Home Again

Monday, time to pack-up, drive to the airport and fly to Tasmania!

After a fairly decent nights sleep and saying good-bye to the Imms family, we made it to the airport, dropped off the rental car, herded through security and settled into our seats on the airplane. Had a rather pleasant surprise, the lady sitting next to me was actually someone I knew! It had been a very long time since I had seen her, but we went to the same church in Devonport. I am having a senior moment.......Bev Scott, that's it!!! Anyway, it was lovely to catch up with her and find out who's still in the area and who isn't.

Much to Sam's delight, the food sniffing dogs were in action when we landed at the Launceston Airport. Claimed our luggage. By the way, our stroller had been returned to us our 2nd day in Queensland. Got the keys for our rental car, and.......went back to the rental counter, this car was even smaller than the car they tried to give us before!!! Jim came back with keys to a car that was even bigger than the car they eventually gave us before!!! Sam was happy, there was a tray for him to put up and down, up and down in the back of the seat in front of him.

After initially heading in the wrong direction, we turned around and headed off to Ulverstone. The drive went by fairly quickly, I was busy trying to take note of what was different, what was the same. The scenery was beautiful. We stopped of in Latrobe to see my brother Graham and his wife, Dianne. Graham spends most of his time up in the lake area, he has a shack up there. And that is where he was today!!! It was so good to see Dianne, she hasn't changed very much at all! My nephew Anthony was there as well. He had just gotten home from spending time in Canada working at a ski resort.

We then piled back into the car and finished our drive to Ulverstone. We picked Ulverstone as our "headquarters" for our stay in Tasmania for a few reasons. I spent the first 14 years of my life living in Ulverstone, it is a beautiful little town and it is a central location for us to go visit family.

http://www.willaway.com/

We stayed at the Willaway Motel. I remembered the Willaway from when I was growing up in Ulverstone.......so, it is fairly old, but has undergone renovation.

We were very happy with our accommodations. Had 2 bedrooms, kitchen, living room and a beautiful view out the windows and front sliding doors. The only thing that was inconvenient was that there was not a telephone in the room. I guess that most people have mobile phones in this day and age, unfortunately, we couldn't use ours in Australia!!! Couldn't quite pick-up that signal....

Our unit was the one on the very end!

Another reason for staying at the Willaway Motel is that it is right by the beach!

This is Buttons Creek. It flows through the grounds of the Willaway Motel and on down into the ocean. I swam a lot here when I was a little girl. There used to be a playground right next to it, but that is gone now.

After settling in to our rooms we then went off to find a public telephone to call my sister and to find a supermarket to pick-up supplies. Eating out in Australia was very expensive, so I had planned to cook most of our meals. But, first things first. The most important food supply of all - Tim Tams.

Rice Crispies are called Rice Bubbles in Australia. Don't know why, I still call them Rice Bubbles after living in the USA for 23 years.

YUM, YUM, YUM!!! I am in heaven!!

This is something that you won't find in Publix supermarkets in Tampa!

Don't get all upset about the poor, cuddly kangaroo......you eat beef, chicken, fish!

I love the beach

Sally-Ann

1st Sunday in Australia

Our first Sunday in Australia was pretty quiet. We went to church with the Imms. Samuel and I walked around and around and around the outside of the building. Samuel did not want to sit in Junior Sunday School (Primary) with all the other children. When screaming didn't get him taken out, he resorted to the tried and true ploy of announcing extremely loudly and repetitively that he had to go "potty". Of course, he didn't have to go......but, I had to take him just in case! It was funny being at church and not having a "responsibility"! I enjoyed seeing some of the ideas they had to encourage reverence, etc., and will take the ideas back to Tampa with me to try out in our church Primary (Junior Sunday School)

We spent the evening talking, Tim Tam slamming and repacking suitcases. I managed to leave my address book - hey Andrea!!! Could you send me my address book!!?? I didn't realize how much I use it until now. So, if you don't get a Christmas card from us this year, my address book is still in Australia.

It was wonderful reminiscing about family and friends. I might say that there was quite a bit of laughter involved, especially on the topic of desert boots. That is all I can say here........the innocent must be protected, well, those not present to defend themselves anyway!

Desert boots were very popular when I was in high school.......

Andrea and Jonny are good friends and have a wonderful family. They are also very gracious about the fact that one of their guests threw loud, screaming temper tantrums in the wee hours of the morning. Before we went to bed Sunday night we all joked about how Samuel would probably sleep through the night and how ironic it would be because we had to get up early and go to the airport!

And that is exactly what my sweet little boy did!

Sally-Ann

SLAM!!!

