Category Archives: Uncategorized

Remember that we had a ‘No’ day a few weeks ago, when we saw no animals? Well, yesterday we had a ‘Yes, Yes, Yes’ day! While we were in Brisbane, we went to a Koala Sanctuary, which looks after sick, injured or orphaned koalas. You know I don’t like animals kept in captivity, especially inContinue reading “4th December 2019”

The hotel in Brisbane, which Grandad and I are staying in, is right beside a large area of parkland, full of tropical trees and birds. We have seen lots of cheeky Eastern Water Dragons, popping out on the path or scuttling into the undergrowth; ibis strutting around as though they are in charge of everything;Continue reading “2 December 2019”

December 1st: the first day of summer in Australia and the first day of Advent. Advent means ‘coming’ and is a time of waiting for Christmas – we have advent calendars and advent candles to count down the days till the big celebration. So who has already put up their Christmas tree? (I’ve seen someContinue reading “1 December 2019”

Two lovely days by the sea! Yesterday, we set off for a bushwalk in the Royal National Park but our plans were thwarted because the paths are still closed due to bushfire risk. So we drove to Garie Bay – a small beach on the edge of the park which few people visit, as youContinue reading “28th November 2019”

Have you noticed that some of the place names here don’t sound very English? Places like Wollongong, Jamberoo and Minnamurra. And in Sydney there’s Parramatta, Kirribilli and Woolloomooloo. Try saying them aloud – I think they sound lovely! These names are all from the languages of indigenous Australians – the people who lived here forContinue reading “26th November 2019”

Today we had a ‘No’ day! We drove up Wombat Hill, but not a wombat did we see; we drove through Kangaroo Valley, and not a kangaroo did we see; we peered into a river with platypuses, and not a platypus did we see. Then we visited Fitzroy Falls and Minnamurra Falls – Fitzroy TrickleContinue reading “23rd November 2019”

We have had our first bushwalk. Well, not quite, but nearly! We went to the Royal National Park, which is a vast, rolling expanse of bush as far as the eye can see, and is full of koalas, and all those nasty snakes. But the koalas are very shy, so we didn’t see any, andContinue reading “20th November 2019”

How to be a great Australian bird! Did you know that Australian birds are the loudest, funniest, brightest birds in the world? Rules for Australian Birds: Be the noisiest bird that you can be: that might mean shrieking, or cawing, or howling. Every morning we are woken up by the birds, including the noisy miners,Continue reading “15 November 2019”

Bushfires in Illawarra. Today has been a strange day because everyone’s attention has been on the bushfires burning in the area. The Illawarra, the region that Wollongong is in, has been given the status of a ‘catastrophic fire event’ risk: the combination of very hot weather, tinder-dry bush, and hot strong winds blowing from Australia’sContinue reading “12 November 2019”

Yesterday, Grandad and I walked the coast path from Minnamurra to Kiama, with the South Pacific on our left all the way! At this time of year, the humpback whales are migrating back to the Antarctic with their calves, and they swim close to the shore to keep the calves safe. We scanned the seaContinue reading “10th November 2019”