tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33027933852823211372024-03-18T03:01:33.078+00:00Wandy McNoble Down UnderWe have moved to Melbourne | Follow our story here | Share our experiencesAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17412655047256176967noreply@blogger.comBlogger330125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3302793385282321137.post-34489586030226053422024-01-20T02:13:00.004+00:002024-01-20T02:13:39.710+00:005 Days on the Mornington Peninsula<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2ObQkjtOglL59SUOCbD-hTqPqf1d9cHT-HKC7eaKjTZbrEBGL2xUawu9soLY4uLogEUC95bU2W1AHZIQZsoyrg0z7i5RK3ByHnh3uJt3PgpYBUwNmBB-JcxbUmZMnw2lyt99CnXbIHvSvfgCt6Cvshv8AHm1Wbln9Rvg1MLWE0Tw0qi2cv3gmXPjW4ss/s3674/IMG_2017.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2574" data-original-width="3674" height="448" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2ObQkjtOglL59SUOCbD-hTqPqf1d9cHT-HKC7eaKjTZbrEBGL2xUawu9soLY4uLogEUC95bU2W1AHZIQZsoyrg0z7i5RK3ByHnh3uJt3PgpYBUwNmBB-JcxbUmZMnw2lyt99CnXbIHvSvfgCt6Cvshv8AHm1Wbln9Rvg1MLWE0Tw0qi2cv3gmXPjW4ss/w640-h448/IMG_2017.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div></div><div style="text-align: justify;">We've had a pretty low key summer, with not much planned besides an invitation to stay at a new friend's beach house for two nights in mid-January. We met these new friends (Sarah and Adrian) in October, through a party at a former work colleague of Andy's. Adrian is a Design Technology teacher like Andy, and they have two girls aged 7 and 8 who Ella and Ollie played with all afternoon. Sarah and Adrian lived abroad in a few different countries for a long time, most recently in Sweden, and had just come back to Melbourne to be with Sarah's family (Adrian is originally from Belgium). We clicked immediately, having many things in common in terms of travelling and living in different countries with young children, and exchanged numbers to meet up again. We'd seen them a couple of more times since, and they invited us to stay in Sarah's family's beach house in Rye with them over the summer. </div><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;">We drove to Rye on a Monday morning, through torrential rain. This summer has been very inconsistent weather-wise, even for Melbourne. We've had some beautiful, sunny days, but there have been more clouds and rain than I remember ever having in summer. We arrived at Sarah and Adrian's in time for lunch, and the weather was cool, cloudy and drizzly for the remainder of the day. Nonetheless, we headed down to the beach for a walk with the kids who were entertained with the various bits of debris that had washed into the shallow waters.</p><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkpCtbQH32Mv9NgSV4H0SUMRfOMxFm-ETqulAo4WCT7sjtt5T9CYFmbzAjSBvZ_l6JvoW4MumdaUSbCfxzlOMrKDiJbQpOLhvEpUJxYhuP622lQVV4yyIyqDLnv4NRZ5WjzS1LBcD-fx3tQ6d7AtGm0K71m5S0zGrlOKwGWvm3ttVznxpaZiBcjhkTrk4/s3392/IMG_1993.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2645" data-original-width="3392" height="500" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkpCtbQH32Mv9NgSV4H0SUMRfOMxFm-ETqulAo4WCT7sjtt5T9CYFmbzAjSBvZ_l6JvoW4MumdaUSbCfxzlOMrKDiJbQpOLhvEpUJxYhuP622lQVV4yyIyqDLnv4NRZ5WjzS1LBcD-fx3tQ6d7AtGm0K71m5S0zGrlOKwGWvm3ttVznxpaZiBcjhkTrk4/w640-h500/IMG_1993.jpeg" width="640" /></a></p><p style="text-align: justify;">Fortunately the weather improved over the next three days. We spent a lot of time at the beach, swimming, paddling on kayaks and paddle boards, playing beach games, and just chilling out. When we were back at the house the kids played in the hammocks strung up across the many tea trees in the back garden, and played games together. There was very little screen time and all four kids got along very well, even Ollie who was considerably younger than the other three. There were times when Ollie did his own thing, but that's not unusual for him - he likes his "me time". He would happily complete word searches or play checkers with me while the girls were playing together. They had a really cool marble run called <a href="https://ravensburger.com.au/products/gravitrax-starter-set" target="_blank">Gravitrax</a> which he loved, and I am thinking it will make a great birthday present for him this year. The only real issue ended up being between the two girls, who both wanted to spend time alone with Ella. I suppose that kind of thing happens with sisters who are so close in age!</p><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbtXZC3BZ5Fnu5G5ES7HkEg_Nz1JyDQzN4FkKYfw5s6OJ1roj9vIjoe18djCQN3kaCql7OUb1QzZBzJCVCdGK-SR1j_sBeYfslyLwbUKiW37fxCcn6kDwR2-5k4JA0JHh1WHQxCV12s4L3G1qmk06NGXTBfbXnqSyqcEYWqR-EwDET1jc1WvMFJ0m1gtA/s4032/IMG_2002.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbtXZC3BZ5Fnu5G5ES7HkEg_Nz1JyDQzN4FkKYfw5s6OJ1roj9vIjoe18djCQN3kaCql7OUb1QzZBzJCVCdGK-SR1j_sBeYfslyLwbUKiW37fxCcn6kDwR2-5k4JA0JHh1WHQxCV12s4L3G1qmk06NGXTBfbXnqSyqcEYWqR-EwDET1jc1WvMFJ0m1gtA/w640-h480/IMG_2002.jpeg" width="640" /></a></p><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgS71m2fxrwRlYak3nzk5Djp2cEyje41b57aSM2FOA_QwQNZRGcpezCdWQMRx96ZOQxs9N_uUPwY7DkcWvln3AQEK-8VVVMUHnc_J90kupnGhJut3NoNf9zaJBRQ-e-T6E-qpqbuh4AN8D6MbddlZESGrgjbRdI9h1YiYPTsO93vKiZ_CQngAxiOI-wcxI/s4032/IMG_6623.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgS71m2fxrwRlYak3nzk5Djp2cEyje41b57aSM2FOA_QwQNZRGcpezCdWQMRx96ZOQxs9N_uUPwY7DkcWvln3AQEK-8VVVMUHnc_J90kupnGhJut3NoNf9zaJBRQ-e-T6E-qpqbuh4AN8D6MbddlZESGrgjbRdI9h1YiYPTsO93vKiZ_CQngAxiOI-wcxI/w640-h480/IMG_6623.jpeg" width="640" /></a></p><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiO-7DNruIM7mV9EVMubiPYUSZAeFR91zyh7G3Po7gmgw7AXHZspZX0SEUMTvyK3r8ZkhKUst_VwnbD0sVKeXVgO0rOTXK3b81rvc92gIpMCBAVUHBjG-j-XjZzmOfmVuAbuXoWuCrpJau9BKIa7ZuhJasyRmZ4MqZQxuWMQ_g4jk6ksZtF1voojotTJe0/s4032/IMG_2003.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiO-7DNruIM7mV9EVMubiPYUSZAeFR91zyh7G3Po7gmgw7AXHZspZX0SEUMTvyK3r8ZkhKUst_VwnbD0sVKeXVgO0rOTXK3b81rvc92gIpMCBAVUHBjG-j-XjZzmOfmVuAbuXoWuCrpJau9BKIa7ZuhJasyRmZ4MqZQxuWMQ_g4jk6ksZtF1voojotTJe0/w640-h480/IMG_2003.jpeg" width="640" /></a></p><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlB0CfKh6WM5wJoVstsagWv4ZHt0OqxnnJwcyX7OqcOhwvdA0mK-GHAvilFbWCbwFA5ZzDzfUDAGP_KQrgbcuvmQx3DcTkQVi3VM_xN2_AVzIxjPGPCIgm3hGlbZLEXJeIlZSr1pUdrr60TwtUM9Fsgo8SEbXMtpEkN9DDSFlV9S29S_JwHkxqMJYShrc/s3873/IMG_6614.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2891" data-original-width="3873" height="478" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlB0CfKh6WM5wJoVstsagWv4ZHt0OqxnnJwcyX7OqcOhwvdA0mK-GHAvilFbWCbwFA5ZzDzfUDAGP_KQrgbcuvmQx3DcTkQVi3VM_xN2_AVzIxjPGPCIgm3hGlbZLEXJeIlZSr1pUdrr60TwtUM9Fsgo8SEbXMtpEkN9DDSFlV9S29S_JwHkxqMJYShrc/w640-h478/IMG_6614.jpeg" width="640" /></a></p><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3CMS_6_JmSxgj9YU23qTcKE2iCDDsGIncoRIRc4xuN91dM_5hjFiEJnRoRfTMz7SMae07jMuHCHb2MKKfhzGuGCkd4z21kJ-F0VvjDmUyHd2Dx8_3CvOThNQj9ETh7STj6zmmKX3sLf3xOt20lHkRI45lMJlnS0yNcQoaZhjjkGgjPYbPJpd_A1U2IdI/s3024/IMG_6620.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1942" data-original-width="3024" height="412" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3CMS_6_JmSxgj9YU23qTcKE2iCDDsGIncoRIRc4xuN91dM_5hjFiEJnRoRfTMz7SMae07jMuHCHb2MKKfhzGuGCkd4z21kJ-F0VvjDmUyHd2Dx8_3CvOThNQj9ETh7STj6zmmKX3sLf3xOt20lHkRI45lMJlnS0yNcQoaZhjjkGgjPYbPJpd_A1U2IdI/w640-h412/IMG_6620.jpeg" width="640" /></a></p><p style="text-align: justify;">On our last afternoon we went into Rye itself and got ice creams and had a last play in the beachside playground. It was the first time we really went into Rye and holy moly it was SO busy. Rye was the town we were based at the <a href="http://wandymcnobledownunder.blogspot.com/2019/03/beach-days-part-1.html" target="_blank">end of our first stint in Australia</a>, but we were there in February/March so after the peak season. Staying at Sarah and Adrian's, which was about 2km from the main strip, was so much more quiet and peaceful, much more preferable to the crowds I saw on our last day.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">Before we left Rye, Steve and Michelle called us to ask if we wanted to stay at their beach house for the next two nights instead of heading home. Hurray! I was so happy to be able to extend our little beach holiday for a few more days, instead of heading back to the city where we'd spent the rest of the summer.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">We headed to Rosebud, a short 20 minute drive along the coast to the van Beeks, after our ice cream and park play. Andy was actually in Melbourne that day; he'd headed into the city to play in a padel tennis tournament and would join us back on the peninsula the next day. We had a quiet afternoon/evening at their beach house, the kids playing outside while Michelle and I caught up over a bottle of rosé. </p><p style="text-align: justify;">That night the girls wanted to "camp" in the backyard. The set up a tent and snuggled in. We didn't hear much out of them until nearly 10pm, when then came into the house to tell us Ella was feeling a bit scared. I was not surprised; she's never slept in a tent before. We ended up bringing the tent inside and they slept in the tent in the house... baby steps towards camping for Ella! </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxb8YeOnrYTHfqp45lLxOaHk-WaQcCY2c13sIj8XhcwgbxjStakCgcpm28KISKKxJvVh95EP04yb_0P5rR93EJQ0qo9O9Z3ua8-WfF7S7eRWyhTw0F406cTrX-26-lHwrcW96h6w8tnBhjnKG_FrhLS6tGkHOUuW5RaMRdR3ztbucx9ZHCETDRwo8F14Q/s4032/IMG_2006.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxb8YeOnrYTHfqp45lLxOaHk-WaQcCY2c13sIj8XhcwgbxjStakCgcpm28KISKKxJvVh95EP04yb_0P5rR93EJQ0qo9O9Z3ua8-WfF7S7eRWyhTw0F406cTrX-26-lHwrcW96h6w8tnBhjnKG_FrhLS6tGkHOUuW5RaMRdR3ztbucx9ZHCETDRwo8F14Q/w300-h400/IMG_2006.jpeg" width="300" /></a></div><p style="text-align: justify;"></p><p style="text-align: justify;">The next morning Michelle and I headed to the Peninsula Hot Springs for an early morning soak. Michelle had had a very busy Christmas period with her family, and was desperate for some R&R. Of course I was only to happy to assist her with this! We got there bright and early (if you enter before 8am on a weekday, it's only $45 for entry!) and spent a relaxing morning there. The hot springs were lovely, but my favourite part was doing hot/cold therapy - a sauna or steam followed by a cold plunge. We did this a few times and it is so refreshing - and also I slept like a baby that night, which I'm sure was due to this. (I've since been researching places with cold plunges in Melbourne, it would be great to be able to do this on a regular basis. I'm reminded of a trip to Finland I had one summer when I was about 20 years old. A friend I was visiting had a holiday cabin on a lake. Of course, there was an outdoor sauna, so we would sauna and then jump into the freezing cold lake. Those Scandinavians really know how to live!)</p><p style="text-align: justify;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhu9hObRkdr6bCxkZHSJATCa65-QEjMDEG0pY7LfTHTyNp9d__Tg83pRTsDxfz7wghUevQOu9UBbAI7OzybZ81q73nDgcMY_lJ7TLiOUGy4MN0YnkINwjdnf9PLOYQrxadIr2dyac7u160WO4QpIw3G4JTtHRsr7RqlpehqlS2oW7M6an2Nq_cT2QtZXbM/s3440/IMG_2011.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2560" data-original-width="3440" height="476" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhu9hObRkdr6bCxkZHSJATCa65-QEjMDEG0pY7LfTHTyNp9d__Tg83pRTsDxfz7wghUevQOu9UBbAI7OzybZ81q73nDgcMY_lJ7TLiOUGy4MN0YnkINwjdnf9PLOYQrxadIr2dyac7u160WO4QpIw3G4JTtHRsr7RqlpehqlS2oW7M6an2Nq_cT2QtZXbM/w640-h476/IMG_2011.jpeg" width="640" /></a></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzaSYezhwku8tipaznTjr3o08AF0zXp7FshhiusgopPuYAOaKZ6YGkdqMwN2Hv2w_VPuBuUcpaG0Pb730pQRgsE5BSXzm6MBPG047yT1JnFsO4vENwMZoCdNsty80JybW-jB64ZF3Mo7MV5PFJdHVZqvBlnlUS6fU3fP6_hVGCFGblm4nzoosBFkVwssY/s4032/IMG_2010.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzaSYezhwku8tipaznTjr3o08AF0zXp7FshhiusgopPuYAOaKZ6YGkdqMwN2Hv2w_VPuBuUcpaG0Pb730pQRgsE5BSXzm6MBPG047yT1JnFsO4vENwMZoCdNsty80JybW-jB64ZF3Mo7MV5PFJdHVZqvBlnlUS6fU3fP6_hVGCFGblm4nzoosBFkVwssY/w640-h480/IMG_2010.jpeg" width="640" /></a></p><p style="text-align: justify;">We could have spent the whole day there, but of course "mama guilt" crept in and we felt we should go back and help out with the kids. By this time Andy had returned from Melbourne and him and Steve were at the beach with the kids. We stayed a bit longer and then packed up in time to visit <a href="https://www.devilbend.beer/" target="_blank">Devilbend Farm Beer</a> for dinner. This place was pretty much perfect for us: lots of casual outdoor seating and play areas for the kids, including tractors to climb on, a tire swing and a playground. The food was delicious and when we arrived it was happy hour: $5 pots and $10 pints. What more could you ask for?</p><p style="text-align: justify;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhulIrMpVJuMP4NjyabjpskZYa_uLTrGH7HZunMZftFPt77VJdVkaFXYMPsPfKD0TsMg1QizVqqOrczBvE91k5SOO_HSP00qNIhXyQ_FkXadD7guL44hLr8Z4GOOLXsbs4lKD7J-jVlCeU2AvWz5azNVbP4sllbimAk7a-XpoTFhuFBKsb3CBTE3PC5uiE/s3299/IMG_2026.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3299" data-original-width="2470" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhulIrMpVJuMP4NjyabjpskZYa_uLTrGH7HZunMZftFPt77VJdVkaFXYMPsPfKD0TsMg1QizVqqOrczBvE91k5SOO_HSP00qNIhXyQ_FkXadD7guL44hLr8Z4GOOLXsbs4lKD7J-jVlCeU2AvWz5azNVbP4sllbimAk7a-XpoTFhuFBKsb3CBTE3PC5uiE/w300-h400/IMG_2026.jpeg" width="300" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtR4wPoywSiDwUU6tT-CJYKvY8lzSQ1cjQGefXe2Vzz5cp0ymH3qTyzDTzqHGjPQ_zWD6UHpavgF9K8IrwGHpLCv8aS5gYprzV9EEwnTTteDA-QBiHwohpmWy9OeiZJl2d5XXNsF0p6eJxsUR3CDqiRRbsPXP7-ww5ka5FN98kQ0d94TG7WacymoxkjbY/s4032/IMG_2038.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtR4wPoywSiDwUU6tT-CJYKvY8lzSQ1cjQGefXe2Vzz5cp0ymH3qTyzDTzqHGjPQ_zWD6UHpavgF9K8IrwGHpLCv8aS5gYprzV9EEwnTTteDA-QBiHwohpmWy9OeiZJl2d5XXNsF0p6eJxsUR3CDqiRRbsPXP7-ww5ka5FN98kQ0d94TG7WacymoxkjbY/w300-h400/IMG_2038.jpeg" width="300" /></a></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgCL2ijkN8GZBYmoASxdAehJRrVlr-AZEMVACCxFK1_Zb8W2ZAy1ymSSkEWQOUzKu9DSf2gig-rIJXLAFd9NgbIXjB6wAosjv42l1aCqlHhNWuKku72l_V2Sj0FCJoPHaUzNHZyeq4f2PRtAsB1KhpGTrwDJmdigu4YgO9ye7G6d-qvNKp5GAnBCkBI3I/s3202/IMG_2034.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2324" data-original-width="3202" height="464" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgCL2ijkN8GZBYmoASxdAehJRrVlr-AZEMVACCxFK1_Zb8W2ZAy1ymSSkEWQOUzKu9DSf2gig-rIJXLAFd9NgbIXjB6wAosjv42l1aCqlHhNWuKku72l_V2Sj0FCJoPHaUzNHZyeq4f2PRtAsB1KhpGTrwDJmdigu4YgO9ye7G6d-qvNKp5GAnBCkBI3I/w640-h464/IMG_2034.jpeg" width="640" /></a></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQ6qSi_uszyuwzSgLgddM9K_fhzSXBheKiOa8VkU1Fxg5k4o5V4VIaX6wlErkwk_Y1XjTOigoRgFRu9UYsNIiK-U9hWXpEWoOTJPLcb0YsXG8eBIAiV8c6fpFtmOO7Kj9iUhVNSy8ExGMaKHY3cqp_XlB_qZi-FR5eaZym1JOBwRJEq0h0W10PTD6wRuc/s4032/IMG_2027.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQ6qSi_uszyuwzSgLgddM9K_fhzSXBheKiOa8VkU1Fxg5k4o5V4VIaX6wlErkwk_Y1XjTOigoRgFRu9UYsNIiK-U9hWXpEWoOTJPLcb0YsXG8eBIAiV8c6fpFtmOO7Kj9iUhVNSy8ExGMaKHY3cqp_XlB_qZi-FR5eaZym1JOBwRJEq0h0W10PTD6wRuc/w640-h480/IMG_2027.jpeg" width="640" /></a></p><p style="text-align: justify;">We followed dinner with an ice cream and walk along the pier, a perfect end to the evening. Oh wait, I forgot to mention that just before we left Ella and Gemma got into a little "tiff". Something about their position on the tire swing and neither of them wanted to budge (who can remember the details of things like this?) We left with a grumpy Ella and the two girls not speaking to each other, however by the end of the walk along the pier they were friends again. I am not looking forward to a time when Ella's fights with friends last longer than this... I remember being a teenaged girl (sort of) and girl fights can be brutal! And I didn't even have social media to contend with. Eek. Let's push that thought out of our minds for a few years...</p><p style="text-align: justify;"><i>Anyway</i>. The next day was hot a sunny and we spent it on the beach. It was glorious. I love the beach.</p><p style="text-align: justify;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWArKIcReMU8lxf7dKtmGJHYYuOR7eYdmLd4Z3W0k2QUl_3SUNTFb5KGdNnUgG66DVrga9_3jo9-k4TpRImisUlu3ZlLWyWFONZ7wE_NUqBQOFrSZZAqvDXLvD2VrL9QMt8mH3Tm0kWPE4ahOT25-R052ZTHgpqCgJp-fREy6xshEQplCIbq5wt6W_Ie4/s3305/IMG_2044.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2346" data-original-width="3305" height="454" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWArKIcReMU8lxf7dKtmGJHYYuOR7eYdmLd4Z3W0k2QUl_3SUNTFb5KGdNnUgG66DVrga9_3jo9-k4TpRImisUlu3ZlLWyWFONZ7wE_NUqBQOFrSZZAqvDXLvD2VrL9QMt8mH3Tm0kWPE4ahOT25-R052ZTHgpqCgJp-fREy6xshEQplCIbq5wt6W_Ie4/w640-h454/IMG_2044.jpeg" width="640" /></a></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4xRuB2dP4dYnQCcoGFW7Y20JdOcTTwVcIBHVHeWccVAeSxd0QqzuywJzXoVq0m4HU0llmo1xgebfOQdQ3dJezt_6B-QKNfts3dt5et4sJlXjp0hxnbJZGJyUBx6XimnDWWieCgYZsiDT8zs6HDnzPJKlYefRf8yHEv2m7ApldU80Ask0un0fpotCwdPA/s3401/IMG_2025.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2658" data-original-width="3401" height="500" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4xRuB2dP4dYnQCcoGFW7Y20JdOcTTwVcIBHVHeWccVAeSxd0QqzuywJzXoVq0m4HU0llmo1xgebfOQdQ3dJezt_6B-QKNfts3dt5et4sJlXjp0hxnbJZGJyUBx6XimnDWWieCgYZsiDT8zs6HDnzPJKlYefRf8yHEv2m7ApldU80Ask0un0fpotCwdPA/w640-h500/IMG_2025.jpeg" width="640" /></a></p><p style="text-align: justify;">Ollie has the least amount of FOMO of any kid I've ever seen. When he's tired, or has had enough, he loves to just sneak off for a little down time. At 5 years old, he could still use a nap sometimes. </p><p style="text-align: justify;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiv_3ZSZd7pB5khD1UQUbpMpuHtQW67O9vV3H2U6uhkENQwhLbkd07kxQRJVqsuFy59prn_F-u1x7hNWAv7rLJO1mEnS93z_anlhd4fzWvobyrozapRcKWEVEtRUkRcKbOp9qoYKu7ELXiQzoqAKYrMybHZuhOEqKegljLZjM9t3bPrN1eMyP5-pLEqBiU/s3743/IMG_2018.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2620" data-original-width="3743" height="448" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiv_3ZSZd7pB5khD1UQUbpMpuHtQW67O9vV3H2U6uhkENQwhLbkd07kxQRJVqsuFy59prn_F-u1x7hNWAv7rLJO1mEnS93z_anlhd4fzWvobyrozapRcKWEVEtRUkRcKbOp9qoYKu7ELXiQzoqAKYrMybHZuhOEqKegljLZjM9t3bPrN1eMyP5-pLEqBiU/w640-h448/IMG_2018.jpeg" width="640" /></a></p><p style="text-align: justify;">We ended up staying longer than expected as it was such as nice day. We were also delaying going back to Melbourne, where the temperature was a blistering 34 degrees and we knew we'd have a very warm house waiting for us. We decided to stop at Chadstone shopping centre on the way home, which was lovely and air conditioned... and in a mall food court everyone can have exactly what they want to eat! Sushi for Ollie, Vietnamese rolls for Ella, and Mexican for Andy and me. I think a lot of Melbourne had the same idea as us, as it was quite busy that evening. But it was worth it, as by the time we got home the temperature was dropping and it was time for bed. </p><p style="text-align: justify;">It was a lovely five days away, and I'm very thankful we have friends with beach houses who are gracious enough to let us stay with them!</p>Wendy McCarryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10400056809655031226noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3302793385282321137.post-52709504610807859002024-01-06T23:27:00.003+00:002024-01-06T23:27:12.999+00:00Christmas and New Years<div style="text-align: justify;">It's 2024! Holy moly, how did that come around so fast?!</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Christmas was a pretty quiet affair for us this year. My parents spent the holiday in California with Mike and Ashley, as they were with us here in Melbourne last year. Not only that, but the weather here was terrible. It rained all day, only clearing up around 5pm - definitely not the weather we've come to expect here for Christmas, but I suppose it can't be hot and sunny every year.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">We tried to tell the kids not to wake us up before 6:30am on Christmas morning, but of course I heard them giggling together just before 6am. Ollie crawled in bed for a cuddle and when I told him it was too early he replied in a very earnest voice "but I'm just <i>so</i> excited!" and how can you argue with that?</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">We tried to get them to pose for a nice photo in front of the tree but Ollie can't help but be silly for the camera! Andy and I quickly made our coffees and then gave in to the madness that is children on Christmas morning. </div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkWcgDDU97LEKu4_uRmdoe-9FJkIFVDo5OKp6JP51ArmbYfV47hmdUBdlOvDzSWquhxsYGWCVd64Zly3fS6_Bsju4cPDqLCgEFtzj8_f9z-omRda3zxhlMNBlV2mcmlKqeStR_8qSBpg1AJ82WbF9A77ItiUaeEZhT997lJnPnT8hyphenhyphen5GbMYycAZH-QVOw/s4032/IMG_1839.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkWcgDDU97LEKu4_uRmdoe-9FJkIFVDo5OKp6JP51ArmbYfV47hmdUBdlOvDzSWquhxsYGWCVd64Zly3fS6_Bsju4cPDqLCgEFtzj8_f9z-omRda3zxhlMNBlV2mcmlKqeStR_8qSBpg1AJ82WbF9A77ItiUaeEZhT997lJnPnT8hyphenhyphen5GbMYycAZH-QVOw/w480-h640/IMG_1839.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div><div></div><div><br /></div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjed_siCu0j_H3SwBqHV29FIhYC620ScfgjlizRk1nIZ7v177Y4aseTNYfdrcCxfCseIaj2_CgZ2VAQ-VYQsEebVIpWgfr9xW4esWhtOgq3zZBgSrbg3Ay9qHJ7UYbBMyevPxL32bYhwyW9RDDHHhg3cFUZ5BkF360HQkxKTiT99mtDC9HS-_bmsBbK9lo/s4032/IMG_1845.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjed_siCu0j_H3SwBqHV29FIhYC620ScfgjlizRk1nIZ7v177Y4aseTNYfdrcCxfCseIaj2_CgZ2VAQ-VYQsEebVIpWgfr9xW4esWhtOgq3zZBgSrbg3Ay9qHJ7UYbBMyevPxL32bYhwyW9RDDHHhg3cFUZ5BkF360HQkxKTiT99mtDC9HS-_bmsBbK9lo/w640-h480/IMG_1845.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDs7gDU0kganTRCY_bGOwiVCGuxelTwYfUY1ApEvjTwx1bEp0ml2L6jL3v1ZpZIMxTwXxdtdTVEvdVlBA9EfBH9QjxUExab3HUmC28dn-GG7WQbuq11-kyfsPplcqYb2zMNCfQqtClgFbcLIMDjhvMmcR0sKnS3sUJkjz3eQEIzikJc-FCAJOYJGgvUVo/s4032/IMG_1847.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDs7gDU0kganTRCY_bGOwiVCGuxelTwYfUY1ApEvjTwx1bEp0ml2L6jL3v1ZpZIMxTwXxdtdTVEvdVlBA9EfBH9QjxUExab3HUmC28dn-GG7WQbuq11-kyfsPplcqYb2zMNCfQqtClgFbcLIMDjhvMmcR0sKnS3sUJkjz3eQEIzikJc-FCAJOYJGgvUVo/w480-h640/IMG_1847.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div><div></div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Ollie was thrilled with his new Hot Wheels toy, which is ridiculously big and I already regret having in the house, haha. But whenever he was asked what he wanted for Christmas he replied "a car", so we didn't have much to go on!</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">My parents got Ella her main gift, a netball ring, so she can practice her shooting and get ready for her second netball season starting in February.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwJqjoFFMhx7KiiefefeB22RDn01delRrRbFuXZq9eQ9PWsxiA_FwAfJRoOpDA3RJwKbKw7ayb1pwmDnqjGHBXYyH2Tgpvdnl08jwcVdwj5Q1T6nR4CgCzXIFpZh3r6_2ToNQaCt7jwJ299kigH9G6VdJEx94Biq5E438j9k9kvGHSZluPvpsVP7f9UEk/s3525/IMG_1903.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3525" data-original-width="2697" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwJqjoFFMhx7KiiefefeB22RDn01delRrRbFuXZq9eQ9PWsxiA_FwAfJRoOpDA3RJwKbKw7ayb1pwmDnqjGHBXYyH2Tgpvdnl08jwcVdwj5Q1T6nR4CgCzXIFpZh3r6_2ToNQaCt7jwJ299kigH9G6VdJEx94Biq5E438j9k9kvGHSZluPvpsVP7f9UEk/w490-h640/IMG_1903.jpeg" width="490" /></a></div><div></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">For breakfast I made a <a href="https://belleofthekitchen.com/french-toast-casserole/" target="_blank">french toast casserole</a>, which Andy and I thought was delicious. The kids wouldn't even try it though!! They don't know what they were missing, I would totally make this again.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBE7_saRfpU3aUNwnueK16FGkGN6kFcJBo76UdjT65HdC5vTbMoLX-WAGV_WbYv8-QQ6fQptN68WJAHunyLimpAC3HvThW6YFLOW8BjfttcuurjGdzOVoM3nJCWbF_zNVxnJxR7ABGGVPsPuDQ9FhnVM7rIgsgxVdGtsULwPakEKY-37Rkha_HQ4JQVZo/s4032/IMG_1852.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBE7_saRfpU3aUNwnueK16FGkGN6kFcJBo76UdjT65HdC5vTbMoLX-WAGV_WbYv8-QQ6fQptN68WJAHunyLimpAC3HvThW6YFLOW8BjfttcuurjGdzOVoM3nJCWbF_zNVxnJxR7ABGGVPsPuDQ9FhnVM7rIgsgxVdGtsULwPakEKY-37Rkha_HQ4JQVZo/w480-h640/IMG_1852.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div><div></div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">In the afternoon we went to Taryn and Verge's for Christmas. We were joined by another family who have a son in Ella's class (he is actually the only student who Ella has been in the same class with every year, including next year). All of us are expat families so it was great to come together to celebrate Christmas together. Taryn and Verge have their parents visiting, who we've come to know well over the past few years, mainly as they've become friends with my parents... "grandparent friends" we call them. I'm sure they were a bit disappointed that my parents weren't around this Christmas, as we had a really great time with them for the holidays last year.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The kids kept busy playing with Charlie and Theo's new toys, decorating gingerbread cookies, and eventually going outside to play in the park next door once the rain finally cleared up. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg62dOgBQ_qWSOYCJy8LITVqFFFt4pkmo5N7y36ve7K-YYF_BA66gXoikSRHVVXCEOj5bgTr3CmGY_HHZx5kNYPRh0j2FT-ntX6MFlCrY40yxVTKW95wTh5oHv-gB3qnwLnSZGR_KxmYMka7NSMsolYnckUWncTLDz_LGobCHAcRmEIjgUGXYVquYpTMnA/s1600/33ffec4b-b4e6-40df-b14e-65194fd129af.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1066" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg62dOgBQ_qWSOYCJy8LITVqFFFt4pkmo5N7y36ve7K-YYF_BA66gXoikSRHVVXCEOj5bgTr3CmGY_HHZx5kNYPRh0j2FT-ntX6MFlCrY40yxVTKW95wTh5oHv-gB3qnwLnSZGR_KxmYMka7NSMsolYnckUWncTLDz_LGobCHAcRmEIjgUGXYVquYpTMnA/w426-h640/33ffec4b-b4e6-40df-b14e-65194fd129af.jpeg" width="426" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnKjYDKL9yVs05u9wTV7fhFQgOOosaowjEy454qBEpTmUXT7kQkFhqJQMeWpb9ZkikNiKM5Vvt06UGMWeCj41QwLjAj3-7hkgFpcavctPB0iD-zSu2FxQBoAhejENyOy5qOeBAw96ebFUl4CEjzsUGzMbWIKVl_E8GYIDTrwiOZAuTr4v464UqV8lU7vE/s1600/126a89da-2b73-4bf5-b41e-2c8f2aaa8106.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1066" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnKjYDKL9yVs05u9wTV7fhFQgOOosaowjEy454qBEpTmUXT7kQkFhqJQMeWpb9ZkikNiKM5Vvt06UGMWeCj41QwLjAj3-7hkgFpcavctPB0iD-zSu2FxQBoAhejENyOy5qOeBAw96ebFUl4CEjzsUGzMbWIKVl_E8GYIDTrwiOZAuTr4v464UqV8lU7vE/w426-h640/126a89da-2b73-4bf5-b41e-2c8f2aaa8106.jpeg" width="426" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZjf6uk8nE_eoLt_Ewkct1dTrcqKcttx1loUCSRi19ZHB9OE77V1NhuDtnVp1xr2jd0eOizs878vHPKpA3ddhlcS01iRXNjUEiMT1QxzTVESEtrIWnntsdRrxbd8VewgRrESTVIsDtTdSraUka8jFMhw7pMAcRHl3vKujALHC3Xf8_qpgKdFOC4UApOb0/s1516/cce450dd-a9aa-4944-a834-c9781ab51b8c.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="975" data-original-width="1516" height="412" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZjf6uk8nE_eoLt_Ewkct1dTrcqKcttx1loUCSRi19ZHB9OE77V1NhuDtnVp1xr2jd0eOizs878vHPKpA3ddhlcS01iRXNjUEiMT1QxzTVESEtrIWnntsdRrxbd8VewgRrESTVIsDtTdSraUka8jFMhw7pMAcRHl3vKujALHC3Xf8_qpgKdFOC4UApOb0/w640-h412/cce450dd-a9aa-4944-a834-c9781ab51b8c.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3rRLjiXYJA7xqO5xkd9UQaZk3FxXLKZJtFH0VlnYeQTbvRuPyPe5CCeKEEvVYx0KoBNnv-C7J0t8UKXho-yeWpW-91Vtiu0QunvD8ZZsae-SRJwDlaaMRJxWcPRiSelCLobdr2Uh4NVXzOmqL2W745Q5boNtQlgSR1q70xDOj8HxGn3YX44ZszLovhzA/s1600/f6da058d-fec6-4c6a-ae1b-44f6c55ef945.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1066" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3rRLjiXYJA7xqO5xkd9UQaZk3FxXLKZJtFH0VlnYeQTbvRuPyPe5CCeKEEvVYx0KoBNnv-C7J0t8UKXho-yeWpW-91Vtiu0QunvD8ZZsae-SRJwDlaaMRJxWcPRiSelCLobdr2Uh4NVXzOmqL2W745Q5boNtQlgSR1q70xDOj8HxGn3YX44ZszLovhzA/w426-h640/f6da058d-fec6-4c6a-ae1b-44f6c55ef945.jpeg" width="426" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">We all pitched in and brought dishes for the Christmas meal, which was AMAZING. I was on salads, making a <a href="https://www.taste.com.au/recipes/curtis-stones-charred-corn-salad-fetta-coriander-crema/4zdhbvfb" target="_blank">charred corn salad</a> and a <a href="https://www.recipetineats.com/chickpea-salad/" target="_blank">Greek chickpea salad</a>, both of which were excellent and I'd make again (actually I've made the chickpea one multiple times now). </div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-ocXjRhoxkp0M__PVsKbIVD_OJfkFKea3TKpmKuCFTsnSVeJDF9lZj-UB6QW6RJt-KM7Cm_O2pIltyg5JVDlCqxk88Mamc3mi5c4E6YetP8rFeF-c7TfkS0uLcSGkpsVKott_cRK7vMNmzVs9qq80xWLDiyPILYddgfsmAApG6tf2lhlaNTZbeLHy4pE/s1421/a9a7d4a5-e8aa-4d79-b451-6a216654f4f5.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="898" data-original-width="1421" height="404" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-ocXjRhoxkp0M__PVsKbIVD_OJfkFKea3TKpmKuCFTsnSVeJDF9lZj-UB6QW6RJt-KM7Cm_O2pIltyg5JVDlCqxk88Mamc3mi5c4E6YetP8rFeF-c7TfkS0uLcSGkpsVKott_cRK7vMNmzVs9qq80xWLDiyPILYddgfsmAApG6tf2lhlaNTZbeLHy4pE/w640-h404/a9a7d4a5-e8aa-4d79-b451-6a216654f4f5.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCucemGhyesfPnGWqHXz0lyZAIAo5KS5aQd_N4cWESfTj4UyvfYExoUldCKXXNlONrYNPzwGxR3HafFiKVlUc9a7mSFZMaDN4_nDh7pto_ElHQaOgqr2xrTaJoenqKiTfIhvDWWUFoiwgCaRWpw9Ntf1331sQoh0avDk7gQcUj8tt-3AH04ZHeis1S-q0/s1406/d7279e34-a3e4-4d24-991c-c65322a4067b.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="946" data-original-width="1406" height="430" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCucemGhyesfPnGWqHXz0lyZAIAo5KS5aQd_N4cWESfTj4UyvfYExoUldCKXXNlONrYNPzwGxR3HafFiKVlUc9a7mSFZMaDN4_nDh7pto_ElHQaOgqr2xrTaJoenqKiTfIhvDWWUFoiwgCaRWpw9Ntf1331sQoh0avDk7gQcUj8tt-3AH04ZHeis1S-q0/w640-h430/d7279e34-a3e4-4d24-991c-c65322a4067b.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">Although a Christmas without any close family feels very different we had a very fun afternoon and I feel lucky that we've made friends that we can share this holiday with. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">The week between Christmas and New Years was a mix of lazy days at home and days out with friends. We spent Boxing Day with the van Beeks, who hosted a Christmas dinner for 36 people this year! Crazy! They had a lot of leftover food which we happily helped them eat and spent the day just chilling out on their back deck. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">We also caught up with old friends of ours, Denise and James. They had a son in Ella's class in prep and we clicked with them right away. It probably helped that Denise is English and James is Canadian, so right away we had lots in common! They sadly (for us) moved to Townsville at the end of 2021 for Denise's job, but were back in Melbourne for a few weeks for a visit. <span style="background-color: white;">It was wonderful to catch up with them - it's such an easy friendship and it felt like we'd just seen them yesterday - not two years ago! We spent a day in the city with them, meeting at the NGV to check out the Triennial - a huge exhibition that happens every three years at the NGV. The last time we went was back in 2018, which I wrote about <a href="http://wandymcnobledownunder.blogspot.com/2018/01/ngv-triennial_7.html" target="_blank">here</a>. The whole gallery is taken over by over 100 works of art and it's completely free. This was actually the second time I've visited, the first was with Ollie at the beginning of December when he was finished daycare but Ella was still at school. The pictures below are from both visits.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: white;">Ollie loves the children's area, which is based on a children's book by Jean Jullien. Children can walk around collecting "trash" from the sea and then put it in the rubbish bins, which give them a little thank you message. Both times we've been Ollie has wanted to stay in here forever and has to be dragged away!</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisNZh01L7zjH9QJtzYM-4B5qo8YyAApbMlQwIA7dQeDHhGBq4vhXPzgZSyzYcCJvUfjS5WQMB5VslhNkXeCszTfE6_gkabN_Sl4-rVNU9UnF4S9xCiIk7qKeen3QkhTtqWkj4qoG9KiDmNyMZtdUOXCGNWqhTaEf73MtCRd169eyZpXmc9W_KEQhQn1sc/s3307/IMG_1725.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2396" data-original-width="3307" height="464" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisNZh01L7zjH9QJtzYM-4B5qo8YyAApbMlQwIA7dQeDHhGBq4vhXPzgZSyzYcCJvUfjS5WQMB5VslhNkXeCszTfE6_gkabN_Sl4-rVNU9UnF4S9xCiIk7qKeen3QkhTtqWkj4qoG9KiDmNyMZtdUOXCGNWqhTaEf73MtCRd169eyZpXmc9W_KEQhQn1sc/w640-h464/IMG_1725.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTpM5oH4InBc9hkw_ySyhxfNzmGD_2cM1eI8mD8WPYnrqmYTlRzfn7jbnVRjbeDzz8K6V1EFgz0QUIpUvreprN939pVIhpHAmokfwYo-B0s_FZ7ZjJSLkK-dIu68xJGUTB2xbP2ZrcT8jN0DHVNfh5OqWwckfCc1Rw5VPc79UZhImcKvVGwM9QKYvfYvw/s4032/IMG_1731.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTpM5oH4InBc9hkw_ySyhxfNzmGD_2cM1eI8mD8WPYnrqmYTlRzfn7jbnVRjbeDzz8K6V1EFgz0QUIpUvreprN939pVIhpHAmokfwYo-B0s_FZ7ZjJSLkK-dIu68xJGUTB2xbP2ZrcT8jN0DHVNfh5OqWwckfCc1Rw5VPc79UZhImcKvVGwM9QKYvfYvw/w640-h480/IMG_1731.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNaTyDRH8JrZe1K1IJpS2OfLClTpq0gim8uHoFGO1Y-U-45ATXZWP51Rtq2kAuhBdYbQWdU0Yw5oRr3c7XoXf4dAE0pnvbVsUSwNU4Gsgj6cVkapTwwibDcSGx2ywClvXvOT9bxBtstNNgl5gJaNtKXj8XRklYchalenJofMMRYweAerI2Ztgi6s6eENY/s4032/IMG_1914.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNaTyDRH8JrZe1K1IJpS2OfLClTpq0gim8uHoFGO1Y-U-45ATXZWP51Rtq2kAuhBdYbQWdU0Yw5oRr3c7XoXf4dAE0pnvbVsUSwNU4Gsgj6cVkapTwwibDcSGx2ywClvXvOT9bxBtstNNgl5gJaNtKXj8XRklYchalenJofMMRYweAerI2Ztgi6s6eENY/w480-h640/IMG_1914.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">This series of digital artworks by the art group Smack was very intriguing. The work is called Speculum and the three depict the Garden of Eden, Paradis and Hell. The artworks move and change and Ollie and I sat here for ages pointing out all the strange things going on. </div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGiAQ-pjyIq2U86ll3uP4wHJuOveLWsLBf-myE0c1glqIvcdDqwga_RsMwD7Pzp1FJoBf-ROglsDCgNtfBXPBLBiDxIe51HVAwZw8jkTXhUHVflcEvlYoAdVKevu52NyehZCZZZtq7sIYHI9jDORjWRHCZYYViN-hbh0adCDumeT0ozrxtYMoNnhvNu28/s2610/IMG_1738.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2047" data-original-width="2610" height="502" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGiAQ-pjyIq2U86ll3uP4wHJuOveLWsLBf-myE0c1glqIvcdDqwga_RsMwD7Pzp1FJoBf-ROglsDCgNtfBXPBLBiDxIe51HVAwZw8jkTXhUHVflcEvlYoAdVKevu52NyehZCZZZtq7sIYHI9jDORjWRHCZYYViN-hbh0adCDumeT0ozrxtYMoNnhvNu28/w640-h502/IMG_1738.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Some rooms we zoomed through so I didn't get a chance to really see what the artwork was about!</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhq-Y2dhgEVPqUf2n4oSuRy1OhDu_VtbizyhvvC-gFfbzH1YsYGgifI3NJ1xcSGF5UznTVSsH78n6cEP1DqSkurzgYUc1_iEU0Z1t3ES-XhbjW2S7pHAxdloNxYn_vtNbxPzLzfmsv2EkheTCMGOOfa_t9hPceCHOv3SQ5RttIyXNgbx1fjDSFHQTjFYHY/s4032/IMG_1739.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhq-Y2dhgEVPqUf2n4oSuRy1OhDu_VtbizyhvvC-gFfbzH1YsYGgifI3NJ1xcSGF5UznTVSsH78n6cEP1DqSkurzgYUc1_iEU0Z1t3ES-XhbjW2S7pHAxdloNxYn_vtNbxPzLzfmsv2EkheTCMGOOfa_t9hPceCHOv3SQ5RttIyXNgbx1fjDSFHQTjFYHY/w480-h640/IMG_1739.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOFqcJ0-rnQpHX6ad1aXPy1e9z0A6vW_06cIv9Jq9cZVifJBnEzXa-30hlkK8s8SDoxj2MGeeW8TnyXbto6W5G9QhtHgthZS_stWCF_NtEAnB9-uZeWuBItYg9ytlU1hq9us_qeBipyhU_cDey5TaCv8P7uYKMC5HzTqeGEcZv_YyIf6LiuRgkvZ_6Anc/s4032/IMG_1745.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOFqcJ0-rnQpHX6ad1aXPy1e9z0A6vW_06cIv9Jq9cZVifJBnEzXa-30hlkK8s8SDoxj2MGeeW8TnyXbto6W5G9QhtHgthZS_stWCF_NtEAnB9-uZeWuBItYg9ytlU1hq9us_qeBipyhU_cDey5TaCv8P7uYKMC5HzTqeGEcZv_YyIf6LiuRgkvZ_6Anc/w640-h480/IMG_1745.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">Just inside there is a huge digital fireplace, which you can see through the outside water wall:</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhULcFVPGAJkHEZ0bebn_vTdDnWM67sbfj7BVhpigIvWoJvgh60EfaiMcE49Qrn9Rb6JcAXas20lNnbRWcy-v2S5S5CU7dJCmY3qCGET0yw8v9eCLb5Vu5ZkUHWHmiKlmzlxpzOV0hZatnUFEl_r_5noFoLc0_qJFi7LeOW1ZQJnIuW9-96o0nOMuv_UUo/s3148/IMG_1913.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2383" data-original-width="3148" height="484" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhULcFVPGAJkHEZ0bebn_vTdDnWM67sbfj7BVhpigIvWoJvgh60EfaiMcE49Qrn9Rb6JcAXas20lNnbRWcy-v2S5S5CU7dJCmY3qCGET0yw8v9eCLb5Vu5ZkUHWHmiKlmzlxpzOV0hZatnUFEl_r_5noFoLc0_qJFi7LeOW1ZQJnIuW9-96o0nOMuv_UUo/w640-h484/IMG_1913.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: start;">The performance artist Smac McCreanor impersonates emojis... it is incredibly impressive. I believe she has a big social media presence. The kids loved watching this.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJhfJRYed6C9jXx1uyAcgT4hne3lL0Ti63uk9dDIrs-FTMZL3JI_PwlG5HeSn3W-TKOuIo1pUglNbmtnPS7FfLr9IfokRbJGHIKehFYlXzBHxGFyfoxkIAWLN4Gv1Qv5SAguIYNXaUqTn8ybHtKegmA_SmuIfsh2eCJdSeEbZn48kN-xX7VbS-iFW3zx0/s3101/IMG_1919.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2736" data-original-width="3101" height="564" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJhfJRYed6C9jXx1uyAcgT4hne3lL0Ti63uk9dDIrs-FTMZL3JI_PwlG5HeSn3W-TKOuIo1pUglNbmtnPS7FfLr9IfokRbJGHIKehFYlXzBHxGFyfoxkIAWLN4Gv1Qv5SAguIYNXaUqTn8ybHtKegmA_SmuIfsh2eCJdSeEbZn48kN-xX7VbS-iFW3zx0/w640-h564/IMG_1919.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhj7GyGNA7MMfnB7sj7NSB4BeYxrcKwe4pubKE8Qgd11g8KillrjkkGz2f8bUdh4VC05SCbp6u_sOkKv9jVny8MMJeFDIpRYh2A20hihyphenhyphenVlYs1nG-KzmNhhC6PyDorhEyCBB_oOzIN3OSS6fq2xfH9lqxC-886IyzfSmvrg6SGwybp2BgYEQBl38CEnqH8/s4032/IMG_1918.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhj7GyGNA7MMfnB7sj7NSB4BeYxrcKwe4pubKE8Qgd11g8KillrjkkGz2f8bUdh4VC05SCbp6u_sOkKv9jVny8MMJeFDIpRYh2A20hihyphenhyphenVlYs1nG-KzmNhhC6PyDorhEyCBB_oOzIN3OSS6fq2xfH9lqxC-886IyzfSmvrg6SGwybp2BgYEQBl38CEnqH8/w480-h640/IMG_1918.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><span style="background-color: white;">Also... robots! There is a digital installation featuring robots from Boston Dynamics which is pretty cool.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: white;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdmvzWTJxVgl2Weskgfp-Q4mHsg9hpQRwkcjbCsmKmvpGDicU6q38ygez2Y4T7YsvFBNlQo9Tw3RfvX7nwjjiyIl0I8o4JlO3e5r4gHlowAW31ML-2DaOgU6JaOvBi_cxQdgwDKTErJL1icIY-8LHBNugJiHDy_J6QprGAajOdlJ5ima06uxhC8pppEqM/s1635/IMG_1921.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1305" data-original-width="1635" height="510" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdmvzWTJxVgl2Weskgfp-Q4mHsg9hpQRwkcjbCsmKmvpGDicU6q38ygez2Y4T7YsvFBNlQo9Tw3RfvX7nwjjiyIl0I8o4JlO3e5r4gHlowAW31ML-2DaOgU6JaOvBi_cxQdgwDKTErJL1icIY-8LHBNugJiHDy_J6QprGAajOdlJ5ima06uxhC8pppEqM/w640-h510/IMG_1921.jpeg" width="640" /></a></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: white;">Even after two visits to the Triennial I feel like I haven't even scratched the surface and I really want to go back and visit on my own - it's great going with the kids but they don't always want to stop and look at the same things as you!</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: white;">After the gallery we went for lunch at Arbory Afloat, a floating bar and restaurant on the Yarra River. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEOvN2xtt7ejK7d0ypl2Vdk63XZgJ8irphzX6HynfAhYFZPde-rwlBKVLjWLrGe9aRbLAAu76rmImBB2aqDncFV7B-eIO6-jdwUa7HReuVmmQkp3hV7odctugCSwbgaJrgsX83R59wjUxh3jC4pVcOyjnDlxOfRqh0BOGYS979_VauUOxuI6gjyJlNTDY/s3751/IMG_1926.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2666" data-original-width="3751" height="454" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEOvN2xtt7ejK7d0ypl2Vdk63XZgJ8irphzX6HynfAhYFZPde-rwlBKVLjWLrGe9aRbLAAu76rmImBB2aqDncFV7B-eIO6-jdwUa7HReuVmmQkp3hV7odctugCSwbgaJrgsX83R59wjUxh3jC4pVcOyjnDlxOfRqh0BOGYS979_VauUOxuI6gjyJlNTDY/w640-h454/IMG_1926.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLZWW6S4Xi-1VQLgkNFg8l82OoUOe9Xe-HQNzWFaM6JHbdDRQs1iXbZnSm9KrZKntG-axBiaavegFCwjMTzWXRToCYMWlL7ayj198SvT_j4gEENrpYHsvIqzzWQEGru0r9ZZ1bT6KtafeizptvwbNI5EhCyE9wOpbXOrYi8Npry0NsvGDpZhhb-DLd4iE/s4032/IMG_1927.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLZWW6S4Xi-1VQLgkNFg8l82OoUOe9Xe-HQNzWFaM6JHbdDRQs1iXbZnSm9KrZKntG-axBiaavegFCwjMTzWXRToCYMWlL7ayj198SvT_j4gEENrpYHsvIqzzWQEGru0r9ZZ1bT6KtafeizptvwbNI5EhCyE9wOpbXOrYi8Npry0NsvGDpZhhb-DLd4iE/w640-h480/IMG_1927.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: white;">Next up was a play at a park, and then we all drove back to Kew to get gelato at our favourite local gelato shop, which we used to visit frequently with them when they were living in Melbourne. Ah the memories! </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: white;">On New Years Eve we drove to the Healesville Sanctuary, a zoo specialising in native Australian animals. We were lucky to watch some very active koalas, and even see a little baby koala crawling along a branch. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: white;">There are some good nature play areas which the kids enjoyed playing at, along with splashing in a creek. Healesville is a very beautiful zoo, the environment and enclosures are very natural. It wasn't super busy, so was a peaceful way to spend the day.</span></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDiSS8ubSVRfEm1Mpl_OgpgBqY0LiNbGGYFDXpQQgrVU5fa6NmgEr3n-7_scBYwMn7aBgWSBohsOZuwdOGS-A9rMxeEVuV9P6HvqeHF3mCq1HtPxa-Ff5CYqlgIM8z44RZ7NB78nxK6rtffOn2wE-ZJxJ8fuYDmFnWxPtSA93kWIi6hT8rYqeTU9GSTy0/s3909/IMG_1934.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2696" data-original-width="3909" height="442" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDiSS8ubSVRfEm1Mpl_OgpgBqY0LiNbGGYFDXpQQgrVU5fa6NmgEr3n-7_scBYwMn7aBgWSBohsOZuwdOGS-A9rMxeEVuV9P6HvqeHF3mCq1HtPxa-Ff5CYqlgIM8z44RZ7NB78nxK6rtffOn2wE-ZJxJ8fuYDmFnWxPtSA93kWIi6hT8rYqeTU9GSTy0/w640-h442/IMG_1934.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6XlRmtlvZwDIF8AunQ2j9WIXaB32LE3M2pWz7luTLNtCzO1nO39XVqHY7xgL1m4Qtid6Ss0ThfvNwScCGVGV45HTx0ADSEwdsebR09BRM8exNwLmfq_bD7Mk1jrm_8PdBMqavpX9J5qHkhqY97DuehBkW2X4a19yu_IK2BtS7T9C9dmiczuoHJvkk4NE/s4032/IMG_1937.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6XlRmtlvZwDIF8AunQ2j9WIXaB32LE3M2pWz7luTLNtCzO1nO39XVqHY7xgL1m4Qtid6Ss0ThfvNwScCGVGV45HTx0ADSEwdsebR09BRM8exNwLmfq_bD7Mk1jrm_8PdBMqavpX9J5qHkhqY97DuehBkW2X4a19yu_IK2BtS7T9C9dmiczuoHJvkk4NE/w480-h640/IMG_1937.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrq4HhcK-brjzemGHcV-0RYcdI5foUgPbBhWY80x6_tYnqkx9sfBH8RJyPuWgDUiNVCqOP9Ct8gHpkCrknidmUhyphenhyphens-rHDR1L-WTEH6avBM2y8zlmE6Cg3DHfdkqWLVMz88qffU0wXohhdeZUHOxI2jL3cg_axbPBmhxGYslhfF-xiIxbhg_j58Ot0qAHA/s3628/IMG_1946.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2733" data-original-width="3628" height="482" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrq4HhcK-brjzemGHcV-0RYcdI5foUgPbBhWY80x6_tYnqkx9sfBH8RJyPuWgDUiNVCqOP9Ct8gHpkCrknidmUhyphenhyphens-rHDR1L-WTEH6avBM2y8zlmE6Cg3DHfdkqWLVMz88qffU0wXohhdeZUHOxI2jL3cg_axbPBmhxGYslhfF-xiIxbhg_j58Ot0qAHA/w640-h482/IMG_1946.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcToDdpe_Vfharg8_YeOYY6eOeWIky3Gn307DcjCpefx3QkpaDqPO8TerR7mS1OulWzQcFp77kCvXegKBksgKSK1BW-XnzEODhwWJ_N8c0uLnZwdPewTyYtAmh_O7VnGclBGyzXFuq93FotWuYPwp-9DkeY7RiCAxGsv_Eaw9pkRHDfYpcQIjQMSCt3-0/s4032/IMG_1947.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcToDdpe_Vfharg8_YeOYY6eOeWIky3Gn307DcjCpefx3QkpaDqPO8TerR7mS1OulWzQcFp77kCvXegKBksgKSK1BW-XnzEODhwWJ_N8c0uLnZwdPewTyYtAmh_O7VnGclBGyzXFuq93FotWuYPwp-9DkeY7RiCAxGsv_Eaw9pkRHDfYpcQIjQMSCt3-0/w640-h480/IMG_1947.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXiMBQ3xrJwMCzE1fghtufRdp7Wo9TPS_hvdY3xRE6JPWLDBKQCfzrl_hpXZOosabSqU1IKeFExPRBUH0VKfbyxQMkVCl_iSC-LgMpfwxxlpB7jfCmeVGx9XXH5s-6pSGk6y0G7GbnTmfq0cFIV8Y773D3LOOpRAvb1EgxMKzVF92a_pePJb3CvcYzvZ8/s4032/IMG_1948.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXiMBQ3xrJwMCzE1fghtufRdp7Wo9TPS_hvdY3xRE6JPWLDBKQCfzrl_hpXZOosabSqU1IKeFExPRBUH0VKfbyxQMkVCl_iSC-LgMpfwxxlpB7jfCmeVGx9XXH5s-6pSGk6y0G7GbnTmfq0cFIV8Y773D3LOOpRAvb1EgxMKzVF92a_pePJb3CvcYzvZ8/w640-h480/IMG_1948.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgs8167bRclAYiRuU-w6in_-xA3QYgzE_bi2xgONwqX0oS2GjQ0mqL8YLjm3trLpxEtjhz514WRn45GTwo4N62hvoT8FDIVX54UGxgKcvrBI09VNxijIa10tjLTt3g3cEem2_VsdV8EA7Szon9WCNc-q3iL-tJ9GV_hqLuIzLhztuITbmBxx-lp_TQgRxE/s4032/IMG_1953.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgs8167bRclAYiRuU-w6in_-xA3QYgzE_bi2xgONwqX0oS2GjQ0mqL8YLjm3trLpxEtjhz514WRn45GTwo4N62hvoT8FDIVX54UGxgKcvrBI09VNxijIa10tjLTt3g3cEem2_VsdV8EA7Szon9WCNc-q3iL-tJ9GV_hqLuIzLhztuITbmBxx-lp_TQgRxE/w480-h640/IMG_1953.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmbm2EGM6QQKMezV7wtdLYarDCcqx8hg8TlZYJV8VmauQ90Ni5-GIBX4FcCZ_nTnX_dQAN7N5IynGtrs5thdMQ01OoUvotFMe6Q3h3h_sGboL4S4E_5_c7izVWYkYsjnigvcf0AOjH9Etng25TQe1mUGz-_kckHYarLTX3LJ8aumf8TAgoHJZ9d9ekC5Y/s4032/IMG_1954.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmbm2EGM6QQKMezV7wtdLYarDCcqx8hg8TlZYJV8VmauQ90Ni5-GIBX4FcCZ_nTnX_dQAN7N5IynGtrs5thdMQ01OoUvotFMe6Q3h3h_sGboL4S4E_5_c7izVWYkYsjnigvcf0AOjH9Etng25TQe1mUGz-_kckHYarLTX3LJ8aumf8TAgoHJZ9d9ekC5Y/w640-h480/IMG_1954.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhL8jTVNH8IwxcQkuPgpatST6ha1kY84pMtcTWCHb-213dZmqSbkFXwJ3hYpAKJBszkoZ4FF78hF4OdZx7attUcvCBbQbLmov_2kWelcwZ4Icv6udAiPUK_yRVLfwZuHH9n1kkBNgzpmkgpT_ORThZg0K7A4x0PQsrye7bGBwAXgQdaj1d9Q2V68CAqygM/s4032/IMG_1958.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhL8jTVNH8IwxcQkuPgpatST6ha1kY84pMtcTWCHb-213dZmqSbkFXwJ3hYpAKJBszkoZ4FF78hF4OdZx7attUcvCBbQbLmov_2kWelcwZ4Icv6udAiPUK_yRVLfwZuHH9n1kkBNgzpmkgpT_ORThZg0K7A4x0PQsrye7bGBwAXgQdaj1d9Q2V68CAqygM/w640-h480/IMG_1958.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">We didn't have much planned for the evening. Last year we went to one of the "celebration zones" in the city with the van Beeks and my parents and watched the early fireworks at 9:30pm. We thought we might be able to see these from a bridge near our house that has a good view of the city. Unfortunately the 9:30pm fireworks are not as big as the midnight fireworks, so we didn't end up seeing much! We did play with some sparklers though, and watched the magnificent Sydney fireworks at 9pm on TV which looked very impressive. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJb_nbIs0nonfU45V5-y7R4DfKNzBcP7tebEkEWkWiqBpaNizIwUrYkoWqIBOhmUCod-NPvD3sW_5l2wNZCXDIuArh_OHKDFZHoVQ-b5DdE0RvxicHDQdoYf3IG1rAz5InCBz2dy177lK8oLgv0h97Py3wyPxh9N4bimvwGKWkIgjkH35ZtdbJ0sYb1Gg/s4032/IMG_6553.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJb_nbIs0nonfU45V5-y7R4DfKNzBcP7tebEkEWkWiqBpaNizIwUrYkoWqIBOhmUCod-NPvD3sW_5l2wNZCXDIuArh_OHKDFZHoVQ-b5DdE0RvxicHDQdoYf3IG1rAz5InCBz2dy177lK8oLgv0h97Py3wyPxh9N4bimvwGKWkIgjkH35ZtdbJ0sYb1Gg/w640-h480/IMG_6553.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">Once the kids went to bed Andy and I stayed up for a bit but I'm afraid to say we didn't make it till midnight! Very rock and roll over here in this house, haha!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">On New Years Day we headed to Lysterfield Lake for the day, which is about 45 minutes east of the city. We got their early (thankfully as the car park was absolutely packed about half an hour after we arrived) and started with a big walk around the lake. We knew it was about 5km and had packed the kids scooters. Unfortunately most of the walk was on unpaved paths, so not the easiest with a scooter. I'm glad we persisted and made the kids complete the walk, but I'm not going to lie, it was hard work at times convincing them to keep going! We had to take turns helping them by pushing them on their scooters, and by the time we finished the walk (5.7km total) it was very sunny and warm out. We spent the rest of the afternoon relaxing on the small beach of the lake and doing a bit of swimming before heading home for the night.<br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-NXXxx_Ng8Wxx_wmDNpa2rqeEHsdWbQ5AYGq3UIYYDipj3cAM8nYFD1RC7IKRrmxEoml4I_hR4CZka7kcVFfhI-iiJQ23xafenZW8UbOqaerKiHRiRA55hGQzViFap6hYz-87l-7gJ-PAK8NViyIIT12RlYQs40k9zznTdRmpM1BWa-LTN0kcpQc5GtY/s4032/IMG_1962.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-NXXxx_Ng8Wxx_wmDNpa2rqeEHsdWbQ5AYGq3UIYYDipj3cAM8nYFD1RC7IKRrmxEoml4I_hR4CZka7kcVFfhI-iiJQ23xafenZW8UbOqaerKiHRiRA55hGQzViFap6hYz-87l-7gJ-PAK8NViyIIT12RlYQs40k9zznTdRmpM1BWa-LTN0kcpQc5GtY/w640-h480/IMG_1962.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQdo90qtYqREydnmlAsu6xcmrZIpalVyy6CgPMNMp6Yt_grQGxx_ZkVc8WQMbyBUz2lAjvX6KB2AGJrMNw1Ri2s5l9ADuA6Bfids4HnaMvVbOKVfXk6uYmyZAddO1tEgC6DzJLQgQvhqHqHqMBcse49Xng5HlghCZ9j0n5RAu4h1h4Uzv_FhHGAwYhKek/s4032/IMG_1963.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQdo90qtYqREydnmlAsu6xcmrZIpalVyy6CgPMNMp6Yt_grQGxx_ZkVc8WQMbyBUz2lAjvX6KB2AGJrMNw1Ri2s5l9ADuA6Bfids4HnaMvVbOKVfXk6uYmyZAddO1tEgC6DzJLQgQvhqHqHqMBcse49Xng5HlghCZ9j0n5RAu4h1h4Uzv_FhHGAwYhKek/w640-h480/IMG_1963.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div>And that's a wrap on Christmas and New Years 2023! We are over halfway through the summer holidays and I'm starting to feel that. nagging feeling that I haven't got enough done around the house, that I'm going to need to check my work email and do a few small work jobs, etc etc. But first up we have some fun things to look forward to for the rest of the summer: a few days at a beach house in the Mornington Peninsula with friends, a padel tennis tournament for Andy, netball camp for Ella, and of course the Australian Open!<br /><div><br /></div></div>Wendy McCarryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10400056809655031226noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3302793385282321137.post-34733965577816308712023-12-24T05:37:00.004+00:002023-12-24T05:37:18.781+00:00We're full of that Christmas Morning Feeling<p style="text-align: justify;">Some of you might recognise the title of this post as a line from a song from the movie <i>Spirited</i>, a Netflix reimagining of "A Christmas Carol", starring Will Ferrell and Ryan Reynolds. It came out last year, but we only got around to watching it a few weeks ago. It's so good! Ever since I have quite a few of the songs from it stuck in my head, which is not a bad thing. Watching Christmas movies is one way we've got into that Christmas morning feeling this year, with Spirited being the first one. Ella has watched just about every "made for TV" Christmas movie on Netflix, she's really into them this year. As cheesy as they are, it's nice to be able to watch movies with your kids that are not cartoons. Ollie is less excited about Christmas movies, though we did convince him to watch Home Alone and Home Alone 2. He thinks it is absolutely hilarious when Kevin puts on the shaving cream and screams into the mirror. (He also keeps saying "Merry Christmas you filthy animal" which admittedly very funny coming from a 5-year-old, but we've had to tell him to only say that to people in our family.)</p><p style="text-align: justify;">Other than Christmas movies we've been getting ready for Christmas since the start of December, when my parents were still here. We started with getting the tree and decorations out, including the dreaded Elf on the Shelf. What a pain on the butt this thing is! We actually have two, of course, but one isn't "official". Thankfully the kids don't seem to mind. I've lost track of the amount of times our elves haven't moved overnight... who can remember to do that night after night for a whole month?! I suppose I should look on the bright side, all of this magical thinking is <a href="https://childhood-central.com/magical-thinking-should-you-encourage-it/" target="_blank">good for developing creativity in children</a>.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">The first weekend in December we had an early Christmas morning with my parents. We opened a few presents and had our usual Christmas morning brunch: fruit salad, bacon and eggs (done on the BBQ in Australia) and of course mimosas! I also made a <a href="https://www.thecountrycook.net/cinnamon-roll-cake/" target="_blank">cinnamon bun cake</a> to try and replace my mom’s famous <a href="https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/23177/land-of-nod-cinnamon-buns/" target="_blank">Land of Nod</a> Christmas morning treat. She can’t get the frozen dough balls needed to make this in Australia unfortunately. The cinnamon bun cake I made was very yummy but VERY sweet!</p><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiSGwVLHlNK1A1fEzPQBIfC4DgY5eAlTEesXBtkdwioKblJ-cJN1gBvevAFsYVvHq2LigrPymdcnipT0iybCBjZ392l8cnWzcvdTl_UNHj680WbHYtWg-8ANKhcuoEE8mXYCk0yafTf85kdNAbl98OjfFgePECGD5nkIBnL4O3TSxtJdC8T7t1VRP8f4Q/s2048/IMG_1041.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiSGwVLHlNK1A1fEzPQBIfC4DgY5eAlTEesXBtkdwioKblJ-cJN1gBvevAFsYVvHq2LigrPymdcnipT0iybCBjZ392l8cnWzcvdTl_UNHj680WbHYtWg-8ANKhcuoEE8mXYCk0yafTf85kdNAbl98OjfFgePECGD5nkIBnL4O3TSxtJdC8T7t1VRP8f4Q/w640-h480/IMG_1041.jpeg" width="640" /></a></p><p style="text-align: justify;">My children started the day in their Christmas PJs but somehow they always just end up running around in their underwear. Does this happen with all kids or are mine just "special"?</p><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinY2ivGZqVPo4UuIkFbe4vVGHMVi3iLhYb5PwyltjfjaFKhegorXM16Nss-uoUZqES2F8zA9D6yka8hTTbfEyMyAkh4VPMQjGN0wzg2zFU4mpsu_FNFNCz4p_ztxhb24gJW3y5ts0BStRRDqb5HGYhylfTBzRZbbyNHoAnlWJTVSaRSYdM60me16pjEN0/s2048/IMG_1062.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinY2ivGZqVPo4UuIkFbe4vVGHMVi3iLhYb5PwyltjfjaFKhegorXM16Nss-uoUZqES2F8zA9D6yka8hTTbfEyMyAkh4VPMQjGN0wzg2zFU4mpsu_FNFNCz4p_ztxhb24gJW3y5ts0BStRRDqb5HGYhylfTBzRZbbyNHoAnlWJTVSaRSYdM60me16pjEN0/w640-h480/IMG_1062.jpeg" width="640" /></a></p><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOKWiVDPZSchLL9IsNufqiq_169NuUsg33RgJ08mh3EfqwuGoA3pjpuJsqlVTFbg0q9rqHj2y7bICzDjQKP4cmpkMGLidv4K8Jze1aJoezpzDd10XJYIXqllGuJTN5pf58IjoB2sRPkXF2g8cYEr5bRDALXylUlKKbiQzAewRetC2TU84k5D1VGstBqMo/s2048/IMG_1035.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOKWiVDPZSchLL9IsNufqiq_169NuUsg33RgJ08mh3EfqwuGoA3pjpuJsqlVTFbg0q9rqHj2y7bICzDjQKP4cmpkMGLidv4K8Jze1aJoezpzDd10XJYIXqllGuJTN5pf58IjoB2sRPkXF2g8cYEr5bRDALXylUlKKbiQzAewRetC2TU84k5D1VGstBqMo/w640-h480/IMG_1035.jpeg" width="640" /></a></p><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZegTo5izDvMyBbxLFvKL9hfcfdZjF1L1EP11EzTPQGka6CqKXxAgCpPeAG1toIDxm-iG5bS8myPnMMHJMXjV-Mnu4RQE12E0Z6i-WmsA7DrmZ9l3unbtnkidNjkS4b8g367QZIVP-zxOYBxf-5X5hdz1YrgMTEh_b1rGBD_QPOpjwZJ4VlpniazZCv9s/s2048/IMG_1034.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZegTo5izDvMyBbxLFvKL9hfcfdZjF1L1EP11EzTPQGka6CqKXxAgCpPeAG1toIDxm-iG5bS8myPnMMHJMXjV-Mnu4RQE12E0Z6i-WmsA7DrmZ9l3unbtnkidNjkS4b8g367QZIVP-zxOYBxf-5X5hdz1YrgMTEh_b1rGBD_QPOpjwZJ4VlpniazZCv9s/w640-h480/IMG_1034.jpeg" width="640" /></a></p><p>That afternoon my mom made gingerbread houses with the kids. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6sdDO6BT7a9Mora5gMEzfGdXy-rf0PuUa2xWqaiOPRIAAXmc_qT18T1EuZbm4e5GGXpsKmp2P8Gu-z26RdacgZK0cnlcsKXY-mZdbCJ7xILFLqIEIhUIyWINHbu1Cks-sPMsaW_UD3yHsJU1uGIF1X6bloat-FIGSwb7v2VVvo-q_21jpz0M4TKv_nmU/s1737/071b6b69-0776-4761-b2cb-bd6cf6b5ec41.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1319" data-original-width="1737" height="486" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6sdDO6BT7a9Mora5gMEzfGdXy-rf0PuUa2xWqaiOPRIAAXmc_qT18T1EuZbm4e5GGXpsKmp2P8Gu-z26RdacgZK0cnlcsKXY-mZdbCJ7xILFLqIEIhUIyWINHbu1Cks-sPMsaW_UD3yHsJU1uGIF1X6bloat-FIGSwb7v2VVvo-q_21jpz0M4TKv_nmU/w640-h486/071b6b69-0776-4761-b2cb-bd6cf6b5ec41.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><p style="text-align: justify;">They had a great time decorating their houses, but we had a disaster a few days later when we woke up to find that Ella’s house had collapsed. Panicking, Andy and I had no idea what we were going to tell Ella when she woke up. But then, a stroke of genius… we realised we could blame it on the elf! Brilliant! Finally those elves have come in handy. Both children were extremely annoyed at how naughty the elf had been, but it did save us a lot of tears from Ella about her gingerbread house! </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioRSqRbPp0U3mjSUfjmY8GM_W8JrSWA87jpN2siGV8cCSGqnsIEep6ym2dk0i62B_B0mu-wGq9qIhyteWzhsKarzmNjiR2yRFPSmftG6oFou9l7u_j8NoCAzJQbVLWSNFTTOOD4BtwR8OCeHocvg_6dWG7ObGEZ_H5T9JJutHbcA6lVMd6srZ2uo-2Jmk/s1600/cbe10423-6f35-43bf-95dc-7b6c0eeff90a.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioRSqRbPp0U3mjSUfjmY8GM_W8JrSWA87jpN2siGV8cCSGqnsIEep6ym2dk0i62B_B0mu-wGq9qIhyteWzhsKarzmNjiR2yRFPSmftG6oFou9l7u_j8NoCAzJQbVLWSNFTTOOD4BtwR8OCeHocvg_6dWG7ObGEZ_H5T9JJutHbcA6lVMd6srZ2uo-2Jmk/w480-h640/cbe10423-6f35-43bf-95dc-7b6c0eeff90a.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">The next weekend was the last weekend my parents were in Melbourne leaving to go see my brother in California for Christmas. We decided to take a trip into the city to see Santa Claus. Usually Santa Claus can be found at Federation Square, however, this year he was moved to a spot just off of Collins Street. It was a bit of a strange location. I’m not sure very many people knew where this was, and when we got there there was a very short line to see him... but I guess that’s not a bad thing. The kids told Santa what they wanted for Christmas. Ollie: a toy car, and Ella: some roller skates. Roller skates! Where does she think she’s going to roller skate? I feel really bad, but unfortunately this year Ella isn’t going to be getting exactly what she asked for from Santa Claus. My parents did get her netball ring so hopefully that distracts her from the (lack of) roller skates on Christmas morning!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br style="text-align: left;" /><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXSwTmMnDJhzmx6doygd3FFvBJ8gKKQdJ9Rlmj92W7L79tkxDtwOAf6U6TL6u13RQxsTcso_C_QY5q8HOaI67-CKvZOKEqUMA8L7BSCe2LQyY-ezorBJwyAfzqZkDyUoEd-hzfcllB1tW8O1FHp-Q4OHEoSGLD5FTMLOv3xhlzmGO6z49HFi7UkLnMAg4/s4032/IMG_1673.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXSwTmMnDJhzmx6doygd3FFvBJ8gKKQdJ9Rlmj92W7L79tkxDtwOAf6U6TL6u13RQxsTcso_C_QY5q8HOaI67-CKvZOKEqUMA8L7BSCe2LQyY-ezorBJwyAfzqZkDyUoEd-hzfcllB1tW8O1FHp-Q4OHEoSGLD5FTMLOv3xhlzmGO6z49HFi7UkLnMAg4/w640-h480/IMG_1673.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIXG_ELh6y2aPEmmx97Kr7i5MOwi6cFdTdluHY1xmJZUyecHoRK3ltX97ueDtFBUFAJqCCKw3AKNYkbNoQ3O560xbNBAETBem7oFftV1efg6TyV9HDdGBvPWMQqap31PWdAGAgRX8TcisJyI_hVGkMzklBFTN0kgRB0618EnJ26fpfyBMK4oln9o49oZo/s4032/IMG_1674.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIXG_ELh6y2aPEmmx97Kr7i5MOwi6cFdTdluHY1xmJZUyecHoRK3ltX97ueDtFBUFAJqCCKw3AKNYkbNoQ3O560xbNBAETBem7oFftV1efg6TyV9HDdGBvPWMQqap31PWdAGAgRX8TcisJyI_hVGkMzklBFTN0kgRB0618EnJ26fpfyBMK4oln9o49oZo/w640-h480/IMG_1674.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">After seeing Santa, we took a tram and walked through the wind rain to Crown casino to see what was happening there. They used to have a really cool Fabergé egg display and show, but for whatever reason this year, it wasn’t running. We did see that giant Christmas tree, and for entertainment there was a singing and dancing Christmas tree and ornament duet. But to be honest it wasn't a hugely successful outing. It didn’t help that the weather was dreadful, non stop rain all day long. We ended up stopping for a coffee and tea at the tables outside of the Conservatory. I remember doing this the first time my parents came to Australia with my brother, Mike and his wife, Ashley. I’ll tell you it was a much more civilised affair that time! This time we tried to enjoy a relaxing hot drink break with Ella dancing around the lobby and Ollie trying to have a nap on one of the chairs. </div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2OiOh5y3cFQ_Y-H02d6ConwEKfTDmzzdopZExjlCblN_5_aVI_C1x14_IpEPj8w53-Sa4cE7BMjPp6dBmt__GZM4-eP6-sBbaa01A91kCmHtlavZmHiJ_cBdgkwhNRySLUOYlfTIXocZG27a0yeI2bbrTV1QYSIqZwCYlBsmfl4h1UrZmgyNVL-C0pTQ/s4032/IMG_1691.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2OiOh5y3cFQ_Y-H02d6ConwEKfTDmzzdopZExjlCblN_5_aVI_C1x14_IpEPj8w53-Sa4cE7BMjPp6dBmt__GZM4-eP6-sBbaa01A91kCmHtlavZmHiJ_cBdgkwhNRySLUOYlfTIXocZG27a0yeI2bbrTV1QYSIqZwCYlBsmfl4h1UrZmgyNVL-C0pTQ/w640-h480/IMG_1691.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjku9Sk3_z-uaAyZX2MZb6DFninMmjkWme2tU6k9kScKXpS0u9zRh4iumi6R6p0EsBjFTXEWwx7GiTNzZqg5zSogT_s0wzmoq9bMmd_6mtygubdc2qXVOY9iWP5-VNjoNNUQRISTNtwW3jUxfIk507MQwPfZc819ivmvLovsWsIWzpEmuSCWhyphenhyphenmEa6oDc4/s4032/IMG_1697.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjku9Sk3_z-uaAyZX2MZb6DFninMmjkWme2tU6k9kScKXpS0u9zRh4iumi6R6p0EsBjFTXEWwx7GiTNzZqg5zSogT_s0wzmoq9bMmd_6mtygubdc2qXVOY9iWP5-VNjoNNUQRISTNtwW3jUxfIk507MQwPfZc819ivmvLovsWsIWzpEmuSCWhyphenhyphenmEa6oDc4/w480-h640/IMG_1697.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhA4reZwWJdhXeTKlht4RYb3jAITo1LJYdJvWPjIRysfu2xOCQ4PkieshK0Ur5pC4ESciAkSVhQCL_O5-xQ6TyGQVDugVUuYkQSkk3f3NrhGahuZW_haSKpaCEIEnWbRoB49ESj2RWm-t0lAsPfh-U012Qeo-s1UIFG9_8SAvU00V761u4Q8c8iaD2MWrI/s4032/IMG_1701.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhA4reZwWJdhXeTKlht4RYb3jAITo1LJYdJvWPjIRysfu2xOCQ4PkieshK0Ur5pC4ESciAkSVhQCL_O5-xQ6TyGQVDugVUuYkQSkk3f3NrhGahuZW_haSKpaCEIEnWbRoB49ESj2RWm-t0lAsPfh-U012Qeo-s1UIFG9_8SAvU00V761u4Q8c8iaD2MWrI/w640-h480/IMG_1701.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">This month the kids have also been busy making homemade Christmas cards which Andy works on with them. They also wrote some letters to Santa and excitedly posted them off.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUjELx7A_B8zLZSsM20fUnsG9csdnOHwJ7ivhXx4zE43x7pJYpLF5DIdGJZPi58bEL52A4LoFVwQdNWapnYfM7g1wFafBmdSqVrr8gJ9QwkvKDR7ggwyheGER-rl4H8XXCyu6KoqQhrs_7bsuncGGUgcS9mSsbt9MZBSPvow0xdVIbKeEQUpge9T0aZx8/s2880/6CA9190A-0018-4A75-96C3-1955EF371A06-COLLAGE.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2880" data-original-width="2880" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUjELx7A_B8zLZSsM20fUnsG9csdnOHwJ7ivhXx4zE43x7pJYpLF5DIdGJZPi58bEL52A4LoFVwQdNWapnYfM7g1wFafBmdSqVrr8gJ9QwkvKDR7ggwyheGER-rl4H8XXCyu6KoqQhrs_7bsuncGGUgcS9mSsbt9MZBSPvow0xdVIbKeEQUpge9T0aZx8/w640-h640/6CA9190A-0018-4A75-96C3-1955EF371A06-COLLAGE.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">Yesterday was Christmas Eve Eve, and we went to the rehearsal of the Carols by Candlelight at the Sydney Meyer musical bowl. These carols are a Christmas Eve tradition in Australia, this year is the 86th year they will have been broadcast live on television across the country. The final rehearsal night is a ticketed event where you can watch in a more relaxed environment. This is something our friends Steve, and Michelle do every year with a group of their friends, and this year we decided to tag along. It was very very busy when we got there at 5 PM. People had laid out their picnic back blankets all over the lawn, and there was barely any space to walk through them. The kids didn’t want to sit on the picnic blankets, anyway, and ended up playing around the side of the amphitheatre while the grown ups took turns watching the kids and watching the carols. At around 7pm families with very young children started to leave and there was a bit more space to watch the carols and dance. It goes until about midnight, but of course that is way too late for us! We stuck it out until about 9:30pm when there was a very cool drone light show, before heading home. As it got dark the atmosphere was excellent, and I could see going regularly to this as the kids get older.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVNPErQbAbCIjTCf1kbRVqlJ_seWUhMlv8H32-jJjCmGPJ1paAJ7gM2t4fl76gl48BELFA2HNi5xI6G6rlmUOYm1BDXHlu175izmxdU8FkW7hAyvM34akVox9vxkLNPtV2xsxjM75UG-iBMRYuPnGlF7bHkwFzYcwUvCg3JlpUKbUlPs5p6zvp2c48DAI/s4032/IMG_1829.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVNPErQbAbCIjTCf1kbRVqlJ_seWUhMlv8H32-jJjCmGPJ1paAJ7gM2t4fl76gl48BELFA2HNi5xI6G6rlmUOYm1BDXHlu175izmxdU8FkW7hAyvM34akVox9vxkLNPtV2xsxjM75UG-iBMRYuPnGlF7bHkwFzYcwUvCg3JlpUKbUlPs5p6zvp2c48DAI/w640-h480/IMG_1829.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">On our way home we took advantage of the kids being out so late to drive around our neighbourhood looking at some of the Christmas lights. This is definitely one of the things I dislike the most about living in Australia, that it doesn’t get dark at Christmastime until about 9 PM, so we never really take the kids out to look at Christmas lights as that is past their bedtime. They still have such a sense of wonder when looking at Christmas lights, it really is magical, and makes you appreciating seeing them through the kids eyes. I do hope that we can do one more Christmas in Canada within the next few years while they are still young and excited about this kind of thing.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEii6TAqMSeDLLeUAcTflCqfNBSSmZLU0srCkA4k-n3YDlmP0Dzl4mJlAu0MFdrWXlEtRkTPx4GLDG6reA5dLqrhaNO6Y8bBiDJTt85De4P3uhfH3ULGCVOFMlNIedGZP8NyfMHCTOeNcPoM3XTo-t3IGmKH7TZf5KKymDjxyJaF7-P5cpzrcoeag9AIzUs/s3894/IMG_1831.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="3894" height="498" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEii6TAqMSeDLLeUAcTflCqfNBSSmZLU0srCkA4k-n3YDlmP0Dzl4mJlAu0MFdrWXlEtRkTPx4GLDG6reA5dLqrhaNO6Y8bBiDJTt85De4P3uhfH3ULGCVOFMlNIedGZP8NyfMHCTOeNcPoM3XTo-t3IGmKH7TZf5KKymDjxyJaF7-P5cpzrcoeag9AIzUs/w640-h498/IMG_1831.