Australia. The Land Down Under. Most of you who have been following my blog for awhile know that Chris and I spent about a year living in Australia.  It was a magical time and we have so many stories to tell.

We still talk about how we can’t believe that we did it but it was an amazing adventure that we were thrilled to be a  part of.  It is funny how life works out somehow, isn’t it?

Each day is a gift and we just never know what tomorrow will bring.  I feel that way about living in Australia.  Who would have thought that those “kids” who met at Ohio Northern University years ago would have the opportunity to live in a land where there are so many deadly animals?

Yes, I might have staged this picture but it was what I did almost every morning.  We lived on the beach with the Coral Sea just outside our back door.  With only one car I usually spent my days at home and my favorite place was sitting on the veranda with a pot of tea and a book or two.

We found all kinds of wonderful things on our beach walks including these starfish that had washed up.
Perhaps my love of waterfalls started in Australia?  I loved all the sights and sounds that we were able to witness in our brief time there and waterfalls were a favorite thing to seek out.Yes, we had frogs in our toilets.  When we rented the house the landlord alluded to the frogs but I thought he was kidding.  Nope.  This guy was in one bathroom so I started to use the other one exclusively. Guess what?  There was a frog in that toilet as well.
They got in the pipes that vented out the roof and if they were not screened properly the frogs were just a fact of life. The house that we sometimes used in another town had a whole family of frogs in the toilet. Chris devised a frog checker for me out of coat hanger so I could do the pre-check. I learned to live with it but I must admit I do not miss frogs in my toilets in the US. Not a bit.

We got to see so many neat animals and of course the koalas were my favorite.  Who can resist these cuddly looking guys?  We did not see too many in their natural environment and these pictures were taken at a Billibong Sanctuary but aren’t they adorable?

Kangaroos and wallabies were everywhere.  They are like the deer that we have in the US—they are definitely a road hazard at times. Every bird in Australia is LOUD!  Including the beloved kookaburra.  These big lizardy things are called goannas. We had two that lived under our house.  Yes.  UNDER our house.  I named them Giovanni and Gabriella.  They didn’t bother me too much as long as I knew where they were. The first time I saw them I must admit I was a bit startled but they became part of the landscape.
This is a brush turkey that was often outside our house.  They are not like our turkeys and most likely not great eating but they were fun to watch.
Flying foxes are Australia’s version of bats.  This tree in Charters Towers was FILLED to the max with them.

We were often in awe at the beauty of the plants and flowers that we encountered as well. Chris’s job was overseeing the operations of 7 sugar mills.  It was a pretty amazing opportunity and we learned a great deal about sugar during the time we were there.  One thing that I never knew was that they actually burn the cane fields in order to burn the leafy foliage and the thick coating before harvesting it.  The fires burn very hot but quickly and can be seen for miles.  Want to know more?  Here is a quick WikiHow article.
Did you know that sugar comes in paint can type containers? I know that I have a life full of adventures and living in Australia was absolutely one of the best adventures.  We tried to take in as much as we could in our brief time there and it was definitely a very happy time in a lot of ways. One of the best things is that my blog started then and even though it is much different today than it was when I started it way back then it was the start of doing something that I love.

Special thanks to this guy for always taking me on adventures.  Maybe one day we will go back to the Land Down Under.