Australia

April 1

Today we got up so, so early and caught a flight over to Sydney. I was so surprised that Henry was so excited to be on a plane again, because honestly Rusty and I are pretty over it. All of the hassle of checking in, weighing bags, and getting through security is pretty overwhelming, and doing it so many times is just becoming annoying. This time especially we had a hard time with our bags as the workers said that they weighed too much and they wanted to charge us a lot extra. Luckily we had some extra little shopping bags in our carry on and I just divided our stuff out between the bags. We got to Sydney, got our car, and then made it over to Hornsby, where we are staying. I was so excited when I looked at the map because it showed we were going to go right over Harbor Bridge which means we would see a great view of the Opera House! But alas, it was a tunnel and we saw only the tip of the House haha. 

We were so tired but we couldn't check in until 2:00, so we made our way to a park really close to our place and let the kids run some energy off. There were these crazy loud birds, which ended up being beautiful cockatoos, and they were everywhere! After the park we went to a shopping mall that had all of the grocery stores inside, and it also had these really cool escalators that were flat like ramps so that you could take your shopping carts on them. Then we checked into our house and started unpacking and took it easy for the night.

A view of the Opera House from the sky!

April 2

With all of the craziness we've had for the past, well, few months, we took today easy. We stayed at home and let the kids adjust to yet another time zone (only to be changed again in a week for daylight savings time). They have some books here, so I obviously took advantage and found a book and absolutely devoured it. I can't believe it's been so long since I've read a book!

April 3
Today was our first day out in Sydney! We found out that riding the train is the best way to get around the city, so we walked about fifteen minutes to a station close to us and bought our Opal Cards. The kids were pretty excited about being able to ride a train, and Rusty and I were really impressed with how smooth and nice it was. We got out and got some McDonalds to eat and were greeted with some people laying on the floor of the train station with scabs all over their bodies (apparently that's a Crack thing...). I was concerned and kept thinking, "Why are we in a big city?! We are not city people." We went to a little grassy area to eat and this creepy bird that looked like the Grim Reaper sneaked up on Rusty and spooked him and all of us haha. Where are we?

Then we walked over to Observatory Hill Park. This place has beautiful views of Sydney Harbor and Harbor Bridge, on the other side from the Opera House. It was peaceful and beautiful and we loved sitting there for a while. Then we walked over to Circular Quay where we got our first glimpse of the Opera House! It's always funny seeing an iconic object in real life. Will it live up to expectations? Will it be better than we thought? The Opera House is really beautiful and seeing it was so exciting because it is such an icon, and a symbol for this amazingly cool country. We got some ice cream to try to settle the kids, who were both throwing tantrums left and right, and then walked over to Mrs. Macquerie's Chair. 

This walk is really pretty because it goes right past the Opera House, along the harbor, and then next to the Botanical Gardens. Both kids were not up for any photo ops, and the sun was way lower than we had hoped for which was making less than ideal pictures. But it was fun and we decided that we would come back another day.

Over by Mrs. Macquerie's Chair there was a nice park and the kids loved running around and playing. They both found some sticks and dirt patches, and what more do you need? We hung out here for a while before going back to our train station and making the long trek home. What a busy day!

A view from our house

April 4

So yesterday we realized that we had gone out much too early for the kids, and that they needed some more down time. So we took today to just hang out and relax, doing whatever they wanted and what we all felt like. We checked out a park that was close to our house and the kids had a great time. We saw the coolest bird that is green with a blue head. I had no idea that Australia had such crazy, beautiful birds!

I wanted to get some Rick Steves books for our final month, so Henry and I took a little trip to the mall to find them. It's so funny because they have apples, pumpkins, scarecrows and corn out right now because it's fall. They also have all of their Easter things! Where are all of my flowers!?!

This is how Rusty and I spend our evenings haha. Brooklyn 99 and Tim Tams.

April 5

Today was a rainy day so we stayed home today too. The kids got a chance to play and hang out around the house! Rusty and I got caught up on laundry and work. It is a lot better for me here because my hours are around 9-12 instead of 12-4. I will take this work time any day!

April 6 

Today was Manly Beach Day! We had heard that a ferry was the best way to see the harbor, and that was so true! But before we took off on our ferry we took the opportunity of being back by the Opera House (the ferries leave from Circular Quay) to walk over towards Mrs. Macquerie's Chair again for some better pictures. We didn't go all the way there because it is so far, and Adeline was still not any more willing to smile for the pictures haha. But we got some where at least she wasn't arching her back trying to get out of our arms, so that's a win right? This walk is so pretty and it is still so weird and surreal to be here at the Opera House!

Then it was time for our ferry! I had also heard that Manly Beach was amazing so we should go there. I'm so glad that we listened to this advice! The views from the ferry were stunning, and we enjoyed our time on the boat. We saw so many sail boats; more than I have ever seen! 