While surfing around the internet for some fun facts to put on my blog, I found this description of Brisbane -

Brisbane - In 1824, a southern state governor sent a party of difficult Convicts to found a new settlement in Queensland. These days, southern state children send their difficult parents to Queensland to retire. Also a Mecca for Southern State teenagers who upon finishing school, head north for a week of booze and debauchery.

Fact of Fiction??

Sounds a bit like Florida!!!!

Anyway, on with the day!! We had another rough night. Samuel wanted to play at 1am. If he just wanted to play quietly in the bedroom we could have probably worked with that, but, nooooo. Samuel wanted to go and play in the kitchen, living room, anywhere but our bedroom! Threw a bit of a temper tantrum/I'm so tired I don't know what to do with myself tantrum somewhere between 1am and 4am. I sure hope that the Imms are heavy sleepers! Don't think anyone could sleep through the wails of despair - Jim's, mine, or Sam's!!! *when apologizing to Andrea and Jonny later in the morning, they informed us that they had ear plugs (a bucket full to be exact) and that they had made use of them.


After another delicious breakfast of Vegemite on toast - well, I had Vegemite on toast, everyone else had cereal or honey on toast - we headed off for the day. We had decided to go for a drive to a little touristy town called Montville and grab some lunch there or somewhere else along the way.

The drive was beautiful.

We stopped off and took some photos of the Glass House Mountains.

Another photo

After admiring the beautiful view, we drove to Montville. Here is what what travel directory says about Montville.

"Sometimes we all need to sit back, recharge the batteries and unwind from the hectic day to day of our modern world. If you are looking for some romance in your life, or simply need to relax, then the old world charm and magic of Montville, just an hour north of Brisbane - it's the calm behind the coast.Montville, the jewel of the Blackall Range, will captivate you with the tranquility and beauty of its national parks, scenic walks and inspirational lake views. Allow yourself the time to soak up the majesty of the rainforests and let the cool mountain air revive your spirit. The quiet beauty of this area makes Montville the perfect romantic getaway destination.From shopping to galleries, chic cafes to fine dining restaurants and exciting young wineries, Montville has a well earned reputation for excellence. You'll be amazed at the skill and craft of some of Queensland's premier wood workers. For art lovers , Montville's galleries are both unique and rewarding."

Montville is a beautiful little town. It was fun to stroll down the street and window shop in all the different stores. Jim was very glad that I just window shopped! The temptation was definitely there to buy things, but I worried about getting it back to Florida! We ate at the take-away place pictured on the left and topped our meal off with a ice-cream.

Andrea, Jonny and family had to leave before us because they had to get back home for a baptism. We meandered our way back, amazingly we didn't get lost! We stopped off along the way and stopped at some lookouts along the way. I thought Joshua took more photos of everything, but, alas, I was mistaken!!! I will never forget my camera again!!!!

As a thank you, we bought Chinese food for everyone for dinner/tea that night. The highlight of the evening was..........

TIM TAM SLAMS!!!!!

What is a Tim Tam slam you may ask???

Let me tell you

Take one pack of Tim Tams and one can of Milo

Milo is a milk beverage with chocolate and malt, produced by Nestlé and originating from Australia. It was developed by Thomas Mayne in 1934. The name derives from the famous Greek athlete Milo of Crotona, after his legendary strength.
Use
Milo is added to hot or cold milk to give it a malted chocolate flavour and extra texture. When combined with cold milk, it retains the gritty texture of its raw state. Milo can be stirred into steamed milk or hot water to create something similar to hot chocolate or cocoa. Sugar can be added to the Milo beverage, but many people enjoy it without the addition of sweeteners, appreciating it for its subtle chocolate flavour. Another possible use is making a normal cup of cold Milo and microwaving it for approximately 40–60 seconds. This gives the Milo drink a biscuity cover on top.

I have found Milo in the supermarkets here in the USA, but it is not the same as Australian Milo. It is usually in the Hispanic section does not taste good to me at all! It seems stronger, almost coffee like.

Tim Tams Original (Arnotts Tim Tams).

• Tim tams are made from two Chocolate biscuit (cookie) layers joined by a creamy chocolate filling, then the whole lot is dipped in milk chocolate.
• Tim Tams are simply irresistible!
• Tim Tams are are Australia's best selling cookie!
• Contents: 11 tim tams per 200g packet (7oz) net

WHAT IS A TIM TAM?

