Hi everybody!    We really, really tried to do a full blog, but this wi-fi is too slow and keeps kicking us out, so we thought we would just write something and then finish it up later.  That's the way things are done here in Australia, real laid back.  If at first you don't succeed, give up and have a schooner of Toohey's New.  So that's what we are doing.  The next blog will include pictures and stories from such things as Fraser Island, the largest sand island in the world, the Great Barrier Reef, and Byron Bay (the second visit).  We are heading south back down the coast now, and are really excited to have C and Eddie visit us one week from today.  We have until May 5th to go 700 or so kilometers, so we are doing it at a snail's pace and loving it.  Hopefully we will be able to blog in the next few days.  For anyone who doesn't know yet, we will be home on May 17th, which oddly enough is our one year wedding anniversary and my Mom's birthday.  We only have two weeks left in Australia and then it's off to New Zealand.  Then it's off to Fiji, and then back to New Zealand.  Then back to Fiji, jeez... when you put it all in writing it seems like we have it so rough, doesn't it?    Love you all and miss you!

Australia Zoo 

This is a beautiful Ball Python

Kelly and the American Alligator, "we came all this way for an American alligator?"
The two most gigantic tortoises we have ever seen, the one they had before died in 2006, and was born in 1830, do the math
"Maybe the dingo ate your baby!"  This was the first dingo Kelly or I had ever seen, later that day we saw two black dingoes in the wild, very cool
This was the famous "Crocoseum" where Steve Irwin did his amazing Croc Shows.  We were treated by his whole family, his wife Terry, his daughter Bindi and his little son Bob doing the show in his stead.  It wasn't the same without him, but it was still a thrill
A wombat!

Kelly got up-close-and-personal with this Koala, I named him Stinky Pete

A Fierce Snake, the most venomous snake in the world, ounce for ounce.  One bite has enough venom to kill 100 people.  If you are bitten by one, unless you have a jar of anti-venom in your pocket, you ain't gonna make it!
Ouch

Baby alligator 

Traveling in the camper

N ot in the zoo this time, just in the backyard.  I put that stick in his mouth
Having a few pints with our new friend Katie, we will be hanging out with her on our way back down the coast too
This was fun, Kelly went to the beach and I snuck away to play nine holes for nine bucks (and Aussie bucks too, so really $5.75)
I asked Kelly to do her best impression of my Dad's impression of a gorilla.  This is what she came up with.  What do you think Dad?
The Moms wanted to see what the bed bugs can do.  This is not even a great picture of them, and there were probably 30 or 40 more in various places
The lighthouse in Myall National Park in Seal Rocks
Every once in a while, you wander down the side of a cliff and the sea is bursting in through a crack in the mountain.  Then, you can't help but climb up a jagged rock into the middle and hope you don't die.  Totally worth it
A little boxed wine in the camper, anyone?
The Three Sisters in the background, at the Blue Mountains outside of Sydney
The Three Sisters without us in the way
Hey Mom, look, we use your leftover method in the camper
The Penguin Parade on Phillip Island, a chance to watch thousands of Little Penguins make their way from the sea to their burrows every night.  Pictures were not allowed so these ones were done guerrilla style and didn't come out so great

The Pyramid Rock on Philip Island
The London Bridge, and it actually did fall down in the middle, with two people stranded on the other side



The Arc in Port Campbell

The sunset outside our campsite in Port Campbell, Victoria, Australia

An earlier version of the same sunset at The Twelve Apostles, an oceanic natural monument 
Just a few minutes prior to the sunset, absolutely stunning.  These formations are on the Great Ocean Road, an Aussie version of Rt. 66
Some more angles
Starting to feel like the Cliffs of Moher yet Dad?
The twelve Apostles again
A beautiful view from our camper on our way to the Twelve Apostles
Just a view from the Great Ocean Road again
OK, now this was a treat!  We thought it was a regular occurrence to see a Koala in the wild, but after we took these pictures, we ran into a couple Aussie girls who have lived here their whole lives and they explained to us that in 40 years, neither of them had ever seen one in the wild.  We actually saw 4 of them, but this was the only guy who was not napping.  It truly was a one-in-a-million experience, no joke!
Pretty
Not the best shot, but it will do.  This was the first time we jumped in  for this leg of our adventure
Kelly at the Royal Botanical Gardens in Melbourne, we spent the day reading in the park
Luna Park, the Aussie version of Great America.  Quite famous in Australia
In front of the St. Paul Cathedral in Melbourne
I have no explanation for this one, but the guy is a statue, I swear!
The sunset at St. Kilda in Melbourne
Oh No!!!!!!!  Kelly was bitten by an insane amount of bedbugs.  They hate me, though, not one bite!
Federation Square in downtown Melbourne, where all the museums are
Molly, you should love this one!  remember how you needed the measurements for the bridesmaid dresses?  Well, this is how cheap we've become.  We "borrowed" this carpenter's tape measure for a few minutes and got the job done.  Surprisingly accurate, huh?
Gotta have some fun too