Dreaming of home

I had got to the point that I wasn’t home sick. It's a weird feeling, but I was walking down the street one day when I realized that as much as I missed everyone I was here for a reason and it was my choice so I might as well make the most of it.

Then my family came for an amazing vacation and now I am home sick again.

It's been a tough few days since Keith left. The wet weather is reflecting my melancholy.  It's still winter despite the blossoms on the trees and the green grass.

Plus, with Andrea and Jason’s engagement and the flood clean up I feel like I AM at home some days or at least part of me is there and the rest of me is an onlooker here.

Almost every night I return to Edmonton in my dreams!

But, it's the start of term and like February I am back in class for the next two weeks. As they say here, school is ‘full on’!

So I am rationalizing. I have 4 months give or take to get my proposal and ethics approved and all my data collected.   It's a lot to do.

 I won’t have time to sleep never mind be homesick!

But I need to sleep and dream....

The proposal

I wrote earlier about our amazing dinner under the stars of the southern sky near the red rock.  The experience was recommended to Andrea by someone she met on the flight.  Although the four of us did almost every other adventure on the trip together, Jason insisted that he and Andrea have a ‘date night’ alone, so they went the night after us.

Keith and I kept the experience and our awe to ourselves. We were reading in our bunk beds (the only accommodation available) when they returned and both stood there looking at us, then looking at each other.  I said “So, did you enjoy it?”  Andrea replied “Yes and Jason asked me to marry him!” 

So under the the Milky Way and the Southern Cross , in the shadows of Uluru and Kata Tjuta and  accompanied by the didgeree doo Jason proposed. It was their second last night in Australia and he had been carrying the ring around with him the whole trip. Quite a feat under normal circumstances but especially since they shared luggage with one bag for clothes etc. and one for scuba gear.  Apparently the people at their table were thrilled, celebrated with them and the men expressed their relief that they were already married saying they couldn’t top that proposal.

So, I have a further connection to this place and another reason to return to Canada.

A South Australian Sample

Our last couple of days gave us a taste, literally and figuratively, of South Australia.

We travelled into the Grampians which are hills blanketed in gum trees and abundant with birds, gliders or flying lemur like marsupials, and kangaroos.  When we arrived at the motel this family were having a snack near our door. Can you see three?

Joey and parents

There are several waterfalls in the area and here we are at McKenzie Falls. 

We then continued into the Coonawara Wine region known for its reds where several of the cellar doors are in 100 plus year old buildings like this one.

The Gum trees continue to enchant us. Each one has its own personality and the Wattle trees are now in bloom. They are Australia's national flower and what gives Australia its trademark green and gold colours. 

We passed through Keith’s namesake town.

Finally we landed in Hahndorf, a quaint German village.  Our B & B is like a bird sanctuary with Lorakeets, Parrots and Gallahs in the surrounding trees.

That about sums up South Australia, trees, birds, kangaroos, wine and quaint little towns full of friendly people, most of whom have visited Canada and love it. And, we love Australia!  

The Great Ocean Road

I visited Australia for the first time in 2003 and decided if I ever returned I wanted to drive the Great Ocean Road. We did that today and yesterday.   

The Arch

London Bridge

The Twelve Apostles

Four of the Apostles or islands have crashed into the sea, the most recent in 2005 (foreground) and the piece of land connecting London Bridge (above) to the mainland fell into the sea in 1990 leaving two people stranded.    

The area is known as the Shipwreck Coast as hundreds of boats have been damaged or sunk along the banks with loss of lives and horror stories from those who lived to tell.  We've never seen such turbulent foaming water, with huge towering waves coming in one after the other.  Although we stayed about a kilometre from the beach we could hear the thundering surf all night.

Loch Ard Gorge

Bay of Islands