We saw the Opera House, Harbor Bridge, and Fort Douglas. Fort Douglas has an interesting history, of which we only know little bits and pieces (should have done a tour haha). At one point it was used as a prison, and they would chain the prisoners up in the sun with only bread and water. Not one ever escaped, due in part to the "shark infested waters". I read online that one man was hung out there, and his last words were about the stunning views of the harbor and how he doubted that any water the world over could compare to its beauty. I guess that says a lot about the pretty harbor huh? 

When it was time to get off of the ferry we walked through cute Manly to get to the beach. This beach is one of the most beautiful beaches I've ever seen. The sand is golden, the water is turquoise, and the sun was bright. The only problem was that you were only allowed to swim in a very small area of the beach, because the other parts had really strong rip currents. We were planning on going further to Shelly Beach to snorkel and for safer swimming, but the kids started playing here and we just didn't want to make them stop. So we stayed here and had a great time! It was a little chilly, so Rusty is the only one that got all the way in the water. But we all played in the sand and in a little of the water and had such a peaceful, fun day. 

We made it back on the ferry with two minutes to spare, and Della's picture accurately sums up how all of us felt. We were exhausted but happy. The ride back included the most beautiful sunset over the Harbor Bridge and Opera House. What a pretty place!

April 7
Today was Sunday, but there was no church because it was General Conference. But because of the time difference, the sessions are a day later and at 3 and 7 AM. So on Sunday we watched Saturday's session. It was a great day where we felt spiritually fed and nourished, and like our testimonies were strengthened and resolved. I love General Conference.

April 8, 2019

Today was a busy, jam packed day! This trip is getting exhausting, but there is no way that we can slow down because there are so many wonderful things to see! Today we took a day trip over to the Blue Mountains. I don’t know what I was really expecting, but the sheer size of this National Park was a surprise, as well as the fact that it is all mingled in with little towns. We managed to cram in a lot of great sights in just one day, and we came home tired, hungry and cranky.

Our first stop was Echo Point Lookout, which opens up into a beautiful valley with sheer walls all around and the beautiful Blue Mountains rolling in the background. They really do look blue! To the side you could see the Three Sisters, which were stunning. I was told by someone in my scuba diving group in New Zealand that they were overrated, and I don't know what is wrong with that guy haha. I thought they were so pretty! We hiked down about fifteen minutes to get a better view of them before driving off to our next stop: Katoomba Falls. 

Katoomba Falls was a great stop for the kids. The first part of it is a little cascade area with lots of water that the kids loved to play in. Henry did amazingly well at staying dry, but Della… had her feet soaked within seconds. Then we hiked a little bit further to hopefully get a good view of the falls that are much bigger later on. In order to really see them you have to go down to the valley floor, and we just didn’t have the time or stamina to do that. But we saw some really stunning views and even some good views of the upper part of the waterfall! A really cool thing was that there were those beautiful white birds flying all around the waterfall.

After Katoomba Falls we went to Cahill Lookout, which was another lookout over a different valley as far as you could see. By this time we were all hungry and the kids wanted to play. I misunderstood the lady that helped me with my map and I thought that this stop had a playground but it didn't, so we ended up leaving here and having a picnic lunch at Govett's Leap before finding a playground. Govett's Leap was so stunning. It was so funny because each lookout Rusty and I would say to each other, "Ok this one is my favorite." and it just kept changing with each new one we saw. After Govett's Leap we went to a park and let the kids run wild and free for a while. They had a great time and we saw some more cockatoos flying around.

Our last stop was Wentworth Falls, which was split into three different viewpoints. The first two were at the top by the parking lot, and the last one was just a short hike down. Each was really awesome and gave different vantage points. We were able to see out into the valley, see the bluffs, the waterfall, and some really crazy rocks that we hiked over. I wish we had more time in the Blue Mountains; there are so many things to see! We just barely scratched the surface and it left us wanting more, but we are so happy with the day we had here!

April 9

I think today was my favorite day in Australia so far, which is saying something because we have had some pretty solid days. Today just felt natural, easy and very... "Aussie." We went to Featherdale Wildlife Park where we spent the day seeing animals native to this crazy continent. Some of these things I had no idea existed, and could not have even created in my imagination. We also got to feed wallabies and kangaroos, and see the cutest, most perfect little koala bears. I WANT ONE SO BAD. We will be able to hold one when we are in Cairns, and I seriously CANNOT WAIT.

Right when we got there they were doing the pelican feeding show, so we ran over there to see it. I secretly love pelicans (thank you 4th grade project) so I was really excited to see them. This place was really awesome about doing shows every half hour. We saw the pelicans get fed, the blue penguins, and the echidnas.

After the penguin show we fed the wallabies and Henry had a blast! Adeline was very wary of it but eventually sat on my lap while I fed them. 

There were tons of cool birds, including a kookaburra and the cockatoos that we have seen flying all over the place.

The blue penguin feeding. These are the smallest penguins on the planet!

Wombat

Echidna

They also had a really cool reptile house with the craziest snakes! There are so many venomous snakes in Australia, it was weird to have them so close. This was a big with with both kids, and a highlight of the day for Henry.

