To the outback and beyond....

Hey everyone,

This post is going to be picture heavy. We had a busy weekend. We did another group camping trip with Steve and Cari, Rej and Clo, and Dan and Amy. We went to Bunya Mountains National Park. They have a very distinct type of pine tree called a Bunya Pine. Apparently, they have one of the largest seed pods of any tree. Just smaller than a soccer ball. Below is a warning from the National Park's website:

"Avoid lingering under bunya pines between December and March. That is when the soccer-ball sized cones weighing up to 10kg fall from the tops of towering trees."

Pretty crazy. Inside these seed pods are Bunya nuts. We roasted one to try it. It was a little bland in my opinion...but "to each his own".


















After the camping, I took a day off work and we drove to the sunshine coast. Sas and I rented a room in Caloundra (a small beach town just north of Brisbane) and took the kids to the Australia Zoo. The Australia Zoo is the Zoo that Steve Irwin made famous. It was started by his father and mother and then Steve and his wife took over ownership in the early nineties. Honestly it was a little sad not having Steve Irwin there. He was such a great voice for animal conservation and ecological awareness and such an engaging person to watch. I truly believe the world is a little bit worse without him. On the other hand it is amazing the impact that one life can have. I know he was no Gandhi, Mandela or Mother Theresa but he definitely made the world a better place. I am sure of that.




After the Beach we went out for dinner at this great little restaurant near the beach. I forget the name but man was the food good. Stace had prawn linguini with pesto and I had salt and pepper calamari with a salad. mmmmmmm....mmmmmmm. Really good. Best meal we have had here yet. The kid's fish and chips were actually really good as well.


The fish and chips were so good in fact that not long after this pic Breagha decided that she wanted Shamus to try her's ... again. So she regurgitated them onto his head while he slept. Yup... right on his head. The amazing thing is that he never even woke up.






This dingo almost ate our baby. Breagha kept sticking her arms through the fence. The dingo wasn't impressed and took a snap at her. Thankfully ... mom has quick reflexes and pulled B away with all ten fingers in place.





Animals are great but I think the highlight of the day was the two rides they had for the kids. I think Shamus was pretty impressed that he could go on a ride all by himself.