Christmas Down Under (part 1)

Ahhhh, Australia. How do I love thee? Let me count the ways...

We hiked into dark dank canyons and up eucalypt mountains, we swam in the headwaters of waterfalls and in pristine rainforest creeks, and we played in the surf and sand on pacific coast beaches. We celebrated a birthday, an anniversary, Christmas, New Years and a gathering of family members that will most likely never be repeated. We ate our weight in mangoes, fresh prawns, raw oyesters, Christmas pudding and pavlova. We swam in fresh water, salt water, bath water, and hose water. We saw kangaroos, kookaburras, leeches and lyrebirds. Within hours of returning to Bobin, the rains fell, the creek rose and we were flooded in-just for old times sake. Our travels took us to Forster-Tuncurry, Bobin, Lorne, Comboyne, Killcare, Mt Victoria, Blue Mountains, Elands, Bobin, Old Bar, & Sydney. We stayed with friends and family every day and were surrounded by loving friendship at every turn.

Jonah learned to drive a tractor, a bike, a ride on lawnmower, a speed boat and an 8 seater van. He caught 2 fish and got drunk in the oldest pub in Sydney, though not on the same day. He rode the train and made friends with half the country. Jonah got a suntan. He learned that ocean water is salty and its best not to drink it and that bath water isn't salty and its still best not to drink it. Especially when you poop in it. Jonah learned that eggs come from chickens, which he calls "ba-gas" and he also learned that eggs are his favorite food in the world. His vocabulary exploded with words like, "mama (finally), boat, please, yah, bowl of egg (pronounced haag), ball and poop". Best of all, Jonah met a very important, wizened red & white wearing elder of legend that not many children get to meet....No, not Santa! (Though he did meet several renditions of Santa of varying likeness and authenticity) He met his great grandmother, his Gran Nanna Joy!

After nearly 8 weeks in Australia, and 7 days in Washington, Jonah's tan is nearly gone and he looks more like the fallen snow than ever. sigh. Not that you'd even notice because all his tan bits have been covered up with woolens since we walked off the plane. No matter, as I do love winter; although, as I peruse my bikini clad, mango eating sunshine skirt wearing photos, I wonder if it was all a dream. But it wasn't a dream at all. Was it?