Beer Touring Angels... Our Prayers were Answered.

We couldn't post this blog until you knew we were safe in Canada.  Didn't want anyone to worry.  It was the most memorable part of our trip.  Probably too eventful for our liking, but it was a good experience to know God answers prayers and protects us at all times.

March 6

Again, the morning started with a dead truck, which then resulted in a slow start to the morning.  The Kingfisher maintnance department came down to our apartment to boost the car, and eventually around noon we were able to get going to Lake McKenzie to checkout what we missed yesterday.

We got to Lake Mckenzie, and yet again it was overcast on the island, so it didn’t look as spectacular was I remembered it when I was here last.  They have built up a lot of the beach, in comparison to 2000.  The winds were high, so the lake was a bit choppy.  Either way it was still pretty to look at, and as clear as I remembered it.

We went for a quick swim, but didn’t last too long, as Pearl is not a big fan of the wind.  We then ventured off to Eli Creek, trying to beat the high tide and catch the photo opportunity before our time on the beach was up.  We made it, and the boys ran up the boardwalk and wadded through the creek on the way down.

I told Tyson about the sand dunes in which they apparently shot Star Wars and so he really wanted to see it.  I couldn’t remember the exact location, but knew it was close to Eli Creek.  Dan asked a bus driver and the driver thought it was near Lake Wabby located in land a bit.  So, we hurried off the beach and made our way in land.  Lake Wabby was on the way to the Kingfisher Resort, so we thought we would stop by on the way back.

I tried my hand at driving on the island.  I think I did okay, a much different experience than driving on pavement… that’s for sure.

Pearl by this point had had the biscuit.  It had been about 6 hours driving for her and she was tired.  So, I opted to stay in the car with her, while the boys took off to the look out.  It was around six o’clock and the sun was starting to set.  I was getting slightly concerned, as they had been gone for awhile and the car was starting to sound funny, funnier than usual.

We still had to keep the car running all day to ensure it didn’t die again while we were out.  There were no booster cables, so it meant if we turned it off than there was a chance there wouldn’t be anyway for someone to help us, if we needed a boost.

My mind started racing, with thoughts of what would happen if the car broke down or the sunset, and we didn’t make it out of there.  Pearl and I went for a walk to the information sign about Lake Wabby lookout, only to see that the point was actually an hour to an hour and a half walk away.  I got worried looking at the time, knowing the boys would still be gone for a while.  I figured they hadn’t read the sign, and as they ventured out there, they would have thought they had too much time invested in seeing the sand dunes, to turn around.

Eventually, they returned by this point- the sun was clearly setting and I was worried and short.  Dan couldn’t understand my attitude, and normally I wouldn’t care.  But under the circumstances, with two children, night falling and a lemon of a vehicle, I was worried.  I told Dan we didn’t have time to be upset with each other, but when we made it back to the apartment I would be!

We started our trek home, and quickly it became darker and darker.  The battery on the car was unreliable to start, but we thought we would have enough juice to use the headlights to get back.  We figured out this was not the case, when a few kilometers into the trip, the truck started to sputter and the lights went dim.  We moved forward slowly.   As things got dimmer, which made the trip more scary… I began praying aloud saying “In the name of Jesus, we need light”.  I couldn’t pray anything else, as it’s all we needed for the moment.  It was pretty scary as I took note of the terrain when it was light out, commenting to Dan how steep the banks were.  We managed to get to a fork in the road with a sign saying “Kingfisher Bay and Eastern Beaches”.  That’s where the car died.  The lights shut off, the power windows were left down and the key wouldn’t turn over when we tried.

It was then, I changed my prayer and spoke out the words of Wayne Hoyles’ sermon from the Sunday morning before we left, which was about, the God of the supernatural and provision.  I started asking for the supernatural, “send an angel or divine light, provide us with a way out”.

Despite having the sign, we had no idea where we were and how far back it was going to be to the Kingfisher.  Immediately, we tried calling “000”  (Canada’s equilivant to 911) with our cell phone.  It wasn’t going through.  We called the number if 000 didn’t work, and found out there was no cell phone reception in the area where we were.  In hindsight, thinking there would be reception in the middle of a deep rainforest on a sand island, may have been silly thinking.  However, desperate times called for desperate measures.  And, this is when Dan wanted to run for help.  I think it was the man in him, wanting to “do” something, despite nothing could be done.  I said “Absolutely not! There are dingoes and snakes out there, you don’t have a flash light and we have NO idea where we are”

We continued to pray, as we sat for about forty minutes begging God to send an angel, as we resolved we would be sleeping in the truck for the night, with the windows down.  It was one of the most helpless feelings either of us, have ever felt.  As we cried, I was so thankful to believe in a God who is a protector and who cares for us.  One last time, we called out for God to send an angel for us.