• Tim Tams are Australia's favourite chocolate biscuit (chocolate coated Cookie with a creamy center)

HOW POPULAR ARE TIM TAMS IN AUSTRALIA?
Arnott's reports that "Around 30 million packs are sold each year - that's nearly 300 million biscuits, or two packs for every Australian." That's a lot of Tim Tams! Yes, they're pretty popular with Aussies!
HISTORY
Tim Tams were first launched in 1963. They were named after a horse that ran in the Kentucky Derby in 1958. A member of the Arnott family, Ross Arnott, attended the race day and decided 'Tim Tam' was the perfect name for the new biscuit he was about to launch. Since the launch of the Original Tim Tam biscuit Arnott's have now made eight different flavoured Tim Tams: Original, Chewy Caramel, Mocha, Double Coat and Classic Dark Chocolate, Special Edition Tim Tam Hazelnut, Limited Edition White Chocolate and new Special Edition Chewy Choc Fudge. (Source: http://www.arnotts.com/)
WHAT DO TIM TAMS TASTE LIKE?
Tim Tams were developed so that the chocolate has a slight hint of caramel in it. Where as the cream in the center is more a vanilla, butter and chocolate flavor. Whatever the combination, it works well and tastes great.

SERVING SUGGESTIONS

• NAKED Eat an icy-cold Tim Tam all on its lonesome.
• TIM TAMS WITH BERRIES & ICE CREAM Tim Tams served with strawberry and vanilla ice cream sprinkled with some fresh berries.
• TIM TAM CHEESECAKE Make your favourite cheese cake however use crushed Tim Tam biscuits and butter to make the crust.
• TIM TAM SLAM Also known as the TIM TAM Suck or TIM TAM Bomb. Grab a Tim Tam and a warm drink (Milo or hot chocolate are best). Nibble both ends off the biscuit and use it as a straw for your drink. When its saturated, quickly SLAM it in your gob before it falls apart. It can get kinda messy, but who cares when it tastes that GOOD!
• TIM TAM CHOCOLATE SUNDAE wiggy at www.geocities.com recommends the "Tim Tam Sundae". Get 4 Tim Tam Chocolate Biscuits (roughly chopped), add extra creamy Ice Cream, then 2 tablespoons Hot Fudge Chocolate and sprinkle on some Toppings to taste.
• TIM TAM CHEWY CARAMEL EXPLOSION At Arnotts (www.arnotts.com) they suggest the Chewy Tim Tam Caramel Explosion. Get 1 pack Chewy Caramel Tim Tams roughly chopped, 8 generous scoops Vanilla Ice-cream & 8 tbs Caramel Topping with Chocolate sprinkles to garnish.
• TIM TAM THICK SHAKE The Editors at www.coffeebreak.com.au recommend the "Tim Tam Thick shake". Mix a packet of Tim Tams, 8 scoops of vanilla ice cream & 400ml milk in a blender. Rich, thick and full of chocolate. Hmmm.
• TIM TAM FONDUE haven't been able to find a Tim Tam Fondue recipe yet, but I'm sure it must exist. Hmmm, just imagine dipping fresh strawberries, pineapple pieces, berries, banana and mango into a warm thick Tim Tam sauce.

For the life of me I can't understand why they don't sell Tim Tams here in the United States. They are a little bit of heaven!! Tim Tam Slams are very addictive, but oh so GOOD!!

Sally-Ann

Crikey!! What a beaut day!

Poor Sam (poor us!) had a restless night. He woke-up in the extremely early hours of the morning and thought it was time to rise and shine. It wasn't...........

After a wonderful breakfast of Vegemite on toast, it was time to begin the day.

Where did we decide to go today???

Here is a hint!

On reviewing this photo, I feel that I need to state that no small children were harmed in the taking of any of the photos shown on this blog!

Crikey that's a big croc!!

Need another hint?

We couldn't be this close and not go to.........

Jim didn't really want to go, but I did, and so did the rest of the family. Sam voted with his Mum! Throughout this trip Jim kept saying, "Whatever you want, after all, this trip is all about you." It really bugged me when he said that, but I am not stupid and know when to take him up on a offer!!

This statue was the first thing you saw when you entered the zoo.

Kookaburra sits in a old gum tree
Merry, merry king of the bush is he
Laugh kookaburra
Laugh kookaburra
Gay your life must be

After living in the United States for a little while I noticed that many people pronounced "Kookaburra" incorrectly. After enduring listening to endless many a rousing rendition of the above song.......it is pronounced COOKABURRA!!! Yes, I know it begins with a K, but it is pronounced COOK. The whole thing drives me kooky.

Yum, Yum

Elephants stop by the show

The best part of the show was the birds flying through the stadium.

But, the main attraction is the crocodile feeding


DANGER, DANGER, DANGER

This is just one of the memorial walls

Sam had ticklish hands and giggled the whole time he fed the kangaroos

Dad and Samuel

Taking some Dingoes for a walk

This kangaroo didn't think Jessica was feeding quite fast enough

Joshua and friends

Can you see the Joey's tail sticking out of the pouch?

Sure am glad that I'm not a kangaroo!

