Just a quick note to let you know that I survived my trip "down under!"
Though I've really been back for a couple of weeks, it's taken me that
long to feel like I know what day of the week and time of day it is --
ugh! These 17-hour flights across the International Date Line take their
toll!
Anyway, had a terrific time -- covered a lot of territory in just 10
days. The trip included a nice variety of large cities (Sydney and
Melbourne) with all their impressive sights as well as small towns
(Canberra -- their capital along with Beechworth -- a wonderful small town
with pubs, bed and breakfasts). Also toured the beautiful Blue Mountains
(a lot like being up on Skyline Drive), beautiful countryside with sheep
sheering and lunch on the barbie, and the Parade of Penguins on Phillip
Island -- you could set your watch by the 3,000 penguins that come ashore
each night. The people were warm/welcoming, the weather was wonderful (85
degrees and sunny), and the tour guides were terrific!
The two pictures were taken at the Featherdale Wildlife Park outside
of Sydney. The first picture is with a koala (a marsupial, not a bear) -- she's
urging me to eat healthier and offering me a salad made from her
eucalyptus branches. The second picture is of me feeding a kangaroo -- unlike my colleagues, I have her eating right out of my hand!
April 10, 2013
