Australia Walkabout Wildlife Park

It's been raining for about 5 days constantly, so when the weather finally breaks at the weekend we head to Australia Walkabout Wildlife Park on the North Coast ("Australia's Best Wildlife Sanctuary" - it's okay, but there is obviously not very much competition).

About an hours drive north of Sydney, this is a small managed reserve with some larger areas for more mature visitors. We'll stick with the touristy stuff - especially as I only brought "thongs" {transl:flip-flops}. We start with a few snakes, lizards and other things whose natural habitats involve walls and little doors that only open to drop dead mice in.

Thomas and Zach take great interest in the fruit bats and owls. One of the bats is named Hannah, so we all have to have a bat named after us.

The emus dont seem to show much fear, so you have to keep your eye open that they dont try and grab anything out of your hand.

The bush track straightens out, and the boys turn it into a running race.

Next, we explain the life cycle of a tadpole/frog. I only have to make some of it up.

We stop on the trail for lunch with a friend.

And then say "hello" to Dexter the Cockatoo.

Hannah is particularly concerned that we didn't see any of the Dingos in their enclosure. She then spends 20 minutes telling us that we must not go near "the Mangos". Not sure what that was about.

Zach and Thomas - sometimes they are hard to tell apart....

And the grand finale - the snake. A black headed python - to be honest, I am not suprised that the kids were not afraid of the snake, but I am suprised that Kate got that close!!

Sydney Harbour Bridge

Kate's birthday, and she has a well earned day/night away with Angie, staying at the Royal Sydney Yacht Squadron in Kirrabilli. I am stuck with, sorry, have the opportunity to spend quality time with the children. Normally, having all three for any length of time is akin to chainsaw juggling in terms of stress, but it must be getting easier - yesterday, we even did four consecutive haircuts without even a swear word.

Kate manages to forget her evening dress, so we jump in the car and drop it into the club. Whilst we are that side of town, we pop down to Milson's Point - under Sydney Harbour Bridge and next to Luna Park.

Hannah waves to the ferries as they go past, but gets upset if everyone does not wave back.

Thomas and Zach watch as one of the cruise liners leaves the Overseas Passenger Terminal (next to my office), and wonder whether it will fit under the bridge.....


Which is enjoyable until the cruise ship gives a good blast on the ship's horn...

It's Christmas at the start of November, apparently.

Introducing Tatjana ("Tatti") - a german Au-pair who has joined us recently. Tatti is from a town outside Cologne, and hopes to work in her family's logistics company in the future. However, she has taken 6-months off to get some international experience, and gets to see Australia in return for food, board and slave labour.

Hot day in Sydney, but you would think we would be used to the heat after 6 years in the Middle East. I was expecting that we would find Sydney weather comparatively tame, however, after a cold winter, we have finally entered spring and some beautiful blue-skied days. Now, we have had a week of 30 degrees, well above average, but also accompanied by moisture and high humidity. This has made life a little uncomfortable, and also brought on some fairly spectacular storms in late afternoon, sweeping in from the west across the city like a scene out of Close Encounters. Fortunately, Alien Mothership did not descend, instead a downpour arrived drenching us in a quarter of the monthly rainfall in ten minutes.

Hot weekend - 30 degrees in Sydney on Saturday. Kate is getting some weel earned rest from a busy week, so we take some time out at Buffalo Creek reservation, and cool down.

Back to June, and our last day in Dubai. We have packed up the house, and fly out from Abu Dhabi on Friday. We have sub-let our rented villa in Dubai (thankfully), and the new family are moving in on the Thursday, so we spend our last night in Dubai at the Fairmont Hotel. After nursery, I drop Kate and tripinos off at the hotel, and then I am off to do a thousand errands on the last day in 45 degree heat.

Meanwhile, Super Sophie pops over to help take everyine swimming in the roof top pool (and hopefully burn through some energy).

And now, in the burning heat and humidity, I have to:

• pick up Tabitha and drop her off at the pet transportation centre


• get back home and oversee the completion of the packing and cleaning


• go to DEWA offices and collect our deposit (its not ready)


• go and meet person who is buying our car


• go the nearest shopping mall to get a certificate from the bank to confirm that the car loan has been repaid 2 years ago


• go back to the car registration centre


• complete the car sale


• get taxi back home


• sign off the removals container (the hallway floor is soaking because the hot humid air has been flowing into the house and condensing on the cold floor).


• get taxi back to the hotel
  

It is a nigtmare to arrive in Dubai, but a whole lot harder to leave. Thankfully, our good friends Andrea and Stephen join us for dinner on our last night. My apologies if i look a little flustered.

Thomas, Zach and Hannah had earlier said goodbye to Amelie, Henry and Noah.

Visit to Kiama to see Grammy

Kate's off with JD for a pre-birthday lunch, so we take the opportunity to drive down to the South Coast for a day with Grammy. Lunch at the Kiama Sports Club, and then over to Minamura River with new fishing nets. We decide to burn off some energy in the park next door, and the tripinos spend thirty minutes chasing butterflys and having running races (Thomas takes short cuts because he had to go at the front).

We're back. After a short facebook holiday, whilst we sorted out the move and more importantly the internet connection, the blog is back up and running. Occassionally updated and occassionally interesting, the blog will be updated with our happening now based in Sydney, Australia (for the next 4 years).

A woman gets onto a bus carrying her baby. The bus driver takes one look at her child and says "That's one ugly baby". Horrified, the woman snatches her tickets and strides to her seat disgusted. Seeing her clearly upset, the man sitting next her asks what was wrong. "I think the driver was terribly rude to me" she explained."He cant say that" replies the passenger "He's a public employee". "Your right!" the woman claims, standing up. "I'm going to give him a piece of my mind." "Good on you" encorages the man. "Here, let me hold your monkey."