My blog wouldn't be complete without a picture of a Wombat!!!

Sleepy koalas

Sam wasn't all that sure about wearing this helmet!

Sam wasn't all that sure about getting on a horse

Mmmmmh.......get me off please??!!

Hey, this isn't so bad, and.....

it is the only free thing in the whole place!!

All in all, it was a good day. We knew that it would be pretty commercialized and expensive, but we still suffered a little from "sticker shock". I thought the Irwin children were very overexposed. Steve Irwin's mark was obvious everywhere we went and he has left quite a legacy. All the shows we saw were very informative and the staff were great. Loved seeing all the animals. I enjoyed the day spent at Australia Zoo. I think my family did as well.

I am not quite sure how hard Joshua and Jessica are trying to save their little brother.

Though, he doesn't look all that concerned about his impending doom!

Sally-Ann

I haven't done a "Walk Down Memory Lane" post for a very, very long time, so I thought I had better get back on the band wagon. But, lo and behold, it has been changed to......

Lynette as asked us to blog about a holiday memory. Since I am desperately trying to get caught up on sharing our trip to Australia, I think my previous 2 posts apply!!!If you would like to read other holiday memories, click on the link and enjoy!! Maybe even join in!

Brisbane

We left Tampa, Florida on Tuesday, 23rd June and arrived in Sydney on Thursday, 25th June. We gained a day by crossing the International Date Line. We had never been to Brisbane before, so that made this part of our journey all the more exciting. Plus, we were looking forward to seeing our friends, the Imms family again. Plus, we were sick of travelling!! Andrea, Jonny and I knew each other from attending the same church in Devonport, Tasmania. Andrea and I haven't spoken or written to each other very much over the years, but I still consider her one of my best friends and when we get together it feels like we pick-up right were we left off. Well....that is how I feel, and I hope that she feels that way as well!!!!!

We arrived in Brisbane without mishap. Collected our luggage, but, alas, no stroller!!!! Apparently, our stroller was left in Sydney. We have travelled quite a bit over the years and this is the first time that we have ever lost luggage. Armed with a loaner stroller supplied by the Qantas Lost Luggage counter, we went to get our rental car. We had two choices at this moment in time. We could leave the kiddos at the airport and drive to the Imms with our luggage. Or, we could leave our luggage at the airport and drive to the Imms with our kiddos. There was no possibility of kiddos and luggage all fitting into the car.

Sooooo, we upgraded. With kiddos and luggage all nicely stowed away in our spacious rental car, we set off to find the Imms family of Morayfield!!!! Travelling with 5 people, 5 suitcases, 5 carry-ons and a stroller can be quite interesting at times, it takes planning and patience to fit everything in!!

By the way, this is my new car, well, not so new now

I digress

I mentioned in my previous post that I had left my camera at home sitting on the refrigerator. It was time to leave on Monday morning and I realized that I hadn't taken any photos of the Imms family. We had been using Joshua's camera, but it is just plain difficult when you don't have your own camera handy! (whinge, whinge, whine, whine) But, fear not! I have photos to share!

This is Andrea and Jonny 23 1/2 years ago.

They weren't married yet.

They are seeing me off at the airport to come to the United States.

Have they changed much?

You will have to judge for yourselves!!

In Australia we drive on the left side of the road. Jim has driven in Australia before, but it has been a while and it takes a bit of getting used to. "Turn to the right, but keep to the left," was a familiar spoken phrase in the car as we travelled the roads of Australia. Spoken calmly, spoken quickly, occasionally shrieked as we all braced ourselves. The sound of rumble strips can become quite soothing over time, especially combined with rude comments from the back seat passengers. Our rental car did get a bit mud splattered, but the windscreen was incredibly clean. Every time Jim went to turn on the turn signal, he hit the wipers instead. Round-a-bouts are wonderful things when you are tourists following faulty Google maps.

We ended up at a roadside rest area because the directions I had printed off were wrong because of the road construction that was going on. We called Andrea and waited for her to come and lead us to her house!! We were a little hungry while we waited, so guess what we had!!!! MacDonald's! We noticed that the portions are smaller in Australia. The drinks are smaller and the serving of french fries and the hamburgers, etc. This is a good thing.

This is a recent photo of Andrea that I stole
.......borrowed from her face book page.

Andrea arrived. It was wonderful to see her again, she hadn't changed very much over the years. They have a beautiful home and settled us in comfortably. It was great to catch-up on all the news and to meet the family.

Another borrowed picture

Jonny, Andrea, Ella, Holly, Kyle

Lachlan and Christie

I love the school uniforms in Australia.

A special thank you to Lachlan and Christie for letting us use their bedroom for the length of our stay!!!

More tomorrow!

Sally-Ann