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">Today is Christmas Eve and we’ve had a bit of a low key day. We all slept in a little bit after our late night at the carols, and I got to go to my wonderful Sunday morning yoga class as usual. A great start to the day! I took the kids swimming in the afternoon while Andy stayed home to wrap presents and tidy up the house. It’s a nice sunny day today, but unfortunately, tomorrow they’re calling for rain and thunderstorms. It seems like it’s going to be a rainy Christmas all over Australia this year. My parents definitely picked a good year to not be here! We are going over to Verge and Taryn’s house tomorrow for Christmas Day lunch. Obviously we were hoping it would be a day that the kids could swim in their pool, but I’m sure they’ll have fun together, even if it is a rainy afternoon. Without family in Melbourne, it is nice to be able to have Christmas day wth our close friends.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">The kids are just about to settle in for a viewing of A Muppets Christmas Carol, my favourite Christmas movie of all time - reminding me of Christmas Eve's spent with our close family friends for many years. A bittersweet memory, as most of you reading this will know, due to the passing of my mom's dear friend Carol a few years ago. A good memory nevertheless. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">Ella has written a note for Santa on our front door window. Hopefully he find the house OK tonight!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGEGVvgh_8_Z4ZsQRjPYdidXgQr2fYf3aCOYWLeETLv9HU_M3IjO9sdfg5mnSAjZzyegES76WHQRzHF56g06TRt4uy1SuXr_yHNHqANYMu6y06GYASsptesR_f01gbpOEsKL1CtOAZ4lXJqmvBc5n6LRyeCDci9N47kkE0PYQmYs7YwUziOKzH4sqa67c/s1024/1ab831d6-80dd-4de3-8e14-67009b3deaac.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1024" data-original-width="768" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGEGVvgh_8_Z4ZsQRjPYdidXgQr2fYf3aCOYWLeETLv9HU_M3IjO9sdfg5mnSAjZzyegES76WHQRzHF56g06TRt4uy1SuXr_yHNHqANYMu6y06GYASsptesR_f01gbpOEsKL1CtOAZ4lXJqmvBc5n6LRyeCDci9N47kkE0PYQmYs7YwUziOKzH4sqa67c/w480-h640/1ab831d6-80dd-4de3-8e14-67009b3deaac.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p>Wendy McCarryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10400056809655031226noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3302793385282321137.post-2718344136695724272023-12-11T02:40:00.011+00:002023-12-11T02:40:50.575+00:00Dumpling Market & African Cultural Festival<p style="text-align: justify;">A few weekends ago we decided to head into the city to check out some of the free festivals happening over the weekend. My parents have been visiting us since mid-October, and we really hadn't done much exploring in the city since they'd arrived.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">That Saturday morning started as it usually does: with Ella's netball match. My mom and Andy took her to that, while my dad and I stayed home with Ollie. Ollie isn't keen on going to her matches, so if we don't have to drag him along it's easier for everyone involved. He doesn't yet do his own team sports, which he believes is "totally" unfair. (Ollie has just learned the word totally and uses it all the time - "I'm <i>totally </i>not tired", "that is <i>totally</i> unfair" etc.) </p><p style="text-align: justify;">Another quirk of Ollie's is that he is often reluctant to leave the house. Regardless of our plans, he just wants to stay home. Perhaps he's averse to change in general, or maybe it's a result of being a Covid toddler, but it's always a challenge to get him ready to go out. Getting dressed, brushing teeth, putting on shoes... each step is a hurdle! Of course, more often than not once we are out and about Ollie will declare "this is the best day of my life!" This Saturday was no exception, and it was nice for my dad and I to be able to leave with Ollie in his own time, rather than trying to rush him out the door for netball.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">The three of us caught the tram into the city, strolling around a kilometer from the tram stop to reach the Dumpling Market at Birrarung Marr along the Yarra River. The weather was beautiful, and arriving just after the market opened meant it wasn't too crowded. We checked out a few food trucks before I got some pierogis for Ollie, while my dad opted for some spicier chili dumplings. Ella, Andy and my mom joined us not long after and we all took turns sampling various dumpling like foods while watching some cultural performances.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjq4XLQ1Et3vWMdFMFuEiQKpuPBNwRhVpVfvR4x_3Xi35RtQkIyqXhagG_siX-pYmqv02Ijo8tOuqlnsk0wESRt0Vtl16tmar4c1R8VUPVKUYmlywJryrWjkcollR1sXSEtNNnvHxFkhfgJFMP0MdQBMjg5lyti6ay_ft8g2FGT8JunZZs2C7KrW3OwjuY/s2048/IMG_0903.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjq4XLQ1Et3vWMdFMFuEiQKpuPBNwRhVpVfvR4x_3Xi35RtQkIyqXhagG_siX-pYmqv02Ijo8tOuqlnsk0wESRt0Vtl16tmar4c1R8VUPVKUYmlywJryrWjkcollR1sXSEtNNnvHxFkhfgJFMP0MdQBMjg5lyti6ay_ft8g2FGT8JunZZs2C7KrW3OwjuY/w640-h480/IMG_0903.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLKfGwycFkL-1hVk2Wqcg4qcnJnecNkYM9TklaNUBrZaucZ4_N7LG-wFhOBCKxDjsnYjiKXU7DooynJoi1Fb8PzPZzHyMa7nYdB2DaFQfqYw_l_bW-hSJb1gyjaf_tTde46cyezYKcvdKFw3p7cTWub3h_jRQqBW9Q3KztrM6S3nDLGYOTHqVyvNajqi0/s1024/5409d772-cab3-40c9-8baf-848534d2e376.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1024" data-original-width="768" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLKfGwycFkL-1hVk2Wqcg4qcnJnecNkYM9TklaNUBrZaucZ4_N7LG-wFhOBCKxDjsnYjiKXU7DooynJoi1Fb8PzPZzHyMa7nYdB2DaFQfqYw_l_bW-hSJb1gyjaf_tTde46cyezYKcvdKFw3p7cTWub3h_jRQqBW9Q3KztrM6S3nDLGYOTHqVyvNajqi0/w480-h640/5409d772-cab3-40c9-8baf-848534d2e376.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqHIMlQbMJBCaC7MDiR2CNDlMJsYWkiRzmH3mCh8KGtgJS7Xh4ZAdtKqqwE47ySbHTEqQblkOyG27vMbhTp_TipiMo-MSSVDHB4NDdgkX2xn8hNsU0Az_8NXCcIbQ8YiGLAFTNcV4UIblp4ezu5EVNh10gmLgGpzXmV2Evb2OzaZ97jMSRPAzm1YAtB00/s4032/IMG_1531.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqHIMlQbMJBCaC7MDiR2CNDlMJsYWkiRzmH3mCh8KGtgJS7Xh4ZAdtKqqwE47ySbHTEqQblkOyG27vMbhTp_TipiMo-MSSVDHB4NDdgkX2xn8hNsU0Az_8NXCcIbQ8YiGLAFTNcV4UIblp4ezu5EVNh10gmLgGpzXmV2Evb2OzaZ97jMSRPAzm1YAtB00/w640-h480/IMG_1531.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Soon after, Andy received a text inviting him to play padel tennis that afternoon, an offer he eagerly accepted. Padel, a blend of tennis and squash, has become Andy's newfound passion. He's played it during our trips to Spain, where it's more popular. Now, it's gaining traction in Australia, and Andy plays it weekly (or more, given the chance). He even prefers padel over golf! </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The rest of us continued exploring the city, venturing into another section of the Dumpling market to explore further offerings. <span style="text-align: justify;">We had some ice creams and dessert, I splurged on this fancy cat made of mousse and ice cream which was delicious. </span>The kids had a blast playing on the grass while my mom, dad, and I relaxed with a civilized afternoon drink.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQIlBgbELmYA0_hWtvEOp9ANa-3YRkG9Ei3e1XwBeP2dsFGiaGhLJJJV7fRoaYuq1a8kxbIL0YuqxY8ke0BP4e4nZlKPiCiD-IY-JfnggFEiLJbuY6lDPN3tNGVY_jQGjzZjXD93iLXi7ERZleS6cKjj_WisOmTiQGQng52smO91BAR9TdAuMoblrGy5U/s4032/IMG_1532.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQIlBgbELmYA0_hWtvEOp9ANa-3YRkG9Ei3e1XwBeP2dsFGiaGhLJJJV7fRoaYuq1a8kxbIL0YuqxY8ke0BP4e4nZlKPiCiD-IY-JfnggFEiLJbuY6lDPN3tNGVY_jQGjzZjXD93iLXi7ERZleS6cKjj_WisOmTiQGQng52smO91BAR9TdAuMoblrGy5U/w480-h640/IMG_1532.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigfSH0zhXcVgYDEwlnp918XqQczr16S3cWgKbRrXh-nhuJvk_XVpMTubdqN0Ynv0WTQ8IxOs6EWEAzdaZuF2-7R0iaRBcFTAaSbSBFzLpd5reWQmmYzuMC7IFlg-An5L83wE9XTP-RpKNC2V_s9cOaqFfTfPHR4xrDZv-LvlpfaLTgUoQJiTDjw9PjpSE/s4032/IMG_1547.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigfSH0zhXcVgYDEwlnp918XqQczr16S3cWgKbRrXh-nhuJvk_XVpMTubdqN0Ynv0WTQ8IxOs6EWEAzdaZuF2-7R0iaRBcFTAaSbSBFzLpd5reWQmmYzuMC7IFlg-An5L83wE9XTP-RpKNC2V_s9cOaqFfTfPHR4xrDZv-LvlpfaLTgUoQJiTDjw9PjpSE/w640-h480/IMG_1547.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtLNimR3s5czx_gKX9OuZyWRY_PQe7LMmt2HfwLolGu0rtGhEibzFI-41rWcOmsuWzNN8MCFeDAxXpn7NiIFpWq7gg_zl1Z0j6AIYmNh9yBaYyRSHicEDV3TwZ4nBl61CORb8pkg4FXsme5mJql1eba3wBoL9_P46JdY2b1FdKyiMIIoNFACGhd3pZmDk/s2048/7a3053c6-e127-4b16-ad7f-d59736ef6dd6.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtLNimR3s5czx_gKX9OuZyWRY_PQe7LMmt2HfwLolGu0rtGhEibzFI-41rWcOmsuWzNN8MCFeDAxXpn7NiIFpWq7gg_zl1Z0j6AIYmNh9yBaYyRSHicEDV3TwZ4nBl61CORb8pkg4FXsme5mJql1eba3wBoL9_P46JdY2b1FdKyiMIIoNFACGhd3pZmDk/w480-h640/7a3053c6-e127-4b16-ad7f-d59736ef6dd6.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div><div><p style="text-align: justify;">The kids loved this "chef" who came around and was juggling his giant utensils with them.</p><p style="text-align: justify;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJKVdHe-7tCJI-RC6iH0IvZTsmJiaUemXq2oi9LmgKfQ9-4Eq47ifSGHujopoI4khoDViSoXU9Qf3KTeTRGrmLElSGkAuiaVC-lR8re-R9uMP6DKUEJ818LSihTv_456fNIqAGSuJkUgMDBdqmgNsKpzC6DFo0KFS8vs0rskAJ9JmYSTV0DuPal6DL0NQ/s4032/IMG_1550.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJKVdHe-7tCJI-RC6iH0IvZTsmJiaUemXq2oi9LmgKfQ9-4Eq47ifSGHujopoI4khoDViSoXU9Qf3KTeTRGrmLElSGkAuiaVC-lR8re-R9uMP6DKUEJ818LSihTv_456fNIqAGSuJkUgMDBdqmgNsKpzC6DFo0KFS8vs0rskAJ9JmYSTV0DuPal6DL0NQ/w640-h480/IMG_1550.jpeg" width="640" /></a></p><div style="text-align: justify;">After our dumpling adventure, we headed to nearby Fed Square, where an African Cultural Festival was in full swing. This festival showcased yummy food stalls, musical and dance performances, and market stalls featuring art and fashion. On our way, my mom and I paused to watch a school rowing team Regatta on the river while the kids enjoyed the park behind Fed Square.</div></div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcv9ogGZRPjVJbbK5mtF4hwftF6JzY7a2Tq7ow5fsjTIrynSrXJ2WZDd3NRvMs1_bWzF9-p0kFr9jAiVbCgRporqZO_I26qRpLB5fS6OeO0li4BrRBc-yCjGRsPsqZJKaZKJaOBI9sWD4kq8s-6nxKiXFBl1ctvOe-FTx1_54TTUZx3e1tc_xco5mXUqw/s4032/IMG_1559.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcv9ogGZRPjVJbbK5mtF4hwftF6JzY7a2Tq7ow5fsjTIrynSrXJ2WZDd3NRvMs1_bWzF9-p0kFr9jAiVbCgRporqZO_I26qRpLB5fS6OeO0li4BrRBc-yCjGRsPsqZJKaZKJaOBI9sWD4kq8s-6nxKiXFBl1ctvOe-FTx1_54TTUZx3e1tc_xco5mXUqw/w640-h480/IMG_1559.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">After coaxing the kids away from the park, we participated in an energetic African Drumming workshop, which turned out to be incredibly fun.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilFlb_r6EkML_yuXZHmmcBW-LgRoLebEyfqY1yZb1FKJroJx6F-K-fYLHJA0ADuuW7tf476arPZlk_I4ZgbjVjBAryCrUoVvIYkyf54j8YODwigfuLjDk0nGQhvoH69OyPsOApBKmbidn1EnaHFTW74_n9pd2Q7rmLtvd0YT2_xQMNHWlsJyVuG5TzIZk/s1024/c94fff42-6173-4b60-bc57-03f21c28da87.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="768" data-original-width="1024" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilFlb_r6EkML_yuXZHmmcBW-LgRoLebEyfqY1yZb1FKJroJx6F-K-fYLHJA0ADuuW7tf476arPZlk_I4ZgbjVjBAryCrUoVvIYkyf54j8YODwigfuLjDk0nGQhvoH69OyPsOApBKmbidn1EnaHFTW74_n9pd2Q7rmLtvd0YT2_xQMNHWlsJyVuG5TzIZk/w640-h480/c94fff42-6173-4b60-bc57-03f21c28da87.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8RSbcf7mJkn16g98uH-QR5D44RGRGR-kupReYIKNaKeCtUFxjE1wsHi_TRT_uCLikKFb1B1_Ha7RtF3Grf9ex5EvL2MvtxGKNzxGpuFky0lSU-C5bfTqIVkLtojR_SEL-I8FwWUV1xfL0XZvzNoiBDz-J1d0NVJvKU3eVBoT29BynUM5pKKJY8wQE7cU/s4032/IMG_1561.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8RSbcf7mJkn16g98uH-QR5D44RGRGR-kupReYIKNaKeCtUFxjE1wsHi_TRT_uCLikKFb1B1_Ha7RtF3Grf9ex5EvL2MvtxGKNzxGpuFky0lSU-C5bfTqIVkLtojR_SEL-I8FwWUV1xfL0XZvzNoiBDz-J1d0NVJvKU3eVBoT29BynUM5pKKJY8wQE7cU/w640-h480/IMG_1561.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><div><p style="text-align: justify;">After that we sampled some food from an African BBQ stall, and it was delicious! It was a tough call deciding which we enjoyed more, the dumplings or the BBQ. We were certainly spoiled for choice between the two festivals!</p><div style="text-align: justify;">We attempted to watch a musical performance later, but nearing 5 pm, the kids were getting cranky and tired. I tried to drag them in an exhibition at the Ian Potter Gallery nearby, but that didn't go well, except for a room with floor-to-ceiling projections and comfortable cushions for viewing the art.</div></div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCdX1Cvxu3TOY250pRNdE_tDhlnTHcQImIkkw_8AZNO2pUGQlMi5GOM9B2DnBb4igw8rmLEWcaoKI-_zlRtEEt5zovArb40DykTo_wVCw7rybfuN9yuAbK4ocK5GJHtpIE9PYdbL-6EbmaLVbV0yvOzYAWypd2vmTtLcseJ7OeBpXr8X5omwNsAnDMpbY/s4032/IMG_1562.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCdX1Cvxu3TOY250pRNdE_tDhlnTHcQImIkkw_8AZNO2pUGQlMi5GOM9B2DnBb4igw8rmLEWcaoKI-_zlRtEEt5zovArb40DykTo_wVCw7rybfuN9yuAbK4ocK5GJHtpIE9PYdbL-6EbmaLVbV0yvOzYAWypd2vmTtLcseJ7OeBpXr8X5omwNsAnDMpbY/w640-h480/IMG_1562.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><div><p style="text-align: justify;">Luckily Andy was finished his Padel game and not too far away from us, so we decided to meet him where we'd normally catch the tram so he could drive some of us home - I don't know if the kids would have lasted on the tram!</p><p style="text-align: justify;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj58EGTl402zJMApRrdF_Fc3ThamJC7fwW5HYINR6gRL4cAj842JLFPzaBZyLhQKaR7cAO54nQbrCpUnQHybV_gD9sFyTksusAscWYtgz3TVrA88iff0lPJU561_MTPfDzFR992nS-hRgQ3WHteNp970Y4YldXgwN9RKVKHnMzB-qPoK1m58BjIwKmbDmM/s4032/IMG_1566.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj58EGTl402zJMApRrdF_Fc3ThamJC7fwW5HYINR6gRL4cAj842JLFPzaBZyLhQKaR7cAO54nQbrCpUnQHybV_gD9sFyTksusAscWYtgz3TVrA88iff0lPJU561_MTPfDzFR992nS-hRgQ3WHteNp970Y4YldXgwN9RKVKHnMzB-qPoK1m58BjIwKmbDmM/w640-h480/IMG_1566.jpeg" width="640" /></a></p><p style="text-align: justify;">With our 5-seater car filled, my mom and I opted for the tram ride home together. We decided to walk part of the way and stumbled upon a few bars and restaurants. We stopped at a charming looking wine bar, and when we went in we were pleased to discover that there was also a rooftop bar. Taking advantage of the warm evening, we headed upstairs and had a chat with the barman about a few of the wines. On warm days I'm not forever in search of places that serve chilled reds... I've found a few good ones that are really smooth and feel completely different to drinking a white or a rose. Unfortunately this was not one of those places, HOWEVER we discovered that they had $8 gin and tonics on tap! What a steal! Even better... the barman told us they were on the house! What a win! So mom and I topped off our lovely day of festivals in the city with free drinks on a sunny rooftop bar, before heading home to the chaos of putting the kids to bed. What a lovely day we had!</p><p style="text-align: justify;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKMAGO3xgozNYqDaqA1zVBwuo97YbxNoALM36dJfcDaftOfDcugrsSrJV1uVWtB9iv9WgtlON8r2vd1DqwrAq6ra5UcwfERrmZtrU_iMfDZYWuoUD_N0CdrYzXTTaC4XsmOJkORKgl2cZEp5dIYtN8JijjkCRhEs5Jw9h885Ss1eIY5CRJ22fwFlJsRNQ/s4032/IMG_1568.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKMAGO3xgozNYqDaqA1zVBwuo97YbxNoALM36dJfcDaftOfDcugrsSrJV1uVWtB9iv9WgtlON8r2vd1DqwrAq6ra5UcwfERrmZtrU_iMfDZYWuoUD_N0CdrYzXTTaC4XsmOJkORKgl2cZEp5dIYtN8JijjkCRhEs5Jw9h885Ss1eIY5CRJ22fwFlJsRNQ/w640-h480/IMG_1568.jpeg" width="640" /></a></p></div>Wendy McCarryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10400056809655031226noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3302793385282321137.post-90461419431797063342023-11-28T01:54:00.009+00:002023-11-28T01:54:47.641+00:00Four Days on the Gold Coast<p style="text-align: justify;">This post is follows on from my last post on our <a href="https://wandymcnobledownunder.blogspot.com/2023/11/three-days-in-byron-bay.html" target="_blank">three days in Byron Bay</a>. </p><p style="text-align: justify;">The day we left Byron Bay it was rainy and cool - weather we are very used to in Melbourne this time of year, but a bit disappointing for our holiday in Queensland! We left our cabin in Byron mid-morning, driving about 45 minutes north to Currumbin Beach, located in the southern part of the Gold Coast. The Gold Coast is actually a city - the sixth largest in Australia, even though the name makes it sound like a region. The city stretches along the eastern coast of Australia for about 70 km, and as the name implies, the weather is sunny for about 300 days per year. </p><p style="text-align: justify;">But alas, it has to be cloudy for another 65 days, and unfortunately for us, three of those days were while we were visiting. On the bright side, at least we didn't have to worry about the kids getting sunburned!</p><p style="text-align: justify;">Regardless of the less than perfect weather, we met our friend Andy at the beach, and the kids played in the shallow water while Andy surfed. Andy is also a teacher so was on school holidays as well. (This post is going to be confusing with two Andy's in the mix!) My Andy knows Queensland Andy through Andy's older brother, Pete, who lived with my Andy at university back in England. Queensland Andy and his wife Jo had lived in Melbourne at the same time we did (back during our first stint) and the two Andy's struck up a friendship based on a mutual love of playing sport. They even coached a soccer team together for three years. Andy and Jo have had a similar experience to us, in that they moved back to the UK from Melbourne around the same time we moved to Canada. Like us, they missed their lives in Australia, and eventually moved back in 2022, trading Melbourne for the Gold Coast. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiPrSYg9DXZ_qM-JCUUW_tcEYVfVnK7qoTtxLOFT8eSp8hEeIh0dT2OcUg3qUdpTzyXe_tlmPFsy3658yIryUpJ3HYg5xF5CORjakigzMznyfrxTr9Ly_eKQj1z1Vy7uCrWCYwTZYq5rTAxsp7KF1y5-VmogzGW-1NYfAELi6592g6D42NmjqJ_ZoFl8I/s4032/IMG_1016.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiPrSYg9DXZ_qM-JCUUW_tcEYVfVnK7qoTtxLOFT8eSp8hEeIh0dT2OcUg3qUdpTzyXe_tlmPFsy3658yIryUpJ3HYg5xF5CORjakigzMznyfrxTr9Ly_eKQj1z1Vy7uCrWCYwTZYq5rTAxsp7KF1y5-VmogzGW-1NYfAELi6592g6D42NmjqJ_ZoFl8I/w640-h480/IMG_1016.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiobTGBHyHUTSLcyO0UkQ0UdHRXZieEzobTI_f4wg2YMa9cLt3_Jq7fqdnFOjhOVA7jhmf1TcpRex4XfUx3NK1f5lI1mZT_cyzdqbb_EDabukcLiOHtnyT6Knq3X0q6yDZkiYsTmy9AMnmFMgcyteA-CovyHTJZ-0khkJB_oSG4n9XQ3AyO7v0nZRE6_UY/s4032/IMG_1017.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiobTGBHyHUTSLcyO0UkQ0UdHRXZieEzobTI_f4wg2YMa9cLt3_Jq7fqdnFOjhOVA7jhmf1TcpRex4XfUx3NK1f5lI1mZT_cyzdqbb_EDabukcLiOHtnyT6Knq3X0q6yDZkiYsTmy9AMnmFMgcyteA-CovyHTJZ-0khkJB_oSG4n9XQ3AyO7v0nZRE6_UY/w640-h480/IMG_1017.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><p style="text-align: justify;">When Andy was done with his morning surf, which he does on a regular basis as any good Brit turned Queenslander must do, he had the kids try out some body boarding on his surfboard, which of course they loved.</p><p style="text-align: justify;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigDV-NB_S_Ezvc3X3cZ704tElTrPMQz-8XiRya04np75QcM8rcqS9anx0wJy1s0JAslXC2DS2uV_3y4oAvY2Uysqc23BC-46RUGmgacVnLCWVaghOaNvYV_Z0IOzTDLVRSHUNaqGppQv5BL1F6p9mA4-Yq79ukJj5rWX4rDjHD6zozW8sQ4ALVg9u0ESw/s4032/IMG_1022.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigDV-NB_S_Ezvc3X3cZ704tElTrPMQz-8XiRya04np75QcM8rcqS9anx0wJy1s0JAslXC2DS2uV_3y4oAvY2Uysqc23BC-46RUGmgacVnLCWVaghOaNvYV_Z0IOzTDLVRSHUNaqGppQv5BL1F6p9mA4-Yq79ukJj5rWX4rDjHD6zozW8sQ4ALVg9u0ESw/w640-h480/IMG_1022.jpeg" width="640" /></a></p><p style="text-align: justify;">After the surfing sessions we had all worked up an appetite, so we headed to one of the many surf clubs for lunch before heading to Andy and Jo's, where we would be spending the next four days. They have 3-year-old twins who were in daycare during the day we arrived. When they got home from daycare they were both very excited to have Ella and Ollie visiting. It was very cute to watch Ella and Ollie with the younger kids, and of course us adults were delighted that our children seemed to amuse each other.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">The next couple of days we had similarly cool and cloudy weather. We spent a lot of time visiting different playgrounds with the twins - as a father of 3-year-olds Andy knew where all the good ones were! We traveled up and down the coast at the best beach side playgrounds.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiQG7PWPkfLz4ei1S6EiH3z_I2EO7FsP4K5_24KfhOxlWCeLxg1G6yruFwoj0rng5QZoSl9cKiBbyM4cYAC6sAm6gDUQqU5x7_YV01Oo3WJokiP2IAkm_YXgTOzsvTVgLLcc9OJrUbOKwpKwjo5K0CQxdLIzaRikXKPWfa7_O734rLp1FsS-6b7Dm_IsQ/s4032/IMG_1027.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiQG7PWPkfLz4ei1S6EiH3z_I2EO7FsP4K5_24KfhOxlWCeLxg1G6yruFwoj0rng5QZoSl9cKiBbyM4cYAC6sAm6gDUQqU5x7_YV01Oo3WJokiP2IAkm_YXgTOzsvTVgLLcc9OJrUbOKwpKwjo5K0CQxdLIzaRikXKPWfa7_O734rLp1FsS-6b7Dm_IsQ/w640-h480/IMG_1027.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyiG7m0t71nJ_UkRtBaYf77sp81QJ7ZJMCXL0W0KhEZvlS7mbzpK5-SAeMfgE96k75jS4qIsj-UYrHn3t0gX6GZ86aKvyICslL_6A04_rlxFtW14O9Sf2CKRiLUrHiCELoKtuMlf8ULD7pHJYyDkf7eWPGRxH6SdDJUx5y3F9sU4lvSv2jG8F2mlHLVnA/s3426/IMG_1050.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2598" data-original-width="3426" height="486" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyiG7m0t71nJ_UkRtBaYf77sp81QJ7ZJMCXL0W0KhEZvlS7mbzpK5-SAeMfgE96k75jS4qIsj-UYrHn3t0gX6GZ86aKvyICslL_6A04_rlxFtW14O9Sf2CKRiLUrHiCELoKtuMlf8ULD7pHJYyDkf7eWPGRxH6SdDJUx5y3F9sU4lvSv2jG8F2mlHLVnA/w640-h486/IMG_1050.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8xNkICAmTrD20kSCSyJWa_9PmT7Vdy_UwOPw4o-rNYzUl3NMjVwyiSgEuBCnoH8URp9Do9pMbL2t4vFi5OX7MlAHwwzvSM-MCN3Gxk9VmitJ4XrIJ0Piusin9nquowrGEJvIfEHjmQQWEJIrv_Z4paiwQBZrhQkbuJ1wsV3dcV_HrWPscJ3rxUaXPJnM/s4032/IMG_1051.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8xNkICAmTrD20kSCSyJWa_9PmT7Vdy_UwOPw4o-rNYzUl3NMjVwyiSgEuBCnoH8URp9Do9pMbL2t4vFi5OX7MlAHwwzvSM-MCN3Gxk9VmitJ4XrIJ0Piusin9nquowrGEJvIfEHjmQQWEJIrv_Z4paiwQBZrhQkbuJ1wsV3dcV_HrWPscJ3rxUaXPJnM/w640-h480/IMG_1051.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijRrNb8oL3StNClEtfq7t7TKXaHl-K-TlWgX85qMV8uzBPmBBhhmjuWnGozzMo91g6ft6Qs5kdqevXLtFU88Uxl9dvxTmuTvXtm2Ylua9WiGHx-p0MtVEhzQ0d5yPCWa44tJLeA6iqLqeb7T3GMQaFTiJCjnVRrdOOE-eg8ZpTUKhpgmQZuqgiKVRDnnI/s4032/IMG_5443.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijRrNb8oL3StNClEtfq7t7TKXaHl-K-TlWgX85qMV8uzBPmBBhhmjuWnGozzMo91g6ft6Qs5kdqevXLtFU88Uxl9dvxTmuTvXtm2Ylua9WiGHx-p0MtVEhzQ0d5yPCWa44tJLeA6iqLqeb7T3GMQaFTiJCjnVRrdOOE-eg8ZpTUKhpgmQZuqgiKVRDnnI/w640-h480/IMG_5443.HEIC" width="640" /></a></div><p style="text-align: justify;">One afternoon we took advantage of a break in the clouds to spend some time at the Palm Beach Parklands. This beach is like a small cove, tucked away from the main beaches with very still, shallow water. There is sand, a huge playground, a large grassy area to run around on, and a lovely cafe called Dune where we had lunch. (Ok, we actually ran over to Dune as a rain shower broke our sunny spell and it was the only place with cover. Honestly, the weather that day was <i>very</i> Melbourne!)</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiydsWB9-oFh-czqi9oJzvPXFz7cATJOywaZ4tRsnnzyK10o7ckMlCpzf8pcFZJvuj60OxfbIxzggUWs1ZlKhxAbwUn-EVQiqMVIijrKQDSJSGSQK8hezQ746iBDbKKTxfuQnkV5Ssn3j4md2ivtwC3y_pKP-v95hsDP9qRLhpUqmtPubKqc5dyEFF_fHU/s4032/IMG_5431.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiydsWB9-oFh-czqi9oJzvPXFz7cATJOywaZ4tRsnnzyK10o7ckMlCpzf8pcFZJvuj60OxfbIxzggUWs1ZlKhxAbwUn-EVQiqMVIijrKQDSJSGSQK8hezQ746iBDbKKTxfuQnkV5Ssn3j4md2ivtwC3y_pKP-v95hsDP9qRLhpUqmtPubKqc5dyEFF_fHU/w640-h480/IMG_5431.HEIC" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6ACll_wxfbAEglfBpfdKVkoSdzIR-wQmt2CY-mjzMM3bkfkSWZirrcQzv6yzgIESAGywglo6D1UAZRH2SZ3htJfCAVD6R2CbiWiox3154yysFFaa2UA5HFYtWVagNSuRTi0tUBRdH0QJHR_epGrP-LebdITfxX_Dw4Cos65UJCiPfCrh4CYFo9gHAmFs/s3426/IMG_1052.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2496" data-original-width="3426" height="466" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6ACll_wxfbAEglfBpfdKVkoSdzIR-wQmt2CY-mjzMM3bkfkSWZirrcQzv6yzgIESAGywglo6D1UAZRH2SZ3htJfCAVD6R2CbiWiox3154yysFFaa2UA5HFYtWVagNSuRTi0tUBRdH0QJHR_epGrP-LebdITfxX_Dw4Cos65UJCiPfCrh4CYFo9gHAmFs/w640-h466/IMG_1052.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSODvB9hsyvo9-irOyFNX6mEj-f-WpgPd9ZAXSQv2H_URzOA4kFVCw80qNNfbRT1zcFpt41a9QHhE04yk6yGYDVaVA7JZwcPqzNRjAzYk7lLYw3jBuCME7aYE17k9iHDrPDT9AL3_uLnst_YUkN-37yunJ-duEXkDjKb0AY-8u0hwit13CyuBUJu6u9zU/s4032/IMG_1061.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSODvB9hsyvo9-irOyFNX6mEj-f-WpgPd9ZAXSQv2H_URzOA4kFVCw80qNNfbRT1zcFpt41a9QHhE04yk6yGYDVaVA7JZwcPqzNRjAzYk7lLYw3jBuCME7aYE17k9iHDrPDT9AL3_uLnst_YUkN-37yunJ-duEXkDjKb0AY-8u0hwit13CyuBUJu6u9zU/w640-h480/IMG_1061.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><p style="text-align: justify;">In the evenings we swam in the pool back at Andy and Jo's. They live in a gated community which seems pretty common in parts of the Gold Coast, where there are shared facilities like pools, BBQs, tennis courts etc. I like that idea... it's all the convenience of your own pool without any of the cost or maintenance!</p><p style="text-align: justify;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEha4f0GCY9DXmi3HorLARXx_QmuqknIhTZBPTfr18FB-wd27CMFj-jsZeKoMo-tGm_lU9K1aeAhm3SzGcjV95a6rhC2zflmn8gR-pPrG0uORAftuzZ636Fk8Ug1ByjsS7gLuD0KBuRHrajGDaUHLSpiikRPwY9FfMO9-w7y1rYvWHdrgAsYjbDITwniJNs/s3638/IMG_1046.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2733" data-original-width="3638" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEha4f0GCY9DXmi3HorLARXx_QmuqknIhTZBPTfr18FB-wd27CMFj-jsZeKoMo-tGm_lU9K1aeAhm3SzGcjV95a6rhC2zflmn8gR-pPrG0uORAftuzZ636Fk8Ug1ByjsS7gLuD0KBuRHrajGDaUHLSpiikRPwY9FfMO9-w7y1rYvWHdrgAsYjbDITwniJNs/w640-h480/IMG_1046.jpeg" width="640" /></a></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggw88LBsRcqgSM28viPT0Os3gfi7uKlwYo5s-lJu_KRUkqI7nM-zMycWs8G9DxJuWWDa9HB_Sg1Alz4L1b4DwvBUI6X8-ziwjimA0td0OpHZyqtLepQZIyf7FaHJjszYgWPubLb-WNYggQjQZpGU6y005kFkrRHA95VvjhDchg6qbYdX3CUhSFYaDvrZk/s4032/IMG_1047.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggw88LBsRcqgSM28viPT0Os3gfi7uKlwYo5s-lJu_KRUkqI7nM-zMycWs8G9DxJuWWDa9HB_Sg1Alz4L1b4DwvBUI6X8-ziwjimA0td0OpHZyqtLepQZIyf7FaHJjszYgWPubLb-WNYggQjQZpGU6y005kFkrRHA95VvjhDchg6qbYdX3CUhSFYaDvrZk/w640-h480/IMG_1047.jpeg" width="640" /></a></p><p style="text-align: justify;">On our last full day the twins were in daycare and Jo was at work, so the four of us headed out with Andy for the day. The weather was much warmer that day so we planned a day of outdoor activities, appealing to Ella and Ollie <i>and</i> the two Andys! </p><p style="text-align: justify;">First up Andy took us to a ninja warrior inspired course for kids at Harley Park in Southport. This outdoor course is completely free and is a great alternative to a more traditional style playground for older children. There were 11 obstacles in the ninja course, and we spent a good hour and a half here, with the kids working hard to try and master each part of the course. What was nice was that each obstacle had two levels, so there was an easier and harder option for older/younger kids. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEig88yYW3xe5SKCWBp_I0j3SePqrleIzYBXXUYg8f4N-HZ4mNAMoY09cLtnKwDzE6Tl3ERLGOSA_b4xof1kPDM8oD2WFuoUxM56SSFr4Uv4XINDRQVt0Lc8q_PqVX3MAuHUJd_wAq920wmtuu8ycxigL1Q7T9qXesHbJaZ3LI1khWY5usV6SEjw6utL8S8/s3374/IMG_1032.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2579" data-original-width="3374" height="490" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEig88yYW3xe5SKCWBp_I0j3SePqrleIzYBXXUYg8f4N-HZ4mNAMoY09cLtnKwDzE6Tl3ERLGOSA_b4xof1kPDM8oD2WFuoUxM56SSFr4Uv4XINDRQVt0Lc8q_PqVX3MAuHUJd_wAq920wmtuu8ycxigL1Q7T9qXesHbJaZ3LI1khWY5usV6SEjw6utL8S8/w640-h490/IMG_1032.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHAojXNFiENq1GqsFmZXRuIcm2cicytdFPDUDTd3V2H2GXMAlhyjEGUNvO-EgnqHv8aPkS0d87SKgoRaW07dHGr1zi1QqvzjsotiPx2zOvPLhyphenhyphenk7N36hWuAH8KH21nDV3hMEB8AH6ZzVcVIIrjDrhyO8fXPeYtozKvMlo8RRq5mxGRB8Vq4wScgUT7Zs8/s2720/IMG_1036.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1936" data-original-width="2720" height="456" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHAojXNFiENq1GqsFmZXRuIcm2cicytdFPDUDTd3V2H2GXMAlhyjEGUNvO-EgnqHv8aPkS0d87SKgoRaW07dHGr1zi1QqvzjsotiPx2zOvPLhyphenhyphenk7N36hWuAH8KH21nDV3hMEB8AH6ZzVcVIIrjDrhyO8fXPeYtozKvMlo8RRq5mxGRB8Vq4wScgUT7Zs8/w640-h456/IMG_1036.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHGNoW5VymcucGWyS2gC19u_sL3JMn6WF5nYx8g6H8xb3cOxeqDTphlzLn5jmJ2yb7hfUoBIjRdSMyOck1yoo2F8bDSM4rVy_Zg7O-S77aiHH_VnGQmulipMt_OXJsXti7Jyt1spiT1CsUbXdb1d_z4TP89wySkaLP484eaiHwIwSfrvTfjQa1BiJxTAc/s4032/IMG_1037.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHGNoW5VymcucGWyS2gC19u_sL3JMn6WF5nYx8g6H8xb3cOxeqDTphlzLn5jmJ2yb7hfUoBIjRdSMyOck1yoo2F8bDSM4rVy_Zg7O-S77aiHH_VnGQmulipMt_OXJsXti7Jyt1spiT1CsUbXdb1d_z4TP89wySkaLP484eaiHwIwSfrvTfjQa1BiJxTAc/w640-h480/IMG_1037.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnGvoLiZvy-TlBNyGVSOxDR5jVf8gLNYMm0XIHevUe9kPPNuxd5xtrHE3PYYKfFvTbjFENN1FxbqTCsdJUIgf8IzL8Mlb6Y1Rcc2LJGJfJik-y5w_lR27UoEHBw05tDKjKUDZSmq7PFVsySJRFwtjTwUDNH15IU9ZATeXOpATosQWuOwLKoyloQdjkW1s/s3843/IMG_1041.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2882" data-original-width="3843" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnGvoLiZvy-TlBNyGVSOxDR5jVf8gLNYMm0XIHevUe9kPPNuxd5xtrHE3PYYKfFvTbjFENN1FxbqTCsdJUIgf8IzL8Mlb6Y1Rcc2LJGJfJik-y5w_lR27UoEHBw05tDKjKUDZSmq7PFVsySJRFwtjTwUDNH15IU9ZATeXOpATosQWuOwLKoyloQdjkW1s/w640-h480/IMG_1041.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGT3T999RP2bbaz3qEE5HB5kz-TCAgKVkQ-GfzEPDKyzWver3QCyjClI2ffEinHfbZpBFXJjy3UYnIw0XVbzglj_18BVSStSLC6CGhozUO76ZQWu2ubz924Zh16PWcTY3MKmu2PWrXsexGv0NdUWpO_XFX79zoWwRdn_u2pD-jcfwFfuwbpBQBFUb_75Y/s4032/IMG_1090.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGT3T999RP2bbaz3qEE5HB5kz-TCAgKVkQ-GfzEPDKyzWver3QCyjClI2ffEinHfbZpBFXJjy3UYnIw0XVbzglj_18BVSStSLC6CGhozUO76ZQWu2ubz924Zh16PWcTY3MKmu2PWrXsexGv0NdUWpO_XFX79zoWwRdn_u2pD-jcfwFfuwbpBQBFUb_75Y/w640-h480/IMG_1090.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNjSgYXaHPkwb6s_g63dOXQ841Fdyp-BlX9T0ibxIEIiYHdYu5rB2k-DHimTQ5tgmaYKYwYIkUkpNqQ4vce0pRIMGditnEHOe4iwsWQuKxS7a3XDY6HX9wmTyVL9Duv0hu447sJgHYuLoKaE9GkUkkb6HKWxE4Hy6VUE9sJHzqUTYG9tn_jwdneOkrJj4/s4032/IMG_1091.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNjSgYXaHPkwb6s_g63dOXQ841Fdyp-BlX9T0ibxIEIiYHdYu5rB2k-DHimTQ5tgmaYKYwYIkUkpNqQ4vce0pRIMGditnEHOe4iwsWQuKxS7a3XDY6HX9wmTyVL9Duv0hu447sJgHYuLoKaE9GkUkkb6HKWxE4Hy6VUE9sJHzqUTYG9tn_jwdneOkrJj4/w640-h480/IMG_1091.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJaysJCeKjW2TANibE5AevdtsTRw07lrdtktrMd9jrhPeTBtTkeKhyphenhyphenzclTH0S4etvQr3veiI6cEy6-gnwcqP1lpmZY8seDMFx0PvqR3NOKuNan-MXU0RyxcRdyR-2tVofd2W6AasKflJEp-gk9SK82UVDt_ILXIVXlRA62FrPI6rqDzlQqXg15ACwzHiE/s3795/IMG_1092.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2789" data-original-width="3795" height="470" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJaysJCeKjW2TANibE5AevdtsTRw07lrdtktrMd9jrhPeTBtTkeKhyphenhyphenzclTH0S4etvQr3veiI6cEy6-gnwcqP1lpmZY8seDMFx0PvqR3NOKuNan-MXU0RyxcRdyR-2tVofd2W6AasKflJEp-gk9SK82UVDt_ILXIVXlRA62FrPI6rqDzlQqXg15ACwzHiE/w640-h470/IMG_1092.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrX9AReFG7uBQXoi-IBrf7FIf8H1eeM_7xz52gY97Bbd5DAcwe8fC7Q-ktJd1QyiXBTT71fsJPKlc-Br7xkmyvScHGRoEcgDR5Z8fhLbK8t-U4bGo8VuthMC6BO16mnZ4Iguhxlg2FQ2yjpJCL78tyIFNqLKrRn1pv9JgLaEri__OdvBFz9LqTsjv3HHo/s4032/IMG_1094.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrX9AReFG7uBQXoi-IBrf7FIf8H1eeM_7xz52gY97Bbd5DAcwe8fC7Q-ktJd1QyiXBTT71fsJPKlc-Br7xkmyvScHGRoEcgDR5Z8fhLbK8t-U4bGo8VuthMC6BO16mnZ4Iguhxlg2FQ2yjpJCL78tyIFNqLKrRn1pv9JgLaEri__OdvBFz9LqTsjv3HHo/w640-h480/IMG_1094.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><p style="text-align: justify;">The two Andys also had a great time here, timing themselves as they raced through the course, each time trying to outdo each other. They provided some great amusement to two grandmothers who were there with their grandchildren!</p><p style="text-align: justify;">After the ninja course we headed to Gold Coast Aqua Park - a giant inflatable obstacle course in the water. Initially both kids were going to go on it with the Andys, but Ollie was terrified of the whole thing. Dad Andy hung back with Ollie trying to convince him to give it a try, while Queensland Andy went ahead with Ella. The inflatable course was both wobbly and slippery to walk on which I think was what made it scary for Ollie. After about 10-15 minutes Andy gave up with him as they only had an hour long session. Ollie came back to the safety of land with me where he happily ate a meat pie while we waited for Ella and the Andys. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpqj_GoBJAd7ddAoJNrkHpVMhChwI9d1U_B5qxokSXjJ3OhTS9n2GoKdSC-WstzGDSss9KR9e6vhNFHHMIDQ9vJnQo3UCGn6uIf6FHy672MxfAydso1CZxy6XxV9oCGJZ_MnjtcT2DwYDZb3Pi1DQhqcjxZUCzh8vlQtzqmErGu2J1aQpNpqm6BIo4DJ4/s3674/IMG_1066.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2547" data-original-width="3674" height="444" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpqj_GoBJAd7ddAoJNrkHpVMhChwI9d1U_B5qxokSXjJ3OhTS9n2GoKdSC-WstzGDSss9KR9e6vhNFHHMIDQ9vJnQo3UCGn6uIf6FHy672MxfAydso1CZxy6XxV9oCGJZ_MnjtcT2DwYDZb3Pi1DQhqcjxZUCzh8vlQtzqmErGu2J1aQpNpqm6BIo4DJ4/w640-h444/IMG_1066.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLUsEaj_zDQQzbQaZZW4A9axmREOlr18f2Ns8nXUmbFy9OxVxytY8rf76h0pN-Yxl-gmsD53d0jarDgHfyCeWiozzRo3S8lqc67xniOsovaF-eBocIfcQaVWmaPy4VjaADM-mCFlyfWQlxN_q2K5zUa9D__JsL2saYFy8AfL3lOcX4adcCjyr4MBxwOCY/s4032/IMG_1067.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLUsEaj_zDQQzbQaZZW4A9axmREOlr18f2Ns8nXUmbFy9OxVxytY8rf76h0pN-Yxl-gmsD53d0jarDgHfyCeWiozzRo3S8lqc67xniOsovaF-eBocIfcQaVWmaPy4VjaADM-mCFlyfWQlxN_q2K5zUa9D__JsL2saYFy8AfL3lOcX4adcCjyr4MBxwOCY/w640-h480/IMG_1067.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">Ella and the two Andys had the absolute time of their lives at the Aqua Park. In hindsight, Ollie was probably too young for this as even Ella seemed like one of the youngest kids out there. That did not stop her from keeping up with everyone, spending the full hour climbing over the different obstacles and sliding down into the water over and over. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">We were all starving by then, so headed to the nearby Southport Surf Club for lunch. After lunch we went to the beach for some fun in the waves. I could not believe that after all of the activity she'd already had, Ella was still going strong, spending the afternoon swimming in the waves at Main Beach. She never seems to run out of energy!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPdha8SEl7ZyPoonopbQjwKfOaSTKxzOzRWfT4-ec2v5acVqlaSte-LmHA4ZDBDCAmRSUVbGKxi3spZJFc-XBQpSanirUcnvSq9C32ZPpdXc4fyxcQ7NVktHi9zTOO0Wq2nhoE7l0Jx86iLnzOENEqmkRRNXp5wJiRpbfh1dArlRzmNiqe0JXs50hycMI/s4032/IMG_1070.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPdha8SEl7ZyPoonopbQjwKfOaSTKxzOzRWfT4-ec2v5acVqlaSte-LmHA4ZDBDCAmRSUVbGKxi3spZJFc-XBQpSanirUcnvSq9C32ZPpdXc4fyxcQ7NVktHi9zTOO0Wq2nhoE7l0Jx86iLnzOENEqmkRRNXp5wJiRpbfh1dArlRzmNiqe0JXs50hycMI/w640-h480/IMG_1070.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsZ9wS8aIRefZQrJI3mdnITohC_q6PVxQv9lU6my5BWuitOGsoHV-JS-cMLgtyqOnsootHPKUzOUkcU2QDiaNY5sY1yrA9PZlaTSOOlEkBQCWMrLm5SsTXt_eB1eYi-jfXaIYsWSHthIEoFxmtkiOCWQK8hTj6VDorFC7J6eTdfbY7-VMB_LiWWU51uq0/s4032/IMG_1077.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsZ9wS8aIRefZQrJI3mdnITohC_q6PVxQv9lU6my5BWuitOGsoHV-JS-cMLgtyqOnsootHPKUzOUkcU2QDiaNY5sY1yrA9PZlaTSOOlEkBQCWMrLm5SsTXt_eB1eYi-jfXaIYsWSHthIEoFxmtkiOCWQK8hTj6VDorFC7J6eTdfbY7-VMB_LiWWU51uq0/w640-h480/IMG_1077.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoNdoNFfstRjPry5n24y8jpW8qHLPpqwav6AMe-NfFK-AngbyRXYlzkwYhm5GJVthh2oQLWuEU4W-fDJlAc2ZRWHuKfabg2LFzA2BZwFEzuFY0cxyrhNStxeVxvS6sMOxjwKoFNxtvMQmo-GmAkUgYbzhXE3YpbXTGb8mqJHeV2EzA-ysaiR0rF0yjsLE/s4032/IMG_1074.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoNdoNFfstRjPry5n24y8jpW8qHLPpqwav6AMe-NfFK-AngbyRXYlzkwYhm5GJVthh2oQLWuEU4W-fDJlAc2ZRWHuKfabg2LFzA2BZwFEzuFY0cxyrhNStxeVxvS6sMOxjwKoFNxtvMQmo-GmAkUgYbzhXE3YpbXTGb8mqJHeV2EzA-ysaiR0rF0yjsLE/w640-h480/IMG_1074.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSNSx9CTw4ElWwtmxXZxuG3QPHlg2apwSY24wJaKIFkgxRy540ZgLy2PhQr1tJfclZUCKRBi4FI-_mEQgqfzac7XX4LQqLFfqCghorkgAJF8WzHJdovPLnz2mT5Zsr7WuIuU1Me2ypt9MjhgkUjTWdTGJNk5kTiOjjCwls_xiyUCBccLo4R1EY2_wAcQg/s3539/IMG_1075.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2367" data-original-width="3539" height="428" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSNSx9CTw4ElWwtmxXZxuG3QPHlg2apwSY24wJaKIFkgxRy540ZgLy2PhQr1tJfclZUCKRBi4FI-_mEQgqfzac7XX4LQqLFfqCghorkgAJF8WzHJdovPLnz2mT5Zsr7WuIuU1Me2ypt9MjhgkUjTWdTGJNk5kTiOjjCwls_xiyUCBccLo4R1EY2_wAcQg/w640-h428/IMG_1075.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwjmVmCTF299CWSPf2Tltrexso_s0wjEuNCF7qS82OwCYxuyr1JjT0Wy93QkcHn-Q4D1nWr23yKY-VLAlSsHF7EGN3hTQot3JUuluxTmkfjCOGJ59z1YT3HJvn1invUlLzIT8DqvJAyNn1eVZi-rupfVyW7dfgDHr57F153qvo5R4Pw2ljrrJJpCWOqvs/s3546/IMG_1086.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2535" data-original-width="3546" height="458" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwjmVmCTF299CWSPf2Tltrexso_s0wjEuNCF7qS82OwCYxuyr1JjT0Wy93QkcHn-Q4D1nWr23yKY-VLAlSsHF7EGN3hTQot3JUuluxTmkfjCOGJ59z1YT3HJvn1invUlLzIT8DqvJAyNn1eVZi-rupfVyW7dfgDHr57F153qvo5R4Pw2ljrrJJpCWOqvs/w640-h458/IMG_1086.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div><span style="text-align: justify;">The next day was sadly our last. Our flight was at 4 pm so in the morning we went back to the ninja obstacle course, followed by one last swim at Currumbin beach. The weather was perfect so we were sad to say goodbye to the beaches and good weather and head back to Melbourne.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div><div style="text-align: justify;">The saddest part was the kids, and Ella especially, saying goodbye to Nala, Andy and Jo's dog. Ella would love nothing more than a puppy, and grew very attached to Nala over the course of our four days with Andy and Jo. It was very sweet how sad both kids were to say goodbye to her.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgznRoXGB1jWCFxms24E2EZy2xDPpZK2i62zCll6-thgHsjDO4dBNnGLDocwjrbJuipErHTHSlc2G9Ac-yrzmIlvAGWNKFVqnDTDjahFSXlYBF_iC6_7E-kIT1PFPCaNjwPcyXeNGI1UAPfdwadW5VD4ydz3ufjRIh1P5A3HIEAhgCIqVmzsDoUm6jP2ZE/s4032/IMG_5452.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgznRoXGB1jWCFxms24E2EZy2xDPpZK2i62zCll6-thgHsjDO4dBNnGLDocwjrbJuipErHTHSlc2G9Ac-yrzmIlvAGWNKFVqnDTDjahFSXlYBF_iC6_7E-kIT1PFPCaNjwPcyXeNGI1UAPfdwadW5VD4ydz3ufjRIh1P5A3HIEAhgCIqVmzsDoUm6jP2ZE/w480-h640/IMG_5452.HEIC" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">And with that we wrap up another school holiday post. Of course by the time I'm getting around to writing this up we are nearly finished Term 4... only two weeks left until we go into our Christmas and summer holidays, yay!</div></div>Wendy McCarryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10400056809655031226noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3302793385282321137.post-78311709209323655312023-11-21T05:07:00.008+00:002023-11-21T05:07:51.560+00:00Three Days in Byron Bay<p style="text-align: justify;">It's been a while! The months just seem to be whizzing by and sitting down to catch an hour or two to write a blog post seems impossible these days. Here is my attempt to get started again, finishing off a post I had half written at the end of September.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">During our Term 3 school holidays this year we spent a week "up north", spending three days in Byron Bay and the other four in the Gold Coast. This post is about our three days in Byron Bay, which is located on the east coast of Australia, about two hours south of Brisbane.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEju9sfon3C-SdcZ_-9dGvql9o6n6urkKPXteZD53fWVmvJkwbOTPB2czbR5nixn3h2TACW-sKf0UglUYc6wL6-DyujEgGcTcA0OOPVCUt7h2BW0xgUSEzz4Nm_Pakvel8ZjA9MbQnRSeTxEcViH1ZxwgBTPeEGeANokt0oEaZC5xTuMhvFApQnZZ4Pt5B0/s4032/IMG_1669.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEju9sfon3C-SdcZ_-9dGvql9o6n6urkKPXteZD53fWVmvJkwbOTPB2czbR5nixn3h2TACW-sKf0UglUYc6wL6-DyujEgGcTcA0OOPVCUt7h2BW0xgUSEzz4Nm_Pakvel8ZjA9MbQnRSeTxEcViH1ZxwgBTPeEGeANokt0oEaZC5xTuMhvFApQnZZ4Pt5B0/w640-h480/IMG_1669.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><p style="text-align: justify;">The morning we left we caught a 9am flight from Melbourne to Gold Coast which all went smoothly. The flight is just over two hours, which feels like nothing compared to some of the long haul flights we've done with the kids! We ended up sitting in pairs, I was with Ella and Andy was with Ollie. This worked out really well, as we each had one kid to entertain and they had no reason to fight with each other! Ella happily coloured for most of the flight and then I let her watch some in flight entertainment for the last half hour. I had to break out the iPad for this, which we debated bringing at all. Ella is pretty good with the iPad, but if Ollie knew we had it he would have been asking for it all the time. This was another benefit of them sitting apart!</p><p style="text-align: justify;">We arrived in the Gold Coast and picked up our rental car from Ace Car Rentals. When we booked this we opted for a "mystery car" and ended up with a Kia Carnival! For those not familiar with car makes and models (I count myself among you) this is an 8 seat "luxury people mover" which is a fancy name for what I would call a minivan. Andy has been desperate for a bigger car for ages though I'm more resistant to the idea (mainly for economic and environmental reasons) however I can see the appeal. We had SO MUCH room. The kids each had their own row and the middle seat acted as a little table for them to put things like toys, markers, etc so they had things to keep them amused on the ride. As a passenger I also had more room than I've ever had up front. BUT lest this post turn into an advertisement for Kia, I still think given the choice I'd be happier driving around in my zippy little Mazda3. (If only I didn't have these two kids and their stuff to lug around everywhere... )</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjukCcFjDHe2nFVrWpjkJHaAIifaJ938fTjmUiY9LFRcas4_Q_LZ10Od5cFGgYID7DwXUdoftdmhMJPO3rYV40h8wPxClC73RIbd5bVJ5re0LeXdPzzIQddH6DlcfDY06Gxzb2hOuItBlVv8CE_Gb1qdf98MdL6NW21cUei_0waZ9JNs68_Tb5harA1iyM/s3088/IMG_0962.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3088" data-original-width="2316" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjukCcFjDHe2nFVrWpjkJHaAIifaJ938fTjmUiY9LFRcas4_Q_LZ10Od5cFGgYID7DwXUdoftdmhMJPO3rYV40h8wPxClC73RIbd5bVJ5re0LeXdPzzIQddH6DlcfDY06Gxzb2hOuItBlVv8CE_Gb1qdf98MdL6NW21cUei_0waZ9JNs68_Tb5harA1iyM/w480-h640/IMG_0962.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div><p style="text-align: justify;">Anyway, after a 45 minute drive from the car rental place we arrived at our home for the next three nights, <a href="https://www.discoveryholidayparks.com.au/caravan-parks/new-south-wales/north-coast-byron-bay" target="_blank">Discovery Parks Byron Bay</a>. We got there a little before our check-in time of 2pm, so we had some lunch at the adjacent café Loft before getting into our cabin. The café had the hippy feel Byron Bay is known for, putting us straight into holiday mode after our morning of travel.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjb-m-9uPjZ14GJZ2IYeRzWxUxKipVYSfqcqUSYNb36tiK_EItgqBqr28NyXfgMleNXdARlsFIZDdW46qmecOHlDjGyASY6NF-vyNz-gCHmWTODJbzL3boODlnlhEVvAiwMxd5BhBYTXsY-mLpFNS45VLjvIGqxD_cUtkUmsqLIUahLzFG53vZuT3lt8wA/s4032/IMG_5329.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjb-m-9uPjZ14GJZ2IYeRzWxUxKipVYSfqcqUSYNb36tiK_EItgqBqr28NyXfgMleNXdARlsFIZDdW46qmecOHlDjGyASY6NF-vyNz-gCHmWTODJbzL3boODlnlhEVvAiwMxd5BhBYTXsY-mLpFNS45VLjvIGqxD_cUtkUmsqLIUahLzFG53vZuT3lt8wA/w640-h480/IMG_5329.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><p style="text-align: justify;">Discovery Parks are a holiday/caravan park, with cabins to rent along with spots for people to camp. We rented a two bedroom cabin situated on a ponds, which was a nice quiet spot. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNks33WhaIrsNlJpfEMQSynY5m9hELkDshT20GcL9YNp46e22q6uYnMuISa2sC2O8eXTBoxL1DCksXbt3fFA0E1UXQgfAzM1N3uNLE1r-NdKhZxusHR5vJUoz7Mj2ZMJFUq1bYh1e7oynY4DdF4XEfGGNfVEIpmP2ETUfMU4O44SDzFUGhqPxvULwE0Ss/s4032/IMG_0997.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNks33WhaIrsNlJpfEMQSynY5m9hELkDshT20GcL9YNp46e22q6uYnMuISa2sC2O8eXTBoxL1DCksXbt3fFA0E1UXQgfAzM1N3uNLE1r-NdKhZxusHR5vJUoz7Mj2ZMJFUq1bYh1e7oynY4DdF4XEfGGNfVEIpmP2ETUfMU4O44SDzFUGhqPxvULwE0Ss/w640-h480/IMG_0997.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><p style="text-align: justify;">We've realised these holiday parks, found everywhere in Australia, are a great accommodation option with kids. They are usually in a good location and very reasonably priced with basic but adequate accommodation. The best part is there are great facilities for kids and this one was no exception. We had access to two pools, a jumping pillow, tennis and basketball courts, and a huge splash park with multiple small waterslides. They even offered a free yoga class three mornings a week but sadly the three days did not coincide with our stay. </p><p style="text-align: justify;">Once we got changed and settled in I took the kids to the jumping pillow and pools while Andy went to stock up on a few groceries. The jumping pillow was surrounded by soft white sand, making any landing off the pillow a soft one.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8PxyUECYgliBjazX021IhL4o0hEYgxO2cslM4kDvWfZrQVu1OF-h_0GJY3hJ-J6velV1EYon0Rjxp7DE4eLzF_PkBj5G941gFZVrqtL8AI8AmHK8YYu6efVDoBEYjaBhlyPsWyGIC7fXwyIFgKirOs5xl2LTrsQWyz2CSpD3Jj9yHTqFDsqD3VS7gjZI/s3639/IMG_0982.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2633" data-original-width="3639" height="464" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8PxyUECYgliBjazX021IhL4o0hEYgxO2cslM4kDvWfZrQVu1OF-h_0GJY3hJ-J6velV1EYon0Rjxp7DE4eLzF_PkBj5G941gFZVrqtL8AI8AmHK8YYu6efVDoBEYjaBhlyPsWyGIC7fXwyIFgKirOs5xl2LTrsQWyz2CSpD3Jj9yHTqFDsqD3VS7gjZI/w640-h464/IMG_0982.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><p style="text-align: justify;">Next up we went to check out the pools and splash park. As usual Ella got right into the water, but Ollie was more hesitant. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHq8UDkGzrZcPQ0Lv8pFlNPCbaRbsyaxymIyB9lSb6e18meII02J0U1s8ScvZ3hha4tARBFGiIBgJokwkoe6LYQok0TZc7kJ6Lsohrvj16sbgiO6BmLI0L_CFdvTTVwryDJPkB5a1N_Feo-_6MMjf01ywvkzrZyB7fd0qT-xY1fdo9t59cMhGCJccnwzM/s4032/IMG_0984.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHq8UDkGzrZcPQ0Lv8pFlNPCbaRbsyaxymIyB9lSb6e18meII02J0U1s8ScvZ3hha4tARBFGiIBgJokwkoe6LYQok0TZc7kJ6Lsohrvj16sbgiO6BmLI0L_CFdvTTVwryDJPkB5a1N_Feo-_6MMjf01ywvkzrZyB7fd0qT-xY1fdo9t59cMhGCJccnwzM/w640-h480/IMG_0984.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOCmJaURxeotLEFcsBBvZk0FSkXkT5Fckh5KP2QRuYpEHy7UNUnD8Hq2TZSLrzbsIIc1_ZvHvuYHA5BYc_o6xzoqz7ciBnSDybmKbJ8uTTD9gPQ5hoLBpnA-XgH7JnyVmL9JJsCTAvJNAclY2cJYLq5iquM_Hmco8SzYg1A_K-b469zm6VPCFbdGRAq8o/s4032/IMG_1005.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOCmJaURxeotLEFcsBBvZk0FSkXkT5Fckh5KP2QRuYpEHy7UNUnD8Hq2TZSLrzbsIIc1_ZvHvuYHA5BYc_o6xzoqz7ciBnSDybmKbJ8uTTD9gPQ5hoLBpnA-XgH7JnyVmL9JJsCTAvJNAclY2cJYLq5iquM_Hmco8SzYg1A_K-b469zm6VPCFbdGRAq8o/w640-h480/IMG_1005.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><p style="text-align: justify;">The water in the splash park and children's pool was pretty cold, and there was a cool breeze that afternoon. Whenever we go somewhere new Ollie is at first very resistant to trying new things, often proclaiming "I am <b>never</b> going in there. Never, never, never". We've come to expect this from him and know that he'll try things in his own time, and then LOVE them and completely forget his initial reaction, as evidenced from the picture below, from the next day:</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsJ_VsVh0GQ9CceDuqMyVzAP3fMX54_5yiNT3Q9uxUG82RdIjeRSUVvogDF66RfSHdYdV8zyTAt_yfyyOuiwcE0ODcwh9vOp5yp2a4XkTUlvle_B3tSEEjeaX4pYPZrNUCCeqQlgdmu9b1JAuczQX4D9V3LY6Qz3Wt_c4rKBThIYoMKHM6FAaOcwguyho/s4032/IMG_1004.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsJ_VsVh0GQ9CceDuqMyVzAP3fMX54_5yiNT3Q9uxUG82RdIjeRSUVvogDF66RfSHdYdV8zyTAt_yfyyOuiwcE0ODcwh9vOp5yp2a4XkTUlvle_B3tSEEjeaX4pYPZrNUCCeqQlgdmu9b1JAuczQX4D9V3LY6Qz3Wt_c4rKBThIYoMKHM6FAaOcwguyho/w640-h480/IMG_1004.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><p style="text-align: justify;">When Andy got back he took both kids into the "adult" heated pool which Ollie was much happier about.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">That evening we went into the main part of Byron Bay for dinner. Our cabin was about 2 km from the main strip, so walk/bikeable for older kids and adults, but we ended up driving in with ours. We played at the playground on the beach for a bit before heading to Beach Hotel Byron Bay for dinner. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6pC7OsrBf1RiQ3luwbRkD0AA6ojVPwtvXZM6ePDvhX3WqAbhr_9548S6lRWO1aBZow3cNEkvSd_XjGEg13q40q_VBGFKJRx3t1Z_rPb6jgSjL_nt0wM1khitnclQgwJiax0ft_Apy8KTsi-enSaAplX9quIyr15ORdO117I9kCLX4eITFwFRK7XxKq3Q/s4032/IMG_0969.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6pC7OsrBf1RiQ3luwbRkD0AA6ojVPwtvXZM6ePDvhX3WqAbhr_9548S6lRWO1aBZow3cNEkvSd_XjGEg13q40q_VBGFKJRx3t1Z_rPb6jgSjL_nt0wM1khitnclQgwJiax0ft_Apy8KTsi-enSaAplX9quIyr15ORdO117I9kCLX4eITFwFRK7XxKq3Q/w640-h480/IMG_0969.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><p style="text-align: justify;">This is a big pub/restaurant with views of the water. There was live music along with a big fenced in lawn outside for kids to run around on. Ollie immediately made some friends to run around with, coming back only for a few bits of his dinner here and there. It was very cute to see him make friends so easily - they were playing tag and hide and seek all evening. Ella was a bit more reserved, preferring to stay at the table with us, colouring and playing Snakes and Ladders.</p><p style="text-align: justify;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjXZBnEiWHUp-ng747EgVtuQuhFLcalTdrzmeOH9ktVgAX-js3rjbNaUutwf53bDbmf9e3r23jgCk-LTUrUSSb2id6IZvieY_nByL19645pl2dVpkfFM66jPhT0u7QH4Xt3W0UdkELQXqdgKWYLSa9QQT4g6_LCGlvhyiPzNkDlRSov2QJHiYcZ9wfSXY/s4032/IMG_0970.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjXZBnEiWHUp-ng747EgVtuQuhFLcalTdrzmeOH9ktVgAX-js3rjbNaUutwf53bDbmf9e3r23jgCk-LTUrUSSb2id6IZvieY_nByL19645pl2dVpkfFM66jPhT0u7QH4Xt3W0UdkELQXqdgKWYLSa9QQT4g6_LCGlvhyiPzNkDlRSov2QJHiYcZ9wfSXY/w640-h480/IMG_0970.jpeg" width="640" /></a></p><p style="text-align: justify;">The next morning we were up early and headed out to do a walk up the the Byron Bay Lighthouse. However we made the mistake of allowing the kids to check out the beach first. There were puddles of water and rocks to jump around on, so of course they both jumped straight into puddles, soaking their running shoes. </p><p style="text-align: justify;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXIb_CbIxF6Lu-sTaKmJpdP6mkrB9EEGhLASqpFjbuUGiwS5QmEveZWY6DFCkMr-_jygwx_LKi8ROvQLKZ0YVyoFSnv9bHPK8YLom_lc-5wJhpbbuC0D0f_nt5a7yKa9wIcY_MToDXxAXgjq9H8F0aH5m4bjRcYEwSR6Gc0O_j3rooluw9KJ7hEUd_Y_s/s4032/IMG_5346.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXIb_CbIxF6Lu-sTaKmJpdP6mkrB9EEGhLASqpFjbuUGiwS5QmEveZWY6DFCkMr-_jygwx_LKi8ROvQLKZ0YVyoFSnv9bHPK8YLom_lc-5wJhpbbuC0D0f_nt5a7yKa9wIcY_MToDXxAXgjq9H8F0aH5m4bjRcYEwSR6Gc0O_j3rooluw9KJ7hEUd_Y_s/w640-h480/IMG_5346.jpeg" width="640" /></a></p><p style="text-align: justify;">We hadn't brought extra shoes, so the kids took them off and proceeded to walk along the path to the lighthouse bare foot. You can imagine how that went! </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDJZERavt0C2IjEUuQM8rEpSpY3gtpmxB14Ir4RaemwbyxqPvmkbZNFVJbvRBhtyPhipMiBET1m9PYGj6s5uUAZrB7L40lH58Z1Un4MxH9DDc3V7SglbOt__UTAJBgH1VVHaYEsdOaYZWSHAEMKz23JHPjignMO9H_3tYIU_EPY4a4hzB_lE6TCnZdNwM/s4032/IMG_5355.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDJZERavt0C2IjEUuQM8rEpSpY3gtpmxB14Ir4RaemwbyxqPvmkbZNFVJbvRBhtyPhipMiBET1m9PYGj6s5uUAZrB7L40lH58Z1Un4MxH9DDc3V7SglbOt__UTAJBgH1VVHaYEsdOaYZWSHAEMKz23JHPjignMO9H_3tYIU_EPY4a4hzB_lE6TCnZdNwM/w480-h640/IMG_5355.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div><p style="text-align: justify;"></p><p style="text-align: justify;">We didn't end up making it to the lighthouse that morning, instead stopping along the next beach to get coffees and snacks and have a play on the beach before heading back to our cabin for some lunch.</p><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnY5TEtrlNwUZHO3SOYKCH9oRa8R4OiR92Tmwfi-KAXf096rPrvctnuzAyvCnNjxbgI1zPc4P5Lb5txIzrTAwp9tE-gAI7B2l0eoy5RIfGEEMcLlBG9YAbkggXZKPM2KvRP1_yiAh6WsQgPpRKLapkVfrEtgHOiQbXUWW5KG1Q5Z21UOKYoRZyATVGRh4/s4032/IMG_0974.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnY5TEtrlNwUZHO3SOYKCH9oRa8R4OiR92Tmwfi-KAXf096rPrvctnuzAyvCnNjxbgI1zPc4P5Lb5txIzrTAwp9tE-gAI7B2l0eoy5RIfGEEMcLlBG9YAbkggXZKPM2KvRP1_yiAh6WsQgPpRKLapkVfrEtgHOiQbXUWW5KG1Q5Z21UOKYoRZyATVGRh4/w640-h480/IMG_0974.jpeg" width="640" /></a></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqQZuJCqmgX5Ig5V8OoS-OUk4RpaIj3pK-vUG6FqI4saUzA_DNMiYtfJ5EW6FNovcORgv_4VE-3A0CW-sLTK9ab8rVEjndTq19mLnPkAXB9mahyXYc9usVzrSF7GGqi-SmLCgjk7Z3xy75JzbPoA3MfllELO_rFMAb8vyEDW2s8QGrO5dn0tGC3AOsZ4I/s4032/IMG_5352.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqQZuJCqmgX5Ig5V8OoS-OUk4RpaIj3pK-vUG6FqI4saUzA_DNMiYtfJ5EW6FNovcORgv_4VE-3A0CW-sLTK9ab8rVEjndTq19mLnPkAXB9mahyXYc9usVzrSF7GGqi-SmLCgjk7Z3xy75JzbPoA3MfllELO_rFMAb8vyEDW2s8QGrO5dn0tGC3AOsZ4I/w480-h640/IMG_5352.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">We spent that afternoon playing in the pools and jumping pillow, and I got lots of time to chill out on the lounge chairs reading my book - one of my favourite ways to spend an afternoon on holiday.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">That night we went back into the main part of town for dinner, this time trying out Miss Margarita's, a Mexican restaurant. This place doesn't take reservations and is known for being busy, so we headed there early-ish to make sure we got a table. We got lucky and just had a small wait that we passed at the beach side playground again. Dinner was very yummy and the restaurant was hopping when we left - filling with people who weren't trying to get their kids home in time for an 8pm bedtime!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">We couldn't get home before posing in front of this mural first though...</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgodK8tRbWQyDJz1yhQKm-A6iA0zTXyc50x7JpsduJjjbc0eTxneQCxSuIiWLc0TezKCQdx0VFpqejLXFZL9hm-WH_yKPFO2f-08iphq1RmCsh8VDweifwOW1gAFPG3s-1SHcyKmEXkB9rR66u9vcWVtaYqzWkWfD_-qBpBt8owlV3nJF-8TpWhx-uYT00/s3759/IMG_0988.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2777" data-original-width="3759" height="472" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgodK8tRbWQyDJz1yhQKm-A6iA0zTXyc50x7JpsduJjjbc0eTxneQCxSuIiWLc0TezKCQdx0VFpqejLXFZL9hm-WH_yKPFO2f-08iphq1RmCsh8VDweifwOW1gAFPG3s-1SHcyKmEXkB9rR66u9vcWVtaYqzWkWfD_-qBpBt8owlV3nJF-8TpWhx-uYT00/w640-h472/IMG_0988.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">The next morning we headed out for the Lighthouse walk - take two! This time we skipped playing on the beach and headed straight for the path, and success, we made it to the lighthouse!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhO3xnCVeThYmmQyZQILDTTYUfuNMX8njMSZqrr3Ht3KhdBWTvVXEEPZisBCkBnj-1-C7uDhh1TpOPSUPlOOFu60zPZOCznFRLVVqL6TczH9vhsoYiQPDfY6oqDtdow3lXlbWy33-pxbASFK9QqKcMYnUEvZb3otVr5_S6xypIK-CnpBse34ncanjrS1Hw/s4032/IMG_0991.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhO3xnCVeThYmmQyZQILDTTYUfuNMX8njMSZqrr3Ht3KhdBWTvVXEEPZisBCkBnj-1-C7uDhh1TpOPSUPlOOFu60zPZOCznFRLVVqL6TczH9vhsoYiQPDfY6oqDtdow3lXlbWy33-pxbASFK9QqKcMYnUEvZb3otVr5_S6xypIK-CnpBse34ncanjrS1Hw/w640-h480/IMG_0991.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_SklJABVWcR5IkdChStcVrkv_rEMFBocUXyKlMh_nfHheqjXrYEUFEx4jxcTGY3qHy93WWqzhSNYg-HQTnlQPBqdxX6lbWtzooE0KXcTkFAQqfK4erX6etuTDoBdB0OSynDJpH04CyWpDayqYZ47UukyNW8k10e2EcnPZX-PokcB_543PNpnItuVwcnQ/s4032/IMG_0992.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_SklJABVWcR5IkdChStcVrkv_rEMFBocUXyKlMh_nfHheqjXrYEUFEx4jxcTGY3qHy93WWqzhSNYg-HQTnlQPBqdxX6lbWtzooE0KXcTkFAQqfK4erX6etuTDoBdB0OSynDJpH04CyWpDayqYZ47UukyNW8k10e2EcnPZX-PokcB_543PNpnItuVwcnQ/w480-h640/IMG_0992.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">We also got very lucky and managed to catch a pod of dolphins playing in the water below - quite a magical site. We also spotted whales splashing their tales in the distance near the end of our walk which was another highlight.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">The walk was pretty long, so we had another stop at a secluded beach on the way back:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggKQ-COT1aJQ-_iRzX6eB40Px5Nzwlv352gNN1VoHMJcrnUQpjEF-9sJTZ11XgrIzCuSFNdxYgXOogN15PM2g4iksXkJQeS39WROk-qdZkLRmiZ8R96FT567_F9qcCK0anwt56-dfQZfXn_CUYHj5Rg1OQaqtJeVk_1JVNpgyTfPqIHwNA9WjSuCBAxhY/s4032/IMG_0995.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggKQ-COT1aJQ-_iRzX6eB40Px5Nzwlv352gNN1VoHMJcrnUQpjEF-9sJTZ11XgrIzCuSFNdxYgXOogN15PM2g4iksXkJQeS39WROk-qdZkLRmiZ8R96FT567_F9qcCK0anwt56-dfQZfXn_CUYHj5Rg1OQaqtJeVk_1JVNpgyTfPqIHwNA9WjSuCBAxhY/w640-h480/IMG_0995.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">The kids also love spotting lizards on the paths - the wildlife is quite different to what we see on a regular basis in Melbourne.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4_dF-0-w-D6SaWiSqDS-Gmi0UAmqOEPk2UZXsDqr4Q4UNL8b2YHL1agK99AMoFf0GoJnxnlrmFvgPNpOLGJ6Iov8qBtI1mBQj_haaeeaBa7eIvs_X-GfxLvKxSUm3Wi8IuznQ4DI2bx-PjYxSW1cwNF9XGOwH2h8W89_37Z2J4TmGnGr17cBZKPJPKrg/s4032/IMG_5380.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4_dF-0-w-D6SaWiSqDS-Gmi0UAmqOEPk2UZXsDqr4Q4UNL8b2YHL1agK99AMoFf0GoJnxnlrmFvgPNpOLGJ6Iov8qBtI1mBQj_haaeeaBa7eIvs_X-GfxLvKxSUm3Wi8IuznQ4DI2bx-PjYxSW1cwNF9XGOwH2h8W89_37Z2J4TmGnGr17cBZKPJPKrg/w480-h640/IMG_5380.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">We spent a few hours back at the holiday park playing in the pools again after lunch, and then headed back out to the beach in Byron Bay. We thought we'd just get some ice creams and eat them on the beach so we didn't bring out swimsuits, but we ended up splashing in the waves quite a bit as well - I ended up with soaking wet jean shorts and the kids were pretty much soaked from head to toe! </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqYT7Uq2pOMIyLgzvs6jDpbwwjo-XHvIZmEW76loVI97MkP-tpMiNXoA1m0hRMk8U6mmSQZbcxecbnD8X4vWom9gdWAmrPg2DN-_e1pbggcypyAzFzJvAqtakk_yGlTjURjov6G_LugJ5CCPDvyUuxhgfi7irgrDFNLqV47xtWk_LJFXNcmWOxsbG-cNc/s4032/IMG_5390.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqYT7Uq2pOMIyLgzvs6jDpbwwjo-XHvIZmEW76loVI97MkP-tpMiNXoA1m0hRMk8U6mmSQZbcxecbnD8X4vWom9gdWAmrPg2DN-_e1pbggcypyAzFzJvAqtakk_yGlTjURjov6G_LugJ5CCPDvyUuxhgfi7irgrDFNLqV47xtWk_LJFXNcmWOxsbG-cNc/w640-h480/IMG_5390.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoEfYB1yG5JznIIzEJrRNBTIOyyZS0p-4A6hqmNFnOrtVqN8EzhC-_1n1kjHpIfQsyySD4x_S28d36b90i5B4f9-Br3WuECJkoOoHgR7BPodgvJEzZQMo7zEP-TuSTN2_Qfw4hBYZS-pkx3SOAyLmDdkeXNRoez6THSOGKj6kEX-axFeziOt8YlBD49mg/s3614/IMG_5398.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3614" data-original-width="2405" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoEfYB1yG5JznIIzEJrRNBTIOyyZS0p-4A6hqmNFnOrtVqN8EzhC-_1n1kjHpIfQsyySD4x_S28d36b90i5B4f9-Br3WuECJkoOoHgR7BPodgvJEzZQMo7zEP-TuSTN2_Qfw4hBYZS-pkx3SOAyLmDdkeXNRoez6THSOGKj6kEX-axFeziOt8YlBD49mg/w426-h640/IMG_5398.jpeg" width="426" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">We headed home after that to get changed for our last dinner out in Byron Bay - this time heading to the opposite end of the town to check out the North Byron Hotel. This pub had a large relaxed outdoor area, with picnic tables, fairy lights, great music, and a children's play area - what more could you want? </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhN9aBHmvA6-fH7wddSAq67PLdxERPRYkV8riPbRjEvY6PNHBrKY3frMufVY_3pMzAqT3QZIH8y7rxHg5ANA1QLRmtQu_zVyn53aaX4CjLybD4C6DIR_jzugwcqPm_EQLhAfMjvK8yERj1mMAQjZHpLitb0foV3U2HM2ceNWP_X5yBwKVywmi0rU2lmo2w/s4032/IMG_1006.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhN9aBHmvA6-fH7wddSAq67PLdxERPRYkV8riPbRjEvY6PNHBrKY3frMufVY_3pMzAqT3QZIH8y7rxHg5ANA1QLRmtQu_zVyn53aaX4CjLybD4C6DIR_jzugwcqPm_EQLhAfMjvK8yERj1mMAQjZHpLitb0foV3U2HM2ceNWP_X5yBwKVywmi0rU2lmo2w/w640-h480/IMG_1006.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMGuvtNbMoryj77SUEguz1HStkkQw_5W7wT2MnX5I6tBshBNpfSfsMfdSpuu8hC-Ln88X7Rp3jKjV67AAivwdI0d7YcuA0RH3X2JwBKYtJdXbJyzGvJlDZgNFG39-bqZ7Kg84IyugQmnPex3JF5KHna_86R4WcRK_E_mUho7di6-CwOGBxuJEpTHDXKKg/s4032/IMG_1008.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMGuvtNbMoryj77SUEguz1HStkkQw_5W7wT2MnX5I6tBshBNpfSfsMfdSpuu8hC-Ln88X7Rp3jKjV67AAivwdI0d7YcuA0RH3X2JwBKYtJdXbJyzGvJlDZgNFG39-bqZ7Kg84IyugQmnPex3JF5KHna_86R4WcRK_E_mUho7di6-CwOGBxuJEpTHDXKKg/w640-h480/IMG_1008.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">It was a great end to our three days in Byron Bay, and we were sad to leave the next day. However we still had four days in the Gold Coast with our friends Andy and Jo to look forward to - more on that in the next post - hopefully I'll get around to that before Christmas, ha!</div><p></p>Wendy McCarryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10400056809655031226noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3302793385282321137.post-35053643424626364762023-08-10T05:47:00.003+01:002023-08-10T05:47:36.807+01:00Adelaide Day 3 & 4<p style="text-align: justify;">Ok, one month later! Here is a snapshot of our last two days in Adelaide during our winter school holidays. I wrote about our drive from Melbourne to Adelaide <a href="http://wandymcnobledownunder.blogspot.com/2023/07/melbourne-to-adelaide-inland-route.html" target="_blank">here</a> and our first two days <a href="http://wandymcnobledownunder.blogspot.com/2023/07/adelaide-day-1-2.html" target="_blank">here</a>. </p><p style="text-align: justify;">Our third day was a cold and cloudy day. We started the day with a visit to our house. Yes that's right, our house! Over the past 18 months we've been having a house built as an investment property, and it was completed and has been rented out since May. We figured we should actually check out this place we'd invested in so we drove the 40km or so out of Adelaide to a suburb full of new build houses - very reminiscent of the house we moved into when I was about 7 years old, that my parents still live in.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">Anyway, that part of the holiday was pretty uneventful and a bit boring for the kids, so we looked around the area for something a bit more exciting for them and discovered <a href="https://gorgewildlifepark.com.au/" target="_blank">Gorge Wildlife Park</a>. The park advertised kangaroo feeding and being able to hold a koala so we figured this would be a great place for the kids.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">The park was so much more than we were expecting! It is a family owned animal sanctuary, with an impressive variety of animals - many that are roaming free among the grounds. The kids spent a long time feeding the kangaroos, including some albino kangaroos which I'd never seen before!</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjccjXbCaAtlOMarh9SGteGvkniCTFtnzEgA85RPx_h8jiasux8C0Ruzaox1eCMqntFPqrKvvOtn-FCz0zulHUnSGA-z2jky3rSY7Q6ARFAKBZxCCP_fbD9CFTq-7Um2IwTG3I0n8dKUOugWDrGvOMBAXTmbiCR5KN_p_AWwWtkM6AkOSzaUitfv9Hp0q0/s4032/IMG_0455.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjccjXbCaAtlOMarh9SGteGvkniCTFtnzEgA85RPx_h8jiasux8C0Ruzaox1eCMqntFPqrKvvOtn-FCz0zulHUnSGA-z2jky3rSY7Q6ARFAKBZxCCP_fbD9CFTq-7Um2IwTG3I0n8dKUOugWDrGvOMBAXTmbiCR5KN_p_AWwWtkM6AkOSzaUitfv9Hp0q0/w640-h480/IMG_0455.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdaoNkkltp72vJq9bbQXBs-zO-4tUuukRZJHMGaBOmm0x2LvjadeJNas1R1n63EBYWAOEx5Lwy-d7PoJtzipTqPbSHJzVvlFZhc1JKmHsrmLRcCcnTu1tftxoPTSDJdlALLrtkxXXSBlk_qpKUq2WKgldilm6-CpnKIb-ga-couK9q8aFAqkCiW8Q27f8/s4032/IMG_0457.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdaoNkkltp72vJq9bbQXBs-zO-4tUuukRZJHMGaBOmm0x2LvjadeJNas1R1n63EBYWAOEx5Lwy-d7PoJtzipTqPbSHJzVvlFZhc1JKmHsrmLRcCcnTu1tftxoPTSDJdlALLrtkxXXSBlk_qpKUq2WKgldilm6-CpnKIb-ga-couK9q8aFAqkCiW8Q27f8/w640-h480/IMG_0457.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7cFCZzsD8Dhwn2tnNTIYFPALgyGZOcfBox-emS1R629CJ2h038pYYg1yk29-kWKUwJMgwuRfI8hHPmlPCUkmXmz6KAEB-8AR-hQQiZO1VL7MRr51V7GggeFGjtwI5h7lV-wYXyhVRvJfP-0Aez92PvDJqMCdUe1q5XioK-aNCjNYGZJomdk8h4MVoOME/s4032/IMG_0459.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7cFCZzsD8Dhwn2tnNTIYFPALgyGZOcfBox-emS1R629CJ2h038pYYg1yk29-kWKUwJMgwuRfI8hHPmlPCUkmXmz6KAEB-8AR-hQQiZO1VL7MRr51V7GggeFGjtwI5h7lV-wYXyhVRvJfP-0Aez92PvDJqMCdUe1q5XioK-aNCjNYGZJomdk8h4MVoOME/w640-h480/IMG_0459.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">Once our bags of kangaroo feed were empty Ollie and I spent a long time watching the spider monkeys. Most entertaining was seeing them scamper across the tree branches and steal food from each other. </div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1MSgafU1Uqml4Gl4FnUO2mSP_mR5a0NIMefrS6Zb9q1bliBUKyj-ElSTv8foQhlPy_ufJ6aaRS3iGtitjYOJVomnHxGU4Wm9X05tQPf0Aanp14sTH_xXt3ArApErz0hdyArYTDxdCrX0i4vLxB3YcgpymOmBlNLkYQBKWqADxw3YiN1sEL91xcj1nayc/s3664/IMG_0466.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2518" data-original-width="3664" height="440" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1MSgafU1Uqml4Gl4FnUO2mSP_mR5a0NIMefrS6Zb9q1bliBUKyj-ElSTv8foQhlPy_ufJ6aaRS3iGtitjYOJVomnHxGU4Wm9X05tQPf0Aanp14sTH_xXt3ArApErz0hdyArYTDxdCrX0i4vLxB3YcgpymOmBlNLkYQBKWqADxw3YiN1sEL91xcj1nayc/w640-h440/IMG_0466.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">Another type of monkey at the park was the Capuchin monkey who we were able to interact with. We put some food in it's basket and watched it pull the basket up to eat. So cute!