After the reptile house it was time to feed the kangaroos! This was a blast too. They are just so cute! Della still wanted nothing to do with it and Henry was having a great time.

After the kangaroos we wandered around a little bit more and saw some crazy birds, including the cassowary! I had no idea that animals like this still existed on Earth. We also visited a little farmyard with some farm animals. And... Della hated them all haha.

Look at this bird sitting haha!

Dingo!

Each country we have has a list of foods that we want to try. In Australia, we had a bunch of things we had never heard of. So today after Featherdale we went on a hunt and found this hole in the wall place that gave us about half of our list. We got original Aussie burgers with the lot, chiko roll, cheese and bacon roll, crab stick, and a yummy lemon drink called Solo. Way better than L&P (sorry New Zealand). The Aussie burger has soooo many toppings: beets, egg, cheese, ham, tomatoes... you name it. And it was dang good! The bacon cheese roll was ok, but the rest of it was pretty yucky. We were stuffed after all of this greasy food and headed over to the park to try to work some of it off. Della ended up getting some poop on her bottoms and we didn't have a diaper with us (it was at the car) so she ran wild and free for a little haha. Watching her scoot down the slide in her bare buns was hilarious!

April 10:

Today we went exploring and stopped at the Sydney temple! We were both surprised by how small it is. It really is very small and quite simple, so much so that it felt more like a stake center instead of a temple. But walking around the grounds of a temple is always a special thing and it let us talk with Henry more about what the temple is to us.

After the temple we headed over to Bondi Beach, which Rusty and I are in agreement that it is one of the most beautiful beaches we have ever been to. This sand is so fine and white, the water is such a beautiful blue color, and because we were there when it was too cold to swim it was not crowded. It was a bummer that it was too cold to swim but we made the most of our time building crazy cool sandcastles and having a sand fight at the end. What a beautiful, perfect day at Bondi Beach!

April  11:

Today was spent at home packing for our trip tomorrow and trying to relax as much as possible. We are flying with a new company to Uluru (and then to Cairns and then to Denpasar) and they have very strict weight requirements. So today was mainly spent holding different bags on the scale, then moving things around, and holding it again haha. It was more stressful than we had anticipated. 

April 12:

This morning we got up early and headed off to the airport for our flight to Uluru! We were pretty psyched about this because it is so different than anything we've ever done, and we get to visit the Australian outback! So cool! We were flying a discount airline and they are very strict on weight, so we spent a lot of time yesterday weighing everything but I was still nervous they would charge us. We returned the car, checked in, and got some delicious breakfast before getting on the plane. The kids were so excited to get on the plane which is good, because Rusty and I are not that excited anymore haha. 

The flight was cool because we got to see the red sand from our window and then little peeks of Uluru while we landed! We got our car and bags and then checked into our hotel. We were hot and sweaty and so excited to try out the pool! To our dismay, it was FREEZING. Like jump in, realize your mister, and never go in again haha. Della and Rusty braved it for a while, but Henry and I were not having it haha. 

It was time to get in the car and head out to Uluru! Just driving around out here is super exciting! I will say that I have only got emotional while traveling twice at specific sites: the Eiffel Tower, and Uluru. I teared up as we got closer which is so bizarre, but it is breathtaking.

We drove out to the sunset view for sunset, and I was so confused because the sun was setting behind me. But then I realized that this vantage point showed off what Uluru looks like when the sun is shining on it. It glows this beautiful red color, and then add the sun drops lower it goes back to a normal color. It was magical! After the sunset we went back to the hotel to sleep after our long day, and because tomorrow we are getting up early for the sunrise!

April  13:

Our first full day in Uluru, and a full day it was! We started out by waking up early to go out as see the sunrise. To get to the right place you walked on a trail from the parking lot, and there is something so special about being up before the sun, and especially out in the desert, and especially in the Outback. We got there and saw the same phenomenon as last night, but this time we got to see it glow red as the sun touched it for the first time. 

After watching the sun come up we went over to do the Mala Walk with a guide. This was really fascinating and we learned so much! The Aranu people work together with the rangers here to take care of the land and the animals. On the walk we learned that Uluru was formed over hundreds of millions of years. It started as an alluvial fan from the mountains. Then it was covered by water and compressed down, and then Earth movement caused it to have a piece of it come up at a 90 degree angle. That is what we have as Uluru now, which is why you can see sedimentary layers horizontally. From one side to the other it crosses 150 million years! 

We also learned that each demographic had a different area that was only for them, they were all caves. We saw the men's cave, the elderly cave, the young boys cave, and the cave for women and girls. The young boy cave had lots of drawings on it because this was their school. They would learn from their grandfathers how to hunt, where to find water, how to stay safe from animals. The paint came from different ochre and charcoal. The women's cave was where they would cook, and we saw the places where the stones were smooth from where they ground things. There was another cave that was for women, but the Aranangu people wouldn't tell the rangers what it was for. They only said it was very sacred and asked that nobody go there or take pictures. The men aboriginals look away or down when they walk past, it is very special to them.

