Vacation 2013 - Tasmania, Australia - more animals, old trees, and sheep

We arrived at the port in Hobart, Tasmania after a day spent at sea (sea days will be addressed in their own post).  We were off on another day long shore excursion.  We started with another Animal Park/Sanctuary - Bonorong Wildlife Sanctuary, where we saw, petted, and fed some more:

Kangaroos

We also saw some kangaroos with Joeys in their pouches,

Notice the legs and tail dangling from the pouch

more koalas (we didn't get to pet them this time, though),

Koalas

more tasmanian devils (Bonorong had quite a few more than Ballarat),

Tasmanian Devils enjoying running in circles

more Wombats (when they are born, they are about the size of a jellybean),

A baby wombat (Ballarat also had a fairly young Wombat)

and a few other animals (including birds) as well.

After Bonorong we headed to Mt. Field National Park, where we were able to see some of the tallest trees in the world (Swamp Gums)

A fallen swamp gum tree, Hobart, Tasmania, Australia

Russell Falls,

Russell Falls, Mt. Field National Park, Tasmania, Australia

and some Wallabies in their natural habitat.

Wallabys and Mt. Field National Park, Tasmania, Australia

Interesting tidbit: A cross between a kangaroo and a wallaby is a Wallaroo.

We left Mt. Field National Park, traveled through areas affected by the recent fires,

Tasmania bush fire aftermath

and stopped off at a sheep station/farm to enjoy a barbecue, a sheep shearing demonstration,

Bah, bah white sheep have you any wool?

a sheep dog demonstration

After the demonstration the dogs took a swim in the pond

and a tour of the farm.

Our tour guide was good at talking up all of the many wonderful aspects of Tasmania, including how it has the purest water and air in the world, how it produces ~50% of the poppies used to manufacture narcotics, and more (as you can tell, I didn't remember most of it).

After Tasmania, we spend two more days crossing the Tasman sea before we spent a day cruising around Fiordlands National Park in New Zealand.  I'll write more about that and other vacation adventures in the coming days.

Oh yeah, one more thing.  Can anyone recognize the denomination of this church we passed on our bus ride?

??

Robert Burns Take 3, and other things

I went to the Robert Burns annual dinner again this year.  I think it was my favorite year so far.  There were pipe bands from both Miles City and Billings (too be honest, I feel the numbers by the Billings band went a bit long) and dance performances from primarily girls in kilts, but there was one boy who participated in the dancing this year.  Some reasons this year was my favorite:

 

(Image From: PoetryFoundation.org(

The ten-year dances were outstanding.  One of the ten-year girls did the dance with her father and he kept up with her step-for-step - AMAZING.  I didn't think this could be beat, but the other girl's dance was just as good.

The first-year dancers - particularly one of the girls.  She had the biggest smile on her face, but she did not dance the steps very well.  She was pretty much just hopping up and down with a big grin on her face, while all of the girls around her were dancing the dance just a little differently from her. It was wonderful to seeing her have so much fun.

I felt there was more involvement by the pipe bands this year.

The one thing I didn't like:  The amount of time they gave us for dinner - it was too long!  I feel like they usually start the second half of the program once everyone has gotten their food.  This year I think they tried to wait until every single person had finished eating their food.

The Other Things

1.  I am completing some minor renovations on my house.  One of the downstairs bedrooms did not have a door, only a doorway.  The problem with putting in a door was a duct that was in the way.  So, I had two short walls put up at right angles to each other.  It creates a small hallway, and allows for a door to be put in the wall that the duct does not run through.  The walls are up but the door and finishing work is yet to come.  I am also going to put in a kitchen/kitchenette downstairs, but I am undecided about some of the details right now.

2.  I'm going to Australia!  Alas, not to live.  But - I will be able to check it out to see if I would really enjoy living there at some point in my life.  The cities I am visiting are Sydney, Melbourne, and Hobart.  So, from Austria last year - where there are no kangaroos, to Australia this year - where there are kangaroos and platypuses and wallabies and, unfortunately, poisonous snakes and pythons.

3.  I am also going to New Zealand!  I am technically going on a cruise that hits both countries, although there are more stops in New Zealand.  Don't worry, I'll have my dad take pictures, and then have him give me a copy.  I'm not the best at taking my own pictures (as you will see the pictures from my vacation last year were taken by my brother).  And, just to make my brother, Earl, jealous, we'll probably do some LOTR tours.

4.  If anyone has any recommendations of things to do or see, I will take them, but I am leaving in a week so there is not much time.  The biggest disappointment is that it looks like we will not be able to go on the Taieri Gorge Railway in Dunedin as it is all booked up.   Other Disappointments were that the Paua Bay Farm trip was booked, and that we wouldn't be able to go on the Eastern Bays Scenic mail run out of Akaroa as we would be there on a Sunday.  On the other hand, Melbourne had too many good sounding options to choose from, and as a friend from New Zealand told me, no matter what we do or see in New Zealand, we will probably enjoy it.