</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhczalcLWBz3VuV8sMRFdqCMV8W83ILAEarYxu33xO7qO99akt0cPKYeQcFVZNdRiik_WLJ2lbkKWIHBel4-CNPVZ-Dl9DsXUHPU7xXn9XvavBuKKVhEdcmxoM-_lnM4nNSl-gEdghiA7PhUeGx8BXvrFoON12vckL4j5tlKQnyqENrd_OOXMeOcE1pYf4/s4032/IMG_0473.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhczalcLWBz3VuV8sMRFdqCMV8W83ILAEarYxu33xO7qO99akt0cPKYeQcFVZNdRiik_WLJ2lbkKWIHBel4-CNPVZ-Dl9DsXUHPU7xXn9XvavBuKKVhEdcmxoM-_lnM4nNSl-gEdghiA7PhUeGx8BXvrFoON12vckL4j5tlKQnyqENrd_OOXMeOcE1pYf4/w640-h480/IMG_0473.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">An animal I'd not heard of before was a capybara. This is the largest living rodent and is native to South America. It looks just like a huge guinea pig. </div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7CIkhDwCA24yzZj68IXnNduJ-Syo0D-CJ8-TnK9-2OMZGJDee5aOaKSA2-SOoAVMDTaJdVdG4XJiXnkt8287vH020zzGdwrL1wSsBjd2Y9OU6RoyvqE4H6Ibqy1lILaE-jdAgp-uwalY7tTVVA288ibIiuUqsUrk_NHAwb-Tn9XG_XIdnHj-G2KF9_5A/s3333/IMG_0474.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2728" data-original-width="3333" height="524" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7CIkhDwCA24yzZj68IXnNduJ-Syo0D-CJ8-TnK9-2OMZGJDee5aOaKSA2-SOoAVMDTaJdVdG4XJiXnkt8287vH020zzGdwrL1wSsBjd2Y9OU6RoyvqE4H6Ibqy1lILaE-jdAgp-uwalY7tTVVA288ibIiuUqsUrk_NHAwb-Tn9XG_XIdnHj-G2KF9_5A/w640-h524/IMG_0474.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">After a good 2-3 hours we were ready for the main event... cuddling a koala! Unfortunately Ollie was too young to do this so only Ella got to do the honors, but we were all able to give him a pat as well. HE was a heavy little guy! He munched happily on the eucalyptus leaves while Ella got a cuddle and we all had some pictures. </div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3QEtFLNArmzkoAGhV1nvWJBrthLx1eR5Rxp7z2DZ-bXJxhhyVK9k8Bd4XIKqcnG1Re51RAsudVyytBgSggbvbraUApiz10cOOZyRdNVcNGRZXlLe_THpRl-1cuSYcOggWvIOJdWcII4mG_G6Q4xDas6bKqDpGeWkliLmnTdsMf0z3aRDJ4-reA37JAQs/s3974/IMG_0481.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3974" data-original-width="2980" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3QEtFLNArmzkoAGhV1nvWJBrthLx1eR5Rxp7z2DZ-bXJxhhyVK9k8Bd4XIKqcnG1Re51RAsudVyytBgSggbvbraUApiz10cOOZyRdNVcNGRZXlLe_THpRl-1cuSYcOggWvIOJdWcII4mG_G6Q4xDas6bKqDpGeWkliLmnTdsMf0z3aRDJ4-reA37JAQs/w480-h640/IMG_0481.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgckci00aGRqfLMklP7VGyvv4yQ6zF9CR5allngxe0LymDBZQodhWHhKwQ402yHouq83q5LwYtJq3iEPAYlo4KtfovEEy1vQ_L75M9qMfAgOciCduDtYTSkP67pgw86cYEyLqx5iZxpOpxKQ46dGgQJ43jVHE0SneEhRqfFVdPQzYO5dJaAap4qIyJScVY/s4032/IMG_0484.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgckci00aGRqfLMklP7VGyvv4yQ6zF9CR5allngxe0LymDBZQodhWHhKwQ402yHouq83q5LwYtJq3iEPAYlo4KtfovEEy1vQ_L75M9qMfAgOciCduDtYTSkP67pgw86cYEyLqx5iZxpOpxKQ46dGgQJ43jVHE0SneEhRqfFVdPQzYO5dJaAap4qIyJScVY/w640-h480/IMG_0484.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">On our last full day in Adelaide we woke up to a beautiful winter morning. This was the view from our apartment:</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOgB8BikNv3GBcj6j9H0E_LOfufk9rDzlwd5VJTkOmJK05IZnBaU8ZXG_u1x-0YV1YZIXi31FvkJPFcwaEO6Rl5ZARkHL5IzNxITptlSU7hE6i616x4INGVn5cgTx_C-T1gUPjPXlYj4FcNF-eO1aP72U79g_nXguq_ARxlK-NNdPdJzMDZERy8FSdV2Y/s4032/IMG_0486.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOgB8BikNv3GBcj6j9H0E_LOfufk9rDzlwd5VJTkOmJK05IZnBaU8ZXG_u1x-0YV1YZIXi31FvkJPFcwaEO6Rl5ZARkHL5IzNxITptlSU7hE6i616x4INGVn5cgTx_C-T1gUPjPXlYj4FcNF-eO1aP72U79g_nXguq_ARxlK-NNdPdJzMDZERy8FSdV2Y/w640-h480/IMG_0486.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNH_24zhekrZpzw-x1pENHFrcuUXp1pEXIxw5TDdTLI-p3fVRpPcVuXxufWe0p-Ax9X7lXZICnAyHC-oi0BaZa3-WLhTQuGyt1U2vqtBKewin53tqexG2AMsnNsVwA0luvUzS325rqdUCdSt9b5BwnpKqGewlsfaae0TxZJ6KjxpaopWReIeByv4IA3dA/s4032/IMG_0487.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNH_24zhekrZpzw-x1pENHFrcuUXp1pEXIxw5TDdTLI-p3fVRpPcVuXxufWe0p-Ax9X7lXZICnAyHC-oi0BaZa3-WLhTQuGyt1U2vqtBKewin53tqexG2AMsnNsVwA0luvUzS325rqdUCdSt9b5BwnpKqGewlsfaae0TxZJ6KjxpaopWReIeByv4IA3dA/w640-h480/IMG_0487.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">We decided to spend the morning on the Adelaide Coastal Walk Path, which goes from the suburb of Glenelg, where we were staying, to Brighton Beach, about 4.2km away. The kids had their scooters and we weren't sure how far we would get, but figured we'd have a few stops along the way.</div><div><br /></div>Here we are at the beginning of the walk in Glenelg:<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjridQ1zl5i4H948mRZQnxV9oxvdlqdA4BZ1pnCOBHCewM_6DeZ1rVCnL6Lf0embPED2HpCFeOCcLqS2_OPMqeSp5FjRhDq_e86aKkQ11Y275q7xkFvtZID07gcS_ebrEKx_5Ta3B3HPqWB-qFiYm-VBdV6opU0ZvXwRC54rVl0Ht-1nFRzw15aFdgvwyw/s4032/IMG_0493.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjridQ1zl5i4H948mRZQnxV9oxvdlqdA4BZ1pnCOBHCewM_6DeZ1rVCnL6Lf0embPED2HpCFeOCcLqS2_OPMqeSp5FjRhDq_e86aKkQ11Y275q7xkFvtZID07gcS_ebrEKx_5Ta3B3HPqWB-qFiYm-VBdV6opU0ZvXwRC54rVl0Ht-1nFRzw15aFdgvwyw/w640-h480/IMG_0493.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">We had to scoot along the Glenelg boardwalk before going on the path:</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiP6LYFsmsvZHtO4nhGtiO_3cvhlyiGTTsgycMcVFpG-nOoELLpYPP0J8HN7ekmduMRQ4Fi4ZE7vOIx5T7YMKiVl8ECs-gCzJZ8y1YfLoLqAkxapSVjHNqTWriqYyc6r6yRsCcBMnp2aQYyhTK6iKtkQ1ryqkZpbsBYRWJTjGFX_UwbWjctheWh83JrQng/s4032/IMG_0496.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiP6LYFsmsvZHtO4nhGtiO_3cvhlyiGTTsgycMcVFpG-nOoELLpYPP0J8HN7ekmduMRQ4Fi4ZE7vOIx5T7YMKiVl8ECs-gCzJZ8y1YfLoLqAkxapSVjHNqTWriqYyc6r6yRsCcBMnp2aQYyhTK6iKtkQ1ryqkZpbsBYRWJTjGFX_UwbWjctheWh83JrQng/w640-h480/IMG_0496.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div>About 1 km into our walk we stopped by this dolphin sculpture while Andy got us some coffees and treats.<div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLGcFouVTmUyZFWyJKLFrUDiRPmHCtU-641f9mBpsOKjGEiQyBQ9XgKVsMfxEtaWggUzeUP67a-1RDtKe-jLo7Ujoq5g6PtZ8yydiviyi0ptueaKt2OPWVYZTeZ0Xm3bKz3LOyuE2D9mj2jfbOKKJR4DIZUWhmPXOWVN-NDDwQqPLzWXNF1_FS4TjzsEM/s3784/IMG_0497.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2838" data-original-width="3784" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLGcFouVTmUyZFWyJKLFrUDiRPmHCtU-641f9mBpsOKjGEiQyBQ9XgKVsMfxEtaWggUzeUP67a-1RDtKe-jLo7Ujoq5g6PtZ8yydiviyi0ptueaKt2OPWVYZTeZ0Xm3bKz3LOyuE2D9mj2jfbOKKJR4DIZUWhmPXOWVN-NDDwQqPLzWXNF1_FS4TjzsEM/w640-h480/IMG_0497.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">Very close to Brighton we saw some actual dolphins playing in the water. They were extremely close to shore, I'd say 10-20m away at the most. They stayed in our area for a while and we ran down to the beach to get a closer look. This was super exciting, I cannot get over seeing dolphins swimming so close to land!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">Of course that meant we had to take a break, playing on the beach for a while. The weather was so nice at this stage, it was lovely to just enjoy the sunshine and gaze out at the water while the kids happily played in the sand and splashed around in the shallow water.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUsOc9H5EIWy-zWmf4tneX9m2nkcyw8U08UZov6qiDpdzsq9MreTI8Z6eSACAmwGGOgKi4ijVgHRMZi3n7BYjhxhmGprLP2DyTMDx0gYrob-mTGkMlDmZkePeKdVFu40M60yfSow5CWhFbbkxiTN6vA3avv07oUs_4RROnHDdtDcCKHmQa-e3GtYN8iJs/s3500/IMG_0512.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2690" data-original-width="3500" height="492" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUsOc9H5EIWy-zWmf4tneX9m2nkcyw8U08UZov6qiDpdzsq9MreTI8Z6eSACAmwGGOgKi4ijVgHRMZi3n7BYjhxhmGprLP2DyTMDx0gYrob-mTGkMlDmZkePeKdVFu40M60yfSow5CWhFbbkxiTN6vA3avv07oUs_4RROnHDdtDcCKHmQa-e3GtYN8iJs/w640-h492/IMG_0512.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQnS0nUo6ATu564BTH5MUowdSBTMcFrYU2kDGqOMFotlhgg79YFXrpFCmsm65pO27rjcWR3p_02gBtRcp8GghN54kmY1Xq4Re_0cEQZrIgLj1ILySY3a8FG024tmxFbS7InmF02yR0yc7atgHzFI7YH30Fk4WxcklP91tGv_xVnr6Ng0pl76WxrhfFet0/s3506/IMG_0514.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2634" data-original-width="3506" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQnS0nUo6ATu564BTH5MUowdSBTMcFrYU2kDGqOMFotlhgg79YFXrpFCmsm65pO27rjcWR3p_02gBtRcp8GghN54kmY1Xq4Re_0cEQZrIgLj1ILySY3a8FG024tmxFbS7InmF02yR0yc7atgHzFI7YH30Fk4WxcklP91tGv_xVnr6Ng0pl76WxrhfFet0/w640-h480/IMG_0514.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">A few more pics from the first half of our walk:</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5FMcbu_9jh5xQ7T6HQY--ip3311rljwzzaSkrYrPD3mRrVCBu7SZvGWfA1tGbyrgBbet-HJiIFMrAvwWMTXKq3QKpn40iX6-ymrMiqRh8_CapYScTL1UAscsiuhSnEjjKi-x1hBWeaJCmUInzuaggybVb-EEje213kProxCDrBi5wi991nyBwg0r1K7U/s4032/IMG_0500.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5FMcbu_9jh5xQ7T6HQY--ip3311rljwzzaSkrYrPD3mRrVCBu7SZvGWfA1tGbyrgBbet-HJiIFMrAvwWMTXKq3QKpn40iX6-ymrMiqRh8_CapYScTL1UAscsiuhSnEjjKi-x1hBWeaJCmUInzuaggybVb-EEje213kProxCDrBi5wi991nyBwg0r1K7U/w640-h480/IMG_0500.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiu8KC9Uu_IJeF9RJ2v0JBcatI-6zVUfkXxoXNNZmbP9ziv9Ke-_y2W_tpx5wxG0YbNoX2Epl4OXA5LUfxyNajCiF7HF7Tat12NIUYvuR0m8VtsRmHppPLEPyydHbChDMUqoyy_f7q8Sj1UzSnwyXuOO9mvEtpvMcinPGV6PqwTXHyuyaGT537BbCenfWI/s4032/IMG_0503.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiu8KC9Uu_IJeF9RJ2v0JBcatI-6zVUfkXxoXNNZmbP9ziv9Ke-_y2W_tpx5wxG0YbNoX2Epl4OXA5LUfxyNajCiF7HF7Tat12NIUYvuR0m8VtsRmHppPLEPyydHbChDMUqoyy_f7q8Sj1UzSnwyXuOO9mvEtpvMcinPGV6PqwTXHyuyaGT537BbCenfWI/w640-h480/IMG_0503.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJSJJcZrDMulJXMbY3ZtXNW1kSBW4giFs82JIRngXZv6z_U0fMil0WPq01K1DGojZ7Kzn5OxN_iZaehMyM1h73v2pwNy_npapB9DFZ_Fu713Mdj81mQhRxR1zwRpSn32Dr3ouXs6g8wQIIqBEmCbfyMG-QUXLpmukhRs2R4yKcvyy2Zx1UBgH_x9kly4M/s4032/IMG_0505.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJSJJcZrDMulJXMbY3ZtXNW1kSBW4giFs82JIRngXZv6z_U0fMil0WPq01K1DGojZ7Kzn5OxN_iZaehMyM1h73v2pwNy_npapB9DFZ_Fu713Mdj81mQhRxR1zwRpSn32Dr3ouXs6g8wQIIqBEmCbfyMG-QUXLpmukhRs2R4yKcvyy2Zx1UBgH_x9kly4M/w640-h480/IMG_0505.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">We stopped for a well deserved brunch on the main street in Brighton.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIvWeQs03zuQeZAIwCDZ_yyfYYihc4rvr0pmIA77qar8kLhKcQqInIqzSDqcHLx12iKf8Tfx0UwfQUG5Wr9Jojrne2WdDz-sllAYBZn0eSqYSvYtjTa4R4ViLvA40lWPIr6cPFtw1D4HVNNpwk3PyaxfNrDDuf8LolAyRVNJnRzjEv8S_fYUlLdYx1IcY/s4032/IMG_0516.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIvWeQs03zuQeZAIwCDZ_yyfYYihc4rvr0pmIA77qar8kLhKcQqInIqzSDqcHLx12iKf8Tfx0UwfQUG5Wr9Jojrne2WdDz-sllAYBZn0eSqYSvYtjTa4R4ViLvA40lWPIr6cPFtw1D4HVNNpwk3PyaxfNrDDuf8LolAyRVNJnRzjEv8S_fYUlLdYx1IcY/w640-h480/IMG_0516.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">Lunch was of course followed by an ice cream:</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmyG8cpl1nFixI1aXvemFG6RHSl_gI9TWLWhk_saCmiuvZaptvNj3GAcgRxRkEr5SNaVODUFr-MRTVkZ80_xPGZgOSoLxxgk1WnwU3Ji2YfHRUDLN-JNZ5yPxfzidVpB-Wm4aYKj7sIofDMydiaZd-NSNSldeeDS9znmeW57odsnBIyhbgp5_--6lEBE8/s4032/IMG_0518.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmyG8cpl1nFixI1aXvemFG6RHSl_gI9TWLWhk_saCmiuvZaptvNj3GAcgRxRkEr5SNaVODUFr-MRTVkZ80_xPGZgOSoLxxgk1WnwU3Ji2YfHRUDLN-JNZ5yPxfzidVpB-Wm4aYKj7sIofDMydiaZd-NSNSldeeDS9znmeW57odsnBIyhbgp5_--6lEBE8/w640-h480/IMG_0518.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div>After that we were well fueled and ready for the 4km scoot/walk back to Glenelg. The weather held up and was stunning the whole way back.</div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyyA_HZeJqA6YcI7zY6DJrq4MDNZV0qBPEZNNTTyBl6hFO5dnvgAwtan-EqPdL4qqMoSxMkOU0KQL_J2rDisbrJM8QturxGEXXKDywoqRyiC1H93ZAIdpdpsHkhIzc5NBlZ-PeOoiw1u71knE4Aato5h2aWGk0YQQN5ZTxmFB5Z4ivGA2PIQg4E01U9O4/s4032/IMG_0520.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyyA_HZeJqA6YcI7zY6DJrq4MDNZV0qBPEZNNTTyBl6hFO5dnvgAwtan-EqPdL4qqMoSxMkOU0KQL_J2rDisbrJM8QturxGEXXKDywoqRyiC1H93ZAIdpdpsHkhIzc5NBlZ-PeOoiw1u71knE4Aato5h2aWGk0YQQN5ZTxmFB5Z4ivGA2PIQg4E01U9O4/w640-h480/IMG_0520.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpsc2jWUbF6VCDc1VPVlnE6pLiDDyY4Px2hzMtR6o2UQA8VZddP_3HnS5f9UVtRRaRMFJ_TOSqeWiPvzkvIsd0J77w1ig1JjqorB2vPYb4WVYFOnkM2ehhz_M44ZvPnP2gOdEM2Kjpx4uXDQF0UVPbc_LrygsXstUyfS4zJEUUNC-urrUpJnbXrQahWBE/s4032/IMG_0521.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpsc2jWUbF6VCDc1VPVlnE6pLiDDyY4Px2hzMtR6o2UQA8VZddP_3HnS5f9UVtRRaRMFJ_TOSqeWiPvzkvIsd0J77w1ig1JjqorB2vPYb4WVYFOnkM2ehhz_M44ZvPnP2gOdEM2Kjpx4uXDQF0UVPbc_LrygsXstUyfS4zJEUUNC-urrUpJnbXrQahWBE/w640-h480/IMG_0521.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">After nearly 9km of walking and scooting the kids were not ready to go back to the hotel. We had to have one last play at the seaside playground in Glenelg.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8khKcz-xQaK92Clfi_F8VK-zZY0X_5Ohh8hw64bdzZr-5aLvNYnoxH-Y3CtmGvf7a6Pza-2OwQ443sAjafjcGsblyckNpeFH9gre4Y0IaxjpV5pY074aJ8jaMl-eBsDC0r2XjaD5m6rtHIv7RlijmwDl7OOtIGDPqVZb1uPX4goVDeioiMNY5_jCGnCg/s4032/IMG_0527.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8khKcz-xQaK92Clfi_F8VK-zZY0X_5Ohh8hw64bdzZr-5aLvNYnoxH-Y3CtmGvf7a6Pza-2OwQ443sAjafjcGsblyckNpeFH9gre4Y0IaxjpV5pY074aJ8jaMl-eBsDC0r2XjaD5m6rtHIv7RlijmwDl7OOtIGDPqVZb1uPX4goVDeioiMNY5_jCGnCg/s320/IMG_0527.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">That evening we had one last sauna and pool session in the hotel. We all slept very well after our day of outdoor exercise.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">The next morning we packed up the hotel and got ready for our drive home, this time taking a different (longer) route along the coast. But that's a story for another post!</div>Wendy McCarryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10400056809655031226noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3302793385282321137.post-14402694329379269772023-07-08T03:42:00.000+01:002023-07-08T03:42:11.950+01:00Adelaide Day 1 & 2<p style="text-align: justify;">During the winter holidays we took a road trip to Adelaide. We drove inland from Melbourne, stopping overnight in the town of Naracoorte on the South Australia/Victoria border, which I wrote about <a href="https://wandymcnobledownunder.blogspot.com/2023/07/melbourne-to-adelaide-inland-route.html" target="_blank">here</a>.</p><p style="text-align: justify;"><b><u>Day 1</u></b></p><p style="text-align: justify;">We arrived in Adelaide around 2pm after a rainy but uneventful drive from Naracoorte. We stayed at the Oaks Liberty Suites, in the suburb of Glenelg. Glenelg is about 15 minutes from the city centre, located on the white sandy beaches of Holdfast Bay. I thought this might be nicer for us than staying in the city, as 1) the kids love playing on beaches, no matter what the time of year, and 2) I love being around water, even if it's way too cold to swim. </p><p style="text-align: justify;">I booked the Oaks because of its proximity to the beach and the main street in Glenelg, and also because it has an indoor pool. There was also a hot tub and sauna, but unfortunately the hot tub was out of order while we were there, which I was kind of devastated about. I had really been looking forward to nightly hot tubs while the kids played in the pool! So that was a bit of a bummer, but the sauna was a nice second best. </p><p style="text-align: justify;">We settled into our two bedroom apartment which the kids ran around excitedly when we first got in - probably relieved that it was a much bigger space than our motel the night before. If you've ever seen the episode of Bluey called <a href="https://www.tvcatchupaustralia.com/bluey/season-3-episode-32-relax-547446" target="_blank">"Relax"</a> it captures exactly what it is like to enter your holiday accommodation with kids. They run around in a frenzy, discovering the most mundane of details ("hangers!" the girls on Bluey scream, when they open a closet door) and any minor detail different to their own house is cause for hysteria. You should see my kids when we stay in a house with more than one floor (stairs!!!). In this place Ella and Ollie were excited at the king size bed in their room that they would be sharing, along with the very big bathroom and the fact that we were on the 8th floor. I was less impressed than them; I'd describe our accommodation as "fine"... good location and met our needs but a bit tired in terms of the furnishings and decor. </p><p style="text-align: justify;">Once we had brought up all our bags we headed down to the beach for a play before it got too late. Every winter the city needs to pump sand from Glenelg to the beaches south as the wind and waves naturally move it south to north. Because of this, there were many diggers on the sand and big sand hills dotted along the beach. Not the prettiest sight, but A LOT of fun for the kids, who despite the strong winds that afternoon, ran up and down the sand hills for ages before we dragged them away to get some food. </p><p style="text-align: justify;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5fyQAlLlcraegPoew5_2TAnS-Q1oJKtZnl4VUUiE0sHSuW0Eit9Z6PerXrd8YrrrKTamtaVveB4AqNmx4GAXBnyriLlTvbXreGgBLA-Re3oEDdO_yn2jeINjwU7Pziu9jjDej17XE8TKGipO1bx13xsoQpDlUYb3NbHrn8R5wlE1YBsAZg3KdIq7s7FY/s3865/IMG_0396.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2899" data-original-width="3865" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5fyQAlLlcraegPoew5_2TAnS-Q1oJKtZnl4VUUiE0sHSuW0Eit9Z6PerXrd8YrrrKTamtaVveB4AqNmx4GAXBnyriLlTvbXreGgBLA-Re3oEDdO_yn2jeINjwU7Pziu9jjDej17XE8TKGipO1bx13xsoQpDlUYb3NbHrn8R5wlE1YBsAZg3KdIq7s7FY/w640-h480/IMG_0396.jpeg" width="640" /></a></p><p style="text-align: justify;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5yaAKLRCL04HCZVfn9KLgHgYQiI4GfUJ8Dks-FrL0PRh0w9QyVsA5p0vMR2B5dLCiIg3Eh3EGkhCrWw6cP-TqS1ku44hz-SpCxlReIKfbtpvBAMJ43PEAjNb-z8FXKSgDTLTtVXuc-k19IGb0Ykxz_Tlbcnq7QsracmcmVKL4g2bKG4sxkvYFWjHyF6w/s3215/IMG_0395.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2447" data-original-width="3215" height="488" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5yaAKLRCL04HCZVfn9KLgHgYQiI4GfUJ8Dks-FrL0PRh0w9QyVsA5p0vMR2B5dLCiIg3Eh3EGkhCrWw6cP-TqS1ku44hz-SpCxlReIKfbtpvBAMJ43PEAjNb-z8FXKSgDTLTtVXuc-k19IGb0Ykxz_Tlbcnq7QsracmcmVKL4g2bKG4sxkvYFWjHyF6w/w640-h488/IMG_0395.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbdAtOxH3Eyb1bbaccNDeDljIFiT3itwSGUdRkVlZU63AHJBzDouewokvmbMHFbKA43K5qb52kCyjRZsTijKKolK1vUXWEV3cC86BmVQ6wKxugXgABcfHTMic6Qrz0MhfJlCVaALC_EIuGWsljMzkPpBn9BFwM_F8FzZhgvZQguwsAcmEFfOGfPyWR7ds/s4032/IMG_0401.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbdAtOxH3Eyb1bbaccNDeDljIFiT3itwSGUdRkVlZU63AHJBzDouewokvmbMHFbKA43K5qb52kCyjRZsTijKKolK1vUXWEV3cC86BmVQ6wKxugXgABcfHTMic6Qrz0MhfJlCVaALC_EIuGWsljMzkPpBn9BFwM_F8FzZhgvZQguwsAcmEFfOGfPyWR7ds/w640-h480/IMG_0401.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">We walked up Jetty Road where there was a huge selection of restaurants, fast food places, and other shops. I think the hardest part of going on holiday with the kids now is deciding what to eat every day. If Andy or I were on our own, we could happily eat just about anywhere. And although the kids are not super picky eaters, it is unlikely that on any given day they will agree on what they want to eat. We settled on a Mexican place, Beach Burrito Co., which was a winner. They served fish and chip for kids so the kids split that along with some cheese quesadillas, and I had an amazing deal of two tacos plus a glass of sangria for $10. I'm not joking when I say that must be the cheapest meal and drink deal I've ever seen in Australia. (The tacos were small but generally the kids have leftover food to be eaten so it was a good size meal for me!)</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6Ma483VeytgKanUQ6_uw6e-H9vm2IORe8W1Qb58HP4Y-3En5hmrwK_bc6HzFsli-Xc_Nc__xNOZyRpx6msMq1Hpz9o4lCv_wiiqqfnJyfZvptzspTvL3joYbXuPRKX8_1146bmEkxysUMSTR599RGSFCF8H_X97kfnJ6dIjkRRm2ZpiM5pSDJMkxLyE0/s4032/IMG_0405.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6Ma483VeytgKanUQ6_uw6e-H9vm2IORe8W1Qb58HP4Y-3En5hmrwK_bc6HzFsli-Xc_Nc__xNOZyRpx6msMq1Hpz9o4lCv_wiiqqfnJyfZvptzspTvL3joYbXuPRKX8_1146bmEkxysUMSTR599RGSFCF8H_X97kfnJ6dIjkRRm2ZpiM5pSDJMkxLyE0/w640-h480/IMG_0405.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;">While we were on the beach the kids had caught sight of the Beach House, which was an indoor amusement park with arcade games, water slides (but no pool) and a very fun looking mini golf course. The kids were dying to go but it was a bit too late. We convinced them to just head back to the hotel pool, promising that we would visit the Beach House at some point in our stay.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">On the way back home we stopped at a pretty cool playground across the street from the hotel. The sun was beginning to set and the park was overlooking a marina which was a lovely end to the day.</p><p style="text-align: justify;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLoy7wZXkLkSdrQEpq2cU8d_pXNLOPhKrnPHONO4V9NSCAaSytLLDW-4VP9ntX_4lTEfPDFYVOgEYUj_lpaikqklo_YXw9jYrcpSyQBCM9pClQRtCEAlGmQTIci3dUbjsP87fiPXnyudKeSA0SmeioSaQ1c8sF_ru8FHNuMBCTVS0myhV-pSf9F6jLU8Y/s4032/IMG_0407.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLoy7wZXkLkSdrQEpq2cU8d_pXNLOPhKrnPHONO4V9NSCAaSytLLDW-4VP9ntX_4lTEfPDFYVOgEYUj_lpaikqklo_YXw9jYrcpSyQBCM9pClQRtCEAlGmQTIci3dUbjsP87fiPXnyudKeSA0SmeioSaQ1c8sF_ru8FHNuMBCTVS0myhV-pSf9F6jLU8Y/w640-h480/IMG_0407.jpeg" width="640" /></a></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCuaX6hDWw1j01B0znWRd_zgg6ZHWfSdXOwGrcaSR8aLfa0zHfgoOXnaE4WtOQi-QTxvTp76xs9dQbLLwtK8aYu0UjbQDzuWV7EOv0rtUM75M9L32J1TeWTPD6qvrMLvNpe4rqLiFMyIY8Y3nKSdCfdTp5D477TmT8eeBK4y_HS2IIyWPnXoTqRFqkhuE/s4032/IMG_0408.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCuaX6hDWw1j01B0znWRd_zgg6ZHWfSdXOwGrcaSR8aLfa0zHfgoOXnaE4WtOQi-QTxvTp76xs9dQbLLwtK8aYu0UjbQDzuWV7EOv0rtUM75M9L32J1TeWTPD6qvrMLvNpe4rqLiFMyIY8Y3nKSdCfdTp5D477TmT8eeBK4y_HS2IIyWPnXoTqRFqkhuE/w640-h480/IMG_0408.jpeg" width="640" /></a></p><p style="text-align: justify;">We spent the rest of the evening in the hotel pool... well I should say the kids spent the rest of the evening in the pool which was too cold for me to contemplate going in. I read my book and alternated time in the sauna with Andy. The sauna wasn't extremely hot so we found that it was actually a nice place for the kids to warm up in after their pool session before heading back up to our apartment. They loved staying in the sauna for about 30 seconds, and then jumping back in to the pool. Thankfully there was no one else in the sauna as it would have been pretty annoying for anyone wanting a relaxing session!</p><p style="text-align: justify;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8v-QlQ362d8cvAMytcNsAkPGyoaiLznhuT1uXEymcKFTq8xa-pD0Lc_DcWUHYpdVQoYD2GQE4o_T2FIIljYImw-Dz27MDyLsYQ8s4LMpEgEgqN5zw3Zq0KjUMpEMt0hmq0thPDSFSXWJyIPUsIM_9ecRuVaUwA9NwfcluQ4zJDEsDCIjUFsw8XCxKN2Q/s4032/IMG_0409.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8v-QlQ362d8cvAMytcNsAkPGyoaiLznhuT1uXEymcKFTq8xa-pD0Lc_DcWUHYpdVQoYD2GQE4o_T2FIIljYImw-Dz27MDyLsYQ8s4LMpEgEgqN5zw3Zq0KjUMpEMt0hmq0thPDSFSXWJyIPUsIM_9ecRuVaUwA9NwfcluQ4zJDEsDCIjUFsw8XCxKN2Q/w640-h480/IMG_0409.jpeg" width="640" /></a></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGAHuLgdzvKPSKP3YLilkPi_wlbBr7I4pL5Be4P4VKchrfNZMGYEAnpEP5i_C-Ov2K0HDZDjCOM0zcE7-pgJwXjtOmJBOMXxTfhlJfoIimxn6_gY5MgWp8P4jwEHPB40wIPLR5SQkJxUeMT_VfwDpvwiRlXjZYXZVshJNpvXoHpqy8haumq7iGwz0dn4s/s4032/IMG_0412.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGAHuLgdzvKPSKP3YLilkPi_wlbBr7I4pL5Be4P4VKchrfNZMGYEAnpEP5i_C-Ov2K0HDZDjCOM0zcE7-pgJwXjtOmJBOMXxTfhlJfoIimxn6_gY5MgWp8P4jwEHPB40wIPLR5SQkJxUeMT_VfwDpvwiRlXjZYXZVshJNpvXoHpqy8haumq7iGwz0dn4s/w640-h480/IMG_0412.jpeg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Family sauna session!</td></tr></tbody></table><p style="text-align: justify;">After a big swim in the hotel we headed back upstairs for a snack and then bed. The kids were sharing a king size bed which I always find so cute once they are asleep! </p><p style="text-align: justify;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiII6FRNO2jKnoaTmxZs_CXGCPGy2WRJFqVaHr-M6DDHDTl3Mdyfn7EBD6oitG1MYLkSjdQ6dSiTXQCqwRO_iL4Yc1-DjNkEaOG_T6kExbwF5AmRTzrhEF-iQhx_2CmYtduNBs3Z6f8uFAL9cH3E_ybCwNenWf56azMsvml9qg4PaSJTxD7HMefa4FB9Rs/s3258/IMG_0531.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2466" data-original-width="3258" height="484" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiII6FRNO2jKnoaTmxZs_CXGCPGy2WRJFqVaHr-M6DDHDTl3Mdyfn7EBD6oitG1MYLkSjdQ6dSiTXQCqwRO_iL4Yc1-DjNkEaOG_T6kExbwF5AmRTzrhEF-iQhx_2CmYtduNBs3Z6f8uFAL9cH3E_ybCwNenWf56azMsvml9qg4PaSJTxD7HMefa4FB9Rs/w640-h484/IMG_0531.jpeg" width="640" /></a></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><b><u>Day 2</u></b></p><p style="text-align: justify;">We woke up on our second day to Ollie exclaiming that this was going to be "the best day ever" because they were going on waterslides and playing mini golf. I guess that meant we'd be heading over to the Beach House!</p><p style="text-align: justify;">I agreed to the Beach House in the afternoon if we could spend some time in the city in the morning. I was keen to check out a museum or a gallery but I was out-voted, so instead we settled on a walk around the <a href="https://southaustralia.com/products/adelaide/attraction/adelaide-botanic-garden?gclid=CjwKCAjwqZSlBhBwEiwAfoZUIL_hCXjFYqeKWXE3v7g6BfpLj0mqMryt-Nx1eX7nCkrD-bYPT2VRMhoC8_wQAvD_BwE&ef_id=CjwKCAjwqZSlBhBwEiwAfoZUIL_hCXjFYqeKWXE3v7g6BfpLj0mqMryt-Nx1eX7nCkrD-bYPT2VRMhoC8_wQAvD_BwE:G:s&s_kwcid=AL!11357!3!550039143104!!!g!!!14562690851!127221388039&szc=1" target="_blank">Botanical Gardens</a>. Adelaide CBD is really interestingly designed as it is an enclosed square completely surrounded by parks and gardens as you can see in the map below:</p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiMkq40j6Xzwk0YbE0lRN9wGKUKRl4bARGYMnfq83Pfy0BfvrBPGLkWOji5UxZODcD-eJO4WmTiURwl4hyRBWZSI5QOIdh1W36DZKJA3yx-831c6rmM9D6iu4nGlXWTjHw6EZeodacxkwUCeb2aWiSNop0zhc9LQWvtkt75mPDkaL-2k86OT2_DKt5QXsM" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="910" height="422" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiMkq40j6Xzwk0YbE0lRN9wGKUKRl4bARGYMnfq83Pfy0BfvrBPGLkWOji5UxZODcD-eJO4WmTiURwl4hyRBWZSI5QOIdh1W36DZKJA3yx-831c6rmM9D6iu4nGlXWTjHw6EZeodacxkwUCeb2aWiSNop0zhc9LQWvtkt75mPDkaL-2k86OT2_DKt5QXsM=w640-h422" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">https://www.freecountrymaps.com/map/towns/australia/941125358/</td></tr></tbody></table><p style="text-align: justify;">I really liked this design, it gives a bit of a buffer between the city and the suburbs, and looked like it would be an easy city to get around by bike. When we drove in from Glenelg it was very rainy and it looked like our plan of walking around the gardens would need to be amended. But it took us a while to find a parking spot and by the time we did that the rain had cleared up.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">We entered the gardens through a park with a funny smell... looking up we realised that the trees were completely filled with flying fox bats. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhi4yrF70IitsjJbuggiTaXcMkiz10MCwdQmLqJozYxGij6xkmRMBxrUkVYu6f996MnW6Gz4oRwqDDOlL6gQT9aad2MJ4s8TueJe54Xrbtybgsfr-WKn7tb_6pVMBiqqUFSVkVt6qTbq7quC3lX3YZCsHzo55Vw4yteCK1pKxbTlSIIgAbHXHHmrPo8voQ/s3565/IMG_0415.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2666" data-original-width="3565" height="478" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhi4yrF70IitsjJbuggiTaXcMkiz10MCwdQmLqJozYxGij6xkmRMBxrUkVYu6f996MnW6Gz4oRwqDDOlL6gQT9aad2MJ4s8TueJe54Xrbtybgsfr-WKn7tb_6pVMBiqqUFSVkVt6qTbq7quC3lX3YZCsHzo55Vw4yteCK1pKxbTlSIIgAbHXHHmrPo8voQ/w640-h478/IMG_0415.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><p style="text-align: justify;">The kids had their scooters and had fun scooting through the small streams of water that flooded the walkways from all the recent rain. There was a stream running through the gardens that seemed very high, and was rushing through at a fast pace. By the time we left a few hours later the water level seemed to have gone down and the water was much slower. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0vLeX1RDnxP86tcRvk40BfUghy-LUM7l1lazd927XSTbapbwACUEdqkZI5Ehun3-QwdIyKm0pwF2LXBPXaZSgIBWNQ0rojB8HbiaA6dyyxbJSzXssPlSZNj9efaN_2roQC7FPpEuDHaJ4H8t4X8HM7NK8B31098_MpgeJrDhkhZByXLcb2naAvFxlUog/s4032/IMG_0419.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0vLeX1RDnxP86tcRvk40BfUghy-LUM7l1lazd927XSTbapbwACUEdqkZI5Ehun3-QwdIyKm0pwF2LXBPXaZSgIBWNQ0rojB8HbiaA6dyyxbJSzXssPlSZNj9efaN_2roQC7FPpEuDHaJ4H8t4X8HM7NK8B31098_MpgeJrDhkhZByXLcb2naAvFxlUog/w640-h480/IMG_0419.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div><span style="text-align: justify;">We explored the Palm House, The Waterlily Pavilion and the wetlands for a few hours and by this time the sun was out and it was much warmer. We extended our walk a little more crossing one of the bridges over the Kirrawirra Parri (Torrens River) which separates the CBD from North Adelaide. After this we went back to our hotel for some lunch and a short break.</span><div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhC6VXueuIZJV1bUeHq3p5Dq9KyYIuEPA4nrB-NVoFuOvQZTDaEBATPXM6Ie6csvGIuN1QnqUFRBs_-bN_qy4jlM5sb_O_XZjuJsYXqd4byiWYSQTMaNzCurc29MsofcJjLX96VKfWzrXRR9qLsYt2wvpoEbKVDzSJ_d93CPuDONEFQxzrT8ihxdyUgYfo/s4032/IMG_0422.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhC6VXueuIZJV1bUeHq3p5Dq9KyYIuEPA4nrB-NVoFuOvQZTDaEBATPXM6Ie6csvGIuN1QnqUFRBs_-bN_qy4jlM5sb_O_XZjuJsYXqd4byiWYSQTMaNzCurc29MsofcJjLX96VKfWzrXRR9qLsYt2wvpoEbKVDzSJ_d93CPuDONEFQxzrT8ihxdyUgYfo/w640-h480/IMG_0422.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibmQrcEUWPuFl_YJ4VBddZHvxcdQXlEGS4ThZiB7zxw6pKdTRsAboqkBokI94NT-T_1mBthkabBsb41kqmQ1O9XqzRUGCiVWnSNvEJjkrfssFIf28JPO99kc_WR0vcpNpvXdcs5m7SYT9HDrIPcEvgRy9OCT2vAYk_8L0Jj2gUmjWLpYXqV_Z7b9XMzCw/s4032/IMG_0423.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibmQrcEUWPuFl_YJ4VBddZHvxcdQXlEGS4ThZiB7zxw6pKdTRsAboqkBokI94NT-T_1mBthkabBsb41kqmQ1O9XqzRUGCiVWnSNvEJjkrfssFIf28JPO99kc_WR0vcpNpvXdcs5m7SYT9HDrIPcEvgRy9OCT2vAYk_8L0Jj2gUmjWLpYXqV_Z7b9XMzCw/w640-h480/IMG_0423.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEino0mnpdFrEkxAx9QjhX4X2W_SiVbirWBzpTX7hAZn5ySgiNfzA7qjJkZFXKYE76P1NeDlAK1HFwfeoGrw5FkA5m87IdAfjOe5sWwAgl0yweTcvdIkEQROyENkC-oNRtOHFEG5hJyEk86ST1uiTthoj_c7MOuMn-WMajykzOr2yaUrIY7sIFdpKZ5D964/s3006/IMG_0424.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2565" data-original-width="3006" height="546" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEino0mnpdFrEkxAx9QjhX4X2W_SiVbirWBzpTX7hAZn5ySgiNfzA7qjJkZFXKYE76P1NeDlAK1HFwfeoGrw5FkA5m87IdAfjOe5sWwAgl0yweTcvdIkEQROyENkC-oNRtOHFEG5hJyEk86ST1uiTthoj_c7MOuMn-WMajykzOr2yaUrIY7sIFdpKZ5D964/w640-h546/IMG_0424.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWnfQJKNMrw0H84hPeBdfGo5YGpA7YjfpEsNcz4_09tnyObRzHveG8_KctB0snPvVpMea2wh6HLxcOgGzZ3CcRBTNo8ZZW6l4K8O39PAKwAla6EogmI9iN-HrtCM3EKIiDlHCnV_cHVd1balG82x497YIunsODg_8nFxOngCjF7l67WBcQY4b_Z6yYBAo/s4032/IMG_0426.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWnfQJKNMrw0H84hPeBdfGo5YGpA7YjfpEsNcz4_09tnyObRzHveG8_KctB0snPvVpMea2wh6HLxcOgGzZ3CcRBTNo8ZZW6l4K8O39PAKwAla6EogmI9iN-HrtCM3EKIiDlHCnV_cHVd1balG82x497YIunsODg_8nFxOngCjF7l67WBcQY4b_Z6yYBAo/w640-h480/IMG_0426.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnHgwhdFdCTzeymd0uKf3rDITN8QmSJbvBFXD4yPwhQ6jUPKlGYtklYn9K0VsF_cAYi8kHdoUXrDNXO-Q2qP7jbPkfVsdIYrPrbyrICNm8-RvY08Htqlw10m0O0Fh7XYyNxafROFkdgUU0eHZCJFsbMEyPkw9Wy9nfklSpceDWCbnKbv8-BA9QmNO37Pk/s4032/IMG_0427.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnHgwhdFdCTzeymd0uKf3rDITN8QmSJbvBFXD4yPwhQ6jUPKlGYtklYn9K0VsF_cAYi8kHdoUXrDNXO-Q2qP7jbPkfVsdIYrPrbyrICNm8-RvY08Htqlw10m0O0Fh7XYyNxafROFkdgUU0eHZCJFsbMEyPkw9Wy9nfklSpceDWCbnKbv8-BA9QmNO37Pk/w480-h640/IMG_0427.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-APiGnx204nX_KmuOTrYq6AgUUZPvebanNkpD0X070AEUYqnlHwjtdzfcPvef5T8YNhRuqlypLeSLsUnFW8FDwMAnGsLGLltEOwqphKoxmawgRAQpdR7en8Busd97yeHkyYOFWSSpjB9cc9Tw4Hvg6TWgi0q_zQvvYImD9u0PvrhIEvnNpNdZKh0nPpA/s4032/IMG_0429.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-APiGnx204nX_KmuOTrYq6AgUUZPvebanNkpD0X070AEUYqnlHwjtdzfcPvef5T8YNhRuqlypLeSLsUnFW8FDwMAnGsLGLltEOwqphKoxmawgRAQpdR7en8Busd97yeHkyYOFWSSpjB9cc9Tw4Hvg6TWgi0q_zQvvYImD9u0PvrhIEvnNpNdZKh0nPpA/w640-h480/IMG_0429.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIQCeBvaUIe_0GfXJuhD2jCCrICP0ruOR9r5mofMU3HbfGfYLENQge9jr0bOku4Q5BDX8HxP7BpL1-4YTgI7pX6DbcNVjsMLWZhMLsMDqJ70_v4EXeSqT8tTWWM11A0Lx3kRJ2sCyAmkUVmNnD6GtlRBnwMEqTPNAkQuUVFOxhBP6L8DtwZk3K1nt5WnQ/s4032/IMG_0432.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIQCeBvaUIe_0GfXJuhD2jCCrICP0ruOR9r5mofMU3HbfGfYLENQge9jr0bOku4Q5BDX8HxP7BpL1-4YTgI7pX6DbcNVjsMLWZhMLsMDqJ70_v4EXeSqT8tTWWM11A0Lx3kRJ2sCyAmkUVmNnD6GtlRBnwMEqTPNAkQuUVFOxhBP6L8DtwZk3K1nt5WnQ/w640-h480/IMG_0432.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4DcrPcp0ssJ1v4dpekIRT40LGQghaQidb9t5xqzgIRiObSXs-jvwEc6Tm__pJDQDpGoRI531yfzvgW4IuCj30lVIcMdEmcIcUEyt2C_MyzS0kWY5c2edyXvE9J7_sJtJzxGnIS1_3NLmiT6uWxKigWSa2auWGt_2q57MI2hEWDo054jIAIhGu_Q0adrg/s4032/IMG_0434.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4DcrPcp0ssJ1v4dpekIRT40LGQghaQidb9t5xqzgIRiObSXs-jvwEc6Tm__pJDQDpGoRI531yfzvgW4IuCj30lVIcMdEmcIcUEyt2C_MyzS0kWY5c2edyXvE9J7_sJtJzxGnIS1_3NLmiT6uWxKigWSa2auWGt_2q57MI2hEWDo054jIAIhGu_Q0adrg/w640-h480/IMG_0434.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><p style="text-align: justify;">Next up, the main event... waterslides! Mini golf! Arcade games! Basically this place is my worst nightmare. But we indulged the kids, getting them changed into their swimsuits and ready for the waterslides first. Unfortunately Ollie panicked when he realised he would have to go down the waterslide alone. It was a long circular tube slide and although he's gone on a short version of this type of slide alone I think he got a bit freaked out by the size of the slide up close. Ella went first and reassured him that it was very slow and VERY fun, but there was no convincing him to give it a go. Ella went on about 7 or 8 times and we got Ollie back in to his normal clothes and let him play a few arcade games instead.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_GOxrVGnaHwbwkmAOCzNcluK0K2NnnaHBfUGgkRDSEHIGM3zSWv7CCWbZxTUtHFhWI-zKPYXRFCamAYNgK0AgPlDQx384gaBBfxaBoshvR1dDR6o8ne7G4LsAinLIULUGGVkxgfi0gX9wVdEVDSiv_IwazHTC3K8KQz2oRYmv5fHNP2wE5ZUDG8vbQMQ/s4032/IMG_0437.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_GOxrVGnaHwbwkmAOCzNcluK0K2NnnaHBfUGgkRDSEHIGM3zSWv7CCWbZxTUtHFhWI-zKPYXRFCamAYNgK0AgPlDQx384gaBBfxaBoshvR1dDR6o8ne7G4LsAinLIULUGGVkxgfi0gX9wVdEVDSiv_IwazHTC3K8KQz2oRYmv5fHNP2wE5ZUDG8vbQMQ/w640-h480/IMG_0437.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxwuOX6LoyhVZ-4dqVm18Bb9PJ7cIVwirYcYuDGJSNawj1hrNFna92aOn7jFTZcyoaZkulQTZEJ77cNa_YVCoePSHLCxmU3wFyf_mazDX422k48eAEiSvyPsrzH6TeIYxpEHe3FWfjxveEl8V18Wu_3Ux5l6uQMoxwYN3jjKW5evRmhxO4Mbq0kkDZIv8/s3002/IMG_0444.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2500" data-original-width="3002" height="532" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxwuOX6LoyhVZ-4dqVm18Bb9PJ7cIVwirYcYuDGJSNawj1hrNFna92aOn7jFTZcyoaZkulQTZEJ77cNa_YVCoePSHLCxmU3wFyf_mazDX422k48eAEiSvyPsrzH6TeIYxpEHe3FWfjxveEl8V18Wu_3Ux5l6uQMoxwYN3jjKW5evRmhxO4Mbq0kkDZIv8/w640-h532/IMG_0444.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="text-align: justify;">After we went out for a family game of mini golf. We all got a hole in one at some point in the game which was very exciting. Andy tried to compete with me but I was really no competition for him. And let's be honest, Andy </span><i style="text-align: justify;">should</i><span style="text-align: justify;"> really beat me at golf. It was really nice and sunny out across the whole afternoon so it was nice to finish up the day with the mini golf overlooking the beach.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmx6Mr1n9Qbm6lBznOlCFgUe5moifCK2_CLoZTL2D1LhHvKYXaiaAoW0MIJ1hMFYbGS2uaA3H8cvnqpRNwgB1CJDqK1e0lg8b2R4SQHDeJyXigKjyHV2dbWfXDMtKee89Cs1B8i6MrOTEhzLyzjZpQRFkmc4dt35dNDUReDWqPvLjII7ugbeNjYkMiyD8/s4032/IMG_0438.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmx6Mr1n9Qbm6lBznOlCFgUe5moifCK2_CLoZTL2D1LhHvKYXaiaAoW0MIJ1hMFYbGS2uaA3H8cvnqpRNwgB1CJDqK1e0lg8b2R4SQHDeJyXigKjyHV2dbWfXDMtKee89Cs1B8i6MrOTEhzLyzjZpQRFkmc4dt35dNDUReDWqPvLjII7ugbeNjYkMiyD8/w640-h480/IMG_0438.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtCEVaTsgifIcGYQYqfWg9N_ky4TCwfDOZ3t7rVP2f2Dvo24-xZYCGnEOy0eXGwmzniM7-s8sCGL0nVnoi9hIdSU7rdrV8lQFLo-7YsXrHjVx4MbTJdMen8B-I004cUg6mXqVooLnjXDMBtFzXzlgsFHgGjX1nw8bDqFxk0EttohLaqFkkHqBpbDg9rnU/s3563/IMG_0440.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2755" data-original-width="3563" height="494" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtCEVaTsgifIcGYQYqfWg9N_ky4TCwfDOZ3t7rVP2f2Dvo24-xZYCGnEOy0eXGwmzniM7-s8sCGL0nVnoi9hIdSU7rdrV8lQFLo-7YsXrHjVx4MbTJdMen8B-I004cUg6mXqVooLnjXDMBtFzXzlgsFHgGjX1nw8bDqFxk0EttohLaqFkkHqBpbDg9rnU/w640-h494/IMG_0440.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3HIQkWkSyhqCOk0bk-cvmzGcs_uNEIU1lnY7vVniSZv8KT8wRiYg67S7YTKJD_uq0kM7hZOUy-MOGtLavu_kR9dXlmgJK0T5UkeuHfiZIZPaKdEKFWHBlt0tvIils65oX4TfIVUuHjij37PQbN9X0rtATS01SHPP4zgx9noPm6IsO12RPFVMn7PDHjdk/s4032/IMG_0441.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3HIQkWkSyhqCOk0bk-cvmzGcs_uNEIU1lnY7vVniSZv8KT8wRiYg67S7YTKJD_uq0kM7hZOUy-MOGtLavu_kR9dXlmgJK0T5UkeuHfiZIZPaKdEKFWHBlt0tvIils65oX4TfIVUuHjij37PQbN9X0rtATS01SHPP4zgx9noPm6IsO12RPFVMn7PDHjdk/w640-h480/IMG_0441.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><p style="text-align: justify;">We had a low key evening, getting takeaway pastas from <a href="https://www.pastagogo.com.au/" target="_blank">Pastagogo</a> for dinner, another winner which was pretty affordable as well. The kids were pretty tired out at the end of the day - too tired to even ask to go to the pool!</p><p style="text-align: justify;">In the interest of getting these blog posts published in a timely manner, I'll stop there and write about our next two days in my next post. </p></div>Wendy McCarryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10400056809655031226noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3302793385282321137.post-66125295093895456512023-07-04T22:13:00.005+01:002023-07-04T22:14:02.306+01:00Melbourne to Adelaide - Inland Route<p style="text-align: justify;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9LPINAAzudqQmFG82Xum6ykNdqOXr8HzhUubae5HUAd43eSqmvRfs_TDCEkkbvcBsZGv9lfcC0oerQFOda9zDXW4S2GCVvadnl6x5IHiUbP7wJjhNzsMiql5jseagJyA5yiSDJX95YC5LwPLcAAflg3Aq9I8CtiuRasy4uL8jJiOak6yeADtBLuD-E84/s4032/IMG_0356.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9LPINAAzudqQmFG82Xum6ykNdqOXr8HzhUubae5HUAd43eSqmvRfs_TDCEkkbvcBsZGv9lfcC0oerQFOda9zDXW4S2GCVvadnl6x5IHiUbP7wJjhNzsMiql5jseagJyA5yiSDJX95YC5LwPLcAAflg3Aq9I8CtiuRasy4uL8jJiOak6yeADtBLuD-E84/w640-h480/IMG_0356.jpeg" width="640" /></a></p><p style="text-align: justify;">During the winter school holidays this year we drove from Melbourne to Adelaide for a short city break. There are two main routes you can take. The most direct route is inland and about 8.5 hours of driving time. The scenic route is along the coasts of Victoria and South Australia and includes the famous Great Ocean Road. We decided to drive the direct route to Adelaide and the scenic route back to Melbourne. </p><p style="text-align: justify;">I suppose you could drive the direct route all in one day, however we decided to break up the trip with one overnight stop. We figured 4-5 hours a day of driving would be enough for the kids. We decided to stopover in Naracoorte for the night - no particular reason why, it is slightly out the way compared to stoping in Horsham or Bordertown, but I think I couldn't find any suitable family accommodation as I left booking this night's accomodation pretty late. Naracoorte is just inside the border of South Australia, and a little over halfway between Melbourne and Adelaide. It meant that our first day of driving would be a little over 5 hours, and the second day would only be about 3h45.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">We left at about 7:45am on a Saturday morning for our trip. Ella set up her own little sanctuary in the back seat, where she read her book quietly for the first 45 minutes or so of the ride. Yes that is a stuffed orangutan from IKEA hanging off the car grab handles. </p><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFEZFwScu7f_3rCWWI_EUZr-KZcv2jI9-46cf8Qh6OKBOMxXno8DW72u1odPTByabzIiJYCVIqUbihFONIze120DFefFTV46Nf11C93FIN9TZ14DC55hjHPZigvjN2vB9J-5s2PSjq5rQnoRxzbEIPYa3baoi-dTDRqZTEgvkUURF_nuDMR797L03_jsU/s4032/IMG_0353.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFEZFwScu7f_3rCWWI_EUZr-KZcv2jI9-46cf8Qh6OKBOMxXno8DW72u1odPTByabzIiJYCVIqUbihFONIze120DFefFTV46Nf11C93FIN9TZ14DC55hjHPZigvjN2vB9J-5s2PSjq5rQnoRxzbEIPYa3baoi-dTDRqZTEgvkUURF_nuDMR797L03_jsU/w640-h480/IMG_0353.jpeg" width="640" /></a></p><p style="text-align: justify;">Our first stop was at a McDonald's in Ballan, about 80km outside of Melbourne. We already needed a bathroom break and figured some hashed browns, egg McMuffins and coffees would hit the spot. There was a play area in the McDonald's but it was absolutely FREEZING out and so we made this a pretty quick stop, refuelling on grease and caffeine before hitting the road again. </p><p style="text-align: justify;">Our next stop was in the town of Ararat, about 120km from Ballan. We stopped for a play at a playground where we had a bit of blue sky before it starting raining. The whole day it was very windy and raining on and off, so it was good that we had a short spell of decent weather where the kids could run around and get a break from the drive. </p><p style="text-align: justify;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgG4C0gZZcLMXyoyjZl7hVs874YCgwTkBeLsHn7rlM8f_toOe-zkS4-yhyns3jrd6_i_Ws2mZ5d5MdMwbL-XncoFKtovoe5wq3FqUO7scksVklcr2OY2mxV26TIcyrYH8ffNyzbyxz8qYVeVkaw63XK9HnBnU8CUZzm4WlpYTpIk4QDM3RpMiRf42LgqD0/s4032/IMG_0357.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgG4C0gZZcLMXyoyjZl7hVs874YCgwTkBeLsHn7rlM8f_toOe-zkS4-yhyns3jrd6_i_Ws2mZ5d5MdMwbL-XncoFKtovoe5wq3FqUO7scksVklcr2OY2mxV26TIcyrYH8ffNyzbyxz8qYVeVkaw63XK9HnBnU8CUZzm4WlpYTpIk4QDM3RpMiRf42LgqD0/w640-h480/IMG_0357.jpeg" width="640" /></a></p><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjK27C9kvCD7TjbPkSAb3tTy6JW4vzOZzZpTaqnYwy86OmuC_2GnR_Om2goSaCouvt6hSe0uFgATGMs9e8CBvpjYU9uEvIUyFl-BXPcMSVuYJE1NnkIgIZerTpKMp_yuOW1DT2AmjtOGm724h-owFpYMdGgk4tYXjpFlTPDaQbF5cAGdqq47Wzsq7FU6TI/s4032/IMG_0359.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjK27C9kvCD7TjbPkSAb3tTy6JW4vzOZzZpTaqnYwy86OmuC_2GnR_Om2goSaCouvt6hSe0uFgATGMs9e8CBvpjYU9uEvIUyFl-BXPcMSVuYJE1NnkIgIZerTpKMp_yuOW1DT2AmjtOGm724h-owFpYMdGgk4tYXjpFlTPDaQbF5cAGdqq47Wzsq7FU6TI/w640-h480/IMG_0359.jpeg" width="640" /></a></p><p style="text-align: justify;">During the final leg of the drive for the first day Ollie had a big sleep and Ella dozed here and there so we didn't bother stopping until we got to Naracoorte. We drove through Horsham and Halls Gap, which is the entrance to the Grampians National Park. If the kids were a bit older or we had more time, this would be a great place to stop and explore for a few days. However it does kind of remind me of school camp, as back in 2016 and 2017 I had to spend a week in the Grampians for Year 8 camp - not the most fun memory of my working career!</p><p style="text-align: justify;">We arrived in Naracoorte around 2pm and decided to check out the <a href="https://www.naracoortecaves.sa.gov.au/" target="_blank">Naracoorte Caves</a> before heading to our motel. The caves are a World Heritage site, and contain fossils from around 500000 years ago. There are a few different caves to explore, but all except one must be viewed with a guide. It was recommended for us, with young kids, to just explore the unguided cave so we did that. It was probably the right decision, especially with Ollie - he'd be difficult to keep focused for a whole 60 minute guided cave tour, though I think the other caves were more beautiful/interesting. Still, it was a fun and different experience and Ollie kept up picking up rocks, telling us he was collecting fossils. </p><p style="text-align: justify;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYQha0GuMFZWO3E0VjDKsJ6YflIMIDmpsJ1JB8Q9eRN_MxxUFM-Eo_UaRWcemfHAsDd43CFoFWfekYxSH925kcJumEwy1JLwPy635a6skW1ru4wTLWaIo1pZ_2JSctv3FhRsTsFbAp97U0N6X4ivrvQzuMzBiXrz0qLiruv6hgJ3T66lLY-jejWZzWKWk/s4032/IMG_0373.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYQha0GuMFZWO3E0VjDKsJ6YflIMIDmpsJ1JB8Q9eRN_MxxUFM-Eo_UaRWcemfHAsDd43CFoFWfekYxSH925kcJumEwy1JLwPy635a6skW1ru4wTLWaIo1pZ_2JSctv3FhRsTsFbAp97U0N6X4ivrvQzuMzBiXrz0qLiruv6hgJ3T66lLY-jejWZzWKWk/w640-h480/IMG_0373.jpeg" width="640" /></a></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisuYnAMuS1FYXrcfPe5USMbt_Og94l1u9H7AnYCBvFoxblmuVP-6HMJPJ7wCQsi4R9eBJoWdCTjrpj7Nqqp0DGBSL9YF2t5oHdG8aWNnm_CtCmp1sXYX0zYu4lXSIebMHs4MdVwwI8Y1pCTVrYJZqcZ6Ogk7-rxRPRSeWMOiS9IFipQh46zmRTR_lIghI/s4032/IMG_0372.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisuYnAMuS1FYXrcfPe5USMbt_Og94l1u9H7AnYCBvFoxblmuVP-6HMJPJ7wCQsi4R9eBJoWdCTjrpj7Nqqp0DGBSL9YF2t5oHdG8aWNnm_CtCmp1sXYX0zYu4lXSIebMHs4MdVwwI8Y1pCTVrYJZqcZ6Ogk7-rxRPRSeWMOiS9IFipQh46zmRTR_lIghI/w640-h480/IMG_0372.jpeg" width="640" /></a></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhs8pTSAxAkU1196ML_Y2EIfL7ogXkEmpphOxwWarTUXQVNAwqz19t78sY9WnpNZEWpcH-dn6WihtrRW7ZljvmnEAmq2bJQdiCDdJI53_e3WmVL2SjpZAgAHguKprP97xxOTBYdWf0RQyiKLpApWy7jKmsxL9epXBoejL3ecJixWx5wRd3PPijhopVwvqM/s1024/IMG_4574.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="768" data-original-width="1024" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhs8pTSAxAkU1196ML_Y2EIfL7ogXkEmpphOxwWarTUXQVNAwqz19t78sY9WnpNZEWpcH-dn6WihtrRW7ZljvmnEAmq2bJQdiCDdJI53_e3WmVL2SjpZAgAHguKprP97xxOTBYdWf0RQyiKLpApWy7jKmsxL9epXBoejL3ecJixWx5wRd3PPijhopVwvqM/w640-h480/IMG_4574.jpeg" width="640" /></a></p><p style="text-align: justify;">Besides the cave, we could explore the <span style="text-align: left;">Wonambi Fossil Centre where you can walk around in a recreated scene from 500,000 years ago. </span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivM06TuNPF0QQFN_XgXb6CwpCIybYy4odIvlhtAcEqr3rdWhPngBc4EBM8qNT_QaOc0bLTvXVHaZBLq_nntJmU35jF5H97TQJndd8NaYnV01vmo78xS5ybQfbrOe4zijgKyNLvsdAA-C8YMAxUeyLAy3fO0FMGPm2qgfltZPSj5cfmKPZsWTw4NASgtU4/s4032/IMG_0361.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivM06TuNPF0QQFN_XgXb6CwpCIybYy4odIvlhtAcEqr3rdWhPngBc4EBM8qNT_QaOc0bLTvXVHaZBLq_nntJmU35jF5H97TQJndd8NaYnV01vmo78xS5ybQfbrOe4zijgKyNLvsdAA-C8YMAxUeyLAy3fO0FMGPm2qgfltZPSj5cfmKPZsWTw4NASgtU4/w640-h480/IMG_0361.jpeg" width="640" /></a></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirqGvpgkxts2o6GF62ZwCNwagfyc0HMGHaIRYgXf7Ws0hhwo3SJ77jnyv4LjFJKKp1KaKMm4otbIUaXpy8RyhWAI87RuZ0Nf4gjiPkFHawci3z7avh01BCzjDZHoF_bSvqUh695HKooqBWNfMbpe_scWUyZZWIUQ9t_rRpR5S86Y3fWMI_g51pwHk66FI/s4032/IMG_0362.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirqGvpgkxts2o6GF62ZwCNwagfyc0HMGHaIRYgXf7Ws0hhwo3SJ77jnyv4LjFJKKp1KaKMm4otbIUaXpy8RyhWAI87RuZ0Nf4gjiPkFHawci3z7avh01BCzjDZHoF_bSvqUh695HKooqBWNfMbpe_scWUyZZWIUQ9t_rRpR5S86Y3fWMI_g51pwHk66FI/w640-h480/IMG_0362.jpeg" width="640" /></a></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtglYaQCba0jjNa4b4-aIFIm4DPI3V7qy86J58KygQEziyqxRcajz1BNSr8m3vAF_F3LI9CbgMNhJgNnPV3laB1Z7a0vDVxXU-Z5uZ5pQl7jfAcRYMsVTnSTtPI2OlTbkIVlr8mCBy_uGbZhf9w4MGJ79t796RiGpot4q_FiFB9LUXV3x2lo6GIlk4dsc/s4032/IMG_0364.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtglYaQCba0jjNa4b4-aIFIm4DPI3V7qy86J58KygQEziyqxRcajz1BNSr8m3vAF_F3LI9CbgMNhJgNnPV3laB1Z7a0vDVxXU-Z5uZ5pQl7jfAcRYMsVTnSTtPI2OlTbkIVlr8mCBy_uGbZhf9w4MGJ79t796RiGpot4q_FiFB9LUXV3x2lo6GIlk4dsc/w640-h480/IMG_0364.jpeg" width="640" /></a></p><p style="text-align: justify;">Outside there was a great nature playground that we spent time at before it started raining again.</p><p style="text-align: justify;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFIxiNZlp-GZa9A1WLqzKslGVGImmfKvH_2Djr_TW-nWiJlaZE6Adl8A2RCI01_K5KD7z5IKdhgqyTnBEdL1vQ7STWx0Y-_KYVSB6hXfpYAI739ch8wcEQ6DRP1y1uhyUaerzz0l8NMietX8hkgVvkeF-CyBXq-ipssMhhKpWb6t6yljVc3Lel5PwZp5U/s800/IMG_4571.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFIxiNZlp-GZa9A1WLqzKslGVGImmfKvH_2Djr_TW-nWiJlaZE6Adl8A2RCI01_K5KD7z5IKdhgqyTnBEdL1vQ7STWx0Y-_KYVSB6hXfpYAI739ch8wcEQ6DRP1y1uhyUaerzz0l8NMietX8hkgVvkeF-CyBXq-ipssMhhKpWb6t6yljVc3Lel5PwZp5U/w640-h480/IMG_4571.jpeg" width="640" /></a></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEge7Ut3q7tSx9cKkimPJgYWTKKzlwSR9mr2Wd2GOmVBkeCBs2Y_I7NcmLnvjvI0hC6hMfnLsB72GE04GkBeFB7QOhTeA6VQQniSd1f9VQZDYhFX-oiksnjBkS3l7tuNsFEuOpAU9gmEq4_ZEp0JMINbar7M_veXJ0NSbLtzSYzFyM48zSryZNIkGmtp2SE/s4032/IMG_0370.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEge7Ut3q7tSx9cKkimPJgYWTKKzlwSR9mr2Wd2GOmVBkeCBs2Y_I7NcmLnvjvI0hC6hMfnLsB72GE04GkBeFB7QOhTeA6VQQniSd1f9VQZDYhFX-oiksnjBkS3l7tuNsFEuOpAU9gmEq4_ZEp0JMINbar7M_veXJ0NSbLtzSYzFyM48zSryZNIkGmtp2SE/w640-h480/IMG_0370.jpeg" width="640" /></a></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj48AKV7UiRmuizQe5KYZWx4azHH6zqUMgGma11_FT0lP1i6F0Xis7hqvrqg30rbW2j4I5_Hsu4BZvMRQFToXl2yLhxGKvuyFI2QRzPcXC4abcUH0GcaD2SE44mSZeJrUBztF2_ojjHAsu61ZKyM3Oc4-xKXdSypiefCbBcxp30SChn593HgDY7DzlJxSA/s4032/IMG_0365.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj48AKV7UiRmuizQe5KYZWx4azHH6zqUMgGma11_FT0lP1i6F0Xis7hqvrqg30rbW2j4I5_Hsu4BZvMRQFToXl2yLhxGKvuyFI2QRzPcXC4abcUH0GcaD2SE44mSZeJrUBztF2_ojjHAsu61ZKyM3Oc4-xKXdSypiefCbBcxp30SChn593HgDY7DzlJxSA/w640-h480/IMG_0365.jpeg" width="640" /></a></p><p style="text-align: justify;">We arrived at The Avenue Inn, our lodgings for the night, around 4pm. The motel room was tiny but modern and clean, so that was all we really needed for the night. It is a family owned business, and the owners were so lovely. We haven't really stayed in a motel before with the kids, so when we first got into our room Ella exclaimed "is this IT?!!!" She was clearly not impressed with the lack of space. However the kids quickly realised that they had their own adjoining room with their own TV, so they were happy to shut their door and play/watch TV while Andy and I chilled out for a bit.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">For dinner we went to the restaurant adjoined to the motel and it was very good. Bonus points as there was a little cubby house outside on the patio, so even though it was too cold to eat out there the kids were happy playing outside on their own until our food came. </p><p style="text-align: justify;">Everyone slept well though we (the kids) woke up super early. There is a half hour time difference between Victoria and South Australia, so even though it was 6am to us Victorians, our watches said 5:30am as we were across the border, and any time before 6am just feels ridiculously early. Desperate for something other than instant coffee, Andy headed off to the only place open at that time... McDonald's! He came back with some hash browns as well, and I must say, I'm not a huge McDonald's fan but geez those hash browns are tasty! This was our second day in a row of McDonald's, so the kids must have thought they'd hit the jackpot. </p><p style="text-align: justify;">The funniest thing about the motel is we were directing Ollie to a light switch, and we told him it was "over the microwave". He was like "what's a microwave?" which I found hilarious. We don't have a microwave but it's never occurred to me that Ollie wouldn't even know what one was.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">After our hash browns along with some instant porridge we packed up the car and were on our way by about 8am. We had under 4 hours of driving to get to Adelaide which didn't seem too bad. It is a BORING drive though. We also had A LOT of rain and wind that morning so a lot of the time our drive just looked like this:</p><p style="text-align: justify;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibiPk1jbUa3iuuf-93h9w-XYKJHxjLppZ4sQQBh8JNvfBN2JapumLxEzd8sqqWofDSU8a042k5uZzacR5dp54HRofuC2PJ4agC553uV-ZmDRh6r4B0SxRV23i_VYZ1a1uYi10vbBk32gyfcgBxgzDAaGQ1gs7RbY0A3bvbqhW25Lo3EC8R-C8LEarAteU/s4032/IMG_0376.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibiPk1jbUa3iuuf-93h9w-XYKJHxjLppZ4sQQBh8JNvfBN2JapumLxEzd8sqqWofDSU8a042k5uZzacR5dp54HRofuC2PJ4agC553uV-ZmDRh6r4B0SxRV23i_VYZ1a1uYi10vbBk32gyfcgBxgzDAaGQ1gs7RbY0A3bvbqhW25Lo3EC8R-C8LEarAteU/w640-h480/IMG_0376.jpeg" width="640" /></a></p><p style="text-align: justify;">We made a quick stop in the town of Keith for a coffee and snack, and came across the cutest café called <a href="https://www.henryandrose.com.au/" target="_blank">Henry and Rose</a>. Part café, part homewares store, this place had a good range of food and coffee along with a cosy indoor fireplace. It was a nice surprise to come across excellent coffee and such a lovely place in such a small town in what seemed like the middle of nowhere. </p><p style="text-align: justify;">Half an hour later we came to the town of Coonalpyn where there is a roadside "Waffles and Jaffles" shop on the side of the highway, run by a <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-01-24/coonalpyn-belgian-waffle-empire-in-australia/13054198" target="_blank">Belgian expat family</a>. Of course we had to stop and try them out, and they were delicious!</p><p style="text-align: justify;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXQuqBIYyD9I4R0Uk7f0P1rjpK2DwRyVgxpk607WJOyrgTcpNRi9gWvmv9H-9fJQLqOI3nSWWACB7wgK7xo1tGuuW3xBvL7H4ljJA0e8j8Ftx7sKxWD0ENC15AQ0447fQX17f6YXoagpnD-8HXRyJpG140dxQrfEN89MKsKjLaaVyw8XwkFXXw9tC6nr4/s4032/IMG_0386.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXQuqBIYyD9I4R0Uk7f0P1rjpK2DwRyVgxpk607WJOyrgTcpNRi9gWvmv9H-9fJQLqOI3nSWWACB7wgK7xo1tGuuW3xBvL7H4ljJA0e8j8Ftx7sKxWD0ENC15AQ0447fQX17f6YXoagpnD-8HXRyJpG140dxQrfEN89MKsKjLaaVyw8XwkFXXw9tC6nr4/w640-h480/IMG_0386.jpeg" width="640" /></a></p><p style="text-align: justify;">Across the road were painted silos, part of the Australian Silo Art Trail. There are painted silos across Australia, as an initiative to promote tourism to regional towns across the country. The <a href="https://www.australiansiloarttrail.com/coonalpyn" target="_blank">silos in Coonalpyn</a> were painted in 2017 by artist Guido van Helten. It is titled "Hope for the Future" and features five primary school children from Coonalpyn and represents "growth and creativity, community spirit and local identity". </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjU-2N06Bsk7jGNE-2Q1iHN3rOPo-lyK6yanhvA2_l2JV_YKFIolYDyt3050mXm_8Qe2mWyV1zpeRXU3OfdiVAPwzHlMLr1Qw3nGEDmKsxZTWV4eL17HgWK28tYyheGRrKnwGdv6vT3OoNR1x3dNmhaZ8fn2zO07ZrLsiKaL01n0iH_5a9TqlOfo7VH-0Y/s3046/IMG_0378.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2293" data-original-width="3046" height="482" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjU-2N06Bsk7jGNE-2Q1iHN3rOPo-lyK6yanhvA2_l2JV_YKFIolYDyt3050mXm_8Qe2mWyV1zpeRXU3OfdiVAPwzHlMLr1Qw3nGEDmKsxZTWV4eL17HgWK28tYyheGRrKnwGdv6vT3OoNR1x3dNmhaZ8fn2zO07ZrLsiKaL01n0iH_5a9TqlOfo7VH-0Y/w640-h482/IMG_0378.HEIC" width="640" /></a></div><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"> </span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgjwbxSquzdjbJU53Fatjv_dwjTpZAjejHyWsrADAcKiFAgjI6rzczajNpUgZhaXU9z60liscAMtXN26aR-NdZKidohXB20F0jKbGrrF2aIdi4SCOHi8gI3L_gA7TA5ss0hT9D-aDjW-tMnjXl-jF-nsnDQELsxjTxMPDsz0iYuIrY6AZ2S0aBNid-3A4/s4032/IMG_4583.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgjwbxSquzdjbJU53Fatjv_dwjTpZAjejHyWsrADAcKiFAgjI6rzczajNpUgZhaXU9z60liscAMtXN26aR-NdZKidohXB20F0jKbGrrF2aIdi4SCOHi8gI3L_gA7TA5ss0hT9D-aDjW-tMnjXl-jF-nsnDQELsxjTxMPDsz0iYuIrY6AZ2S0aBNid-3A4/w480-h640/IMG_4583.jpeg" width="480" /></a></p>We spent about half an hour here, eating waffles and running around the silos. Ollie and Andy even made a bit of nature artwork:<div><br /></div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhygqT_9uSEDbwna_84DQftsOPy-BMrgIK_xKpXNzrROUodJk7VHKjGf1xiI8EuqBASTrXrtCDc8XeAdXPUDXreN_-nGHZ7_3tSY0k66f56Q5gl9Ek6fGYFOBoAMuOuTKgZAwSvPvsFNENJ2Jx-VwVR5VYhep9TLvww3JflFscUEdeDuscyBd06RHleD5Y/s4032/IMG_0383.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhygqT_9uSEDbwna_84DQftsOPy-BMrgIK_xKpXNzrROUodJk7VHKjGf1xiI8EuqBASTrXrtCDc8XeAdXPUDXreN_-nGHZ7_3tSY0k66f56Q5gl9Ek6fGYFOBoAMuOuTKgZAwSvPvsFNENJ2Jx-VwVR5VYhep9TLvww3JflFscUEdeDuscyBd06RHleD5Y/w640-h480/IMG_0383.jpeg" width="640" /></a><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>The rest of our drive was pretty uneventful. Ollie slept most of the way, so we didn't stop again. We drove past a Pioneer Village and through the German town of Hahndorf, thinking we might stop, but the rain and sleeping child put us off. The last hour or so of the drive was a bit more interesting as you drive through the Adelaide Hills... it's no longer just a flat road through fields. We were treated to a beautiful rainbow that I managed to photograph as we were leaving it behind.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgR0dpTvSE8DHbiM-hIZGyzBC7x-2U7YxdF8WQUYQHQlZbO9IHA-tRjGpb5Pr78XGO1apUU2hhe8LSsHdjI-Mz7ezNnj6DkmX6AX45aPkhDRiUNWOM4oPwHs7BFlmlhv4E6u1wC1kDNpAuGge6sQKAR-Pv_kvNywDh7vkjb-nhgijn40k8wrTSNVNyvVN8/s2662/IMG_0392.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1974" data-original-width="2662" height="474" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgR0dpTvSE8DHbiM-hIZGyzBC7x-2U7YxdF8WQUYQHQlZbO9IHA-tRjGpb5Pr78XGO1apUU2hhe8LSsHdjI-Mz7ezNnj6DkmX6AX45aPkhDRiUNWOM4oPwHs7BFlmlhv4E6u1wC1kDNpAuGge6sQKAR-Pv_kvNywDh7vkjb-nhgijn40k8wrTSNVNyvVN8/w640-h474/IMG_0392.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">We arrived in Adelaide around 2:30pm, having survived our first major road trip with the kids relatively unscathed! I have to admit here that Andy did ALL the driving so it was probably much easier on me than on him. The kids were really, really good though, keeping themselves amused the whole time without the help of any screens, so I feel like it was a parenting win. </div><p></p></div>Wendy McCarryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10400056809655031226noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3302793385282321137.post-52737443764603945512023-06-19T05:14:00.000+01:002023-06-19T05:14:04.475+01:00Term 2 Weekends<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;">It's the end of Term 2, and the start of three weeks of school holidays. Hurray! This term has been short, but combination of shorter days, cold and rainy weather plus "Saturday Sport" for both Andy and me has made it pretty draining. But as I said to Andy last night, sipping on a cold glass of Chardonnay, we've made it through the hardest part of the year. Everyone is still alive, and we are still married, so I'm counting it is a success.</span></div></span></div><p style="text-align: left;"></p><p style="text-align: justify;">I'm sure I've explained Saturday Sport on here before, but just a quick recap: Two of the large independent school bodies in Victoria are the APS (Associated Public Schools of Victoria) and AGSV (Associated Grammar Schools of Victoria). My school is part of the AGSV and Andy's is an APS school. Schools within each of these groups play each other in sport, and games are played on a Saturday morning. Most APS/AGSV schools require teachers to coach or manage one season of sport. Students have to play two seasons. A season consists of nine Saturdays, plus a weekly training session after school. </p><p style="text-align: justify;">There are many, many benefits to working at an APS/AGSV school, however the Saturday Sport program is a drawback for teachers. I don't mind having some co-curricular involvement, but no one wants to work Saturdays on top of a full time job. I have always been a team manager of soccer, which means I have to do the admin related to the games, but I don't do any actual coaching. Most of these schools will hire external coaches (many are alumni of the school) and then as a teacher you are just the team manager, so there is no pressure to have any in-depth knowledge of a particular sport. </p><p style="text-align: justify;">This year my external coach is an alumni from the class of 2019, and he's really good with the team. For the last two years I had a different coach who was really useless, barely coached at all during the games and just had no presence about him. Having a good coach makes SUCH a different to the experience of the games on a Saturday for me (and for the students). Since we moved back to Melbourne in 2021 I've managed Year 11/12 boys soccer, and they are a great group this year. By this age the students are pretty self-sufficient so my role is pretty easy, so I can't complain too much! Really the issue is just having a 6th day of work, where in the morning we have to get up and get out the door like it's a weekday. Monday morning tends to roll around very quickly and you never feel like you've quite recovered over the weekend. </p><p style="text-align: justify;">This year we had the added complication that Ella also played netball at 9am every Saturday morning. So every week we had to plan out our Saturday mornings based on what time Andy and my games were at (the starting times vary, any time from 8am to 11am), where we were playing (some away games could be half an hour drive or more), Ella's netball game, and what we had planned for Ollie. Luckily we've had some very nice parents helping us out, taking Ella to her games and watching Ollie occasionally. </p><p style="text-align: justify;">I had to have them with me at one soccer game and it was unfortunately a rainy one, although the kids don't seem too distressed by that fact:</p><p style="text-align: justify;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcVzq0GMGONpuOEXZhoWVKkysN2YEamm2e7FZNcysjn4ligIqSHRWVi1EyhNmTDZqRFzNJxCDoAbAUhVnTgTOoCpFJU-0yvFLgR8p5oRYfJjLD69yHa2zcrgmYkKwB_XWWgW2WdZmav5xBHntvGEEtuJTi9Xyy7HfbZqedp_3xSENxk3SeewEHdBsX/s4032/IMG_0115.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcVzq0GMGONpuOEXZhoWVKkysN2YEamm2e7FZNcysjn4ligIqSHRWVi1EyhNmTDZqRFzNJxCDoAbAUhVnTgTOoCpFJU-0yvFLgR8p5oRYfJjLD69yHa2zcrgmYkKwB_XWWgW2WdZmav5xBHntvGEEtuJTi9Xyy7HfbZqedp_3xSENxk3SeewEHdBsX/w640-h480/IMG_0115.jpeg" width="640" /></a></p><p style="text-align: justify;">We had a very rainy season this year, though we did manage to have one bright and sunny Saturday morning, which makes all the difference in the world.</p><p style="text-align: justify;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFGU3H-P7ZTaCE5xJK4VPQoUHbhipwkLcvhdFhFXTbhxoYEmXYnoBJ6RUaBBrnB9TSp-pWJAS1MmW7wJSgZ79d35WudGKPh3lHDWtWRqOP4wA7pIl9ilzS5XlmrngBXLZ7wMxIRUTL2exmavJgHLpQHygMVITTg0WDgZK7S0D8emq7_jY3MkEo0AGn/s3691/IMG_0147.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2369" data-original-width="3691" height="410" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFGU3H-P7ZTaCE5xJK4VPQoUHbhipwkLcvhdFhFXTbhxoYEmXYnoBJ6RUaBBrnB9TSp-pWJAS1MmW7wJSgZ79d35WudGKPh3lHDWtWRqOP4wA7pIl9ilzS5XlmrngBXLZ7wMxIRUTL2exmavJgHLpQHygMVITTg0WDgZK7S0D8emq7_jY3MkEo0AGn/w640-h410/IMG_0147.jpeg" width="640" /></a></p><p style="text-align: justify;">I was able to watch one of Ella's games this term due to my game being a late start. Luckily I ended up seeing her first goal which was very exciting!</p><p style="text-align: justify;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhStGpUzGLM3DxWBWDlTQq1k8dJYWh8u1JVZKY9ve2hMNGSX1lbESVOoInBbsLZke_KnNoQoJNUrGmbucfvD54uXXM3xqhQj42cjXDW6zlBTlfOQiN4_dJjDGGvy9ackPg_ypE_1ZGFUJFpgEXATRYo-yEW4J_JPatFpQCm5Mlq84wPr_jx1kxaUeRX/s3155/IMG_0143.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2061" data-original-width="3155" height="418" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhStGpUzGLM3DxWBWDlTQq1k8dJYWh8u1JVZKY9ve2hMNGSX1lbESVOoInBbsLZke_KnNoQoJNUrGmbucfvD54uXXM3xqhQj42cjXDW6zlBTlfOQiN4_dJjDGGvy9ackPg_ypE_1ZGFUJFpgEXATRYo-yEW4J_JPatFpQCm5Mlq84wPr_jx1kxaUeRX/w640-h418/IMG_0143.jpeg" width="640" /></a></p><p style="text-align: justify;">I took Ollie to that game with me as well. He is VERY bored by the idea of watching his big sister play netball. I have to bribe him with a treat from the nearby café, and we usually take along his "Where's Wally?" book which keeps him amused for most of the game. Thankfully netball is a very short sport and games only go for 45 minutes.</p><p style="text-align: justify;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmtcMfHq376lPRrFfWONzn8lhRy0VJSc4Bss2-oMfw2-Ja-YCWHGkKYYT_z8lhgdRuE3eNLEtbxgLnrsNOkbNB7xuHn0rYk_B4ePtfQK-SiAA34jUcwh-vb36ZOTi-MAmYYBGLO9e88RwMKF9krEQL9Vs7evrgZy2oFFHqfi0-nqYTY0WRWpik1pHM/s4032/IMG_0140.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmtcMfHq376lPRrFfWONzn8lhRy0VJSc4Bss2-oMfw2-Ja-YCWHGkKYYT_z8lhgdRuE3eNLEtbxgLnrsNOkbNB7xuHn0rYk_B4ePtfQK-SiAA34jUcwh-vb36ZOTi-MAmYYBGLO9e88RwMKF9krEQL9Vs7evrgZy2oFFHqfi0-nqYTY0WRWpik1pHM/w640-h480/IMG_0140.jpeg" width="640" /></a></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9JC4IzCXaO8hvMiO9UbM54RU0I1Y06GvjvpwlSweQxQJpz7S5yFo7DKYmpbZ_-hL5xHz3Dg4vykRgGsU0vbi7p6Jsz_8XYo008ylXX7c6hS1JrDBzqKdcP6bKLm8ZECA2--6QzFgP19NB6GAgaTuqfS3Ww15DzNO3bURT6RQC788hTr4M6FQtDQEq/s4032/IMG_0145.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9JC4IzCXaO8hvMiO9UbM54RU0I1Y06GvjvpwlSweQxQJpz7S5yFo7DKYmpbZ_-hL5xHz3Dg4vykRgGsU0vbi7p6Jsz_8XYo008ylXX7c6hS1JrDBzqKdcP6bKLm8ZECA2--6QzFgP19NB6GAgaTuqfS3Ww15DzNO3bURT6RQC788hTr4M6FQtDQEq/w640-h480/IMG_0145.jpeg" width="640" /></a></p><p style="text-align: justify;">This weekend I was supposed to have a game all the way down in the Mornington Peninsula, but on Wednesday the opposition called to forfeit, and what a WIN that was! There is nothing like your Saturday Sport game getting cancelled! You feel like you've gained half a day of your life back.