Out of nowhere, a massive bright light came around a corner about 200 metres in front of us.  All three of us, started yelling for help and jumped out of the car running towards the light.  It was a big Toyota Prado that had it’s halogen bright lights on.  It slowed down and we ran faster, yelling louder.  It stopped and there were three men in the car.  The driver rolled down the window and crying I said, “We need help, my baby, son and husband are stranded with a dead car”.  He said “She’ll be alright, mate”

He followed me to our truck.  The inspected it, tried doing as much as they could with jumper cables and tools, but to no avail it wouldn’t start.  These men were Australian blokes, Rod, Adam and Luke- out on a beer tour through the rainforest on their way to pick up Rod’s daughter at the Kingfisher Bay barge.

They said they would take us back to our hotel, and we could leave our vehicle off to the side of the path.  We all plied in to the their truck, Pearl and I in the front passenger seat, and Dan and Tyson in the back with Luke and Adam.  It was cosy.  And for some reason, I felt safe with these guys.  Normally, I wouldn’t get in a car with some one who has a beer in their hand while driving, nor would I take my children into this situation, however given the circumstances… it seemed like the more reasonable option.

The drive back to Kingfisher was at least a fifteen- twenty - minute drive.  Rod’s truck was so powerful, and it was able to get through the toughest of terrains with no problems.  It was a completely different experience from driving our vehicle for the past few days.  While driving, we talked about Aussie culture, and what there is to see in Canada, exchanged stories about Vegemite and continued to extend our thank you’s for stopping.  These three Aussie blokes were our answer to prayer.

My favourite part of the whole story, was after the last time I prayed for God to send an angel, the headlights appeared, and like I said they were ridiculously bright- almost blinding.  When we arrived back at our apartment and debriefed the story together, Tyson said “Morgan was praying for angels and then this bright light came and at first I thought it might be them!”

We said, “They very well could have been.  God can send angels in any form.” 

The Pattersons have landed.

We've returned home after a long, but uneventful plane ride back to Toronto.  The morning started early, and a ride to the airport with Bill before he had to go to work.  Traffic was busy, which meant we waited in some spots, but meant we didn't wait long in line at the airport because everyone else had checked in.

As we drove over the Harbour Bridge one last time, I said to Tyson "Take a good look at the Opera House, it may be the last time you see it".  He replied with, "I doubt it, I'll be back."  Hmm, we may have created a World traveller, which I'm quite happy about.  We told him, if he goes on an exchange in University, we can make a trip out of it.  We'll pick our top three countries and give him the list.

Although long, the plane ride was good.  It wasn't nearly as full as on the way over, so this meant that Pearl and I shared three seats to ourselves.  Great for napping.  And Dan and Tyson shared three seats as well.  We all seemed to sleep a bit more than we did on the way over.  I was able to watch more movies this time around and read some of my book.  In the scheme of things, this is a big accomplishment.

We met lots of nice people on their way over to Canada, getting ready to visit their grandchildren.  I think this is why Pearl got so attention.  Our hellos then turned into stories about the children they were about to go visit and how excited they were to see them.  I replied that Tyson and Pearl's grandparents are probably just as excited to see theirs as well.

Vancouver was an easy time.  We landed and had an hour to get off the plane, go through customs, pick up or bags and recheck them.  I was concerned that there wouldn't be enough time, but it was a pretty smooth operation and we had plenty of time before we had to reboard the plane.  Again, the flight was uneventful and the food was horrible, however you can't expect gourmet for airplane food, right?

Upon arrival, we were greeted by Morgan and Pauline and my mom.  They had a sign for us and it was obvious they were excited to have us home, by the grins on their faces.  Of course, they noticed how much both Tyson and Pearl grew during their time away.  The sunshine did them well!  They thought Dan and I looked relaxed and we thought it's easy to be in the sunshine and no job to worry about.

So, we're back in Stratford now.  Adjusting to life off holidays.  I guess it's time to plan the next vacation...

Shop til you drop, Tyson!!

Yesterday was a beautiful day, despite what the weather channel said about rain.   We went to the beach in Manly and enjoyed the sunshine.  Tyson spent the last of his Australian money, it was burning a hole in his wallet, so he needed to get rid of it.  He now has representation from all the surf brands in his wardrobe.  It's funny how so much changes in a sort period of time.  There was a time when he didn't even know what a name brand was, and now he's well aware of what one is, namely more expensive!