The guide also told us some things about the people that I thought were so special. One was that there was a legend about a big spirit dingo coming to destroy one tribe, sent by another tribe. There was a paw print in the women's cave and paw prints coming down the north side of the mountain. There's also a legend about a big python coming and leaving black marks on Uluru. The thing that I loved about both of these legends is that we were only told a very simple, childlike version. They said that in their culture you have to earn the right to more knowledge, and once you get it you have a responsibility to keep it and share it with the right people. I love that view of knowledge and education. Something else I loved was how they reacted to people that climb Uluru. For them, it is against their laws to climb it because it is sacred. They had the right to close it down, but they didn't want to dictate to others how to live. So they made a deal with the rangers that if they would help educate people about why they shouldn't climb it that eventually people would stop. And when it got to be that less than 20% of visitors climbed it then they could close it. I think that from a parenting perspective that is so insightful. 

When the walk was finished we decided to do a drive around Uluru, which only takes about thirty minutes. But considering it is one rock that is pretty impressive haha. It is so cool to see it from all sides and so close. From far away it looks smooth, but it definitely is not. It has ruts and holes and divets all over it. After this we went home to hang out and take it easy. We grabbed some sandwiches from a cafe and they were so tasty! 

I sneaked away and went to a class all about what the Aranganu people eat, and it was so great! I had a guy named Leo and he was hilarious. He showed us different plants, seeds, and fruits that they eat. He also told us how they would harvest and prepare the foods too. At the end they did a cooking demonstration for wattleseed shortbread cookies, and then we got to try them. Leo talked about how this is such an important seed for this people, and that even today as the women make the wattleseed bread in their bread makers they start crying because they remember doing it with their grandmothers and they miss them. It is a very important and sentimental thing. And those cookies were dang good!!! I can't wait to buy some wattleseed and make them at home.

By this point we were so so so so done with the flies, so we went and bought some fly nets at the store. Right after that we went to watch a didgeridoo demonstration and Henry and I got to try playing it! It is so much harder than you would think, and I was shocked at how good Henry played it haha! Man this kid should live in the Outback. He sounded just as good as the adults and he sure loved playing it.

We decided to watch the sunset from the opposite place this time to get the silhouette effect. It wasn't quite right from this vantage point, but Kata Tjuta silhouetted looked beautiful! 

Kata Tjuta

April 14:

This morning Henry and I went out together to watch the sun rise, and I think this was my favorite one! Watching Uluru light up when the sun hits it is really special, but this is more what I had in mind for the sunrise and sunset pictures with Uluru silhouetted. It was so peaceful to be out there just H and I. Yesterday we decided that Henry was going to do a little preschool this fall and last night I just sobbed and sobbed and held him. He was so confused and kept saying, "Mommy?? Are you ok? I'll be good at preschool! I'll be a good listener and you can pick me up after! I'll miss you but I will be ok!" This all made it even harder. He is just such a sweet little boy and I cannot believe that my time with him all to myself is over. Where did the time go?! I don't want to miss out on things with him but I know he is ready for something new and he will love making friends. 

We went back home and got everyone ready to go out to Kata Tjuta for the day! The rocks looked so magical that we really wanted to make it over there, and there was a pretty short and easy hike that we wanted to do. Just driving out there was fun because there is nothing out there. We stopped at a little lookout point and hiked up to the top of the sand dune. Della loves taking pictures ("Cheeses") so she followed me around this entire time snapping shots. On the way back out we saw a Thorny Devil lizard! He was so cute and I didn't want him to get run over so I helped him cross the street.

We made it to our hike, Valley of the Winds, and honestly it wasn't anything that crazy. Up close we much preferred Uluru to Kata Tjuta and the lookout that you hike to was kind of meh. It was hot so we hurried back to the car and then made our way over to the Cultural Center. 

The Cultural Center was amazing! We saw some aboriginals doing their dot painting, and Henry and Della did not want to leave. They just sat on the floor with me for a solid thirty minutes just silently watching them. I don't know the last time they were silent or still, but it made for a really special memory for me with them. We ended up buying a beautiful piece from a woman named Joanna that depicts the rolling sand dunes and the desert flowers. They don't normally take pictures but she took one with us after we bought her piece. She was one of the women that we saw painting.

There was also a museum-like area that just told some of their legends and what is important to them as a people. We weren't allowed to take pictures, but it was one of the best done things I've seen like that. It really helped you get a feel for who they are and I gained a deep respect for them.

The kids and I stayed in the hotel while Rusty went to two of their little classes. One was about the stars, so that night we went out and found the South Cross. But the class he really loved was the tour of the museum. He learned so many cool things and I loved hearing all about them!

PICTURES

April 15:

Today was the first day that we all slept in, and it was great! Adeline and I left the hotel and walked over to the grocery store to get some things for breakfast then we packed our room up and checked out. We had a couple of hours to kill so we went to listen to a little class called Bush Yarns, that told about the Anaranu people's weapons. It was really interesting! We saw the boomerangs they use for hunting, spears, clubs, and shields. 