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">So that's a snapshot of what our Saturdays have been like throughout this term. Sundays have been a mix of getting out and about, along with cleaning the house, doing laundry, and getting groceries for the week. All that fun stuff! I've joined a yoga studio again for the first time since the pandemic, and I've made the Sunday 8am class a regular part of our weekend. It's a fantastic way to start the day, and I really appreciate getting back into a studio. There is something about practicing live, with other people, that can't be replicated with a YouTube video in your living room.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">Below are some pictures and highlights from various weekends throughout this term. </p><p style="text-align: justify;"><b><u>Ollie's Birthday</u></b></p><p style="text-align: justify;">Our baby turned five last month! I can't quite believe it. For the first time we had a little birthday party for him, with three other families coming around for some party games and a BBQ. It was a bit nuts to be honest. Ollie had a bit of a meltdown as he didn't understand why the other kids could win a prize on his birthday. Like no one else should be getting presents. I think the whole thing was a bit overwhelming for him, and for some of the other younger kids. But after about an hour of everyone adjusting to each other, they all came out of it and we managed to have a good time. I think Ollie's memories of it all were positive anyway!</p></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjc5Q9kTYC4_tjPIYAQiZ9QJCBnu_6CUFx9gcb6x2oo0eboRx1dJ-8rvuVygqknqDBnugg6aUXKFyV-ewzA9ZpDqwO12Jvp3Vs-5JObjdiBi16bOcUg4lO1Ep26VQ3Ceinw_xfaITeI8NMqr_uJiyCmnfA22dtOpcyNul6XS01sOV8m8lLXcV5qpAXV/s1055/d6ae7201-8edf-40ca-a0d5-e68b56611d2b.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="992" data-original-width="1055" height="602" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjc5Q9kTYC4_tjPIYAQiZ9QJCBnu_6CUFx9gcb6x2oo0eboRx1dJ-8rvuVygqknqDBnugg6aUXKFyV-ewzA9ZpDqwO12Jvp3Vs-5JObjdiBi16bOcUg4lO1Ep26VQ3Ceinw_xfaITeI8NMqr_uJiyCmnfA22dtOpcyNul6XS01sOV8m8lLXcV5qpAXV/w640-h602/d6ae7201-8edf-40ca-a0d5-e68b56611d2b.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuQSxdj4n2q3OsPF_OSutZ6yx0vObeuxYoPFSww0K2ax_X4RtAKrRBulbWm3mYVz2KfdDE3pqUzog_knMVJHIC0ApLVNxBNyM9aJqDHiU6UJ4Q0s44JnqOnN8GK7l8Ifl_Uoq_jpnhbKGP-qbZOwr9NLqqRl9_gJPVi9fWA9PYBLJh6w7zptNg-qkw/s1040/8232d8e4-966c-4b2e-9e2f-f56ee5c60ef3.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="855" data-original-width="1040" height="526" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuQSxdj4n2q3OsPF_OSutZ6yx0vObeuxYoPFSww0K2ax_X4RtAKrRBulbWm3mYVz2KfdDE3pqUzog_knMVJHIC0ApLVNxBNyM9aJqDHiU6UJ4Q0s44JnqOnN8GK7l8Ifl_Uoq_jpnhbKGP-qbZOwr9NLqqRl9_gJPVi9fWA9PYBLJh6w7zptNg-qkw/w640-h526/8232d8e4-966c-4b2e-9e2f-f56ee5c60ef3.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><b><u>Swimming</u></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">My default activity on winter weekends is to take the kids swimming. They love it and the indoor pools tend to be nice and warm. The kids have a swimming membership with their weekly lessons, and that includes free entry into any of the pools in our local council. Our favourite one is about a 20 minute drive away, but worth it as the set up is pretty good. There is a small, 90cm pool that is heated to about 34 degrees, along with a good splash and slide area for the kids. They also have a sauna and hot tub, so when Andy and I both go we take turns watching the kids and sauna/hot tubbing. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">The last time we went to this pool it was just me on my own with the kids. We stopped halfway for some lunch first and it was warm enough for us to eat outside:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5EBnjdyOE7lqKILQ1W-kDirPgWiP00lmuvZZTq_MH0fVBbJmkhNIGZj3zWhPqF5TWAAiGDznBm2dejiSf7VF2eFVPA27aqzyDuMcFU3OcjM2YBVyfzNGaILpoqALFKgJWg4kMZ8gC12vK4RT3D2aG8ThjRKDN0X70unoCCNfyjfA3hTN3rTi6LEOD/s4032/IMG_0258.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5EBnjdyOE7lqKILQ1W-kDirPgWiP00lmuvZZTq_MH0fVBbJmkhNIGZj3zWhPqF5TWAAiGDznBm2dejiSf7VF2eFVPA27aqzyDuMcFU3OcjM2YBVyfzNGaILpoqALFKgJWg4kMZ8gC12vK4RT3D2aG8ThjRKDN0X70unoCCNfyjfA3hTN3rTi6LEOD/w640-h480/IMG_0258.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Now that Ollie is 5 I don't actually have to get in the pool with them anymore. The rules are that kids under 5 have to be within arms reach at all times, but now he and Ella both just have to be actively supervised. Amazing! They played so well together for nearly two hours. I actually got a little bored, next time I'm going to bring my air pods and listen to a podcast while I watch them. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_dDRirOBTi9vglWSsVe0sOt1AVUVDFIJXzZClFc3bLHGOIqL0Y05x2iJCCGHfLRJCPngMulCiUNhqi4k-bxqbk787NGGpFiJwU-jvfZ_LpNozFlPmXMrszHCIz3XiSPNXH1VEGYKwcUWpiVmTFZLpDOYYmgNQbhvqNhoALcO1PKBaRtu4734ancuf/s4032/IMG_0264.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_dDRirOBTi9vglWSsVe0sOt1AVUVDFIJXzZClFc3bLHGOIqL0Y05x2iJCCGHfLRJCPngMulCiUNhqi4k-bxqbk787NGGpFiJwU-jvfZ_LpNozFlPmXMrszHCIz3XiSPNXH1VEGYKwcUWpiVmTFZLpDOYYmgNQbhvqNhoALcO1PKBaRtu4734ancuf/w640-h480/IMG_0264.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrSJIZob2lHY18jlWK3YbTooS6h0COwP-16c65IpPBD4y50ElD6eIWbUxo2U-wIMlKXjZx4C2q4E1_4VoJMMq1aJPCOw5efPezsFMFTVxCskIOh5rCUSsDQXMXuVGz7ycUt5SmRajMii3NSoYMkg3idGlFLL6gyeHInEBWbar5XkQ4a6Y9Y8gik7j2/s4032/IMG_0262.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrSJIZob2lHY18jlWK3YbTooS6h0COwP-16c65IpPBD4y50ElD6eIWbUxo2U-wIMlKXjZx4C2q4E1_4VoJMMq1aJPCOw5efPezsFMFTVxCskIOh5rCUSsDQXMXuVGz7ycUt5SmRajMii3NSoYMkg3idGlFLL6gyeHInEBWbar5XkQ4a6Y9Y8gik7j2/w640-h480/IMG_0262.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">After swimming we enjoyed the winter sun and had a snack outside by the outdoor pool. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghRH8Oer05NiyfJkQOOd2lqw7xYhMVnasCUsoD-k9QzdhiU8SEY3EpG4LGec_TypIsaFq716LZr7tIf03UjaVzWwkoAZS7RNXR2Z3n-evRXmMZ3HqGbxbo8ybchp2hE4mJdoShL3M2KoBFAyTJ8gPTUjUYXIKASelvlWLfUVUkxuTgkT9XDlckVwj_/s4032/IMG_0268.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghRH8Oer05NiyfJkQOOd2lqw7xYhMVnasCUsoD-k9QzdhiU8SEY3EpG4LGec_TypIsaFq716LZr7tIf03UjaVzWwkoAZS7RNXR2Z3n-evRXmMZ3HqGbxbo8ybchp2hE4mJdoShL3M2KoBFAyTJ8gPTUjUYXIKASelvlWLfUVUkxuTgkT9XDlckVwj_/w640-h480/IMG_0268.jpeg" width="640" /></a><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><b><u>Bike Riding</u></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">We are lucky to have a lot of bike paths around us, so we've gone on a few bike rides this term. Ella can ride further and further all the time. We still have Ollie on Andy's bike, riding up front with Andy, which he loves. We really need to teach him to ride a bike, but I think Andy secretly wants to ride with Ollie for a little while longer before he's too big/old. </div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhX0jX6LTnrfX6ynJ9LTOeEYVyh_Jp76k1bCSKioL3w4iGXI9l-o_GN-BTePFj1RSVq1LhIhgtHZCB8ctbqX9GzdohPcH84GYoYRuVe5QKR-GF7xDNNUO8TSYDAP4GnpZEd8FSjYdCIJn8yKK_h7hda07wVbqJYlkNtqZCl1VMgJmviNDIRYmNi26Mp/s3544/IMG_0304.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2472" data-original-width="3544" height="446" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhX0jX6LTnrfX6ynJ9LTOeEYVyh_Jp76k1bCSKioL3w4iGXI9l-o_GN-BTePFj1RSVq1LhIhgtHZCB8ctbqX9GzdohPcH84GYoYRuVe5QKR-GF7xDNNUO8TSYDAP4GnpZEd8FSjYdCIJn8yKK_h7hda07wVbqJYlkNtqZCl1VMgJmviNDIRYmNi26Mp/w640-h446/IMG_0304.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><b><u>Beach</u></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">I really like going down to the beach on sunny winter days. Even though it's too cold to swim, the kids still have a blast playing in the sand. There is a restaurant called Beachcomber in St. Kilda with tables on the sand, so we are able to relax for a bit and have a drink while the kids play. The food is average and overpriced for Melbourne, but you can kind of pretend like your on holiday in a tropical destination so it's worth it. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiw8ncaB1QnR_-XAl2v4lpunji9NaNE1XohRjNgMQJPixqS5KYATGV0jNjY3MAEveeUaZJkrE9KOjsUyefHLXhIDqspinRqqgqaev5AMJng20OXabEEEYPHhaqEMaDKGd4DW9vcqKDhbxt_vCEY6mTqcXFkwLQtDoTtBbhpdzZEzm1LmPBzfTvvFAzv/s4032/IMG_4420.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiw8ncaB1QnR_-XAl2v4lpunji9NaNE1XohRjNgMQJPixqS5KYATGV0jNjY3MAEveeUaZJkrE9KOjsUyefHLXhIDqspinRqqgqaev5AMJng20OXabEEEYPHhaqEMaDKGd4DW9vcqKDhbxt_vCEY6mTqcXFkwLQtDoTtBbhpdzZEzm1LmPBzfTvvFAzv/w640-h480/IMG_4420.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><b><u>Chilling out at home</u></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">And lastly we've just enjoyed being at home. The kids play pretty well together at the moment. Andy is teaching them both chess, and Ella is catching on pretty well. Ollie actually asked for this chess set for his birthday.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFFu6fGsG2iA2fWpAJg1ajCQiHWYVVQoAFaOl6dTWHMPvmrXklS7WCj8FzUrMuGQNJP2QRufv2F2RvySmKeqCJC8vz25jnkH2wd_iU6Bx2FaG7Y1xjEEalQCzUgvTcgiTvKzVdWJgHrlA-9QvYWKiBslfsFwUl9uX7PvqeOggiOLNMrTwNmlfnpLI7/s4032/IMG_0148.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFFu6fGsG2iA2fWpAJg1ajCQiHWYVVQoAFaOl6dTWHMPvmrXklS7WCj8FzUrMuGQNJP2QRufv2F2RvySmKeqCJC8vz25jnkH2wd_iU6Bx2FaG7Y1xjEEalQCzUgvTcgiTvKzVdWJgHrlA-9QvYWKiBslfsFwUl9uX7PvqeOggiOLNMrTwNmlfnpLI7/w640-h480/IMG_0148.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">Ollie has started to be able to do Lego on his own:</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOPa4f-25-26x1J2ljptFrMZ1FIonOaSOBDvKE3ow5X4kWCY6QfNurcmhF1U-oC-6Zn87BGWMIS6A6FaAMpgrlNsXnddMudF4VXquemREff5nAqWc9NmMJhjXCIlUGtvchY5IzSZ3N4J-1vMYufI3aH94Ft8HbnybxoIrkxnB399GysEnhTagOE2t9/s3677/IMG_0156.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2599" data-original-width="3677" height="452" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOPa4f-25-26x1J2ljptFrMZ1FIonOaSOBDvKE3ow5X4kWCY6QfNurcmhF1U-oC-6Zn87BGWMIS6A6FaAMpgrlNsXnddMudF4VXquemREff5nAqWc9NmMJhjXCIlUGtvchY5IzSZ3N4J-1vMYufI3aH94Ft8HbnybxoIrkxnB399GysEnhTagOE2t9/w640-h452/IMG_0156.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">And both of them love drawing and creating.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-OOgX1VF6XlDEb07dSbt4HZO6QirgJiHinB9v1N3i4xyReQE1-sq3latjjdBH-K2zViP36KzlgniJjPTfjUdvyTXVRjJlXCoGvEjRHSVh4VJzgU2jUi0JBODEhd8Fg0Aq0k88ndOXd0achdX6SsvwbKBjBjZ2QtbLotMDl_7SVfV2ro2UPviqKmUo/s3630/IMG_0157.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2815" data-original-width="3630" height="496" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-OOgX1VF6XlDEb07dSbt4HZO6QirgJiHinB9v1N3i4xyReQE1-sq3latjjdBH-K2zViP36KzlgniJjPTfjUdvyTXVRjJlXCoGvEjRHSVh4VJzgU2jUi0JBODEhd8Fg0Aq0k88ndOXd0achdX6SsvwbKBjBjZ2QtbLotMDl_7SVfV2ro2UPviqKmUo/w640-h496/IMG_0157.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhE3nBAIqz9KP53UZp8mzu4EE2XXPbk4iDWGSw5W2O1CK17jRp5EMrf6n3AKqZy756xujkjvc7LeNwIeBEX72tfXoHNj6SLKnKogRzmYIrnhZbjS6cT5a0Gyetxzxys8RhkGqyDrPZi5WrvCT2B2J10-WS5H9L-DPF6wWwnON57P_K0Uob3AF-6MNq2/s4032/IMG_0196.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhE3nBAIqz9KP53UZp8mzu4EE2XXPbk4iDWGSw5W2O1CK17jRp5EMrf6n3AKqZy756xujkjvc7LeNwIeBEX72tfXoHNj6SLKnKogRzmYIrnhZbjS6cT5a0Gyetxzxys8RhkGqyDrPZi5WrvCT2B2J10-WS5H9L-DPF6wWwnON57P_K0Uob3AF-6MNq2/w640-h480/IMG_0196.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">Sometimes I can even get them to do a bit of housework:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5JUSeE88S7gTjYuAsb_3KOaJcg4QprUZmsF24WCVXMQebMcG4-PnDuHbXlD6S_tzoBIGpsEgoNf7wPkosdNnrw0IkvT3yVyPk7QK1lHN4feWrCZwf70ye45Rt0WchhBRH4cjkBjKiw2CkiVjXh2VZ7g5eV9NBToVjmRJguyUUeA4KtYMM51mAX0Nu/s3430/IMG_0158.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2365" data-original-width="3430" height="442" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5JUSeE88S7gTjYuAsb_3KOaJcg4QprUZmsF24WCVXMQebMcG4-PnDuHbXlD6S_tzoBIGpsEgoNf7wPkosdNnrw0IkvT3yVyPk7QK1lHN4feWrCZwf70ye45Rt0WchhBRH4cjkBjKiw2CkiVjXh2VZ7g5eV9NBToVjmRJguyUUeA4KtYMM51mAX0Nu/w640-h442/IMG_0158.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">And that's a little peak into our lives during Term 2! I'm looking forward to the next three weeks of school holidays. We have a road trip to Adelaide planned, and other than that I'm just planning on doing yoga, catching up with friends, and just not going to work for a little while!</div>Wendy McCarryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10400056809655031226noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3302793385282321137.post-74871163679906631952023-06-10T21:45:00.000+01:002023-06-10T21:45:06.600+01:00Grandma & Grandad’s visit <p>I've finally got around to finishing this long overdue post on the lovely time we had with Andy’s parents, Dave and Bunny, for the month of April. They arrived a few days before our Easter school holidays, just three weeks after my parents left. We were fortunate to have them with us for the entire two-week school break, although Ollie still attended his daycare as usual during this time.In previous posts I wrote about our trip to<a href="http://wandymcnobledownunder.blogspot.com/2023/04/racv-cobram-resort.html" target="_blank"> Cobram</a>, along with our visit to the <a href="http://wandymcnobledownunder.blogspot.com/2023/05/melbourne-now-exhibition.html" target="_blank">Melbourne Now exhibition</a>. In this post I’ll share a few of the other experiences we shared while they were here. </p><p><b>Half Moon Bay</b></p><p style="text-align: justify;">Though the school holidays started wth a cold and rainy Easter weekend, the weather improved for the remainder of the two weeks. One sunny day with temperatures in the low 20s Bunny and I took Ella and her friend to the beach. Although it was a warm day for autumn, I didn't actually think the girls would swim. I thought they would play on the sand, splash in the shallow water for a bit... but of course I was wrong! In the water they went, almost as soon as we got there. They played together for hours, allowing Bunny and me to relax for the most part. I was in my happy place, sitting in the sun next to water, reading my book uninterrupted (<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/60353768-the-marriage-portrait" target="_blank">The Marriage Portrait</a> by Maggie O'Farrell - probably my best read so far this year). </p><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhS1J8krQprzvtADjTitbk4YNfaBENkRRnmI4WPQkBhH_JnbGiLf3cP5GAAPROhW9AbDA-LiMrDNaDCepfjfg5anqTEIythl3NHVL2Ol57-HoJS2VJdKePujnx7DXrhSGcD5kHTGbOUM-5DwwhgbQiSTivfStpjO2goGlrggPccAmrptzwNm-rmAxYv/s4032/IMG_9907.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhS1J8krQprzvtADjTitbk4YNfaBENkRRnmI4WPQkBhH_JnbGiLf3cP5GAAPROhW9AbDA-LiMrDNaDCepfjfg5anqTEIythl3NHVL2Ol57-HoJS2VJdKePujnx7DXrhSGcD5kHTGbOUM-5DwwhgbQiSTivfStpjO2goGlrggPccAmrptzwNm-rmAxYv/w640-h480/IMG_9907.jpeg" width="640" /></a></p><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0efkZ2n1irtZT7ko-16zp6qkpB_bdiLzUimtdxn76qEjtVb0PiMzXRjs1JXIU7nKwIiIE-WkLP4moitBCBHOIAKKGfJgHKE87GjU2-jcQG5phQm8oWZzSDDxEQxp-d2Y3zeLJpRRFX9ji_fuDwOI2ezmTW9jqYUqX24ejXU1BwqWf4BAtKXnFSmcx/s4032/IMG_9901.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0efkZ2n1irtZT7ko-16zp6qkpB_bdiLzUimtdxn76qEjtVb0PiMzXRjs1JXIU7nKwIiIE-WkLP4moitBCBHOIAKKGfJgHKE87GjU2-jcQG5phQm8oWZzSDDxEQxp-d2Y3zeLJpRRFX9ji_fuDwOI2ezmTW9jqYUqX24ejXU1BwqWf4BAtKXnFSmcx/w640-h480/IMG_9901.jpeg" width="640" /></a></p><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizxHhsJXSzbNjG3BrsD4D1EM-eaI-3ORqPnoxADdODNj5tNPtqrB2Zq_ooTzNXuq4UERXoZWBOsaWGBeUT2ywcKbwh03DT36xZaMFbZ1AFIAJUi3Oyr5ftZixAD17YeCe-asMU8jMqa8gbsbY9ByB6vTIDSoYDYBqZMMXv54MBHfuWjrojXjX1oJCk/s4032/IMG_9911.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizxHhsJXSzbNjG3BrsD4D1EM-eaI-3ORqPnoxADdODNj5tNPtqrB2Zq_ooTzNXuq4UERXoZWBOsaWGBeUT2ywcKbwh03DT36xZaMFbZ1AFIAJUi3Oyr5ftZixAD17YeCe-asMU8jMqa8gbsbY9ByB6vTIDSoYDYBqZMMXv54MBHfuWjrojXjX1oJCk/w640-h480/IMG_9911.jpeg" width="640" /></a></p><p><b>Werribee Gorge Hike</b></p><p style="text-align: justify;">While Bunny and I were at the beach, Dave and Andy went for a challenging hike at Werribee Gorge. (Ollie was of course at daycare on this day.) We took Dave here <a href="http://wandymcnobledownunder.blogspot.com/2018/10/grandnobles-visit-part-2.html" target="_blank">the last time they were in Melbourne</a>, when Ollie was only about four months old. That time we went for a shorter hike as Andy had Ollie strapped to him the whole time. But this time, with no little ones to worry about, Dave and Andy tackled the full 8.5km hike, which is said to be moderately challenging. There are a few parts that are quite narrow and you are forced to hug the base of cliffs as you shuffled along, and there are some parts the require scrambling. It was nice that Andy got to do this with his dad as they both enjoy a good hike!</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPWpYymy4W5bWuT36VWW4C9uHp87rh_3IAgnaC6oQmv-Pzbc_RqgJX88Nybsao9aVf4yxBu-rlub7mgDQP4Gyrgk0J8rcIYxeG5NdD7xCijM8UHg75KHRoxOWRDefOn-VLHrAd4tPX-X4bs5TmftFw1FQ3IWzKeqS0t7WQ2JSC78r5AdYmz5OgKFNJ/s4032/IMG_4188.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPWpYymy4W5bWuT36VWW4C9uHp87rh_3IAgnaC6oQmv-Pzbc_RqgJX88Nybsao9aVf4yxBu-rlub7mgDQP4Gyrgk0J8rcIYxeG5NdD7xCijM8UHg75KHRoxOWRDefOn-VLHrAd4tPX-X4bs5TmftFw1FQ3IWzKeqS0t7WQ2JSC78r5AdYmz5OgKFNJ/w640-h480/IMG_4188.HEIC" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUaF0ZQb61oOEU8GrNlWApFBBy2q1GyghDmWQVyykqh_fByi5oCKUkqbz66UUCnVpsyXqBsCbSCwqkeW1xjmsUAg71-THoV53HoC8FmW_2GLIlak1_z120wo_W7IPgtJ8YsQJlKiHXDDhg4nicOKy_zB8TnLbSPN1_GN6tzyxS8xJJQgM-f8d-Qf2T/s4032/IMG_4182.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUaF0ZQb61oOEU8GrNlWApFBBy2q1GyghDmWQVyykqh_fByi5oCKUkqbz66UUCnVpsyXqBsCbSCwqkeW1xjmsUAg71-THoV53HoC8FmW_2GLIlak1_z120wo_W7IPgtJ8YsQJlKiHXDDhg4nicOKy_zB8TnLbSPN1_GN6tzyxS8xJJQgM-f8d-Qf2T/w640-h480/IMG_4182.HEIC" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8rThJ7bOEI7pGXa8bbgSeYPVlWbykRzLNb1ZjkT67wOaEME7QJWeI0TMAnwkJ0lg3v6oKLdFbfPwufrkFT80s25nSTOPDr-GEZfyUGdTgucJKqfYtN-0MQ1uaShytCe8K2mQNukuMRCtR2Nn5XHOB8KPMdqJuxVyd3KfWMfrQnc_RAeC9V9_kjOop/s4032/IMG_3033_Original.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8rThJ7bOEI7pGXa8bbgSeYPVlWbykRzLNb1ZjkT67wOaEME7QJWeI0TMAnwkJ0lg3v6oKLdFbfPwufrkFT80s25nSTOPDr-GEZfyUGdTgucJKqfYtN-0MQ1uaShytCe8K2mQNukuMRCtR2Nn5XHOB8KPMdqJuxVyd3KfWMfrQnc_RAeC9V9_kjOop/w640-h480/IMG_3033_Original.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitUSQrZjWD7u27KPczrC0fNoiAOwTWW0mBmFvVSzZa18tktU3sBGW5PRA1g9-g9Ujh1YaAFYeNICKxqoP7188tuA9109sjfgjdkz2f8h9eLe_XxwkNVlhXbgCuL8JY7BceMhWxIfVwKttaZBH1jKgVmSg3DdhNPtbINYKSX9ysjX4zSsyxDSmQ-Fwt/s4032/IMG_4140.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitUSQrZjWD7u27KPczrC0fNoiAOwTWW0mBmFvVSzZa18tktU3sBGW5PRA1g9-g9Ujh1YaAFYeNICKxqoP7188tuA9109sjfgjdkz2f8h9eLe_XxwkNVlhXbgCuL8JY7BceMhWxIfVwKttaZBH1jKgVmSg3DdhNPtbINYKSX9ysjX4zSsyxDSmQ-Fwt/w640-h480/IMG_4140.HEIC" width="640" /></a></div><p style="text-align: justify;"><b>Melbourne Aquarium</b></p><p style="text-align: justify;">Now, I will admit, this is probably my least favourite attraction. I think that because <a href="http://wandymcnobledownunder.blogspot.com/2017/10/holiday-in-peregian-beach-part-3.html" target="_blank">our first Aquarium visit with Ella was such a disaster</a>, I'm always wary of returning. The price to visit doesn't help - it's about $45 for an adult, $30 for children, so makes for a pretty expensive outing. But this was a request from Ollie, and he's never been before (not to mention we shipped him off to daycare most days of the holidays!) so I felt like I should take his request seriously. Andy skipped this one out, so it was just me with the kids and the grandparents. And, you know what? It was a pretty good day in the end. The kids really loved it and even I was mesmerised by the colourful fish and in particular all the different types of jellyfish:</p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8NvJdLyqWRrDPfJ_Ka4iSfEOyvbR4ZK0XxJZGIk2VeuwrDjLF3z23TE1ZfLdWuSOumSMGqhdsZrAOCIJguSnY6VlRnjoeB1CBtvr5ysQEEj4Kd5lvpr9lH5IO16MkpKMlZjyN8O2P6h0Hxe22LZJeNXdQE_mZaV9FjGpqndRRijDSls45vDipJvOt/s2880/01560456-C455-4AF1-B905-E3684AB7CC76-COLLAGE.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2880" data-original-width="2880" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8NvJdLyqWRrDPfJ_Ka4iSfEOyvbR4ZK0XxJZGIk2VeuwrDjLF3z23TE1ZfLdWuSOumSMGqhdsZrAOCIJguSnY6VlRnjoeB1CBtvr5ysQEEj4Kd5lvpr9lH5IO16MkpKMlZjyN8O2P6h0Hxe22LZJeNXdQE_mZaV9FjGpqndRRijDSls45vDipJvOt/w640-h640/01560456-C455-4AF1-B905-E3684AB7CC76-COLLAGE.jpeg" width="640" /></a><div><div style="text-align: justify;">The kids spent ages in this interactive area where they could draw a digital jellyfish and then it would appear on this big screen in front of them:</div><div><div><br /></div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9KOp8Kn1hx2h3--ZA2tbZrizpNNscN58RthX59jiybvyFL2AYnJzdi3dgf_CQFTWYIjdGqcRorouNCna5JEzAVKy_n9neosReP2qGbpvl1SPUuWearIFfKMndpSH3x0zM5TdO2Ao1bJ5BVBqfw5tKlR3IcLjsLUdNi3gh5bp5jIycdBac1bAdhUat/s4032/IMG_9927.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9KOp8Kn1hx2h3--ZA2tbZrizpNNscN58RthX59jiybvyFL2AYnJzdi3dgf_CQFTWYIjdGqcRorouNCna5JEzAVKy_n9neosReP2qGbpvl1SPUuWearIFfKMndpSH3x0zM5TdO2Ao1bJ5BVBqfw5tKlR3IcLjsLUdNi3gh5bp5jIycdBac1bAdhUat/w640-h480/IMG_9927.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5jSH3iE1xaXGViooYyfjDLjP0waFhJLJQCqyuBQvANbubw51w5_UeDQoSzep-Kx-XG2t1pT6MqhHg8zWXFH7al4T-6h_SSqHiOrr5N87ec_LaUXRXD3QC0n-cT08mrsVBw6H08eHmTqYH5jwvlq7WKSbUNPFPmJjJHWDb-QfQ3IFObomfUu8whUn7/s3718/IMG_9931.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2656" data-original-width="3718" height="458" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5jSH3iE1xaXGViooYyfjDLjP0waFhJLJQCqyuBQvANbubw51w5_UeDQoSzep-Kx-XG2t1pT6MqhHg8zWXFH7al4T-6h_SSqHiOrr5N87ec_LaUXRXD3QC0n-cT08mrsVBw6H08eHmTqYH5jwvlq7WKSbUNPFPmJjJHWDb-QfQ3IFObomfUu8whUn7/w640-h458/IMG_9931.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>And we saw this crocodile move which was also pretty cool!</div><div><br /></div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjV3GHUAE7W3cwrNfmQaFG7tbQktCxC8IPPRy5k3fJSTDyFa4jwxG4hSzrJbURJAkzi2EzzmQG_caWZl3FEXatvWJUDoGN-fJkryfS3PAqYGcYICdghWqeSANQBt9BygiwtpD8bO__6Pa_-aL3YTsGRvGluT0RoE9p-sExUrhxKMDoHWKG-NhajTRf5/s3666/IMG_9935.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2698" data-original-width="3666" height="472" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjV3GHUAE7W3cwrNfmQaFG7tbQktCxC8IPPRy5k3fJSTDyFa4jwxG4hSzrJbURJAkzi2EzzmQG_caWZl3FEXatvWJUDoGN-fJkryfS3PAqYGcYICdghWqeSANQBt9BygiwtpD8bO__6Pa_-aL3YTsGRvGluT0RoE9p-sExUrhxKMDoHWKG-NhajTRf5/w640-h472/IMG_9935.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The one downside was that the big tunnel you walk through, making you feel surrounded by the ocean, is closed for renovations at the moment. Also the food choices are not great: note to self if/when we return, bring lots of snacks and lunch!</div><div><br /></div><div><b>Fitzroy Gardens</b></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Dave, Ella and I spent an afternoon in the city. This was after our morning at the Melbourne Now exhibition. Bunny, Ollie and Andy had had enough for the day, but the rest of us were still up for more exploring. Ok, I may have had to bribe Ella with the promise of an ice cream, so we walked from Fed Square to Piccolina's on Hardware Lane for some quality gelato. </div><div><br /></div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLyf3B8uNsqPS8cLBf-lJEDQIZu4AnzsNI53tNOPHIbQKFqDWq2tnHcvIm9aXB-badtxJaxbWzuZMF75yQ8uQhjCAvaYe5G8AjokXrYJjmLYW7ozkmcTO48L9hdNcj0Icb3ZT13BLbniq-Dfh2RkrTA62JxT12rBcLUJ2ruj-Mo0BmLWyGxaGqpzsr/s4032/IMG_9835.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLyf3B8uNsqPS8cLBf-lJEDQIZu4AnzsNI53tNOPHIbQKFqDWq2tnHcvIm9aXB-badtxJaxbWzuZMF75yQ8uQhjCAvaYe5G8AjokXrYJjmLYW7ozkmcTO48L9hdNcj0Icb3ZT13BLbniq-Dfh2RkrTA62JxT12rBcLUJ2ruj-Mo0BmLWyGxaGqpzsr/w640-h480/IMG_9835.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjm-WyIjTryS4Fq0vZ8b8mtMU-bbnrsnmJUCLL8dJkMsqx-9oZQSjwoJGK7_I5z7yZUIFA8_ln3A6GqP_q-oHEk4Lh9h0tpzgpXZuYDl967P28mhRDVAlUbFaMzqGR9cL5kdnzb1f00Q15ESiwM1Ph7AnZs088unDgNyn_Gs8Ty2yKQlmd8dd2wxAeS/s4032/IMG_9836.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjm-WyIjTryS4Fq0vZ8b8mtMU-bbnrsnmJUCLL8dJkMsqx-9oZQSjwoJGK7_I5z7yZUIFA8_ln3A6GqP_q-oHEk4Lh9h0tpzgpXZuYDl967P28mhRDVAlUbFaMzqGR9cL5kdnzb1f00Q15ESiwM1Ph7AnZs088unDgNyn_Gs8Ty2yKQlmd8dd2wxAeS/w640-h480/IMG_9836.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Next week walked to Fitzroy Gardens, one of my favourite spaces in the city to walk around in. I got to know it well while I was working for Edrolo - their office is nearby and I would often finish up my recording session with a walk through this park on my way home.</div><div><br /></div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNqGFGpk2ZqQX-bkfMq4iI3fS5Aqx6Yky76AFLEHCogj5H5eTI8naZUUAU35xGiufFF08THjq4FE1QI4Z_yUGbGEsljT8gHzRdAHrV1XPoO5nNdYmWxVdTc9uj3t0YPaXmM87YkhyprBFbUCwvcFDARFRpkk7CYi96Hpko9HhI4cvF8fk5eMPB57Dg/s4032/IMG_9838.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNqGFGpk2ZqQX-bkfMq4iI3fS5Aqx6Yky76AFLEHCogj5H5eTI8naZUUAU35xGiufFF08THjq4FE1QI4Z_yUGbGEsljT8gHzRdAHrV1XPoO5nNdYmWxVdTc9uj3t0YPaXmM87YkhyprBFbUCwvcFDARFRpkk7CYi96Hpko9HhI4cvF8fk5eMPB57Dg/w640-h480/IMG_9838.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>We stopped in the conservatory to check out some beautiful plants and flowers:</div><div><br /></div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUCTQCdmmcN4t9ze1S3WNovrxK_n4WdIKsLftYIwzCy72f_VilGODWA_kzFy-FRhA3VLcOAX3mTI7eBUvRP6Qcgfk1OBCbMr2nlfi-RlFOSdgovG2xyh0zjFuK90XBq4E1300MY_TFWDHqSN_et8w53YLPbn1oycz2JrW733sJajziYGQBU5JwyIiX/s4032/IMG_9840.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUCTQCdmmcN4t9ze1S3WNovrxK_n4WdIKsLftYIwzCy72f_VilGODWA_kzFy-FRhA3VLcOAX3mTI7eBUvRP6Qcgfk1OBCbMr2nlfi-RlFOSdgovG2xyh0zjFuK90XBq4E1300MY_TFWDHqSN_et8w53YLPbn1oycz2JrW733sJajziYGQBU5JwyIiX/w640-h480/IMG_9840.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMZrYcUbo7PHm2p26YaYuHI6F1vBG_HARJ0vWTueQkgQ7uT2glW-6BpnyXBLXjaY--f7DcW2FKYom6LutZSAxx52H40w1KJLqTXfHXtnUY1JzuzsdJhLGyl0wCEKlChPuxvgl0a9ts7JbQthSQqERmGnFhw6IY7NyHUgTW1W2lW2MXTKP2r6l0qvR7/s4032/IMG_9842.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMZrYcUbo7PHm2p26YaYuHI6F1vBG_HARJ0vWTueQkgQ7uT2glW-6BpnyXBLXjaY--f7DcW2FKYom6LutZSAxx52H40w1KJLqTXfHXtnUY1JzuzsdJhLGyl0wCEKlChPuxvgl0a9ts7JbQthSQqERmGnFhw6IY7NyHUgTW1W2lW2MXTKP2r6l0qvR7/w640-h480/IMG_9842.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>There is a model village and a fairy tree in the middle of the gardens which I knew Ella would enjoy:</div><div><br /></div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwYxp51nLx2vR2DGcJKZgyJFebEKpmyr9uaGTozVb1KtpVquiIZnbU2Dis_gqTUEoI0XoHsO3JaWNai7Qi1IB2w_o3tsjfhmwTbhbLk7WItF8LEs4deXwjQM5pAKLG45ywZPitsuV3R1DU8DASJfI2VaO1K5tsXRhMbbf-JS6lNs1CpKoO1v2upjWM/s4032/IMG_9843.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwYxp51nLx2vR2DGcJKZgyJFebEKpmyr9uaGTozVb1KtpVquiIZnbU2Dis_gqTUEoI0XoHsO3JaWNai7Qi1IB2w_o3tsjfhmwTbhbLk7WItF8LEs4deXwjQM5pAKLG45ywZPitsuV3R1DU8DASJfI2VaO1K5tsXRhMbbf-JS6lNs1CpKoO1v2upjWM/w640-h480/IMG_9843.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlK8aZzICHNF6QJn1kw4NwPFud1MChcNAK1e4IRh11CFxXgujq5wK5JP5ox_svxIfZzJR8P64vur93WsrJyw7t-07lTjNDyNtXPN4DELoCeatAgjAPdYRiDH8eehvytW5ls0kcdxj0OjQxEiW8VWpDRfNzFECQ8reg90LfMo-peqUznhxGoH10Xqdw/s4032/IMG_9845.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlK8aZzICHNF6QJn1kw4NwPFud1MChcNAK1e4IRh11CFxXgujq5wK5JP5ox_svxIfZzJR8P64vur93WsrJyw7t-07lTjNDyNtXPN4DELoCeatAgjAPdYRiDH8eehvytW5ls0kcdxj0OjQxEiW8VWpDRfNzFECQ8reg90LfMo-peqUznhxGoH10Xqdw/w640-h480/IMG_9845.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7gR54VMavg4DXcO-fl-Fihu49dT26oNc-RVFyPkmwiREwFW02CwwODwIqRLLwDFrUKyOJLPI5VGHOP0LNmTHZfFhki3uOztjg6ql4gtCI-CEihuYUOo3j832ZLqFnm_0iX5IKEtdsIGhNXO1H04dXCh_mPQrcQ5S1vu9J8kFT4F9Sn-HJadQwgmrN/s3196/73BC1A5D-49B5-40E3-BAA1-C43B08E97A51-COLLAGE.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2400" data-original-width="3196" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7gR54VMavg4DXcO-fl-Fihu49dT26oNc-RVFyPkmwiREwFW02CwwODwIqRLLwDFrUKyOJLPI5VGHOP0LNmTHZfFhki3uOztjg6ql4gtCI-CEihuYUOo3j832ZLqFnm_0iX5IKEtdsIGhNXO1H04dXCh_mPQrcQ5S1vu9J8kFT4F9Sn-HJadQwgmrN/w640-h480/73BC1A5D-49B5-40E3-BAA1-C43B08E97A51-COLLAGE.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">The most convenient thing about Fitzroy Gardens is that the number 48 tram that goes past, which takes about 20-30 minutes (depending on the time of day) to go from our house to the city. After all the walking we'd done that day the three of us were happy to board the tram to take us home!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><b>ANZAC Day</b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">We all went to Steve and Michelle's for ANZAC Day, a day of remembrance for the soldiers who have fought for Australia and New Zealand in past and current wars. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnDKaRx9FfjXFbRmWA2KGtLVWZaaFJ-VROmAg9LqHBoAcGvrwh1pzpNZ5FAqs2FzO6fRBadnN_5HScWKyMGcnaBA4w65vCjEft206ylKAndDVWsHg5urRAMzxt7OseZV76kJzRQiUOZe5_59M53O6Eh5ARrpNNkjwU7aSQ_gEzpqTD8izlxSpmw-R_/s4032/IMG_4258.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnDKaRx9FfjXFbRmWA2KGtLVWZaaFJ-VROmAg9LqHBoAcGvrwh1pzpNZ5FAqs2FzO6fRBadnN_5HScWKyMGcnaBA4w65vCjEft206ylKAndDVWsHg5urRAMzxt7OseZV76kJzRQiUOZe5_59M53O6Eh5ARrpNNkjwU7aSQ_gEzpqTD8izlxSpmw-R_/w640-h480/IMG_4258.HEIC" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPVwec7YGral6A3cZ-ugPVfaOKSJ85_Zr6u6ZXRmUvndXCptVmoQh9hF5GqVNwojf8tT1U57bOQe1qZBpbt0OIAhCVzhOsBlwsdyo-l4dkfA1rLLyTxlb_MV1AFRWFXRz5AL386rhqWg17CgG1qJlSRWlfkHsjt3e29VX0-nxRlzYzEPniMAbGBpkS/s4032/IMG_4261.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPVwec7YGral6A3cZ-ugPVfaOKSJ85_Zr6u6ZXRmUvndXCptVmoQh9hF5GqVNwojf8tT1U57bOQe1qZBpbt0OIAhCVzhOsBlwsdyo-l4dkfA1rLLyTxlb_MV1AFRWFXRz5AL386rhqWg17CgG1qJlSRWlfkHsjt3e29VX0-nxRlzYzEPniMAbGBpkS/w640-h480/IMG_4261.HEIC" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">There is always an AFL match on in the afternoon, Collingwood vs Essendon. Here is Archer explaining the finer details of the game to Ollie:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgBfGk56wc0h919bUWCRG2AAgA4VtnMTpLe3bkiUMcwRb1GfPwg1mxaeojUR1_Fm6wdzhZChAPqegTrc73I-q15CHpkZvjm84GGeNqZKLi0LWJH4eZea4e-nbUo4B8c30YLEGXOeZ9MHzAiXlXoa0WOswi24OQOGBakIckmvnOQ9fT_SafW7RdgWtY/s4032/IMG_0030.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgBfGk56wc0h919bUWCRG2AAgA4VtnMTpLe3bkiUMcwRb1GfPwg1mxaeojUR1_Fm6wdzhZChAPqegTrc73I-q15CHpkZvjm84GGeNqZKLi0LWJH4eZea4e-nbUo4B8c30YLEGXOeZ9MHzAiXlXoa0WOswi24OQOGBakIckmvnOQ9fT_SafW7RdgWtY/w640-h480/IMG_0030.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div><b>Dandenongs</b></div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">This was another Ollie free day, so we headed to the Dandenongs for a short hike. Walking through the lush green ferns that dominate this area never gets old, you feel like you've gone back to jurassic times. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWcv8ToXyy51EOA6mBshFb5tsqGWnmOJrSG5F9L00MaAC6JUJyYv-t1Ttvo9_q36DQodCuugqeYM42t4q5oiWar_V0QQVjvlBYUcpRX9XOeEDt5BrUcF8gXpVjC_1mlToXHYoHTpmaA8is0qMcnamVNI_815XQdWzNgBW3Fr3J1kWEKxT56NKYQi58/s4032/IMG_9953.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWcv8ToXyy51EOA6mBshFb5tsqGWnmOJrSG5F9L00MaAC6JUJyYv-t1Ttvo9_q36DQodCuugqeYM42t4q5oiWar_V0QQVjvlBYUcpRX9XOeEDt5BrUcF8gXpVjC_1mlToXHYoHTpmaA8is0qMcnamVNI_815XQdWzNgBW3Fr3J1kWEKxT56NKYQi58/w640-h480/IMG_9953.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpFRN_gENyEQokp4MYUv2e9CoSVgoiUuWqEtYewj9kjP8K1uHR6GEhVIqHk9f_9FkSKGN3B6IKBjuSn9xJCqAv8ybFrvJZrDtvQTPlG5BB-etlCF1pBOe8EaCoz7FHEMS85H0tdEALQNAQWc3pO-nc1jDHBBYakSUP3rdhXD-ecZiVWeKnJI_E34qK/s3715/IMG_9954.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2692" data-original-width="3715" height="464" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpFRN_gENyEQokp4MYUv2e9CoSVgoiUuWqEtYewj9kjP8K1uHR6GEhVIqHk9f_9FkSKGN3B6IKBjuSn9xJCqAv8ybFrvJZrDtvQTPlG5BB-etlCF1pBOe8EaCoz7FHEMS85H0tdEALQNAQWc3pO-nc1jDHBBYakSUP3rdhXD-ecZiVWeKnJI_E34qK/w640-h464/IMG_9954.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiweBbKLwKsYRyulCG2gUZg8wk8gkXxuSb-1XNslebQUFAIbkCdT3WQkeAbcZXypYO-vlxeoQUccjfuI9P4o5gIVLNoSNp72oe56mKZ6M0bV5n5nqw4JfmoZAoNQrpUdIVL7nPQJUTP15FrmvDHiL8Bc_l7WE3oGu-ruDZqc1RTq1EX-QBpPSibHgJ/s4032/IMG_4208.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiweBbKLwKsYRyulCG2gUZg8wk8gkXxuSb-1XNslebQUFAIbkCdT3WQkeAbcZXypYO-vlxeoQUccjfuI9P4o5gIVLNoSNp72oe56mKZ6M0bV5n5nqw4JfmoZAoNQrpUdIVL7nPQJUTP15FrmvDHiL8Bc_l7WE3oGu-ruDZqc1RTq1EX-QBpPSibHgJ/w640-h480/IMG_4208.HEIC" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>After our hike we headed to nearby Olinda, for some pies for lunch followed by... what else? An ice cream!</div><div><br /></div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuFKpHoZEUxQwsMME-5nkQrrpXz5ecS6r5MtqM13BLzE8F7BGQ_1mIO5l7zz3RJlDY8vUqn7CeB8BNm2qIOhjo5NZ343DIyBLIkFFQOlML3gqBTWcg3H5-XrkZZtY2s4780bOVQPn-6KQ3V5nbsj0iSvvYCTeO6iA-ptgzFMVYNwtnsQ5-T4RfyE4j/s4032/IMG_9957.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuFKpHoZEUxQwsMME-5nkQrrpXz5ecS6r5MtqM13BLzE8F7BGQ_1mIO5l7zz3RJlDY8vUqn7CeB8BNm2qIOhjo5NZ343DIyBLIkFFQOlML3gqBTWcg3H5-XrkZZtY2s4780bOVQPn-6KQ3V5nbsj0iSvvYCTeO6iA-ptgzFMVYNwtnsQ5-T4RfyE4j/w640-h480/IMG_9957.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div><b>Botanical Gardens & Shrine of Remembrance </b></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Dave and Bunny's visit finished with a very sunny weekend, which we spent at two beautiful spots in Melbourne. The first was the Botanical Gardens and the nearby Shrine of Remembrance. The Botanical Gardens always reminds me of our first year in Melbourne, back in 2013. Andy and I lived only about 1km from here, and would run around the outside of the gardens, "the tan", multiple times a week. However we hardly ever went inside the actual gardens, it's something I've come to appreciate much more since we've had the kids.</div><div><br /></div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVcMTEap3nj7UdvT2xwXT8iuK-RNtZ2lWPOEZENfhW0HbUI0wjh1sI9qPhYt_u_Up07Ydt-5yNVVDzMYgdkSGAhRacaN4xNy46y8PgfhJQBODhA9yAws3kF8gi8afGE_-2Xlr9MlpUaD-ru7Hs7rJb1UwNBTSZD8PeqZMoMJ9hwWGTCEwRm-TW6hnW/s4032/IMG_0041.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVcMTEap3nj7UdvT2xwXT8iuK-RNtZ2lWPOEZENfhW0HbUI0wjh1sI9qPhYt_u_Up07Ydt-5yNVVDzMYgdkSGAhRacaN4xNy46y8PgfhJQBODhA9yAws3kF8gi8afGE_-2Xlr9MlpUaD-ru7Hs7rJb1UwNBTSZD8PeqZMoMJ9hwWGTCEwRm-TW6hnW/w640-h480/IMG_0041.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhl_3XhieMXCI4LNuksrujidggv9vUDHOh0FiP1y9WEAagn59Qe0kqYl0vjY0SvOWSjjSxSzSg-kUiIegQ3ck1MAkcyxFXgSqW5S_wCDjbr2Y7Nc65GpTLl6RatgIzrtKRJ21GNLJB6lq6wXBW9rcEnrG_SZ4dR8aRxtB6YkG6AQ44ev2WG8QeMWotf/s4032/IMG_4311.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhl_3XhieMXCI4LNuksrujidggv9vUDHOh0FiP1y9WEAagn59Qe0kqYl0vjY0SvOWSjjSxSzSg-kUiIegQ3ck1MAkcyxFXgSqW5S_wCDjbr2Y7Nc65GpTLl6RatgIzrtKRJ21GNLJB6lq6wXBW9rcEnrG_SZ4dR8aRxtB6YkG6AQ44ev2WG8QeMWotf/w640-h480/IMG_4311.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqLD0kT7sBDrFa8yDg3L82VbWjqtbMrXztVUZTd9ECXQoz59h7kV3mZPSs53DrzLde7NHOl1jaxO-CM3hu1IOfDnohtwwfCw32gJkuTnNac8is2mD2ZasIyugBZMTwwlOq87g1-ZQQLC4kzh6e9rWqS9IzwTOmsO4tKUCNgyXFP4ZKOMAUBXBCxKJE/s4032/IMG_4305.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqLD0kT7sBDrFa8yDg3L82VbWjqtbMrXztVUZTd9ECXQoz59h7kV3mZPSs53DrzLde7NHOl1jaxO-CM3hu1IOfDnohtwwfCw32gJkuTnNac8is2mD2ZasIyugBZMTwwlOq87g1-ZQQLC4kzh6e9rWqS9IzwTOmsO4tKUCNgyXFP4ZKOMAUBXBCxKJE/w640-h480/IMG_4305.HEIC" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQG2BOTG82s8WY99xzbGW8fwvtGyenR1H2Z-icMVzLu8UcR53g0wZvrabI5fV6IRMJ3QPfTYGCPPbNBEOZUI_gNwbqZro33M-hq3_r5c9WVzw7_FdQ-RrOYNP9LRxPr17L_9aLmxAGLhWYlrsPxlvX1cf3xmANUHuQTccfMjauxJVPqnpCyJzArEct/s4032/IMG_4308.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQG2BOTG82s8WY99xzbGW8fwvtGyenR1H2Z-icMVzLu8UcR53g0wZvrabI5fV6IRMJ3QPfTYGCPPbNBEOZUI_gNwbqZro33M-hq3_r5c9WVzw7_FdQ-RrOYNP9LRxPr17L_9aLmxAGLhWYlrsPxlvX1cf3xmANUHuQTccfMjauxJVPqnpCyJzArEct/w640-h480/IMG_4308.HEIC" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimrFURCig-uP-Jby3bVq7z4Y7pYoZc0Oirs0O21HApjU3Ae098qivm3LendaCk34H3RTHNHBkQXp3DYrE-MyXrSrKcCySffp56XQP4FZ5NVSskNurWiSKWgzUbW-N4BOPmVHi9H7yA4DMThDEH3B2lpxsebL1BA5cqs0HXP55eUsfQxh5ShLIvbj49/s3738/IMG_0046.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2681" data-original-width="3738" height="460" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimrFURCig-uP-Jby3bVq7z4Y7pYoZc0Oirs0O21HApjU3Ae098qivm3LendaCk34H3RTHNHBkQXp3DYrE-MyXrSrKcCySffp56XQP4FZ5NVSskNurWiSKWgzUbW-N4BOPmVHi9H7yA4DMThDEH3B2lpxsebL1BA5cqs0HXP55eUsfQxh5ShLIvbj49/w640-h460/IMG_0046.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQNHFb_qngtOfIxtkxMDd1FH05Fg8HXf6Wci4gEvJDDp5PbQNGEEy2d1TdYCO0ciJOJnEhP48fg0_yuZI-Izn8V3iciHGFvwhfTebsHdVfgocR-JRYaWPTwJsP2hb8vPhyZtbh2EjZQOL2my1ZmvXddIZr0CfZB0J2uacRxNQfhf4ogowDnoTrsgY2/s4032/IMG_4290.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQNHFb_qngtOfIxtkxMDd1FH05Fg8HXf6Wci4gEvJDDp5PbQNGEEy2d1TdYCO0ciJOJnEhP48fg0_yuZI-Izn8V3iciHGFvwhfTebsHdVfgocR-JRYaWPTwJsP2hb8vPhyZtbh2EjZQOL2my1ZmvXddIZr0CfZB0J2uacRxNQfhf4ogowDnoTrsgY2/w640-h480/IMG_4290.HEIC" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRrJgjA02tXqfHs9dSvSCWvNJ9BdYX-zxoz7iFPulusG8f2_v77wp6ppM2t7LpaeDA9fxY12wUhKmAIABOupFFpT1VJMcE70Hl6xT4Nqxv2Tl-RoRu7GId7EyA43X17H0gGh6YUwUEyj4QFGawor5_T0iJensumLYty9ewoeOq9Z1VlAnGuEuu-ahB/s4032/IMG_4291.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRrJgjA02tXqfHs9dSvSCWvNJ9BdYX-zxoz7iFPulusG8f2_v77wp6ppM2t7LpaeDA9fxY12wUhKmAIABOupFFpT1VJMcE70Hl6xT4Nqxv2Tl-RoRu7GId7EyA43X17H0gGh6YUwUEyj4QFGawor5_T0iJensumLYty9ewoeOq9Z1VlAnGuEuu-ahB/w640-h480/IMG_4291.HEIC" width="640" /></a></div><div><div><br /></div><b>Albert Park Lake</b></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div style="text-align: justify;">On their last day we headed to Albert Park Lake for a huge 5km walk around. It was bright and sunny, though fairly windy that day. The funniest thing was that Ella was riding her scooter on a narrow path right beside the lake. I was alone with her, the other four had gone off ahead. The path was a bit bumpy, and I think she stumbled and the next thing you know, she'd let go of her scooter and off it went into the lake! Luckily that part of the lake was full of thick reeds, so the scooter didn't sink to the bottom straight away, rather it was sloooooowly going under but was held up by the reeds. Cue very hilarious scene of me, lying on my stomach trying to reach the scooter but of course it was just a few inches past my reach. Three twenty-somethings stopped to watch and give me some encouragement but really didn't help much at all. I kept inching forward, yelling at Ella to "hold my legs! hold my legs!" as I was afraid that I would end up in the lake as well! Finally, after what seemed like ages but was probably only 10 seconds, I grabbed the handle of the scooter, which was now almost fully submerged. Success! I had rescued the scooter from the depths of Albert Park Lake, to cheers from my useless, Gen Z spectators! </div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvluKeCjzM4TY1f9-Mbg6lbvEDfBGSMj13QzADAkQ5dg6Oi8uMp1RRYf7BPu9f64yHAifbJxOr_bVt9bXkBAgtbBmORzuvO_7MGpl9HMFXHGfqcasBUDmZKqQ7JxQT5rK6AyZUAlllBlOYsSEDOB907ekX8NfLkOvcihsgXXYjyClF7Z53dP3XAbJK/s4032/IMG_0049.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvluKeCjzM4TY1f9-Mbg6lbvEDfBGSMj13QzADAkQ5dg6Oi8uMp1RRYf7BPu9f64yHAifbJxOr_bVt9bXkBAgtbBmORzuvO_7MGpl9HMFXHGfqcasBUDmZKqQ7JxQT5rK6AyZUAlllBlOYsSEDOB907ekX8NfLkOvcihsgXXYjyClF7Z53dP3XAbJK/w640-h480/IMG_0049.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTfhJ5YyLdqElE2v0Uq0ssRJ3BjbOl7B7coQ5ZZwHxbLr5KCiu5ODYta7t_at8pDJfwRgZyMbHjgpyegxa3bRp47j7hfuVbtMj5quA-L5fA_ZwEwDzv-fo3wqanQ6V7EDEPODn-pk3tJmsB_LkkQBjm2JGjuUkR0kMgT1H1Or8JInYUNxIkPNauY96/s4032/IMG_4320.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTfhJ5YyLdqElE2v0Uq0ssRJ3BjbOl7B7coQ5ZZwHxbLr5KCiu5ODYta7t_at8pDJfwRgZyMbHjgpyegxa3bRp47j7hfuVbtMj5quA-L5fA_ZwEwDzv-fo3wqanQ6V7EDEPODn-pk3tJmsB_LkkQBjm2JGjuUkR0kMgT1H1Or8JInYUNxIkPNauY96/w640-h480/IMG_4320.HEIC" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">After our walk we were very hungry, so headed to the nearby Middle Park Hotel for a yummy roast lunch. A great meal for Dave and Bunny to finish the visit with!</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-WcoLzHkKpLqI-0z0r2UKBBc4Lg_6DJ3HleCvhf5of4zzdabxjR8SBH42MpQleFYvETyJJ6eNFOlq0Rd0XlIW6ewI643WkMu6Czqowd6OukQNtCH_7iC7HY71XI9VuCkI75njuYvkRTxBZ1BuE_aHQPyGm0XebqO_H7CZ8EnBjBdgfhI6gqq2pFbW/s4032/IMG_4325.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-WcoLzHkKpLqI-0z0r2UKBBc4Lg_6DJ3HleCvhf5of4zzdabxjR8SBH42MpQleFYvETyJJ6eNFOlq0Rd0XlIW6ewI643WkMu6Czqowd6OukQNtCH_7iC7HY71XI9VuCkI75njuYvkRTxBZ1BuE_aHQPyGm0XebqO_H7CZ8EnBjBdgfhI6gqq2pFbW/w640-h480/IMG_4325.HEIC" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">And then finally, another sad goodbye. I think saying goodbye is extra hard when you aren't sure of the next time you will see someone, which is kind of the case with Dave and Bunny, as we don't have any plans to go back to England within the next year. Also both kids are of the age where they get pretty upset about saying goodbye, and they didn't want their grandparents to leave. But as always we were happy to have had such a fun month spent bonding with each other in the way that you do when spending such a concentrated amount of time with each other. Until next time...</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKLlYRoqJ2eHeaG9rDn5UH-Ur7G8zSpytXNu6AXY4g-8vjzYdZ1x-E1xaujXWFi4xl7hEJxwGpgtno3HtG2vDC9wfCLNAKwh5XNKrnixh_7qH78sT-mCU79IRSqmAfzatYOdKlgTyxxi12d2S2BuyDYD-xol4bNqESpM9-lqppCBD3y4pdLATGfzop/s4032/IMG_4340.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKLlYRoqJ2eHeaG9rDn5UH-Ur7G8zSpytXNu6AXY4g-8vjzYdZ1x-E1xaujXWFi4xl7hEJxwGpgtno3HtG2vDC9wfCLNAKwh5XNKrnixh_7qH78sT-mCU79IRSqmAfzatYOdKlgTyxxi12d2S2BuyDYD-xol4bNqESpM9-lqppCBD3y4pdLATGfzop/w640-h480/IMG_4340.HEIC" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div></div></div></div>Wendy McCarryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10400056809655031226noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3302793385282321137.post-72579043461594495622023-05-20T03:50:00.002+01:002023-05-20T03:50:25.115+01:00Melbourne Now Exhibition<p style="text-align: justify;">Back at the start of the Easter school holidays in April we had an afternoon exploring the Melbourne Now exhibition. This was also the start of our visit from Andy's parents, who were with us for the month of April. Melbourne Now is a free exhibition put on by the NGV, located across both galleries: NGV International and the Ian Potter Centre at Federation Square. We only visited the Ian Potter Centre, which was an expansive experience covering all three levels. The NGV say this about the exhibition:</p><div style="text-align: justify;">‘<i>Melbourne Now celebrates the latest art, architecture, design, performance and cultural practice to reflect the complex cultural landscape of creative Melbourne.’</i></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The exhibition showcases works from Victorian-based artists, and covers a diverse range of artistic disciplines, such as painting, sculpture, fashion, virtual reality, photography, performance, architecture and product design. There were many pieces that you could interact with, which was especially great for the kids. This started with the giant spinning tops outside that you could sit in and spin around.</div><div><br /></div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSLAKBdlA1vN5BsDLcu8endgt-Z9yCCcwq5kiniZm6aA2sZu_V9Nl9PSI5Mn_pvABkdyC5cx1LdtIxfFdIWVETLRJwOY1fiLVYClem9oh4qzMWKEQD6uY0WsTe4i9jWCyxixFWDnG1WPI2Ou6B8FC3wH7vb6033pSOLg9V_z0E9ZaFk5wIGDUNE45t/s4032/EF76A5AA-F1C6-46A2-9759-9F8532C6951C.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSLAKBdlA1vN5BsDLcu8endgt-Z9yCCcwq5kiniZm6aA2sZu_V9Nl9PSI5Mn_pvABkdyC5cx1LdtIxfFdIWVETLRJwOY1fiLVYClem9oh4qzMWKEQD6uY0WsTe4i9jWCyxixFWDnG1WPI2Ou6B8FC3wH7vb6033pSOLg9V_z0E9ZaFk5wIGDUNE45t/w640-h480/EF76A5AA-F1C6-46A2-9759-9F8532C6951C.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>Once inside our first stop was the children's area (of course!) where the kids engaged in some drawing and crafts based on one of the artworks. </div><div><br /></div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjI26fAZ8M-PbO0K_gMJPNxC-IayZo1WSq-xuv-SmLIEPW6Gr54GtbdVNkT27lHcOGdvp__OucMiD1F8Nn05GcdfdfSuIoUjwWeIoTlyKiuq0Zw_yyAwdzJJ0J8y5IBhvTGpGfEWRdvAry2se-8GvBSoNeGecgrUaJnxPfU5a9vRnsS9YjG6KVxg2kn/s3300/ED906ACC-1E1E-4FFF-B9EE-0A08FAD30539.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2361" data-original-width="3300" height="458" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjI26fAZ8M-PbO0K_gMJPNxC-IayZo1WSq-xuv-SmLIEPW6Gr54GtbdVNkT27lHcOGdvp__OucMiD1F8Nn05GcdfdfSuIoUjwWeIoTlyKiuq0Zw_yyAwdzJJ0J8y5IBhvTGpGfEWRdvAry2se-8GvBSoNeGecgrUaJnxPfU5a9vRnsS9YjG6KVxg2kn/w640-h458/ED906ACC-1E1E-4FFF-B9EE-0A08FAD30539.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">It took us a little while to draw them away from this and to the rest of the exhibition. We were almost immediately greeted by 'Mountain Climber', a giant tiger composed of colourful pom-poms to form a 3-meter tall sculpture by artist Troy Emery. The work explores human's relationship with taxidermy animals that are usually found on display in museums.</div><div><br /></div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitZEaZmE8qwj3qm9eRlFp-5qWu1GBXKwffM2oAUKVEQfn04ZNkihPTLjGrXsPRLdydT9GYKAtwbVNLH6xLXog7K7goeotvVeu1E26ZT97Ouv7tr3p7leZEVJpoS1Oy3SIsGjvFOyeibrz5Vip665UkvzoZh2Vuuq9hTnZFs0WIyx0sYKcLStDdXgPF/s3379/9CFDD75D-9A38-4CA5-93E3-A22AD51AA416.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2621" data-original-width="3379" height="496" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitZEaZmE8qwj3qm9eRlFp-5qWu1GBXKwffM2oAUKVEQfn04ZNkihPTLjGrXsPRLdydT9GYKAtwbVNLH6xLXog7K7goeotvVeu1E26ZT97Ouv7tr3p7leZEVJpoS1Oy3SIsGjvFOyeibrz5Vip665UkvzoZh2Vuuq9hTnZFs0WIyx0sYKcLStDdXgPF/w640-h496/9CFDD75D-9A38-4CA5-93E3-A22AD51AA416.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div><div style="text-align: justify;">The installation 'Black River Running' by Jan Nelson features a 4-meter rug made from hundreds of t-shirts featuring activist or protest slogans. Visitors were encouraged to walk on the rug. Beside the rug were eight wind chimes, each playing key notes from a selection of protest songs from the last 100 years. The work is meant to showcase the individual role in collective activism.</div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghhzTu4IySWO9adUM0IKQkYwA_OQWwTBx2rxTtPDZa0oXC_oaZtDoXqpLNY9IuGzTSHnT1IkX9PBYrJOvLhAIOCvHSrNgruUbRotFYc4Mn0qOotay-J5NpQui_QRCKc64_CAuHAoH4C9orZIhRXWVUCevruej7QqIhOHFhe1zrvBkxyf2pxck_qvHu/s3633/00C30345-8EC5-47B2-AB83-D9C91B8688E6.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2651" data-original-width="3633" height="468" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghhzTu4IySWO9adUM0IKQkYwA_OQWwTBx2rxTtPDZa0oXC_oaZtDoXqpLNY9IuGzTSHnT1IkX9PBYrJOvLhAIOCvHSrNgruUbRotFYc4Mn0qOotay-J5NpQui_QRCKc64_CAuHAoH4C9orZIhRXWVUCevruej7QqIhOHFhe1zrvBkxyf2pxck_qvHu/w640-h468/00C30345-8EC5-47B2-AB83-D9C91B8688E6.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">These powder pink gates by Elvis Richardson prompt visitors to reflect on the question "who are the gatekeepers?" as they interact with the gates. I don't know if Ella and Ollie were thinking that deeply about this sculpture, but they enjoyed running through the gates nonetheless. </div></div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjB14kbxHlXBEovSCNGRNO7M8H4oyGeFv2GuLdeogsHCH5Q4RwMIUmL02ASIe7XXO13198SQfmiBxqHFdcN69p-ZVj5z1TtjaTQLMTuVPC690Xb6um6XfikziDwUBz8i9PmnrTs0QbT3ahrXMX_DHnxGvtgKLKU7YtzV8yc2iDqHxDMrHiwKV4NPKlc/s3241/1A4E0C23-2D9B-49AE-8531-9FF526F4E968.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2331" data-original-width="3241" height="460" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjB14kbxHlXBEovSCNGRNO7M8H4oyGeFv2GuLdeogsHCH5Q4RwMIUmL02ASIe7XXO13198SQfmiBxqHFdcN69p-ZVj5z1TtjaTQLMTuVPC690Xb6um6XfikziDwUBz8i9PmnrTs0QbT3ahrXMX_DHnxGvtgKLKU7YtzV8yc2iDqHxDMrHiwKV4NPKlc/w640-h460/1A4E0C23-2D9B-49AE-8531-9FF526F4E968.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">In another room was a 'temple' constructed of thousands of computer fans by the artist Rel Pham. This work combine's his Vietnamese heritage and interest in gaming culture, and shows the blurring boundaries between the digital and physical worlds. </div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsHPHeNwUlpAppfuOToHc_9aHp_qjX9i4WtD8REdAt9Yiv3P42hJCQxJDyUbsoLE9hT69F5KzuQl1PMRFwiVeoDRJH7QRtJ9oa_BboARy7iGdQG6GvB4vOKat-yjeoWJHbp3sJdhwfMPrKmcK5cpksuqH18PCvlvwwzapvW6JB31UbGHZ2sRwVr6dB/s3478/86F93780-87CA-42C1-9F38-D9E151E6A990.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2622" data-original-width="3478" height="482" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsHPHeNwUlpAppfuOToHc_9aHp_qjX9i4WtD8REdAt9Yiv3P42hJCQxJDyUbsoLE9hT69F5KzuQl1PMRFwiVeoDRJH7QRtJ9oa_BboARy7iGdQG6GvB4vOKat-yjeoWJHbp3sJdhwfMPrKmcK5cpksuqH18PCvlvwwzapvW6JB31UbGHZ2sRwVr6dB/w640-h482/86F93780-87CA-42C1-9F38-D9E151E6A990.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">I wasn't great at keeping track of all the different artist and works, so the next two I don't have much information on. The two seats below were from a set of 4, spelling out the word "Look" and were yet another interactive part of the exhibition. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_XBimK_2uSVqPdM1tSFn6GWjQr62apkJ1nz_V1DWXbS2GM6p2YSkFDtCbZ54RER6ZmYf7PZ5n8AJ5tdRVafh6GYBns50VsXA4U3wuR4rJ3HNJKapG7IEBsWDf7PBb18mrMWPXXbnrEeOBd7Cbt7VVWCbFrNIHK3b49IL9wrNi3pa5ZT8I-oSKm9wS/s3532/142AFCD8-036D-4F14-8A4B-FFA3187240DC.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2772" data-original-width="3532" height="502" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_XBimK_2uSVqPdM1tSFn6GWjQr62apkJ1nz_V1DWXbS2GM6p2YSkFDtCbZ54RER6ZmYf7PZ5n8AJ5tdRVafh6GYBns50VsXA4U3wuR4rJ3HNJKapG7IEBsWDf7PBb18mrMWPXXbnrEeOBd7Cbt7VVWCbFrNIHK3b49IL9wrNi3pa5ZT8I-oSKm9wS/w640-h502/142AFCD8-036D-4F14-8A4B-FFA3187240DC.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">Below was a hanging tent structure that was a 2:1 scale replica of the artist's apartment. It was like being in a floating house!</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDQ5niRF9_Z9osR-5Ue99FR-gq5rqOBq-iZau4gczscHkYh5epBIFVS2RIkvOKFzmxcfcoCkd-EzGasggHIyI_yVNWnLBQzmmSVcXDyT2tJuRQzxzg55Kbvcz8-px9eG6dtf5O_lBLmClU6Nb_Lf7MZm27MpPmf8wUynYio1fskdcKjj-DAYdxseko/s4032/465E2520-3EEA-4E44-8933-482485AD3F46.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDQ5niRF9_Z9osR-5Ue99FR-gq5rqOBq-iZau4gczscHkYh5epBIFVS2RIkvOKFzmxcfcoCkd-EzGasggHIyI_yVNWnLBQzmmSVcXDyT2tJuRQzxzg55Kbvcz8-px9eG6dtf5O_lBLmClU6Nb_Lf7MZm27MpPmf8wUynYio1fskdcKjj-DAYdxseko/w640-h480/465E2520-3EEA-4E44-8933-482485AD3F46.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">Check out the size of this GIANT t-shirt!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJ7cBi5sT_hQm9wbUW7S-kNuOeWNSeRZ2pA_UwIXM6-TnhQrxhpOAMdOvp2UF0kxHTzci_0nbk8HLS1Qs1oF1dgwYAQOXMDjECnwttTMGsq5Kx7qvE91_JIQ7ed2uDhCtG4sgG8ns1Ouey_6iY8O1EIweGU5kGkhn5Lp_dTvCNLID1wuHIZv_XYRLN/s3882/08D1DE7A-2163-4424-AE07-3ED7F6261808.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2937" data-original-width="3882" height="484" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJ7cBi5sT_hQm9wbUW7S-kNuOeWNSeRZ2pA_UwIXM6-TnhQrxhpOAMdOvp2UF0kxHTzci_0nbk8HLS1Qs1oF1dgwYAQOXMDjECnwttTMGsq5Kx7qvE91_JIQ7ed2uDhCtG4sgG8ns1Ouey_6iY8O1EIweGU5kGkhn5Lp_dTvCNLID1wuHIZv_XYRLN/w640-h484/08D1DE7A-2163-4424-AE07-3ED7F6261808.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">Ollie was fascinated with Taree McKenzie's 'Pepper's Ghost Effect, Circles' which was a video installation where the illusion changed when viewed from different perspectives.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7Ws_khJJcHkmkt3pKXb8FwTA9MYGeEcu0VTfGrrnP0BVyMSbeRjBB1b4DfPQbFQAF3clvZwlcpmW0QSDs6JfezrYLTRxdJbEJQrSn0dZzKpACioH0dXNIcNaOXgXzfTIcJvKqbxvPNC9a7QWvEWoWdmpWKawVDWIXyH754vrt3NRIu5F8A84B1BSo/s4032/549D9997-ED48-4ABA-B027-4C5199CD3CB6.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7Ws_khJJcHkmkt3pKXb8FwTA9MYGeEcu0VTfGrrnP0BVyMSbeRjBB1b4DfPQbFQAF3clvZwlcpmW0QSDs6JfezrYLTRxdJbEJQrSn0dZzKpACioH0dXNIcNaOXgXzfTIcJvKqbxvPNC9a7QWvEWoWdmpWKawVDWIXyH754vrt3NRIu5F8A84B1BSo/w640-h480/549D9997-ED48-4ABA-B027-4C5199CD3CB6.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span face=""Open Sans", sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #353535; font-size: 20px; text-align: start;"><br /></span></div>The Design wall was a large-scale installation celebrating consumer products designed in Melbourne over the past 10 years. It kind of felt like you were in a hybrid Bunnings/IKEA and featured guitars, ladders, Tontine pillows, luggage, motorbikes, tents and more.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLLe1iFjwetT_8zRkeqbDNh5yMfwxpzthSEpyV6AiCZitwBpHTEJ5Lknn3vTtl5pvhAx3T1G1XUvFvxZufi-obsodU08O2QlFJWy3wVzFITQnr7KRwv5ITRGPnCf7Vxgurf9w3txtXSowPAunQB-2_mw-BeVC0_rvFHSmYyO5K4hkRI5jj4KCzy-3R/s3795/IMG_9832.heic" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2758" data-original-width="3795" height="466" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLLe1iFjwetT_8zRkeqbDNh5yMfwxpzthSEpyV6AiCZitwBpHTEJ5Lknn3vTtl5pvhAx3T1G1XUvFvxZufi-obsodU08O2QlFJWy3wVzFITQnr7KRwv5ITRGPnCf7Vxgurf9w3txtXSowPAunQB-2_mw-BeVC0_rvFHSmYyO5K4hkRI5jj4KCzy-3R/w640-h466/IMG_9832.heic" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div><span style="text-align: justify;">Our last stop was at 'Swarming' by James Lemon. This immersive work is an ultraviolet hive of activity, where the kids could interact with soft pupae forms and learn about the life of a bee. This was by far their favourite part of the exhibition and they probably would have stayed and played all day!</span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRQY8JSYQFv9spURkwUdZMYbv6_YoRTyVeA0j1LGzrVGIGzyko87JEVKFbu1HuMiknhdTNazhUzkWzQzr5Xn4rkzixmC7X0Zw3FT7Ve9Tjw4x46sWrOK2y6T0P7ZmQWkNjeFl1SPST9YcE8aEzBut8jqnn9IsU3FO4YHWGTiOSioNfoAbCY3wOp72o/s3840/DAE52708-764B-4119-9829-0452886E6550-COLLAGE.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3840" data-original-width="2160" height="761" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRQY8JSYQFv9spURkwUdZMYbv6_YoRTyVeA0j1LGzrVGIGzyko87JEVKFbu1HuMiknhdTNazhUzkWzQzr5Xn4rkzixmC7X0Zw3FT7Ve9Tjw4x46sWrOK2y6T0P7ZmQWkNjeFl1SPST9YcE8aEzBut8jqnn9IsU3FO4YHWGTiOSioNfoAbCY3wOp72o/w428-h761/DAE52708-764B-4119-9829-0452886E6550-COLLAGE.jpg" width="428" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">The pieces of art I've included really only scratch the surface of the exhibition. It really is immense, we spent a good 2-3 hours exploring and that was with the kids rushing us through lots of it. I am hoping to get back on my own, perhaps in the next school holidays, and to also make a visit to the NGV International to see the second half of it. The Director of the NGV Tony Ellwood says of the exhibition:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><i>'[Melbourne Now 2023 offers us] an invaluable opportunity to pause and reflect on who we are as a city. This exhibition looks inward at the concerns of artists and designers, but also outwards at the world that wraps around us – a world of beauty, a world of complexity. This is what Melbourne creativity looks like right here, right now.’ </i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><i><br /></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">If you're in Melbourne at the moment, I highly recommend checking it out before it closes on 20th August!</div>Wendy McCarryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10400056809655031226noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3302793385282321137.post-19457989580783060182023-04-30T07:10:00.005+01:002023-04-30T07:10:37.276+01:00RACV Cobram Resort<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_QjY3m_5nkNr32_-qSzplomhDbSY7fuB4e3A-T8M8pKpH4kWnHkvw0GSP512_qw7KKBbSKYJ8HMKf7CyyYp7e1sHlK6_MSPt8-CFou_YOz7symdlhMYftqcon07Rfg558N5xbp94pJzcopeiXAuxshj4HB_aEzCC1aQNUKjt5Aghdup5nVaXI4af8/s4032/7AE1C4AD-54F5-47EF-A164-CAC234B8FE5F.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_QjY3m_5nkNr32_-qSzplomhDbSY7fuB4e3A-T8M8pKpH4kWnHkvw0GSP512_qw7KKBbSKYJ8HMKf7CyyYp7e1sHlK6_MSPt8-CFou_YOz7symdlhMYftqcon07Rfg558N5xbp94pJzcopeiXAuxshj4HB_aEzCC1aQNUKjt5Aghdup5nVaXI4af8/s320/7AE1C4AD-54F5-47EF-A164-CAC234B8FE5F.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">During the final four days of our Easter school holidays, we journeyed to the RACV resort located in Cobram, which is about three hours north of Melbourne and situated on the border between New South Wales and the Murray River. The resort is comprised of a variety of accommodations, including caravan sites and cabins. Fortunately, we were able to secure two side-by-side cabins with a "lake view," which I was extremely grateful for upon our arrival. Although the "lake" is actually more of a pond, the serene outlook from our deck is very relaxing. The other "garden view sites" are simply scattered across a vast lawn and are much less picturesque. </div><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzHno0SSUdEUBax00NbvKQU394e9S-MQ5rCH5ZJliW9x1ZfSAhEKuJk9u1nv1Y9AAWIsiAWhPHxvt1LxCOlxe4drYxU-VoqZJpgJtHjFk--Eq_qMpwyFvy49Jx97R-9HPMxkG5DoQgLtEYeabbTly1oDRtdT2vn6fdgNTwR91Vx-jccI8OUrtW3vHI/s3764/147C731B-9347-4C61-9FB8-655262A52444.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2823" data-original-width="3764" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzHno0SSUdEUBax00NbvKQU394e9S-MQ5rCH5ZJliW9x1ZfSAhEKuJk9u1nv1Y9AAWIsiAWhPHxvt1LxCOlxe4drYxU-VoqZJpgJtHjFk--Eq_qMpwyFvy49Jx97R-9HPMxkG5DoQgLtEYeabbTly1oDRtdT2vn6fdgNTwR91Vx-jccI8OUrtW3vHI/w640-h480/147C731B-9347-4C61-9FB8-655262A52444.jpeg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">View from our deck</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifJku2uC84f_Jk4zgLWdHaU8z3vSIjwUum86t1WYguNHFbh3XQGW9xkFZzG_dz4_LHmmIPqFVb-6sVWJAOgnDDPH-RA6cfuBES_TDjiPWhuew6d7xuHAXvUCde8lpzlaE20UMIXQkwe_oBddetxr4yLs1ddRf921VB-IOI4Vni2t-zWDGrOPc0_gL3/s4032/9048BBC5-378A-48B6-A45A-68A7E58B19E0.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifJku2uC84f_Jk4zgLWdHaU8z3vSIjwUum86t1WYguNHFbh3XQGW9xkFZzG_dz4_LHmmIPqFVb-6sVWJAOgnDDPH-RA6cfuBES_TDjiPWhuew6d7xuHAXvUCde8lpzlaE20UMIXQkwe_oBddetxr4yLs1ddRf921VB-IOI4Vni2t-zWDGrOPc0_gL3/w640-h480/9048BBC5-378A-48B6-A45A-68A7E58B19E0.jpeg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The "lake" or rather the pond, with cabins surrounding</td></tr></tbody></table><p style="text-align: justify;">The resort has a good range of facilities, most notable for us were the indoor pool and hot tub. There is a beautiful outdoor pool and toddler pool as well but the water a bit too chilly for us. Of course, that didn't stop Ella from trying to swim in it. But you know, if the water is too cold for Ella that means it must be ABSOLUTELY FREEZING!</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfiJXJTAFYFmOESe3b1tQcJgWK05v-4FPjWE6qnM1kGYEkKzhnyeOI8GGzHNoyT9G0ssCaULaTrrngsRvJ-uSi2x-7rtvD7Ad6_RU1p2yTvdtMPGPCNWBc-snGTPa8OpJKZhyIB0imtBqULjw4CUpnZQP8kKdzcNn1XW3K5nFwFB4LgSWuQrc-JIhS/s3491/22089B27-9837-4D78-873E-97BE5440D765.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2618" data-original-width="3491" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfiJXJTAFYFmOESe3b1tQcJgWK05v-4FPjWE6qnM1kGYEkKzhnyeOI8GGzHNoyT9G0ssCaULaTrrngsRvJ-uSi2x-7rtvD7Ad6_RU1p2yTvdtMPGPCNWBc-snGTPa8OpJKZhyIB0imtBqULjw4CUpnZQP8kKdzcNn1XW3K5nFwFB4LgSWuQrc-JIhS/w640-h480/22089B27-9837-4D78-873E-97BE5440D765.jpeg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Splashing around in the toddler pool<br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-UKH7Knm9UGtSSV-V0cTQt5Uz1DiBuOtC5nkJFTY2aWydBJGJcSr7YWxuiL9Xkeyxdgt47SMCBflUwOf6XEvmmgk_ofSrXz26g7C3eQa99ssqVtkhEhHwjAMNKqxKOyc3AtETrtEdk8WkMG_KlFf0Z80-01AcpJQYr2d-nBx_98UVJfFQv44I39wf/s4032/B9707A8A-F0D5-43A7-B0ED-0FCA598B42F7.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-UKH7Knm9UGtSSV-V0cTQt5Uz1DiBuOtC5nkJFTY2aWydBJGJcSr7YWxuiL9Xkeyxdgt47SMCBflUwOf6XEvmmgk_ofSrXz26g7C3eQa99ssqVtkhEhHwjAMNKqxKOyc3AtETrtEdk8WkMG_KlFf0Z80-01AcpJQYr2d-nBx_98UVJfFQv44I39wf/w640-h480/B9707A8A-F0D5-43A7-B0ED-0FCA598B42F7.jpeg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Desperate to get in the outdoor pool!</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhv9gUiJt2mHewo0ZsPXQB2d3l-gKeXIgOQxub1-k96Trm0qmiD9Lb3eFUVRU1Hzb5aSyVgMBGpj-MpT-4nYYsPNu_U2euwamCzh98_WJA12UBysD5CMIlSRWk6fYnKwDLWVdZFoFCra2Qz4BCifXWhIjPLB4PIhGxWQIUPaMIY2PkP1QloHOY6KJaq/s4032/7FC56B3B-7CC6-45EB-9D04-45CFEBDA80AF.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhv9gUiJt2mHewo0ZsPXQB2d3l-gKeXIgOQxub1-k96Trm0qmiD9Lb3eFUVRU1Hzb5aSyVgMBGpj-MpT-4nYYsPNu_U2euwamCzh98_WJA12UBysD5CMIlSRWk6fYnKwDLWVdZFoFCra2Qz4BCifXWhIjPLB4PIhGxWQIUPaMIY2PkP1QloHOY6KJaq/w640-h480/7FC56B3B-7CC6-45EB-9D04-45CFEBDA80AF.jpeg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Grandma is not getting in either!<br /><br /></td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: justify;">During our stay at the resort Ella and I had a lovely evening routine. Every day around 5pm we headed to the pool for a pre-dinner swim together. It was a great way to spend some quality one-on-one time with her. Our routine started with some playtime first, with Ella chasing me around the pool and trying to catch me. We'd then move on to the hot tub, which was always a nice change of pace. Next up was a quick cold plunge in the outdoor pool, followed by a return to the warm indoor pools. I usually hate cold water so was very proud of myself for the cold plunge, and Ella was very surprised/impressed with me as well. By that point, I was ready to relax poolside with my book, while Ella happily swam around on her own.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">It was just the two of us most evenings though Grandma joined us on one occasion as well. I think this evening time with Ella was one of my favourite parts of the whole weekend.</div><p style="text-align: justify;">The main reason it was just the two of us was because Ollie was a bit sick over the whole weekend. We noticed he was a bit stuffed up and seemed tired on the day we drove to Cobram. This turned into conjunctivitis and a slight fever. Nothing a little Panadol and eye drops couldn’t cure, but it did mean that Ollie was cranky at times and missed out on a few things. The poor kid spent a lot of his time in bed or on the sofa, reading books (or rather searching for things in his look and find book) or watching TV. </p><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjP6VHG6_hCNOkAEtZEP2sQDl0qru98UT5gDutLlSSfGTsFWfooSrfHwgqPyrZ-VXss-Rb2j6NqHAZ5PUJJXifh2Z_0lU2bSxJOJ1UBFuvszhQ9lPsGMGktMT7-hSwFScyZ_bpxubjjJIIEnjVsQYYHtjvkc0qWA9GIXD1zdUEDnMhLD1Hh_hwF4eMI/s2964/F9F9B137-BF5B-4549-BE85-ED3218D72AA8.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2088" data-original-width="2964" height="450" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjP6VHG6_hCNOkAEtZEP2sQDl0qru98UT5gDutLlSSfGTsFWfooSrfHwgqPyrZ-VXss-Rb2j6NqHAZ5PUJJXifh2Z_0lU2bSxJOJ1UBFuvszhQ9lPsGMGktMT7-hSwFScyZ_bpxubjjJIIEnjVsQYYHtjvkc0qWA9GIXD1zdUEDnMhLD1Hh_hwF4eMI/w640-h450/F9F9B137-BF5B-4549-BE85-ED3218D72AA8.jpeg" width="640" /></a></p><p style="text-align: justify;">One morning I did get him outside to do some drawing, here he is drawing the pond and surrounding trees:</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPoprNqKVRPugcAOHPSaLzJIz8QJ0fasMDT-Kh36qroG7eFTd7_mO8HHciyepZyksCSzP-rg_3UW1IjlkoTkMZdZNzqVUcLlal18urIR7DaOPet1LbQD-kYpDhUeQ-ZQuksmagXnUTxoGEegpZ7kp27hmkGCGAbXD28OqmnATTGILhH48qYKiCcSjk/s4032/52E61A87-5872-4FAD-9809-61D1C3DE3A1C.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPoprNqKVRPugcAOHPSaLzJIz8QJ0fasMDT-Kh36qroG7eFTd7_mO8HHciyepZyksCSzP-rg_3UW1IjlkoTkMZdZNzqVUcLlal18urIR7DaOPet1LbQD-kYpDhUeQ-ZQuksmagXnUTxoGEegpZ7kp27hmkGCGAbXD28OqmnATTGILhH48qYKiCcSjk/w640-h480/52E61A87-5872-4FAD-9809-61D1C3DE3A1C.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div>The resort also had a pretty good playground and jumping pillow which both kids loved. <br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjOFL478854Xu-xhwAvxLu42hUVS5jczerzXzwxCxyhkOFO7Ew-j-zkB_T9ukckHiByPQqZFAQtADswD8j5mXPrcl0_KJ1-jm3CoGLmYUWJotB6JYPBE-z0QxeQLI9dXjFkydCer3J1SM/s3523/E892B23B-AFAC-44CD-A1E2-09E17FAB7C47.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2553" data-original-width="3523" height="464" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjOFL478854Xu-xhwAvxLu42hUVS5jczerzXzwxCxyhkOFO7Ew-j-zkB_T9ukckHiByPQqZFAQtADswD8j5mXPrcl0_KJ1-jm3CoGLmYUWJotB6JYPBE-z0QxeQLI9dXjFkydCer3J1SM/w640-h464/E892B23B-AFAC-44CD-A1E2-09E17FAB7C47.jpeg" width="640" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">We had two full days to explore the area during our three-night stay. On the first day, we decided to venture into the nearby town of Yarrawonga. Our main activity for the day was a ride on the PS Cumberoona, a traditional paddle steamer that took us on a one-hour cruise around Lake Mulwala. The lake is right on the border of Victoria and New South Wales, so we were able to say we'd been in both states at once!</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYP4bXjfEbSq6OHRxSpyLZbsegAfOrq4uVI54-mRL-FVeUklucNxSUOccdTVS4s-P3chxdUhoWqtC0s-9VEklR6hDc5UExqsCcxuDQQccpNfBxtk3R4FVIH_qOLG7dYW6613TPL5mxGLsQ_6bzykMu-nLCZ0E478IY7GiXu_YFiz9da5C9PBF7LfKO/s4032/IMG_9976.