Aussie life

Jenn’s Blog

When we first entertained the thought of having a blog on our website, it occurred to me that this would be a great way for me to share what it is like living and parenting in Australia with all my friends, family and customers overseas. When I travel back to the USA to visit, I am so often asked what it is really like living in Australia and if I really do have kangaroos in my backyard (for the record, I don't in Sydney, but I did when I lived in Canberra. He was a huge grey kangaroo that looked like a true boxer. He lived near the river down the road, but often would visit my backyard at night. I even had a resident wombat!).

So, whenever I get a spare minute, which are few and far between with two kids and a business to run, or have something that I really want to say, I'll post about Aussie life. I thought I would take this opportunity to talk about some recent vacations, or holidays as they are called down under, that we've been on and show you some pics.

We've recently had a stack of visitors and the opportunity to do some travelling within Australia. I am a total travel nut - I'm addicted to it. It probably drives my husband nuts, but as soon as we get home from one trip, I am already planning the next. These past few months have been great because we've been able to travel to places that I have always wanted to see, which is rare when you have 2 kids in tow.

Fraser Island
Just before Kaleb was born, we took Ethan away for a long weekend to visit the world heritage listed Fraser Island. This is a gorgeous, all sand island off the coast of Queensland. We spent our days lounging by the pool, which was great being 7 months pregnant, 4 wheel driving (good scenery, but not so great on the bump), and digging for crabs on the beach. The flora and fauna on this magnificent island cannot be beat.

Here are pics from the trip to show you some of the highlights:

Lake McKenzie: a picture perfect lake with clear blue water, covering over 150 hectares and 5 meters deep. This lake is perched high on a sand dune at 100 meters above sea level. It was freezing water, but very refreshing. The sand was soft as snow. Ethan loved rolling around in the water with his floaties on.

Lookout to lake and ocean: this was a gorgeous lookout we trekked down to on foot after a long 4 wheel drive through some crazy tracks! I can't remember the name of the lake though. It might be Lake Wabby.

Maheno Shipwreck: Ethan playing in the sand near this amazing wreck site. We have a picture of this wreck hanging in our staircase at home. Ethan is convinced that Captain Feathersword is responsible for the wreck. It's so sweet.

Kingfisher Bay Resort: We were lucky enough to stay at this gorgeous eco-tourism resort.

Uluru and Kata Tjuta
After Kaleb was born, we had some family visiting from the USA who wanted a "true Aussie adventure". So, we took them to Uluru, otherwise known as Ayers Rock. This was another world heritage listed, spectacular location. Words can't describe "The Rock". It changes color throughout the day as the sun moves from sunrise thru to midday and then to sunset. It is massive! And the Aboriginal legends and history of the place are mesmerizing. We thoroughly enjoyed our trip to Uluru, here are some photo highlights:

Uluru: at Sunrise

The gorgeous blue Aussie sky: over Uluru. Here you can see the unique depression and formations in the rock.

Kata Tjuta: also know as The Olgas. Another large rock formation close to Uluru.

A funny Aussie sign:

Sydney Royal Easter Show
Another thing we did just after Kaleb was visit the Sydney Royal Easter Show. I grew up in Pennsylvania where the Grange Fair was THE event of the year. Well, the Grange has nothing on the Sydney Show! It's like the Grange Fair on some serious steroids! With animal exhibits, art and craft, rides and games, food halls, and woodchopping shows, this fair has it all. Here are a couple of amusing photos I took:

Piggies: When I saw this, I was glad that I only had one baby at a time to feed.

Best Male: I thought it was funny how Ethan was standing next to a sign that says "Best Male". He is in my eyes!

Happiness: As we were about to leave after a very long day with an almost-three year old, we passed through the food halls where they exhibit giant pieces of art made from all natural products, mainly food items. This particular exhibit caught my eye because I thought it summed up life as a parent pretty well, no matter what country you live in:

I'd love to read your comments about this post. And feel free to ask me questions about life down under that I can post answers to in future blog posts.

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