While the boys were shopping, Pearl and I played in the water fountains along the walkway.  It was her last opportunity to get wet before leaving for home.  I don't know what I'm going to do when we have to put clothes back on her, not sure if she's going to like it.

We then headed over to Curl Curl Beach to meet Marilyn for a coffee.  She likes this shop as it sits right on the beach over looking the ocean.  We enjoyed some treats and good conversation.  The boys took a final dip in the ocean and the three ladies went for a walk along boardwalk.

We then headed back to the Wilson's to start packing and get ready for the journey home.  We sure will miss Australia and all it includes.  This has been a wonderful trip for our family and has created a lifetime of memories for the four of us.  It will great to look back at it together and plan for another one over the many Tim Tams we just bought. (You wouldn't believe all the kinds they have here)

Marilyn made us a delicious fish pie dinner and we enjoyed one last meal around the table together.  Kristi and Stu made a surprise visit back to 5 Finch Place to say good bye which was really nice.  So, we stayed up later than we anticipated and got our last bits of conversation in, before we need to use Skype and email to stay in touch.

Although, there are no plans in the works that we know about for our next visit together, I know it won't be long...

Where'd the Blue Mountains go?

As our last big adventure in Australia we made a day trip to The Blue Mountains.  From where we are staying it took approximately two hours to get there.  However, as in Canada traffic and construction slowed us down and it was more like three hours.

Dan did a great job of driving there and I did my best to navigate, but realize this isn't a strength of mine.  I'd like to blame it on the fact that without warning roads in Australia change names.  You could be driving along and some how it seems that the slightest bend in a road, changes it's name.  The difficult part is they don't mark this change, but expect you to somehow know this.

I've learned to use one of those map books, that big city folk use now and it's quite the skill to learn- I must say.  So, we did end up in the Blue Mountains.  We stopped at Wentworth Falls, which was quite nice.  Surrounded by millions of trees in a valley and jagged red rock- it was beautiful.  We went for a short walk to get closer to the falls.  We had to go down into the valley- easy enough with Pearl on my front in the Bijorn, but a bit more challenging on the way up.  With the extra weight, I had some empathy for people who are carrying it all the time, mountain climbing is probably not one of their hobbies.

Dan and Tyson took a longer hike, closer to the falls, which they quite enjoyed, but Tyson did mention, there seemed to be more steps than the Sydney Harbour Bridge.  Hmm!  Not sure what to think of that, could have been that he was climbing in his flip flops (or thongs as they call them here).

We stopped in Katoomba for lunch, before heading to The Three Sisters.  Lucky, we didn't take too long for lunch as we just saw The Three Sisters and the valley before the fog came in.  Literally, within minutes a fog settled across the valley and it whited everything out.  It was Tyson's science lesson for the day, although I couldn't explain exactly what was happening... it was neat to see.

Tyson thought it was neat to be running through clouds.  The fog was so thick, that we video taped him running ahead and he disappeared in it.

Seeing The Three Sisters, made me think of Jillian and Katey.  Would have been ideal to have them there for a photo, but given the weather we could have taken it in front of white sheet and had the same effect.

Our drive home was shorter than our way there, but we did get lost.  I'm blaming it on the streets changing names without warning.  Either way, we got home and were ready for a dip in the pool.

We had another "Shrimp on the Barbie" dinner.  Dan and Tyson helped Stu prepared dinner, while Kristi, Pearl and I sat poolside.  It was the first time that Kristi and I had to chat on our own in the three weeks we've been here.  It's so good to have such a great friend in Kristi, I just wish she didn't live on the opposite side of the World.

Dinner was delicious.  It was fun night with Marilyn and Bill, Kelsey and Bree as well as Kristi and Stu. Lots of jokes and walks down memory lane from all our time spent in Australia.  We sure will miss the Wilsons, when we get home.  Hopefully, all of you will get to meet them at some point in the future.

We had to say good bye to Kristi and Stu last night, as they have prenatal classes tonight.  Kris and I are getting better at good byes, fewer tears now- and thankfully with the technology we have now... at least we can skype.  I'll look forward to meeting their baby this way for the first time, until we can find a country to meet up in and meet him/her in person.

We'll I should go help Marilyn with dinner and then pack.  There is something about packing for home that isn't quite as exciting as packing for vacation.

Sunday- a day of rest.

Sunday was a very relaxing day.  It started off with sleeping in and then heading to the pool.  Pearl and I spent quite a bit of time splashing around.  I can't get over how much she loves the water.  Dan joined us shortly after, although he was more interested in soaking up the rays than the water.

