31.14s  153.05e

We have not really been that lucky with the weather in Australia.  Where is all this wonderful sunshine people talk of, and nice Southerly winds?  Not here that is for sure!!!  It has rained so much, the boat feels like it should be in the Northern Hemisphere - that damp feeling, nice.  We have picked up the schooling after a long break and the children are not too pleased about it(neither am I!!) but it has to be done.  They continue to do well though.

  

Since Megan, Neil, Claire and Jake left we have been staying at Julies.  It has still been Australian school holidays and very hard for us to do school as all the kids in the road have been playing, well play is the best form of learning, so we were all for that.  Jessica had a little girl aged 6 to play with so she was in heaven and Callum a boy of 10.  Actually every other house had children around the kids ages so it has been fantastic for them.  The street Julie lives on also arranged an Australia Day street party.  Pitch up with a plate of food and drinks and sit chatting and drinking.  It was great fun, we met all the neighbours and the kids had a blast running wild.

Australia Day - another celebration!!  We all trooped down to Darling Harbour where there was lots of acts and music (bad ones!!) face painting, street acts, and fireworks in the evening.  With so many people about and the children on scooters it was eyes all about, and guess what - yes we lost one, not the scooter - a child - Callum.  He lost sight of us for a minute and we lost him.  15 minutes later with Tim and Julie walking about and retracing our steps, Jess and i stuck to where we had last seen him.  2 Policeman appear and I casually ask what they recommend if I have lost a child.  They promptly answer, an 8 year old with a scooter?  Thank goodness.  The beats a parents heart misses in these situations is too many.  Callum was shaken, we weren't cross and all was OK.  needless to say, he stuck to us like glue after that.

The fireworks in the evening were amazing.  We actually thought that after New year nothing could be better.  These were different, as we were much closer we saw more.  Half an hour of lazers and music to accompany them.  Callum stayed awake for the whole thing and loved it, as he slept through the New Year ones.  We waited for the crowds to reduce before heading back though.

I must also mention that the bird life in Australia really is marvellous.  Not just in the botanical gardens and the Blue mountains but everywhere.  The local birds that fly into Julies garden are beautiful.  Every morning and evening there is a chorus of parakeets fly into a tree on her patio and they are so amazing.  Beautiful colours and they are not shy, quite happy to munch the leaves while we sit below chatting.  The sulphur crested cockatoo is majestic.  Sitting on its tree making a hell of a racket, but quite incredible that what we would normally see in a bird sanctuary is actually wild here, and loads of them too.

A few photos to keep you going until we reach Brisbane, and we shall write again.

taken from the top of the cul-de-sac where Julie lives.  Her house is the one with the white car in the drive on the right (thats our passion wagon!!)

kids at street party

water pistol fight

I am the master!!!!

On the train planning  Australia Day 

Tie me kangaroo down sport......

she waited 40 minutes to get this, then I had to wash it off after 30, as it was itchy!!