After this class we got some lunch and then I checked out the museum that Rusty saw in his class yesterday. It was a cool place and I learned more about how Uluru and Kata Tjuta were formed. We got gas before we turned in the car and it was so so packed! It took us twenty five minutes, which then put us dangerously close to our flight time. We rushed to the airport and made it just in time. I do not like that feeling and I don't want to do that again haha.

We had a long flight, 4 hours to Melbourne with a 4 hour layover and then a 4 hour flight to Cairns. Henry told me today that he wants to fly airplanes all over the world when he gets big, so I guess this traveling is really having an impact on him. The layover was rough because it was long enough that we had to get all of our bags but couldn't check in for our flight until two hours before. So we were stuck in a very small area of the airport. But eventually we made it and got all of our bags and our new car and made it to our new place!

April 16:

Today was our first day in Cairns (pronounced Cans)! It was a relaxing day full of swimming in the awesome pool, unpacking, and going to the grocery store. Grocery stores continue to be one of my favorite things about our travels. You just never know what you are going to see! Obviously it's different in countries like Australia from Thailand, but I mean "Rice Bubbles"? Come on, that's awesome! 

April 17:

Grandma and Papa came today and it was glorious! The kids were so excited; Henry just watched the clock. They were supposed to come in at 11 but they missed a flight so they actually came in at around 5. To keep the kids busy and not just watching the clock we walked the ten minutes over to Trinity Beach to play until we went to the airport. This beach is nice and not crowded at all, but it is different because it has the net that you swim in to protect you from the "marine stingers". The water is also pretty brown because that's just how the water is here from coming out of the rivers. Oh, and you have to watch for crocodiles. Ahhhh. Henry and Rusty played in the net and Adeline and I enjoyed playing in the sand.

We picked Mom and Dad up from the airport and the kids latched onto them like you would not believe. For the entire time that they were here, they were never without one child touching them. We had dinner at home, tried the Golden Gaytime ice cream (not that great) and Grandma and Papa read them a bedtime story.

April 18:

Originally the plan was for this day to be a low key day to let everyone get settled in, but our host Sonia gave us some discount codes for Hartley's Crocodile Adventures and she recommended it so highly that we looked more into it. Turns out, this is a really popular thing and my parents were ready to go so we went! I AM SO GLAD WE WENT! This was one of the highlights of our time in Cairns, and Australia, and I was honestly not expecting that at all. If you ask Henry what his favorite part of Australia was he will say the Croc Attack Show.

So it started with us doing the croc feeding show, and seeing an adorable little koala bear on the way. This show was nuts! There was a guy named Matt who was hilarious that was teaching us about the crocodiles and feeding them. The sound that their jaws make when they come together is INSANE! It's such a loud pop, and it sounds so intense-probably because it is. As a big great white shark fan, I was a little disappointed by what I learned, but it made me give deep respect to the saltwater crocodile. As a human, our bite strength is 100 psi. A great white shark's is 700 psi, and the saltwater crocodile's is 5,000! WHAT?!? That is crazy! They even had a guy go out in the enclosure with them and try to hand feed them haha. It was a very exciting show!

After that show we had a little break of time before we needed to catch our boat, so we went to the restaurant and got some lunch. I just had to take a picture of this lunch menu because it was so... "Australian." We had a yummy lunch of fish n chips and Henry and Della had a great time snuggling and kissing their grandma and papa.

It was time for our boat ride! We got to go out on a cool boat around the lagoon where they have about 3,000 crocodiles (it's a really big area and we just did a small part). It was intense to see so many crocodiles, and especially to see them swim under the water and come up for the food! The guide was amazing and taught us even more about them and then put some chicken out on a pole to watch them come up and eat. Their teeth are huge and their bodies are so massive! I'm seriously so scared of them now haha.

After the boat tour we saw some animals on our way over to a cute little id show where you got to touch some animals. Henry was a little shy at first but then really liked it, and as per usual Della was not interested at all. AT ALL. We walked through and saw the wallabies and kangaroos and then made our way to the snake show. The snake show was pretty impressive. We saw the most venomous snake in the world: the inland taipan. We also saw a cute tiny pygmy python that I thought was really adorable, and then we saw a big python eat a mouse haha. Yikes!

Adeline loved these little monkeys so much she cried when we left them.

Henry was so funny and sat down on the row in front of us next to these complete strangers haha. One time he reached over and touched the guys' arm because he thought it was Rusty. Whoops.

Then it was time for the star attraction: the Crocodile Attack Show! This was the best part of the day, which is really saying something because we had a great day there! The company had just built a new enclosure so this guy had never done the show here yet, and man there were some surprises in store for him! He didn't know where the edge was or how deep it was and when he first walked in and threw the chicken on a line out to see where the croc was he shot up out of the water and onto the little platform where the guy was standing. That guy ran out of there so fast! Haha it was so crazy!