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYP4bXjfEbSq6OHRxSpyLZbsegAfOrq4uVI54-mRL-FVeUklucNxSUOccdTVS4s-P3chxdUhoWqtC0s-9VEklR6hDc5UExqsCcxuDQQccpNfBxtk3R4FVIH_qOLG7dYW6613TPL5mxGLsQ_6bzykMu-nLCZ0E478IY7GiXu_YFiz9da5C9PBF7LfKO/w640-h480/IMG_9976.HEIC" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEia8LxOj4RifpbPXoQa2Wg1_1rDyU6j0nWH2nqOdp88euqgsOBdulhPV__j1dBwbz-ViCtQgbh1n0JLVJL-wx8UB_VN1Z9VC81K5KYWHIr1zLHpLV41KsFcFamRopnkohgRJEqMPPE8xYDU7AngJ0pzgiEMYdw9ITE84yok3lD0MxsJAQNv0tZV2lfK/s3892/IMG_9981.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2932" data-original-width="3892" height="482" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEia8LxOj4RifpbPXoQa2Wg1_1rDyU6j0nWH2nqOdp88euqgsOBdulhPV__j1dBwbz-ViCtQgbh1n0JLVJL-wx8UB_VN1Z9VC81K5KYWHIr1zLHpLV41KsFcFamRopnkohgRJEqMPPE8xYDU7AngJ0pzgiEMYdw9ITE84yok3lD0MxsJAQNv0tZV2lfK/w640-h482/IMG_9981.HEIC" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFEPFmssNXbNx7Oq-2kdknNPrZ3Qg5jMILvjEWNYkl1cRFwY8o1d-69fRHCD9CDV4lL6Q7-z5DZk9SZcMPUMhH3vrqAbXVZlSgj41tqwKiVWSTgtm4Wj0_nZGe03xNL4B3S2xpCgsoU2KqP9F2uExlZiAc3qwcr93T1E-OCIEzMXGDtLHyBN3M9T2z/s4032/IMG_9978.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFEPFmssNXbNx7Oq-2kdknNPrZ3Qg5jMILvjEWNYkl1cRFwY8o1d-69fRHCD9CDV4lL6Q7-z5DZk9SZcMPUMhH3vrqAbXVZlSgj41tqwKiVWSTgtm4Wj0_nZGe03xNL4B3S2xpCgsoU2KqP9F2uExlZiAc3qwcr93T1E-OCIEzMXGDtLHyBN3M9T2z/w640-h480/IMG_9978.HEIC" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_c_9yI_eEWwcBAKY8VcbnCpU2lSZ7cU2YxBfHqQeMbcsVJBR8LEohA01ityS04iMVqrtjQjTa8bICTIQE9KoxBmjmBV3nU8PrEBucYz8OC8je0x9ZkHvn0aije3F7cKaI_aTd3U-zukugafnwr5JRsz-c2Nbep1DAcn3fX61vPqMneX4fbKb_qWBA/s3411/IMG_9985.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2491" data-original-width="3411" height="468" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_c_9yI_eEWwcBAKY8VcbnCpU2lSZ7cU2YxBfHqQeMbcsVJBR8LEohA01ityS04iMVqrtjQjTa8bICTIQE9KoxBmjmBV3nU8PrEBucYz8OC8je0x9ZkHvn0aije3F7cKaI_aTd3U-zukugafnwr5JRsz-c2Nbep1DAcn3fX61vPqMneX4fbKb_qWBA/w640-h468/IMG_9985.HEIC" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">We also happened to be there during a speed boat race that was on for the weekend - the EC Griffith Cup. We caught the practice rounds and were blown away by the speed and noise of the boats. It was like watching the Grand Prix on water! We had a pretty good day but by the end of it Ollie had had enough and needed to go home for a rest.</div><p style="text-align: justify;">Our last full day we spent the afternoon at Thompson’s beach. According to Dave this is the longest inland beach in the Southern Hemisphere… I have taken his word for it and not fact checked this. Ella was initially disappointed that instead of turning up to the type of beach we are used to (along the coast) we were hanging out on the banks of a muddy brown river. However she quickly changed her tune when she realized how lovely the sand was and happily played by the river’s edge for a couple of hours. Ollie also played with her for a long time, and it was nice to see him up and about, getting some fresh air. They played so well the whole afternoon, I ended up just reading my book on the sand beside them. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnBTeyhBlKOOR7oQBvG9RNHEvVRBOoXdvyOMQCpGRlOaeGtUcV8_I7MNOsK4qNmfJvwaiU0ZA8PjuO-ujXmK_-KJ-osRusSB4pNmiUdQU3gj-mSO4yEl7UvkWVNtdBMuz1wkJUh9JLbHLd0rmggxEbi7HRcg8fWmdYg8y2KAuZBbSFX-pXujelXjHU/s4032/AC9A121A-6E2D-4EF8-83A7-0A2FC7489F7D.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnBTeyhBlKOOR7oQBvG9RNHEvVRBOoXdvyOMQCpGRlOaeGtUcV8_I7MNOsK4qNmfJvwaiU0ZA8PjuO-ujXmK_-KJ-osRusSB4pNmiUdQU3gj-mSO4yEl7UvkWVNtdBMuz1wkJUh9JLbHLd0rmggxEbi7HRcg8fWmdYg8y2KAuZBbSFX-pXujelXjHU/w640-h480/AC9A121A-6E2D-4EF8-83A7-0A2FC7489F7D.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzj0B9Hy94dlx66DKCF3AO8mrpULT-0-8s3UgffcnPd3mY6EMUKA9auIKCkwCtYsS5ZJfrdjqaEmJiWMAwh3vnWSmK3DJ6QPf-l4kvxPolH9N-UwjaEAX7DJxCKcC4OMFcMF3T8FC54gKoADSasoHDjYafIaI8nQ1uMp07lPSBmKeXCXFVZVIQ-z8Y/s4032/C952E406-1A92-4A70-BBC0-30E5C3ED028F.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzj0B9Hy94dlx66DKCF3AO8mrpULT-0-8s3UgffcnPd3mY6EMUKA9auIKCkwCtYsS5ZJfrdjqaEmJiWMAwh3vnWSmK3DJ6QPf-l4kvxPolH9N-UwjaEAX7DJxCKcC4OMFcMF3T8FC54gKoADSasoHDjYafIaI8nQ1uMp07lPSBmKeXCXFVZVIQ-z8Y/w640-h480/C952E406-1A92-4A70-BBC0-30E5C3ED028F.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: start;">What was also nice about this beach was that there was a grassy area with lots of big trees for shade, so we could set up a base for the adults and our stuff. There was also a decent café on the beach. They offered everything from coffees, pastries and ice cream to full meals and alcohol. It was a lovely way to spend an afternoon with the perfect weather we had all weekend. </span></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZ00LXYta3aOVIORPTsc9QgDTXssJWCFWkI201AUs5joqGguG886vv8A41QHlcBucZSEhpr760BHCgJbfgxAkyF_Yz8h7Xqcbf4y6rIRqzHoJFjhUSQKDETM_f9eX-4sFDygEnmPK8-l8qOvxeCQuDFw8PvNrGF7kP3jSOo-976GQ_Mn1J0I4KPqQa/s3555/1AA6EE8D-C603-495D-A885-3A4731D5E38C.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2702" data-original-width="3555" height="486" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZ00LXYta3aOVIORPTsc9QgDTXssJWCFWkI201AUs5joqGguG886vv8A41QHlcBucZSEhpr760BHCgJbfgxAkyF_Yz8h7Xqcbf4y6rIRqzHoJFjhUSQKDETM_f9eX-4sFDygEnmPK8-l8qOvxeCQuDFw8PvNrGF7kP3jSOo-976GQ_Mn1J0I4KPqQa/w640-h486/1AA6EE8D-C603-495D-A885-3A4731D5E38C.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiOX26IrJTaE609No-GfBLw5aibjODKBKr5DzOZYRRjsMwUbGtOkmrnxhqMkmV4Z8NAxY_zDctmnGaJFwO2rNk4kn3dIQ79SU-c36PHsk-VFs2xHQIINozE9KWf--d7Of74WAFXL1sP4_0Y2dAugI1_otVSWEY9Fr690Fn5FrzOibjN7C9azSYNBRr/s2785/6ED7EEB0-2A99-4C3C-9067-145B57882617.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2183" data-original-width="2785" height="502" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiOX26IrJTaE609No-GfBLw5aibjODKBKr5DzOZYRRjsMwUbGtOkmrnxhqMkmV4Z8NAxY_zDctmnGaJFwO2rNk4kn3dIQ79SU-c36PHsk-VFs2xHQIINozE9KWf--d7Of74WAFXL1sP4_0Y2dAugI1_otVSWEY9Fr690Fn5FrzOibjN7C9azSYNBRr/w640-h502/6ED7EEB0-2A99-4C3C-9067-145B57882617.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><p style="text-align: justify;">Every evening of our stay we were treated to spectacular sunsets. Most nights I was in the indoor pool with Ella and through the wall to wall glass the sky would change from bright blue to a brilliant orange. Dave went on a nightly walk around the perimeter of the resort spotting kangaroos in the neighbouring fields. He took some beautiful pictures of the sunset:</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYfnBl2Wxte87TBYbwwX7V6hhdcgn79gQnVqkGhWyVELkEC6HsT-d1qRZoYKrXQtJUtpCOW8NCQyamSDHnZcPrKbs7OcAqfQpMSsApwOVv59IIuhNqMKdklF64aKfhxablPsyWKrZZc-arHi5kHLy4icI8ApYe7Bg2yoA2y4XrJsE4uL70IvXjMSax/s4032/75398498-B962-4BF7-B720-58E21EC9B469.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYfnBl2Wxte87TBYbwwX7V6hhdcgn79gQnVqkGhWyVELkEC6HsT-d1qRZoYKrXQtJUtpCOW8NCQyamSDHnZcPrKbs7OcAqfQpMSsApwOVv59IIuhNqMKdklF64aKfhxablPsyWKrZZc-arHi5kHLy4icI8ApYe7Bg2yoA2y4XrJsE4uL70IvXjMSax/w640-h480/75398498-B962-4BF7-B720-58E21EC9B469.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjCgXRfwtiikVJUSv9wByXhG0H6KFwcLlg4Ph3XPJyq8iGpwJ3pgkYWeDOx702UFntknfQisyza7LA7sEQJY73_WNk51tq-sVJfvWZcNozwQ0fXJ_7CkMfhe3QjrQN-8fLZ06gfO3RpmAkR0CU9cI-i3UXTRocH10AlpFBbK6fdohtWtqI8gSVluBO/s4032/BD0E7E5D-0A64-43D0-848A-37394199CD4A.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjCgXRfwtiikVJUSv9wByXhG0H6KFwcLlg4Ph3XPJyq8iGpwJ3pgkYWeDOx702UFntknfQisyza7LA7sEQJY73_WNk51tq-sVJfvWZcNozwQ0fXJ_7CkMfhe3QjrQN-8fLZ06gfO3RpmAkR0CU9cI-i3UXTRocH10AlpFBbK6fdohtWtqI8gSVluBO/w640-h480/BD0E7E5D-0A64-43D0-848A-37394199CD4A.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><p style="text-align: justify;">On our last night we all went out for a walk/scooter and to see the kangaroos and it was a great way to end the short holiday.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">We left Sunday morning, Ella and I squeezing in one last swim while Andy, Dave and Bunny played tennis and table tennis with Ollie. I managed to spend about 10 minutes in the ice cold outdoor pool, probably the first time in my entire life that I’ve plunged into such cold water without a wetsuit! The next day it was back to work and reality after having had our two week Easter holiday break. </p><p style="text-align: justify;">It's a week later now, and Dave and Bunny are packing their bags as they leave for England tonight. Another sad goodbye! We had a lot of fun times with them during their 3.5 week stay, which I will write about in my next post.</p>Wendy McCarryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10400056809655031226noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3302793385282321137.post-68341638056738003722023-04-17T02:21:00.001+01:002023-04-17T02:21:06.667+01:00Long weekend in Lorne<p style="text-align: justify;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzPIFZcT0lFGtprU7bt9kvYgTAxQgN_rtjQDiE4MPfIqTPM9NktGDykhV9rOv-8Z-Uv0kU3RJxahM0Io6hhQHKfGYMS245FeuC1w4mLtyiWwyNGxNiMDpIx8Ysf982LSv1EMidhzxDtDHlA9T13g9qNq-NYt1ueTdSq6mxw8N3rm6etDVDhv89JxD_/s2048/551CADDB-5321-4208-A484-F90BB082F451.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzPIFZcT0lFGtprU7bt9kvYgTAxQgN_rtjQDiE4MPfIqTPM9NktGDykhV9rOv-8Z-Uv0kU3RJxahM0Io6hhQHKfGYMS245FeuC1w4mLtyiWwyNGxNiMDpIx8Ysf982LSv1EMidhzxDtDHlA9T13g9qNq-NYt1ueTdSq6mxw8N3rm6etDVDhv89JxD_/w640-h480/551CADDB-5321-4208-A484-F90BB082F451.jpeg" width="640" /></a></p><p style="text-align: justify;">Last month we spent the Labour Day weekend in Lorne. Lorne is about a two hour drive southwest of Melbourne, along the Great Ocean Road. The last time we came here was way back in 2017, when my friend Cheryl had come to visit and I was pregnant with Ollie. (I've searched really hard and I can't find a blog post about this visit...I can't believe I didn't write one!)</p><p style="text-align: justify;">We ended up staying in the same place that we stayed on the visit with Cheryl, at <a href="https://cumberland.com.au/" target="_blank">The Cumberland Resort</a>, which is right on the main street and across the street from the beach. The resort is made up of apartments, some that can be rented and some that people own. It's an older style hotel, but the location plus the facilities (pool, gym, spa, tennis and basketball courts, BBQs, use of paddle boards, etc.) can't be beat. We had a small balcony from which you could see the ocean which added to the appeal as well. </p><p style="text-align: justify;">We headed down to Lorne on Friday afternoon, all of us minus Andy who had a meeting after school so couldn't leave until a bit later. On the way we stopped for a break and a snack and happened to come across Bellbrae Estate winery just off the Great Ocean Road... perfect for a Friday afternoon wine flight and cheeseboard and a great way to kick off that long weekend feeling!</p><p style="text-align: justify;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinfYs8Q4E6-hj_nwjFqdzsYvOQ5zkA-3GAX_xwNUSFA6IMCwhJd-CwOsQKFgeq80mZpifRyXee050dTtFjVMrammgpPP3zxunqp_qd7W0pLJrw52GgvIHuoTYlGP4eacLJrtssYXz7s83miYuMosTmGRUBAu--KK18p82t8fQRl_szhiXXqF6vePxM/s3378/89DBE008-02E6-460A-818E-9E21CF91C0F6.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2529" data-original-width="3378" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinfYs8Q4E6-hj_nwjFqdzsYvOQ5zkA-3GAX_xwNUSFA6IMCwhJd-CwOsQKFgeq80mZpifRyXee050dTtFjVMrammgpPP3zxunqp_qd7W0pLJrw52GgvIHuoTYlGP4eacLJrtssYXz7s83miYuMosTmGRUBAu--KK18p82t8fQRl_szhiXXqF6vePxM/w640-h480/89DBE008-02E6-460A-818E-9E21CF91C0F6.jpeg" width="640" /></a></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxp2YpYu_PvNdv-rpLbNzvX6586dNGTZW208nZFSNCAJ9k8lX9TiMrxdgVHXRO3YkCO0MyQft-BwLiaXYKIQ82tBvk0cGUQe4QAvUXVfevOE4zSwE9Y4P6dxRXNYq3-DBZdV0XmITdzZppV3T-2PFjolSAR6axNP_QPaztUye6gFMxCD-M1A2jqyRA/s1024/6256ACA8-55D6-46B6-923B-AB30D607429C.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="768" data-original-width="1024" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxp2YpYu_PvNdv-rpLbNzvX6586dNGTZW208nZFSNCAJ9k8lX9TiMrxdgVHXRO3YkCO0MyQft-BwLiaXYKIQ82tBvk0cGUQe4QAvUXVfevOE4zSwE9Y4P6dxRXNYq3-DBZdV0XmITdzZppV3T-2PFjolSAR6axNP_QPaztUye6gFMxCD-M1A2jqyRA/w640-h480/6256ACA8-55D6-46B6-923B-AB30D607429C.jpeg" width="640" /></a></p><p style="text-align: justify;">Once we arrived and were settled in I took the kids to the pool. There was a warm (not quite hot) spa tub, and a sauna, so needless to say we spent a lot of time here over the long weekend. There was also a small kids wading pool where Ollie could play safely - he's not quite as confident in deep water as Ella is yet.</p><p style="text-align: justify;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEoaf-NHUPxTS3FxEFPwSSGxqhr3_C2iB3M6be9N17VAB0ofgIER9cKkRYZhkUzHD2-qQyv3KGp-Z1rFBZAQjf4p5bvBd89yhW8PFZJZzgerqo50wtkh8TXz9sKxZCS3c7X5FbAtLCiRWz9FXKjdYAOvwgMKm5GsHHs1P05DA3WgKy72WFyJH5e2IG/s4032/32C1B4EB-41CF-483A-98C1-E05BCE1EBB85.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEoaf-NHUPxTS3FxEFPwSSGxqhr3_C2iB3M6be9N17VAB0ofgIER9cKkRYZhkUzHD2-qQyv3KGp-Z1rFBZAQjf4p5bvBd89yhW8PFZJZzgerqo50wtkh8TXz9sKxZCS3c7X5FbAtLCiRWz9FXKjdYAOvwgMKm5GsHHs1P05DA3WgKy72WFyJH5e2IG/w640-h480/32C1B4EB-41CF-483A-98C1-E05BCE1EBB85.jpeg" width="640" /></a></p><p style="text-align: justify;">Ollie is just like his mum (and Nannie!) and prefers warm water, so he was pretty happy in the warm/hot tub rather than the big pool anyway.</p><p style="text-align: justify;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjw_jMi3Lfq2nMYiTX16LhN0aWfxQFYRwIhb4KbJ1yssAkgX_6uE__C0-vlZkMfRHXsKhSA7MMKWqNMLMVQbC9QjhM0KFbjkmE4cjAXo9r6Dw7ApAvaYolERjeEWnL-xcv6SPf2RFMup5uRRKj9pD1VS-NPPu-VrjM2sObmH5ONNPFnBGzQWHc4heEG/s3437/366E0EA6-16D2-4ABE-B49A-4D7D921F057F.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2630" data-original-width="3437" height="490" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjw_jMi3Lfq2nMYiTX16LhN0aWfxQFYRwIhb4KbJ1yssAkgX_6uE__C0-vlZkMfRHXsKhSA7MMKWqNMLMVQbC9QjhM0KFbjkmE4cjAXo9r6Dw7ApAvaYolERjeEWnL-xcv6SPf2RFMup5uRRKj9pD1VS-NPPu-VrjM2sObmH5ONNPFnBGzQWHc4heEG/w640-h490/366E0EA6-16D2-4ABE-B49A-4D7D921F057F.jpeg" width="640" /></a></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlQoTkSZZkLl6IwVURGok3H6Y1xDzuRrZy5ET7K5xCYoPbSwXBEH733otA-wwgn8HkJCQe08Uqxd5_h1xqb9O1ZAoO2uyNEdincrlsk4ZUoaScRd8SOAECsDBd4RGhTaYZvkkzxBoaGsPkCSzr6CN_JzYq0GlrnpodJhv3la_cVGKkwv7gfs6GdwgC/s4032/D6166D89-7764-4AAD-98EA-E810F3DF13DB.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlQoTkSZZkLl6IwVURGok3H6Y1xDzuRrZy5ET7K5xCYoPbSwXBEH733otA-wwgn8HkJCQe08Uqxd5_h1xqb9O1ZAoO2uyNEdincrlsk4ZUoaScRd8SOAECsDBd4RGhTaYZvkkzxBoaGsPkCSzr6CN_JzYq0GlrnpodJhv3la_cVGKkwv7gfs6GdwgC/w640-h480/D6166D89-7764-4AAD-98EA-E810F3DF13DB.jpeg" width="640" /></a></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmduRUMhwUGwW5gcsQvwLs_z2AJJUxjd8LD2pEB39e99-LDrcosQhQjI0Y_9s3bkAQKiTYhfzp7EEJpe-H287TVlROdaUS7n5qb19b0XHSRSh3iS4UK_Kr2V6DvHBoBCZLb6dPpeEh3Vzqx6XnqZdjiprh03O025U42nJSNaQq24zkqkI5mUXWIGmg/s4032/23F2E534-D440-412A-9BCC-495E561C6D82.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmduRUMhwUGwW5gcsQvwLs_z2AJJUxjd8LD2pEB39e99-LDrcosQhQjI0Y_9s3bkAQKiTYhfzp7EEJpe-H287TVlROdaUS7n5qb19b0XHSRSh3iS4UK_Kr2V6DvHBoBCZLb6dPpeEh3Vzqx6XnqZdjiprh03O025U42nJSNaQq24zkqkI5mUXWIGmg/w640-h480/23F2E534-D440-412A-9BCC-495E561C6D82.jpeg" width="640" /></a></p><p style="text-align: justify;">On our first day Andy got up nice and early and took Ella on a walk to see the sunrise from Teddy's Lookout, a lovely spot to take in the view of the bay and also the mountains surrounding the beaches.</p><p style="text-align: justify;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyyK2ERchz7bWCEBNfbuInmWxJH0JTG5V4ywYS9nGw5irRjO8KD9NLWp-bQW4q20oT27lydF054dj-T4Nw8P1TJm32pJSwqWl61Hxp7qCIKztUxNfa6FbJoK8MuDV3BYCi88oR4Ed4T3JElXO07r3Cy0-XVbnsCaW7M2HdbZ7MhyorhMe43JBJbjbM/s1024/BA1863B7-BC96-4A06-AFDC-89E29F858308.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="768" data-original-width="1024" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyyK2ERchz7bWCEBNfbuInmWxJH0JTG5V4ywYS9nGw5irRjO8KD9NLWp-bQW4q20oT27lydF054dj-T4Nw8P1TJm32pJSwqWl61Hxp7qCIKztUxNfa6FbJoK8MuDV3BYCi88oR4Ed4T3JElXO07r3Cy0-XVbnsCaW7M2HdbZ7MhyorhMe43JBJbjbM/w640-h480/BA1863B7-BC96-4A06-AFDC-89E29F858308.jpeg" width="640" /></a></p><p style="text-align: justify;">The rest of us had a more relaxed start to the morning, but we eventually got out to go for a morning visit to Erskine Falls. From the carpark there is a 1km trail through lush rainforest, down to the bottom of the falls where you get a stunning view of the water and surrounds. We spent a good amount of time exploring the bottom of the falls, climbing over and under rocks and streams to get closer to the falls. </p><p style="text-align: justify;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaen8nGr8SPLm81z4PmQ4AGpx6e9LsCaQLGYBNhupnZUg3KuchrNblnc7xewwaoFaIPEV8fQRrGTKBljHLAQf0cOBhNY2q4T6j8RSVleyG7y-jMTjW-FdSuTkMvU1gEMbWF3YRR01X_GmmFZRcmyF7T4BlUl0k_TmtuI-a_s5qwRuwC7GitF6RlTsw/s2048/68E21C40-7AFA-4244-9569-0A0FD364FE7D.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaen8nGr8SPLm81z4PmQ4AGpx6e9LsCaQLGYBNhupnZUg3KuchrNblnc7xewwaoFaIPEV8fQRrGTKBljHLAQf0cOBhNY2q4T6j8RSVleyG7y-jMTjW-FdSuTkMvU1gEMbWF3YRR01X_GmmFZRcmyF7T4BlUl0k_TmtuI-a_s5qwRuwC7GitF6RlTsw/w640-h480/68E21C40-7AFA-4244-9569-0A0FD364FE7D.jpeg" width="640" /></a></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhov1le3LvW96UPNwbLJV94N5Xt4s64qvzmtrQHC28IDqrl64iWgvp6K49fASgAgShCt_h0gWD_OPOuIK6scleANC1dgg2fvFK1Sjxj0ZimMe4qUgSrbXAJ7JXQEFOuWGRa1hcoMoX63NtPfbe9hI3-b4zbwijx55gA-Jj-3tiWt_OQCKBMwRirdmuC/s1024/E0B5B423-24F1-498C-BB13-0D1C38109F49.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="768" data-original-width="1024" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhov1le3LvW96UPNwbLJV94N5Xt4s64qvzmtrQHC28IDqrl64iWgvp6K49fASgAgShCt_h0gWD_OPOuIK6scleANC1dgg2fvFK1Sjxj0ZimMe4qUgSrbXAJ7JXQEFOuWGRa1hcoMoX63NtPfbe9hI3-b4zbwijx55gA-Jj-3tiWt_OQCKBMwRirdmuC/w640-h480/E0B5B423-24F1-498C-BB13-0D1C38109F49.jpeg" width="640" /></a></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5qzYuBDlnIQFxbNQHTa6AblIZ-WHVa7oC7YLf3Bi1PF115IGEPii3QyE7vUx8uHh2WJuX9AUSMxavq0cnsddzFlZiFJnUbBcqdvVLtISTW29cloRTnM-agJIRQdlkpFdJfg8Z3gIsODjD0EE3izwNxbVlIyIMahXKvAgYrC6HiK2vAcdtJZrPB5y3/s4032/F6A5D882-D228-4B76-B9C6-18701D1B1A2B.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5qzYuBDlnIQFxbNQHTa6AblIZ-WHVa7oC7YLf3Bi1PF115IGEPii3QyE7vUx8uHh2WJuX9AUSMxavq0cnsddzFlZiFJnUbBcqdvVLtISTW29cloRTnM-agJIRQdlkpFdJfg8Z3gIsODjD0EE3izwNxbVlIyIMahXKvAgYrC6HiK2vAcdtJZrPB5y3/w640-h480/F6A5D882-D228-4B76-B9C6-18701D1B1A2B.jpeg" width="640" /></a></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjE36W1_MFJv1ybzEODnK13MaZRq7OXgxAMXIrsnv2lxHSXVwznjMP3wKKDFgcXAWVXgb8ApRBuLAnEoAGfW8TxisbeU1AlmgwjoUyp-XQlhvmMGppVKeygxlUa9GrlJ9nO_YWjv5rgxz2-if-xWo6oZ4lXXw2aRpBXzumjpmy48e64p32wtO0Zhdz4/s1024/C4288056-E084-4341-982F-D2A5452F6BA6.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="768" data-original-width="1024" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjE36W1_MFJv1ybzEODnK13MaZRq7OXgxAMXIrsnv2lxHSXVwznjMP3wKKDFgcXAWVXgb8ApRBuLAnEoAGfW8TxisbeU1AlmgwjoUyp-XQlhvmMGppVKeygxlUa9GrlJ9nO_YWjv5rgxz2-if-xWo6oZ4lXXw2aRpBXzumjpmy48e64p32wtO0Zhdz4/w640-h480/C4288056-E084-4341-982F-D2A5452F6BA6.jpeg" width="640" /></a></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVEmScTrxHLtStFx4W19Qws8s1B3GhtP4XBivDqzvB7saEMYKtl7c1Q8V6jM6HwneZ1kyG-EtYQF91xcEh2yFY_YUSCJLBud9qs9cn7g2vvr9tZGh08N6Q9I3by0QiamZed7yMIZ8twFe0IkbHI_Kyn_xfsVX8V6CZNgKwbZE824239dIz4X2xr7o9/s1024/D6E10839-6687-4EB3-ABCD-3E1FBF5BF43F.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1024" data-original-width="741" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVEmScTrxHLtStFx4W19Qws8s1B3GhtP4XBivDqzvB7saEMYKtl7c1Q8V6jM6HwneZ1kyG-EtYQF91xcEh2yFY_YUSCJLBud9qs9cn7g2vvr9tZGh08N6Q9I3by0QiamZed7yMIZ8twFe0IkbHI_Kyn_xfsVX8V6CZNgKwbZE824239dIz4X2xr7o9/w464-h640/D6E10839-6687-4EB3-ABCD-3E1FBF5BF43F.jpeg" width="464" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; 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text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">Next we headed to the Swinging Bridge Café, and as the name says you can access it by crossing over... a swinging bridge. On the way there we had fun running through the shallow pools of water along the beach. It wasn't the hottest weekend, but it was warm enough to be running through shallow water.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6mouVBQCEGhmQT1CPpEgGRrFP-1XewLjTMSAjMHJz0SyEg_JkDt1ZdtuO85J1SyLt9BxUrFSvN3nzatDCZ9gOGH1X6zwH6jDPbPMw5knhy-ufIhbnnqHYk08Y03Dnbq8CM71YLQLgIJ5M9kt3hy6k645HCw9XsqKTJ3QLIyB7KovRghjVEcTjsCGM/s3826/D19693CD-34F5-44D6-B30D-5867B98E3317.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2861" data-original-width="3826" height="478" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6mouVBQCEGhmQT1CPpEgGRrFP-1XewLjTMSAjMHJz0SyEg_JkDt1ZdtuO85J1SyLt9BxUrFSvN3nzatDCZ9gOGH1X6zwH6jDPbPMw5knhy-ufIhbnnqHYk08Y03Dnbq8CM71YLQLgIJ5M9kt3hy6k645HCw9XsqKTJ3QLIyB7KovRghjVEcTjsCGM/w640-h478/D19693CD-34F5-44D6-B30D-5867B98E3317.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfMR9aGGMw32WpOr-vyrVVEZfRBOxGyjNvd_h7dTKy--RjITW51vdLOd-qkeeaex9VXe9AKGxVQ5SSiaV0G8VbvvsdP5EqePKQhGCUvStZoOFzt1luBRcW-tekJdbho1gNS9Qbt4ZdXXjpeNgsl0iF-zIxlxlsr1r6Iuh8fIy15GHghwknAWHvTeV2/s2048/3721AF58-EEFE-4E42-B056-00E5CA480D2D.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfMR9aGGMw32WpOr-vyrVVEZfRBOxGyjNvd_h7dTKy--RjITW51vdLOd-qkeeaex9VXe9AKGxVQ5SSiaV0G8VbvvsdP5EqePKQhGCUvStZoOFzt1luBRcW-tekJdbho1gNS9Qbt4ZdXXjpeNgsl0iF-zIxlxlsr1r6Iuh8fIy15GHghwknAWHvTeV2/w640-h480/3721AF58-EEFE-4E42-B056-00E5CA480D2D.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUCXysGrBZ6gF8kaw92R_dAn4Mt1w8HWX4FDKfk-H_k7OP0NYaPY2QmHmynpWL8aXtYEStz47EAlIT8POZcLKuVBYpaqJXv3TMagktFjozUqSg9IjSIRGt5pU21XQ-MA5wXBPz6ze0O5fc4IGL2GvXNP28SzsxBDuJToKKGSOgyMjGWF2nPf19kzba/s2048/65FD9E0B-D75A-48ED-B838-B8E9EE67ACA7.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUCXysGrBZ6gF8kaw92R_dAn4Mt1w8HWX4FDKfk-H_k7OP0NYaPY2QmHmynpWL8aXtYEStz47EAlIT8POZcLKuVBYpaqJXv3TMagktFjozUqSg9IjSIRGt5pU21XQ-MA5wXBPz6ze0O5fc4IGL2GvXNP28SzsxBDuJToKKGSOgyMjGWF2nPf19kzba/w640-h480/65FD9E0B-D75A-48ED-B838-B8E9EE67ACA7.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWNtGseIBEGFJHnHjSRmztsgzr1kzyH7Pk5M2Q5_aYt6ybP1e2rnUJh3eUE5qRPPh3rM-tenGYQCo7h9s1tgaEf4ZafXSaJ7I85knUWklx1x5GCyxMj7idenO1tdfmJhZijcNJrbvUUJuOQJ7brsv61Cmv9qMPZe86UYQldYUNTl9FRu5lJzmk9FcG/s1024/25B08744-5CC8-4613-ADC3-9D85A57D8505.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1024" data-original-width="768" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWNtGseIBEGFJHnHjSRmztsgzr1kzyH7Pk5M2Q5_aYt6ybP1e2rnUJh3eUE5qRPPh3rM-tenGYQCo7h9s1tgaEf4ZafXSaJ7I85knUWklx1x5GCyxMj7idenO1tdfmJhZijcNJrbvUUJuOQJ7brsv61Cmv9qMPZe86UYQldYUNTl9FRu5lJzmk9FcG/w480-h640/25B08744-5CC8-4613-ADC3-9D85A57D8505.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">We spent the rest of that afternoon at the beach, although only Ella was brave enough to get in the water fully. The rest of us were content just splashing in the waves... although Ollie was pretty much soaking wet after all his splashing so he might as well have just gone swimming!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsmaIT6b_Nb6oUrZmpDJHs6NAuJBH3ohzSMcl_Ju0cxhAEv_lxasMDG77ownE9-Td0-QGAADOqW-MBDf3qhGXDBr4hXbDMTfeRPF5V77NY6Jku_ZhW8QE2numizomNcDcIl3fHKmV8a53S4ULn5r9oFa9LKNnwH_Le1kfgUIPU53QV9B9W4C4sSJgU/s1024/3A534218-F348-40A5-A2C3-AB183E60C0EE.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="768" data-original-width="1024" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsmaIT6b_Nb6oUrZmpDJHs6NAuJBH3ohzSMcl_Ju0cxhAEv_lxasMDG77ownE9-Td0-QGAADOqW-MBDf3qhGXDBr4hXbDMTfeRPF5V77NY6Jku_ZhW8QE2numizomNcDcIl3fHKmV8a53S4ULn5r9oFa9LKNnwH_Le1kfgUIPU53QV9B9W4C4sSJgU/w640-h480/3A534218-F348-40A5-A2C3-AB183E60C0EE.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">There is nothing like having a race on a big stretch of sand... kids can run forever when they are on the beach! </div><p style="text-align: left;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigzSkagvsbi6MuXL85CuUZ_wArEQGtLPzqSC2U_kaz2nZ_NxshZDHlSQf9n_Oyjlrjw_dSt97tnv45a-QzfwmiXmo6S6Bj3ebZ_31hEDXbDq-tNBccA6MTx8G_F-VweBY7V2ONPQ4n6d5gVyKqrOCPCdCS_H70usFeBkBQ7lH_JvG5ezdJQ7jhQ4op/s1024/F5190167-1D42-4421-9098-F63C2D4AD335.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="768" data-original-width="1024" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigzSkagvsbi6MuXL85CuUZ_wArEQGtLPzqSC2U_kaz2nZ_NxshZDHlSQf9n_Oyjlrjw_dSt97tnv45a-QzfwmiXmo6S6Bj3ebZ_31hEDXbDq-tNBccA6MTx8G_F-VweBY7V2ONPQ4n6d5gVyKqrOCPCdCS_H70usFeBkBQ7lH_JvG5ezdJQ7jhQ4op/w640-h480/F5190167-1D42-4421-9098-F63C2D4AD335.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">The next day we all got up early to watch the sunrise. Unfortunately it was a much cloudier morning so there wasn't much to see. We still had a good time looking at the view and walking some of the trails nearby. And it always feels great to get up early on holiday and get outside in the morning light.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjSwl0HQjb8iCNRwWJLPYrruUyFxOt035_-jCHT29KaUipRjWboBZtGF4voYx4sGErGk2es9_68STRgNNE-SIgaznyEwsKZz2vK_uFZ7-zyOPeLFLHAC7SXBLXT6LCHqGxbbTdRryb9Pb0p6N74IvTWQs_RR8zcXReQGEYDzRzR5QcoXLWRf76_SoG/s3695/C3512935-1182-4218-903D-A2D91918305B.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2771" data-original-width="3695" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjSwl0HQjb8iCNRwWJLPYrruUyFxOt035_-jCHT29KaUipRjWboBZtGF4voYx4sGErGk2es9_68STRgNNE-SIgaznyEwsKZz2vK_uFZ7-zyOPeLFLHAC7SXBLXT6LCHqGxbbTdRryb9Pb0p6N74IvTWQs_RR8zcXReQGEYDzRzR5QcoXLWRf76_SoG/w640-h480/C3512935-1182-4218-903D-A2D91918305B.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEib6eyvyO_3Oq6lejUDG6A9yrdwq-85aT4rrQnp67jvYOqJ2XFys7JmbGFzFbjR_d3BFRYlrQaxybezTO0t6GUtyQd7k-rHPdiHXKluvFEdmZ3t_ZabDfG7Qf3fC2NNjCVQ1YF7KKc3yqpM_Rr5N4jIwV067WKTxSTaNLNpOUp4qnp7RtY6YGEjYjFy/s4032/4BA2FD64-9668-4F47-98A7-A714BA86D8BE.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEib6eyvyO_3Oq6lejUDG6A9yrdwq-85aT4rrQnp67jvYOqJ2XFys7JmbGFzFbjR_d3BFRYlrQaxybezTO0t6GUtyQd7k-rHPdiHXKluvFEdmZ3t_ZabDfG7Qf3fC2NNjCVQ1YF7KKc3yqpM_Rr5N4jIwV067WKTxSTaNLNpOUp4qnp7RtY6YGEjYjFy/w640-h480/4BA2FD64-9668-4F47-98A7-A714BA86D8BE.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">We headed to Kennett River after that, a spot about half an hour from Lorne and a well known koala bear hangout. When we first arrived there were no koalas to be seen, so we got some coffees from the local café and headed across the street to the beach. We were super lucky to catch a glimpse of some dolphins splashing about in the bay just as we got there! We then spent ages playing on this beach again, which had lots of rocks, rock pools and streams for us to explore. </div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiz0brwE1fajvaf9bhWWTmap3uwO6vTrkea2SOzbGHSUvs38pLWPk7S4uunL8uvflNU9u1C2qteMhba4HA-Inbb2Hv8kHu1-Tjd7MSZT2hsQVkYHQuP0KA7V8CNZvxL69p-Aj6G5daPNrIwKcYd4dlAifi4hWpLnNsuwm4J67eTCFmrBh6_XBIzom7Y/s3507/B9AEF516-B08F-4847-BA26-D7C24FA93EEE.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2630" data-original-width="3507" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiz0brwE1fajvaf9bhWWTmap3uwO6vTrkea2SOzbGHSUvs38pLWPk7S4uunL8uvflNU9u1C2qteMhba4HA-Inbb2Hv8kHu1-Tjd7MSZT2hsQVkYHQuP0KA7V8CNZvxL69p-Aj6G5daPNrIwKcYd4dlAifi4hWpLnNsuwm4J67eTCFmrBh6_XBIzom7Y/w640-h480/B9AEF516-B08F-4847-BA26-D7C24FA93EEE.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnQFen5AP_izANI9JW94kfxEZyOehApql7f-fpTEScdZ8_1Ab_a4ZLERd1X3abgNisB4OOV5VR_8CC5HullhEdaW_3SD5kh0l6-LBhP4R6o214IfCpC-V48uM32xroi3LiYTLY0pz5N7RCGWojyDCE3iu-1exX7EH6n3INkenGzXZsdq5MTt_-f4Ms/s2048/A68FCB24-96C7-48E7-A217-57114A343AB4.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnQFen5AP_izANI9JW94kfxEZyOehApql7f-fpTEScdZ8_1Ab_a4ZLERd1X3abgNisB4OOV5VR_8CC5HullhEdaW_3SD5kh0l6-LBhP4R6o214IfCpC-V48uM32xroi3LiYTLY0pz5N7RCGWojyDCE3iu-1exX7EH6n3INkenGzXZsdq5MTt_-f4Ms/w640-h480/A68FCB24-96C7-48E7-A217-57114A343AB4.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">Once we were done on the beach we went back to the trees where you usually see koalas and finally spotted one sleeping way up high. We must have missed it on our first look! I'm clearly not super excited by the sight of koalas anymore as I don't have any pictures... I've been living in Australia too long! </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">That afternoon we relaxed on the balcony back at our apartment with a cheese plate and a superb bottle of wine. Andy and I won this bottle at a raffle at Ollie's daycare a few weeks ago, and it apparently retails for $130. I don't think I've ever had such an expensive bottle of wine and I was prepared to be underwhelmed... but oh how wrong I was! The wine was just sublime... so smooth with no hint of acidity or tannins. This was a Shiraz which I would normally want to drink wth food as it's a pretty heavy red, but this particular bottle could easily be drunk on its own. And I had no headache at all, which generally occurs for me now after even one glass of red wine. I'm totally converted... though let's be honest, I won't be dropping $130 on a bottle of wine anytime soon. Oh well, it was nice to have the experience at least once in my life!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQvsvfEWTR4h7v9YC2ouG4NYUXkBZ649Nn8vYRhITAO9-Y9Ct9TsoWMm2NZCyTSMfSwb5NvPfZNEr0Dsy9sbsvtad8FzR40Wnd-vaRAX4jtYs-yDpqlxLeHyQWSnUeDrWPA9XqUJ8gF3qu9je8nGTwfiqWpU3QpfwypR-wreDs6tvpuNcNIfeBIy0s/s1024/9B7A42B7-909F-4105-B386-70F3579FA2A3.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1024" data-original-width="768" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQvsvfEWTR4h7v9YC2ouG4NYUXkBZ649Nn8vYRhITAO9-Y9Ct9TsoWMm2NZCyTSMfSwb5NvPfZNEr0Dsy9sbsvtad8FzR40Wnd-vaRAX4jtYs-yDpqlxLeHyQWSnUeDrWPA9XqUJ8gF3qu9je8nGTwfiqWpU3QpfwypR-wreDs6tvpuNcNIfeBIy0s/w480-h640/9B7A42B7-909F-4105-B386-70F3579FA2A3.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">I can't remember when this was, but I love this picture of Nannie and Ollie playing a game on the sofa:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhS_QTzjpQjQW76BWx5lMVqUlnH02krakWZ84moMu1mk21ToHlcU6HIQMdjmKLr21RpTbC6WU42RHmABt5qZDlvqXAGXjlrRrxBVcSTUMh_Vqpgm9mmFIReVFvLLOV-puhgP4TjbzXe_UWYZQ2KuunC7ThfDG4JU5rsr77z-Go5lm_BjGzfnQSpAKrq/s2004/4A3E06F5-9E6C-450C-8ED5-A5F566CB29E9.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1570" data-original-width="2004" height="502" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhS_QTzjpQjQW76BWx5lMVqUlnH02krakWZ84moMu1mk21ToHlcU6HIQMdjmKLr21RpTbC6WU42RHmABt5qZDlvqXAGXjlrRrxBVcSTUMh_Vqpgm9mmFIReVFvLLOV-puhgP4TjbzXe_UWYZQ2KuunC7ThfDG4JU5rsr77z-Go5lm_BjGzfnQSpAKrq/w640-h502/4A3E06F5-9E6C-450C-8ED5-A5F566CB29E9.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">Our last major attraction was the Lorne Pier, where we watched giant stingrays swimming below us in the shallow water. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiclw3SOe8gwJWoh5Q6tcdKJCRwbBtaVMTBxTOe-_VvUcbdP4ju495IHZObJ7MW5WBIZAEAhtwbfNc4KcdEHNL7yU_BIjCRyMnAO9aEk0bo1ccdcF4ZkWVHRn675tkApMH41eEPg5byH44g4CVd-FCOhAfCLHX-JxlNMx24Z26GR2Xml8CLI9yMyWIO/s2048/46D1BDB4-2BAA-445A-AE1B-D828202E2672.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiclw3SOe8gwJWoh5Q6tcdKJCRwbBtaVMTBxTOe-_VvUcbdP4ju495IHZObJ7MW5WBIZAEAhtwbfNc4KcdEHNL7yU_BIjCRyMnAO9aEk0bo1ccdcF4ZkWVHRn675tkApMH41eEPg5byH44g4CVd-FCOhAfCLHX-JxlNMx24Z26GR2Xml8CLI9yMyWIO/w640-h480/46D1BDB4-2BAA-445A-AE1B-D828202E2672.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoG7sMCvPb-zK3KZxyN3lbx4KP_WYxiVG7M7maDnY0lrDf93jbNlMfioeSKJTsWGgQJPrTPoXtnLT_czGsbLVNmIh6cCxu3kYwlA5Si9vOrLktVmhr7avZopzrWhxBjQNQBWyLu4G9NZlLZmfr4pXzebsKdzrChVFmVYGnnVe4hWFVwRad2rg1D3cO/s2048/07C06013-7BCE-4CF3-A195-73896C89E60A.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoG7sMCvPb-zK3KZxyN3lbx4KP_WYxiVG7M7maDnY0lrDf93jbNlMfioeSKJTsWGgQJPrTPoXtnLT_czGsbLVNmIh6cCxu3kYwlA5Si9vOrLktVmhr7avZopzrWhxBjQNQBWyLu4G9NZlLZmfr4pXzebsKdzrChVFmVYGnnVe4hWFVwRad2rg1D3cO/w640-h480/07C06013-7BCE-4CF3-A195-73896C89E60A.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">As always, the weekend went by way too quickly. This was our last weekend before we had to say goodbye to Nannie and Grampy, who left a few days after this in mid-March. As always it was a very sad goodbye and we all miss having them in our lives everyday. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">We are lucky that they are planning on coming back next January and we are hoping that we can make it back to Canada for Christmas this year. And currently we have Grandma and Grandad visiting us from England, I'll catch up on what we've been up to with them in my next blog post!</div><p></p>Wendy McCarryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10400056809655031226noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3302793385282321137.post-27352595829431697492023-03-10T07:04:00.003+00:002023-03-10T07:04:41.745+00:00School camp<p style="text-align: justify;">One of the main co-curricular requirements as a teacher at a large independent school in Australia is to attend school camp. At my school this is a week long program, departing school on Monday morning and returning Friday afternoon. For the past three years I have been assigned to Year 7 camp. It’s meant to be a bonding, getting to know each other experience for the students which is why it happens to early in the year. I like this camp overall, the activities and fun and not too strenuous, and most year 7s are not yet “too cool” to enjoy them. Also the weather is usually nice… our other camps are in autumn/winter and it can be cold and rainy. Some students get homesick but usually there aren’t many other issues to deal with. And I like getting my camp over with early on in the year so I don’t have to plan around it later on. Here is my very rough diary of my week at camp!</p><p style="text-align: justify;"><b>Monday</b></p><p style="text-align: justify;">My week has started well. I’ve ended up on a bus that only has about 25 kids on it, and 4 teachers. An excellent ratio and the students are really well behaved on the way down. Before we leave I give the students the usual talk about seat belts, travel sickness, eating on the bus etc. Inevitably, as tends to happen with students meeting me for the first time, one asks if I’m American. I politely respond that I’m in fact Canadian. (Funnily enough adults often carefully ask if I’m “Canadian or American”, but I don’t think it ever occurs to children that I could be anything but an American.) It turns out that one of the students lived in New Jersey for a few years as his dad is a former AFL player turned NFL player. I must look up who this is for my dad!</p><p style="text-align: justify;">The drive is just over an hour - another perk of year 7 camp is it’s not very far away! We arrive at camp by 11am and the kids are briefed about the camp rules before being told their camp groups for the week. There are 8 groups, each with about 14 kids. Each group has a camp leader, a teacher and a year 11 student leader. Though I don’t know any of the students in my group, I’ll soon realized I’ve lucked out with a pretty nice group. There are no “too cool” students which is great as they are the ones that roll their eyes or have to be nagged to participate. </p><p style="text-align: justify;">The structure of the week is that 4 groups go out to a separate campsite and set up tents for two nights, and the other 4 stay at the main campgrounds in cabins. Then on Wednesday the groups swap places. I’m pretty happy to find out that my group is doing the tents first. It’s much better this way, you get the “roughing it” part done first and then everyone is so happy to come back to the relative luxury of the cabins for the last two nights. </p><p style="text-align: justify;">After a few icebreaker games our group needs to pack their hiking bags (a task that always takes waaaaay longer than you think it should) and then we are off on our 3.6 km hike to the campsite. </p><p style="text-align: justify;">It’s hot out, 28 degrees and full sun. Some of the kids really struggle with walking with their packs, but overall we arrive without any incidents. 3.6 km sounds short, but it’s hilly and through the bush so it takes a good hour and a half. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjK48OnasWERR9dAYyjcmG78Z0POJ5zjTibB7JLUZdgucGUsLMbEGmqljTz233VFDoU8ypdh0h5W_U5gjwytJ5WS0YXIRJG8mi7RV4h6tGPbylCxAwq0-0VvHBxwOIladZycTJOtxg2IDCY4jr2xESMCQogPpR57s0FL99cOt5fkn9TMhwxKLy9b3bw/s4032/B976FEEB-A8AF-44A8-8DB9-FE8EBDEA32D4.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjK48OnasWERR9dAYyjcmG78Z0POJ5zjTibB7JLUZdgucGUsLMbEGmqljTz233VFDoU8ypdh0h5W_U5gjwytJ5WS0YXIRJG8mi7RV4h6tGPbylCxAwq0-0VvHBxwOIladZycTJOtxg2IDCY4jr2xESMCQogPpR57s0FL99cOt5fkn9TMhwxKLy9b3bw/w640-h480/B976FEEB-A8AF-44A8-8DB9-FE8EBDEA32D4.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><p style="text-align: justify;">We get to camp and I’m super excited to see that I have a large tent all set up for me! In previous years we’ve had smaller tents and I mentioned to someone that it would be nice to have a tent for teachers that we could stand up in. Frankly I’m getting too old to crawl in and out of small tents. So it is nice to see that my request was granted. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsB4tum630zxdj2dyFCHlcKWqUhhRzA_hga7Rabc3hwFh1P8GJ_eGaNsWIB5VXCmlEGv9L-bxQRAxmqq-xUJZGd_XQFPpZ9SCu4WwUOzvQETNRoRVQC08RQUJWhy_a-rXTYJ0faDf-NLw9xm2pxVM3z35l6H2GppVp8dVEDwZmlvVSm3thn9HTx5U-/s4032/D17BF6FD-7AFA-4697-B346-94CAACF99E39.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsB4tum630zxdj2dyFCHlcKWqUhhRzA_hga7Rabc3hwFh1P8GJ_eGaNsWIB5VXCmlEGv9L-bxQRAxmqq-xUJZGd_XQFPpZ9SCu4WwUOzvQETNRoRVQC08RQUJWhy_a-rXTYJ0faDf-NLw9xm2pxVM3z35l6H2GppVp8dVEDwZmlvVSm3thn9HTx5U-/w640-h480/D17BF6FD-7AFA-4697-B346-94CAACF99E39.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><p style="text-align: justify;">The kids have to set up their own tents (only the teachers get the luxury of the tent being set up for them) so I help with that and then we get on to cooking dinner. The students chop up lots of veg and mix it with cold cooked chicken, rice noodles and a Thai salad dressing… a good fire-free camp dinner. It is pretty painful watching 12 year olds chop vegetables on a tarp on the ground. Thankfully this year my group manage to do it with minimal dirt added. For dessert we have “bush apple crumble” which is crushed up biscuits, tinned apples and custard. It’s pretty yummy. </p><p style="text-align: justify;">After dinner we have to manage the kids who were getting a bit hyper, all excited for their first night of camp. The kids from the other groups keep coming over to our campsite and I have to bust out my stern teacher voice and send them back. </p><p style="text-align: justify;">The camp leaders try getting all four groups in the tents together to play a game after dinner. But nearly 60 kids, in the dark, playing a game is fairly disastrous. So after about half an hour we go back to our campsite and the kids opt to just chat and play cards in their tents. They are quiet and at least trying to sleep by 10:30 pm, so not too bad for the first night. </p><p style="text-align: justify;"><b>Tuesday</b></p><p style="text-align: justify;">I’ve had a terrible sleep, waking almost every hour until about 4 am. I’m reluctant to get out of my tent this morning but the kids start waking around 6:30 am so I drag myself out. It’s Weetbix and powdered milk for breakfast, yum! Luckily my camp leader offers to boil some water so I can at least have an instant coffee.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIlMq5I69X0yEefFi9aKUkTtEEvWlUbw3b4HfAQNIz94MlkcqeFIMnK9huYpO5tfCB2gWZbonZdNldyUSEbxUzE4Z5zH_vyVUOkZvBNdAC1U4BROvY4iH-e1VfsubKm2KILX28sKFNNeM5nSsYfR-peMHVJMEoeJTDpnH8TjrAOruTyRfxm5ATNtIw/s2937/CFC3285F-0AC4-4A80-90DF-B16A3A353138.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2178" data-original-width="2937" height="474" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIlMq5I69X0yEefFi9aKUkTtEEvWlUbw3b4HfAQNIz94MlkcqeFIMnK9huYpO5tfCB2gWZbonZdNldyUSEbxUzE4Z5zH_vyVUOkZvBNdAC1U4BROvY4iH-e1VfsubKm2KILX28sKFNNeM5nSsYfR-peMHVJMEoeJTDpnH8TjrAOruTyRfxm5ATNtIw/w640-h474/CFC3285F-0AC4-4A80-90DF-B16A3A353138.jpeg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Feeling pretty tired, but happy to have some form of caffeine</td></tr></tbody></table><p style="text-align: justify;">Our morning activity is mountain biking. We get lost on our way to the activity but it’s nice to be walking through the lush rainforest on a cool and cloudy morning. </p><p style="text-align: justify;">We walk past an area that I learn was a film site for the movie “Where the Wild Things are” with Tom Hanks which is kind of cool!</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4OKGFROw0YfN-0uBR-AOg9r6m2Tm3ie2GJGoD-keN2ms_Jc_E_A6zOs8yKnslRaYFG0_iIPv7bmqJY3vWUhi-OSBhVNuvfrCUbsEta8ZqDdW9u7trdG3UQpIcXz2taO_ZRp2ePnmkry9qQUKpynVU48YsGzsO2Oz-z6oRcyiebJtMCjzAfK-KGYBC/s4032/5296B6BA-8BD2-4EDB-99B0-A126E9D313E8.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4OKGFROw0YfN-0uBR-AOg9r6m2Tm3ie2GJGoD-keN2ms_Jc_E_A6zOs8yKnslRaYFG0_iIPv7bmqJY3vWUhi-OSBhVNuvfrCUbsEta8ZqDdW9u7trdG3UQpIcXz2taO_ZRp2ePnmkry9qQUKpynVU48YsGzsO2Oz-z6oRcyiebJtMCjzAfK-KGYBC/w640-h480/5296B6BA-8BD2-4EDB-99B0-A126E9D313E8.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5yVpcIDLt_2K8CAiA_n7Wt5gF9jGNkp46d1Yuvo3yaxqRHk2PJ5oqj1U5492YGbM-WeMJcNsLn5dCJcKYO71uCovGWkTSLCU24xUx70xgpfqSHXRt30CnMhXnZIMXEFnGEGgV-BQzBw4n8WXDuaFgXE36bX_aimtQrbaQVXVt9BcnqCDPYCjuYhl5/s4032/E345FA1D-4EE9-4B75-9081-9348F3008FD0.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5yVpcIDLt_2K8CAiA_n7Wt5gF9jGNkp46d1Yuvo3yaxqRHk2PJ5oqj1U5492YGbM-WeMJcNsLn5dCJcKYO71uCovGWkTSLCU24xUx70xgpfqSHXRt30CnMhXnZIMXEFnGEGgV-BQzBw4n8WXDuaFgXE36bX_aimtQrbaQVXVt9BcnqCDPYCjuYhl5/w640-h480/E345FA1D-4EE9-4B75-9081-9348F3008FD0.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><p style="text-align: justify;">The mountain biking itself is a pretty fun activity. Most of the kids are pretty confident on a bike and all can at least ride. Even the ones that are a little bit nervous give it a go. There are some very steep hills that we all need to get off and walk up or down at times.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">We make a stop at Kurth Kiln, a historic site that was built during the Second World War to produce charcoal.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJtu7xKAS_q-MEDJEu9vytxrc3EBRUfzaMyAGmonUNUZ8FpS5ZYG5SB1Wt6mjGrLbxzJrwvvmT7NAhLHm28QAWzZg94sPYYhMVZfwF_nERa986i_hiTjMWuVuBcOfs-UAqf8rafT3XVIQ6bvtahJNnTZXYxwEjxJLEuI9HjTUuRaY4TLmWg5NoD9YU/s4032/8BA88A8A-7E67-4AD1-B641-5A38FEA69D17.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJtu7xKAS_q-MEDJEu9vytxrc3EBRUfzaMyAGmonUNUZ8FpS5ZYG5SB1Wt6mjGrLbxzJrwvvmT7NAhLHm28QAWzZg94sPYYhMVZfwF_nERa986i_hiTjMWuVuBcOfs-UAqf8rafT3XVIQ6bvtahJNnTZXYxwEjxJLEuI9HjTUuRaY4TLmWg5NoD9YU/w640-h480/8BA88A8A-7E67-4AD1-B641-5A38FEA69D17.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><p style="text-align: justify;">We have lunch and then it’s off to the afternoon activity. I’m pretty tired by now! The activity is called initiatives and it’s a series of team building challenges. The kids have fun but as a teacher I’m just watching and man the afternoon feels loooooong. </p><p style="text-align: justify;">We get back to our campsite and everyone is pretty tired and we all just chill out. The students have a nap or read or play cards together and I take the opportunity to have a 20 minute lie down which helps a lot! I then have time to get stuck into my book “The Seven Moons of Maali Almeida”. It won the 2022 Booker Prize and it’s the book for my book club but I’m founding it a bit hard to follow.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">Next it’s time to get the kids to make dinner. We are having pasta with a veg and tomato sauce, and if nothing else at least it’s pretty healthy!</p><p style="text-align: justify;">After dinner we play some games with the other camp groups which is a bit more successful then last night’s attempt, and then the students are in their tents by 10 pm. I’m praying for a better sleep tonight!</p><p style="text-align: justify;"><b>Wednesday</b> </p><p style="text-align: justify;">I’ve woken up after a solid night’s sleep and I feel like a different person! And just like that, my two nights in the tent are over! Back to a bed tonight. The students seem to be sleeping in so I get dressed quickly and go for a 10 minute walk. Breakfast is Weetbix and instant coffee again… I’m ready for real coffee again soon!</p><p style="text-align: justify;">We pack up the campsite and head out to our first activity of the day: high ropes. The highlight is a student who was very afraid of heights building up to climbing to the top of a challenge and (after a 15-second panic attack) he walks to the middle of the ropes so he can come down. Yay! I’m so proud of this kid!</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWfrnjZLWjnTupNi52O-FN5X42zaeHKt-CjnNL2v-HUlYdWrHdfiZhsFBigF4nvA2_wDJgwfMfQ9wdKny_uKa2H6k1k9GIvPWCX93LlQ1Cw-3HdQfrXMoSQFmyle9lkPtWCeSSZqJRsjSUIyPVdGkkmINEpFmsqfyUJkuVer-EhHp9T9js2ON_62KK/s4032/B65F2B2E-9F3E-47F3-83E1-84613E0AC041.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWfrnjZLWjnTupNi52O-FN5X42zaeHKt-CjnNL2v-HUlYdWrHdfiZhsFBigF4nvA2_wDJgwfMfQ9wdKny_uKa2H6k1k9GIvPWCX93LlQ1Cw-3HdQfrXMoSQFmyle9lkPtWCeSSZqJRsjSUIyPVdGkkmINEpFmsqfyUJkuVer-EhHp9T9js2ON_62KK/w640-h480/B65F2B2E-9F3E-47F3-83E1-84613E0AC041.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><p style="text-align: justify;">After high ropes we get to head back to the main campsite, woohoo! The hard part of camp is done and we can look forward to sleeping indoors, in a bed, and meals that don’t come with a side of dirt.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">My group is doing a session on Indigenous art in the afternoon, which is a calm activity and requires zero input from me. I take the opportunity to do a bit of school work and read my book.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">Dinner is a lovely butter chicken followed by chocolate mousse AND apple crumble. It’s divine. </p><p style="text-align: justify;">After dinner all the students have to do their “solo” time. This is a common part of all camps at my school, which starts out small and builds to a 24 hour solo/survival experience in year 10. It’s much less daunting in Year 7, they only have to spend an hour on their own, where they can write in a journal or just sit silently, contemplating life… or other things. The students can get very anxious about having to spend an hour alone, not speaking to anyone, even though they can still actually see everyone! </p><p style="text-align: justify;">It’s a lovely calm hour as the sun sets and the kids all manage to stay quiet the whole time. There is a very serene feeling at the camp and it’s now time for bed.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">One of my work besties is the Head of Year 7 and she gives the students an amazing speech about how important it is that her staff get a good night’s sleep and so the kids must go to bed by 9:30 pm for that to happen. She’s pretty scary and threatens them with sleeping out in the common area on a mattress on the floor if they are caught talking/making noise after 9:30 pm, and you can tell she means it. It works, and they are in bed with lights out by the deadline, and sleep really well throughout the night.</p><p style="text-align: justify;"><b>Thursday</b> </p><p style="text-align: justify;">I wake up after another good sleep, this time in a bed in a cabin with another teacher, who thankfully doesn’t snore. That’s not always the case on these camps! It’s a beautiful morning which will soon turn in to a hot day. I squeeze in a 15 minute walk doing laps of the property, taking a few pictures along the way:</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgv8dpAPEjgv3dt-0M39wUtn8l2-EI9nuOn3WZGNJQDoYyJT_gQmp9XX-rl-Lf27f3WzRE1aUr3DXRvgJL0oJebBNJgXgY-y7ZzTnU-ZuLL2VYDeu_KBkXgLgHhT-4V2smot8xqUzCYqiUFDomEnpkHvlIZk96qt00MI-pzMBhkzIvoDcqWQKyli0QN/s4032/1AF49B7E-489C-4A51-BF3A-9C9EF0006BD9.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgv8dpAPEjgv3dt-0M39wUtn8l2-EI9nuOn3WZGNJQDoYyJT_gQmp9XX-rl-Lf27f3WzRE1aUr3DXRvgJL0oJebBNJgXgY-y7ZzTnU-ZuLL2VYDeu_KBkXgLgHhT-4V2smot8xqUzCYqiUFDomEnpkHvlIZk96qt00MI-pzMBhkzIvoDcqWQKyli0QN/w640-h480/1AF49B7E-489C-4A51-BF3A-9C9EF0006BD9.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiH0rmOlVvLfUAxhi-F4iWqyH5RfHbRmUZoIQNV8HE5ExKGwlq0dQ4FpmAg5h_AcIepCFhYDq9JAW1U0HZbXiZkFeksH-7kzYvOQ-7uDJ03B3WRLkfvOStHetOCa-KywNkD1DVOt2h7OozCLXJuZvGiEWXWb-m7jqhs6-QSEP2ii3-YGUaOuBAjrPxI/s4032/DF44EAB6-E958-4A54-AFDC-F42258E23022.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiH0rmOlVvLfUAxhi-F4iWqyH5RfHbRmUZoIQNV8HE5ExKGwlq0dQ4FpmAg5h_AcIepCFhYDq9JAW1U0HZbXiZkFeksH-7kzYvOQ-7uDJ03B3WRLkfvOStHetOCa-KywNkD1DVOt2h7OozCLXJuZvGiEWXWb-m7jqhs6-QSEP2ii3-YGUaOuBAjrPxI/w640-h480/DF44EAB6-E958-4A54-AFDC-F42258E23022.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhl4HtZN6iEwCnst12lwEHaMqZgJssruRy0Z-ShETO986F7Ogz4nQ2jaOPjkh_Lwi-9EjJbtb_auYDjVm4DQ3qElpP8WIcBUlkJza4J7QDrgD2Wqku2MXHHYK_tDyWB-E_1rB5NSgMr7RS03hi9sy5dZR5OHJqAlV5GJHYFxPaJvZicML0R7gpjvCHm/s4032/FCDCC393-715A-450B-9FF3-5849B9A93D9C.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhl4HtZN6iEwCnst12lwEHaMqZgJssruRy0Z-ShETO986F7Ogz4nQ2jaOPjkh_Lwi-9EjJbtb_auYDjVm4DQ3qElpP8WIcBUlkJza4J7QDrgD2Wqku2MXHHYK_tDyWB-E_1rB5NSgMr7RS03hi9sy5dZR5OHJqAlV5GJHYFxPaJvZicML0R7gpjvCHm/w640-h480/FCDCC393-715A-450B-9FF3-5849B9A93D9C.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><p style="text-align: justify;">At breakfast, which is Weetbix (with real milk!) and pancakes, I ask one of my students if he slept well. He winces and says not really. I ask him if he had any snorers in his cabin and he replies “no… farters”. Bahahhahaha! It’s the funniest thing I’ve heard all camp.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">In the morning my camp group do an orienteering challenge, and then we have a low ropes course and the flying fox after lunch. It’s a pretty cruisy day and I can feel that the end of camp is near. </p><p style="text-align: justify;">Dinner is lasagna and dessert. After dinner the Year 11 camp leaders run a trivia night which is chaotic but the students have a good time. They again settle pretty well for bed by 10 pm and sleep well.</p><p style="text-align: justify;"><b>Friday</b></p><p style="text-align: justify;">Last day of camp! Woohoo! I slept well again and am starting to think that this whole camp thing is not so bad. </p><p style="text-align: justify;">My group is doing canoeing this morning. It’s a hot one so it’s great to be on the water. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzV1trR5O1orYucrseQCR9zxoGRu6L_9TbBvSR2QwodSCIcJG1ScmV2vw7mCjnfgB-kVgr-VoY0SmkikKeyldvKxbN0J42g0kDJYWJnYHHQYCX9IX3j_bgrIxbaQcYti0t9w4SYhOH1yqId-wyOlL5soiUAvC2wPVtUBmqm98vGdindKyWkhp7bpJV/s4032/99B2243B-F65B-48B0-8ACA-F63D43E77C7F.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzV1trR5O1orYucrseQCR9zxoGRu6L_9TbBvSR2QwodSCIcJG1ScmV2vw7mCjnfgB-kVgr-VoY0SmkikKeyldvKxbN0J42g0kDJYWJnYHHQYCX9IX3j_bgrIxbaQcYti0t9w4SYhOH1yqId-wyOlL5soiUAvC2wPVtUBmqm98vGdindKyWkhp7bpJV/w640-h480/99B2243B-F65B-48B0-8ACA-F63D43E77C7F.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSmEUfkF3u06fUNN-_e1RMZBSxFJD6mu03EiuRELKRQRzM7V-bZPuYRB3tVPUrRmARzVwK-hs7WSUjvzadB0_ELU-jhCFB3VDyghNCvtnNtC9S0sWZuXNLFlrMye2WXkBVuXDEgWVksrzKkFPc_sorNalnj84cn5OstuPdqnV23RrEkdBOd0l-oY1c/s4032/3402CFA4-55D2-4E78-8051-93468FFCFD7F.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSmEUfkF3u06fUNN-_e1RMZBSxFJD6mu03EiuRELKRQRzM7V-bZPuYRB3tVPUrRmARzVwK-hs7WSUjvzadB0_ELU-jhCFB3VDyghNCvtnNtC9S0sWZuXNLFlrMye2WXkBVuXDEgWVksrzKkFPc_sorNalnj84cn5OstuPdqnV23RrEkdBOd0l-oY1c/w640-h480/3402CFA4-55D2-4E78-8051-93468FFCFD7F.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><p style="text-align: justify;">We play lots of games with the students and it’s a fun way to end camp. Before we know it we are getting out the canoes and headed back to the campground. Lunch is some very delicious gyro's and then it's time to get on the bus and head home!</p><p style="text-align: justify;">We are back at school by 3pm and I'm at home, in the garden with a gin and tonic by about 3:45, congratulating myself on a successful school camp... and happy knowing that my camp duty is over for another year!</p><p style="text-align: justify;"><br /></p>Wendy McCarryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10400056809655031226noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3302793385282321137.post-54579909417106818492023-02-25T05:31:00.003+00:002023-02-25T05:31:35.049+00:00St. Kilda Festival<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div></div> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh402-XHoehC8pEw0JJSgCb02-l6vflLHdIruSBbLyH2kubL6SRR8Q0c8nN5gnImRXrlyyfVQbRZKCmYq1G6DkRUG57VoaNJshPyC--iXFu-RM3ZxVxtGC6IAITgw2rlKS9i47ZaCyOOH-rmZlK4jF_UN7wjcZBZX1zgYhXflIeBtDfyeN7ryqzBf40/s4032/55B52DB7-042F-40F7-AE18-39F04E1DEEC9.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh402-XHoehC8pEw0JJSgCb02-l6vflLHdIruSBbLyH2kubL6SRR8Q0c8nN5gnImRXrlyyfVQbRZKCmYq1G6DkRUG57VoaNJshPyC--iXFu-RM3ZxVxtGC6IAITgw2rlKS9i47ZaCyOOH-rmZlK4jF_UN7wjcZBZX1zgYhXflIeBtDfyeN7ryqzBf40/w640-h480/55B52DB7-042F-40F7-AE18-39F04E1DEEC9.jpeg" width="640" /></a><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;">Last Sunday we went to the St Kilda festival, a festival celebrating Australian music that has been running for over 40 years. The last time we visited <a href="http://wandymcnobledownunder.blogspot.com/2018/02/st-kilda-festival.html" target="_blank">was in 2018.</a> I went back and read my blog post about it to remind everyone that we did in fact go with my parents when Ella was two years old. We all have a hazy recollection of this event, the memory made more clear after reading the blog post. That is pretty much the purpose of this blog… so that I’ll be able to remember all the little things that make up our lives that we’d otherwise have long forgotten. Hilariously, our day in 2018 was remarkably similar to our day in 2023, with the addition of an extra child.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">Our day started early. The roads are closed to traffic around the festival so we knew it would be tricky to get a parking spot, but we were rewarded for our early departure with a good spot just outside the closed off zone. </p><p style="text-align: justify;">The kids had fun exploring the area while walking to the festival. They were enthralled by the giant palm leaves on the ground and wanted to take one with us. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEik454bvsiCWnTFQb3y_kSYPiFhT8KTqDU5GEE44CHcyhxmbOS0_mJT4db9PlT7hRCnSFS9PH2IQIJ5eYu8_KYTf0XBNNfXaeE1mQP5512SE3kzYdTwPICgmBzAzBZFEbamenm2KS9gwrWk6rckVp9nXeCSHr1iauJpxvlbvEB4vVpTp9AbVSWPaUKB/s3784/5BAC5598-A9D3-4729-BE91-54FBD8103180.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2722" data-original-width="3784" height="460" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEik454bvsiCWnTFQb3y_kSYPiFhT8KTqDU5GEE44CHcyhxmbOS0_mJT4db9PlT7hRCnSFS9PH2IQIJ5eYu8_KYTf0XBNNfXaeE1mQP5512SE3kzYdTwPICgmBzAzBZFEbamenm2KS9gwrWk6rckVp9nXeCSHr1iauJpxvlbvEB4vVpTp9AbVSWPaUKB/w640-h460/5BAC5598-A9D3-4729-BE91-54FBD8103180.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">And Ella is always very good at remembering to stop and smell the roses. Or in this case, the sunflowers.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghzT3BnUfmcxnLpGAzSDy9DDwKNs1-pfAp0s5-n_CW37t9gF0H4bq1fkS1X8XUepH_igTWU7piWmTUlegdQVGEUC7Icczq7Q_sRH-jFtFZkbWjAO-32_R1jcruVCikvwmD358DkFYKgpqK1gNXNdVayB6xWaemBu9E2BQNiOD6wzl05fgXZaz8fHjN/s4032/DE7BCA5E-D8FB-4BCE-A062-597CC234C2DC.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghzT3BnUfmcxnLpGAzSDy9DDwKNs1-pfAp0s5-n_CW37t9gF0H4bq1fkS1X8XUepH_igTWU7piWmTUlegdQVGEUC7Icczq7Q_sRH-jFtFZkbWjAO-32_R1jcruVCikvwmD358DkFYKgpqK1gNXNdVayB6xWaemBu9E2BQNiOD6wzl05fgXZaz8fHjN/w640-h480/DE7BCA5E-D8FB-4BCE-A062-597CC234C2DC.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><p style="text-align: justify;">The first part of the festival we visited was a kid's area. These plants played music in response to touch which was really cool.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjic3L4HVKXggTUSR13WUneAnr13msxcBCQQNqhTSiOlYG7jWcOhjC4P64mrxc1l9C2ZFclEpP9pY7VcRml7zqxub-U6VahtZYQpf68RW8xb8zapZgpoZA8XO81UR-a3YDxOlgDv2QrnbWbsXDtPuuu9drB7qRLUBT8zIT0vH9HtOgoDtQVVbSb39S1/s4032/14286E20-D292-4D64-83B6-B107F0ADAFEA.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjic3L4HVKXggTUSR13WUneAnr13msxcBCQQNqhTSiOlYG7jWcOhjC4P64mrxc1l9C2ZFclEpP9pY7VcRml7zqxub-U6VahtZYQpf68RW8xb8zapZgpoZA8XO81UR-a3YDxOlgDv2QrnbWbsXDtPuuu9drB7qRLUBT8zIT0vH9HtOgoDtQVVbSb39S1/w640-h480/14286E20-D292-4D64-83B6-B107F0ADAFEA.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">We then had a photo op with Bluey! I think Ollie was particularly enchanted with meeting the “real” Bluey. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgs3DyJK6JJbMD-LnyU3Oaq31c6_ZIPVr4LF1Nk2ZI2EdcpR8xUz5fzTwfS6amAhwk_7vhmXCu1-j3NB0N5w09ayYCOqKHLQohfoCOu7-htYJfEfKnQ-v_QpIf6zAU7z6pNUQhDhWhCH2gaP6xg0HychxBN76cRU2yewZdJDOXER2yPGmk8Wl_qsxZq/s3504/5D596548-8A07-4A43-80F2-90A1E86F9F43.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2981" data-original-width="3504" height="544" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgs3DyJK6JJbMD-LnyU3Oaq31c6_ZIPVr4LF1Nk2ZI2EdcpR8xUz5fzTwfS6amAhwk_7vhmXCu1-j3NB0N5w09ayYCOqKHLQohfoCOu7-htYJfEfKnQ-v_QpIf6zAU7z6pNUQhDhWhCH2gaP6xg0HychxBN76cRU2yewZdJDOXER2yPGmk8Wl_qsxZq/w640-h544/5D596548-8A07-4A43-80F2-90A1E86F9F43.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">We then came across this funky emu:</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4Kwc6sSitAy5BYQyzuQL9cIt4u-VxtV0IJbtUzD-Uf36E2iff6LOlZHbcRNZtBFPf0S31xmuFqxUQsU_zseGZW-xRnLYOS7YE2tjuWo7q52OP-vw_kI6iTqU0GqqdqTxL6JKlJBiEgqGircM2mBDaZD_ehC8ns46BswVih8DrbV29Fy_O3lB77IsO/s4032/41A22C6C-59DD-48F7-8DB4-314ED526F5FB.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4Kwc6sSitAy5BYQyzuQL9cIt4u-VxtV0IJbtUzD-Uf36E2iff6LOlZHbcRNZtBFPf0S31xmuFqxUQsU_zseGZW-xRnLYOS7YE2tjuWo7q52OP-vw_kI6iTqU0GqqdqTxL6JKlJBiEgqGircM2mBDaZD_ehC8ns46BswVih8DrbV29Fy_O3lB77IsO/w640-h480/41A22C6C-59DD-48F7-8DB4-314ED526F5FB.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">In the kids area we watched the children's entertainment group Team Dream. They were very high energy and got all the kids up and dancing. It was like watching an updated version of the Wiggles.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div><div style="text-align: justify;">Ella, as usual, took the opportunity of a large grassy area to practice her cartwheels and splits. She's getting pretty good!</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWeVvJgiVfzJ9rnxJsJBO9xhldN1ek1C9pu59XCQgjl70fdK89_VYG1lipspfNn5wTTM2Prf7PDl8YZMMbe_5XHi9AICa1uT6ZIecu1_MfEN_SOjyvDGymaNhArAY9OjpuJoWFmeAvaAKEtHL3aJAS-DGP8c2bdcaTZqKC5XEvR9kmq5AV4G72iL_x/s4032/97872CF2-D7E0-448E-9A91-CB5C32C74F29.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWeVvJgiVfzJ9rnxJsJBO9xhldN1ek1C9pu59XCQgjl70fdK89_VYG1lipspfNn5wTTM2Prf7PDl8YZMMbe_5XHi9AICa1uT6ZIecu1_MfEN_SOjyvDGymaNhArAY9OjpuJoWFmeAvaAKEtHL3aJAS-DGP8c2bdcaTZqKC5XEvR9kmq5AV4G72iL_x/w640-h480/97872CF2-D7E0-448E-9A91-CB5C32C74F29.jpeg" width="640" /></a><br /><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">Once the Team Dream show was over we headed out of the children's area to check out more of the festival. On the way we stopped to watch some skateboarders along with a medieval battle:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVGPJlIH1XvaRcP4SMQQDlE-F3Xba-7fPphgR3BWO82x0jTuE7cVstnB-2cxJK30gFE7trl-EqKuwIhue8JD7rNCzkeLM7nqcYwpvPtWKvzDE70DTjznVETopBpD8qn96jfWE5IZ39VH2ezBRyIdVt1z3-_uHDBkydbW-COg6_qX5tab8lxIyTZreF/s3780/10E8AB95-B5DD-4EEF-BEC2-36D107D97457.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2830" data-original-width="3780" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVGPJlIH1XvaRcP4SMQQDlE-F3Xba-7fPphgR3BWO82x0jTuE7cVstnB-2cxJK30gFE7trl-EqKuwIhue8JD7rNCzkeLM7nqcYwpvPtWKvzDE70DTjznVETopBpD8qn96jfWE5IZ39VH2ezBRyIdVt1z3-_uHDBkydbW-COg6_qX5tab8lxIyTZreF/w640-h480/10E8AB95-B5DD-4EEF-BEC2-36D107D97457.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh75ZpV8ydNI3IICAsAv5U1gAXXzQ2kBEl0S0vehv7J8-frebWR9M1C3x5vGUM4s5HBnR9RyaGdNNpt-9M_2-UoB-eArLbe0tpYCVBw_0XSW_iJIJCY10bOFljf3QwecYrXcJL2-M7bo0rtNwkoKNhh1vVj4gS70WHEb9tPEe2zM3yYsqJFbXQJf74B/s3305/73D5C519-7E05-4527-8468-3C2A149FA284.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2385" data-original-width="3305" height="462" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh75ZpV8ydNI3IICAsAv5U1gAXXzQ2kBEl0S0vehv7J8-frebWR9M1C3x5vGUM4s5HBnR9RyaGdNNpt-9M_2-UoB-eArLbe0tpYCVBw_0XSW_iJIJCY10bOFljf3QwecYrXcJL2-M7bo0rtNwkoKNhh1vVj4gS70WHEb9tPEe2zM3yYsqJFbXQJf74B/w640-h462/73D5C519-7E05-4527-8468-3C2A149FA284.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">The battle ending up being a bit more violent than we expected (I'm not sure what we were expecting actually... something like Medieval Times maybe?) so we moved on to the main stage, where a 12-year-old called Devy was putting on a very impressive show. She was the New Music Competition winner in 2022 and won the honour of opening the main stage at this year's festival. I could not believe she was only 12 years old. Perhaps in a few years she'll be famous and we can say we saw her when she was just starting out.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGcsM4hkGxp2seg4Sr_hYYkGTb8bkEBPAbvACHzguLoiGIE0sIt6NvhGDJK-XKkW9g6QsXdOYF9oi12u1M6RvqUp2ocFtpeD2BLhqUAgRpJm3yPfv8EnXzJo3MbQXlQAlPZqlPmu2dQhUpG68YTkGtEPtajwIxI7iwVq2zAsoH_enNzjfGCCW1MHHs/s4032/26596B36-230D-4BEE-B927-224F50099B51.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGcsM4hkGxp2seg4Sr_hYYkGTb8bkEBPAbvACHzguLoiGIE0sIt6NvhGDJK-XKkW9g6QsXdOYF9oi12u1M6RvqUp2ocFtpeD2BLhqUAgRpJm3yPfv8EnXzJo3MbQXlQAlPZqlPmu2dQhUpG68YTkGtEPtajwIxI7iwVq2zAsoH_enNzjfGCCW1MHHs/w640-h480/26596B36-230D-4BEE-B927-224F50099B51.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /></div></div><div style="text-align: justify;">This was also a good chance to have a rest and some refreshments while we enjoyed the music.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWEeRO6Fw3MHvHVGTnE54IXI-bhNVsbB_Zyvf4AcPdg0Wx3wkGl1rrd94aeKG0snLwu-S3qqoPfMlc5Nc0naATU6GRldyU95Yc4JnJ6Qyx262wAWshbHf9PxQfhtgN2AvqG3bLNeSYKcfeF7575TT-4_0DxYaMluTXYTkCZaKQjerX1qa58-OTUuGr/s4032/F9E194E9-A3EC-479A-B709-687645052514.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWEeRO6Fw3MHvHVGTnE54IXI-bhNVsbB_Zyvf4AcPdg0Wx3wkGl1rrd94aeKG0snLwu-S3qqoPfMlc5Nc0naATU6GRldyU95Yc4JnJ6Qyx262wAWshbHf9PxQfhtgN2AvqG3bLNeSYKcfeF7575TT-4_0DxYaMluTXYTkCZaKQjerX1qa58-OTUuGr/w640-h480/F9E194E9-A3EC-479A-B709-687645052514.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhv9yE_7nBaEGJBPkLawoESO4mP6dVZivLObzLIxr-bi-Td2hc5YwoLHM20utsX6fXq9fgzkPhkUeYuw-IeqErp8sKUA3Sof7GD2R7i839akPmAm6uTmH4oJpsqLupC7YbGj4Y86KCDeAZRraHf6JDA8QU1XVRJLLnDs5vTTbCNyn_rYbG_p7suhAdA/s4032/2B6C90C4-9A5D-40C7-BC83-4217804A575B.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhv9yE_7nBaEGJBPkLawoESO4mP6dVZivLObzLIxr-bi-Td2hc5YwoLHM20utsX6fXq9fgzkPhkUeYuw-IeqErp8sKUA3Sof7GD2R7i839akPmAm6uTmH4oJpsqLupC7YbGj4Y86KCDeAZRraHf6JDA8QU1XVRJLLnDs5vTTbCNyn_rYbG_p7suhAdA/w640-h480/2B6C90C4-9A5D-40C7-BC83-4217804A575B.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Next up we headed to Catani Gardens where we saw a pretty good band called Grazier. We set up our picnic rugs in the shade and had some food while watching the band. There were amusement rides in this area and I was shocked, absolutely SHOCKED at the cost of the rides, which ranged between $8-16 PER RIDE. Needless to say, we did not go on any rides this year. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Next up was the obligatory stop for ice cream, and then we headed to the Latin Quarter at Alfred Square. There was a pretty entertaining salsa performance going on but it was really hot by this time, and there was no shade anywhere. At this point Andy and I decided to head home, as I had to pack for my upcoming week at school camp. My parents offered to stay with the kids and take them down to the beach for a few hours, so we headed back towards the car to get their bathers. We did come across this very cool sculpture of an ice skater on the way, a tribute to the St. Moritz Ice Rink that used to be in St. Kilda from 1939-1981.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9W8LScTDOvrjeJVhMsCWoTKXL0Y6E0PwcUaayv2jlm-2xMzI7yIeFJofU4SY6IsZA4JKSLxE7RLRrJ-ONnhAcAfBkuTJcdB7L8IGzTNOgNvKDfah4_HtbNlTjH9fRVcdOdapL1kSjkAGpaVZcZigfOrnViL40JeGnxU_jRnCWGeBwupp9KxqypxIq/s4032/2590E707-1339-474F-89BA-A4408C35374F.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9W8LScTDOvrjeJVhMsCWoTKXL0Y6E0PwcUaayv2jlm-2xMzI7yIeFJofU4SY6IsZA4JKSLxE7RLRrJ-ONnhAcAfBkuTJcdB7L8IGzTNOgNvKDfah4_HtbNlTjH9fRVcdOdapL1kSjkAGpaVZcZigfOrnViL40JeGnxU_jRnCWGeBwupp9KxqypxIq/w640-h480/2590E707-1339-474F-89BA-A4408C35374F.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">As per usual, the kids had a fab time at the beach. And Grampy had a nap.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXlzyNRwsbksZm6Q4efc7f5i3epdDgyMlxT5FWdxpMuzJhsgNbOXUqhty66cAckVfbiqghdVLTFGuO9xNkMQTVsVhnGlMC-GXx1atQ7Ij3K4XC2j33htI4ogK_ROthKgkEkdNaFUtikdTdII9eO8xATHnHTCZ8lK1pbSYxWNRJm3vZlpr9RtgUm8qg/s4032/4A781F0F-EE5C-4B72-BB64-83245659B8E9.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXlzyNRwsbksZm6Q4efc7f5i3epdDgyMlxT5FWdxpMuzJhsgNbOXUqhty66cAckVfbiqghdVLTFGuO9xNkMQTVsVhnGlMC-GXx1atQ7Ij3K4XC2j33htI4ogK_ROthKgkEkdNaFUtikdTdII9eO8xATHnHTCZ8lK1pbSYxWNRJm3vZlpr9RtgUm8qg/w640-h480/4A781F0F-EE5C-4B72-BB64-83245659B8E9.