Back from the Booderee NP!

hi all!
we survived our first official camping experience here in New South Wales, with no crazy spiders or venomous snakes...but an awful lot of curious kangaroos, wallabies, and rosellas (lovely colorful birds!) that were apparently interested in our breakfast pancakes. =)

we hit the road with dan and tonia, our friends in wollongong (south of sydney), and camped out for monday and tuesday nights. tuesday, we swam in the CHILLY ocean, although being used to new jersey atlantic ocean temperatures, i was actually pretty content out there. alas, too chilly for snorkeling. we sought out some great sandstone cliffs for views over the ocean, and walked gingerly through the low tide zone at the end of the day, where sea anemones and algae strands nestled with snails and small fish in the tidal pools!


here's a picture of me after surviving the seawater swim and feeling distinctly . . . messy--! i think my hairdo closely resembles that of my 6-8 year old self, when clambering over the black rocks of the jettees on the jersey shoreline. i used to be a big fan of the starfish and shells, even then....

wednesday, we ambled back towards wollongong through some great landscape, complete with waterfalls and historic bridges, the "kangaroo valley". we also managed to sample peach, apple-wildberry, and ricotta pies at the best ever pie shop (so it's called, you can argue with me about that if you have a better candidate in your neck of the woods!) and made it home in time for a fish and chips dinner (ready to drop by for a visit!?).

loving you all,
take good care and stay tuned!
dawn and jason