Soon we had the whole crew poolside and enjoyed the sun, while chatting about life and our time here.  Kristi and Stu joined us in the afternoon and quite honestly we did nothing but do nothing, and it was wonderful.

Around five, we headed for Hillsong Church (which produces a lot of the music we sing at our church).  Marilyn joined us and it was a good experience all round.  Their church is huge, with four services every Sunday.  The six o'clock service had at least 1500 people if not more in it,  and it was like being at a concert in some senses.  I thought it was neat that they had a cafe and food vendors outside the church, that you could grab something to eat or drink after the service and chat with those around you.  Tyson liked the service and recognized a few of the songs that they sang.

We made it back home in good time, and considered that shortly our trip would be coming to an end.  And then, to cope we went to bed.

Busy Relaxing. Is that an oxymoron?

We started the day with a drive up the coast and ended at Palm Beach, having brunch at this quaint little restaurant called The Boathouse.  I loved the way it was decorated, lots of white and fresh flowers.  The food was delicious and the company was terrific.  We went with Kristi and Stu, and Alison and her finance Mike joined us as well.  (I met Alison the first time I was in Australia).

After breakfast we drove down the coast and stopped along the way at a few of the Northern Beaches.  There are 26 from what I understand down that stretch of highway.  We spent most of the day at Bilgola.  The boys went in the ocean and the girls made their way over to the pool, as the waves were a bit big a Pearl  and two pregnant ladies (Kristi and Alison, not me).  They are due a week apart from one another.

It's cool though, because the pool is right on the ocean.  It actually fills with ocean water, but it's a nice alternative if you have kids or you don't want to fight the waves.  In the end, the girls benefitted from our decision as the boys got attacked by sea lice.  Yuke.  Little white bugs that bite you in the water.  Nothing serious but uncomfortable.

We then headed back to the Wilson's to get changed quickly and move into the city for dinner at Kristi and Stu's friends, Nick and Lindsey.  They have a great view of the Harbour Bridge and we sat outside with cheese and crackers and later had a BBQ.  Sure am going to miss the fresh summer food when we get home.  Could be a long couple of months... before May hits!

Pearl continues to love the water- and we have her in swimming every chance we get.  I hope to sign up for swim time at the Y or Spruce Lodge when we get home.  That will get us through until the summer, when we can swim at my parent's or Dan's.

Tyson, has to figure out how to use the last of his Australian money... and shop til he drops.  He'll be outfitted as a surfer no problem.

With only a few more days left, we are feeling the pressure to fit in as much beach time as possible, The Blue Mountains, Hillsong, and more visiting.  It will be a busy few days.

Olympic Park- 10 years later

Today was a fun day, as we ventured out to HomeBush Bay also known as Olympic Park.  It was cool to see the park ten years later.  Although different, it was still neat to be there and be reminded of my time at the Olympics in 2000.

Australia has done a great job of keeping up the space and utilizing it for everyday use.  We went to the Aquatic Centre and there was a swim meet happening.  Imagine the stands full of grade 8-12 girls, screaming for their teammates.  It was loud.

They also had a splash park in the centre, which was really fun for all of us to play in.  Pearl loves the water!!  And, Tyson obviously also loves the water.  There was a waterslide in the park which kept us busy for the time we were there.



We took pictures of the park- thinking we could show Dan Mathieson the layout and encourage an indoor Splash Pad at the Rotary Complex.  It was great.

I found my name on the volunteer posts at the park.  Tyson had two minutes to locate my name, or else he didn't get dinner.  Just joking, but he did manage to find the my name in one minute forty three seconds!  It was pretty neat to see.

I'll write more tomorrow.  I'm tired and I can't watch the news anymore, it's difficult to watch the coverage on the earthquake and tsunami in Japan.

Sydney Harbour Bridge... Move over Oprah!

Yesterday was a lazy day around the Wilson's.  Caught up on laundry and did normal around the house type of things.  We counted the days left in Australia and were sad that there was only a week left.  Tyson said today, when we were waiting to go to Australia the time wouldn't come fast enough and now that we are here... the days are done in a flash.  We said "Welcome to Vacationing!"

Today, we went into Sydney.  The boys did the Sydney Harbour Bridge Climb, while Pearl and I went to the Contemporary Art Museum to see a photography exhibit.  I'll let Dan or Tyson blog about their climb, but it looked pretty impressive.  Not sure if Tyson can say he is afraid of heights anymore, given he climbed the bridge no problem.  And, when I asked him how it was... He casually said "Umm, it wasn't that high".  Considering, up until a couple months ago he was talking about how scary the CN Tower glass floor was, I was surprised that an open air climb up 134 metres on a steel bridge above water was "no big deal".  As a teenager would say "Whatev!"

