Christmas Vacation (Part III)

The final part of our trip was Surfers Paradise.  Beautiful, but very crowded and commercial.  We did a couple of the amusement parks (Sea World and Dream World).  Small by US standards, but still a ball for the little kids.

At the airport getting ready to fly to Brisbane

Everybody gets a turn...

How lucky - a car at the hotel!

Entrance to the Cavill Mall

At Sea World

So much fun!

At Burleigh Head with Surfers Paradise in the distance - surfers in the water

Taken by Jamie - budding photographer

Grump was sooo sorry he missed this ride

At Dream World on the river boat

Loving the swings - Mommy only had to go (was allowed to go) the first time.

Riding a Segway - I could hardly keep up - he really didn't need me

Beautiful rainbow on New Year's Eve

Another picture by our budding photographer

Happy New Year!

Christmas Vacation (Part II)

So many pictures...Here are pictures from our visit to the rainforest and the Kuranda village.  We went up to the village via the Skyrail and came back via an old steam engine.  It was a fabulous way to spend Christmas Eve, almost took our mind off the fact that it was soooo hot.

Strolling along the sky walk thru the rainforest.

View of the steam engine from the sky walk.

Our "duck boat" ride through the rainforest.

Lounging with roos

Making friends

Cute koala and her baby

Loving these roos

Getting ready for our train ride - Jamie is SOOO excited.

The excitement of the day has finally taken its toll.

Christmas away from home, even our home in the desert, presents some unusual challenges.  Like where is the chimney for Santa? (we left a window open) Where is the tree?  (thanks Robin for the great idea) What about stockings? (we'll use Aussie Santa Sacks instead).  The thing about Christmas is it comes even without all the trimmings.  The kids were excited, got lots of fun presents from generous friends and family, and we even had our roast beast.

Reading stories with Grump before bed.

Our "Tree"

Christmas morning - playing our new game - Hungry Hungry Hippos

So many buttons to push

Christmas Day at the beach - with bubbles

Hanging in the little bit of shade we can find

Digging in the sand - does it get any better?

Smile?

I think it needs to be a little deeper.

Excavator did a very good job.

A little Christmas dip.

Gathered for our feast.

Christmas Vacation (Part I)

Once again, we were fortunate to have a visit from Gran and Grump, so we made the most of it by visiting the Eastern Coast of Australia.  We spent a week in Port Douglas (north of Cairns) and a week in Surfers Paradise (south of Brisbane).

While in Port Douglas, we visited a wildlife park and held koalas; swam with the fishes at the Great Barrier Reef; visited the oldest rainforest in the world; and celebrated Christmas.  And that was only in the first 5 days...

Grump, Braden and Gavin walking thru Port Douglas

Gran and the koala

Jamie, Mommy and a koala

The boys petting a wallaby

Grump holding a red-tailed cockatoo.

Mommy got pretty seasick while snorkelling, but she did get this pretty picture...

Some pretty clown fish next to a giant clam.

Grump snorkelling

Jamie, Daddy and Mommy snorkelling

Grump and Gran on the boat at the Great Barrier Reef

Braden overlooking the rainforest from the Sky Rail

Mommy and Gavin on the Skyrail 

Jamie Gavin and Daddy on the Skyrail

Gran & Grump on the Skyrail

Everybody on the Skyrail (doesn't Jamie look like a cardboard cutout?)

See next post for the rest of the pictures...