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihgJq15uBdG2egYbpihbczOdU67sJobjhRyPo3Hjn2BFMXN3ZFPtH6Cvb-ltebJ9kkiYGeFmzUcNfxJUsYZJ4QN6VVCCYtyGNlg1GzPeWI2PT_hMpceb5I6XfV5JqKbAxyFTDCXg-WZs4GGSndJYibdGTsbhg0PlCSqhXarwRdCdxAVaVdR6gMZQHU/s4032/CFAF5D6A-DD9A-4F7A-B897-31E920F9F69C.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihgJq15uBdG2egYbpihbczOdU67sJobjhRyPo3Hjn2BFMXN3ZFPtH6Cvb-ltebJ9kkiYGeFmzUcNfxJUsYZJ4QN6VVCCYtyGNlg1GzPeWI2PT_hMpceb5I6XfV5JqKbAxyFTDCXg-WZs4GGSndJYibdGTsbhg0PlCSqhXarwRdCdxAVaVdR6gMZQHU/w640-h480/CFAF5D6A-DD9A-4F7A-B897-31E920F9F69C.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">My parents took them back to the festival for a bit, but by this time it was heaving and a bit less child friendly than when we had been there in the afternoon.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGGt4gD5TOSq4N2XQh-WfWR1KbpxN0ZnoMJhzFh1X69neax8tWFWGPFFoevTAMV4yabBSE3Cwr1pPvaQGglqKCIQ-v_hW-oYDpTksQtgB_RRCqNKN7O25nj4Au8UX8fMgRu-Iojh20fdJIydiTSnjXewiISnetuUubpAmZDFC6JnkMZ0fuosgRMrfF/s4032/B56F8364-BEEB-4EA0-9B0E-ADB9E4733471.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGGt4gD5TOSq4N2XQh-WfWR1KbpxN0ZnoMJhzFh1X69neax8tWFWGPFFoevTAMV4yabBSE3Cwr1pPvaQGglqKCIQ-v_hW-oYDpTksQtgB_RRCqNKN7O25nj4Au8UX8fMgRu-Iojh20fdJIydiTSnjXewiISnetuUubpAmZDFC6JnkMZ0fuosgRMrfF/w640-h480/B56F8364-BEEB-4EA0-9B0E-ADB9E4733471.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">All in all we had a pretty good day and I'm sure we will head down to St. Kilda again next year to celebrate the Australian music scene.</div>Wendy McCarryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10400056809655031226noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3302793385282321137.post-12372167557971718382023-02-18T21:32:00.002+00:002023-02-18T21:32:44.430+00:00Jan 2023 Part 2: Urban Surf, Cricket, Heide sculptures and more!<p style="text-align: justify;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;">It's the third week of February, and the summer holidays feel like a long time ago. We have had a pretty stress free start to the school year, in large part due to the fact that my parents are here. How relaxing our mornings are, with grandparents around to help with school/daycare drop-offs! Not to mention having another person around to help Ella do her hair, a job that can take ages when she wakes up on the wrong side of the bed. (Though I should add that this week she's gone back to doing her own hair, a habit I can only hope continues for the rest of the year.) Similarly, the evenings are much calmer with my parents picking up Ella from school and my mom helping me to prep dinner. Often I arrive home to find everything I need for dinner chopped or measured out ... it's like I'm on my own cooking show! My parents are still here for another three weeks, but I'm already dreading their departure!</span></div><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;">Continuing on from my last post, here are a few more highlights from our summer holidays.</p><p style="text-align: justify;"><b><u>Heide Sculpture Park</u></b></p><p style="text-align: justify;">This free park is located next to the Heide Museum of Modern Art and on the banks of the Yarra river. I have never been to the actual museum (though it's on my list of things to do when I have an afternoon to myself), but taking the kids to the sculpture park was a great activity. There are various sculpture scattered across a vast property, along with gardens and trees to climb, and trails along the river. Ollie wanted us to read out the artists name and date of every piece of art, and has asked when we will go back or to another sculpture park, so I'd say the visit was a success. </p><p style="text-align: justify;">There is also a lovely cafe with a great wine list on the grounds of the park, a great way to start or end your exploration!</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnDzSEFdn246CtqpqFe5x5glhLUtDTqfcD5M0FA5fT9EduLJoRBYshWOZHsTg09IQrPdA7inE1MA7A1W2G1wZK96JH5x6JmdHoY3AjZMyIIFHzdmcJT9crCPWqaNwMWhE9fGToHHYORzBGH_hV7jS6rhxEwPvcGOfxveLB3QDiHV63PFsSN4Y9-LuX/s4032/7C4953FB-8D99-443C-8CCF-26B9BE407F42.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnDzSEFdn246CtqpqFe5x5glhLUtDTqfcD5M0FA5fT9EduLJoRBYshWOZHsTg09IQrPdA7inE1MA7A1W2G1wZK96JH5x6JmdHoY3AjZMyIIFHzdmcJT9crCPWqaNwMWhE9fGToHHYORzBGH_hV7jS6rhxEwPvcGOfxveLB3QDiHV63PFsSN4Y9-LuX/w640-h480/7C4953FB-8D99-443C-8CCF-26B9BE407F42.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNzqh_bOkeg7hw6dMCEEFDoPq1AvzHk8j_h6eN1IXtf9xtF-gqsO5VAla2qxjXVs5b7mjHkv5qa8MeXJJB9ZhvZjNLH72-Ok8ZduhD95zrFzGuGfKV3nvCn9mNN5_NNMTHflQuDNeXBNJB-XWmEzCNvTwUIbA6AMhx9z7wCwTmo_CCPyOMLGM1cPH0/s4032/8D7E1B05-B9EA-437B-B594-0964C7D12D30.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNzqh_bOkeg7hw6dMCEEFDoPq1AvzHk8j_h6eN1IXtf9xtF-gqsO5VAla2qxjXVs5b7mjHkv5qa8MeXJJB9ZhvZjNLH72-Ok8ZduhD95zrFzGuGfKV3nvCn9mNN5_NNMTHflQuDNeXBNJB-XWmEzCNvTwUIbA6AMhx9z7wCwTmo_CCPyOMLGM1cPH0/w640-h480/8D7E1B05-B9EA-437B-B594-0964C7D12D30.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNw90QDSlp8ihQxEwDuCGEKbrkiyk8XfUdxyaWLKdFsN2E5ZpEX8ywJUgtgp3kvNXm1iBo3mQ5ErAD0WPUDUs9hgeVIdRSb7dBXnVADPjP-mE90hYUngrbvghtuCPVxgNYfjO0hS1QqYerSjCvFeORuJbSwYZlNWjscuit3vQheudFsIP6-txFuEQ-/s4032/18E0C914-FF66-42F6-954A-E3E850DBCBED.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNw90QDSlp8ihQxEwDuCGEKbrkiyk8XfUdxyaWLKdFsN2E5ZpEX8ywJUgtgp3kvNXm1iBo3mQ5ErAD0WPUDUs9hgeVIdRSb7dBXnVADPjP-mE90hYUngrbvghtuCPVxgNYfjO0hS1QqYerSjCvFeORuJbSwYZlNWjscuit3vQheudFsIP6-txFuEQ-/w640-h480/18E0C914-FF66-42F6-954A-E3E850DBCBED.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhh95DtR3hPaDfBIoU_03npNoRrP9CE7_UG4gkDxmtj1V9P7vZX-4Ls1RYAyGNfEOqj1xDILUUuI-fh43u0hSbE5WVV5nC6qIzH70fS2chnAKk1vQour8qZbAWndia3LuiVm-3afgY6jc36qT5C5kfC4p6zIX-v1rkk6Wt12Zwc7KkX9co9xfo0Lyql/s4032/90B5D096-12AA-446A-B974-33DBBF47363D.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhh95DtR3hPaDfBIoU_03npNoRrP9CE7_UG4gkDxmtj1V9P7vZX-4Ls1RYAyGNfEOqj1xDILUUuI-fh43u0hSbE5WVV5nC6qIzH70fS2chnAKk1vQour8qZbAWndia3LuiVm-3afgY6jc36qT5C5kfC4p6zIX-v1rkk6Wt12Zwc7KkX9co9xfo0Lyql/w640-h480/90B5D096-12AA-446A-B974-33DBBF47363D.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; 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margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHYO8Ap8SC50-2qSjyJ6ejwz_5Z6-IsNb0-wLo0gJzslCm8ZJLyr_bAi1oxGOYywEseBjjt3sljRyb6F558hoNuzBQ-bZS11qKVWBJlcki8PORPEkXGuOYKkeUJ7UmOgyx2bSykEfzLv9Esf46oCEuT9wOWso0oEHYPE42RpwfGD8ZiUUMguGrwJR4/w640-h480/D5048D3D-9378-4360-A17F-A97F04F2E693.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgb9CiOz41GpIJ0sDYooRUXZOJQZN1zgmc5ZIa2oK5ZR-2tfhZOgkpFLJ4guBnKvbwRd-UsKO9gbMUnZsXEdjczVYDLN1DjS1w8vKqufnkpi0qGQT1-zEhd5hM_QXwWeMeoB6WtV6Tlb8kiSwztWGwaWXLWkGoyUZ1djFngJMOyt7fKC1LRMyI4fYCF/s4032/DEE36282-EC5C-4750-8DFA-35F7D3BEFA4B.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgb9CiOz41GpIJ0sDYooRUXZOJQZN1zgmc5ZIa2oK5ZR-2tfhZOgkpFLJ4guBnKvbwRd-UsKO9gbMUnZsXEdjczVYDLN1DjS1w8vKqufnkpi0qGQT1-zEhd5hM_QXwWeMeoB6WtV6Tlb8kiSwztWGwaWXLWkGoyUZ1djFngJMOyt7fKC1LRMyI4fYCF/w640-h480/DEE36282-EC5C-4750-8DFA-35F7D3BEFA4B.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><p style="text-align: justify;"><b><u>Urban Surf</u></b></p><p style="text-align: justify;">Andy and his friend Heath took Ella and Heath's son Lachie for a surf at Urban Surf, which is a giant wave pool near the airport in Melbourne. It's a pretty cool idea, you can learn to surf in a more controlled, safe environment than the ocean. Andy and Heath spent their hour long session pulling the kids out on surfboards and encouraging them to stand up when they could. Ella loved it, and managed to stand up on her last wave. We need to get her out there again now that her confidence is up with it!</p><p style="text-align: justify;">There is a great restaurant at Urban Surf, where my mom, dad and I enjoyed a drink and some lunch while watching the surfing. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAfEEtiES3ERYZNfVapS1Wtkyf-D0cRxv0bus0JBFTpVi1rn_OkWcN-3oMzofcX66NvS8bR8uZdYBbuW7Mgxml5Xd5LLVEchu8z1p7hgbco7XCwung2Un_Bkz8sVW8UrHi7hzPedaBtPwLzmjkkhlMd2KtHzOlC6US7u20SrdOZJHjiC5ox67rjlkp/s1124/8925BF33-BD65-4359-A611-D14E6AA2E99B.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="945" data-original-width="1124" height="538" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAfEEtiES3ERYZNfVapS1Wtkyf-D0cRxv0bus0JBFTpVi1rn_OkWcN-3oMzofcX66NvS8bR8uZdYBbuW7Mgxml5Xd5LLVEchu8z1p7hgbco7XCwung2Un_Bkz8sVW8UrHi7hzPedaBtPwLzmjkkhlMd2KtHzOlC6US7u20SrdOZJHjiC5ox67rjlkp/w640-h538/8925BF33-BD65-4359-A611-D14E6AA2E99B.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLRIyKzdaYb70QJEi_BeV4Pf3JaTCh78m5H2Z-WITtSoIv13L_xakr8KSGipcxHQTjAyHhaBb8yUkSIA_u8rZff9OFD10zXOmrW4dlkMGzK43Y12zCeEkpgNMkiKuHjwbgWiqKdbE_SnS7yGeNLswGbnOkSg73W5tohw-asRMxZ8QOz1HH1P7I7GN7/s4032/14438D9D-85B1-49A0-9E0F-1E7E9900ED12.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLRIyKzdaYb70QJEi_BeV4Pf3JaTCh78m5H2Z-WITtSoIv13L_xakr8KSGipcxHQTjAyHhaBb8yUkSIA_u8rZff9OFD10zXOmrW4dlkMGzK43Y12zCeEkpgNMkiKuHjwbgWiqKdbE_SnS7yGeNLswGbnOkSg73W5tohw-asRMxZ8QOz1HH1P7I7GN7/w640-h480/14438D9D-85B1-49A0-9E0F-1E7E9900ED12.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgB3tfYIRY7H6uyqicr6xlV9jmZlE7AqmJuUA05TGg3aJhyQtGfDMhXBYnm7AiXno9s80QeSJFIpAKzcErsW-mdlV0it25hcw2YWTm5YPzGXoWaQHWsL_6zMWSkX839FxIe-NhDZIGXPvvXx4J9pwSia2BC4GOsvio5iSq8gZkIDqpKPSLi_0NhcEAF/s4032/BB8B1E84-4575-4015-90CC-05CD5BB24058.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgB3tfYIRY7H6uyqicr6xlV9jmZlE7AqmJuUA05TGg3aJhyQtGfDMhXBYnm7AiXno9s80QeSJFIpAKzcErsW-mdlV0it25hcw2YWTm5YPzGXoWaQHWsL_6zMWSkX839FxIe-NhDZIGXPvvXx4J9pwSia2BC4GOsvio5iSq8gZkIDqpKPSLi_0NhcEAF/w640-h480/BB8B1E84-4575-4015-90CC-05CD5BB24058.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="text-align: justify;">There is also a playground for the kids, which we made use of last weekend when we went back there and Ollie and Georgia (Lachie's sister) joined us. Ollie and Georgia are too young to go in the wave pool (minimum age is 6) but they had fun running around on the sun loungers and at the playground.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbxcO4V2M3uEVuVUVJCwggPxVHDcEyMJqdWbYVq3bV1ogEU1MXLXNF0i7CeODydfeR6-bSOTRBNBNZyI2v7Dkyn5QM3wrPfXHLdrLm182M7BY8h0S5z-gFvvHgjgkO3gOWCGVeVVzGUMMbIKywLGXJOuMsmL8oFSXCFPQi0dl2mzkVNxjc_r0W4hsk/s4032/9C2771DB-B3A4-42E3-A466-C739732CEDF9.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbxcO4V2M3uEVuVUVJCwggPxVHDcEyMJqdWbYVq3bV1ogEU1MXLXNF0i7CeODydfeR6-bSOTRBNBNZyI2v7Dkyn5QM3wrPfXHLdrLm182M7BY8h0S5z-gFvvHgjgkO3gOWCGVeVVzGUMMbIKywLGXJOuMsmL8oFSXCFPQi0dl2mzkVNxjc_r0W4hsk/w640-h480/9C2771DB-B3A4-42E3-A466-C739732CEDF9.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3fXdFXu1xXZRjudOO23Fnobvu6ZZ01CF4fFjzLOJR-u9-VkFBvMjRSRat9Ze5kshqV5x7QnPZP2bpVD0-yA6-G805f8yzUt_DDouoLb1yBQps5Y43P9FlCLZxwrmD5tt1-Eu68zaehhlflKnPLSdOUAg-I13ZMcj5TN09Hklm0jGjiggxaCVoQwAa/s4032/81CE432C-FC0F-4B01-9ACE-659BD9096254.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3fXdFXu1xXZRjudOO23Fnobvu6ZZ01CF4fFjzLOJR-u9-VkFBvMjRSRat9Ze5kshqV5x7QnPZP2bpVD0-yA6-G805f8yzUt_DDouoLb1yBQps5Y43P9FlCLZxwrmD5tt1-Eu68zaehhlflKnPLSdOUAg-I13ZMcj5TN09Hklm0jGjiggxaCVoQwAa/w640-h480/81CE432C-FC0F-4B01-9ACE-659BD9096254.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikyxIhBBQvQ2lQKESVIio5S0FhyFHbi3aZxfac-VVpB4Bjjlj7X5CuxPK6_pa8k7tfXl_xZSXYuyeSvz-0UHpQukBTJkagknfoo6VldSElYsKxavQJmrikUUuwTDKz3N5wGstuoZ5jxudZgHd4syqjAaGz0Y5YNGMESE9AlGhjtisdebfcg15LNXMx/s4032/B4ECACB5-46B5-40E8-9917-8C255C1F9251.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikyxIhBBQvQ2lQKESVIio5S0FhyFHbi3aZxfac-VVpB4Bjjlj7X5CuxPK6_pa8k7tfXl_xZSXYuyeSvz-0UHpQukBTJkagknfoo6VldSElYsKxavQJmrikUUuwTDKz3N5wGstuoZ5jxudZgHd4syqjAaGz0Y5YNGMESE9AlGhjtisdebfcg15LNXMx/w640-h480/B4ECACB5-46B5-40E8-9917-8C255C1F9251.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicQCR94nFopqrzhLej-iQ9vwrDv71frvBf4-_Ir8pbQLIuZc4hSuXJS5Go63hPytzihg5BcrLVlfCOdNQBcufNKN9JuIE74a5NLmSLf4uHW_HNwJGggiAY2l0JSHoWFNxO3ew1jval4_HoB7SGIM0cJEvevcuyiuWGhIu-W2s59861fsQ-kAFbwfLN/s3088/F0D740F3-F5A5-46DD-9171-55808369BC48.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2316" data-original-width="3088" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicQCR94nFopqrzhLej-iQ9vwrDv71frvBf4-_Ir8pbQLIuZc4hSuXJS5Go63hPytzihg5BcrLVlfCOdNQBcufNKN9JuIE74a5NLmSLf4uHW_HNwJGggiAY2l0JSHoWFNxO3ew1jval4_HoB7SGIM0cJEvevcuyiuWGhIu-W2s59861fsQ-kAFbwfLN/w640-h480/F0D740F3-F5A5-46DD-9171-55808369BC48.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">The water at Urban Surf is a little chilly, so after the session finished our surfers enjoyed some time in this warm water tub - and then a hot chocolate at the restaurant.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilL7DGrt_iyI0aSuV4Vn9h_l7VBY2ryKaulm8N2Sy1Ay71HP04XpgALPblBjQ1JtSlhhHN-s9M1X5v52xKx-hIDLZecqnXJxMcZSwi6RVy6dxDUuqgqRYM4W5vFJnm5379EVy4qhWEgo-rmU2r5J1NT9lADx0J-bpSsH1ahQrxhUJY4co0-c7CBxUB/s4032/30BE866B-3A74-446C-B507-D1B3C5577956.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilL7DGrt_iyI0aSuV4Vn9h_l7VBY2ryKaulm8N2Sy1Ay71HP04XpgALPblBjQ1JtSlhhHN-s9M1X5v52xKx-hIDLZecqnXJxMcZSwi6RVy6dxDUuqgqRYM4W5vFJnm5379EVy4qhWEgo-rmU2r5J1NT9lADx0J-bpSsH1ahQrxhUJY4co0-c7CBxUB/w640-h480/30BE866B-3A74-446C-B507-D1B3C5577956.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div><b><u>Melbourne Stars Cricket Match</u></b><div style="text-align: justify;">Ollie has developed an obsession with cricket so we all went to a cricket match at the MCG one night. This isn't your regular 5-day long cricket match. The Melbourne Stars are part of the Big Bash league, which consists of 8 teams across Australia. The format follows the Twenty20 format, which is a much shorter style game played in around 2-3 hours. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Pre-game there were lots of activities set up for kids to practice skills needed for cricket. Not surprisingly, they loved this. I'm not going to lie, this was probably the most exciting part of the night for me. </div><div><div><br /></div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUkWNarG5vpsyfiSjbmMyHTiwiRO7W6kN9hgJh_o9aeYnJq1AP519RZ7B-cnPUaw8JABHHZRc_uAmBLz55OZBP2MhlDlFO03xUAuwo8ghSxdaqKcTBoQo1RMgUm_MC5wllFrJVEWrFHCsdZcBhWGMJ8_mM7m4jlfI9UxRNiYmSWoPILMp1typFgZsC/s4032/669A0EC4-9CDA-43D8-B174-8FAEEA7AC489.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUkWNarG5vpsyfiSjbmMyHTiwiRO7W6kN9hgJh_o9aeYnJq1AP519RZ7B-cnPUaw8JABHHZRc_uAmBLz55OZBP2MhlDlFO03xUAuwo8ghSxdaqKcTBoQo1RMgUm_MC5wllFrJVEWrFHCsdZcBhWGMJ8_mM7m4jlfI9UxRNiYmSWoPILMp1typFgZsC/w640-h480/669A0EC4-9CDA-43D8-B174-8FAEEA7AC489.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><div><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoslV5AIBfkcTB0UgbuMuaPYe5RtufnQpkD5hdQRoZdMaRrkbhe4YrQQ9E4i4lK10LrFhurk-ZsJCOiZmxbQHoKnNjjaCt3dmuf6stNmjavKfUrdoHrOBlb-a0sxlX69lsHi69knig6PSaKKzejnPMrVSqZvKufJ19w2TRwcSxdJMCQF1FwzA2wLcw/s4032/C499B5F5-1C40-47AC-B600-B1D0E0896204.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoslV5AIBfkcTB0UgbuMuaPYe5RtufnQpkD5hdQRoZdMaRrkbhe4YrQQ9E4i4lK10LrFhurk-ZsJCOiZmxbQHoKnNjjaCt3dmuf6stNmjavKfUrdoHrOBlb-a0sxlX69lsHi69knig6PSaKKzejnPMrVSqZvKufJ19w2TRwcSxdJMCQF1FwzA2wLcw/w640-h480/C499B5F5-1C40-47AC-B600-B1D0E0896204.jpeg" width="640" /></a></p><p style="text-align: justify;">The game was at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (or "The G" if you want to sound like a local), which is an impressive sports stadium with a seating capacity of just over 100,000. It's the largest stadium in the southern hemisphere and the second largest cricket stadium in the world. Other than cricket, the G is host to Australian Rules Football (AFL), rugby games, FIFA world cup soccer qualifying matches, and concerts. Also, in 2021 I completed the Melbourne half marathon and the race finishes with a lap around the grounds of the G, which was pretty cool! </p><p style="text-align: justify;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPqn1UWJHAxA5wSjZ6zcmAGYebD1mDGSQx9nMGq-iECFnx4ZgBdu9rgjuR0QFrRDblBgXSCPBh8AJTRjMRSqaEjUI1H999mJpYGAGDVucWag9thmzOXud3tkpDMKAExFt7ht04chka0QR4tg_4Hk2TpQRTzoVePtcJKa5BPPCUwyWgH4STs8lXEQUH/s4032/BDC0BD6F-4643-4EC0-A9BB-7546F06AD92F.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPqn1UWJHAxA5wSjZ6zcmAGYebD1mDGSQx9nMGq-iECFnx4ZgBdu9rgjuR0QFrRDblBgXSCPBh8AJTRjMRSqaEjUI1H999mJpYGAGDVucWag9thmzOXud3tkpDMKAExFt7ht04chka0QR4tg_4Hk2TpQRTzoVePtcJKa5BPPCUwyWgH4STs8lXEQUH/w640-h480/BDC0BD6F-4643-4EC0-A9BB-7546F06AD92F.jpeg" width="640" /></a></p><p style="text-align: justify;">As you can see from the picture, the Big Bash cricket doesn't attract nearly enough fans to fill the stadium, but the larger international matches, such as the Boxing Day Test, do.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">There is a lot done to try and make the game exciting for kids, but really there is only so much you can do to spice this game up. I'm sure Australians think the same about baseball. There was music and fire displays, and if a team hits the ball over the boundary line they get 6 runs there are fireworks (this is your home run of cricket). Look, most people there seemed pretty into the game! Cricket is just not for me right now, and I'm selfishly hoping that Ollie's obsession with it dies before I have to spend my weekends watching him play. (Though I'm sure its more exciting if your child is playing!)</p><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpUmQajlI46GnDvXOJEd_ifxZ7eiABttDs7TyaUIehLkd8FrOIVCkjTWky55nFUT7Wlp8xPhH5wu3v0SLXFYJSP2R_CT7oyyWfAAvracw3v6_GN2HWvDWOUY8PynU_Ef-3RL7ahxVRcIC_zLSVGwke36YUY1vMs_y6OoKfllTLsv6xHYCO_pQkIHmK/s4032/73732567-1BF7-4096-BB6F-EEB0D00BBC1D.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpUmQajlI46GnDvXOJEd_ifxZ7eiABttDs7TyaUIehLkd8FrOIVCkjTWky55nFUT7Wlp8xPhH5wu3v0SLXFYJSP2R_CT7oyyWfAAvracw3v6_GN2HWvDWOUY8PynU_Ef-3RL7ahxVRcIC_zLSVGwke36YUY1vMs_y6OoKfllTLsv6xHYCO_pQkIHmK/w640-h480/73732567-1BF7-4096-BB6F-EEB0D00BBC1D.jpeg" width="640" /></a></p><p><b><u>Swimming</u></b></p><p style="text-align: justify;">On a the really hot summer days our go-to activity is going to a community outdoor swimming pool. Our closest one is at Boroondara Sport Centre and we visited quite a few times this summer. It’s a simple set up, with a 50 metre lap pool, a smaller shallow pool (that is fully shaded) for the little ones, and a diving board pool for those more adventurous. Ella jumped off the 1 metre board once this summer for the first time. But apparently the water in the diving pool is quite cold so that was a one time thing for her! </p><p style="text-align: justify;">The best thing about going to Boroondara is that we almost always run in to someone from Ella’s school so she has a playmate. It’s also free for the kids as they do their swimming lessons through the same council, and the lessons include pool entry at any time to any of the local council pools. </p><p style="text-align: justify;">There is lots of grass with shade so you can set up your area, bring a picnic and stay for the day. Or if you’re too lazy to pack a picnic (hello!) they have a little cafè with some basics like cheese toasties, fries, sausage rolls, hot and cold drinks and of course a selection of icey poles and ice creams.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">This is the only picture I could find from that pool… Ella is beginning her influencer career here… </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaX9jyBjak1t5oSLL01qzXAyYBcg5243WQdIbdLoNNnrnYfn6xj3zZDF_RgmiTD4ToBIztSAauk8RmX2k6xOnuyBCV-mTMgLFRGSJLI0lNsRwmsQlk-Mj5vS9E8QkxGJR7cQHhIMYFlZXDlEY5nPZ-VY4OPRbgFRQH_Nq3l_KYVbvAiLY00tUixFoY/s4032/37545468-6F1F-4A1D-8126-16AAD3FF9341.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaX9jyBjak1t5oSLL01qzXAyYBcg5243WQdIbdLoNNnrnYfn6xj3zZDF_RgmiTD4ToBIztSAauk8RmX2k6xOnuyBCV-mTMgLFRGSJLI0lNsRwmsQlk-Mj5vS9E8QkxGJR7cQHhIMYFlZXDlEY5nPZ-VY4OPRbgFRQH_Nq3l_KYVbvAiLY00tUixFoY/w480-h640/37545468-6F1F-4A1D-8126-16AAD3FF9341.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div><div><br /></div>(We found those boots in our local op shop for $6 and she <i>loooooves</i> them. What a deal!)</div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">We ventured further afield a few times, to Oak Park Aquatic centre, which has some water slides and a great kids splash/play area. It gets very busy here though, so we’ve realized you have to get there really early on a hot day or you end up having to wait in line. It was fun for a change of scenery, and also really reasonably priced as it’s also a community centre pool. </div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmV8q5S11Cn8TfrS8ZiCcJJOV-_PzTu7_xVS6kBlCYm366JZn971T_JNJaQbdbneuhioD78MP1TzgSI0ZnVhKOsjqMHRiGu8WAL1uNw2enYySou8-xt4S2MYOpNLhs8JL2_Kj0z2dAdMc5DRjKq5Dl6f-6acGXDF1Nl58ow_72QV2SG2mihle1I-u_/s4032/5A8D97F4-AB45-4C39-9A3F-39900E9C9890.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmV8q5S11Cn8TfrS8ZiCcJJOV-_PzTu7_xVS6kBlCYm366JZn971T_JNJaQbdbneuhioD78MP1TzgSI0ZnVhKOsjqMHRiGu8WAL1uNw2enYySou8-xt4S2MYOpNLhs8JL2_Kj0z2dAdMc5DRjKq5Dl6f-6acGXDF1Nl58ow_72QV2SG2mihle1I-u_/w640-h480/5A8D97F4-AB45-4C39-9A3F-39900E9C9890.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh79RqCJP7aUl21yRhiIMLfak4-lDswWyzvF8GahsYkhnA-V6dycvs6s9IePUMqcSFV4PX2VGanrb4JkQoqeNDJSXCYSL3WLun5EHt_tHGDhutfwcnS8rit0dGNo230_vy7z4CRsQ0y-ZHQ-aAAsLrF-XOm4NtyTTKP-nwx8hVyevBmXweBnWddeWPk/s4032/F633EAEA-4E37-49E7-AFD5-4738A052C47A.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh79RqCJP7aUl21yRhiIMLfak4-lDswWyzvF8GahsYkhnA-V6dycvs6s9IePUMqcSFV4PX2VGanrb4JkQoqeNDJSXCYSL3WLun5EHt_tHGDhutfwcnS8rit0dGNo230_vy7z4CRsQ0y-ZHQ-aAAsLrF-XOm4NtyTTKP-nwx8hVyevBmXweBnWddeWPk/w640-h480/F633EAEA-4E37-49E7-AFD5-4738A052C47A.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCq1doPUoSUP0On9YvlexxBAkjb7-6S7WN55ldpvZl3H8sMAYRETVAcK48Qs99f-NQKDN__7q5yQxDJWet3zOV58CyMNq3M9Ed-6UIk40ICvuc9nF9Q7Pq1S8jpKE3cwffL7HrgG17H-GvirJ7XOGVx135hV-BjMhFg0pYt2XV4-LP9sEF1Eqdnnjs/s4032/FC53A5EC-C3BA-4CA2-B56B-AB9D9718D0F0.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCq1doPUoSUP0On9YvlexxBAkjb7-6S7WN55ldpvZl3H8sMAYRETVAcK48Qs99f-NQKDN__7q5yQxDJWet3zOV58CyMNq3M9Ed-6UIk40ICvuc9nF9Q7Pq1S8jpKE3cwffL7HrgG17H-GvirJ7XOGVx135hV-BjMhFg0pYt2XV4-LP9sEF1Eqdnnjs/w640-h480/FC53A5EC-C3BA-4CA2-B56B-AB9D9718D0F0.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><p>And that wraps up our summer highlights! It was a fantastic summer spent with my parents, one we will look back on fondly for a long time. </p></div></div>Wendy McCarryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10400056809655031226noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3302793385282321137.post-77283322032516090682023-02-03T05:32:00.006+00:002023-02-19T04:44:18.305+00:00Jan 2023 Part 1: 1000 Steps, Australian Open and the NGV<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;">We stayed in Melbourne for most of the summer this year, except for the six days we spent in Phillip Island. The month seems to have flown past, and we are back to reality with school and work starting for everyone this week. </span></div><p></p><p>Here are some of the highlights of our summer with Nannie and Grampy.</p><p><b><u>1000 Steps</u></b></p><p style="text-align: justify;">We all (except for Ollie) took a trip to the Dandenong Ranges early in January. It was the first time we'd been to the 1000 Steps since returning to Melbourne at the start of 2021. There was a huge storm in June 2021 that resulted in a lot of trees falling down along the track. The clean up took so long that it only reopened in October this year! </p><p style="text-align: justify;">The steps are dedicated to the Australian Military Forces who fought and died in Papua New Guinea in World War 2. The steps are meant to be reminiscent of the first 100 metres of the Kokoda Track in PNG and are a dedication to the Australian Military Forces who fought and died there.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">The steps are both a tourist destination and popular with local hikers and fitness enthusiasts who like the challenge - some running up the steep steps. It can get pretty crowded but luckily for us it wasn't too busy when we went. I was worried that Ella wouldn't make it up but the promise of an afternoon ice cream seemed to motivate her!</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">Here we are at the start of the steps, looking fresh and ready for the challenge!</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikLFhYB6pUhJbIbgAuPBgwBPaS-qJIghrqKLHtS6oc0eQn2k4WmD1LdsaBh1mJjpiTiv8J7zRgVEXdol1imM5mDMTbYChIXKqc-qXPxUBOAWDS0nWrDFbDi4j_EWq2LwKWr4bA5wJ_ui7OGOGcbINf1IBKifx-qILBAavikyNMd838M_6YLX2x0cJC/s3771/85F039B0-B653-4699-BDFC-39CC426D2BDF.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2804" data-original-width="3771" height="476" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikLFhYB6pUhJbIbgAuPBgwBPaS-qJIghrqKLHtS6oc0eQn2k4WmD1LdsaBh1mJjpiTiv8J7zRgVEXdol1imM5mDMTbYChIXKqc-qXPxUBOAWDS0nWrDFbDi4j_EWq2LwKWr4bA5wJ_ui7OGOGcbINf1IBKifx-qILBAavikyNMd838M_6YLX2x0cJC/w640-h476/85F039B0-B653-4699-BDFC-39CC426D2BDF.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>And here we are, finished our hike and still smiling! We managed to do the steps in about 20-25 minutes, which was pretty good considering Ella was with us. </div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiN6_RQcKkWO6FlMpajp94dk8AMCis-qFGaDrJVNsPDmLwq7f9eGC6qHdvSzpDb6-bAlRnm9-piK_2O6c257ufNsglS59ISMgZlZG-V-pGRhtz11M3SfjunW00lssGc2NHAWUhvc9RQWMRrelcNDF3lG-vzA1azOxxSYeMmimfBg6rf121cl3QZPPnL/s3625/8482EC6D-DBCB-4EA7-95FD-CC9BA19A614D.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2725" data-original-width="3625" height="482" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiN6_RQcKkWO6FlMpajp94dk8AMCis-qFGaDrJVNsPDmLwq7f9eGC6qHdvSzpDb6-bAlRnm9-piK_2O6c257ufNsglS59ISMgZlZG-V-pGRhtz11M3SfjunW00lssGc2NHAWUhvc9RQWMRrelcNDF3lG-vzA1azOxxSYeMmimfBg6rf121cl3QZPPnL/w640-h482/8482EC6D-DBCB-4EA7-95FD-CC9BA19A614D.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div>After the hike we headed to the nearby town of Olinda. There is a famous pie shop that Andy always likes visiting when we are in the area. We then convinced to Ella to wait for her ice cream so that we could pick up Ollie and then go to our local gelato shop. I feel bad for Ollie when we do fun excursions while he is in daycare! <br /><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgx7z2jvUd202jyymIIe2zToun2OoUJWNE66hoGzplPdfaoG1GyY3QkucwTZ68NYwYpg8Ldh5FTHOAG71KGRywRZ6TqL1ZDNrMAFRtr4cY24tckNWUYufjMoAGeLLy5KL1U93F2pqLA3wYQsrTTclBjNjWkCO8Pv65eawXODaTrAUufgXuP7LeJfNrE/s3543/2C2E35BC-14A2-45CB-BE1E-D8FB5CD5FEBB.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2511" data-original-width="3543" height="454" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgx7z2jvUd202jyymIIe2zToun2OoUJWNE66hoGzplPdfaoG1GyY3QkucwTZ68NYwYpg8Ldh5FTHOAG71KGRywRZ6TqL1ZDNrMAFRtr4cY24tckNWUYufjMoAGeLLy5KL1U93F2pqLA3wYQsrTTclBjNjWkCO8Pv65eawXODaTrAUufgXuP7LeJfNrE/w640-h454/2C2E35BC-14A2-45CB-BE1E-D8FB5CD5FEBB.jpeg" width="640" /></a></p><p><b><u>Australian Open</u></b></p><p style="text-align: justify;">We got grounds passes to the tennis on Day 3 of the tournament this year. The weather was rainy in the morning but Andy and I figured "it's Melbourne" and it would clear up. There were three Canadians playing tennis that day so it seemed like the perfect day for us to go. </p><p style="text-align: justify;">We stopped for brunch in on our way to the tennis, hoping the rain would clear up. Here we are heading to the car... doesn't the weather look great for tennis?! Typical Melbourne... you'd have never guessed that the tennis was delayed the day before due to extreme heat!</p><p style="text-align: justify;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0s8kBdTtvPTpo8YtzkV5yFOoCNvZaV-4zyW8woqvrC3Ab5Hn5bxjOtmJBdO-C2CnTL22rkJhEP-cObiTLQ5FVV138__M9rQ5HjgmE20mBnj7IndxXC28CheuNpwRGkmYWPH130DBDcx1Av16cAg42W3zlHnw7F-j3CuSisv_Y6veRwV46UA8Xmn5D/s3317/2BD3FDAB-3FD0-4A7B-BEDB-CD00A1069C3F.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2693" data-original-width="3317" height="520" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0s8kBdTtvPTpo8YtzkV5yFOoCNvZaV-4zyW8woqvrC3Ab5Hn5bxjOtmJBdO-C2CnTL22rkJhEP-cObiTLQ5FVV138__M9rQ5HjgmE20mBnj7IndxXC28CheuNpwRGkmYWPH130DBDcx1Av16cAg42W3zlHnw7F-j3CuSisv_Y6veRwV46UA8Xmn5D/w640-h520/2BD3FDAB-3FD0-4A7B-BEDB-CD00A1069C3F.jpeg" width="640" /></a></p><p style="text-align: justify;">The rain was persistent throughout the early afternoon. It was a light drizzle, sometimes nothing more than a fine mist in the air, but it would just not clear up. All the outside courts were majorly delayed. Andy and the kids went to the "Ball Park", which is the kids area of the Australian Open, and they were pretty happy hanging out there. They didn't seem to mind that there was no tennis to watch!</p><p style="text-align: justify;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBJrCgdBlosLFqc3ofzDPyIrvNJZTjTrFtJmw07rZWaSWLgGyt8aKJxAAYm3A61Fgbwt1z3h8Tuv2N0IwvxhUpwUJykFKFi7LoKR5uHLTppYv_fbDtflRLWj_ib18DAD9ESz3MqxXJsKP0CJWfB1vi0UOzGmOBK0p6ju5UsCOxQBFjCVNorAcMq_03/s1024/90888CB5-D4F4-4D65-A889-2E3175616D65.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1024" data-original-width="1024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBJrCgdBlosLFqc3ofzDPyIrvNJZTjTrFtJmw07rZWaSWLgGyt8aKJxAAYm3A61Fgbwt1z3h8Tuv2N0IwvxhUpwUJykFKFi7LoKR5uHLTppYv_fbDtflRLWj_ib18DAD9ESz3MqxXJsKP0CJWfB1vi0UOzGmOBK0p6ju5UsCOxQBFjCVNorAcMq_03/w640-h640/90888CB5-D4F4-4D65-A889-2E3175616D65.jpeg" width="640" /></a></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGX4DrqpHu67BujfR8IDxWdSMmGkOWIuqVRDNG4oFxWTJNldSpnBNb78Km9JpwS-cNwYBYEfcV4v5lYLT47yG11LRjLjR6duIsF2lPED1yQ_4eAdYg_xr_t1Dix-I1RgwtfrFVDOKq6UnewspeeNRR-Jd2VhoT6rCp1mbbbiWtQcIcsl7EB4-i6Xi9/s4032/74196D39-289E-4EE4-8B83-B3B15993176A.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGX4DrqpHu67BujfR8IDxWdSMmGkOWIuqVRDNG4oFxWTJNldSpnBNb78Km9JpwS-cNwYBYEfcV4v5lYLT47yG11LRjLjR6duIsF2lPED1yQ_4eAdYg_xr_t1Dix-I1RgwtfrFVDOKq6UnewspeeNRR-Jd2VhoT6rCp1mbbbiWtQcIcsl7EB4-i6Xi9/w640-h480/74196D39-289E-4EE4-8B83-B3B15993176A.jpeg" width="640" /></a></p><p style="text-align: justify;">Meanwhile, my parents and I investigated upgrading our tickets to Margaret Court Arena, where Canadian Felix Auger-Aliassime was playing shortly. Andy and I decided that it was too expensive to upgrade with the kids, given they probably wouldn't sit through the whole game anyway. But my parents got tickets and ended up seeing a very exciting game, where Felix came back from 2 sets down to win the match.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">I'm not sure how, but Andy and I managed to keep the kids amused for nearly SIX HOURS before the rain had finally stopped for long enough for the outside matches to start. We spent a lot of the time in Kia Arena where the top half of the seats were under cover. The kids had a blast. We took turns taking them for walks, getting food, and they ran around the arena stands and through Melbourne Park. The one nice thing about the weather was that it was not busy at all so there was a lot more space for the kids to be... well, kids. </p><p style="text-align: justify;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_9y31R_UbioYJOCbuQWX2P8EpiZdyGX8-xD3JUP_yzCi7LaHRrPjjzB7gKCuYnlzkFOb6vBLkyDHImyrrRf2jAQ8ZROKP5ysmWIjiwMp8ke_DDWYORx7wG9FqEAtCIa5b0Uv5o18IO8I9ZrunXoeeN9L3phnIMCE58dPUDlA8MzSQ5jFcgfO6zQVC/s4032/AB0609CD-1EDA-4FF8-A31C-721653AA3687.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_9y31R_UbioYJOCbuQWX2P8EpiZdyGX8-xD3JUP_yzCi7LaHRrPjjzB7gKCuYnlzkFOb6vBLkyDHImyrrRf2jAQ8ZROKP5ysmWIjiwMp8ke_DDWYORx7wG9FqEAtCIa5b0Uv5o18IO8I9ZrunXoeeN9L3phnIMCE58dPUDlA8MzSQ5jFcgfO6zQVC/w640-h480/AB0609CD-1EDA-4FF8-A31C-721653AA3687.jpeg" width="640" /></a></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6DIyaZDS4rn56kcMD1KGCh7_Qw36DZlESXGPydgtil7Uxze5lXt8DiuV9BuJKql9aB1_O8gxFM_abNvCZJadVeqkD9m_v9rIeMYfjPgOsJnvPHmR7Lg2Z8l_EKXADnkUobMapCUlK06RnFoXSO7Iahd35ytaXSGhjaocKgEnpo5g4a4GS46UbfBXP/s4032/F0AEEFC6-178D-4D6D-BB5D-AD27B265881C.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6DIyaZDS4rn56kcMD1KGCh7_Qw36DZlESXGPydgtil7Uxze5lXt8DiuV9BuJKql9aB1_O8gxFM_abNvCZJadVeqkD9m_v9rIeMYfjPgOsJnvPHmR7Lg2Z8l_EKXADnkUobMapCUlK06RnFoXSO7Iahd35ytaXSGhjaocKgEnpo5g4a4GS46UbfBXP/w480-h640/F0AEEFC6-178D-4D6D-BB5D-AD27B265881C.jpeg" width="480" /></a></p><p style="text-align: justify;">It was even kind of fun to watch how they dried off the courts periodically:</p><p style="text-align: justify;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtPm_598wyulcHCHq0Vn7NeDiY4J_Af6RIRPCyes_9dvROegiWYz1MEWfS7UOmTw8tn2XXfqt2KOOWfmbWuWJaPf5JlhQQU3OMMeOZRdMD9agv0_qaExHyptN1sdr1rgntmtboRnI1446h4-IQ1ofZ8KT1-Za6BsOhwkcHgtjySNlB_e76IrcxAalX/s1024/8EF0F38B-22C9-4F32-AC4B-55270CA3DBF9.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="768" data-original-width="1024" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtPm_598wyulcHCHq0Vn7NeDiY4J_Af6RIRPCyes_9dvROegiWYz1MEWfS7UOmTw8tn2XXfqt2KOOWfmbWuWJaPf5JlhQQU3OMMeOZRdMD9agv0_qaExHyptN1sdr1rgntmtboRnI1446h4-IQ1ofZ8KT1-Za6BsOhwkcHgtjySNlB_e76IrcxAalX/w640-h480/8EF0F38B-22C9-4F32-AC4B-55270CA3DBF9.jpeg" width="640" /></a></p><p style="text-align: justify;">Around 5:30pm the matches on the outside courts finally started, and we watched Canadian Bianca Andreescu play Cristina Bucsa from Spain in the Kia Arena. It was a long match (nearly three hours) and I was surprised at how attentive the kids were, especially Ollie. Unfortunately Andreescu lost but it was a pretty exciting match, especially after all that waiting around!</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPI54gMYg6u6FlwjFifbgGaBsNLrUSC3i_SwFryzUbkvKGDp-kmFd-k_GV4_b5sIPSye1HbnLBlmi5LnEq823M0ZamSNtNCKxQJpsCkl3xNuWpOoV28oNXhU1pIpIDr-eRjAQBXTB9mWiWkRhL1d5MZSlZLYxSyvVT518qMMnBG0dQgJKWjeFRTSgn/s4032/B05376E0-A224-46B6-BD4F-7ED0D0B77913.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPI54gMYg6u6FlwjFifbgGaBsNLrUSC3i_SwFryzUbkvKGDp-kmFd-k_GV4_b5sIPSye1HbnLBlmi5LnEq823M0ZamSNtNCKxQJpsCkl3xNuWpOoV28oNXhU1pIpIDr-eRjAQBXTB9mWiWkRhL1d5MZSlZLYxSyvVT518qMMnBG0dQgJKWjeFRTSgn/w640-h480/B05376E0-A224-46B6-BD4F-7ED0D0B77913.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">We stayed for another hour and then Andy and I headed home with two very tired kids. My parents stayed to watch the third Canadian, Denis Shapovalov, play his match, which went until about midnight. Andy and I caught a bit of that one on TV before heading to bed. Overall considering the weather we had a really fun day, and the Australian Open continues to be one of my favourite events in Melbourne.</div><p><b><u>Girls day at the NGV</u></b></p><p>A few days after the tennis my mom and I took Ella and one of her friends to the National Gallery of Victoria. This is one of my favourite places to take the kids at the moment. For a week in January they had a kids festival on, with activities on throughout the day.</p><p>No visit to the NGV is complete without first stopping to check out the water-wall at the entrance. No matter how many times we go this never gets old.</p><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFVVPbz1ZP-m4-djNiYfeh3Yoo6HbUBj1dvHQzIy26_y0gVPcvqYDfogFzywt5AqYhkoamQ-LK2iZFcvDH6ZV1Ai9gw0I6xpP2WyMTVirsCVfnb0bIs_o4VLyyoiCJTF2pBZBy2_rC2_nx2sN-oDveHpwhcACFJqMooByHWbFR0WpbcuNGe0u_REJI/s4032/1DFBE6A1-E8DA-4FD8-BF7E-8DB6A5FF7A91.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFVVPbz1ZP-m4-djNiYfeh3Yoo6HbUBj1dvHQzIy26_y0gVPcvqYDfogFzywt5AqYhkoamQ-LK2iZFcvDH6ZV1Ai9gw0I6xpP2WyMTVirsCVfnb0bIs_o4VLyyoiCJTF2pBZBy2_rC2_nx2sN-oDveHpwhcACFJqMooByHWbFR0WpbcuNGe0u_REJI/w640-h480/1DFBE6A1-E8DA-4FD8-BF7E-8DB6A5FF7A91.jpeg" width="640" /></a></p><p>Next we headed outside to the gardens. It was a beautiful morning and my mom and I got a coffee while the girls ran around the <a href="https://www.ngv.vic.gov.au/exhibition/2022-ngv-architecture-commission-temple-of-boom/" target="_blank">Temple of Boom</a> installation outside. </p><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzF0PrXFbs9cr5VLw2JwdklzMkbpwS1aMsmvcRzqHDHUx_xRBtIzErruYM7-5ktd6rV8dBR2cf6zzGqdhmOZktjAGqmdguRa-TLKV1glgiHwrOk8yHQgpOtycVY2nFRth2XPB3TOsmw23-EbeLu9YSBfHYXOc97DVVY8DFipdbAwzVIp47LsAXBEw1/s2800/1DF7CF03-CF65-403D-9BF3-DBDA80618A81.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2230" data-original-width="2800" height="510" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzF0PrXFbs9cr5VLw2JwdklzMkbpwS1aMsmvcRzqHDHUx_xRBtIzErruYM7-5ktd6rV8dBR2cf6zzGqdhmOZktjAGqmdguRa-TLKV1glgiHwrOk8yHQgpOtycVY2nFRth2XPB3TOsmw23-EbeLu9YSBfHYXOc97DVVY8DFipdbAwzVIp47LsAXBEw1/w640-h510/1DF7CF03-CF65-403D-9BF3-DBDA80618A81.jpeg" width="640" /></a></p><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6orUK4av5fiGHFJ8xVwQYuBU8HFsO1ytMytfU08C3a3xKFo8O2FngYj072LVfDNcwiT1KSTtW4fi6hIZygRezLtLDANpZzNT7AwZGXm9k9_05l6EUeuhjmPUyhnduzeIjg6QzfNMv6_BEcMEN99S29y7ZckmViDO6i1OpfSKsc3JTkYjvVf_jk7jA/s4032/A53D8E04-0F21-4A24-8BCF-8892B996F46E.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6orUK4av5fiGHFJ8xVwQYuBU8HFsO1ytMytfU08C3a3xKFo8O2FngYj072LVfDNcwiT1KSTtW4fi6hIZygRezLtLDANpZzNT7AwZGXm9k9_05l6EUeuhjmPUyhnduzeIjg6QzfNMv6_BEcMEN99S29y7ZckmViDO6i1OpfSKsc3JTkYjvVf_jk7jA/w640-h480/A53D8E04-0F21-4A24-8BCF-8892B996F46E.jpeg" width="640" /></a></p><p>Next we were in the Grand Hall for a K Pop dance lesson. I thought the girls would be well in to this but they really just wanted to do their own dancing instead.</p><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7kOsPXo348Jf8jJ4lvW4GoHqHqvcvFM893RTjrhQq4vLLzqDrmht-36D9hquSv9czeZkxdp_nHAEk2FcyW484XXQYAbaBOoYfQkFbNJA-QH5MuI-m2MpB-ACwy5wUVDsaZXCboKDN5EQr3G2wcUZu8rj2sEl0ixsID2DRKr51L4SKjXy1jSn2gUi0/s3135/E5EACDEF-2410-4938-9076-6C24038522A8.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2490" data-original-width="3135" height="508" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7kOsPXo348Jf8jJ4lvW4GoHqHqvcvFM893RTjrhQq4vLLzqDrmht-36D9hquSv9czeZkxdp_nHAEk2FcyW484XXQYAbaBOoYfQkFbNJA-QH5MuI-m2MpB-ACwy5wUVDsaZXCboKDN5EQr3G2wcUZu8rj2sEl0ixsID2DRKr51L4SKjXy1jSn2gUi0/w640-h508/E5EACDEF-2410-4938-9076-6C24038522A8.jpeg" width="640" /></a></p><p style="text-align: justify;">We stumbled on this video of two sets of hands putting rubber bands around a watermelon. I knew from a previous science experiment at my school that eventually the pressure from the bands becomes so much that the watermelon explodes. So we sat down and watched as more and more rubber bands were put around the watermelon.</p><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkHZ-1Mpisq3OYOhKsisVHzraYB5_5uXVxuDcGcLb4YQVz9ykqqf48FYj_xmFzibsQIu3Btw_qQZgq2AIdwr7t3VNo_FLua6Aj_w9wO8hsRxqW0hbnvuVk8S-hRhd3cvTBrIFezLFx5tGCikpqseGddUFSIE1AYHeXsofd6BKJWkJINmL8EeYxE1Op/s3417/CDAD22DF-D54C-4FDE-9511-C2AE13D4A3E4.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2556" data-original-width="3417" height="478" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkHZ-1Mpisq3OYOhKsisVHzraYB5_5uXVxuDcGcLb4YQVz9ykqqf48FYj_xmFzibsQIu3Btw_qQZgq2AIdwr7t3VNo_FLua6Aj_w9wO8hsRxqW0hbnvuVk8S-hRhd3cvTBrIFezLFx5tGCikpqseGddUFSIE1AYHeXsofd6BKJWkJINmL8EeYxE1Op/w640-h478/CDAD22DF-D54C-4FDE-9511-C2AE13D4A3E4.jpeg" width="640" /></a></p><p>We waited... and waited... and waited....</p><p>Eventually the watermelon started to change shape.</p><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLMZTjk9a9Ey_i2wvFYE0S-8EUS5UQMUsb27X2MY4dhmgLQPjuKUbiH3ylx8vbg7HLx1YgRbTpb7tw8xBOvt7wcbjDiiZhLHsKQXpzekDCdbk6gncLcC8g9YTckSqLFMN79o-hHhooJqB7xfQfpE40SAYjaDBJlU29fheTjCfdwRsTwM_8zhCFR_02/s4032/D69D91AE-00D8-408D-8BE0-000A8275A3DC.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLMZTjk9a9Ey_i2wvFYE0S-8EUS5UQMUsb27X2MY4dhmgLQPjuKUbiH3ylx8vbg7HLx1YgRbTpb7tw8xBOvt7wcbjDiiZhLHsKQXpzekDCdbk6gncLcC8g9YTckSqLFMN79o-hHhooJqB7xfQfpE40SAYjaDBJlU29fheTjCfdwRsTwM_8zhCFR_02/w640-h480/D69D91AE-00D8-408D-8BE0-000A8275A3DC.jpeg" width="640" /></a></p><p style="text-align: justify;">And then finally, after about 20 minutes, the top of the watermelon popped off! When we did this at my school the watermelon actually exploded, so this popping off was a bit of an anticlimax to be honest! But I was very impressed at how patiently the girls waited and watched this very repetitive video... I mean art.</p><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxhkxXfFIoEAwPaqFEqModhJ-9hHd4J-55vT5i9L6V2eRGt-A2JPcvYrpYOycIgR1TYlfJeOQSr9b8CSaqGspGWh6fNXkJxd61M5uVxw1WG-LxNxFfgYWoRVqidoheYyyMXIrn3H_rx6uznk1rNeyuKC7ahRfIu3EsYgSIPW0pHx7goSYbAjkvZxA7/s4032/BC2653A6-5DA6-422F-9E75-1DFF5BE3D6BE.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxhkxXfFIoEAwPaqFEqModhJ-9hHd4J-55vT5i9L6V2eRGt-A2JPcvYrpYOycIgR1TYlfJeOQSr9b8CSaqGspGWh6fNXkJxd61M5uVxw1WG-LxNxFfgYWoRVqidoheYyyMXIrn3H_rx6uznk1rNeyuKC7ahRfIu3EsYgSIPW0pHx7goSYbAjkvZxA7/w640-h480/BC2653A6-5DA6-422F-9E75-1DFF5BE3D6BE.jpeg" width="640" /></a></p><p>Next we spent time exploring the NGV's <a href="https://www.ngv.vic.gov.au/exhibition/freedom-of-movement/" target="_blank">Freedom of Movement</a> exhibition. From the NGV's website:</p><div style="text-align: justify;"><i>Crossing cultures, disciplines and traditional divides, Freedom of Movement: Contemporary Art and Design from the NGV Collection presents NGV Collection works bound together by their capacity to reveal the centrality of movement through the gestural, technological, and geographical, in contemporary art and design practice today.</i></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><i><br /></i></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><i>With over 60 works from the NGV Collection, the exhibition includes furniture, lighting, painting, film, sculpture and installation. The exhibition surveys NGV’s commitment to collecting new, ground-breaking contemporary art and design that explores, unpicks, critiques and toys with contemporary issues.</i></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><i><br /></i></div><div style="text-align: justify;">There was a lot of interesting works within the three rooms of this collection and the girls were engaged with it for quite a long time. It was a really fantastic day overall and very enjoyable to spend it with both my mom and my daughter, along with Ella's friend. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJ50bRFB0aMe0PdbvCOBKIjNJRo12-ngzUM4VO5-TrfCdFna_eejlOcxJ8hMFfyOZRcbe4DOaDFbitbNsW6SpWFCCq49Ovb8kfZnhuOKAVPY4UcJEDC8cMUP_414M4DTkZzGhpECPUkusDJTtzcpLrtKTa5ScfAQ6EEmBs-UoP9H82pSHvE709Iwvh/s3840/FD579137-057A-45E5-92E2-B4DE9CE7B915-COLLAGE%20Copy.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3840" data-original-width="2160" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJ50bRFB0aMe0PdbvCOBKIjNJRo12-ngzUM4VO5-TrfCdFna_eejlOcxJ8hMFfyOZRcbe4DOaDFbitbNsW6SpWFCCq49Ovb8kfZnhuOKAVPY4UcJEDC8cMUP_414M4DTkZzGhpECPUkusDJTtzcpLrtKTa5ScfAQ6EEmBs-UoP9H82pSHvE709Iwvh/w360-h640/FD579137-057A-45E5-92E2-B4DE9CE7B915-COLLAGE%20Copy.JPG" width="360" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGzk_LrnKyfd68am38IWMsoxTDQQBKevyUTHpSayOhWZ-py3fVM4EQOzOe_T0Eug83Ly5kmujI7X81uwoHGxlZQk9PbNh3SoeqD-p867pnXR9YPSBQRzxhmQkF8zajROEOWYLbpowfQvcDNsGe5WhWBb_1HcS3Zt-FbzSA8wcwD8NBWNJ1ietaUM-6/s2880/3E4380C2-59A0-473F-9DF3-7CD13EF50462-COLLAGE.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2880" data-original-width="2880" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGzk_LrnKyfd68am38IWMsoxTDQQBKevyUTHpSayOhWZ-py3fVM4EQOzOe_T0Eug83Ly5kmujI7X81uwoHGxlZQk9PbNh3SoeqD-p867pnXR9YPSBQRzxhmQkF8zajROEOWYLbpowfQvcDNsGe5WhWBb_1HcS3Zt-FbzSA8wcwD8NBWNJ1ietaUM-6/w640-h640/3E4380C2-59A0-473F-9DF3-7CD13EF50462-COLLAGE.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>And that's it for part 1 of our summer holidays! Part 2 coming soon...Wendy McCarryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10400056809655031226noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3302793385282321137.post-55982176367238486272023-01-26T00:22:00.005+00:002023-01-26T00:28:14.627+00:00My top 10 Phillip Island Highlights<p style="text-align: justify;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;">Over the summer holidays we spent five nights in Phillip Island, for the second year in a row. This year we were lucky to be able to rent a holiday house from Andy's school, located at the school's campsite in Cowes in Phillip Island. Andy's school allows staff to rent cabins at their two campsites (the other one is in Healesville) during the school holidays. In the Cowes site they also own a four bedroom family house that staff can rent, so we took advantage of this job perk and spent six days there in mid-January this summer.</span></div><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;">In no particular order (except for number 1!), here are my top 10 highlights from our holiday.</p><p style="text-align: justify;"><b>1. Mom's birthday and sunset on Woolamai beach</b></p><p style="text-align: justify;">I'm starting with the last thing we did on holiday, but it was also my favourite. Our last night of the holiday was the day before my mom's birthday. As I knew we'd just be packing up and travelling home on her actual birthday I thought it would be nice to have a little birthday celebration the night before. Cape Woolamai is the south eastern tip of Phillip Island and has the longest beach on Phillip Island. It's also where you can watch the most glorious sunset over the wild ocean waves and windswept beach. </p><p style="text-align: justify;">We arrived about two hours before sunset and spent time running around on the beach, writing our names and in the sand, and sand boarding with boogie boards on the dunes that line the beach. It was very windy which always makes the kids extra energetic (read: crazy).</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhI5HSKNgNm2QFRblNcRDdgGWusnMSfM9nB4WsSWLl0wOHG-YHSTbhBjs6NXC2ASgxbGkib9anHf8a_VHY0emCFDIRklxdYMGoa2fkJdCr-dlz5tsn8_jtEiS8-HLduILBxOHW2HYArtY5d2LtFrjmDjF-LXGFWAxbNZpvYI8p5inl6-vjKFQiPZ28I/s4032/18F1BA0C-A85A-49EC-8ACF-940B26F50C76.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhI5HSKNgNm2QFRblNcRDdgGWusnMSfM9nB4WsSWLl0wOHG-YHSTbhBjs6NXC2ASgxbGkib9anHf8a_VHY0emCFDIRklxdYMGoa2fkJdCr-dlz5tsn8_jtEiS8-HLduILBxOHW2HYArtY5d2LtFrjmDjF-LXGFWAxbNZpvYI8p5inl6-vjKFQiPZ28I/w640-h480/18F1BA0C-A85A-49EC-8ACF-940B26F50C76.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1K7La7wRhFH796413RFxFQ4MJKMqs54E4-VJy79PAjW2-K7mX_z0pymJpm_IE4iCAucasS3lOWHNwcuBIlGJBJ4JzeyLSFKn0GqtemHd8tHN-mmxqJ9y3sgM3bXxrFJ-dCTIh0i8p3uMT-xx-JDPt9IWRUKPrmPR8wC_xjtk8UlEZWH9QeUNHscnt/s2048/91F948D0-AEE7-44C6-9431-BBFB6A430AF7.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1K7La7wRhFH796413RFxFQ4MJKMqs54E4-VJy79PAjW2-K7mX_z0pymJpm_IE4iCAucasS3lOWHNwcuBIlGJBJ4JzeyLSFKn0GqtemHd8tHN-mmxqJ9y3sgM3bXxrFJ-dCTIh0i8p3uMT-xx-JDPt9IWRUKPrmPR8wC_xjtk8UlEZWH9QeUNHscnt/w640-h480/91F948D0-AEE7-44C6-9431-BBFB6A430AF7.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiySsviaFayZu_pRSY_i1NVO5NVc46OLuaGA7v8pgr0mHxIGEFTubWFDAmC6hgssOcE4bdnblY4o8KHztUfCdIYeGAfpqxtI2lhE3ki-IiA1ny8o_gThj_rEqhpf6RofHYtlWCIIKBqrjjfcuqny_4ZY3QjSRhaSCKwCub1ybKaezd5Drs4R1xyQM1F/s2048/0484D31C-E350-4A70-9343-F5519560CB05.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiySsviaFayZu_pRSY_i1NVO5NVc46OLuaGA7v8pgr0mHxIGEFTubWFDAmC6hgssOcE4bdnblY4o8KHztUfCdIYeGAfpqxtI2lhE3ki-IiA1ny8o_gThj_rEqhpf6RofHYtlWCIIKBqrjjfcuqny_4ZY3QjSRhaSCKwCub1ybKaezd5Drs4R1xyQM1F/w480-h640/0484D31C-E350-4A70-9343-F5519560CB05.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQElH9rcCIdO1GfQkaGFuY6NWpaovlTSBNBJ8An-YGJF1Pu2Nfk171YTQ5ZbqQly9o1CTroWMvvczuFBjUx0n0SqPEsvarFDRFvZpIK_a34pENh6XbshbZhPuqquxEpDjLtN1kxT3SQoIJJYtrUVDKjGG5cxdL3EBUukqjlox5kWn4wcdYFZD-Rso7/s2048/48288DFC-6237-4E85-92A8-D8431FD2B615.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQElH9rcCIdO1GfQkaGFuY6NWpaovlTSBNBJ8An-YGJF1Pu2Nfk171YTQ5ZbqQly9o1CTroWMvvczuFBjUx0n0SqPEsvarFDRFvZpIK_a34pENh6XbshbZhPuqquxEpDjLtN1kxT3SQoIJJYtrUVDKjGG5cxdL3EBUukqjlox5kWn4wcdYFZD-Rso7/w640-h480/48288DFC-6237-4E85-92A8-D8431FD2B615.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><p style="text-align: justify;">Just before the sunset we surprised my mom with a birthday cake, which we ate while the sun went down. It was the perfect way to celebrate our lovely mom/Nannie and to wrap up our holiday.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgm8WGUmuglBWQyQ_kpmMLcnQ1PPmrNc6Sbbvoc9usx5Q73aDYlHP6-1Ni5zQUgVsEMC1jGI06AWpVzdSbTxdNGvwmDlsFDDQsqV4T0dhlwC3Rz7s0wOM-FmrrrT1ILIKIxfL2WK-Cq1cU27gDSLiwinfQseKEhvtYlylCphEhChooDb3O7ISB2PrVg/s1024/6AD0EC22-6F64-4D89-BC57-106C325ED302.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="768" data-original-width="1024" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgm8WGUmuglBWQyQ_kpmMLcnQ1PPmrNc6Sbbvoc9usx5Q73aDYlHP6-1Ni5zQUgVsEMC1jGI06AWpVzdSbTxdNGvwmDlsFDDQsqV4T0dhlwC3Rz7s0wOM-FmrrrT1ILIKIxfL2WK-Cq1cU27gDSLiwinfQseKEhvtYlylCphEhChooDb3O7ISB2PrVg/w640-h480/6AD0EC22-6F64-4D89-BC57-106C325ED302.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZmWAU9S2lLfi086RS2FTj3yYTmtaZZRM-zIRoSsKCZyg6WRjeZLUmt6961nokz_dqNToJVpFVRlz_Nicz7r4LYKgSi-cCV9jsfkvj2E8Nn2zmNetvQQ4_h4ixGx_cPZ8vTTxu5gMM4lXgth5PPX0V5wm6xYSxHeQxjSJG43qV2LJQkjab7GXd9O1q/s1024/88496056-5924-47FC-9705-3119890730AC.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="916" data-original-width="1024" height="572" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZmWAU9S2lLfi086RS2FTj3yYTmtaZZRM-zIRoSsKCZyg6WRjeZLUmt6961nokz_dqNToJVpFVRlz_Nicz7r4LYKgSi-cCV9jsfkvj2E8Nn2zmNetvQQ4_h4ixGx_cPZ8vTTxu5gMM4lXgth5PPX0V5wm6xYSxHeQxjSJG43qV2LJQkjab7GXd9O1q/w640-h572/88496056-5924-47FC-9705-3119890730AC.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>We had to sit up in the sand dunes to keep out of the wind!</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipoaVjQe5TP_gi7M4Btr92lAkHHoEhkNiJmCZimY5_W9TCqyvOdtHm5vwIgPs7N2LuOwdpNyAnX9w-_X6YS-3Hgv4j339PSglkNIXA2Dqwgst5-lzIs4wC8pkNmvxHTGxdJoGdwjl6lzwtDyKbkBlYsuI4zYY5pysepcl4Grya4ped_zDzj3VZff9t/s1024/C7ED2959-7A40-46A5-867D-8BFED798B66D.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="768" data-original-width="1024" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipoaVjQe5TP_gi7M4Btr92lAkHHoEhkNiJmCZimY5_W9TCqyvOdtHm5vwIgPs7N2LuOwdpNyAnX9w-_X6YS-3Hgv4j339PSglkNIXA2Dqwgst5-lzIs4wC8pkNmvxHTGxdJoGdwjl6lzwtDyKbkBlYsuI4zYY5pysepcl4Grya4ped_zDzj3VZff9t/w640-h480/C7ED2959-7A40-46A5-867D-8BFED798B66D.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5ZcgCe12jHyHIIdwMYe5Q_Xbz2gNflDSyE7UAxvmgBMou_K3TxOkR-XaSr50gQelYWlRuEi85hT8pSZpQrDVfZfoBCYId2WkKUBjhvbMlByS6aRrHgML4R92uZqxGBuSkS5-BQ4novKNAbSuZ3LeTkmoj1GaLn1LUPmLRc2Z1NF5F22RtYO5lgISb/s1024/C6740BA7-7F1A-4C7F-989E-2A7187365FF0.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="742" data-original-width="1024" height="464" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5ZcgCe12jHyHIIdwMYe5Q_Xbz2gNflDSyE7UAxvmgBMou_K3TxOkR-XaSr50gQelYWlRuEi85hT8pSZpQrDVfZfoBCYId2WkKUBjhvbMlByS6aRrHgML4R92uZqxGBuSkS5-BQ4novKNAbSuZ3LeTkmoj1GaLn1LUPmLRc2Z1NF5F22RtYO5lgISb/w640-h464/C6740BA7-7F1A-4C7F-989E-2A7187365FF0.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><p style="text-align: justify;"><b>2. Morning walks with Andy</b></p><p style="text-align: justify;">Every morning Andy and I got up and went for a walk along the beach to the main street in Cowes to get a coffee. Going for walks together is not something we get to do in every day life, and only possible because my parents were with us. It was a great way to start the day and nice to have some alone time together. We generally went to G'day Tiger, a small café with excellent coffee along with a small selection of pastries and sandwiches. We did try two other cafés during our stay but kept coming back to G'day Tiger, which we discovered way back in 2018 when we first visited Phillip Island with Andy's parents. </p><p style="text-align: justify;"><b>3. Ella's playmate</b></p><p style="text-align: justify;">Two days into our stay another family arrived to stay in one of the cabins on the school campsite. The dad was one of Andy's colleagues, and they had two children aged 13 and 11. I initially thought our kids wouldn't get along because of the age difference, but their 13-year-old daughter and Ella instantly hit it off. She was just excellent with Ella and the two of them spent hours swimming together, taking out the paddle board, and searching for shells. It's a shame this family don't live closer to us in Melbourne as their daughter would have been a perfect babysitter in a year or two!</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrSGiLI_dazSjtz-fwa79-2QNVnh8juESS_BrjQemWpNjE8uNlfe-3eYidYC-otMQC-nxiqlh_gXgMWESY2myqj0ZYSwG2iLQljuVl4n-BU0kDYdmMATo0kOdBQCw1hY3eeH1WQmKc3dI77Cn9lYb6kLJscu3vlecxJF4usniaPWHdgE5ib_e11xYJ/s2048/7EC6DB63-6EAE-4A38-9C37-4A6ED331D38D.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrSGiLI_dazSjtz-fwa79-2QNVnh8juESS_BrjQemWpNjE8uNlfe-3eYidYC-otMQC-nxiqlh_gXgMWESY2myqj0ZYSwG2iLQljuVl4n-BU0kDYdmMATo0kOdBQCw1hY3eeH1WQmKc3dI77Cn9lYb6kLJscu3vlecxJF4usniaPWHdgE5ib_e11xYJ/w640-h480/7EC6DB63-6EAE-4A38-9C37-4A6ED331D38D.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><p style="text-align: justify;"><b>4. Our holiday house</b></p><p style="text-align: justify;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9uDPUscks-dCIAzYTU5tfNG4bT-EdYKo4HyEP0Vz1o76caSGi5q6odmaqXB-YxCfiqCKWhGz0ylWq7JzaP_GQodKlFxX4lkzBmBcCnlKTbt9srw_bULdt4BAwvYe_FcULoGSesML-XyKihAeogl7QY_3k8Sw0vYnj9pvziWjfZeM4WoBBmTI6KLfd/s2945/C76C0277-3B68-40C2-A953-94C593066CF2.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2288" data-original-width="2945" height="498" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9uDPUscks-dCIAzYTU5tfNG4bT-EdYKo4HyEP0Vz1o76caSGi5q6odmaqXB-YxCfiqCKWhGz0ylWq7JzaP_GQodKlFxX4lkzBmBcCnlKTbt9srw_bULdt4BAwvYe_FcULoGSesML-XyKihAeogl7QY_3k8Sw0vYnj9pvziWjfZeM4WoBBmTI6KLfd/w640-h498/C76C0277-3B68-40C2-A953-94C593066CF2.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;">Renting out the house owned by Andy's school had a lot of advantages. First, the location was excellent. The camp is located on the beach just east of Cowes, in the area of Silverleaves. We literally walked out the back gate to this view:</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzuXbYLmN3TyrOHhnZE77RbTWxpgGAeDeAGCxU6Mn0YRuAb5YZdkZolu5n_enVZ4a06VyYA-VTOEvzQJ8p5oZ9EqFay4lc2rz0RkLf0ToVLUi9Z_u8Pyr8nmpuUTrAVQoMQ7_iOFmXPvQMy_c9IEBwayjOjklOAkV3IXGBnbDobC9xufK47MSGBWL3/s4032/215C03BE-518B-4F77-91B0-7C0B7B193C84.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzuXbYLmN3TyrOHhnZE77RbTWxpgGAeDeAGCxU6Mn0YRuAb5YZdkZolu5n_enVZ4a06VyYA-VTOEvzQJ8p5oZ9EqFay4lc2rz0RkLf0ToVLUi9Z_u8Pyr8nmpuUTrAVQoMQ7_iOFmXPvQMy_c9IEBwayjOjklOAkV3IXGBnbDobC9xufK47MSGBWL3/w640-h480/215C03BE-518B-4F77-91B0-7C0B7B193C84.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><p style="text-align: justify;">We were also able to use some of the camp facilities, such as the BBQs, water sports equipment (we used a paddle board and boogie board but there were kayaks to use as well), table tennis tables, and other sports equipment. </p><p style="text-align: justify;">The house itself was pretty big and we had a lot more space than in our actual house in Melbourne. The kids were thrilled that it had an upstairs, and as a result played up in their room together a lot more than they would at home. </p><p style="text-align: justify;">We spent a lot of time at the beach behind the house and it was perfect!</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9m1-jNYdl9Cg6wsKJI5d6alyJl8O0dGxhqfp2AVXlaVz53_JuLkq20wgaq63XnG7wBOY9fdow80Nf83WUhnl3sgtx1-XSl8j1NhjksCqylsuD1Ce2g0NAu-N1VvkVYrJbHMlf9uEM1N7CB4wICAAJDLowUDTbTs55IMSlEAlKrRqPiWAW6dbPobkG/s1024/6D24FCF5-0356-4DB9-8163-50745148CFCA.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="768" data-original-width="1024" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9m1-jNYdl9Cg6wsKJI5d6alyJl8O0dGxhqfp2AVXlaVz53_JuLkq20wgaq63XnG7wBOY9fdow80Nf83WUhnl3sgtx1-XSl8j1NhjksCqylsuD1Ce2g0NAu-N1VvkVYrJbHMlf9uEM1N7CB4wICAAJDLowUDTbTs55IMSlEAlKrRqPiWAW6dbPobkG/w640-h480/6D24FCF5-0356-4DB9-8163-50745148CFCA.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLAIt7121lWoh-nCRgMsrdg-GlhGtFCwoFBpHdyzjV4tnFOZBGZkMtCASHzvPFWD297a9VfC87rxTzL_EZZWqkaIbpjtDYs5QBoXyC-fzRdcnbKlIKBk9sijZm_WgBy1W6hnLrjX4_wDbq7CK86upoACOR7wiLcUeOwZsl1Rst4dZxWQvg-yT-aECc/s4032/38DFEED1-9556-4467-A968-3E27F2C3F6FD.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLAIt7121lWoh-nCRgMsrdg-GlhGtFCwoFBpHdyzjV4tnFOZBGZkMtCASHzvPFWD297a9VfC87rxTzL_EZZWqkaIbpjtDYs5QBoXyC-fzRdcnbKlIKBk9sijZm_WgBy1W6hnLrjX4_wDbq7CK86upoACOR7wiLcUeOwZsl1Rst4dZxWQvg-yT-aECc/w640-h480/38DFEED1-9556-4467-A968-3E27F2C3F6FD.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZM54L9jXx2UJVPov6u5voGJf73xuWEzK5VDuT_WyxUXkHz01-iZ33ET64ldPJ3-24Ik26HAdHiKP7lfroyD5nNyvfZUZCmt36bGAAKU2jLvYjf002109jRLbKMK7s0Cah957ty66CL8LuQMhylHprMAbcK3xLt-G0Qgym4TUoxQAQWQ6SWqnbH43s/s3088/A3612C01-35DE-4A38-8248-69805BABFBEC.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2316" data-original-width="3088" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZM54L9jXx2UJVPov6u5voGJf73xuWEzK5VDuT_WyxUXkHz01-iZ33ET64ldPJ3-24Ik26HAdHiKP7lfroyD5nNyvfZUZCmt36bGAAKU2jLvYjf002109jRLbKMK7s0Cah957ty66CL8LuQMhylHprMAbcK3xLt-G0Qgym4TUoxQAQWQ6SWqnbH43s/w640-h480/A3612C01-35DE-4A38-8248-69805BABFBEC.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHWUhMeb1stFlzRsOOn5RvmGunMk9RV7LUfeLe3oGzrxwExiBTs1pJamaUiFNkiKfZhJo9C8F6soqJx-Z1TkmWuT5IFFJLkfOmVcd5zWyfR3RcIYes-J249pbXGajpsPJGZxO7GV_RRc6ZsyaxM5l9XDFaQOOz_ZNSVUJwm8fqgCFlcHGv7ESmiy1i/s4032/F9F3708D-0AC0-4BEF-BF40-CE289B5C72A4.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHWUhMeb1stFlzRsOOn5RvmGunMk9RV7LUfeLe3oGzrxwExiBTs1pJamaUiFNkiKfZhJo9C8F6soqJx-Z1TkmWuT5IFFJLkfOmVcd5zWyfR3RcIYes-J249pbXGajpsPJGZxO7GV_RRc6ZsyaxM5l9XDFaQOOz_ZNSVUJwm8fqgCFlcHGv7ESmiy1i/w640-h480/F9F3708D-0AC0-4BEF-BF40-CE289B5C72A4.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><p style="text-align: justify;">There were a few downsides to the house, it wasn't kitted out the same way that a regular holiday house would be, so we had to bring all our own linen, blankets, pillows etc. There also wasn't much in the way of pots and pans. And as the house is where the teachers stay when they use the camp the bedrooms are all set up with two single beds. But these were minor inconveniences and overall it was a fantastic place to stay, and no doubt we'll be back again in the future.</p><p style="text-align: justify;"><b>5. Ollie's games</b></p><p style="text-align: justify;">Ollie has developed a real interest in cricket this summer, and while we were in Phillip Island Andy picked up a small cricket bat for him (the ones at the camp were too big as they are meant for teenagers). He wanted to play all the time, and in particular he wanted to play "family cricket"... ie everyone participates. If given a choice of playing cricket or going to the beach, Ollie always picked playing cricket. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaq1J9vZm0fKNs9M5voL1paIh3YT7IovpV5GVmY_e7hJ0m2WqhMxrL03ZIZDhBt_PgVtU3Cyos-1DP1TH1D3WVhA0RXRjFnDgCO5vAxCujNgUALmPbe_86vyEOYT7WPEcOMGvbor1rHutqh29q5FoUk24o69ZqRiiACbdkpm_25bmUniu10Mpz7e65/s2048/A4BB4B4B-2469-44A3-BA2C-12E5A984EF58.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaq1J9vZm0fKNs9M5voL1paIh3YT7IovpV5GVmY_e7hJ0m2WqhMxrL03ZIZDhBt_PgVtU3Cyos-1DP1TH1D3WVhA0RXRjFnDgCO5vAxCujNgUALmPbe_86vyEOYT7WPEcOMGvbor1rHutqh29q5FoUk24o69ZqRiiACbdkpm_25bmUniu10Mpz7e65/w640-h480/A4BB4B4B-2469-44A3-BA2C-12E5A984EF58.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><p style="text-align: justify;">There was a pool table in our house and this was another source of amusement for him. He spent hours rolling the balls into the pockets, or into "jail" as per the game he'd made up in his head. Ollie + any type of ball = hours of entertainment.</p><p style="text-align: justify;"><b>6. Phillip Island Wildlife Park</b></p><p style="text-align: justify;">My parents took the kids to this nature park where you can see many species of Australian animals, and feed wallabies, kangaroos and emus. I didn't actually go, but this has made my top 10 highlights for two reasons... first of course it gave Andy and I time to go for a walk on the beach and to brunch alone. We ended up at Mon Dieu, a café just off the main street in Cowes that we hadn't been to before, and I highly recommend. The second reason is how excited the kids were when they got back and told us about their day at the park. They couldn't wait to tell us about all the animals they saw and fed. According to my parents they spent hours walking around the 60 acre park and were really interested in everything they saw. They certainly look happy and engaged in all the pictures of their afternoon here!</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjx__0q_jSQAUphLd6cwh8kYhXwxXDoRekGuzuramfgXOyS8C9uXfUJLAHPaih_2nUr5oFdTYc8uYyvt4J3IS6w5K7sQTPs6Lh1OHNZWSMqo8TZd0x4I2sBLDUVkogckd2WpRrQcNyGontos-3czU6lfGBjrCS4BiOpeowcR5RVb6aJIUhWkWKlghpE/s4032/2AF4E5E5-307A-4862-BACE-7EACC4B694D9.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjx__0q_jSQAUphLd6cwh8kYhXwxXDoRekGuzuramfgXOyS8C9uXfUJLAHPaih_2nUr5oFdTYc8uYyvt4J3IS6w5K7sQTPs6Lh1OHNZWSMqo8TZd0x4I2sBLDUVkogckd2WpRrQcNyGontos-3czU6lfGBjrCS4BiOpeowcR5RVb6aJIUhWkWKlghpE/w640-h480/2AF4E5E5-307A-4862-BACE-7EACC4B694D9.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpiSEmuz8ePRDx_vbGp23P56wPmtacTNuhtIP9bVs1XYY5jXLxN-FjOcA7mst4SyoRNZ2Y3Wclp8Cr6RGOvkdAIFuFzMYBMODG1LdgFwl3nS71c5LSCWKS-BFKOCEouSCn0CHijzkANkQu-TP91NXCQU4dOpigk0_0pkcNPv8L5XS-T8K-8ttc4RJD/s4032/30E2A100-0179-4DD1-9DA0-9839093D9A95.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpiSEmuz8ePRDx_vbGp23P56wPmtacTNuhtIP9bVs1XYY5jXLxN-FjOcA7mst4SyoRNZ2Y3Wclp8Cr6RGOvkdAIFuFzMYBMODG1LdgFwl3nS71c5LSCWKS-BFKOCEouSCn0CHijzkANkQu-TP91NXCQU4dOpigk0_0pkcNPv8L5XS-T8K-8ttc4RJD/w640-h480/30E2A100-0179-4DD1-9DA0-9839093D9A95.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8_pIbHx6dbrJATcq9VlMQ0pj8lHFxTvmybC1xdlRto8Nvw39YXsablGxWNZdpwISwZ2ZX3ke2XGQEIOXvINEYfiTSZ1vL8KRzBa52jymuSMY6pceiEGAqHsF7oYvUXm5-GMOHk5L3pgm30yffRGAs9BgBmevM5VQvauh88xzLvcWihcpyx2xtmVTY/s4032/773B4A49-5A1F-44D2-92E1-D98BCFD21F15.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8_pIbHx6dbrJATcq9VlMQ0pj8lHFxTvmybC1xdlRto8Nvw39YXsablGxWNZdpwISwZ2ZX3ke2XGQEIOXvINEYfiTSZ1vL8KRzBa52jymuSMY6pceiEGAqHsF7oYvUXm5-GMOHk5L3pgm30yffRGAs9BgBmevM5VQvauh88xzLvcWihcpyx2xtmVTY/w640-h480/773B4A49-5A1F-44D2-92E1-D98BCFD21F15.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLdUxbBYYmySUDqliUp1ck5a-cRB0XgqzlrzoNyXoixkhPNmmqW1DcxauHW6SFZGGd0lSHEV9ovlnn9Ovn3auKQgM0jgIVXh2_uPtGJGnUnPLAWf7EL5nOezeYQIqnwEjLMEFpJn5ZgF8LUUG_wt0hyDYRzItuDNFHOwrC9k6FgvavCGxMaYhpPVCI/s4032/B5F8722D-1AF5-4AFB-A7CA-60B4BBDF521D.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLdUxbBYYmySUDqliUp1ck5a-cRB0XgqzlrzoNyXoixkhPNmmqW1DcxauHW6SFZGGd0lSHEV9ovlnn9Ovn3auKQgM0jgIVXh2_uPtGJGnUnPLAWf7EL5nOezeYQIqnwEjLMEFpJn5ZgF8LUUG_wt0hyDYRzItuDNFHOwrC9k6FgvavCGxMaYhpPVCI/w640-h480/B5F8722D-1AF5-4AFB-A7CA-60B4BBDF521D.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><p style="text-align: justify;"><b>7. The beach at low tide</b></p><p style="text-align: justify;">At high tide our beach was right up to the ramp shown in one of my pictures above. But at low tide the sand seems to go on for miles... creating little sand islands and very shallow pools of water for the kids to play in. We set up our beach chairs on one of these "islands" one morning and had the best time. Ella spent time with her teenaged friend and the paddle board, and Ollie loved being pulled on the boogie board by Andy. My parents and I set up our beach chairs on our own little island - until the tide finally came in and washed our island away for another day!</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrQW7uTaHHmGzlnWOAoNtTMFD2mN-P8f7PqJz91zKEKdtAHSoKMPSWLD9siKxxNpzjrvHD-FW7TjxpupHBbHQwWisysoUo8M4X-x-tBZOBLw6Ebm1HgWZr6JtB8j710-01vJyDR9J3rqB07BBWXZOQtr2JQ_59SYVh_4h5KtPvqnwVB5SldLeYwqfY/s2048/7820E437-72A5-4B18-B383-1B395165C2F9.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrQW7uTaHHmGzlnWOAoNtTMFD2mN-P8f7PqJz91zKEKdtAHSoKMPSWLD9siKxxNpzjrvHD-FW7TjxpupHBbHQwWisysoUo8M4X-x-tBZOBLw6Ebm1HgWZr6JtB8j710-01vJyDR9J3rqB07BBWXZOQtr2JQ_59SYVh_4h5KtPvqnwVB5SldLeYwqfY/w640-h480/7820E437-72A5-4B18-B383-1B395165C2F9.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtS6LS2CCRRpI-IF1MFA7SBFWO5kafBlf50oDw_5bfneYUg7ofIyOOnlNgnlZRVzfVipMl49pAfbY3xv_8lMe7O7mCX-oSmHQ70iq4rPsfDHUSFTOH_RczskCKgNHfI1WKuofXJP8FI4EKYs_b637x50DFaHfBzr1xLpfoHBtq2A7ZLSYEU_V0KQ82/s3534/1FD88BF0-8D4A-47E8-87D1-CA83AF66A9F5.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2793" data-original-width="3534" height="506" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtS6LS2CCRRpI-IF1MFA7SBFWO5kafBlf50oDw_5bfneYUg7ofIyOOnlNgnlZRVzfVipMl49pAfbY3xv_8lMe7O7mCX-oSmHQ70iq4rPsfDHUSFTOH_RczskCKgNHfI1WKuofXJP8FI4EKYs_b637x50DFaHfBzr1xLpfoHBtq2A7ZLSYEU_V0KQ82/w640-h506/1FD88BF0-8D4A-47E8-87D1-CA83AF66A9F5.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgB7qTRrAE0lKL8PMI7wNkPbiOh0d1DmtvKkRO1Wg58_tFoF73EEs4fZ9p2qvguOARfexZaY61mQ5e6ftGRiOIbXEHQEqYOTCPSGPA9hUdJH2YZPanszqvertu1EXeS0J9hHU0_qp4Wj2iaedbmhTzlypZrq3wPFkCuh5d7Qf8F1KDp5ll8b82cOrUQ/s2048/C1A2519A-B08B-434E-889C-BCE753FC4A32.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgB7qTRrAE0lKL8PMI7wNkPbiOh0d1DmtvKkRO1Wg58_tFoF73EEs4fZ9p2qvguOARfexZaY61mQ5e6ftGRiOIbXEHQEqYOTCPSGPA9hUdJH2YZPanszqvertu1EXeS0J9hHU0_qp4Wj2iaedbmhTzlypZrq3wPFkCuh5d7Qf8F1KDp5ll8b82cOrUQ/w640-h480/C1A2519A-B08B-434E-889C-BCE753FC4A32.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8McC8NUBk7iHsdiGq-d3HnApzHqiLJHa1nmJQY_olVgy_DuavrzxD6VlqpNIEqYcDFm7V_ew5UW-oJ9Abn4DcnsJUsZl9pww1qf9WMQtCI4XJsUgHEk4m7-rxbh8HSTr3lTXAnXm5g446V9DpqNKUjyLoGC1Eu5CoEAcmdX9Lr7v2VSrN0fTo2EKk/s4032/EDA51BD2-FCFD-4373-8EDF-82BD06D7D139.