The crazy guy also hand fed this giant crocodile, and then they demonstrated the death roll for us too. This show was seriously out of this world crazy. We were on the edges of our seats the entire time. This was Henry's favorite part of Australia.

I crack up so much when I see this picture. Henry got to touch a baby crocodile right after we saw the Croc Attack show haha. He is so unsure about life.

On our way out we saw a few more animals and my favorite was this little parrot that was not even in an enclosure. He would repeat things back to you and then he just started screaming like a little girl haha! I loved that guy! Oh, and we watched that cassowary have diarhea and then eat pieces out of his poop. So that's nice. 

April 19:

Today was a day that we have been waiting for for SUCH A LONG TIME! WE WERE FINALLY GOING TO THE GREAT BARRIER REEF! Oh my heck, I was so stoked. This was going to be a great day! And it was a great day, even with the rainy weather, cloudy skies, rough seas, and puke from Adeline haha.

We got on a big catamaran and rode out to the Great Barrier Reef. It was pretty weird to see big dark clouds forming out on the ocean. The ride out was a little bit rough, and Della got sea sick and threw up twice on my dad, and I think once on Rusty. Whoops. Then we got to snorkel at two different spots. At the first place we thought we would try getting Della in the water like we did in Costa Rica, but because the water was choppy as soon as she got in some water came up and splashed her in the face. And that was the end of that. So I got out to stay with her and a really nice worker said that she would take her up and color with her. So I stayed out for about fitfeen minutes and then came back up with Della.  The snorkeling was amazing! The coral was so close to the surface and the colors were so beautiful. Henry had a blast and I was so proud of him for how brave he was. Sometimes the water would hit him so hard it would knock his snorkel out of his mouth, but he would just put it back in and keep going. 

We had lunch and then went snorkeling at another place. This place had some more sandy areas but had giant clams and a big triton shell. We took turns staying on the boat with Adeline this time. We enjoyed the ride back on our nice catamaran! It got really windy and so Rusty went out to the front upper part of the boat where our stuff was to get it. He stood up and the wind blew his hat right off of his head. He just looked at the captain through the window and the captain just shrugged hahaha. At the end the captain asked Henry if he wanted to help drive the catamaran. He was so shy to go in or say anything to him, but when we told him he wouldn't have to talk he was all about it and had a great time! 

April 20:

Today we needed to take a break from running around like crazy so we hit up Trinity Beach! It's about a ten minute walk (with the kids) to get there. We had fun hanging out on the beach, Della poured sand all over my mom, and Henry got to play with Papa and Daddy in the water! Great day!

My mom set up a nice bath for me and Henry came in and put all of his toys in there for me to play with haha.

April 21:

Today was Easter! I wasn't sure that the Easter Bunny was going to visit because we would be in Australia, but it seemed like He came with my parents! The kids had a great time hunting around for some candy and some little toys. I'm kicking myself that I didn't film it. They were so cute and excited!

We were going to go to church but we just totally lost track of time and wouldn't have made it there with the travel time. So we stayed home today and relaxed and gave the kids some much needed down time. Then we went out to explore some waterfalls. One of them, Fairy Falls, turned out to be a pretty tricky hike so we ended that quickly. Crystal Cascades was on a paved trail so we went with that one. It is still a little unclear if we even made it to the actual falls or not haha, but we had a good time. And my dad tried driving and we only almost died twice!

April 22:

Rusty and I got to go scuba diving today TOGETHER! I mean, what?!?! This is the greatest thing ever! I can't say that I forgot how amazing it is to scuba dive with him, because I missed him every time I went, but I can say that scuba diving with him is my absolute favorite. I love being under the water with him and being able to communicate perfectly because we know each other so well. We describe animals we see and come up after and are like, "Where was the green clam you said you saw?" It's so cool. And I love being able to be excited and silly with him. My all time favorite thing is when he swims upside down underneath me with his hands up on his head like he is relaxing. It makes me laugh so hard I get water in my mask every. single. time. Also, this time there was this Asian girl that kept trying to sneak between me and Rusty and be his partner. Please girl, get in line. He's mine. But one time Rusty pointed at this sea cucumber poop and was teasing me trying to get me to touch it but the thing is: IT WAS HER! He made her touch the sea cucumber poop haha! Oh my gosh, his eyes when he turned around because I was pulling on him and he saw me were priceless. Highlight of the diving trip.

We went to some really cool places on Flynn's Reef today. One of the highlights for me was doing all of the swim throughs, where you swim through little caves or tunnels. It was so cool! My favorite dive today was the last one, Coral Gardens, which had the most beautiful coral. My favorite was the lettuce coral. The coral was bright green and looked just like a head of lettuce, only it was the size of a car! It was so stunning. I loved it.

Rusty and I were nervous that because of our high expectations we would actually be disappointed in diving the GBR. But, our expectations were definitely exceeded. This is the best diving that we have ever done and cannot stop planning another trip to come back out!

