepy, I can relate!
Kangaroos
Red Kangaroos, Eastern Grey Kangaroos, Western Grey Kangaroo, Wallaroos, Wallabies, and even grilled kangaroo… While in Oz, I got to photograph them, pet them, feed them and eat them! Sound icky? Pretty tasty, I have to admit. Although I prefer petting and feeding them to eating them. We even got to see wild kangaroos, which was quite an experience. They made me so happy…they didn’t hop away from us as we photographed them.
Red Kangaroos, Eastern Grey Kangaroos, Western Grey Kangaroo, Wallaroos, Wallabies, and even grilled kangaroo… While in Oz, I got to photograph them, pet them, feed them and eat them! Sound icky? Pretty tasty, I have to admit. Although I prefer petting and feeding them to eating them. We even got to see wild kangaroos, which was quite an experience. They made me so happy…they didn’t hop away from us as we photographed them.
Red Kangaroo
Baby roo beware!
My crazy "I love you" face!
The Not So Precious
Australia is also home to some of the most dangerous in the world including, spiders, snakes, and even birds. I got photos the best I could of these mean guys…I hate spiders, so why is it that I can’t stop staring at them and getting so icked out…but I can’t stop staring…
Australia is also home to some of the most dangerous in the world including, spiders, snakes, and even birds. I got photos the best I could of these mean guys…I hate spiders, so why is it that I can’t stop staring at them and getting so icked out…but I can’t stop staring…
The Croc!
Ewwwww!
Well he looks friendly enough!
Opera Sydney House: Ballet
“The sun did not know how beautiful its light was, until it was reflected off this building”. Louis Kahn
Not only did I get to see and visit the Sydney Opera House…but Fintan took me to see the Australian Ballet, Interplay, there! It was such a romantic night…all dressed up…dinner and gelato afterwards. Fintan is the best at date nights. The ballet was very good, it consisted of three different stories…Possibility Space was my favorite, but they were all very good. I love the ballet so this was the perfect way, for me, to experience the opera house. The Rocks is so beautiful at night, the harbour, lights, opera house and bridge make it one of the prettiest night spots I have seen.
“The sun did not know how beautiful its light was, until it was reflected off this building”. Louis Kahn
Not only did I get to see and visit the Sydney Opera House…but Fintan took me to see the Australian Ballet, Interplay, there! It was such a romantic night…all dressed up…dinner and gelato afterwards. Fintan is the best at date nights. The ballet was very good, it consisted of three different stories…Possibility Space was my favorite, but they were all very good. I love the ballet so this was the perfect way, for me, to experience the opera house. The Rocks is so beautiful at night, the harbour, lights, opera house and bridge make it one of the prettiest night spots I have seen.
The Blue Mountains and The Three Sisters
We took a day trip to the Blue Mountains and they were beautiful. It was a great day of rugged hiking. The Australian countryside is incredible. The wild bush, the smell of eucalyptus and tea oil trees, the blue haze rising out of the mountains, wild kangaroos, the warm dry sunshine and the fable of the 3 sisters and the witch doctor…I couldn’t ask for more from an Australian hike than this.
Wild Kangaroos!
City and Shopping
The shopping in Sydney was great; I love the laid back beach fashions there. I took home a few items…they will be perfect for the Malaysian weather. I got in a few leisurely days walking around Sydney and checking out all of the shops and eating in the little coffee shops and bistros. It was so nice especially because Christmas is on its way and Sydney was all decked out in Christmas trees and decorations in all the windows. I ate Christmas pudding and drank coffee…dreamy! The architecture in downtown Sydney is beautiful; one of my favorites was the Queen Victoria Building. It had one of the largest Christmas trees in it that I have ever seen in person. It is a wonderful building inside and out.
Fintan and I also enjoyed chips from a local Bondi Beach chip shop…it was served in a rolled up news paper! They were some of the tastiest chips (French fries) I have ever been blessed enough to enjoy! So greasy and bad for your waist line…but so good for the soul (in moderation of course).
Fintan and I also enjoyed chips from a local Bondi Beach chip shop…it was served in a rolled up news paper! They were some of the tastiest chips (French fries) I have ever been blessed enough to enjoy! So greasy and bad for your waist line…but so good for the soul (in moderation of course).
Darling Harbour
The Christmas Tree in the Queen Victoria Building
The food is great, the animals are great, the landscape is great, and the weather was great…all in all Sydney is great! Australia was such an experience for me…one that I will not soon lose the feeling of. Seeing wild kangaroos, petting koala bears and kangaroos in their home country was a childhood dream…one that I will file in my memory box, along with all my other great memories of a lifetime.
Happy Birthday To Mom!
Just wanted to say Happy Birthday to my mom, whose birthday it was while I was Down Under. Yay!!!! Cheers to you girl! I love you! xoxoxo
The food is great, the animals are great, the landscape is great, and the weather was great…all in all Sydney is great! Australia was such an experience for me…one that I will not soon lose the feeling of. Seeing wild kangaroos, petting koala bears and kangaroos in their home country was a childhood dream…one that I will file in my memory box, along with all my other great memories of a lifetime.
Happy Birthday To Mom!
Just wanted to say Happy Birthday to my mom, whose birthday it was while I was Down Under. Yay!!!! Cheers to you girl! I love you! xoxoxo