We met up with Kristi and Stu for dinner in the north end of the city and went for dinner at a delicious Thai restaurant.  I had Laska and it was soooo good.  Mmmm!!  We all shared our dishes and enjoyed every bite.

Now, we are back at home... chillin out.  We definately look like a 21st century family.  I'm on the laptop and Tyson and Dan are on their iphones, and ipods.  Pearl's sleeping.  Gotta run, Dan just texted me to get off the computer.  And, Tyson's tweeting that he needs the computer!  (Just joking... we'll use real words with one another before the night's out).

Bingo Junkies and such...

We are back in Davidson at the Wilson's house... nice to be in a familiar place and have a landing spot at the end of each day.

We arrived back from our adventures on Fraser Island Tuesday night and they deserve a whole blog of their own, but we will wait til we get home to publish it!  From Fraser Island we drove back down to Noosa, where Tyson spent more of his birthday money at Billabong.  We could tell he really wanted to shop there because at least once a day he would ask if we were going back to Noosa.  Then when we got back to Noosa, you could tell he was getting concerned about what time the shops closed and encouraged us to hurry along our business in the most polite of ways.

From Noosa we took off to Marrocchydore to stay the night, and catch our flight the next day.  We stayed at the Hot Spot Motel, and Stu had to clarify with us whether or not be paid by the hour or by the night, with a name like that.  It was by the night, for those interested!

The room was different then what we had just stayed in, up on Fraser Island.  It was a painted white concrete room with a double bed, and a single bed in the kitchenette.  It was dodgy, but clean and I guess that's what counted.  We all slept well... considering the last time we were all in a hotel room together (Florida), I was ready to put Tyson in a tub- close the door and turn on a very loud fan!!  (For those who don't know- he is a loud, restless sleeper!)

We did well, until about 5:30 a.m.  Normally, the birds are up around that time and they wake us up.  But at this motel, the garbage truck was what woke us up at that time.  It was as if it was just outside our window.  I think I prefer the birds.

We went to the RSL Club for dinner and it was pretty good.  Cheap at least, we joined in on their trivia contest, but didn't fair too well.  Either way it was fun to join in with the locals.  An RSL Club is similar to our Legion's I guess, but they are much more impressive.

Our day waiting for our flight, was spent heading to the beach and a mall with a river that ran through it. It was pretty impressive.  It was an outdoor mall and it was huge- but really pretty to walk around.

Pearl and I didn't venture down to the beach as it was super windy day.  So, instead we signed ourselves into the Surf Club and hung out with the people there.  They were all playing Bingo, and I thought it would be fun to join in, as well as it would pass the time.  I bought about five dollars worth of cards and Pearl and I tried to find a seat to sit.  It felt like I was in a high school movie, where the geeky girl tries to find a seat, but everyone keeps their eyes down hoping she won't try to sit with them (or making it clear that she wasn't welcome to sit with them).  That was Pearl and I, these people were such Bingo junkies that they couldn't see how cute Pearl was and didn't want to have anything to do with such a distraction.

So, the one guy sat us up in a corner on our own.  I attempted to figure out how to play the game, and it was nothing like it was in grade school with the letters B I N G O along the top of the page.  This was serious stuff!  Pearl wasn't even crying, just making happy sounds and the people around were giving us dirty looks.  Eventually, the manager suggested I leave that area and go somewhere where I could keep her quiet.  So, we moved to the other side of the room, alone and eventually we said "Stuff it"... and left. I so wanted to win, just to rub it in to the Bingo Junkies noses... but no such luck!

I got thinking... though... and probably a Bingo Hall is not that best spot for a mom and baby.  Not because I was distracting the junkies, but because what is a mother of an infant in doing playing Bingo.  But, then I thought maybe the junkies... weren't fazed by it because that's normal.  It's a whole other culture in a Bingo Hall.

We then waited at the airport to fly back to Sydney.  Caught up on journalling and life in the airport.

Fraser Island Shots

  
                                                           Family shot at Lake Mackenzie

                                                          
                                                               Just playing in the sand.

Look familiar? Star Wars

You let us travel with two kids?

Pearl meets baby Mac!

Tyson gets friendly with the Roo's.

Crikey's!! That's a big one!!!

Pelican 4X4 Hire Sucks!! Tell your friends!!