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8McC8NUBk7iHsdiGq-d3HnApzHqiLJHa1nmJQY_olVgy_DuavrzxD6VlqpNIEqYcDFm7V_ew5UW-oJ9Abn4DcnsJUsZl9pww1qf9WMQtCI4XJsUgHEk4m7-rxbh8HSTr3lTXAnXm5g446V9DpqNKUjyLoGC1Eu5CoEAcmdX9Lr7v2VSrN0fTo2EKk/w640-h480/EDA51BD2-FCFD-4373-8EDF-82BD06D7D139.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><p style="text-align: justify;">We also walked home from dinner on our first night during low tide. The kids loved being able to run across such a wide expanse of sand, occasionally jumping in puddles or shallow water.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidTt2ngUBDIai7jAyCqxNVNmyAl3mzdcxU7w1vU1ziIrAt5J0vd3s8QaPT5BQW6eP5JfN3vB9m26Q4uaKZNOF4TGM2vp6wzQasLz-_OdTeU_ZZZXeSXfOye3xO37rGKpmC29fsDFO7gnlPYSgcbxC-6-RZ6SM8ZCJBQjZ6fsZ7fvXB0HU72GBXtftw/s3331/5F64D114-85AA-4F22-AA24-6DCFB1507072.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2550" data-original-width="3331" height="490" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidTt2ngUBDIai7jAyCqxNVNmyAl3mzdcxU7w1vU1ziIrAt5J0vd3s8QaPT5BQW6eP5JfN3vB9m26Q4uaKZNOF4TGM2vp6wzQasLz-_OdTeU_ZZZXeSXfOye3xO37rGKpmC29fsDFO7gnlPYSgcbxC-6-RZ6SM8ZCJBQjZ6fsZ7fvXB0HU72GBXtftw/w640-h490/5F64D114-85AA-4F22-AA24-6DCFB1507072.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5UZTkkfSvzySQ10RueSGDHHMKzxG-sxY_Ihnuv6X58lg2LUn7EyzDaj0whsLIVjhxULzwxk17fLvCT1NKeDus0zixJR0VYRIZLCIqrm7HnHf0Vaony_hZ2a-3zGwImcmuEfGQgYrvQiViG1Ft-kWPFlztNeS8HuPI9b4UkOdL1jmxonrIywJ9-LSv/s2048/5609DE05-394A-4929-8BAD-9B8746BE968E.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5UZTkkfSvzySQ10RueSGDHHMKzxG-sxY_Ihnuv6X58lg2LUn7EyzDaj0whsLIVjhxULzwxk17fLvCT1NKeDus0zixJR0VYRIZLCIqrm7HnHf0Vaony_hZ2a-3zGwImcmuEfGQgYrvQiViG1Ft-kWPFlztNeS8HuPI9b4UkOdL1jmxonrIywJ9-LSv/w640-h480/5609DE05-394A-4929-8BAD-9B8746BE968E.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgu6TDUEsFXUsP4u3B7_6aQ0vB93291prEmumw8LHAYYIp93Smm_KejrYhAzXcGhnyVgFNaGffiwlu_6ZMH7vRz2VxfilDu2-XmH5sHGvgel7IghCChC1jR-paEsfrUmh8aLqWlsJcMBmvdjTKj4ScZ1C1gcO-CwE3b6SNIPZFGF_w3g71PhLvGO6I_/s3024/AE694090-9985-4767-AC24-6839ACB796E9.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2525" data-original-width="3024" height="534" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgu6TDUEsFXUsP4u3B7_6aQ0vB93291prEmumw8LHAYYIp93Smm_KejrYhAzXcGhnyVgFNaGffiwlu_6ZMH7vRz2VxfilDu2-XmH5sHGvgel7IghCChC1jR-paEsfrUmh8aLqWlsJcMBmvdjTKj4ScZ1C1gcO-CwE3b6SNIPZFGF_w3g71PhLvGO6I_/w640-h534/AE694090-9985-4767-AC24-6839ACB796E9.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><p style="text-align: justify;"><b>8. Having time to read</b></p><p style="text-align: justify;">Nothing says "holidays" to me more than having copious amounts of time for leisurely reading. With so many adults around, it was possible to read a lot more than normal. The book I was reading was "Beautiful Ruins" by Jess Walter and was a perfect holiday read for me. I read at the holiday house, on the balcony, on the deck, on the beach, and in the evenings before bed. So much time to read. Bliss.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3dbTpqRp3S5Og9yGL1sbU6cV-25DBcwg5vIQlHksEoYoj_hP6mVYgLJlBHCHGMfgVX5QTeZWJQnQXGjE8AFGsM7i3uDwCnAQ7-JUo9QO-Q43l01FqXSgGeFkf6lzk6YzTpSYn8Mt7TGPCaFo_7eFxt85x0LZG99owcFJJJNLvJmOPlCKKwThKMhVx/s4032/2A41EA68-A2BD-48EA-8B11-5F2F231E2D56.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3dbTpqRp3S5Og9yGL1sbU6cV-25DBcwg5vIQlHksEoYoj_hP6mVYgLJlBHCHGMfgVX5QTeZWJQnQXGjE8AFGsM7i3uDwCnAQ7-JUo9QO-Q43l01FqXSgGeFkf6lzk6YzTpSYn8Mt7TGPCaFo_7eFxt85x0LZG99owcFJJJNLvJmOPlCKKwThKMhVx/w640-h480/2A41EA68-A2BD-48EA-8B11-5F2F231E2D56.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><p style="text-align: justify;"><b>9. Salvo's store</b></p><p style="text-align: justify;">There is the BEST Salvo's op shop I've ever been to in Cowes. It is designed so well, you almost forget you are in an op shop. I could have spent hours in there, and indeed I think my mom and I did spend at least an hour poking around while my dad and Andy took the kids sand boarding for the morning. I ended up with some pretty good finds, and even went back with Andy on our last day for one last look.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">Upon returning to Melbourne I ran into a mum-friend from Ella's school who has a holiday house in Cowes. We've discovered a mutual love for this shop, and for shopping for preloved clothes in general. We've made a pack to not buy any new clothes for ourselves for the next six months. We originally both wanted to do a year but decided that sticking to six months seemed like a much more achievable goal, and we could reassess where we were at in July. I'm excited, I've wanted to do a challenge like this for years and I'm very happy to find a kindred spirit to do it with! (Update: I've made it through the first month with no new clothes, however I may be developing an obsession with finding good op shops in Melbourne...)</p><p style="text-align: justify;"><b>10. Walking the boardwalks at the Nobbie's Centre</b></p><p style="text-align: justify;">The views as you walk the 1.2km loop around the western coast of Phillip Island are absolutely stunning. The wild waves crash into the coast, which seems untouched by humans (well except for the boardwalk of course). My parents, Ella and I arrived early one morning, before it got busy with tourists and it felt like we had the place to ourselves. During our walk we were lucky to catch a glimpse of two baby penguins that were nesting, waiting for their parents to come home from a day at sea with food for them. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjEMISsKklkR-d64sts-JEwcTUgqvMWwd3xWDgFUoKbII_mHLCCGWBHhqjcbPed0gqCekGz7ApiBXsbKL1yW2KT35wQNIfPhaYWFWIeXlw4txEARzdOLQ1mdx_YtN4S9v3QwYfYeDzrrET1ixrtHHHjaxJPf2otc7foovihmi0xE2_hQc8Fm2XUZKC/s4032/07A732AE-407A-4FE4-AA3E-1B1512CEF4FC.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjEMISsKklkR-d64sts-JEwcTUgqvMWwd3xWDgFUoKbII_mHLCCGWBHhqjcbPed0gqCekGz7ApiBXsbKL1yW2KT35wQNIfPhaYWFWIeXlw4txEARzdOLQ1mdx_YtN4S9v3QwYfYeDzrrET1ixrtHHHjaxJPf2otc7foovihmi0xE2_hQc8Fm2XUZKC/w640-h480/07A732AE-407A-4FE4-AA3E-1B1512CEF4FC.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1wW2agFusuZ27n6fqC3_K1ZpOY41IxQMxuVgv01exQta6nKhq7XdPUdcL5xoALaMu8bhNTg9oayuDe5ODdo5CidqgOnjCTocAX5DiUPkr2WstqsMiXM6WflWznFly5CE14y8jpCbZofOxyHUCRwE21-E7sR6tv_77aX0uMyIYIng7G-naR-XPZhyu/s4032/24559A97-F5D8-4CEB-9CF8-96F2CA16EE45.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1wW2agFusuZ27n6fqC3_K1ZpOY41IxQMxuVgv01exQta6nKhq7XdPUdcL5xoALaMu8bhNTg9oayuDe5ODdo5CidqgOnjCTocAX5DiUPkr2WstqsMiXM6WflWznFly5CE14y8jpCbZofOxyHUCRwE21-E7sR6tv_77aX0uMyIYIng7G-naR-XPZhyu/w640-h480/24559A97-F5D8-4CEB-9CF8-96F2CA16EE45.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5_HxowL00vjywXavQLJNg_godSjBoqs_FFGveL55WqMlKYs_6do_TEUMWWlyGxU6ohAxmjrAlnUMPA6LGW90tdmq-zQnIRcvcJeffUhvqrbWpRCecMDOx3UIxEVxuaCXpVt0Uuo83RgbyJkJtS9hv8bmcirJcflSJX2FJDIflrEpnhWOCGVvfw81X/s4032/D211E9CD-70FC-4B52-82CB-FE028DEE6C0F.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5_HxowL00vjywXavQLJNg_godSjBoqs_FFGveL55WqMlKYs_6do_TEUMWWlyGxU6ohAxmjrAlnUMPA6LGW90tdmq-zQnIRcvcJeffUhvqrbWpRCecMDOx3UIxEVxuaCXpVt0Uuo83RgbyJkJtS9hv8bmcirJcflSJX2FJDIflrEpnhWOCGVvfw81X/w640-h480/D211E9CD-70FC-4B52-82CB-FE028DEE6C0F.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><p style="text-align: justify;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_wOHF7uqvoJnOKfHKsxjjg5kIBabD-oYcPq9d6anUpWpH_88okG5JimltYcH7AJ786tS9dR9DnIPGqZAHj0m6aZvH-nHfxXOvQYB42DASs_k14CRfQ7v2UCkShhMhAOYekpGrfcTQFzz49af1Q2zjpzTiy3Cr-qKpvb8GzCE3nDv2b78b_ggnBMMb/s4032/F11610DF-31E8-48DC-853D-21A008E46D5A.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_wOHF7uqvoJnOKfHKsxjjg5kIBabD-oYcPq9d6anUpWpH_88okG5JimltYcH7AJ786tS9dR9DnIPGqZAHj0m6aZvH-nHfxXOvQYB42DASs_k14CRfQ7v2UCkShhMhAOYekpGrfcTQFzz49af1Q2zjpzTiy3Cr-qKpvb8GzCE3nDv2b78b_ggnBMMb/w640-h480/F11610DF-31E8-48DC-853D-21A008E46D5A.jpeg" width="640" /></a></p><p style="text-align: justify;">And that wraps up our summer holiday to Phillip Island. This is the third visit we've had to Phillip Island and was surely not our last. It's such a perfect destination for us with the kids at the age they are at, and now with the possibility of renting such affordable accommodation with Andy's school I'm sure we'll be back soon!</p>Wendy McCarryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10400056809655031226noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3302793385282321137.post-556983429988315072023-01-19T01:22:00.069+00:002023-01-19T01:48:44.047+00:00Boxing Day - New Years<p style="text-align: justify;">We had an eventful week between Boxing Day and New Years, which was a great finish to 2022. Th forecast was showing a hot and sunny day for Boxing Day so we headed to the beach (minus Andy who went to the cricket with Verge and his dad). We headed down to my favourite beach for kids - Half Moon Bay, where the water is generally calm and shallow.</p><p style="text-align: right;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZshem0lXPOLoWr01X6eMdtPUGH0baWLJsGMv47Tku6sIZjMNhTJ0VmuA-qzd8182CpBP6ZrlbfMAMixBmdwgzYR6l4DYHmiPQzU1RAKxMixA0PaqAT9fHeNm5ouC4yBMHYJ3X153_g9nqAeEfK01yWbxOr2mYXm4PU67w7CM-CI0hMHFt0V7MyW8l/s2046/a98b634f-c455-493b-b392-d30181c1d424-COLLAGE.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2046" data-original-width="2046" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZshem0lXPOLoWr01X6eMdtPUGH0baWLJsGMv47Tku6sIZjMNhTJ0VmuA-qzd8182CpBP6ZrlbfMAMixBmdwgzYR6l4DYHmiPQzU1RAKxMixA0PaqAT9fHeNm5ouC4yBMHYJ3X153_g9nqAeEfK01yWbxOr2mYXm4PU67w7CM-CI0hMHFt0V7MyW8l/w640-h640/a98b634f-c455-493b-b392-d30181c1d424-COLLAGE.jpg" style="height: auto; max-height: 80%; max-width: 80%; width: auto;" width="640" /></a></p><p style="text-align: justify;">On our way I received a text from Betty, who lives about five minutes from Half Moon Bay. Coincidently, her family was also thinking about heading down there that day, so we made plans to meet.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">We arrived by about 10am, and the beach was already starting to fill up. Fortunately we got a nice spot to set up our cabana and beach mats before most of the crowds arrived. </p><p style="text-align: justify;">The weather was actually pretty great at the beach all day, not too hot at all with a nice breeze off the bay. Where we live in Melbourne (about 10km from the bay) it can be 5-10 degrees hotter than by the water, and on days when the temperature is over 30 degree celsius and full sun our house gets very, very hot. We have a very weak air conditioning system that just can't compete with the Australian sun! </p><p style="text-align: justify;">Betty and Jon and their family arrived an hour or two after us, and brought their stand up paddle board with them, which was a HUGE hit with the kids, Ella especially. Jon's brother, who was visiting from the UK, spent a good half hour dragging them out about 20-30m from the beach and then letting them surf back in on the paddle board. And then he even took Ella out further for a paddle, her sitting on the edge of the board while they explored. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQGLPtRFSTIZm3uh3PSbmmSYs1i2Ftm52410f3ypPBbk5EqBI_12iEcvcddyCWAQAu6R4l8QkSUAQZ8l1NclGGADRgnQsRoBiUI7pLXQ0JcRJCeZrMSFgD3L5U2yJBO_9Gyu_7YxkXVC-VqeqYD2IGwVxv5_tOzWS_uc51EH5dtPZ2p3KtsuI3fa1C/s3520/IMG_8781.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1980" data-original-width="3520" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQGLPtRFSTIZm3uh3PSbmmSYs1i2Ftm52410f3ypPBbk5EqBI_12iEcvcddyCWAQAu6R4l8QkSUAQZ8l1NclGGADRgnQsRoBiUI7pLXQ0JcRJCeZrMSFgD3L5U2yJBO_9Gyu_7YxkXVC-VqeqYD2IGwVxv5_tOzWS_uc51EH5dtPZ2p3KtsuI3fa1C/w640-h360/IMG_8781.JPG" style="height: auto; max-height: 80%; max-width: 80%; width: auto;" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjE_BnK8rT5wzg5Yz1FEXkkbbZU51p0ee-sz0BEXJ4GQiyUsqL1t2VsMmbQiS7Wb0ujei8FD0fmcMH64qW4OPpk4akVLQhnBQ-8FnT22htLPAtitoCMdZ5SBU3sv7ushhW-KslLhb1oQGWo4ZkCK2aszbL1VmlUQTRJz-EXnFvDOX4ZP-hbgmPPg3xi/s4032/IMG_8779.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjE_BnK8rT5wzg5Yz1FEXkkbbZU51p0ee-sz0BEXJ4GQiyUsqL1t2VsMmbQiS7Wb0ujei8FD0fmcMH64qW4OPpk4akVLQhnBQ-8FnT22htLPAtitoCMdZ5SBU3sv7ushhW-KslLhb1oQGWo4ZkCK2aszbL1VmlUQTRJz-EXnFvDOX4ZP-hbgmPPg3xi/w480-h640/IMG_8779.HEIC" style="height: auto; max-height: 80%; max-width: 80%; width: auto;" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">My parents tested out their new <a href="https://www.amazon.com.au/Compact-Folding-Backpacking-Portable-Capacity/dp/B09TVVBB1J/ref=asc_df_B09TVVBB1J/?tag=googleshopdsk-22&linkCode=df0&hvadid=597233207197&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=954848515416015901&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9071328&hvtargid=pla-1733897082120&th=1" target="_blank">beach chairs</a>, which Andy and I got them for Christmas. They fold up pretty small and weigh just over 1kg. They were a hit! Andy and I now have a pair of them as well, they are great to bring to the beach or the park and so easy to transport. </div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiJ1jDt89eDP_dH6FOlnjSoSFuZW8SNcHXwzadjfXOXtjrKCjyZCNjADfGpyRd65_D17LiaDYR4QJHVw65eny428A2BI-TM-xBGhiq786bMCXhJ_vBR0f0lqIVmwWhFIDpluOQTLRDvBBlJnPScgQq3AESM7eZOsHDm_Cq0sScO79nHoZxNAQPvFKF/s4032/IMG_8762.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiJ1jDt89eDP_dH6FOlnjSoSFuZW8SNcHXwzadjfXOXtjrKCjyZCNjADfGpyRd65_D17LiaDYR4QJHVw65eny428A2BI-TM-xBGhiq786bMCXhJ_vBR0f0lqIVmwWhFIDpluOQTLRDvBBlJnPScgQq3AESM7eZOsHDm_Cq0sScO79nHoZxNAQPvFKF/w640-h480/IMG_8762.HEIC" style="height: auto; max-height: 80%; max-width: 80%; width: auto;" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">Even Ollie loves the chairs!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsW1BGQpUF7we_6neOP7vRb91lBI1HtxJBIn7AM3pKIQmmX5yp6daFfK1eOHT-Xkb0dsJYlXEwNtFL371MZZkgd2GaiOVwO1QHxFOu-s5uNEq0fL2XGQ4MeqULijfTM1y2eG9yUfhF0pH3XYvfEz_TeJCYzTtmtDJjLnb8WwvYJfR8sDreRYkHQYR1/s4032/IMG_8770.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsW1BGQpUF7we_6neOP7vRb91lBI1HtxJBIn7AM3pKIQmmX5yp6daFfK1eOHT-Xkb0dsJYlXEwNtFL371MZZkgd2GaiOVwO1QHxFOu-s5uNEq0fL2XGQ4MeqULijfTM1y2eG9yUfhF0pH3XYvfEz_TeJCYzTtmtDJjLnb8WwvYJfR8sDreRYkHQYR1/w640-h480/IMG_8770.HEIC" style="height: auto; max-height: 80%; max-width: 80%; width: auto;" width="640" /></a></div><p style="text-align: justify;">We ended up spending the whole day at the beach, packing up to go home around 6pm. Everyone was tired, in that good way when you are tired after a whole day outside having fun. </p><p style="text-align: justify;">Ollie was the least tired, having snuck in a nap during the day on the beach. This kid can sleep anywhere!</p><p style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgL-BoZl10sa1uxOrx6SqMO0NgZimXphZULsHG9wWhcEWGpXX_ot58gUS5KOvKI5aMetedC1RCkSa7bZponLmjA-w3t-k9X8QcN9ArYtV9RPea7uVtxcwjwG86Gkl4ETJ3MrC7ZVRi0LZupxZ1Wb05DPTkYdj78RYw7NjpMIJFQq4ZGBKAL-hf0Yf0s/s4032/IMG_8776.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgL-BoZl10sa1uxOrx6SqMO0NgZimXphZULsHG9wWhcEWGpXX_ot58gUS5KOvKI5aMetedC1RCkSa7bZponLmjA-w3t-k9X8QcN9ArYtV9RPea7uVtxcwjwG86Gkl4ETJ3MrC7ZVRi0LZupxZ1Wb05DPTkYdj78RYw7NjpMIJFQq4ZGBKAL-hf0Yf0s/w480-h640/IMG_8776.HEIC" style="height: auto; max-height: 80%; max-width: 80%; width: auto;" width="480" /></a></p><p style="text-align: justify;">The next day the temperature was expected to get even hotter, about 37 degrees. We were afraid we might melt in our house, but luckily Steve and Michelle ended up inviting us to theirs for the day. It was hot but they'd just had two new air conditioners installed before Christmas, and boy was it refreshing inside their house! It was like North American level air conditioning.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">They also have a lovely big covered deck which we spent most of the day outside on, lounging around trying not to exert too much energy in the heat. The kids had a great time swimming in a (pretty big) blow up pool on the deck, playing in the back garden, and going inside to explore Gemma and Archer's new Christmas toys.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgywRlJetvnOsC_X0sLTwnZe6XV6ioNhDo85CCunL_pNyoNw9JOtBzrUIDPfabKOMz_IQ6VkwlOouQwD95Yx5WeZp0MCS-qd1Cu8msd6hal3cHPRTRRCWFPow-qKerlzE9r9reC9WY68omriJVfMHBN47yGoMr2bH0T_7e63wPHspRV9kt_GSeN6iyB/s4032/IMG_3127.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgywRlJetvnOsC_X0sLTwnZe6XV6ioNhDo85CCunL_pNyoNw9JOtBzrUIDPfabKOMz_IQ6VkwlOouQwD95Yx5WeZp0MCS-qd1Cu8msd6hal3cHPRTRRCWFPow-qKerlzE9r9reC9WY68omriJVfMHBN47yGoMr2bH0T_7e63wPHspRV9kt_GSeN6iyB/w640-h480/IMG_3127.HEIC" style="height: auto; max-height: 80%; max-width: 80%; width: auto;" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2TeaxfF29ge_yRgKN7w3y1R2oN8qMBJmE7idLG5TO9A5hqNya5a85Tx8UWt1gcqgEls4zlnWA9zTJnlh7nTrpxGK5MUYuzBxVoh8dHm0eo_lr-gR-V2lsOqVeXU_a_w47_W6g5TgRCik5e7ArsmcvQSD66f5qnvxxz86qojilh7ebZeduvgCOxK7q/s4032/IMG_8799.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2TeaxfF29ge_yRgKN7w3y1R2oN8qMBJmE7idLG5TO9A5hqNya5a85Tx8UWt1gcqgEls4zlnWA9zTJnlh7nTrpxGK5MUYuzBxVoh8dHm0eo_lr-gR-V2lsOqVeXU_a_w47_W6g5TgRCik5e7ArsmcvQSD66f5qnvxxz86qojilh7ebZeduvgCOxK7q/w640-h480/IMG_8799.HEIC" style="height: auto; max-height: 80%; max-width: 80%; width: auto;" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiz-dXG93-WK8l8c21S6duYkpWR2T8lBvowS_9YK2QMbvxVu48oPWgFT9GZ7SRKG_B6qL2GQS0xSqvg70WFYYSPssqgoPce-GE71KcTyrpgJYQ_-yakFyJu5m8NPhr3MAacLFFzh0pZfgKuv32DjsxYXzMJdPV7HTt6_2Io1oOjsbVWc4rIVOcRcYl/s4032/IMG_8803.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiz-dXG93-WK8l8c21S6duYkpWR2T8lBvowS_9YK2QMbvxVu48oPWgFT9GZ7SRKG_B6qL2GQS0xSqvg70WFYYSPssqgoPce-GE71KcTyrpgJYQ_-yakFyJu5m8NPhr3MAacLFFzh0pZfgKuv32DjsxYXzMJdPV7HTt6_2Io1oOjsbVWc4rIVOcRcYl/w640-h480/IMG_8803.HEIC" style="height: auto; max-height: 80%; max-width: 80%; width: auto;" width="640" /></a></div><p style="text-align: justify;">The next few days were pretty low key. We spent lazy mornings drinking coffee and having a leisurely breakfast, the adults reading their preferred news sources while Ella and Ollie played together or watched TV. We had to clean up the house after Christmas as well, which is always a boring but necessary task!</p><p style="text-align: justify;">The day before New Years Eve Andy and I met up with Verge and Taryn for a rare parents night out... manageable as we both have grandparents staying with us for a few months. Andy and I tried to get a picture of the two of us before our date night but it turned into a family shot:</p><p style="text-align: justify;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhGn4dWMcof-edInN0MMlRdhCCqPKOyXkKK0x4pCbEU1pNLsrymmAaNs2b4gPx0kmStDM2OvkSMzX2RJO18iOkleaYz-7rrFrM_ZgE8mx8O7Es3wrEW1LD3nbVpTL_hdLpj2TIyvH7RXOJGMqkJ38q21v5KJkwEAnstyojOkE5tAvv3GL8s7v9Nh6eE" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhGn4dWMcof-edInN0MMlRdhCCqPKOyXkKK0x4pCbEU1pNLsrymmAaNs2b4gPx0kmStDM2OvkSMzX2RJO18iOkleaYz-7rrFrM_ZgE8mx8O7Es3wrEW1LD3nbVpTL_hdLpj2TIyvH7RXOJGMqkJ38q21v5KJkwEAnstyojOkE5tAvv3GL8s7v9Nh6eE=w480-h640" style="height: auto; max-height: 80%; max-width: 80%; width: auto;" width="480" /></a></div><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;">Andy and I went for a drink together at Arbory Afloat, the floating bar on the Yarra River, before meeting Taryn and Verge at Movida for dinner. It was so nice to go out for a proper meal for dinner. We hardly go out for dinner anymore... kids, cost of living, etc etc, makes it a not very appealing way to spend the evening. But this was fantastic food with good company, almost a glimpse of our pre-children lives!</p><p style="text-align: justify;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh09J_zqYc6M8P0v55s_yx7HUrVYaZXzakA3-7ltmV8AUw-vv7IU9dczEeCaMLgxVZKRPp5NL5qL75yW7VJt5pPi5fW_V2wNchxfgVzkuBCLUa7ziVaNpiot3jXh11vprCUNnpEFD3PmXbglrAfRYXPv0dXqIp336MngwIvdLwe__ool1jbo93AhLZX" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh09J_zqYc6M8P0v55s_yx7HUrVYaZXzakA3-7ltmV8AUw-vv7IU9dczEeCaMLgxVZKRPp5NL5qL75yW7VJt5pPi5fW_V2wNchxfgVzkuBCLUa7ziVaNpiot3jXh11vprCUNnpEFD3PmXbglrAfRYXPv0dXqIp336MngwIvdLwe__ool1jbo93AhLZX" style="height: auto; max-height: 80%; max-width: 80%; width: auto;" width="640" /></a>Oh</div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">After Movida we headed to Friday Nights at the NGV. Every Friday the gallery is open from 6pm-10pm and there is live music and pop-up bars which you can enjoy, along with the latest exhibition which is currently "Alexander McQueen: Mind Mythos Muse". Although haute couture is not really my thing, it was still very interesting to view some of McQueen's creations. I was most impressed with the headpieces for each outfit, and was surprised to learn that halfway through that they were all created by a different designer called Michael Schmidt specifically for this exhibition.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The collection I found most moving was the Widows of Culloden (2006-07) which "acknowledges McQueen's Scottish ancestry and condemns Britain's violent colonial history, particularly the brutal 1746 Battle of Culloden... (the) collection memorialises Highlander widows left behind". The music playing in this particular part of the exhibition was the soundtrack to the movie "The Piano" which added to the atmosphere. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJNBWWcrP_mkb97sGf7ziQRDAmRjhfeVSaaLCmVH_UXAqaJX2BBcTMikXjbGepSyJutHm5sWldS59_2RjCqNt_IiNZybyEvA8EAtZ9_u7SLusgVYxKgzaLZgjdaZy2ol_mZfM2JlBvPG7FIwCzkczExUVGxYPvhzN1_hOMpOeFH-9ANFN8jj0tyjhj/s2046/IMG_8818-COLLAGE.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2046" data-original-width="2046" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJNBWWcrP_mkb97sGf7ziQRDAmRjhfeVSaaLCmVH_UXAqaJX2BBcTMikXjbGepSyJutHm5sWldS59_2RjCqNt_IiNZybyEvA8EAtZ9_u7SLusgVYxKgzaLZgjdaZy2ol_mZfM2JlBvPG7FIwCzkczExUVGxYPvhzN1_hOMpOeFH-9ANFN8jj0tyjhj/w640-h640/IMG_8818-COLLAGE.jpg" style="height: auto; max-height: 80%; max-width: 80%; width: auto;" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">We also enjoyed the warm summer evening with some champagne in the NGV gardens.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyYCgNtwqEajRrrlHiITwpzx0EAUMvRITYrrP7ftfaU0QZ_Ho3n69MY1c0mTIBe-XQq8pOTKyTvHlu92p7OM0PujXYqD9I3B470D9VH9Q4Zr4wE65e9AZ8hXkCGK49xAnEQ5Q79BizsCij4MGpDzbe8od94o8Y1K127hBFgFkhr3kh5GKmYekycuuw/s4032/99823951-35E5-4A1B-B818-B19EA912E688.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyYCgNtwqEajRrrlHiITwpzx0EAUMvRITYrrP7ftfaU0QZ_Ho3n69MY1c0mTIBe-XQq8pOTKyTvHlu92p7OM0PujXYqD9I3B470D9VH9Q4Zr4wE65e9AZ8hXkCGK49xAnEQ5Q79BizsCij4MGpDzbe8od94o8Y1K127hBFgFkhr3kh5GKmYekycuuw/w640-h480/99823951-35E5-4A1B-B818-B19EA912E688.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdEOVyddeg9h2hmFGSXWFEpDnlAm9pPEXukKcmLLPlaLtqWuq2gSI7L8DwFpIDYiIcrl9ah4B0JOzc1GmoVkPLvo57H5DbTxjXG_OBfCgFsd1-_1_U-6Nsx2wArw59oSGJYbXuqiSBmeV6TCedIyJmW-EFE_BoxRsMNZ0udomEN9lr3qZz6V-uZeOi/s1600/56E1D4B8-9051-4218-89A1-814C85FD3C23.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdEOVyddeg9h2hmFGSXWFEpDnlAm9pPEXukKcmLLPlaLtqWuq2gSI7L8DwFpIDYiIcrl9ah4B0JOzc1GmoVkPLvo57H5DbTxjXG_OBfCgFsd1-_1_U-6Nsx2wArw59oSGJYbXuqiSBmeV6TCedIyJmW-EFE_BoxRsMNZ0udomEN9lr3qZz6V-uZeOi/w480-h640/56E1D4B8-9051-4218-89A1-814C85FD3C23.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">On New Years Eve we decided to head into the city for the early evening fireworks. It's really great that the city do 9:30pm fireworks for families! Michelle and Steve came over the in afternoon with the kids and we had a few drinks at home before taking the tram to Treasury Gardens, one of the four designated "celebration zones" in the city for watching the fireworks.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgss0Io-qz4RjJ0p9KUZHvP-WrXEaMLxVF8D-_yTvyn3alKPwfXMmIRflQSTa9-I7lrEfUUSQoeRebAEX1zOTseOsGAi6a1YhVjjWcPLgxehjqQUd4eKR8mUK7dPlriq-JLPVlxT98e3uL_5Pf0gpIZu5Zsqp6klbkKsR0xNuBgUGVQ70z7GP_qL0qf/s4032/3B6B390C-C430-4315-875F-6DB576BE45A2.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgss0Io-qz4RjJ0p9KUZHvP-WrXEaMLxVF8D-_yTvyn3alKPwfXMmIRflQSTa9-I7lrEfUUSQoeRebAEX1zOTseOsGAi6a1YhVjjWcPLgxehjqQUd4eKR8mUK7dPlriq-JLPVlxT98e3uL_5Pf0gpIZu5Zsqp6klbkKsR0xNuBgUGVQ70z7GP_qL0qf/w640-h480/3B6B390C-C430-4315-875F-6DB576BE45A2.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Once we got settled in our spot for the evening my parents generously offered to watch all four kids while so the four parents could go for a drink. There was some entertainment on a stage and the kids had fun dancing and running around the gardens, enjoying a churros treat from my parents.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigVLn9piskLck8Awec3kAGrRN1ldsEQ3TIVwqtxRzoq8LCTlYA6NK4FYC162Y93Jj3d6Rke-AAVkaW2tJtFEcfqE2aUVWeFqdkMRHD6MTXtjHehoxCeDI7nEAEK9KEXhkJHl53gqhGGekjV1KayZGPcRgkKrTe5W8W2aBLTRzl1dHtGBGZ_Hs-e5XW/s1600/D4CFB0E2-026F-4727-BED9-731E57FFCB90.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigVLn9piskLck8Awec3kAGrRN1ldsEQ3TIVwqtxRzoq8LCTlYA6NK4FYC162Y93Jj3d6Rke-AAVkaW2tJtFEcfqE2aUVWeFqdkMRHD6MTXtjHehoxCeDI7nEAEK9KEXhkJHl53gqhGGekjV1KayZGPcRgkKrTe5W8W2aBLTRzl1dHtGBGZ_Hs-e5XW/w640-h360/D4CFB0E2-026F-4727-BED9-731E57FFCB90.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">It’s very rare we are able to go out with Steve and Michelle without our kids around so this was a nice treat! The four of us headed to the nearby Farmer’s Daughter for some fancy cocktails on their beautiful rooftop bar. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGR7C66G7_oGBuhF6-N7xkqLZrdfGB_1ULuIilvw3Fx-5UZd2QZo_leq-e93148551B5CUK2HjPl9PnUgrnA9_XHJsX1MpAnRnSe-ZNYOKk9PJtt4yNcGO6JjAj6gSCvjtb40nIL4OkF-fNXnivwAo03XGeiZCK9golRVd9gUXNq8Yujseem8NcOYW/s4032/4E68FCF6-7046-485C-A6A6-A65A8E72B626.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGR7C66G7_oGBuhF6-N7xkqLZrdfGB_1ULuIilvw3Fx-5UZd2QZo_leq-e93148551B5CUK2HjPl9PnUgrnA9_XHJsX1MpAnRnSe-ZNYOKk9PJtt4yNcGO6JjAj6gSCvjtb40nIL4OkF-fNXnivwAo03XGeiZCK9golRVd9gUXNq8Yujseem8NcOYW/w640-h480/4E68FCF6-7046-485C-A6A6-A65A8E72B626.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Steve was very unimpressed with his second fancy cocktail...</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsXsheTndhUa87RMopJKV5vgkh5Cicbvfzy4SZ8fSclbapSAFBRfbGhKt965ZSsptTRmpv4c8AWkkBFy355HdVxBiZBHJV5URyXHc-AaKeIHgpol1oWF44zfCliRwWDVl-1RdGLsJuuEDf7X8hjvnrrcAqZYNGM1ByJPK7XtkbwozJpg_xLm1UolVT/s4032/AC52F059-51A2-4EC8-91E6-FA75371D08EF.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsXsheTndhUa87RMopJKV5vgkh5Cicbvfzy4SZ8fSclbapSAFBRfbGhKt965ZSsptTRmpv4c8AWkkBFy355HdVxBiZBHJV5URyXHc-AaKeIHgpol1oWF44zfCliRwWDVl-1RdGLsJuuEDf7X8hjvnrrcAqZYNGM1ByJPK7XtkbwozJpg_xLm1UolVT/w640-h480/AC52F059-51A2-4EC8-91E6-FA75371D08EF.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Once we got back to the grandparents and kids we got some food to eat. There were only two food trucks at our celebration zone, which wasn't nearly enough for all of the people. Fortunately the Mexican restaurant Fonda was close by, so we ordered from then instead, my mom and I walking over to pick up the food and enjoying a bit of air conditioning (and indoor toilets) before heading back with our food.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The kids, Ella and Gemma especially, were very impressed with the fireworks (though they are not nearly as spectacular as the midnight ones!) Once they were over we made a mad dash for the tram and got on the first one, taking our tired children home to sleep. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Andy, my parents and I barely lasted until midnight, forcing ourselves to stay up to ring in the new year and watch the fireworks on TV. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">And so we say goodbye to 2022. It was a bit of a crazy busy year in terms of work and activities for the kids, as is maybe obvious by my lack of ability to post regularly on the blog. Here's to 2023, I'm hoping for a slightly less busy year on the work front at least :)</div>Wendy McCarryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10400056809655031226noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3302793385282321137.post-84559393588425748302022-12-28T20:21:00.170+00:002022-12-30T01:12:51.493+00:00Christmas 2022<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPcrmcDAy3ZLbyrIvq8cEIo4kFj_aWR3rnwwxEf1QWyrFJW38KDrgTzki6DxUMb3hgrf8uZpsr9DTY-XuaoG5EKvp01fAcuFLLCTGz1-BpcGljaBTeqiD_ubAjtzh5LHpW1qtTvLgVTI_bZVLYIVbGcSzBhWhXuUSvgZ54X5f-EVxjDN09x1I5fvjj/s2316/IMG_3066.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2020" data-original-width="2316" height="558" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPcrmcDAy3ZLbyrIvq8cEIo4kFj_aWR3rnwwxEf1QWyrFJW38KDrgTzki6DxUMb3hgrf8uZpsr9DTY-XuaoG5EKvp01fAcuFLLCTGz1-BpcGljaBTeqiD_ubAjtzh5LHpW1qtTvLgVTI_bZVLYIVbGcSzBhWhXuUSvgZ54X5f-EVxjDN09x1I5fvjj/w640-h558/IMG_3066.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Merry Christmas! What a lovely holiday we had this year, celebrating with my mom and dad here in Melbourne. Andy and I had finished up work on the 13th of December, so we had nearly two weeks to get ready for Christmas. Of course, this still meant that we spent a few days at shopping centres the week before Christmas, desperately looking for our last few gifts. I am happy to report that our last day shopping was the 22nd, so we weren't <i>that</i> late!</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Andy took Ella out for the morning of the 23rd so that my mom, dad and I could get all the gift wrapping done. We also had a grocery order booked in for Christmas Eve morning and so felt ready for Christmas. This meant we were able to just chill out and enjoy the day on Christmas Eve. We didn’t do much in the morning, the main event was the kids building a Lego gummy house… our version of a gingerbread house this year.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdLttG56U6YQUWx2kU75OWr4bJ5CxjTh3-dnVBxEEvz5bMmhPqJaQG0qW71LHmwQ6A8jp3HBcsrexClYuBp07ddefxPmfo7oVNtF4VEmWyAz-A1bs4ov3Jrcx_21Dp7V5hidUB7KmjGyo0xXVq-u38MCIbpX9__yZn8v2zF06gSgQvobiJ5muLeK1Q/s4032/IMG_8689.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdLttG56U6YQUWx2kU75OWr4bJ5CxjTh3-dnVBxEEvz5bMmhPqJaQG0qW71LHmwQ6A8jp3HBcsrexClYuBp07ddefxPmfo7oVNtF4VEmWyAz-A1bs4ov3Jrcx_21Dp7V5hidUB7KmjGyo0xXVq-u38MCIbpX9__yZn8v2zF06gSgQvobiJ5muLeK1Q/w640-h480/IMG_8689.HEIC" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">In the afternoon we went to Verge and Taryn’s house. Taryn’s parents are visiting from South Africa for three months, and we thought our sets of grandparents would get along well… and we were right! It was a great afternoon with the kids splashing around in the paddling pool, playing on the slip and slide, and decorating gingerbread men. And to top it all off, the grandparents have made some tentative plans to hang out again, which is really nice. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6pnMEQbrI1wqZ-tBVQaDkXrfCG9US7PC7U_xFUtauLPvhQY-StQaDzO9UF37M6cHEbJHI27nOZiT94Y7PwfRlNgIBqFr7oqUTD_gkohZoxEopLFfRRo-Uu-UuWXiNI8vO2aSwPzUpWGkfF70MaGo6UADeACa0BNs4Uq1RY59eWgQ5JWRZd6HojCTV/s2047/98d36d95-b601-48b2-aa74-1343bdd210f1-COLLAGE.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2047" data-original-width="2047" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6pnMEQbrI1wqZ-tBVQaDkXrfCG9US7PC7U_xFUtauLPvhQY-StQaDzO9UF37M6cHEbJHI27nOZiT94Y7PwfRlNgIBqFr7oqUTD_gkohZoxEopLFfRRo-Uu-UuWXiNI8vO2aSwPzUpWGkfF70MaGo6UADeACa0BNs4Uq1RY59eWgQ5JWRZd6HojCTV/w640-h640/98d36d95-b601-48b2-aa74-1343bdd210f1-COLLAGE.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyaYtBWFrok0X8Q2tOeZNwiH7JUS-ty6ySE6hZSxWx78iEXmZUf3wNsu4_kGijotDVPCVce_j738AQNr4VdFLahmHZ6SEfhJ5EnMPVbBJyFSx6GSN6KDJ7RkS3PUJbD4ZlTN8gjK0xxetVJPY17wn24XpV8U5GsKCZp9wRG_PCq69rwYCmqiptk75I/s2047/4898865a-11e8-4da9-8940-92c1c861af4f-COLLAGE.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2047" data-original-width="2047" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyaYtBWFrok0X8Q2tOeZNwiH7JUS-ty6ySE6hZSxWx78iEXmZUf3wNsu4_kGijotDVPCVce_j738AQNr4VdFLahmHZ6SEfhJ5EnMPVbBJyFSx6GSN6KDJ7RkS3PUJbD4ZlTN8gjK0xxetVJPY17wn24XpV8U5GsKCZp9wRG_PCq69rwYCmqiptk75I/w640-h640/4898865a-11e8-4da9-8940-92c1c861af4f-COLLAGE.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;">We got home around 8pm and quickly put the kids to bed… do I feel bad about telling the kids that Santa might miss our house if they are not asleep in order to get them into bed??? No, no I do not! We put out some milk and cookies along with carrots for the reindeer, read a Christmas story, and then they were off to sleep. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWlzvoqN5y1Wp9Rhyx59SUMibHkUsJpoTUm2o_mpE03ymFu3ZKes_jUXUjVPw2DElB_tZwBLUgx4-0noPUF09TkrmdIQhTRINEHnEqPZN5bOeJSuJ5EbDcBjXFmLRE3UY3dWhSOTqoKv6xQqaSopXbbt_Cub8tUMf25vXY7MGOPAlUgHTXoQVvGMZ4/s4032/IMG_8715.HEIC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWlzvoqN5y1Wp9Rhyx59SUMibHkUsJpoTUm2o_mpE03ymFu3ZKes_jUXUjVPw2DElB_tZwBLUgx4-0noPUF09TkrmdIQhTRINEHnEqPZN5bOeJSuJ5EbDcBjXFmLRE3UY3dWhSOTqoKv6xQqaSopXbbt_Cub8tUMf25vXY7MGOPAlUgHTXoQVvGMZ4/w640-h480/IMG_8715.HEIC" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The leftovers from Santa and his reindeer!</td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">I had to make the meringue for the pavlova I was planning for dessert on Christmas Day once they were in bed. This was my first ever attempt at making a pavlova so I was a bit nervous that the meringue wouldn't work out. I used <a href="https://www.recipetineats.com/pavlova-recipe/" target="_blank">this very detailed recipe</a> with lots of hints - including letting the meringue cool down in the oven overnight. The finished product below... I was pretty happy with my first pavlova attempt!</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXL3G_RhwucBiWSMZR4NszEp5OODN2xcdrw26ezzi2pJFXiIOa7wtS9zsczK_RH0R7MQ3X6lpGLFleYm0pJvmlb819fCZrsSpW8hwIKYsYyhSIPm_29fEkC1Aavoq6qh3gVwB6U-csrNLUh87eDwQf7auG-2_NmjfPe3wvEcIEqrMvR9cRsGV5Y5I6/s2046/IMG_3046-COLLAGE.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1535" data-original-width="2046" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXL3G_RhwucBiWSMZR4NszEp5OODN2xcdrw26ezzi2pJFXiIOa7wtS9zsczK_RH0R7MQ3X6lpGLFleYm0pJvmlb819fCZrsSpW8hwIKYsYyhSIPm_29fEkC1Aavoq6qh3gVwB6U-csrNLUh87eDwQf7auG-2_NmjfPe3wvEcIEqrMvR9cRsGV5Y5I6/w640-h480/IMG_3046-COLLAGE.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The kids woke on Christmas morning at a very reasonable time of 6:30am. Ollie snuck into bed and cuddled with my mom for a few minutes before whispering "Merry Christmas" to her. So sweet! Ella came into our bed and let us know that she'd been asking Santa for a pom pom dog (I think she means a Pomeranian), and yes she meant a real dog. I tried to temper her expectations by reminding her that Santa knows which parents want pets and which do not. I think that deep down she knew that getting a pet was HIGHLY unlikely, but that didn't keep her from <i>hoping</i> it might happen!</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">We managed to get some family snaps in front of the tree before the kids ripped into their stockings.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKC7YbjxNgGMjiv7zKGi85tkYY6diOzJp-yoeN0kULJj07wkisfSZwk9yBf0t5FOJZyWdDM99t-LQpnRQT8ejNiS6iTw0KDxZ6kNRGkbmhXTEY68_ll83QG-mtQTvnNCHnVh8ilNxjobn4hdiOeFdWUwRG-Ll72uZzzJ2PX9UQVINhiEeBKi3vcr6k/s2046/IMG_8717-COLLAGE.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2046" data-original-width="2046" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKC7YbjxNgGMjiv7zKGi85tkYY6diOzJp-yoeN0kULJj07wkisfSZwk9yBf0t5FOJZyWdDM99t-LQpnRQT8ejNiS6iTw0KDxZ6kNRGkbmhXTEY68_ll83QG-mtQTvnNCHnVh8ilNxjobn4hdiOeFdWUwRG-Ll72uZzzJ2PX9UQVINhiEeBKi3vcr6k/w640-h640/IMG_8717-COLLAGE.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Christmas this year with the kids was FUN. They are at a great age for it. Both are super excited and still believe in Santa. Despite there being no dog Ella was happy with her presents - she has a new Our Generation doll and a horse for the dolls which she was thrilled with. "Santa" brought her a kids Fitbit, so we are having lots of daily step competitions (kids do a lot of steps!) and she's able to use her watch and timer for things. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Ollie was super cute in that before opening each present he checked who it was from and then yelled out a big "thank you!!!" to those people before opening it up. He got a few games which he loves, along with some Lego and Transformers that seem to be his favourite gifts. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1ZEdDF5-B8a7CHMv5iWo3dPYfMFY7gAnFNus4IRu1hI_Xn2-xeyZA5W_pqQOqpS87OiKpYPa6BG-qYstNMQ-KdPprSB1V-tIaXad2feke_SWqjgprM_u3dzFtLNROLECM7--mpMJ1HCiX4_zLnp4x5eAOt0p7RvbJshNTaIcMGf8kzcS3rvZ72g9C/s2046/IMG_3076-COLLAGE.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1535" data-original-width="2046" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1ZEdDF5-B8a7CHMv5iWo3dPYfMFY7gAnFNus4IRu1hI_Xn2-xeyZA5W_pqQOqpS87OiKpYPa6BG-qYstNMQ-KdPprSB1V-tIaXad2feke_SWqjgprM_u3dzFtLNROLECM7--mpMJ1HCiX4_zLnp4x5eAOt0p7RvbJshNTaIcMGf8kzcS3rvZ72g9C/w640-h480/IMG_3076-COLLAGE.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">Oh and how can I forget his squishmallows, which he loves, loves, loves. This kid loves to cuddle anything soft. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNM2L-kcHxj-Kb4EOZYDse08W0nyUhoVSKlgMjhAXWqbY7ukyXZOFPNSBApdRp478iN0vB8iFULRmtGohwW30xpEtrrBOPBjuWVbxCKQri5AmtX7bedk6kxKVzM7wiL3ACX8wRM_14JYWdCZAnIa0XieAgmCvcY1LwF4e8IEAjYQFBk_QNJEVQafK5/s2963/IMG_8729.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2940" data-original-width="2963" height="636" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNM2L-kcHxj-Kb4EOZYDse08W0nyUhoVSKlgMjhAXWqbY7ukyXZOFPNSBApdRp478iN0vB8iFULRmtGohwW30xpEtrrBOPBjuWVbxCKQri5AmtX7bedk6kxKVzM7wiL3ACX8wRM_14JYWdCZAnIa0XieAgmCvcY1LwF4e8IEAjYQFBk_QNJEVQafK5/w640-h636/IMG_8729.HEIC" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Christmas Day was pretty warm and basically centred around presents and food. We had a BBQ brunch in the morning which we ate outside before it got too hot. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuXizmfBDTv6-rLT7MWu1ZlGNB2DA9DsmKP3FoaqizUYkd0BaGLcNaqUocDAuGqus_uq4d9zDCDcJZqS7SvPoNf65LxglCjV4UdghtQQ_YrZuqEwmPeIzojzKK6LjZ5ZftJj1kO5o9Oe_awAMHLBn8C-DjiDYTQgt6giCKwkG2b70uxmWGV-X-yhfY/s4032/IMG_8721.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuXizmfBDTv6-rLT7MWu1ZlGNB2DA9DsmKP3FoaqizUYkd0BaGLcNaqUocDAuGqus_uq4d9zDCDcJZqS7SvPoNf65LxglCjV4UdghtQQ_YrZuqEwmPeIzojzKK6LjZ5ZftJj1kO5o9Oe_awAMHLBn8C-DjiDYTQgt6giCKwkG2b70uxmWGV-X-yhfY/w640-h480/IMG_8721.HEIC" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgb64yW-1GdsFUiRLHv3-NzcaLAoyy33cyhICNrnZcKZq88ViRdbNKfQJSW4kTYQ9-Y2v0oXwX5MaNfqyg2s3Ef2kqqeXxX8g0nVvLdqJ9wBHKrNq5I93cjINfUQzgApp94AdW9vTUzk0oFdzwKaN-OqdgzkQPhghDkrkyY9UGX-AFhYVFittgK_BYe/s4032/IMG_8725.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgb64yW-1GdsFUiRLHv3-NzcaLAoyy33cyhICNrnZcKZq88ViRdbNKfQJSW4kTYQ9-Y2v0oXwX5MaNfqyg2s3Ef2kqqeXxX8g0nVvLdqJ9wBHKrNq5I93cjINfUQzgApp94AdW9vTUzk0oFdzwKaN-OqdgzkQPhghDkrkyY9UGX-AFhYVFittgK_BYe/w640-h480/IMG_8725.HEIC" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">There was some time to chill out in the early afternoon. Ollie snuck off to his room to have a nap and the adults sat with their feet in the paddling pool to keep cool. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9IKgewRi4sxVAYjFjAFuLMlUWY1YKR3s0zz6dUM6gCmPU0Oy5RVQqO56Fe73A9fVcAPQhGgyJC_LgQ9MTfue133segBTNb-avMIfCKbeSqdc7sDH3DC0lSzD6LZoPZA79JA0K2Z3AZPePkIXug0blj-_5cuhlL7WAMeRLwTlryhI0jwIdiJSH8QER/s4032/IMG_8732.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9IKgewRi4sxVAYjFjAFuLMlUWY1YKR3s0zz6dUM6gCmPU0Oy5RVQqO56Fe73A9fVcAPQhGgyJC_LgQ9MTfue133segBTNb-avMIfCKbeSqdc7sDH3DC0lSzD6LZoPZA79JA0K2Z3AZPePkIXug0blj-_5cuhlL7WAMeRLwTlryhI0jwIdiJSH8QER/w640-h480/IMG_8732.HEIC" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">In the late afternoon Andy and my dad took the kids to a splash pad to cool off while my mom and I got dinner ready. Along with the pavlova I wanted to have an Australian style Christmas, rather than the traditional meal we'd eat in Canada or England. (Read: no turkey!) I made a <a href="https://www.recipetineats.com/easy-maple-sticky-glazed-ham/" target="_blank">maple glazed ham</a>, we had prawns, and sides of fresh <a href="https://www.recipetineats.com/iceberg-lettuce-dill-salad/" target="_blank">iceburg lettuce salad</a> and <a href="https://cookieandkate.com/green-bean-salad-recipe/" target="_blank">green beans</a>. It was the first time I've been completely in charge of a Christmas dinner, and it all turned out quite well if I do say so myself!</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOCzIJ0izxXSxZoHv7sJ0th5_nu2u64W9Wh_oCZkElaQQse4uxHNdRJzz2Dw4iuT94wEPDbprngPxTxlX5DhnvQFyg2Vf86EvcVW6i1_c9oBCKvzgJDwmk3Dkrb4ZowaWoXI29sa3ZFoHBs_YpnULlDTM9WXuZkT9seUqsvhEJd-zZJOdIv1wlkxoO/s4032/IMG_8750.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOCzIJ0izxXSxZoHv7sJ0th5_nu2u64W9Wh_oCZkElaQQse4uxHNdRJzz2Dw4iuT94wEPDbprngPxTxlX5DhnvQFyg2Vf86EvcVW6i1_c9oBCKvzgJDwmk3Dkrb4ZowaWoXI29sa3ZFoHBs_YpnULlDTM9WXuZkT9seUqsvhEJd-zZJOdIv1wlkxoO/w640-h480/IMG_8750.HEIC" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqGr_jkvc9cXwoP5w4fEFY64ZaWjYgznEW9JaWpnhqebfEJx_mclt3w1k-zH8c_nmrnXDFEU_J40S3BQ5SVQokidBZj5XPW-BMNaj8TJL5715JtpMwkJT3qu_InNgY5cBBF5mWw5KQS-aB3l98MOv5zrL_ZzYhHCNjWkn2bbyIDkGmrH0ZlEubKC1d/s4032/IMG_8752.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqGr_jkvc9cXwoP5w4fEFY64ZaWjYgznEW9JaWpnhqebfEJx_mclt3w1k-zH8c_nmrnXDFEU_J40S3BQ5SVQokidBZj5XPW-BMNaj8TJL5715JtpMwkJT3qu_InNgY5cBBF5mWw5KQS-aB3l98MOv5zrL_ZzYhHCNjWkn2bbyIDkGmrH0ZlEubKC1d/w640-h480/IMG_8752.HEIC" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgz2MNP4t_Xfd2NPybevOvZCySEbzSUy17nWhca5pYwqlZI4GG2MzgRD4tTd9IVlysrKZYmt6KMpLJlM-7qOc6NPZJp7dO9lKAV9DCW_ij57GevGN05rnDFl7MHQUjN8nkfoevq3VOmcmyFKPW5eMetzl_UG2e2TLfGvM_V0USM09ivsOHLJEK6m1Wu/s4032/IMG_8737.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgz2MNP4t_Xfd2NPybevOvZCySEbzSUy17nWhca5pYwqlZI4GG2MzgRD4tTd9IVlysrKZYmt6KMpLJlM-7qOc6NPZJp7dO9lKAV9DCW_ij57GevGN05rnDFl7MHQUjN8nkfoevq3VOmcmyFKPW5eMetzl_UG2e2TLfGvM_V0USM09ivsOHLJEK6m1Wu/w640-h480/IMG_8737.HEIC" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgloNIXwD1J8JcTZtPO4-6ytIstCx7gMY0uwdmFMH8hZu8tCjNiJR49DPJ4NwLtpI1EsxKLwknsMfkg30wvZq6V5dGNBByiDrKklOq9NlQ0wX1MQYWeN5IZhhUnEHl4sPYTauFCo0OjtA3tLM4G-XOoGWVJlIRtSIyiacc726NIEOOYA_GqkYwS7e5f/s4032/IMG_8747.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgloNIXwD1J8JcTZtPO4-6ytIstCx7gMY0uwdmFMH8hZu8tCjNiJR49DPJ4NwLtpI1EsxKLwknsMfkg30wvZq6V5dGNBByiDrKklOq9NlQ0wX1MQYWeN5IZhhUnEHl4sPYTauFCo0OjtA3tLM4G-XOoGWVJlIRtSIyiacc726NIEOOYA_GqkYwS7e5f/w640-h480/IMG_8747.HEIC" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">You'll notice that Ollie is going through a phase of scrunching up his face every time we ask him to smile for a photo!</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">All in all it was a really fabulous Christmas Day and I'm so glad my parents were here to experience it with us.</div>Wendy McCarryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10400056809655031226noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3302793385282321137.post-69134767766293589112022-12-15T22:44:00.192+00:002022-12-24T00:22:31.673+00:00Update!<div style="text-align: justify;">Hello! It’s been a while, I know!! The second half of 2022 seems to have flown by in a blur… a very cold and rainy blur here in Melbourne. But we are on summer holidays now and I finally feel like I have the time and space to think about this blog again. And also… my parents are here!! They arrived just over two weeks ago and are here until mid-March. It is so fabulous to see the kids with their grandparents again, and of course it takes a lot of pressure off of Andy and me. I am especially thankful of the help I have from my mom when it comes to preparing dinner... it's like having a permanent sous-chef!</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">So here’s a quick snapshot of what we’ve been up to since our trip to the UK in June/July. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">This was the first year that Andy and I have both been working full-time since having kids without any support (ie grandparents). Last year we had multiple lockdowns that gave us a break from the feeling of full-time life so in a way we kind of eased in to being back here in Australia on our own. I will admit that this year felt at times pretty relentless. Especially for the nine weeks over the winter that Andy and I both have the addition of “Saturday sport”, which is part of the job at all big independent schools here in Australia. That period in particular was challenging, as we had to take turns taking the kids to our soccer games. Luckily they were generally well-behaved and played together, and sometimes even watched the matches. (We’ll forget about the time a player on Andy’s tram dislocated his knee, or the time a player on my team got into a fight, or the time Ollie ran on to the pitch and nearly got run over by a bunch of Year 12 boys … all very fun to deal with, I can assure you!)</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Thankfully we are done with that by the beginning of August and we can enjoy the entire weekend free of school activities again. The kids have their own extra-curricular activities, and this year they both did swimming lessons and tennis. It was great to have the consistency of these things without lockdowns this year and the kids have really come a long way, especially with swimming. Ollie can now swim about five meters without a life jacket and Ella does short laps of front and back crawl. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">At work Andy started at a new school this year and I think has found his forever school. He’s at a very prominent and well-regarded boy’s school and has found that they treat their staff very well. Having had a lot of changes over the past 5 years I think he’s pretty happy to finally feel settled. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">I too have found something at work that I feel quite happy about. When we returned to Melbourne last year I went back to the school I had always taught at and took back the position of Head of Maths. But I wasn’t really enjoying it all that much… I’ve been a head of department for a big part of my teaching career and I was just a bit over it! But this year I was appointed Head of Academic Extension which is a new role at the school. I’m working across both primary and secondary, across all 3 of our campuses, to develop programming for high potential and gifted students. It’s very interesting work, first in learning about the individual needs of gifted students and then working out which programmes to develop that are in line with our school values. It's a pretty strategic role and I'm looking forward to getting stuck in to that fully next year. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">I also have a small additional job, which is working for a company to develop and record maths video lessons that align to the Victorian curriculum (VCE). I did this about five years ago, but we have to re-record all the videos as there is a new VCE maths curriculum in 2023 so the lessons have to match the new study design. It's A LOT of work and a big part of the reason the blog has been so neglected, as my free time on weekends has been devoted to working on this project. My part should be all wrapped up by the end of March though and then those videos will last for six years, (and I'll earn royalties for the six years) so it's worth it to do now... short term pain for long term gain!</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Here’s a few pictures from the last 4-5 months. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The NGV continues to be one of my favourite places to take the kids. We had a chance to check out the Picasso exhibition in August, with our friends Verge and Taryn and their children Charlie and Theo. Charlie is in Ella's class at school and Theo goes to daycare with Ollie, and they are also an expat family, so needless to say these guys have become good friends of ours this year. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">We always spend a long time outside the gallery at the fountains outside first:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXBo0hj8PvO0f_sg8Unh3CUhW5019gkATqcVwRzsTwVQ_ODna9DGi6ecIU-kYRGfUt5BblqCv7RYictIb-B9e2a-yI1yrFFT4LoHzov_l7KPUlQvplXLhRuvt4HmZGq0bP5NsN1DOxAM5AfsHDcW3UTQbAUO-avC8VwRGJ2zTwGQJon2cy-600elL9/s4032/IMG_8028.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXBo0hj8PvO0f_sg8Unh3CUhW5019gkATqcVwRzsTwVQ_ODna9DGi6ecIU-kYRGfUt5BblqCv7RYictIb-B9e2a-yI1yrFFT4LoHzov_l7KPUlQvplXLhRuvt4HmZGq0bP5NsN1DOxAM5AfsHDcW3UTQbAUO-avC8VwRGJ2zTwGQJon2cy-600elL9/w640-h480/IMG_8028.HEIC" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">And then we attempted to go through the Picasso exhibition, which was quite busy and a more rushed experience with the kids along, but they did a pretty good job and finding some things to be interested in.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSyjn-2k6M_ZEPWjZrxDLfjxPzXfWObv3uxy2yjfgInqzBC8i_0Vw5qvJnnysp6fiZ0PqhCe7lqgYB0CCXIguhXdpaRv4Q9Dt-O268MPXL_rTx564koNexuxDPHPQFRCzhZ5m2jUzPrx8oOVv3iKhBqU7KmrvrCpUe7RvX_yNiZjlh9_FvI1NCJq63/s4032/IMG_8036.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSyjn-2k6M_ZEPWjZrxDLfjxPzXfWObv3uxy2yjfgInqzBC8i_0Vw5qvJnnysp6fiZ0PqhCe7lqgYB0CCXIguhXdpaRv4Q9Dt-O268MPXL_rTx564koNexuxDPHPQFRCzhZ5m2jUzPrx8oOVv3iKhBqU7KmrvrCpUe7RvX_yNiZjlh9_FvI1NCJq63/w640-h480/IMG_8036.HEIC" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlWQP24YmjuHWlmmzNUu1lnemDJZ6jUFbQkFR0uYLcUjJBU0e33OBr0uP0_acNMZuYvCudS_9yfAgk6FjASF222sud1YU3w6uLizCm9fHFh1ZbGRESd0J6ubSgL02aqHa6-Sh3OeUHFLCaM0Z-1PIttUBlsvSOd2DPwH9c2xU0ojD8VvVLa-Wpw1th/s4032/IMG_8043.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlWQP24YmjuHWlmmzNUu1lnemDJZ6jUFbQkFR0uYLcUjJBU0e33OBr0uP0_acNMZuYvCudS_9yfAgk6FjASF222sud1YU3w6uLizCm9fHFh1ZbGRESd0J6ubSgL02aqHa6-Sh3OeUHFLCaM0Z-1PIttUBlsvSOd2DPwH9c2xU0ojD8VvVLa-Wpw1th/w640-h480/IMG_8043.HEIC" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: justify;">There was a children's part to the exhibition which kept the kids amused for quite a while. Below is a space where they could create their own abstract sculptures.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg86JL55DA6FzbVgO-QkNYqzuz2723TwGLIZ3EtQ8uGy3hpf_4AuSAtTnFFtYxe5VM0AaRLYLaa1Qxo0__B0BVydY-Td1h54HbsYO62ZLJ1g5hLHdf9XcnRSmXZdFMbubAgWDV-k1PVOAZNZcKFyxAcfgA1xIPgFJvxxq6OLdBNJps3MfSsHsaOjSuy/s4032/IMG_8030.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg86JL55DA6FzbVgO-QkNYqzuz2723TwGLIZ3EtQ8uGy3hpf_4AuSAtTnFFtYxe5VM0AaRLYLaa1Qxo0__B0BVydY-Td1h54HbsYO62ZLJ1g5hLHdf9XcnRSmXZdFMbubAgWDV-k1PVOAZNZcKFyxAcfgA1xIPgFJvxxq6OLdBNJps3MfSsHsaOjSuy/w640-h480/IMG_8030.HEIC" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">And a digital picasso-esque portrait of Ella:</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixqNMvwZrp-vYhH4JKVhJTaX-2m6p04DcuMtiywGZghxCBllvacsIa-x5xi_kpR6gc8hgv2Qh2J0r2XUXDCQx7-uUniFHh5JpIvoM6raWe3HbD7f_YjVCYETu7XjJy7ZiQTs0oJQLXkMk4rzRmAectzXYHCgOoGc2SGyQbbVqytnP9FRgRft3CTV93/s2048/b177557f-d89c-45ac-b64b-d62d6c6501ea.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixqNMvwZrp-vYhH4JKVhJTaX-2m6p04DcuMtiywGZghxCBllvacsIa-x5xi_kpR6gc8hgv2Qh2J0r2XUXDCQx7-uUniFHh5JpIvoM6raWe3HbD7f_YjVCYETu7XjJy7ZiQTs0oJQLXkMk4rzRmAectzXYHCgOoGc2SGyQbbVqytnP9FRgRft3CTV93/w480-h640/b177557f-d89c-45ac-b64b-d62d6c6501ea.JPG" width="480" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The pink pool installation in the gardens was a hit as usual. We were lucky to have a warm sunny winter day for this visit.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilmHbkZos21wrodPnARxmtmVlFXrH8ihtWjL_Ye0wI0DvOLwUhOYLFZ1oH9OQSxM-fq55uvgPBXIxggla4DTBf-_ORpFZOagaUMdGQWDU1l8FOXOtQhzMQX9a3SOaZcXOfGm8igWG2yVxM7e57uwwASGaVMwD9OIc1EnQawJLYaMC_NpK7QYS6xs1C/s4032/IMG_8041.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilmHbkZos21wrodPnARxmtmVlFXrH8ihtWjL_Ye0wI0DvOLwUhOYLFZ1oH9OQSxM-fq55uvgPBXIxggla4DTBf-_ORpFZOagaUMdGQWDU1l8FOXOtQhzMQX9a3SOaZcXOfGm8igWG2yVxM7e57uwwASGaVMwD9OIc1EnQawJLYaMC_NpK7QYS6xs1C/w640-h480/IMG_8041.HEIC" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">We spent another afternoon at the NGV about a month ago. The pink pool installation has been replaced with a colourful replica of the Parthenon which is quite cool.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_Qv56E3gH914Y3TjE3UzykgHNxO8iqEeQII3t-uRwlQg2Q--EEIvY4kGggUEVxOvNLu_C3LZWCg8jqK3Hm3_RqG5leHWkf4boOvYE3mG5cImNkyXTQenuFmY272P_xE-ojwGTMrOtqqjclONw2fBrbZaxGaX0C6MIJCs5NJ-tdFpDv6HNvPAsFShD/s2706/IMG_8532.heic" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2111" data-original-width="2706" height="500" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_Qv56E3gH914Y3TjE3UzykgHNxO8iqEeQII3t-uRwlQg2Q--EEIvY4kGggUEVxOvNLu_C3LZWCg8jqK3Hm3_RqG5leHWkf4boOvYE3mG5cImNkyXTQenuFmY272P_xE-ojwGTMrOtqqjclONw2fBrbZaxGaX0C6MIJCs5NJ-tdFpDv6HNvPAsFShD/w640-h500/IMG_8532.heic" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCCkHceHPfnS27913ATwjySGjishYs5w45fhaTB83EpP279M-6P2pUI9diwh5RXFZ4VqkfgZfVw8dVMr35eTLMLcuuvLfb4S-GrOX-pMrbL0oXQxJA9BTLJULsk3rjXHoXw53NpY-vWDJtzCpcUEUa1VmtYm_BCC356GFtoKNJaX-JZfXQ4jSSf7LU/s4032/IMG_8524.heic" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCCkHceHPfnS27913ATwjySGjishYs5w45fhaTB83EpP279M-6P2pUI9diwh5RXFZ4VqkfgZfVw8dVMr35eTLMLcuuvLfb4S-GrOX-pMrbL0oXQxJA9BTLJULsk3rjXHoXw53NpY-vWDJtzCpcUEUa1VmtYm_BCC356GFtoKNJaX-JZfXQ4jSSf7LU/w640-h480/IMG_8524.heic" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Another sunny winter weekend day was spent walking along the Yarra River discovering bronze statues of endangered species. The conservation-focussed public art exhibition is called Wild About Babies, and is designed to raise awareness about endangered species.</div></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfd1RZL6jZYrCo8QLHtP_M7dBa0iNtK7OwNIDjS2a1cdFYYi4T6TlzOgBR0zY_Cl9xjtoKIiv23UTCw4xFFifIfMKnBAurhr7W9LqIVYBKHIHtjSUVQGksBqzWqN19Rss9ZOExwN6doQBI9BDFJydHJ-oSDRIbodVRFs_-qM72I7HWduYJeWqPMMzt/s4032/IMG_8060.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfd1RZL6jZYrCo8QLHtP_M7dBa0iNtK7OwNIDjS2a1cdFYYi4T6TlzOgBR0zY_Cl9xjtoKIiv23UTCw4xFFifIfMKnBAurhr7W9LqIVYBKHIHtjSUVQGksBqzWqN19Rss9ZOExwN6doQBI9BDFJydHJ-oSDRIbodVRFs_-qM72I7HWduYJeWqPMMzt/w640-h480/IMG_8060.HEIC" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEAu6PSE1aq67GWo5rpsoeMO02nQvFgvt_P8dxFzu6ju_62XcloGdBBnnxt0FjmZBx0QdtN-J1kimQeHkhhvl7NVZYYBI_lFbkdEcS-ZBuhopkAyvwJYuPa_mY4eS_CrNFWTsoqX_YD3_1m2G_DsPYrkaH2H86ucoDPzxaElnqMbvGM6uAMz8vJfLv/s4032/IMG_8062.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEAu6PSE1aq67GWo5rpsoeMO02nQvFgvt_P8dxFzu6ju_62XcloGdBBnnxt0FjmZBx0QdtN-J1kimQeHkhhvl7NVZYYBI_lFbkdEcS-ZBuhopkAyvwJYuPa_mY4eS_CrNFWTsoqX_YD3_1m2G_DsPYrkaH2H86ucoDPzxaElnqMbvGM6uAMz8vJfLv/w480-h640/IMG_8062.HEIC" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiM4mZrkKXSd-cdulKMAdkqQugansnqhvamtZPboxHrOHcbYX3-HTy1wcPEelfsccaxcX3-JsK6zEq83DDDtCaGkePyCIGuDxAsro69iUQlLnpbWGBLWFteE_TBQFJMkkCVDQuRGMCPRMJ8gQAiovaKBxtYlajyb6ncFdkf8fvz9GiyR5Ft7ifwXFRG/s4032/IMG_8063.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiM4mZrkKXSd-cdulKMAdkqQugansnqhvamtZPboxHrOHcbYX3-HTy1wcPEelfsccaxcX3-JsK6zEq83DDDtCaGkePyCIGuDxAsro69iUQlLnpbWGBLWFteE_TBQFJMkkCVDQuRGMCPRMJ8gQAiovaKBxtYlajyb6ncFdkf8fvz9GiyR5Ft7ifwXFRG/w480-h640/IMG_8063.HEIC" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjx2BZ8JKX6UGhO6BZpzbkOX44XdgxOLm2Ge7vx-xcIn4GclG0ZlIFy_QKBfdMSURM5lNL3X-guiMRRbhrQbyemLWK6RYjEsjyfSJ_6GDrq_vxDdH8pW5rrJTyUfN4LFoof9REka-TiHIHTR60WynPwVnTHHmP330rRRTx1BFIDd2Vu-wF0R-TwDgL8/s4032/IMG_8065.heic" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjx2BZ8JKX6UGhO6BZpzbkOX44XdgxOLm2Ge7vx-xcIn4GclG0ZlIFy_QKBfdMSURM5lNL3X-guiMRRbhrQbyemLWK6RYjEsjyfSJ_6GDrq_vxDdH8pW5rrJTyUfN4LFoof9REka-TiHIHTR60WynPwVnTHHmP330rRRTx1BFIDd2Vu-wF0R-TwDgL8/w480-h640/IMG_8065.heic" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">This spring we had A LOT of rain, resulting in the Yarra rivers and it's distributary channels flooded in many areas around Melbourne. The bike path I normally ride on to work was flooded for over a week. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8AQnLNta0PND1eo5mAdGUXQZblqCWeXmWVyV8gjsTWtYGuYl4HMG5E6bM1EB_PV5IxT_CNTuiPwnK-hNYTwzRHxdsCWkrWnncJjxM0wOXnI7jqGNhjlaujGMHpsurR9DtsFva82w73cfWipfblfl1M-aJTTQiBpbrfkzNVsUFTzdgAE5WsLeD2Yln/s4032/IMG_8334.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8AQnLNta0PND1eo5mAdGUXQZblqCWeXmWVyV8gjsTWtYGuYl4HMG5E6bM1EB_PV5IxT_CNTuiPwnK-hNYTwzRHxdsCWkrWnncJjxM0wOXnI7jqGNhjlaujGMHpsurR9DtsFva82w73cfWipfblfl1M-aJTTQiBpbrfkzNVsUFTzdgAE5WsLeD2Yln/w640-h480/IMG_8334.HEIC" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhH_YYHF0_LDA-TfTMJEQAVj9fuqoA5gRuCQr9fhpiByogvZp2tPkh5p2YGE33KmWRSSCp1bbW1-vcyK1imUEx2QjGrHpKo5UN_x0VTh9rcjMbQhdDlzR2maOD-OGKBqgCX2M2ZyFpQeyKF6x9W_yp0b14GZe4evTu0sHsm7csdE-kWQ39j3wWqIbm5/s4032/IMG_8336.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhH_YYHF0_LDA-TfTMJEQAVj9fuqoA5gRuCQr9fhpiByogvZp2tPkh5p2YGE33KmWRSSCp1bbW1-vcyK1imUEx2QjGrHpKo5UN_x0VTh9rcjMbQhdDlzR2maOD-OGKBqgCX2M2ZyFpQeyKF6x9W_yp0b14GZe4evTu0sHsm7csdE-kWQ39j3wWqIbm5/w640-h480/IMG_8336.HEIC" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">We visited Dights Falls and it was pretty crazy to see the amount of water running over the usually modest falls. I actually ran into a former student of mine who was there to kayak. I was afraid it was a bit dangerous but he does compete in kayaking for Australia so I suppose he knew what he was doing!</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirDpQQ6zqMxZphEIn5HhipGpCHwmGp1RWilLGHgV9wu2lH3ZrLPFhzUPdXFERGZZp0ll7CS_2vibtajurs1XVaJbDfAr7tPlbIWOLdx7HiOxt3BoRztx3iaT1OYmC4ra0f4h6uW-o0jgKWwFpHCxVulIJUpwZfDNI4MNUdmqxCVZfk6o5ES7-JMhah/s4032/IMG_8339.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirDpQQ6zqMxZphEIn5HhipGpCHwmGp1RWilLGHgV9wu2lH3ZrLPFhzUPdXFERGZZp0ll7CS_2vibtajurs1XVaJbDfAr7tPlbIWOLdx7HiOxt3BoRztx3iaT1OYmC4ra0f4h6uW-o0jgKWwFpHCxVulIJUpwZfDNI4MNUdmqxCVZfk6o5ES7-JMhah/w640-h480/IMG_8339.HEIC" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhR2cTyII8LnYwo5cOiyBhPZVnUO9WoWJZpbGMkISR05tKOPW7vxfaVpghGbVYDZt3oocTCrYXdZcOdkmkWPdnd8m8EesqmUt9Gd1Fu5LdbLQWXgCXYTAJXyToFvn4ZZKP6MWoJLT8B-93ZTEy4JhGSACZLtjAp7wCh3d4xxL4prZ9MX0BHMmVGO_Ea/s4032/IMG_8341.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhR2cTyII8LnYwo5cOiyBhPZVnUO9WoWJZpbGMkISR05tKOPW7vxfaVpghGbVYDZt3oocTCrYXdZcOdkmkWPdnd8m8EesqmUt9Gd1Fu5LdbLQWXgCXYTAJXyToFvn4ZZKP6MWoJLT8B-93ZTEy4JhGSACZLtjAp7wCh3d4xxL4prZ9MX0BHMmVGO_Ea/w640-h480/IMG_8341.HEIC" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">Halloween continues to get bigger and bigger over here and the kids had a great time trick-or-treating this yer. It's still nowhere near as big as in North America, so you have to walk quite a bit in between the houses, looking for decorations to signal that they are giving out candy. The good thing about this is that the kids don't actually go to that many houses so we don't have too much candy brought home... it's a far cry from the pillow case full of treats I used to have as a kid!</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKwabQuhHtGTJrXAAdPst9Sdnk1_52zy58iBOaJYX7ZXu3JEiJ6mPXGWbJrh2IfLHhha8QXMXms06qH9ClNiF2-Lh5emBOrynPaHwoia8M3WEAP3J1BgdSvIqFrlmy6F8ju2qXqy8LMgVI5UgRalNMAfO583T1wm7_CJqjE15bhv6CAJsWLHzMo34y/s4032/IMG_8434.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKwabQuhHtGTJrXAAdPst9Sdnk1_52zy58iBOaJYX7ZXu3JEiJ6mPXGWbJrh2IfLHhha8QXMXms06qH9ClNiF2-Lh5emBOrynPaHwoia8M3WEAP3J1BgdSvIqFrlmy6F8ju2qXqy8LMgVI5UgRalNMAfO583T1wm7_CJqjE15bhv6CAJsWLHzMo34y/w640-h480/IMG_8434.HEIC" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">We visited Melbourne Museum for the first time in a while. This place always reminds me of being on maternity leave with Ella and I used to visit the children's section quite frequently. Nowadays the kids enjoy seeing some of the other exhibits but they haven't quite grown out of the children's section yet! Both kids looooooved this mirror part when they were toddlers and it was funny to see that Ollie was still amused at seeing multiple versions of himself!</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijwrKMmQMTylOMCNpFKTCWbc-5-zHD1bTim6hudXRRBQA4LJI9oMA8zOlzoCMnZpQ9n0lzaMnrxiFuebMr-d6UmsIRFVh91G3FbgJAqXjT7jbKh7zG1slP1erdAI4xARsSaf6DettcBdVWP75qTNKg73kcpR94svYv1mgt6XdvBa7D4mW6JhYM8_2i/s4032/IMG_8487.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijwrKMmQMTylOMCNpFKTCWbc-5-zHD1bTim6hudXRRBQA4LJI9oMA8zOlzoCMnZpQ9n0lzaMnrxiFuebMr-d6UmsIRFVh91G3FbgJAqXjT7jbKh7zG1slP1erdAI4xARsSaf6DettcBdVWP75qTNKg73kcpR94svYv1mgt6XdvBa7D4mW6JhYM8_2i/w480-h640/IMG_8487.HEIC" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizIIz-puz2ncZtS484l0rGhVs1y8_SU6ojTYuUjggXQujUzGtRanIQQMKFn4uE05vE2MUoY4e9JBMvuyMCVt02s26Z-94PRmS-nDkMUiMmRkth932HI13aLRymw-gMJub5FeCnzmrJeE-T6Lqrt4nQTK8SMWhfqQqph5jRusUu_5NCQZmFCJGNS3-J/s4032/IMG_8491.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizIIz-puz2ncZtS484l0rGhVs1y8_SU6ojTYuUjggXQujUzGtRanIQQMKFn4uE05vE2MUoY4e9JBMvuyMCVt02s26Z-94PRmS-nDkMUiMmRkth932HI13aLRymw-gMJub5FeCnzmrJeE-T6Lqrt4nQTK8SMWhfqQqph5jRusUu_5NCQZmFCJGNS3-J/w480-h640/IMG_8491.HEIC" width="480" /></a></div><div><br /></div>Ollie just loves getting a five minute rest whenever he can:<div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjh9ee7n9xKkWRtihhxKUf9kv7BERY0oul-5rRiS4CAiyoPVVO6dp-R8aY5TDSTAvCyS3Mkhm29PSGtP2eG9cZ_M2CkHnxvKnMOPCtCA-hwlWbLSmgVaE1cXIKb3biudXcBTeDhreSa2AKhTLnEXUCC33pLHM_t3kNNLPQUqGHLIjvBy2N4oknBxhzt/s4032/IMG_8494.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjh9ee7n9xKkWRtihhxKUf9kv7BERY0oul-5rRiS4CAiyoPVVO6dp-R8aY5TDSTAvCyS3Mkhm29PSGtP2eG9cZ_M2CkHnxvKnMOPCtCA-hwlWbLSmgVaE1cXIKb3biudXcBTeDhreSa2AKhTLnEXUCC33pLHM_t3kNNLPQUqGHLIjvBy2N4oknBxhzt/w640-h480/IMG_8494.HEIC" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Ollie has got super into drawing which is pretty cute. He can follow some of the drawing tutorials on Art for Kids Hub on YouTube which is Ella's favourite drawing channel. I'd never really seen him draw anything even semi-realistic so this was a surprise for all of us (as you can see from Ella's expression below).</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhx-xbR0e96WyNdgwtOdMbo_5rertm3jeanX5XO26p3AjpgjPr7L_u0yNKlFbK_6eFT2yivFA1un22p2xLM92vkfcucTCQBUvj8aYwCriXS2wGKy_CZiHFOXupLGhoPJ8Iruv8WZWbdXSzUYx9IL4rNotKrgTaKAm4T6fQLXPohzSxVKg9KGmWYY_uP/s4032/IMG_8301.heic" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhx-xbR0e96WyNdgwtOdMbo_5rertm3jeanX5XO26p3AjpgjPr7L_u0yNKlFbK_6eFT2yivFA1un22p2xLM92vkfcucTCQBUvj8aYwCriXS2wGKy_CZiHFOXupLGhoPJ8Iruv8WZWbdXSzUYx9IL4rNotKrgTaKAm4T6fQLXPohzSxVKg9KGmWYY_uP/w640-h480/IMG_8301.heic" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgt7vl3wnwEaQeyu2b4EGFZbAgUoMeET5J6gid5znOAEgParYrlogkw5G0bS8ZC4nhldqjcGYmU2_RWYR4fcJn1nDasFXbg2zIE_y13EcLf8kNI-QqNbwaZfU9T8emrnPXwRuAo35xDH87qm0vX9DPEwb0Obaj-Y7aP0MqFJvFPpdZG5uDzvAIg5uoP/s4032/68617765546__9233BB34-6936-4006-8ED7-D511BF816C34.fullsizerender.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgt7vl3wnwEaQeyu2b4EGFZbAgUoMeET5J6gid5znOAEgParYrlogkw5G0bS8ZC4nhldqjcGYmU2_RWYR4fcJn1nDasFXbg2zIE_y13EcLf8kNI-QqNbwaZfU9T8emrnPXwRuAo35xDH87qm0vX9DPEwb0Obaj-Y7aP0MqFJvFPpdZG5uDzvAIg5uoP/w480-h640/68617765546__9233BB34-6936-4006-8ED7-D511BF816C34.fullsizerender.JPG" width="480" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Here is one of his more abstract pieces from daycare which he was pretty proud of so it is now framed in our hallway:</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqIyivHWB7WYyFQYfka98HMmpIbHXxzs1Yr7yBux2eCz9nLSrXblaKSyBjVXysuxgB2lLWgr0eirXH1ZEGl7AhDoAtj5zd60_Hj84BCIemkcQM_oASV-GRKQd2gsSSPTzmRZxylGnoeBfrtjUXTks_fNUT5fpK46JgOfO5UhqcGiF6w108MgsT9WI5/s1024/917bf1c6-386b-4458-a6b8-7260d8f80f42.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1024" data-original-width="812" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqIyivHWB7WYyFQYfka98HMmpIbHXxzs1Yr7yBux2eCz9nLSrXblaKSyBjVXysuxgB2lLWgr0eirXH1ZEGl7AhDoAtj5zd60_Hj84BCIemkcQM_oASV-GRKQd2gsSSPTzmRZxylGnoeBfrtjUXTks_fNUT5fpK46JgOfO5UhqcGiF6w108MgsT9WI5/w508-h640/917bf1c6-386b-4458-a6b8-7260d8f80f42.JPG" width="508" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"></div><div><br /></div></div><div>It's now Christmas Eve and we are getting ready to go to our friend's house for the afternoon. Now that we are on school holidays it will hopefully not be another three months before I find time to post again. Merry Christmas everyone!</div>Wendy McCarryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10400056809655031226noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3302793385282321137.post-64251951538941991512022-09-18T02:27:00.000+01:002022-09-18T02:27:14.189+01:00A week in Javea, Spain<div style="text-align: justify;">We had one week in Spain as our holiday within a holiday. Andy’s best friends brother was getting married which was the perfect excuse to have a holiday within a holiday. We’ve been to Javea a few times before to visit Andy’s second family - his best friend Lee is one of four brothers, and Lee's parents have lived in Spain since Lee and Andy finished high school. It’s a very easy place for us to visit… a quick 2.5 hour flight from Gatwick to Alicante, and then an easy hour drive from Alicante to Javea and you're there!</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">My parents flew with us from London to Spain which was a fairly easy trip. We were anticipating long queues as was the norm all summer in airports all over the world. However we arrived nice and early and dropped our luggage and got through security fairly quickly, leaving us time for a leisurely airport breakfast. I also relished having two other adults around to help me with the kids, so compared to my flight from Melbourne with them on my own, this flight was a breeze.