Week 2 - Australia

Holy smokes, we’ve been busy during our time in Australia. It has been great fun and I can’t imagine packing anything more in.  As I mentioned before, Leah, Andrew, Emma, and Josh have been extremely generous with their time and have taken us all over to ensure that our time here has been full and classically, Aussie.  And, the cousins have been so great with Maeve.

The primary activity this week was camping in the south for 4 nights.  We ventured to Denmark, Western Australia, and it did not disappoint.  Leah and Andrew have their own business - Crikey Camper Hire, so they were able to pull a couple trucks/campers out of rotation this week and take off camping ourselves.  I have had the fortune of doing a couple of full-on outback trips with them in the past, so I was excited to set up camp again with them.  I had always eyed the rooftop tents before, so it was super fun to be able to sleep in one on this trip.  

Things that stick out this week as themes are:

1. Boost runs (Jamba Juice)
2. Game times — Boogle still, and Family Feud became a favorite
3. Wild kangaroo scouting
4. The stars have been amazing
5. Scenic discoveries around Denmark
6. ANZAC Memorial Museum
7. Reading time
8. Neighborhood friends - more cribbage games and dinner

Tomorrow we head to Rottsnest Island for our final Australian adventure with the hopes to get a quokka selfie.  Ha.  I’ll have to post our success later :-)

More beach time on a beautiful sunny day

Emma and Maeve playing tick-tac-toe in the sand

Contemplating life and how meaningful this trip is. Or, what her next Boost drink might contain.  Ha

sweet Em spent some time with us at the beach before heading off to work

 

Maeve got a work out playing Marco Polo with these two.  I got the wave off a couple of times by her when I was checking in - always one to be happy hanging with the older kids.

Setting up camp.

Some of the beautiful ocean views.

Lots of reading time.

Our campsite. 

"Moooom?"  Maeve disembarking our tent.

We did the Valley of the Giant's Tree Too Walk.

A fun way to see the forest.

Maeve thought it was great fun.

A wander around the trails have an up close look at this area's vegetation - the tingle trees specifically.

A very fun view and circuit.  I did it 3 times, Maeve went around 4 times.

Family photo

We found ourselves at Greens Pool, which was extremely picturesque and fun to explore.

Emma was a rockstar and went on this frigid water with Maeve.

Where the rest of us enjoyed the beach.

Marie's artistic shot of one of our many Google games.

Fierce competition to hit the buzzer first.

Frequent visitors to the campsite.  I was well aware that I was the tourist equivalent who can't take enough deer photos back at home.  Ha.

More roos out and about.

morning time.

Family Feud quickly became a favorite game.

We headed to Albany one of our days to see the ANZAC Memorial Museum.  It was extremely well done.

The harbour where the fleets took off from.

More roo scouting.  Beautiful landscape in this region.

We camped out last night here.

a Galah.  I wish we had a picture of the Kookaburra's we heard while camping.  I always love hearing them "laugh".

Josh and I played 2 lengthy games of darts... Somehow he won both games.