Koalas and Canoes

So here's a one week overdue update on what we've been up to. Sam had a week long break from Uni and although he spent most of it playing catch up with homework, we did kick back and play a little bit.... :) Since we had a whole week off, there is quite a few pictures, but hang with us... I think they are fun! :)

To start off his vacation, Sam entered into his first bike race for several months. With Uni keeping him too busy to train regularly he was a little unsure of how well he would do but he still beat most of the other racers. His biggest competition is his riding and training partner James but it was a close race the whole way....

Sam riding up and over a big log during the race...sorry about the branch...bad angle! :)

Sam receiving his award from the first race in the Bermagui series

He came in just seconds behind his mate James for a close second place

Although our new callings as primary teacher (Sam) and primary first counselor (me) have been at times trying and exhausting :) there are definite benefits of being part of the primary program! On Wednesday Sam and I accompanied the primary class to Potaroo Palace, a local non-profit wildlife reserve with all the Australian animals you could imagine. I was right along side the kids running from cage to cage, checking out all the fun new creatures....

Entering the Potaroo enclosure...unfortunately this was one of the only animals I couldn't find that day....

Ever wanted to see a dingo? Well your looking at one!
Does anyone else want to just reach in and pet it? Nice doggy........ :)

A close up of one of the black swans that swarm the shores of Australia

It's an emu! They were running loose around the sanctuary and this one let me get close enough to get a shot of his good side...

The coolest think yet? They give you food to feed the wallabys, kangaroos, and birds.... this is me feeding the most adorable baby kangaroo ever! (Can I have one, can I have one????) :)

Kangaroo close-up!

This is Sam and I's nephews Liam and Toby checking out the kangaroos

Now this thing is cute! It's an echindna! Just think extremely large hedgehog meets ant-eater! ha ha!

Toby and I on the train that takes you around the park!

It's a koala! It's a koala! It's a koala! (Mandy trying to stop hyperventailating) It's a koala! :)

And finally, to top off our wonderful Easter break, Sam and I went for our first camping trip! We loaded a canoe full of camping gear (I thought the canoe was going to sink...so much for packing light) and headed across the lake. We got a late start, so we paddled across the lake and camped right over on the other side, a short way from the ocean, where we could hear the waves lapping us to sleep! The next morning Sam got up early to go fishing in the ocean and caught several fish! Unfortunately most of them were puffer fish and poisonous so they had to be thrown back! He did end up catching a rock cod and enjoyed it for his lunch time snack that same day! To end our adventure with a bang Sam convinced me to go canoeing in the ocean. This is the following conversation...

Sam: The waves are a little choppy today but I think we will be okay. Isn't this fun? I've never done this before!
Me: What?!?!?!?!?!
Sam: Hey, what's that? Is it a shark?
Me: WHAT?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!? (No joke...he was completely serious)

I played along for awhile and did have fun at the begining, but after almost shipwrecking on some shallow rocks, getting slapped in the face by several large waves, and getting violently seasick (not to mention the adrenaline rush of checking the water for sharks every 5 seconds) we decided to turn around and head back! Sam had a blast, I prayed more fervently than I ever have before, and in the end we both agreed next time we would go only if there was NO wind and therefore little to NO waves! First ocean canoeing adventure...success????.... ummm....we'll get back to you on that! :)

A view from the rock Sam was fishing on! The ocean here is crystal clear and beautiful!

About to canoe across the lake....the canoe doesn't look too loaded down... but that's because we're still beached. I thought for sure we would sink, but we made it....barely! :)

Did I mention that we had a lot of empty land between the lake and the ocean? This is a goooood workout, I'll tell you what!

A sweet pic of the campfire

Sam towing the canoe throught the shallows

Scruffy mountain man Sam after his morning fishing

Sam gutting the fish to cook for afternoon tea!

We have more adventures to come so we will keep you posted! Hope you all had a great Easter!

The Plagues of Wallagoot

So ever since we have moved into our house on Wallagoot we have had our fair share of crazy animal experiences! We have affectionately come to call these our plagues.... :)

Plague #1: When we very first moved in, sugar ants were literally taking over the house! We went into major deep cleaning mode and found a nest of them underneath a drawer in the kitchen! Although we thought we had killed them all, we still had weeks and weeks of tracking them down and getting rid of several more nests in the kitchen! Everything with sugar in it had to be stuffed into the fridge, breakfast cereal and all during the whole duration of the great ant hunt!

Plague #2: Warm weather ended up driving thousands of sand flies into our house every night. Since we have no a/c, we would keep the windows open to cool off the house. The flies were so small they would get right through the screens on the windows! We found them everywhere...in our cups, bowls, bedding...you name it! We finally sprayed the screen down with bug killer to ward them off... it worked...sortof! :)

Plague #3: About 2 months ago I woke up to use the bathroom and almost stepped on this tiny little frog outside our bedroom door. I chased him, caught him, and put him outside...only to have him come back in twice more through a tiny little crack underneath the door!

Plague #4: Well, here's a picture of our 4th little plague. We woke up one morning to find little 'presents' all over the kitchen counter and floor...plus a huge hole in the curtains above the desk...... we got a really big surprise when Sam pulled back the curtains soon after we had cleaned up, and a small creature came flying at us, landed on the floor, ran over both our feet, and under the fireplace....

Sam getting a closer look at our new little friend....

It's a bird! It's a plane! No it's just a REALLY, extremely fast marsupial mouse (who is also very 'street' smart)...you gotta admit..he's way cuter than a regular old mouse! :) Check out that aerodynamic head...no wonder he's so fast you can barely see him speed by!

This is the result of 1 and a 1/2 hours of mouse chasing...the furniture in complete disarray and we still didn't catch him! This little guy is so fast and so smart, we kept thinking we knew where he was hiding, only to find he was half way across the room, hiding in a completely different spot! He found a spot in the wall behind the fridge where we have been unable to flush him out.... we will keep you updated! Wish us luck in the great Wallagoot mouse hunt! :)