PICTURES

April 23:

Today was a crazy and busy day taking a day trip up to Daintree! We wanted to make it up there, even though it was far, because the Daintree Rainforest is the oldest rainforest in the world! How nuts is that? I have no idea how they proved that, but I'll just take their word for it. We drove for a while and then stopped at a little pizza place for lunch that was really unique and fun. Then we kept going and reached a ferry. I hesitate to even call it that, because it wasn't really a ferry. It was one of those barges that has a cable pull it across the river. Anyways, it was sketch. And the attendant asked Rusty for his signature and then when he took the receipt he looked him straight in the eyes and asked, "Is that a valid signature?" Rusty was like,"Um.... yes?" Hahaha.

Our first stop was at Mount Alexandra Lookout which was really beautiful. It's so different to see the rainforest really go right up to the beach like that. It's like Costa Rica in that way, but even with the rainforest being even bigger. 

As we were driving there were Cassowary Crossing signs everywhere. This is the only place where you can find them wild. We saw one sign that made us laugh so hard haha. I wish I was as creative as this person.

Dubuji Boardwalk was our next stop, and walking along this boardwalk was so cool! I know I say that about pretty much everything, but we are doing a lot of cool things right now haha! It was awesome to walk through this rainforest. This is honestly what I pictured that Amazon would be like: green, beautiful, with a nice canopy above. But the Amazon was mostly brown, dark and scary haha.

These fan palms were our favorite

Little crabs!

As we were getting back to the parking lot we saw these huge bats flying around and we realized they were the flying foxes! They can have a wingspan of 3 feet! Holy cow! There were so many of them.

Our last stop of the day was Cape Tribulation, which is a stunning beach with no swimming because of crocodiles and jellyfish. Australia is a fun place. Cape Tribulation is the only place in the world where two UNESCO World Heritage Sites meet: Here the Daintree Rainforest meets up with the Great Barrier Reef. We walked around for a little bit and the kids had fun playing in the sand. When I told Henry it was time to go he told me that I ruined his whole life hahaha (something I had said to Rusty as a joke about him eating the last piece of pizza that day). As I explained what that really means and how it's not nice he was like, "Oh sorry Mommy. You didn't ruin my whole life, just a little part of it." Cool bud. Love you too.

April 24:

Today we got to go scuba diving again!! We were so excited because we already knew how amazing it was going to be, and we had heard that the further North you go the better it is. Rusty thought all of the dives today were better, but I just loved them all. The last dive from the first day (Coral Gardens) was seriously so amazing. But the dives we did today were SO SO COOL! I love scuba diving, especially when I get to go with Rusty. We drove up to Port Douglas, about forty five minutes away, to go out to a different part of the reef. The boat was the same as our first boat but the weather was even better today. We did three fantastic dives today, and saw turtles, crazy coral structures, lion fish, tons of schools of fish, Maori Wrasse (one named Donut in our pictures), giant clams, Coral Trout (one named Troy that loved me) and more. It was spectacular!

I told our guide before our last dive that the only thing I haven't seen in all of our diving was barracudas. Well, that last dive we saw hundreds of them. We swam around a nursery bombey where all the little fish go to get bigger. And the barracuda just swim slowly around waiting for one to go too far out. It was nuts!

This time we did pay the incredibly high price for some pictures, but you know, it's the Great Barrier Reef!

After our boat ride back we walked around the little shops they have there not quite ready for this awesome day to end. I ended up finding the most beautiful, perfect ring ever! It's a wave that is so simple it's just something that I love. Then as we were walking out to the car we saw a dive van drive and crash into this car and then drive away, so we spent a good chunk of time getting the license plate number, calling the managers, and tracking the driver down and telling her she needed to go back. Why are people the worst?!

View point from our drive home

April 25:

Today was a relax in the pool kind of day. We were exhausted and everyone needed a break. With my parents here we were definitely fitting more things in to make sure they had a good time, but by now we were pretty dead. Henry has been begging to stay home and not go anywhere, except for this park that we always drive past. So, we walked over to the park and played for a little but then it just got so hot! So we went back and had a lazy morning while my parents went and did their helicopter ride and then when they got back we all hopped in the pool.

The pool was a blast! We swam around, did cool jumping tricks, had a cannonball contest, and played with some toys. Rusty, Dad, and I had a contest to see who could do the coolest trick. The best was when Rusty tried to land on the giant yellow duck but slipped right off and fell in the pool haha. Or, when Dad tried to land on the tiny alligator floaty ring and it got stuck around his thighs haha. I almost drown I was laughing so hard. 

After our fun pool escapades we went out for a nice dinner! I found a place online that I thought we would like and so we went down to the marina and had our dinner right on the water. This restaurant was so fancy the waiter put the napkin on my lap (I don't think I've ever had anyone do that before) and the food was INSANE. Seriously the best calamari I've ever had. The kids loved looking at the aquarium while they waited for the food. Henry told us all about how the fish with big bumps on their heads are boys and the fish without the bumps are girls (the waiter taught him that) and about how the fish that are on the bottom don't have swim bladders so they can't float. He is so smart!