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">We rented a townhouse right next door to Lee’s parents house. It was great being so close to Lee’s family, plus the communal pool located within the townhouse complex was very convenient. Lee's brother, Craig, stayed int he townhouse across the street with his wife and three kids, so there were lots of friends around for Ella to play with.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">My brother Mike, his wife Ashley and their son Camden also joined us from California on this holiday which was so fab. Having family all over the world means that we often have to choose between which family we see, so we felt so lucky to be able to see all of the important people from both our families on this trip, especially after the two years of travel restrictions imposed by Covid. This was also the first time the kids got to spend a large amount of time with their cousin Camden. Despite an age difference of almost two years, Ollie and Camden got along and played together really well once they got past the initial getting to know each other phase.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcEgMAWS_FelnbS4fvP5brtKPx13Xde8MhX1lkz_F1AltaRoduFP2ra1wZj2Ht2zOqhbwQneJbYagq-CwoxjR3gqqr59tOIDgdfdS5hDKLjgSuu55lZ5XVMryyARirb7jMYUalEXfKmrqPqauw7fg15vOnVd-nEx4S2cLk1a2FJcfHYYOejd9yV705/s4032/IMG_7645.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcEgMAWS_FelnbS4fvP5brtKPx13Xde8MhX1lkz_F1AltaRoduFP2ra1wZj2Ht2zOqhbwQneJbYagq-CwoxjR3gqqr59tOIDgdfdS5hDKLjgSuu55lZ5XVMryyARirb7jMYUalEXfKmrqPqauw7fg15vOnVd-nEx4S2cLk1a2FJcfHYYOejd9yV705/w640-h480/IMG_7645.HEIC" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAJInavyZJ2xBjzHplYGsL2IoVfHHh__HESRDfxXj3UUR5u-UsMlYT-IxQjG5DcGIn2o8-G_-Ca-72KCDKnDIYsAlS5FiNit7WIy5z0evZkdK0n7rlm1SpjBmBDBA8Szs__VrEulUKrvDbFdXCmBO3y5PkQquTt9C-HynAj7QbVSnQ-4It_1sv_-vJ/s1600/CEC4F64E-2B1B-402F-8662-0F92CF40EC64.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAJInavyZJ2xBjzHplYGsL2IoVfHHh__HESRDfxXj3UUR5u-UsMlYT-IxQjG5DcGIn2o8-G_-Ca-72KCDKnDIYsAlS5FiNit7WIy5z0evZkdK0n7rlm1SpjBmBDBA8Szs__VrEulUKrvDbFdXCmBO3y5PkQquTt9C-HynAj7QbVSnQ-4It_1sv_-vJ/w640-h360/CEC4F64E-2B1B-402F-8662-0F92CF40EC64.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Our first day Ollie was pretty hesitant about going in the pool. He’s been used to his swimming lesson pool which is heated to about 34-35 degrees. This pool was much cooler (although by no means cold) and he kept repeating “I’m never going in the pool. Never never never. I want to go into the warm pool!” Needless to say, by day 2 he was in there for hours at a time. The great thing about this pool is that it’s got a very shallow end (Ollie could easily stand up in it) which is separated by a bridge from the deep end. So there is no way Ollie could get into the deep end without getting out and walking around to the other side. It made it much safer for the little ones.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXN8QHURPSzjAtIqyfUqfyT5yqz5xLLYduMs31v8ct1nUzo9QIwnF8YzKM-UjHv-1kekubhtL_vDb_DERJVH5CXi1p0kbrDWpBRUgV0ok2TwoZ_VXGWCCDnukZHdjNEw7iMICcrn_ttF0ha72N5aKhZrOHHyFbGuhlhZ7qDUwMmh8E52zH-1qznPfN/s1600/1F4D9A1A-A31A-4756-9844-CDB2567EE327.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXN8QHURPSzjAtIqyfUqfyT5yqz5xLLYduMs31v8ct1nUzo9QIwnF8YzKM-UjHv-1kekubhtL_vDb_DERJVH5CXi1p0kbrDWpBRUgV0ok2TwoZ_VXGWCCDnukZHdjNEw7iMICcrn_ttF0ha72N5aKhZrOHHyFbGuhlhZ7qDUwMmh8E52zH-1qznPfN/w640-h360/1F4D9A1A-A31A-4756-9844-CDB2567EE327.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Ella is super confident in the water now and can swim pretty well. She was in the pool everyday and there were a lot of other kids around for her to play with.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEid5vSDA4ONxqa2Wdzjo6hCpt-KGO73mk1FgKnvpdH3KxJdCkcAAdY7wG3_CJqSz1MrgVmk5OmP-KrF0uDx7Hq6fG-hxs6ShtqPjuHY5DiCCpwjjJ67C7vX484CJdIIk1HBvnIqhoFaqnUzhs484PhDfkUxeVW2Upcs6hN3u7pE0EtKRSHrmrzDZHP9/s4032/9BECE121-E696-42FA-8096-913DD8A57ADE.heic" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEid5vSDA4ONxqa2Wdzjo6hCpt-KGO73mk1FgKnvpdH3KxJdCkcAAdY7wG3_CJqSz1MrgVmk5OmP-KrF0uDx7Hq6fG-hxs6ShtqPjuHY5DiCCpwjjJ67C7vX484CJdIIk1HBvnIqhoFaqnUzhs484PhDfkUxeVW2Upcs6hN3u7pE0EtKRSHrmrzDZHP9/w640-h480/9BECE121-E696-42FA-8096-913DD8A57ADE.heic" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDFAQrAYPNbiuAsqi23pQonhb0goc6TLB9hG4uZZzKxEQZ395h4D8d00je0F4UFwD6Nbt9MfkwyebyxetPhF77R6xRHSiyt8D_Af3sOBTn6iHXC8SIwirFIy9v5RP4SfK7AwaemWVLYYl8rWZrTuk0j0kF_9KTRHfwES7v1yGvp7VvfvPCZSKEMzU-/s4032/IMG_7706.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDFAQrAYPNbiuAsqi23pQonhb0goc6TLB9hG4uZZzKxEQZ395h4D8d00je0F4UFwD6Nbt9MfkwyebyxetPhF77R6xRHSiyt8D_Af3sOBTn6iHXC8SIwirFIy9v5RP4SfK7AwaemWVLYYl8rWZrTuk0j0kF_9KTRHfwES7v1yGvp7VvfvPCZSKEMzU-/w640-h480/IMG_7706.HEIC" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Andy finally joined us on our second day in Spain. The kids were so happy to see daddy!</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglYh_uSgf4CQ0hNjNRZaj8yAzXTAwteWopFpzSUwLARZXqs7HszRAfwe0lyrlcYr_NxxTnKmSs-ABC8jXtCAqkxsnd2I9fqrAsrdTYYMdFQt0bv68VESCxljGApqD0UUxAN5llOKRw9b8TJ43Bt2Q7Vd1qBSQbAgFcKjw1VIy9jRzPS3RUUARLRG4a/s4032/53796058-D191-43B9-9F1C-27C87F66959B.heic" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglYh_uSgf4CQ0hNjNRZaj8yAzXTAwteWopFpzSUwLARZXqs7HszRAfwe0lyrlcYr_NxxTnKmSs-ABC8jXtCAqkxsnd2I9fqrAsrdTYYMdFQt0bv68VESCxljGApqD0UUxAN5llOKRw9b8TJ43Bt2Q7Vd1qBSQbAgFcKjw1VIy9jRzPS3RUUARLRG4a/w640-h480/53796058-D191-43B9-9F1C-27C87F66959B.heic" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">We spent a few mornings at the beach. Ella loved being in the water, as usual. Ollie not so much - he’s more of a pool boy! The water was a bit chilly when first going in and as I mentioned above, he takes a while to get used to cold water. He much preferred playing in the sand!</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizWESJI4dQSkcEBrcbqCmtxiLm55UUGCsdHeIfM9lZoMWB1UsL89LDZUPRisGtMEAn7049nD6S5vrPwZFQyUKEHU4Zldjae6uJuptvlZ-_7vM2xpsfwgc7T5ocswCm3crT5bm3YJXozOtnIunm_AFvOCzltVsaL0GjttZz3-obWBQ2cDrAh9ZHGQKz/s4032/283D1239-CE2E-4280-ACFF-3D7016253D63.heic" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizWESJI4dQSkcEBrcbqCmtxiLm55UUGCsdHeIfM9lZoMWB1UsL89LDZUPRisGtMEAn7049nD6S5vrPwZFQyUKEHU4Zldjae6uJuptvlZ-_7vM2xpsfwgc7T5ocswCm3crT5bm3YJXozOtnIunm_AFvOCzltVsaL0GjttZz3-obWBQ2cDrAh9ZHGQKz/w640-h480/283D1239-CE2E-4280-ACFF-3D7016253D63.heic" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOZu6RqEkljabDFZDf2w9lWIDNxKSOaAc6GzjkhuOrUlEEfgWtqyeUpS4N-exij28aN5i8oYguaGGlikOutYgPVaC9MZsOPGlpHWKEBdXor0TcJnyv8o2NWM8UF94NIgQ9mHiLotvm-ibPf9vspG2XpxRMHVwn1CzI-VPFsz6__6-ZuIZ0OMD8ROAr/s4032/02904503-F41D-40D0-A8F9-16E2A463ADD4.heic" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOZu6RqEkljabDFZDf2w9lWIDNxKSOaAc6GzjkhuOrUlEEfgWtqyeUpS4N-exij28aN5i8oYguaGGlikOutYgPVaC9MZsOPGlpHWKEBdXor0TcJnyv8o2NWM8UF94NIgQ9mHiLotvm-ibPf9vspG2XpxRMHVwn1CzI-VPFsz6__6-ZuIZ0OMD8ROAr/w640-h480/02904503-F41D-40D0-A8F9-16E2A463ADD4.heic" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqw3cMV5IrLpcOhLrPKSBFTaFD5dJZL-awls3_DSqd-jBYINuhVgV-CJ_Pcq8DqvJgh2FGLe1HdR6gUqjHu0k2Qmt4FGQQBUh-SVa7U4P6Lo0BpyxnX9mUvZPXfpna5HWfwM8LGRvGxvFxzTOGA0PXCb6ZwXe-AXJSEj6_m4SXwVrCYP-sV2QRiME_/s4032/E182FA46-2B80-4550-952C-80649268BCCB.heic" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqw3cMV5IrLpcOhLrPKSBFTaFD5dJZL-awls3_DSqd-jBYINuhVgV-CJ_Pcq8DqvJgh2FGLe1HdR6gUqjHu0k2Qmt4FGQQBUh-SVa7U4P6Lo0BpyxnX9mUvZPXfpna5HWfwM8LGRvGxvFxzTOGA0PXCb6ZwXe-AXJSEj6_m4SXwVrCYP-sV2QRiME_/w640-h480/E182FA46-2B80-4550-952C-80649268BCCB.heic" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVKxU96ttNr79kBFTz807rQQUqM_eC6WfQinywxE-gWtDBRg13y8_rUViI0KjvmjhTzClsg2EuHex3sI6VtofRi6hhRAOp79Hv8LOocvAU_3GyjAXCLh5JraOQ2oeTkpAelEETnIbGf6Vzun876XWjITXpdH-gp3fqOJCL42nOEKB3iZ-fKYsdHEIF/s4032/IMG_7612.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVKxU96ttNr79kBFTz807rQQUqM_eC6WfQinywxE-gWtDBRg13y8_rUViI0KjvmjhTzClsg2EuHex3sI6VtofRi6hhRAOp79Hv8LOocvAU_3GyjAXCLh5JraOQ2oeTkpAelEETnIbGf6Vzun876XWjITXpdH-gp3fqOJCL42nOEKB3iZ-fKYsdHEIF/w640-h480/IMG_7612.HEIC" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1CMpFDZ3m5RSUZ5BCWWe97Qx5n4OtW1PKOvu-XHqo6JEiFMDk3WG5Csn3M4zIsPcv79G6TNUyIswUxhU9qtpTBJpUXhM8jQdN-8JL3nzj2ChMwdG8RpW8l3gOvvf8fVLOpg3GdXt0DppIChWiOdj5EKwEp3WsZdNONEkZN_tsbrupl_Dur2jZbLfQ/s4032/IMG_7610.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1CMpFDZ3m5RSUZ5BCWWe97Qx5n4OtW1PKOvu-XHqo6JEiFMDk3WG5Csn3M4zIsPcv79G6TNUyIswUxhU9qtpTBJpUXhM8jQdN-8JL3nzj2ChMwdG8RpW8l3gOvvf8fVLOpg3GdXt0DppIChWiOdj5EKwEp3WsZdNONEkZN_tsbrupl_Dur2jZbLfQ/w640-h480/IMG_7610.HEIC" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">My parents generously offered to look after all three grandchildren on multiple occasions so that Andy, Mike, Ashley and I could get some adult time away from the kids. The four of us had a parents night out at La Siesta. We had a gorgeous beachside table and indulged in cocktails and tequila shots… pretty wild for all of us!</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2hjD7rhV8erAWAY3S45iVuQeLHDaWedX0FrQ3gnfwC6r-XQo6ClBtMdqSOvwwqxIRMKKvFDOIROLBUF6bNqIJFX5KH1oMxNd3jEHUjMtYK82pGyITy6edsuwt3ikdkT0D4Qjl2GT-UZTHyq-Gj5eplfwakjTrG5EIersAm_gBXw-ZOCbmAcBZtVJS/s3280/PXL_20220626_184621537.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2464" data-original-width="3280" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2hjD7rhV8erAWAY3S45iVuQeLHDaWedX0FrQ3gnfwC6r-XQo6ClBtMdqSOvwwqxIRMKKvFDOIROLBUF6bNqIJFX5KH1oMxNd3jEHUjMtYK82pGyITy6edsuwt3ikdkT0D4Qjl2GT-UZTHyq-Gj5eplfwakjTrG5EIersAm_gBXw-ZOCbmAcBZtVJS/w640-h480/PXL_20220626_184621537.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Andy and I also had a wonderful night out at The Beach Club where there was a welcome function for the wedding. The function was on the rooftop with a gorgeous view over the sea, and I really felt like I was on holiday at this point!</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGHvMicZ0emH0q9SOQReuq_LB9Ry60srypc9sRMxJhfekWkBNr5HcOwqlb4i2sREbCwUdEolPbDUc8a482RqCulXfCG0WoaI7EjJSYnJZ-H7WOMXzII46l2FvQDqRo8tje1jYT5v3QyuBgBBMMA6S6xtfWGydghs2-zYwmwD825InNmgIYxGFjsetb/s4032/5F59CFB5-F22A-4426-93D0-3DBB8C7F1D87.heic" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGHvMicZ0emH0q9SOQReuq_LB9Ry60srypc9sRMxJhfekWkBNr5HcOwqlb4i2sREbCwUdEolPbDUc8a482RqCulXfCG0WoaI7EjJSYnJZ-H7WOMXzII46l2FvQDqRo8tje1jYT5v3QyuBgBBMMA6S6xtfWGydghs2-zYwmwD825InNmgIYxGFjsetb/w640-h480/5F59CFB5-F22A-4426-93D0-3DBB8C7F1D87.heic" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEju3JKjGWmi1fHbIOerhiy_oVQXpfbKeGjQiLNE97B6tXpa1AwlwbWLgpf3S9S9hjZuiWM05vEUdC4rzhxbtF83eNgdGQBE8vbNU0dNwz-vkwGlUREsEQwvlqpJ3nAX5r3MvXXqpopfmmS4w-SarDcEGsoe7cIiOqW5lCCfjtjwFakTAfpxcZ3tOwFg/s4032/BE3C3E7E-8276-4AFB-B107-3382BDE38B05.heic" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEju3JKjGWmi1fHbIOerhiy_oVQXpfbKeGjQiLNE97B6tXpa1AwlwbWLgpf3S9S9hjZuiWM05vEUdC4rzhxbtF83eNgdGQBE8vbNU0dNwz-vkwGlUREsEQwvlqpJ3nAX5r3MvXXqpopfmmS4w-SarDcEGsoe7cIiOqW5lCCfjtjwFakTAfpxcZ3tOwFg/w480-h640/BE3C3E7E-8276-4AFB-B107-3382BDE38B05.heic" width="480" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">We actually ended up taking Ella with us to this, as she had made good friends with Lee’s niece Izzy who was the same age. Izzy, being the niece of the groom, was a flower girl at the wedding and thus included in all the wedding festivities, which of course Ella was insanely jealous of! It was so great that she managed to make a friend for the holiday thought, especially as her younger brother and cousin weren’t always her ideal playmates!</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfdxuCEhkVzL5Xhg0RtkQuaCi_CmzxmIbKwsLAAIzQyjE_JIFaJYlV6d6F6YpGsCiMGXsKKjQzj6NWQZCfAA51nSuIn-2Hx2NfPo0tk_uXkM4svgawCaqfpENxkyV4Bl9-MeqiJPCTtjMF7E2t1FJ29MVTy8xpCPfcUvlLvQulZNZkMPZn0U_BVqzW/s3088/E4E66E72-58FA-4A35-9241-CDD68E7BA45E.heic" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2316" data-original-width="3088" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfdxuCEhkVzL5Xhg0RtkQuaCi_CmzxmIbKwsLAAIzQyjE_JIFaJYlV6d6F6YpGsCiMGXsKKjQzj6NWQZCfAA51nSuIn-2Hx2NfPo0tk_uXkM4svgawCaqfpENxkyV4Bl9-MeqiJPCTtjMF7E2t1FJ29MVTy8xpCPfcUvlLvQulZNZkMPZn0U_BVqzW/w640-h480/E4E66E72-58FA-4A35-9241-CDD68E7BA45E.heic" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsHjT6-qH4oQwA_1GQqY3a2er2B3F-qsHmobr-9IkIgOndmYojvprwGvh5P7-ALWLHhyA9xzWo0_dtbZoFk7FAPIkK0Jqw_c0E8Q8igC5DL7FBB8LmxG1UyKmCEez8lH8EbE4ZkHmPDFuD5m3B4QHMPpJMj0H8Ql4n4OjaN2iVbSo0JjCdJV4AgW--/s4032/IMG_7671.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsHjT6-qH4oQwA_1GQqY3a2er2B3F-qsHmobr-9IkIgOndmYojvprwGvh5P7-ALWLHhyA9xzWo0_dtbZoFk7FAPIkK0Jqw_c0E8Q8igC5DL7FBB8LmxG1UyKmCEez8lH8EbE4ZkHmPDFuD5m3B4QHMPpJMj0H8Ql4n4OjaN2iVbSo0JjCdJV4AgW--/w640-h480/IMG_7671.HEIC" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">We ended up going back to the Beach House with my family for brunch one day and it was one of my favourite times. The kids were able to play in the play space together before and after the food came and we had yet another fabulous table overlooking the water.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyGcIpMHV_1azFlXLOEiELHfRNsaYqzkI7_Ce5E69Yrbz524JcPCpSM9OIYK8wSeH8Kr0sfnt25a4EksZ6dxAnu7LcQr5p-KOM2qN3aWxfuQkW8domGiUerd6TxC_mvJEmcBAaoBIypfKrbeTo2LFcBET4cqpG7o5NDuhCElDUSBkUhZpp1WhFqmyP/s4032/0EE2A08A-EDDD-4AEB-BB3C-75B549DC1D5C.heic" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyGcIpMHV_1azFlXLOEiELHfRNsaYqzkI7_Ce5E69Yrbz524JcPCpSM9OIYK8wSeH8Kr0sfnt25a4EksZ6dxAnu7LcQr5p-KOM2qN3aWxfuQkW8domGiUerd6TxC_mvJEmcBAaoBIypfKrbeTo2LFcBET4cqpG7o5NDuhCElDUSBkUhZpp1WhFqmyP/w640-h480/0EE2A08A-EDDD-4AEB-BB3C-75B549DC1D5C.heic" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVrPqhXlyreytmXdGG2qbh8VRAJ9kPfvdOreiwJWeC8c3xpPm6Q0QJKGr9uOaKmVrtn9nOD1Y9zQS2KU5aHjuQfJQEpd1iRCfF5dRyNaCi9FkY43CgOLijJ5VIHscdP9don703y2rAS0zKiB7XDxcTIWGXKMiYvUmQ4Gt-HVOlQB2vum8gu0ngnpn5/s4032/A584CD23-2274-4955-9438-152DE7E26D12.heic" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVrPqhXlyreytmXdGG2qbh8VRAJ9kPfvdOreiwJWeC8c3xpPm6Q0QJKGr9uOaKmVrtn9nOD1Y9zQS2KU5aHjuQfJQEpd1iRCfF5dRyNaCi9FkY43CgOLijJ5VIHscdP9don703y2rAS0zKiB7XDxcTIWGXKMiYvUmQ4Gt-HVOlQB2vum8gu0ngnpn5/w640-h480/A584CD23-2274-4955-9438-152DE7E26D12.heic" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJ6MPtiIsQ_zgjAon5Z8ouVVZSdqIf4JElUS5-gVhEwSHjYxsZXc2ZN7HJuLmdg2-1pK8D8H6kiTiaRxk_Nmwmbt3W058wbKIHi31TCpeZ1u4QGX_KUStfoYn5oLwRVQhtfPIlX8794AGBlY7HaPZ_zr3IwdthuJgKZPxwL_qIz37L3eckwqsw0r20/s4032/124D4EB4-E446-44EB-8844-AB0DFAAE0CD6.heic" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJ6MPtiIsQ_zgjAon5Z8ouVVZSdqIf4JElUS5-gVhEwSHjYxsZXc2ZN7HJuLmdg2-1pK8D8H6kiTiaRxk_Nmwmbt3W058wbKIHi31TCpeZ1u4QGX_KUStfoYn5oLwRVQhtfPIlX8794AGBlY7HaPZ_zr3IwdthuJgKZPxwL_qIz37L3eckwqsw0r20/w640-h480/124D4EB4-E446-44EB-8844-AB0DFAAE0CD6.heic" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLAUKwczwOxCpcDn_NYys0AX4TKfz-k8NJbuGxvVPdSU8hJu3cGW909xDPrkHJM9VTGO-ubyiq8N0saCqfgHlnXOPlulDeETGvYCja306vyzuGkhZuaBvU_AVu8QTcOcD_EkNxUsojFZmiolKzM_dTqXP3IB326wwhN5hXgAh5JkUUj1B288_3HUKN/s4032/7D60D5F0-F137-4CAB-BF4D-CEEC9259538F.heic" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLAUKwczwOxCpcDn_NYys0AX4TKfz-k8NJbuGxvVPdSU8hJu3cGW909xDPrkHJM9VTGO-ubyiq8N0saCqfgHlnXOPlulDeETGvYCja306vyzuGkhZuaBvU_AVu8QTcOcD_EkNxUsojFZmiolKzM_dTqXP3IB326wwhN5hXgAh5JkUUj1B288_3HUKN/w640-h480/7D60D5F0-F137-4CAB-BF4D-CEEC9259538F.heic" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">After brunch we went for a swim at the rocky beach next to the restaurant. It was nice to be at a different beach but Ollie again was not happy to be in the water, and this time there was no sand for him to play in!</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDdX7iqd7_QDstI0Rei3RO-K0IJ5xm9Fa2bR5b-cWBDdpYuIXVO-KQT1p4TawMBf_Q1Aze4eUMbbqRbgHk0PsrzPnR0joTwmor5iGBVdrYRhsvt-fEndQ_j08p3YC-HpNLM6gr7LOGaZ80-5fpAYQYbGNs_kGRcfSysbiBytGUOOtfEsZdWCyTWdDY/s4032/8169599E-E9CE-424D-8113-2C3D00DD78B4.heic" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDdX7iqd7_QDstI0Rei3RO-K0IJ5xm9Fa2bR5b-cWBDdpYuIXVO-KQT1p4TawMBf_Q1Aze4eUMbbqRbgHk0PsrzPnR0joTwmor5iGBVdrYRhsvt-fEndQ_j08p3YC-HpNLM6gr7LOGaZ80-5fpAYQYbGNs_kGRcfSysbiBytGUOOtfEsZdWCyTWdDY/w640-h480/8169599E-E9CE-424D-8113-2C3D00DD78B4.heic" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">This place was a few km from our holiday house, my parents and I decided to walk back with Ella. This was a huge walk for Ella and I think she only made it due to the promised ice cream at the end. She did well though, or actually I should say my mom did well keeping her amused throughout the long (and hot!) walk.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjylP7EAy13XWLKdeIAStI-H0pawKpV2FYuzelLmVIXnne7SlyeLrc2iX4yoY1-u86JQ3pNBHo-16Ux1AKSNNuxcH96Z3kwRY_n9s-dZPo6YNLQ-jdhTcd2zEpHgR4nEGp0vYIYPpglo0OfRAz_LfeV6G8IZx_YYhHtekOejYJ4aRq55hksLN89gCqB/s4032/62CEB148-C4C9-452B-941A-BA66E24BA798.heic" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjylP7EAy13XWLKdeIAStI-H0pawKpV2FYuzelLmVIXnne7SlyeLrc2iX4yoY1-u86JQ3pNBHo-16Ux1AKSNNuxcH96Z3kwRY_n9s-dZPo6YNLQ-jdhTcd2zEpHgR4nEGp0vYIYPpglo0OfRAz_LfeV6G8IZx_YYhHtekOejYJ4aRq55hksLN89gCqB/w640-h480/62CEB148-C4C9-452B-941A-BA66E24BA798.heic" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJFKg2DhdPBy6-dydWhYG5qkzYW1gRTiOfx7SLOy7Lhbyrgn3kjszJ3eV7Mj5dTJVIlyIajpIpmuedlAzY8a6y2cw34We1LuWKnHqwNWBjPatm1mgtCdZ6VIbiA4_zyaalDxQQfZdRJyEODgvp0BO81GbGsV1sN3gZm6hBSC1wOv5lquuqIOwfzWOI/s4032/DBFC5D25-141F-4965-A25D-4ED43D723D19.heic" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJFKg2DhdPBy6-dydWhYG5qkzYW1gRTiOfx7SLOy7Lhbyrgn3kjszJ3eV7Mj5dTJVIlyIajpIpmuedlAzY8a6y2cw34We1LuWKnHqwNWBjPatm1mgtCdZ6VIbiA4_zyaalDxQQfZdRJyEODgvp0BO81GbGsV1sN3gZm6hBSC1wOv5lquuqIOwfzWOI/w640-h480/DBFC5D25-141F-4965-A25D-4ED43D723D19.heic" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjN5mz5N7pZt1dKbp6p2MjyZCI47jHNCpYGZF77r2H_tXk6D__nBCgcSrQylYzu2y298NttH-6MirpfaJtcRFrI7c8rSxfZ6HYyGgEqfsyxMYpfl9boqEFfBZAY3XOkVILypUXa_15fU6pgap9GF7nvYlYowADxfXOHOUd7jVieP0szrDF9VApHd_oe/s4032/F020150C-F057-4BB7-9AE3-598D8F248514.heic" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjN5mz5N7pZt1dKbp6p2MjyZCI47jHNCpYGZF77r2H_tXk6D__nBCgcSrQylYzu2y298NttH-6MirpfaJtcRFrI7c8rSxfZ6HYyGgEqfsyxMYpfl9boqEFfBZAY3XOkVILypUXa_15fU6pgap9GF7nvYlYowADxfXOHOUd7jVieP0szrDF9VApHd_oe/w640-h480/F020150C-F057-4BB7-9AE3-598D8F248514.heic" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The wedding we attended was such a lovely day. We started with a church ceremony (with a slightly contentious priest who told the groom he was now the boss of his house and kept mentioning they should have kids soon! It was impossible to know if he was serious) followed by a coach ride to the venue. On arrival we had a welcome drink up on a high platform, overlooking the water and the town below:</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBGzKch0iZgPyNf_Y8Im1wkU8XpfejucXaSScWCPvoe54FwCmocW-RDblyCNSDA-iTruZpY1KFC7Yd7nxDgiHOSTFIwFLJrd3okvB3GgGPstEhxjUtfROTH_Rw0LauuZArsJS-hprzNEMEuP-4LotVCpVNi7hmJEtfJ7-al4qcvENuOZabJ990FiLQ/s4032/IMG_1863.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBGzKch0iZgPyNf_Y8Im1wkU8XpfejucXaSScWCPvoe54FwCmocW-RDblyCNSDA-iTruZpY1KFC7Yd7nxDgiHOSTFIwFLJrd3okvB3GgGPstEhxjUtfROTH_Rw0LauuZArsJS-hprzNEMEuP-4LotVCpVNi7hmJEtfJ7-al4qcvENuOZabJ990FiLQ/w640-h480/IMG_1863.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Next we moved to another space on the grounds of the venue for a second welcome drink and hors d'oeuvres and then finally moving into the gorgeous space for the wedding dinner. The weather was absolutely perfect, we were outside the whole time and there was no breeze, and it was not too hot or cold... just right! </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1GSnlCa9O3Bz13j4R5jAyuMCEaa_V3lDXnA2eJ1DoTSQ6tQUMjNUZ3mYRycN3VsAeGMFKi1wz9emDgxQFiKVjkhigrmTdnVJX8HJ1haH75AOJqHLerS8qwt0CO54iQ8lKFpPG7habBn4qdu1-22xQe7Ogi-7RjN3wwea5Mmy58iG8FUQ2BLwt2_Xv/s4032/E756DB2D-4076-48D3-980E-42ED6AE4B38F.heic" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1GSnlCa9O3Bz13j4R5jAyuMCEaa_V3lDXnA2eJ1DoTSQ6tQUMjNUZ3mYRycN3VsAeGMFKi1wz9emDgxQFiKVjkhigrmTdnVJX8HJ1haH75AOJqHLerS8qwt0CO54iQ8lKFpPG7habBn4qdu1-22xQe7Ogi-7RjN3wwea5Mmy58iG8FUQ2BLwt2_Xv/w640-h480/E756DB2D-4076-48D3-980E-42ED6AE4B38F.heic" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDRdlnLi57FUelp6WrxQmxcifG_Cl6Ji2xbcaUPCg835MG-RBIixAc1SGR9qcMsrBjWFSY6SmWNRVtNrMTm87i3kaMfTK6uqOswvfdxJztosidXwpYw4X45iMOlWIhycWWKfO1vy3DF9_vfcGDn-Vshu-l3DgzFtERcfI-IsTU2b8hMJUQFct3oTz3/s4032/E76045AB-0123-4522-AE07-8F410D104FB3.heic" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDRdlnLi57FUelp6WrxQmxcifG_Cl6Ji2xbcaUPCg835MG-RBIixAc1SGR9qcMsrBjWFSY6SmWNRVtNrMTm87i3kaMfTK6uqOswvfdxJztosidXwpYw4X45iMOlWIhycWWKfO1vy3DF9_vfcGDn-Vshu-l3DgzFtERcfI-IsTU2b8hMJUQFct3oTz3/w640-h480/E76045AB-0123-4522-AE07-8F410D104FB3.heic" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The day after the wedding was Ella's birthday. There was also a wedding after party at this tennis club/bar/cafe place with a pool which was excellent. We did some presents for Ella before going to the pool party, and then managed to get a cake and some kids together to sing happy birthday. Ella spent her birthday playing with her new friends in a pool all day - pretty much her ideal way to spend a day!</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1ux2E_2AwRWnEIyUHV9OGRpH5h_yUptBUn2Y7IpV8uR4OwrhP7Piq8-EBO74d59tEJfn6_esbLkSe9ymf4VEaRFd91XHCingDEhb0umqJ-nUsx-wmnki-PG2WbYRIZGfJ6243X1xZJpKflrClgxpVpIFrDDVBas5gvajGHMHP62hnZEuxRtuXOV4v/s4032/IMG_7842.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1ux2E_2AwRWnEIyUHV9OGRpH5h_yUptBUn2Y7IpV8uR4OwrhP7Piq8-EBO74d59tEJfn6_esbLkSe9ymf4VEaRFd91XHCingDEhb0umqJ-nUsx-wmnki-PG2WbYRIZGfJ6243X1xZJpKflrClgxpVpIFrDDVBas5gvajGHMHP62hnZEuxRtuXOV4v/w640-h480/IMG_7842.HEIC" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJFweuTcPJa202cTzXSJvB4yS-KFFDBddh_uLXR4vrWrPuRxvAF_GYWJ5CcMG4zvM4ZFNOMTgRZIoWEa-yi4u38VmmGraArEEVXLD2ZBRO1Y5G9LeQ6PIzvoGxAsXOToEUisQ4B_SdtUrumK9c0j7XcQmX3fCcrrybazzIQmLFOV0-oB01BiEjbwtZ/s4032/54E1F783-F4E9-44E4-89EB-FA6C8D66D66C.heic" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJFweuTcPJa202cTzXSJvB4yS-KFFDBddh_uLXR4vrWrPuRxvAF_GYWJ5CcMG4zvM4ZFNOMTgRZIoWEa-yi4u38VmmGraArEEVXLD2ZBRO1Y5G9LeQ6PIzvoGxAsXOToEUisQ4B_SdtUrumK9c0j7XcQmX3fCcrrybazzIQmLFOV0-oB01BiEjbwtZ/w640-h480/54E1F783-F4E9-44E4-89EB-FA6C8D66D66C.heic" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgp0Jpi5I_fDcUN8h_3Kk6Imt8ekqVT2LrN-SWZbCK1Ph50_45PzRSxYvV7i9k__y7h0SGYklvikdOV04Qu1kuNRI4yrQU-8gyLDmOQE9LFZRZG2O7j--xfE4urJ0D4EbXLb1iGOOkaI14nQcY1RPe3yAKjDwriFU6ljiuNL5VJvgFJ00oDxmA7oqDg/s4032/EF9AFCF4-0762-4970-9D0D-5BAF1DDDA44F.heic" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgp0Jpi5I_fDcUN8h_3Kk6Imt8ekqVT2LrN-SWZbCK1Ph50_45PzRSxYvV7i9k__y7h0SGYklvikdOV04Qu1kuNRI4yrQU-8gyLDmOQE9LFZRZG2O7j--xfE4urJ0D4EbXLb1iGOOkaI14nQcY1RPe3yAKjDwriFU6ljiuNL5VJvgFJ00oDxmA7oqDg/w640-h480/EF9AFCF4-0762-4970-9D0D-5BAF1DDDA44F.heic" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEil9PCW0fbgWdcYUWG3kkX8LaGCjfC79a6bwh272-BeirPv-3Dx5M9rWCEyXsQFsjYGQ8WTdI8ow-5dSr0R1Mrh-WR9GjN-YQH4sNJoF-wIkHXzbjX4IJfGMRQvrkeLzAE0ocIzNUesxRwoZ3uDJv7DBGOl3vyVg1uwQVF84VXo_jgW_WeoaPaeHz1e/s4032/BF603163-170C-441D-B660-79FF4DC8944B.heic" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEil9PCW0fbgWdcYUWG3kkX8LaGCjfC79a6bwh272-BeirPv-3Dx5M9rWCEyXsQFsjYGQ8WTdI8ow-5dSr0R1Mrh-WR9GjN-YQH4sNJoF-wIkHXzbjX4IJfGMRQvrkeLzAE0ocIzNUesxRwoZ3uDJv7DBGOl3vyVg1uwQVF84VXo_jgW_WeoaPaeHz1e/w640-h480/BF603163-170C-441D-B660-79FF4DC8944B.heic" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">All in all it was such a lovely trip and it was great to spend time both with old friends and family. Here are a few more of my favourite photos from the holiday...</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgV6o_stqhE1KqQQEv65r_ptrxheC97ycEsu1AiKJY3YRtF-hOhETQnRQJtdPfDNygescJu61-cgZI6cFSKg1SuREwR7ryEJWZakqhht_UiXwBZbyB6_QdX_Cz3CjO-EqVkDvXztcYTG_NCRohYTn4PUNGacDWCrCppUS-yL_S4Ju4Vp5tZ7skUk7XI/s4032/FB335A2B-06EB-4720-85A6-BC2A79F907D1.heic" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgV6o_stqhE1KqQQEv65r_ptrxheC97ycEsu1AiKJY3YRtF-hOhETQnRQJtdPfDNygescJu61-cgZI6cFSKg1SuREwR7ryEJWZakqhht_UiXwBZbyB6_QdX_Cz3CjO-EqVkDvXztcYTG_NCRohYTn4PUNGacDWCrCppUS-yL_S4Ju4Vp5tZ7skUk7XI/w640-h480/FB335A2B-06EB-4720-85A6-BC2A79F907D1.heic" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A rare shot of all three cousins!</td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEMpoit-wZccY0OGd0pQna6ilbr2NaIwl4ZFxvwve1b7HEl1vdlrDkvgkLVrDnLW-yN9NXZ9HaWOdR1RVg2q6zkjs22MnCoCA6G8w_uScN5jXg38LMbHw4xf5nBai9PeatQSk9Wz1ztA_iNc8IHlvQzP7xKyOxjK3FsGtVfp4OQ2pXgYHOAyFUUhyV/s3352/F41BACCF-B59E-4DD6-8EBC-57310D8EBC59.heic" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2679" data-original-width="3352" height="512" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEMpoit-wZccY0OGd0pQna6ilbr2NaIwl4ZFxvwve1b7HEl1vdlrDkvgkLVrDnLW-yN9NXZ9HaWOdR1RVg2q6zkjs22MnCoCA6G8w_uScN5jXg38LMbHw4xf5nBai9PeatQSk9Wz1ztA_iNc8IHlvQzP7xKyOxjK3FsGtVfp4OQ2pXgYHOAyFUUhyV/w640-h512/F41BACCF-B59E-4DD6-8EBC-57310D8EBC59.heic" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Eating his breakfast porridge with Nannie on her balcony, at Ollie's request!</td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgU2r98JClI_Wjp57N2U5MEE9AXHjoVsqxuafD_bw9WqpSe8aSvvJpH8RtMSCXHrVWSa6R0jKIHVzQK2WQNFqiuXi0uLa6Vyt_H_RlDD37SSOI3b8ZMscGbNObz1OV_WJUhT5okhGJ9Dyi0cSSDifPM5SQIto3H65We-1wIBHXF851LusQem0ELugaE/s4032/E3DEC956-E0F5-4D5D-ADAE-6B4FDE61DE7C.heic" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgU2r98JClI_Wjp57N2U5MEE9AXHjoVsqxuafD_bw9WqpSe8aSvvJpH8RtMSCXHrVWSa6R0jKIHVzQK2WQNFqiuXi0uLa6Vyt_H_RlDD37SSOI3b8ZMscGbNObz1OV_WJUhT5okhGJ9Dyi0cSSDifPM5SQIto3H65We-1wIBHXF851LusQem0ELugaE/w640-h480/E3DEC956-E0F5-4D5D-ADAE-6B4FDE61DE7C.heic" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Playing soccer with daddy</td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQzoo8zhfWUQz-GdIsoU9j9eFUIl8RGck4K7cYFimOuVZtE4JUNdDhkUAA4N5HTkllUo2eKB3s-Mqlnx72ffz9gdVQu2dSzvNF9nPhjyH4VNp7SIGkjHx5ofUueUNwULxEHAd6zXZW8yyzhBpGg_yotZIu9jInUfx2tdJUaEKhezkNMK4o5LcoEZwC/s4032/D8C82174-C664-4F9C-8E38-0A963EC89FFC.heic" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQzoo8zhfWUQz-GdIsoU9j9eFUIl8RGck4K7cYFimOuVZtE4JUNdDhkUAA4N5HTkllUo2eKB3s-Mqlnx72ffz9gdVQu2dSzvNF9nPhjyH4VNp7SIGkjHx5ofUueUNwULxEHAd6zXZW8yyzhBpGg_yotZIu9jInUfx2tdJUaEKhezkNMK4o5LcoEZwC/w640-h480/D8C82174-C664-4F9C-8E38-0A963EC89FFC.heic" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mike and his beautiful family</td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlBrZ2iXK19zmoS1OLQtuH22QzSMNVbjg9JoROzlK8-ELtSYW7RPQyDToMlNiRTu5FqFTRWj5k7oSPigcf_1_2Ej09Kr5dI9SOTz71CD6Dm7m8XObgKmsgLn4vJZzDQWWWk2cdu744LzePVxROyh3_hdzjN-Mo-Iet3l6i7WJD2daPx5TittCfeE8o/s4032/IMG_7650.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlBrZ2iXK19zmoS1OLQtuH22QzSMNVbjg9JoROzlK8-ELtSYW7RPQyDToMlNiRTu5FqFTRWj5k7oSPigcf_1_2Ej09Kr5dI9SOTz71CD6Dm7m8XObgKmsgLn4vJZzDQWWWk2cdu744LzePVxROyh3_hdzjN-Mo-Iet3l6i7WJD2daPx5TittCfeE8o/w640-h480/IMG_7650.HEIC" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A mini Vespa, how much fun would this be if you were a kid?!</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7_sGnEGbTDk9xDheBHBq1Pk_kW4Uo8Lg11HQhli-dRw24X8rvux0VSBFWFvBsxoMdGjMLa2WiRRuCUAEcluIzSts4GmwLmMcFQRLQYNopZn591cRZ-RSUW4WLnTofUBdLMLbv65I-xbjWSbWzmgNXouvdNXMTaBIf3UPjgXJV_OeiNM3TH2yTmCGB/s4032/IMG_7713.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7_sGnEGbTDk9xDheBHBq1Pk_kW4Uo8Lg11HQhli-dRw24X8rvux0VSBFWFvBsxoMdGjMLa2WiRRuCUAEcluIzSts4GmwLmMcFQRLQYNopZn591cRZ-RSUW4WLnTofUBdLMLbv65I-xbjWSbWzmgNXouvdNXMTaBIf3UPjgXJV_OeiNM3TH2yTmCGB/w640-h480/IMG_7713.HEIC" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Making funny faces!</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXqw6Xmd8BD2QUIQuSdZy87GaKJ5jW-MoYh6n6METPqS9N4b-6QjXEvNi56AJFLd7e31S_uTfqsNp0OjE0FXsvrUjzuvl_9SjCpuWspvb_w1sn0Nx0oVXJ_n-XyNDNYljRoEVNHm4M5qoDpWrwc_Dk1-z7_23UMy_XWWPCBsnWXVO3D1XDvlSrrpXg/s4032/9FA1A603-ED42-44B8-BC6A-4C46D40DCF8C.heic" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXqw6Xmd8BD2QUIQuSdZy87GaKJ5jW-MoYh6n6METPqS9N4b-6QjXEvNi56AJFLd7e31S_uTfqsNp0OjE0FXsvrUjzuvl_9SjCpuWspvb_w1sn0Nx0oVXJ_n-XyNDNYljRoEVNHm4M5qoDpWrwc_Dk1-z7_23UMy_XWWPCBsnWXVO3D1XDvlSrrpXg/w640-h480/9FA1A603-ED42-44B8-BC6A-4C46D40DCF8C.heic" width="640" /></a><br /></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">working on a puzzle with Grampy<br /><br /><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div>Wendy McCarryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10400056809655031226noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3302793385282321137.post-52287433373416008592022-08-31T11:00:00.128+01:002022-09-08T06:18:48.342+01:00It’s London baby!<div style="text-align: justify;">Does anyone else always hear <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jPq-ULNiDK0" target="_blank">Joey Tribbiani</a> whenever you say the word London? It can’t just be me who has to add “baby” every time I think of London. Anyway, Friends nostalgia aside, I spent a fabulous five days in London with the kids and my parents at the start of our big trip to England and Spain this winter. First of all, the weather was glorious as it was of course summer in London. While driving from Heathrow airport to our Airbnb in the early evening we passed many people enjoying an after work drink, spilling out of the pub onto the pavement and makeshift tables out. It brought back such warm memories of my life in London in my twenties, living it up without any real responsibilities (ie children). What bliss! Or at least that is how summer in London will be forever be preserved in my memories. (No need to worry about completely factual memories of your youth as you get older. What fun would that be?)</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">We stayed in an area of south London called West Norwood. This is just south of where I lived for a big part of my time in London, Herne Hill, so I was somewhat familiar with the area. There was also the added benefit of being close to some of my old friends. Our airbnb was a three bedroom townhouse and was what I would call an “authentic” airbnb. Clearly the owners lived there normally and had just vacated for our stay - the cupboards and closets were full and it was kind of strange, but then I tried to keep reminding myself that this was the original intention of Airbnb. Maybe I would have liked some space to hang my clothes in the closet… but at least they had some coffee for us to use in the morning. <span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%; display: inline; font-size: 12pt; text-size-adjust: 100%;">Anyway, it was fine for our needs - it had a lovely big garden that we were able to enjoy, and was a 10 minute walk from a train station, lots of buses, and a good selection of pubs and cafes. Really, what more do you need?</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzumEJsIyLxmZsBigB22p-UOb6IjlqLoVPAwS0tiLgWSsGSWkKyUk7jPBEAZrwN_RVLgb4qEWrOEBh9G4RmQE21bld0RqKVeMhSHI7M1jMP_E22P5BuU0hxV5DWH8D37XasUeT4L_Goj3cu5QXuRsh2yr-QJoVvFImgY5vtKWipPI18mkJyxeaM7h3/s4032/E64FBB57-D902-4F3A-B317-CDF993014A01.heic" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzumEJsIyLxmZsBigB22p-UOb6IjlqLoVPAwS0tiLgWSsGSWkKyUk7jPBEAZrwN_RVLgb4qEWrOEBh9G4RmQE21bld0RqKVeMhSHI7M1jMP_E22P5BuU0hxV5DWH8D37XasUeT4L_Goj3cu5QXuRsh2yr-QJoVvFImgY5vtKWipPI18mkJyxeaM7h3/w640-h480/E64FBB57-D902-4F3A-B317-CDF993014A01.heic" style="height: auto; max-height: 80%; max-width: 80%; width: auto;" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Enjoying a cheese and veggie platter in the garden of our airbnb.</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">The kids and I arrived from Heathrow after a painstakingly slow taxi ride (nearly an hour and a half!) at around 6 or 7pm. This felt sooooo long after 24 hours of travel and I was dying to get out of the taxi and see my mom and dad! Luckily my parents had arrived a few hours before us and had stocked up on some groceries and things for when we got there. Once we finally arrived it was so beautiful to see the kids and my parents reunited after a year and a half, and the best part was that the kids acted as if no time had passed since they'd seen each other, falling straight into normal behaviours with their Nannie and Grampy. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">At this time of year in England the sun doesn't set until after 10pm, so it was probably pretty late before we all went to bed. I'd hoped the kids would sleep in, but with the sunrise at 4am, there was no convincing Ollie that it was not yet morning when he woke around 4:30am. The first few days were like this... Ollie getting up ridiculously early and jumping on me, crying out "it's morning mum! It's morning! The sun is up! Get up!" To be fair to him, it is hard to believe it is not morning with the bright sun shining in your bedroom window. Thank goodness when we left London to stay with Andy's parents they had blackout blinds on the windows which helped the kids sleep in longer.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">On our first full day I went on a school visit to The Harrow School, a 450 year old independent boys school with alumni such as Winston Churchill and Lord Byron. I was fortunate to have been put in touch with them through a contact in Australia and was there to learn about how they cater for high achieving or gifted students - which is my new role at my school in Melbourne. It was a very informative and worthwhile visit and I was lucky to be able to get the chance to visit this school while on our holiday, as of course I had some grandparents around to watch this kids!</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">While I was at the school my parents took the kids into the city. When asked what they wanted to do in London they kept saying "see Big Ben!" I have no idea where they got this from, probably Peppa Pig or some other British cartoon, but it was reasonably easy to get into the city from our airbnb so off they went. By all accounts they had a wonderful time first on the double decker bus (a highlight in itself, the kids never tired of riding the buses in London), and seeing Big Ben, the London Eye, and playing in the Millennium park on the South Bank.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3KN4msj6LFIhVbU2So2r7wjnrB4XbopQlqQsejvsMOsMXeI_yE-o6t3lmD_oyik_sFceXrXyTpkAnCSR6o4rmB2JSjC7U7b7HfxkFfspec3bF5hl8IzZ0mWLZk3d6DxpAdnrUcubjwz34gf-yLw_LBmrZFCLjBMRlu96aPQRjmudPoNqmbCQ6lkeK/s2400/London%201.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2400" data-original-width="2400" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3KN4msj6LFIhVbU2So2r7wjnrB4XbopQlqQsejvsMOsMXeI_yE-o6t3lmD_oyik_sFceXrXyTpkAnCSR6o4rmB2JSjC7U7b7HfxkFfspec3bF5hl8IzZ0mWLZk3d6DxpAdnrUcubjwz34gf-yLw_LBmrZFCLjBMRlu96aPQRjmudPoNqmbCQ6lkeK/w640-h640/London%201.jpg" style="height: auto; max-height: 80%; max-width: 80%; width: auto;" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZF_It_kqG7eGjVdSI-aZRf2W_IVgnGdVapNJXTWd6MiiwjPqX_JsNeCFdbk7o2W3SYv46aZzsQa3o-K8PnQxDxzi5Yymmln2avOQVFSkldI-Vl-pC4-tWQA-kzHD7QGjY_O3zbVUJq-EhYppBdOJ2Ppf5xhgxb30rz2AoJEXAzlgC3VHW-1qNu_zP/s1600/London%202.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZF_It_kqG7eGjVdSI-aZRf2W_IVgnGdVapNJXTWd6MiiwjPqX_JsNeCFdbk7o2W3SYv46aZzsQa3o-K8PnQxDxzi5Yymmln2avOQVFSkldI-Vl-pC4-tWQA-kzHD7QGjY_O3zbVUJq-EhYppBdOJ2Ppf5xhgxb30rz2AoJEXAzlgC3VHW-1qNu_zP/w640-h480/London%202.jpg" style="height: auto; max-height: 80%; max-width: 80%; width: auto;" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">They came back to the airbnb early in the afternoon and Ollie feel asleep as soon as they got on the tube to come home. My poor dad had to carry Ollie all the way back, no easy feat, that kid weighs a tonne and feels even heavier when he's fast asleep!</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8sOLdsIjWiAA9QJBlrdOLPTOxakErzUGMqXk5TwTDlydA8MXR2YM1IBCqLTdZcKLkKuECqqcl5rWv6S4x2Pv5Haxc7iIyLtoXGAynjxjsZqtO7ZRaOc7JJiU3BnuVNeE8brQaR2DftcfQSJIcp9ApdvqQiHnV3vcc8PsHf1cQZhElOCYSNF1j-oJA/s1600/B9F429F0-56E9-4F64-96BB-1B782D127E16.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8sOLdsIjWiAA9QJBlrdOLPTOxakErzUGMqXk5TwTDlydA8MXR2YM1IBCqLTdZcKLkKuECqqcl5rWv6S4x2Pv5Haxc7iIyLtoXGAynjxjsZqtO7ZRaOc7JJiU3BnuVNeE8brQaR2DftcfQSJIcp9ApdvqQiHnV3vcc8PsHf1cQZhElOCYSNF1j-oJA/w480-h640/B9F429F0-56E9-4F64-96BB-1B782D127E16.jpeg" style="height: auto; max-height: 80%; max-width: 80%; width: auto;" width="480" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The next day we met up with my friend Jamie, who happened to live right around the corner from our Airbnb. He has Fridays off with his two kids so we met up for brunch and then to a nearby playground. While walking to brunch Jamie and I were laughing at how different our Fridays were compared to when we first met nearly 15 years ago. I don't think we could have imagined 4 kids between us and spending our day at a child-friendly cafe and a park! </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiURHjOTnHtuRDBG4aP546pY76KMRmnYclyzsmVMkNlRB32KyUAilvWmtcEZ0X5TCjWCo0VdthMIxLIx-3edPvrqmruS-opkBj0NbmQSxo1RjhVpLmKsaGDCMmbuEGDEVvF3pe8Z3R7gEEFMws6vd1aEyGwUdvGNYJSPpuje_CgMcvnowsY6hn-yEHF/s4032/IMG_7364.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiURHjOTnHtuRDBG4aP546pY76KMRmnYclyzsmVMkNlRB32KyUAilvWmtcEZ0X5TCjWCo0VdthMIxLIx-3edPvrqmruS-opkBj0NbmQSxo1RjhVpLmKsaGDCMmbuEGDEVvF3pe8Z3R7gEEFMws6vd1aEyGwUdvGNYJSPpuje_CgMcvnowsY6hn-yEHF/w640-h480/IMG_7364.HEIC" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Next we headed to Brockwell Park, in Herne Hill where Andy and I lived when we first moved in together. There is a great little water play area that was perfect for the weather (so hot!) and the kids. Also I was feeling pretty tired and jet lagged so managed to get in a little snooze in the shade… still feeling like I was living a life of luxury having two other adults around to watch the kids with me!</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7Y27BsgG-tJqPm3UpFVJV7iY9xtE1MT-MNvbta9pQ2MMowF6LbUJ7hX4YgNrSDZ9PPzkCtlxXAK3mLK1R2Nl9SKitEtJMqK9iXYRZl0YAs_OdG7wgbHoQ0BmRAN0q8m27ZVT8bwZdkX1paqubT8F5HllZdE5jzRKvp9Cc5u2DrTzYnF7cTad3tEN9/s4032/7E69D138-43E7-4E37-8F60-CB6D38EE6E23.heic" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7Y27BsgG-tJqPm3UpFVJV7iY9xtE1MT-MNvbta9pQ2MMowF6LbUJ7hX4YgNrSDZ9PPzkCtlxXAK3mLK1R2Nl9SKitEtJMqK9iXYRZl0YAs_OdG7wgbHoQ0BmRAN0q8m27ZVT8bwZdkX1paqubT8F5HllZdE5jzRKvp9Cc5u2DrTzYnF7cTad3tEN9/w640-h480/7E69D138-43E7-4E37-8F60-CB6D38EE6E23.heic" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXdRO44PfFfDgKzlcB6nNXRVG5xGljxuMWg3sJkO7KFctOD76y_M3DW70g2YsuHSg527J8BB9K1xyvqpNpAJf-o5xpOqM2g-M6aK2NG_YcCUqQ8ODJEdI-hGOfHek42_vYVRTaKQ3Cg5UfPuRSfYxS9PLZIqBCJmhx7i1mPjZK7V5-1smi5u1nUNcC/s4032/63C38EC2-ABE2-4746-BB48-BDBCCE2876A0.heic" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXdRO44PfFfDgKzlcB6nNXRVG5xGljxuMWg3sJkO7KFctOD76y_M3DW70g2YsuHSg527J8BB9K1xyvqpNpAJf-o5xpOqM2g-M6aK2NG_YcCUqQ8ODJEdI-hGOfHek42_vYVRTaKQ3Cg5UfPuRSfYxS9PLZIqBCJmhx7i1mPjZK7V5-1smi5u1nUNcC/w640-h480/63C38EC2-ABE2-4746-BB48-BDBCCE2876A0.heic" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiofP3Bhhu-_--sz6d9SEokuQkqQ1WlyIEMFc3Hpbh7Ea3UFbyJyFYUjelaRBK17txXDvWL_Ix1yNpqoUDORLHZkgjGaPPUpsng8ATSKUYm6QvNf0ZJxt3DWwTOpx0w3cjL5m_di4ck-Z9W8hIEhPgh-Lyro39Tw1reBWSWJRFfAUWK615YYOJduFFL/s1024/c6d478ec-d723-412a-88b5-f2553601901c.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1024" data-original-width="768" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiofP3Bhhu-_--sz6d9SEokuQkqQ1WlyIEMFc3Hpbh7Ea3UFbyJyFYUjelaRBK17txXDvWL_Ix1yNpqoUDORLHZkgjGaPPUpsng8ATSKUYm6QvNf0ZJxt3DWwTOpx0w3cjL5m_di4ck-Z9W8hIEhPgh-Lyro39Tw1reBWSWJRFfAUWK615YYOJduFFL/w480-h640/c6d478ec-d723-412a-88b5-f2553601901c.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Looks like I'm not the only one who needed a snooze!</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">That night I managed to meet up with two groups of friends. First I attended a retirement party for an old colleague. It was a total surprise for him and most of my other ex-colleagues which was really fun. They all work at the school where I had my very first teaching job 16 years ago and I have such warm memories of them all (a few of who I still keep in touch with!)</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Next I headed to Brixton to meet up with my dearest London friends, Jamie, Guillaume and Will. And as it happened one of my other closest friends, Kristin, who is also part of our "Brixton crew" but now lives in Toronto, was also visiting. It was so great to be able to catch up with these guys. I’m always so nostalgic for my twenties in London when I see them. This was a really wonderful night and one of the highlights of my trip. A warm night with the sun setting around 10:30pm, sitting outside a busy London pub with good friends. Bliss.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtog8i0Yk9u9dnTpinX2PxMhx4KV4_M0R_C--O3kkUIjLMpm9sz7-1jXhVv7zqdXFbgPnk3xmYNHsKg-qyz8OcBbZtU0BDPHyjEOQHMHVUifDtNFYVvxg39TrisxzvRMbXfWt5NvEhLn3g_b-ca4jTHs7iJLWCQkCLiNTaKq6XRs4atI-JpQ8Yqn41/s3840/29597AB7-0072-4696-9D7E-0D9221D09E72.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2160" data-original-width="3840" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtog8i0Yk9u9dnTpinX2PxMhx4KV4_M0R_C--O3kkUIjLMpm9sz7-1jXhVv7zqdXFbgPnk3xmYNHsKg-qyz8OcBbZtU0BDPHyjEOQHMHVUifDtNFYVvxg39TrisxzvRMbXfWt5NvEhLn3g_b-ca4jTHs7iJLWCQkCLiNTaKq6XRs4atI-JpQ8Yqn41/w640-h360/29597AB7-0072-4696-9D7E-0D9221D09E72.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">On Saturday we had a slow morning and then headed south to Crystal Palace Park. There is a collection of dinosaur statues from the 19th century that I knew about, but never actually saw when I lived in London, and I thought the kids would enjoy them. I was very surprised to learn how old the statues were - they’ve been there since 1854! They depict what scientists thought dinosaurs looked like back then. Pretty interesting though I think me and my parents were more impressed by them than the kids. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaWQUK__MeHc2dUQBmaO3_QgiLo_SxIkPhO-iOcx5ubACDMu9xPkLvEtiHyFjcZQC0wrPj22QQZcWm8oCVXPKjiMkxw9Xc1raXcYoq39S9KFh0j9cMn3CK3q3N3f4pANklx7AUUwmf2-LxPqkC0jtYygD6Ev_HCPkHPIYgCbGwrffhPnYxBu8intAn/s4032/9A0478B9-2A33-4BBB-AE9C-004FABAB5C69.heic" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaWQUK__MeHc2dUQBmaO3_QgiLo_SxIkPhO-iOcx5ubACDMu9xPkLvEtiHyFjcZQC0wrPj22QQZcWm8oCVXPKjiMkxw9Xc1raXcYoq39S9KFh0j9cMn3CK3q3N3f4pANklx7AUUwmf2-LxPqkC0jtYygD6Ev_HCPkHPIYgCbGwrffhPnYxBu8intAn/w640-h480/9A0478B9-2A33-4BBB-AE9C-004FABAB5C69.heic" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">On the way to the park on the top of a double decker bus. So fun!</td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6ar-L8iO8hDzZvJbyOwwSI6ZlY4V97DK4kgFsO1xpzy7QjwPMFqd0yR5LTCF0OF_yfOCGiUrFiB4LA7b7qwtXNkbIgC-erMa1HcsAYGKf7J3ORBYjtLm233UcGomDa739lvsG_iDnl3ljTOVwrMk3PRvUFv1H8RPAQREoEqniq0dlfydOjd-s5cjX/s1024/dcb1f076-00dd-4117-be02-ac6443b58cd8.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="768" data-original-width="1024" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6ar-L8iO8hDzZvJbyOwwSI6ZlY4V97DK4kgFsO1xpzy7QjwPMFqd0yR5LTCF0OF_yfOCGiUrFiB4LA7b7qwtXNkbIgC-erMa1HcsAYGKf7J3ORBYjtLm233UcGomDa739lvsG_iDnl3ljTOVwrMk3PRvUFv1H8RPAQREoEqniq0dlfydOjd-s5cjX/w640-h480/dcb1f076-00dd-4117-be02-ac6443b58cd8.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxeYvPmmsDqkSXigdIuWS7l1OkI7AyEqVC1wi4JPPhuHHA8wS2ShkvZQFLEBwPPSwhA4WQC657J6vN9KO0m3qP7r-_bb8l41Vn3ITYGgy801B_owmf9yiMXKrJdYAPTtwrpXs7UNSHw5ohBj561dDE2zJKGitrD04WXwWYinzwA15-f33NUo3jHf9u/s4032/370ECABB-41BC-4EC7-B785-5E6CB12879E9.heic" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxeYvPmmsDqkSXigdIuWS7l1OkI7AyEqVC1wi4JPPhuHHA8wS2ShkvZQFLEBwPPSwhA4WQC657J6vN9KO0m3qP7r-_bb8l41Vn3ITYGgy801B_owmf9yiMXKrJdYAPTtwrpXs7UNSHw5ohBj561dDE2zJKGitrD04WXwWYinzwA15-f33NUo3jHf9u/w640-h480/370ECABB-41BC-4EC7-B785-5E6CB12879E9.heic" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The whole time we were away the kids thought it was hilarious to make this face in photos:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhR5LDL1yA3-DH9Qucbrk32lTvI6JnCSmz295nVxUUA5k-mvBw-b0DVSTChc1yVRerMe-UWzQCPsWVeQG_zTBXDVvl5TC5I87TbhchDyMAgGgR0gxMdkLWrK11iedOdrfTvwuSY2rGHjC5CpPE50D2kylgNq6nlSA7r0Qw7jWCgnxvsB5ZBB981f3be/s4032/A78D30D1-E86F-4F3B-B628-26DA759E896D.heic" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhR5LDL1yA3-DH9Qucbrk32lTvI6JnCSmz295nVxUUA5k-mvBw-b0DVSTChc1yVRerMe-UWzQCPsWVeQG_zTBXDVvl5TC5I87TbhchDyMAgGgR0gxMdkLWrK11iedOdrfTvwuSY2rGHjC5CpPE50D2kylgNq6nlSA7r0Qw7jWCgnxvsB5ZBB981f3be/w640-h480/A78D30D1-E86F-4F3B-B628-26DA759E896D.heic" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">We had some lunch and a play in the playground before heading back to the Airbnb. We got caught in the rain while making our way back, and just like that the weather turned - our hot London weather was over for now!</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">That night was my friend Jamie’s 50th birthday, so I had another night to spend with my friends. And how nice that I happened to be in London for this milestone birthday. Looking back I remembered Jamie’s 40th, which was about 6 months before we left London to move to Melbourne… how quickly 10 years has gone by!</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">On Sunday we went to see Frozen the musical. We were meant to see it last year in Melbourne, it was Ella’s birthday present from my parents. However it was cancelled due to Covid so it was great to be able to finally take her. We took the train into the city and walked along Embankment to the theatre district, where we passed many colourful statues of the Queen’s corgis. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-mZN2cLlkjEAityvuV2NcJBag52XwV3TtcvhZHQYccU97R77AgEKHHh9bWMv6WkUsc7BoJ4wtPOxuvYe1Lzhhq1ikVo9WRLsQiIQBN85dYN3kAjCStGqvrpEZ_nUbSJQ2wREWgLQ2CQWZYLJqQFIxMly6qSUDA8533i81k5c52BYU-u_ZuTQfypxQ/s4032/93343E7F-B200-45CE-B760-6B1D4EF4FA45.heic" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-mZN2cLlkjEAityvuV2NcJBag52XwV3TtcvhZHQYccU97R77AgEKHHh9bWMv6WkUsc7BoJ4wtPOxuvYe1Lzhhq1ikVo9WRLsQiIQBN85dYN3kAjCStGqvrpEZ_nUbSJQ2wREWgLQ2CQWZYLJqQFIxMly6qSUDA8533i81k5c52BYU-u_ZuTQfypxQ/w640-h480/93343E7F-B200-45CE-B760-6B1D4EF4FA45.heic" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkU8F5HeNJ-ILkYJ4A4GvXYQV2DQnvrkvE4PK966WMi4-haYSDoFs7vyJ98E8Yqaia7J8V8IOC6Zzi_nJEBKV5_Nfw3nGGcL-63KNetu0jODlIM86vyud-WDpzOpD9sCV8Y6Ezp0ETkp-Ghd_OB7eSuLLUTP5zqQn2XQfrUWXFt_5eN_UtNvqxaNel/s4032/IMG_7455.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkU8F5HeNJ-ILkYJ4A4GvXYQV2DQnvrkvE4PK966WMi4-haYSDoFs7vyJ98E8Yqaia7J8V8IOC6Zzi_nJEBKV5_Nfw3nGGcL-63KNetu0jODlIM86vyud-WDpzOpD9sCV8Y6Ezp0ETkp-Ghd_OB7eSuLLUTP5zqQn2XQfrUWXFt_5eN_UtNvqxaNel/w640-h480/IMG_7455.HEIC" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The musical was pretty good but long for the kids. I’m not sure Ollie was quite old enough to be there, he was a bit restless during the first half but then perked up once Olaf was involved. Ella actually fell asleep in the last 10 minutes, during the last number and then all through the applause at the end she was out like a light!</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdYSlWNuzqBUvcWOt1JX0wmD-Ht0ihj0COIaIjoI2NDTcCXCROSY49xDbzD7FX7dW1xaT5MsY0UQZP28nx3F64AjoVVntcg_mLHxDES4dA1hRBKaS1kxBw2zc7hSym_0UPaIsrfERvK-beNLQA5KNkKITQE_uZfwFupHO65ppwgpuR7X19ixyODaxQ/s4032/A1C1F975-74CB-46FC-92F0-FC452FEF0A1F.heic" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdYSlWNuzqBUvcWOt1JX0wmD-Ht0ihj0COIaIjoI2NDTcCXCROSY49xDbzD7FX7dW1xaT5MsY0UQZP28nx3F64AjoVVntcg_mLHxDES4dA1hRBKaS1kxBw2zc7hSym_0UPaIsrfERvK-beNLQA5KNkKITQE_uZfwFupHO65ppwgpuR7X19ixyODaxQ/w640-h480/A1C1F975-74CB-46FC-92F0-FC452FEF0A1F.heic" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pre-show selfie<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgB7wBchdK9I-TVwbE34yLKIVYf7PveUwmceliH0dLLxm8q9CEOfNhyJh-Lhv0_QyibsvAtAeXODFGaGIPO674MianOQcoxXRJeFlCuKuEmh02RwxA8Hml8AVoTCOnjB4s2bhUkneC9e4lRlV2iDQMVWQBo01nBuadWu_SLcc-Oj9U6vKC74e5Y_89u/s4032/E9942526-61F1-48B6-A72C-D77390A6CC51.heic" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgB7wBchdK9I-TVwbE34yLKIVYf7PveUwmceliH0dLLxm8q9CEOfNhyJh-Lhv0_QyibsvAtAeXODFGaGIPO674MianOQcoxXRJeFlCuKuEmh02RwxA8Hml8AVoTCOnjB4s2bhUkneC9e4lRlV2iDQMVWQBo01nBuadWu_SLcc-Oj9U6vKC74e5Y_89u/w640-h480/E9942526-61F1-48B6-A72C-D77390A6CC51.heic" width="640" /></a></td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">It was rainy on the way back, and very busy on the bus. Ollie sat next to me, enthralled by everything he saw out the window. "Mum! A crane! A tower! Rubbish!" he excitedly pointed and shouted at any and everything. Oh to be four years old again! </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUgdCHIF6qUizXXZs38epeWmzq-709NS4ORlBrKg4sKHLZaPFuCRQlZ046HeVrhCBuU8hAdCaSdocBleAOYYPfT_w97BcaXa_b0PpeR67x0oTTxUzoKnHIadJrrXJqsi9XOJjPaU-h-XLYBfyjPaL_mztiLQ1Fiyj-csogL4TwoMYrKu-DJXXAEx8E/s4032/AFF930DC-A142-408E-951E-00D3DCF4C443.heic" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUgdCHIF6qUizXXZs38epeWmzq-709NS4ORlBrKg4sKHLZaPFuCRQlZ046HeVrhCBuU8hAdCaSdocBleAOYYPfT_w97BcaXa_b0PpeR67x0oTTxUzoKnHIadJrrXJqsi9XOJjPaU-h-XLYBfyjPaL_mztiLQ1Fiyj-csogL4TwoMYrKu-DJXXAEx8E/w640-h480/AFF930DC-A142-408E-951E-00D3DCF4C443.heic" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">We also passed by our old flat, the place where Andy and I moved in together. Right above a Sainsbury's, now that was convenient!</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglg9_65qtlrw2GHzc4ycX77b2wH4oPCXe3yCS9tx7YIetfLuQCiWEu8jd1jK3ocI_dF0WreitBGomPCZ9Lqp7WLbgsiFiMSUgqQ_mr2WIM5oInB-kvCGzHXEtqfLl4V__bxmIyBV8H4FA-TtzjZDcYQyoXp0kgEpIbskmoFIj6_r3gft67F9znxKfY/s3660/57FB32DD-16A4-401C-BAD7-8EEFC9B855D0.heic" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2745" data-original-width="3660" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglg9_65qtlrw2GHzc4ycX77b2wH4oPCXe3yCS9tx7YIetfLuQCiWEu8jd1jK3ocI_dF0WreitBGomPCZ9Lqp7WLbgsiFiMSUgqQ_mr2WIM5oInB-kvCGzHXEtqfLl4V__bxmIyBV8H4FA-TtzjZDcYQyoXp0kgEpIbskmoFIj6_r3gft67F9znxKfY/w640-h480/57FB32DD-16A4-401C-BAD7-8EEFC9B855D0.heic" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The next day Andy’s dad came to pick us up to take us down to Portsmouth, for the next leg of our trip. Here's Ollie with grandad - seeing him for the first time since November 2019!</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-0vfsmCl8dy7vKhb94p0MkZVPOfCojOCyUJJbTuBz_XSmlvt66mJqdHy9biXM_z6BPosNrUMwMwCGkyFvHkkWiMOVsbQzl1B7lbx1h3fr9hLmxJHrOk555MpQhfESs79u7awy1BZbILwTgoCZptLhhFmW6JoM4m39KYeGT9Jxseqn4Vsdbmgn8Ark/s4032/IMG_7470.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-0vfsmCl8dy7vKhb94p0MkZVPOfCojOCyUJJbTuBz_XSmlvt66mJqdHy9biXM_z6BPosNrUMwMwCGkyFvHkkWiMOVsbQzl1B7lbx1h3fr9hLmxJHrOk555MpQhfESs79u7awy1BZbILwTgoCZptLhhFmW6JoM4m39KYeGT9Jxseqn4Vsdbmgn8Ark/w640-h480/IMG_7470.HEIC" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div>Wendy McCarryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10400056809655031226noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3302793385282321137.post-59064688672720418212022-08-15T10:52:00.028+01:002023-06-19T05:57:03.440+01:00Flying to London with kids… on my own!<div style="text-align: justify;">Well hello! It’s been a while. Back in June I wrote about developing a “minimum once sentence a day” writing habit, which was going well for about a month. But then we went on holiday and ever since I’ve completely dropped the ball. And now here we are, two months later, and I'm attempting to recreate my writing habit. Better late than never I suppose!</div><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><div style="text-align: justify;">This is my first post about our recent holiday, which we took over the winter school holidays in June/July. Andy and I both had three weeks off from school, however unfortunately this year they were not the same three weeks. My last day of school was June 17th, and Andy’s was a week later on June 24th. We went back and forth about what to do about this. We considered only going for two weeks (not ideal with the jet lag for the kids) or not going at all (even less ideal considering we hadn’t seen Andy’s family in England since 2019 due to Covid). Eventually we decided that I would go with the kids on my own on the 17th and Andy would join us a week later, and then I would go home a week earlier and Andy would stay on with the kids for his last week of holidays. This way the kids would end up having a nice long four weeks to spend overseas with family. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">As it happens, my school generously gave me three days of leave at the end of term, so we were able to have an even longer trip. All in all, the kids had a full month in Europe… not too shabby!</div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">We left Melbourne on an 11:30pm flight on a Tuesday night. We all had a full day of work and school, then came home, had dinner and baths and headed to the airport around 7:30pm. I was afraid the kids would be super tired but they were pretty wired and excited for the trip. The only hiccup was saying goodbye to Andy, both kids were very sad that he wasn’t coming with us right away.</div><div><br /></div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9LeoU1EiBGV_VRj53LiPuevlFrMuOxI3NpSVH8gbJJZ2ewNSUuxXnyBBrD56DoLgiQ-smo7K4JOx3e684kzilpT2llnHwGsLqwP451vL1-HBhDC5GzEdQtOi_9RPC_AqyYBSxYdSGT5FrVNq5s2yjr00Cj1P6DeOja_gHI1L_G4nEXvm5RWXwgnod/s2048/C08FB480-5872-4B50-9647-A94EB72B4412.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="479" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9LeoU1EiBGV_VRj53LiPuevlFrMuOxI3NpSVH8gbJJZ2ewNSUuxXnyBBrD56DoLgiQ-smo7K4JOx3e684kzilpT2llnHwGsLqwP451vL1-HBhDC5GzEdQtOi_9RPC_AqyYBSxYdSGT5FrVNq5s2yjr00Cj1P6DeOja_gHI1L_G4nEXvm5RWXwgnod/w640-h479/C08FB480-5872-4B50-9647-A94EB72B4412.jpeg" style="height: auto; max-height: 80%; max-width: 80%; width: auto;" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The check-in process was pretty long, about a 45 minute wait. For whatever reason Australian citizens were not able to check-in online so there was a big queue even though we arrived about 3.5 hours before our flight. (Reading this two months later, I’d say we got off easy given all the travel chaos in Europe this summer!) From then on it was pretty smooth, both security and passport control were really quick. It definitely helped that we were travelling a few days before the start of the school holidays. As a teacher I’m pretty envious of everyone who can travel outside school holidays on a regular basis!</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">It had been ages since we’d been to the international terminal at Melbourne airport. In fact the last time would have been when we left Australia in March 2019. Not much was open as it was very late in the evening, though it’s not like you can do any browsing in shops when you’re on your own with a 4 and 7 year old. They were both hungry but most places had stopped serving food. We ended up with eclairs from Brunetti… delicious but not the most nutritious food to be eating just before you’re about to have a full day’s worth of airplane/airport food. It did stop the kids complaining about being hungry at least, although I did also have to break into my stash of snacks and give them some popcorn as well.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The funniest thing here was Ella lost her front tooth while eating. Like literally lost it… all of the sudden she was like “my tooth fell out” and we have no idea where it went. Most likely she swallowed it. Ew but hopefully not a big deal!</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">We flew with SingaporeAir who I was pretty impressed with. They were so great with the kids, they seemed to make a special effort with them, including serving their meals first and giving them a little toy. They even knew their names when we boarded which was a nice touch.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Our first flight to Singapore was just over 7 hours and it was a pretty easy flight. I thought the kids would crash straightaway but they stayed up for dinner service and then fell asleep about 2 hours into the flight. I managed to get some sleep as well and we all woke with less than 2 hours to go.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Here they are at the start of the flight. It’s all looking pretty civilized at this stage… the iPads aren’t even out yet!</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYteMJ3Fm-H9ZNOa3h5YYpD2NLCAx1zC_QvF287CzUWgj58mQTdRtBgD9bovEkPmLS20mLhwnb0xEzWC5vrhO0Tgf9v7I7LF_t4dsgDzwyk2nQsxWt6NHx586lUmPTEOyrTixx1nuTbhdSkgTLmflDgL545WInS5-VNi114qwBrXJExW6ijDNACFck/s4032/145EC7E8-FF93-4261-9F1A-065EBAB81D8A_1_201_a.heic" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYteMJ3Fm-H9ZNOa3h5YYpD2NLCAx1zC_QvF287CzUWgj58mQTdRtBgD9bovEkPmLS20mLhwnb0xEzWC5vrhO0Tgf9v7I7LF_t4dsgDzwyk2nQsxWt6NHx586lUmPTEOyrTixx1nuTbhdSkgTLmflDgL545WInS5-VNi114qwBrXJExW6ijDNACFck/w480-h640/145EC7E8-FF93-4261-9F1A-065EBAB81D8A_1_201_a.heic" style="height: auto; max-height: 80%; max-width: 80%; width: auto;" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">We had just under 4 hours at Singapore airport before our second flight. There is a lot to do and see at this airport so it was kind of a nice length stopover. It gave us time to chill out, get something to eat, and do a bit of exploring.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Everyone was pretty tired when we first arrived and it was really early, like 5:30am, when we landed in Singapore. So again we had the problem of not much being open. We camped out on the floor for a bit in an empty part of the terminal and played a few games and FaceTimed Andy. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimQ6awCyETB6UdcR_z-qBfs1ksEMJYKTJ95uy-Tp-CTUNhxWQOtnzE4BiZSdYaABheVrgDOxF7D73X2NPZsux-97PpiZyPX-oTsrvMJfDNlplp62bYEt0sOW8GBWt4En0Yxon-_0NK8eg9gf9ogV9fzBFWzouPzRR6GUPxtlgb_PiW18Ufi7N5zf9Q/s4032/14812E2F-A5A8-4B56-B83B-6A53691A8C1D_1_201_a.heic" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimQ6awCyETB6UdcR_z-qBfs1ksEMJYKTJ95uy-Tp-CTUNhxWQOtnzE4BiZSdYaABheVrgDOxF7D73X2NPZsux-97PpiZyPX-oTsrvMJfDNlplp62bYEt0sOW8GBWt4En0Yxon-_0NK8eg9gf9ogV9fzBFWzouPzRR6GUPxtlgb_PiW18Ufi7N5zf9Q/w640-h480/14812E2F-A5A8-4B56-B83B-6A53691A8C1D_1_201_a.heic" style="height: auto; max-height: 80%; max-width: 80%; width: auto;" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhARQ8hVrmL2HycT7-x6j1djuWpn--taCncRaTob4DvspZfaykQjDVnxH-KFS4O5BAEYQpcobrl9jIzTCTmUu6WinkdnJNB17DRHySpkg4vk_L-yJsZon5DhqD0n8V2IBT8vnScCqq2ezO0afSxpQPx1aV4egisGEFy6jQsvFcJsxsAczjUFA6RtpP-/s4032/227B27AA-D17F-4E8E-A725-EFEFA02B9113_1_201_a.heic" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhARQ8hVrmL2HycT7-x6j1djuWpn--taCncRaTob4DvspZfaykQjDVnxH-KFS4O5BAEYQpcobrl9jIzTCTmUu6WinkdnJNB17DRHySpkg4vk_L-yJsZon5DhqD0n8V2IBT8vnScCqq2ezO0afSxpQPx1aV4egisGEFy6jQsvFcJsxsAczjUFA6RtpP-/w640-h480/227B27AA-D17F-4E8E-A725-EFEFA02B9113_1_201_a.heic" style="height: auto; max-height: 80%; max-width: 80%; width: auto;" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div><span style="text-align: justify;">Next we checked out the butterfly garden, where it was nice to feel like we were in nature in the middle of such a long flight. </span></div><div><br /></div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgH9y3dYRz7aCbkRd-GvRZw426G3zXfj9QV6Q3xbnhDCnd2_IXUFDqfWJjYdOncujuTr6QjjbDltiPSTmiCRDyX9Ke0-gTeFE8MZDy1H-RZwnrbv6oJX-v2ptCGWlSo3r5YEUBNMURBzNgu_3lKzlUjVGX_JasSyVoThZD4DVz4vxAsspEe4OVRICNZ/s4032/4DAFD242-24FF-442D-8D0A-813870690369_1_201_a.heic" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgH9y3dYRz7aCbkRd-GvRZw426G3zXfj9QV6Q3xbnhDCnd2_IXUFDqfWJjYdOncujuTr6QjjbDltiPSTmiCRDyX9Ke0-gTeFE8MZDy1H-RZwnrbv6oJX-v2ptCGWlSo3r5YEUBNMURBzNgu_3lKzlUjVGX_JasSyVoThZD4DVz4vxAsspEe4OVRICNZ/w640-h480/4DAFD242-24FF-442D-8D0A-813870690369_1_201_a.heic" style="height: auto; max-height: 80%; max-width: 80%; width: auto;" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div><div style="text-align: justify;">But the big hit for the kids was the koi carp pond. The kids loved looking at the fish and conveniently there was a Pret A Manger right next to it. Pret is like my go-to place when I travel, it reminds me so much of when I lived in London. We had a nice time in this part of the airport, and I was even able to sit and have a coffee while the kids were entertained by the pond.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">We also FaceTimed my parents, who were also at the airport in Toronto, waiting to board their own flight to London to meet us. </div></div><div><br /></div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUqsiDPoX9p2EM5z6LRuOhEiXD_QAFAr4FtV3LbMdBRc19IHYvSeonE1OQRPdXMq8lNlEPSmY3bnrnZ6HtiauFeyt0rbJmbibN6C9NWPDS92tfUqss0P7XlI_g32qSoyhA97LCJqGD2J5L6IrWZWNvaOt_RiClBv0EvgeWcHSqXCzDAoyNUPJKbl3A/s4032/0924BC4D-118D-4A41-A33C-60241E4EFFE3_1_201_a.heic" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="479" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUqsiDPoX9p2EM5z6LRuOhEiXD_QAFAr4FtV3LbMdBRc19IHYvSeonE1OQRPdXMq8lNlEPSmY3bnrnZ6HtiauFeyt0rbJmbibN6C9NWPDS92tfUqss0P7XlI_g32qSoyhA97LCJqGD2J5L6IrWZWNvaOt_RiClBv0EvgeWcHSqXCzDAoyNUPJKbl3A/w640-h479/0924BC4D-118D-4A41-A33C-60241E4EFFE3_1_201_a.heic" style="height: auto; max-height: 80%; max-width: 80%; width: auto;" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmXfvOF3mftxJD3Hg2sEG7CoYvg0OXZXBjGnfjsmW2JR15toeiEci-i3yC22ZJ3Fi-nPcfrqrshPPyOgzIiQzb8PJ44xnhLwNhLlw5L9iX7K6aXiO9pspuzJiNL7PXNE59yOlSHZ6OgF199568mPE1xcPDZwQ7OuOZMDcnxALDstLSEEo_TxHsqF8k/s4032/D75166D2-457D-4D8D-BCBF-8F0B300A52BF.heic" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="479" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmXfvOF3mftxJD3Hg2sEG7CoYvg0OXZXBjGnfjsmW2JR15toeiEci-i3yC22ZJ3Fi-nPcfrqrshPPyOgzIiQzb8PJ44xnhLwNhLlw5L9iX7K6aXiO9pspuzJiNL7PXNE59yOlSHZ6OgF199568mPE1xcPDZwQ7OuOZMDcnxALDstLSEEo_TxHsqF8k/w640-h479/D75166D2-457D-4D8D-BCBF-8F0B300A52BF.heic" style="height: auto; max-height: 80%; max-width: 80%; width: auto;" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Before we knew it, it was time to head to the gate for flight number two. This flight was much longer, about 13.5 hours from Singapore to London. And boy did it feel long! The kids were awake for the first 8 hours apart from an hour long nap that Ollie had. Ella asked me about every 15 minutes how long we had left… I tried showing her how to read it on the flight info on her screen but that didn’t really stop her from asking me. Nothing major happened but it just felt loooong. I attempted to watch a movie and got through about ¾ of House of Gucci. (How does it end?! I’ll never know…) Ella watched one movie while Ollie napped but other than that neither were interested in watching movies. Gah! I thought for sure they’d watch a few! Ollie loved his iPad and I ended up having to limit his screen time, otherwise I think he would have played on it non stop. I’ve learned firsthand just how addictive those things are for a four year old!! (Strangely Ella could take or leave her iPad… maybe it’s because she’s a bit older??)</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Eventually with about 4-5 hours to go I convinced them to try and sleep. Ella had both the <a href="https://kooshykids.com.au/" target="_blank">Kooshy </a>foot rest and pillow I hastily bought a week before our flight, so I was happy that they got some use. She really liked having the foot rest in general and it was really easy to blow up with the electric pump it came with. Ollie is still small enough to curl up on his seat, especially if I lifted up then arm rest between us. Him and I were able to sort of cuddle up together and we all managed to shut our eyes for a few hours before landing at Heathrow.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhj0ZP6-1AtrJ_fDVpdkgR-Lx37zSGhAFyQ2WSUy04I_Gy-zA4z3EXws13yWjl2lmaxuCxHc33oOZ9Q4EPyib4Fe4Fo7q_E9Qg5boafMoOgh98zgGFUSGZINuSq291JoHLljSDjLSmbQR06GH6al4fERbKCREbl5Dvf6TN1DJh2rqzZ1loGKQRfysAw/s4032/B319612F-A9B4-4AC6-B6A1-68AAE09F4283.heic" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhj0ZP6-1AtrJ_fDVpdkgR-Lx37zSGhAFyQ2WSUy04I_Gy-zA4z3EXws13yWjl2lmaxuCxHc33oOZ9Q4EPyib4Fe4Fo7q_E9Qg5boafMoOgh98zgGFUSGZINuSq291JoHLljSDjLSmbQR06GH6al4fERbKCREbl5Dvf6TN1DJh2rqzZ1loGKQRfysAw/w480-h640/B319612F-A9B4-4AC6-B6A1-68AAE09F4283.heic" style="height: auto; max-height: 80%; max-width: 80%; width: auto;" width="480" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Landing at Heathrow, going through customs, collecting our luggage and the taking a taxi to our Airbnb seemed like the longest part of our travel. We were all quite tired by then and it seemed like we were SO close to seeing my mom and dad as our taxi crept through the London rush hour traffic. But finally, about 3.5 hours after landing, we arrived to big hugs from Nannie and Grampy. I was so happy that the kids weren’t weird around them, and were chatting and playing with them as if they’d just seen each other the day before. Of course my mom had picked up some wine so we could enjoy a drink in the garden of our Airbnb in the gorgeous London sunshine, catching up and just generally excited to be starting our holiday together!</div>Wendy McCarryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10400056809655031226noreply@blogger.com0