March 5

To start our day, we went to the car and our trusty mechanic was right.  The car wouldn’t start, so it required a phone call to the front desk to find someone with booster cables to get it going.  This meant that at 9 a.m. we started the car and we couldn’t turn it off until we were done our day trip, which ended around 5 p.m.  This also made it difficult for all of us, get out of the vehicle when checking out the sights, as it would mean leaving it unattended, running. 

To start the day, we went to Lake McKenzie to check out the sights.  However, with car issue we had to find the closest parking spot, and this led to a wrong turn, which lead to never actually seeing Lake McKenzie.  We thought we would just loop around, and apparently on Fraser Island there is no such thing as just looping around.  Maybe we will try again tomorrow.

We then bumped around the island, until we got to Seventy Five Mile Beach, where we could drive faster along the beach.  We went up to Indian Head, checked out the Champagne pools, the Mahano Shipwreck and drove past Eli Creek- as the tide was on it’s way up and we didn’t want to get stuck.  We can do that again tomorrow.

The ride at times was even more bumpy, than the day before.  And, because of the rain the potholes were even deeper.  With the commotion of the truck and getting Pearl sorted before leaving, lunch turned out to be sparse.  I had packed all the stuff for sandwiches, but no bread.  And I didn’t pack utensils for the potato salad.  Therefore, lunch was hummus wrapped in lettuce and we had to use the cucumbers to scoop the potato salad out.  So, I guess we could say we left our manners back at the apartment as well.

We had a few good laughs along the way. The battery in the truck continued to die as the day went on, so by around 3 o’clock we were losing power to operate all the extras in the truck.   Power windows, air conditioning, radio etc.  So, we triaged what we could use, forgot about the radio, stopped using the air con, and put the windows up when it was raining and down when it was not.  The most hilarious part about it was, the only way to get the windows up in the vehicle was to drive faster, to get enough juice in the battery to operate them.

Then, we got to the rainforest part of the trip.  The windows were up because it was raining, which meant the windows were fogging up with all our hot air in the truck (we even kept conversation to a minimum!).  So, Dan had to drive faster through the rough terrain to get enough power to use the defrost to clear the windshield.  There was something ironic about the whole thing.  We will see what tomorrow will bring!

Noosa and Fraser Island

March 4^th

Currently, we are sitting in front of the tv, in our suite at The Kingfisher Resort on Fraser Island.  It’s quite nice, a large open area with a fully equipped kitchen.  We have two bedrooms and a bathroom, which includes a Jacuzzi tub.  We are living the life!  And guess what Dan is doing?!? Laundry… he’s right at home!

I’ll update you on yesterday’s events before I do today’s.  It was a pretty lazy day again, slow start to the morning with eggs benedict made by Stu.  Delicious! And, then it was time to decide what beach to go to considering the hundreds around us.  We ended up in Coolum, which was beautiful.  The water was aqua blue, the waves great for surfing and the sand was easy to walk on.

The boys hired a couple of surf boards and gave them a go.  I also tried my hand at it, and managed only to get up on my knees a few times.  It was a good time, and the best part was I managed to keep my top on the whole time!  (Last time I was surfing, I lost my bikini top a few times- embarrassing!!)

Transportation seems to be our biggest logistical challenge, while in Australia.  Needing the car seat all the time, makes it extra complicated to figure out how to transport the four of us, along with Kristi and Stu in a five person vehicle.  So, we rented two cars and travelled separately, except for yesterday.  We had to return one car, so that meant Dan and Tyson took the city bus back to Noosa from Coolum.  They found it fine, but the driver suggested they get off at an early stop than they anticipated.  So, that meant that they ended walking about a kilometer and a half on the beach in the heat.  By the time they arrived back to the condo, they were both puddles.

Tyson was so hot, he jumped in the pool, forgetting that his wallet was in his swim shorts.  He found out that Australian money is waterproof.  (My guess is a few Australians have done the same thing).

The day ended with picking up the 4WD in Noosa, to get ready for our Fraser Island trip and then a night hanging out on the porch, enjoying a traditional Aussie feast, “Shrimp on the Barbie”.  They are actually prawns.  They were huge and so tasty!

This morning we got up early and left our place in Noosa with Kristi and Stu and headed to Tin Can Bay.  We were a little late getting there, but did get to see the dolphins that come to shore at 8 am to be fed by the locals.  It was pretty cool to see a dolphin so close.  Apparently, the one that we saw was attacked by a shark and for this reason had scratches all on his side.  The woman said, that the “alpha male” controls the pod, and therefore also defends the pod, and that’s why he was so scratched up.