Rusty got red snapper, I got wild barramundi, Dad got a whole barramundi, and mom got a coral trout (like my friend Troy). It was all so delicious! Henry and Della both kept asking for more calamari it was that good.

April 26:

Kuranda

WORDS

April 27:

Today we had another down day to relax and help the kids take it easy. They both had a bit of a rough day yesterday with it being so long and busy. Then my parents watched them so Rusty and I could go out on our first date IN SO LONG!!! I forgot how different it is to connect with your spouse without your children around, and when you get to go out of the house together alone. It was wonderful. I love that man!

We started by going to Prawn Star, a super cool restaurant on a boat that has all of this fresh seafood. Or so we thought. It pretty much is just a place to get a giant, expensive bucket of prawns. No other food, just a huge bucket of prawns haha. So, we left and went to another place, The Salt House, that looked so amazing! But when we got there it was fully booked. So we went to our third place and had a weird dinner that was maybe not the best but it was the best because we got to be there together. 

At this place we did a planned meal where they brought out an appetizer, an entree, a main course, and a dessert. Each course had at least one thing that we had no idea what we were eating, ranging from a salmon mousse to swordfish. When they brought the dessert out the baklava was so small Rusty just said to me, "What the heck?! It's like two little turds!" Hahaha. 

After our dinner we wandered around Cairns for a little bit and saw where the marathon was going to end the next day. Rusty ran and jumped and touched the finish line sign, and I wanted to but was not tall enough. So it took us about a million tries but eventually I got it (with Rusty holding me and jumping haha!)!

April 28:

Sunday means church day! Mom and Dad stayed home to relax and so our little crew made our way to the church building. Della was asleep in her carseat in this picture, but woke up as soon as we got inside. This was the first place we let them each go to class or nursery by themselves, and they were so excited and ready for it! Della didn't even blink when I left the room and Henry told me this morning that he wasn't scared and that he could make friends there. He was a little nervous at first but did a great job!

April 29:

Today was a sad day because it was when my parents left! I had two really sad little kids crying as the car drove away, and I was so bummed too. I was also so bummed when I realized we were locked out and tried to chase the car down the road but they didn't stop so we were just locked out of the house for an hour haha.

We took the rest of the day to just hang out and relax at home. Most of the time was spent on the phone with various companies trying to get our flight from Bali to Ireland figured out. Man that was the worst!


April 30:

Today was our last day in Cairns, and in Australia! I can't believe that it's all over already! I feel like our time here went so quickly. There were just a few things that we hadn't eaten on our list, and one of them was chicken parm. So we found a restaurant famous for that and grabbed some before going to a park.

We wanted to let the kids have some fun and get some wiggles out before our flight so we headed down to the Esplanade and checked out Muddy's Splash Pad. When we first got there we were kind of bummed because the weather wasn't very great and the water wasn't on. There were signs everywhere saying that it was closed. But the park was really amazing anyways! After playing for a while, they turned the splash pad on too! It was awesome!

Two more food check offs: Vegemite and Pavlova. We ate the vegemite as a vegemite and cheese sandwich. It wasn't as terrible as I thought it would be, but it was definitely not something that I ever wanted to eat again. One tiny bite was good enough for life. The pavlova was DELICIOUS! Better than the one in New Zealand (sorry Kiwis). So the NZ or Aussie pavlova debate has been settled for us.

Then it was time to make our way to the airport, turn in our car, and get on our flight! Our flight was delayed which was a bummer, especially because it was already a late flight, but we got on without any issues, the kids slept on the plane, and then we got off in Indonesia! Something really cute happened on the plane. Henry told the pilots when he got on that he wanted to be a pilot when he grew up, and the pilot told him to come up and talk to him when we landed in Bali. So he did, and they let Henry in the cockpit! He got to push buttons, turn on an alarm, and pretend to fly it. He thought that was the coolest thing ever. Our driver met us at the airport and took us to our new place.

Henry's Highlights:

• Henry loves to dance! He does this sideways running man, rubber band man, jello leg dance move that will never stop making me laugh as long as I live. All the encouragement he needs is, "Let's dance Henry!"
• He has decided that he wants to be a pilot when he grows up and "Fly airplanes all around the world."
• Likes shows Spirit, Magic Schoolbus... is over Paw Patrol but hasn't had one that he loves yet. 
• Calls every car with a fin a racecar
• I will never get tired of hearing him say, “You are the best Mommy ever!!”

Adeline's Adventures:

• Loves the show Little Baby Bum on Netflix
• She LOVES sparkly things! I never knew because I guess I didn't get her many sparkly things, but my mom brought her a sparkly dress and she just twirled and paraded around in that thing. She would show everyone. She also had some sparkly shoes and she never wanted to take them off. Della only wants to wear that sparkly dress.
• She is still a rough and tumble girl though. She will make the toy crocodiles eat the My Little Pony horses, 
• She says, "There she is!" when she pops her head out of her shirt
• Will ask for "Cheese" when she wants to use our phones to take pictures

Extra Pictures: