Summer vacation is over. Long over. The girls are already finishing week five of the new school year and we are back into the new routine and all the activities that go along with it. I am just about done with a post about the girls' Aussie school, so look for that next week. In the meantime, I will reflect back on January, and the spontaneity of summer, with fondness.
Having had our two-week New Zealand holiday right before school was out, we didn't have any big trips away. However, we had plenty to keep us entertained through the month of January right here in sunny Queensland.
Both girls were "Wildlife Keepers for a Day" at the Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary. The girls were able to work behind the scenes and take part in activities such as walking the dingos and cleaning out their enclosures, feeding the platypus, making enrichment toys for the cockatoos, and cuddling the koalas. They loved every minute of it. In fact, it was Anna's second time to be a keeper!
The day Ashleigh was keeper, the local newspaper arrived to interview the group. She was one of the few whose hand flew up when asked who would like to speak to the reporter.
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| Ashleigh is top-right in this photo. |
Ashleigh's quote below was from the following:
"If I was a wildlife keeper, my favourite daily activity would be....."
One weekend we went hiking at Springbrook National Park. It is always nice to go into the mountains to get away from the heat.
There were many beautiful waterfalls. With Queensland having an extremely dry summer, we were happy to see some water flowing over the cliffs!
One of our hiking stops was at a natural bridge and glow worm cave. Since our hike, we happened to watch the movie Return to Nim's Island, which starred Bindi Irwin and was filmed in many locations throughout Queensland, and we realized that one of the scenes was filmed in this very cave.
We celebrated Ashleigh's 8th Birthday with a cowgirl party which included sack races and line dancing. It was fun to bring a little Texas to Brisbane! Plus, since moving to the Southern hemisphere, Anna and Ashleigh have enjoyed having summer birthdays for a change.
Speedo check! Who's checking for speedos and how!? Sorry officer, we just wanted to wear our board shorts today! Remember last post when I talked about the language and how words are often shortened. This one falls into the "abbreviate the word and add an O" category. The speedometer is what is going to be checked. We got a good chuckle out of it. Unfortunately, I was unable to take a picture since the sign was unexpected and I didn't get to my phone or camera fast enough.
Thanks to Grandma and Papa sending the girls Rainbow Loom for Christmas, January was full of looming. The phenomena of the woven rubber band bracelet has finally made its way to the other side of the globe. We love Rainbow Loom!
We spent lots of time making good use of our theme park passes, playing in the pool, and heading out and about with friends. Even made it to an exhibition at the Gallery of Modern Art. All in all, we stayed relaxed, but we were always just busy enough to not be bored. Bliss.