The volunteer let us know that the dolphins really like pregnant women, because their super sonar hearing can detect the sound of the heart beat of the baby in the mom’s tummy.  Amazing isn’t it?!

Kristi and Stu left for Sydney today, and we headed to Fraser Island for our vacation within a vacation, within a vacation (as Tyson would say).  It’s our first day of rain, so we can’t complain.  We woke up with it down pouring and it’s been sporadic all day long.

We arrived on Fraser Island via the Iniskip ferry.   We then drove along the beach to turn off to go through the inland road to get to our lodging on the other side of the island.  To say road, is an over statement, basically it is a path free of trees, but not their tree roots.  The man on the ferry, said let the ruts carry you, kind of like a train track.  And so we did.  We laughed quite a bit, as we bumped around in the four wheel drive.  Pearl took it like a champ, and actually fell asleep for the majority of the trip.  To get a sense of how slow we were driving, it took us an hour and a half to travel 15 kilometres.

Upon arrival at the Kingfisher, we parked the truck and immediately it died, with the windows down.  This was at around one o’clock, it was sunny and very hot and humid.  Dan tried figuring out the problem, but then found a mechanic on the other side of the island that tried to tell him what to do over the phone.  It didn’t work so well, as all Dan had to work with was a pair of rusty pliers and flashlight with no batteries.  The mechanic said he wouldn’t be able to make it over to the other side of the island to help us, as he had dinner plans!  Needless to say, Dan let the mechanic know he would have to cancel them.  So, carless, Tyson and I moved our stuff up the steep hill to our accommodation.  Both of us, were sweating and Pearl was sweating watching us.  We got settled in the apartment, which is very nice and large.

Dan continued working on the car but couldn’t get it started, so he had to leave it at reception.  We all decided to go for a swim in the large pools by reception, which was very fun.  Pearl seems to be like Tyson, a fish!  They both love the water.

And then… the rain started.  The torrential rain started.  And the car still wasn’t fixed.  So, the rain made it’s way into the open windows of the vehicle and stayed there, soaking into the seats and the floor. 

The mechanic did show up around 8 o’clock at night in the torrential rain, with three friends and a six pack to fix the car.  They put a new battery in the truck, and rolled up the windows.  He said, we may have some issues in the morning, but if that was the case- just get someone to boost it for us- “should purr like a kitten”.  Thanks mate!

Wilderness Wednesday... not so much

Today was a lazy start to the day.  We had good intentions of making it, “Wilderness Wednesday” which was to include the markets, a hike on a trail and scouting out some waterfalls nearby.  However, we decided otherwise, while sitting poolside.  Kristi called it “Wiped out Wednesday”.  Yesterday’s hot day in the sun, wore us all out and chillin by the pool, seemed like a better idea.

We worked on Tyson’s science homework, while sitting poolside.  We thought it was appropriate, given we were talking about buoyancy, viscosity, mass and volume and their relationship to each other.   We had Tyson jump into the pool, (cannon ball vs. belly flop) to figure out the effect on buoyancy.  At first, Tyson thought he was hard done by, as he had to jump in the pool and get his hair wet.  We quickly reminded him of “hard done by”… when we said his schoolmates were probably sitting inside, reading textbooks about the same subject, and it was snowing outside.  He agreed and suffered through, the poolside lesson.

Pearl took her first dip in the ocean.  She wasn’t 100% sure about it.  We will try again I think the waves threw her off.  She did like playing in the sand and digging her feet in and out.  I gave up on trying to keep it out of her face.  It was next to impossible and she didn’t seem too fazed by it.  At one point, she stuck her hand in the sand and then her thumb in her mouth.  No reaction… we’ll see what the back end of her diaper looks like tomorrow, granular?

I think Dan is looking forward to getting back to straight roads when we return to Canada.  The roundabouts still are causing us trouble.  Can’t nail down what straight is, and once we do, the next roundabout doesn’t have as many spokes or it has more, which changes what straight is.  Needless, to say we need to keep our sense of humour when we are getting lost on a regular basis.

May be signing out for a few days

The internet access is challenging up here in Noosa... so just wanted to let you know that we may be taking a vacation from the blog for a few days.  We've been in McDonald's for an hour trying to get it up and running to send this email.  I actually typed the last two blogs on Word and uploaded the news, to speed things up.

We are going to Fraser Island on Friday for three nights and it should be an adventure 4WDing with a car seat!  Everyone's looking forward to the adventure and checking out some freshwater at Lake McKenzie.  We are getting used to the salt water now... it will be a change.

So, stay tuned come Tuesday night our time for a post.  We will be able to access faster internet in Sydney at the Wilson's and be able to post pictures as well.

Crikey!!! Steve Irwin Zoo was cool! (actually it was really HOT)

Today we ventured out to the Steve Irwin Zoo in Beerwah, about an hour inland from where we are currently staying.  It was a HOT day, the temperature was about 32 degrees.  Poor little Pearl was sweating all day.  I’d take her to the washroom and stick her in the sink to cool off.  The rest of us endured the heat, and snuck into the air conditioned shops occasionally to cool off.  Kristi was a trooper, marching around the zoo, 7 ½ months pregnant.

The zoo was pretty impressive with all the Australian animals represented as well as some elephants and tigers.  We learned a few things about koalas and birds of prey, at some of their live shows.  I learned that koalas are not actually stoned from the eculpytus leaves, but it takes a lot of energy for them to digest the leaves in their system and this is why they sleep the majority of the day and night.

I thought the coolest part of the day was walking around with the kangaroos.  Tyson got some good shots for this documentary.  And, as he would tell you- a group of kangaroos is a mob, so don’t mess with them.

We also survived having encounters with the majority of all the most deadliest snakes in the world.  Phew… that was close, thank goodness for the glass between us.  However, we did pet a white python, which was pretty freaky.

The roundabouts are proving to be challenging for us, and I think it’s proof men are linear thinkers.  I’ve never seen Dan struggle with directions like he does with roundabouts.  Yesterday we went out all three of the exits of the roundabout before we ended up in the right location.  We’ve now developed a system for me giving directions and it seems to be working.  Straight means the spoke directly across from where we enter, and the other two spokes are right and left.  Tyson, sits in the back and laughs at us… and when he’s not laughing, he’s defending his Dad saying that I said “Go right!” but really I pointed straight… and truth be told… I think it’s proof that Tyson’s becoming a man too, with his linear thinking.  Like father, like son.

Tyson turns 13

On Sunday we flew to Noosa with Kristi and Stu.  I’d been to Noosa before (it was actually where I skydived in 2000).  It’s a pretty beach town, if we were to compare it to a beach nearby us, it would be similar to Bayfield with a few exceptions and much more surf, plus a rainforest adjacent to it.  Okay, it’s nothing like Bayfield… but you kinda get the idea, right?

So, we’ve been bumming around here, hanging out on the beach, swimming in the pool where we are staying (which by the way is beautiful).  Kristi and Stu’s friend owns it and let us stay here.  It’s big, bright, modern and very vacation like.  Beats the hostel I stayed in when I was here last.  It had cockroaches in it.  There are geckos that climb the walls in the living room, but apparently that’s normal here and they don’t seem to bother anyone.

Pearl’s bunking with Dan and I in our bed, as there isn’t a crib or a playpen… and for such a small, little thing… she sure does take up a lot of the bed.  Dan and I are kissing either side of the edge of the queen sized bed, and little Miss Pearl is wiggling around in the middle comfortably.  She’s starting to sleep like her brother!

Yesterday was Tyson’s birthday, which was celebrated in style.  He woke up at 5:30 a.m. (not on purpose) and by 9 a.m we had opened cards, had some good chats, sang happy birthday, showered, gone out for coffee and made our way to the grocery store.  I guess, we now know what it’s like to be Uncle Al or Pastor Swartwood.  PRODUCTIVE.

Thank you to everyone who sent cards with us for Tyson’s birthday.  The now teenager, really racked in the cash and has already started his shopping adventures on the boardwalk.  After a day at the beach, he found a pair of Billabong surf shorts for himself and is considering a Billabong hat, as well as a backpack.  Surf’s Up! Tyson really does have the look of a surfer, and could fit in just fine here.  His tan is coming along nicely. 

Today we are off to the Steve Irwin Zoo, to see the Australian reptiles and animals.  The temperature is 30+ and trying to decide on which day will be coolest has been difficult as they are all looking to be in this range for the week.

I brought a range of clothes for Pearl to wear, as I didn’t want her to be too cold or if she spit up on them, I’d have clean ones for her.  So far, she has worn none.  It’s so warm, that her diaper is the outfit of choice.  She loves the water, and is staying cool by splashing around in the pool.  Maybe we will try the ocean tomorrow, when it’s not midday.  She tends to hang out in the sun tent that we bought, while at the beach.

Alright, gotta run… not literally… but it takes a lot of effort to get moving and on the road by 10 a.m.