Hamster Dancin' Around the World

Some days I went to help margo at work:

margo took some time off and we went to the National Maritime Museum, at Darling Harbour, with Aunty Betty.

Here I am waiting for the ferry near margo's place:


Here I am sitting on a bollard on a retired naval ship:


There were a heap of boats and interesting displays, and I didn't fall in the water at all!

This is the ferry we came home on:


That night, we went to a Rod Stewart concert at the Superdome, at Olympic Park (margo's elderly aunty is a big fan!)

Another night we went to a big rock 'n roll concert, also outdoors at the Olympic Park. (but margo forgot the camera! ) We had a quick look around where the Olympics were held in 2000 - and lots of sporting and other events are now held.

After the Rod Stewart concert, Aunty Rinnie stayed with Possum-cat, and margo and I went down to Kiama, a beach town south of Sydney.

margo goes there often - her friend Mark has an apartment overlooking the beach. Although it was still supposed to be summer, it was a little bit chilly, and, during the week the beach was deserted.


This is the surf club at Surf Beach - margo goes to the gym upstairs (no photos there). Mark's apartment is behind the pine trees on the right.


One of the things to see at Kiama is the Blowhole, which was described in 1797 by George Bass, one of the first people to sail right around Australia. It was hard to get a good photo of me there, as, when the Blowhole blew - the whole picture was white. This is just a little burp:

We says heaps of other stuff; ate some good meals (I've eaten kangaroo!) and generally travelled around.

As it came to be time for me to go, Possum got very friendly and kept wanting me to play - I think he liked having someone to talk to during the day.

Just before I left, we found that David Hicks, the Guantanamo Bay prisoner who was tried, found guilty in some sort of kangaroo court, and imprisoned (Hah! - he's already been in prison without trial for 5 years!), and finally sent back to Australia to see out his prison sentence in Adelaide (where I'm going to visit dlowan soon), had been allowed to move to Sydney. This was on the front page of the local newspaper - and he lives in our suburb!


Poor fellow - will he ever get some peace?

I leave margo's place today to travel to the high mountains of Victoria - another state of Australia, where dadpad lives. It'll be a contrast from the city - to go to the country, where there were a lot of bushfires last year.

I'm ready for it! Look out dadpad and all the pad family!

Those were great! Sozlet and I just looked through the whole last batch together. The beach looks wonderful -- we're going to Florida soon and can't wait. It will be sozlet's first experience with the ocean.

Fun to see the opera house too, and to realize Penny's THERE! Sozlet recognized it. ("Hey... I've seen that before...")

Thanks for being such a wonderful hostess!

Looking forward to the familypad visit...

Penny, can you ask Margo if Mark is available? I could so use a little apartment on a beach.

Dag,

Mark is available - but I don't think you're in with too much chance. He bats for the other team.

I f anyone can turn him it'll be dag.

I think it's been tried by previous versions of Dag!

always, ALWAYS happens. the best of them always bat for the other team,dammit.

The padgang here have been reading all about Penny's adventures






They have been keeping an occasional eye out for Penny






When they read that penny was on her way they all decided to check the letter box.





But Penny wasn't in the letterbox so mumma koala thought maybe if she got up higher she might be able to see penny coming.





I hope Penny gets here soon mumpad, sonpad and I and all the padgang cant wait.

I wonder if sozlet can find some pictures of Mt Buller on the internet.

(slow day, dadpad?)

Ohhhh that is nice.

Man goes to a whole lot of trouble to make things entertaining for a little girl half way round the world and along come some smart slovakian witch with nothing better to do with her time than slag off the efforts of a genuine family man.

well thats it! You've ruined it for everyone now! I hope you're happy!

the slovakian witch is famous in her environs for making an utter arse out of herself due to one lovely little hamster for 2 weeks. she got elie wiesel to pose with a hamster, strangers on the street, friends, enemies... you got nothing on me, platypus man!

ppppst - pad gang

Penny only left today.

She was lsat seen bounding over the counter at Burwood Post Office.

I have a couple more photos to have a look at and perhaps post - if they're not entirely crap, but I'm about to hit the hay. Manana!

Penny has arrived safe and sound in the high country.

Here she is checking out A2K.



Thats Chris (chrismoose Ha ha) He's from Sweden where dadpads daughter lives now.


She's met Blinky bill and bunyip. Bunyip looks a bit scary but he's a funny guy when you get to know him.
Blinky is named after a famous movie star. You can see a trailer of blinky bill the movie here http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=mNOffdqy5Xk&feature=related

Next, Penny met momma Koala and baby. Baby koalas live in their mother pouch but when they re bigger they ride on their mothers backs.

Momma koala took penny for a ride up a tree but not very high cause it was a bit scary for a little hamster


Last Penny met Murray. (His full name is Sir Murray Rivers). Murray is a platypus and he is very Shy.


Penny has learn't to say hello in Australian. So she says G'day to sozlet ...then fell on the floor giggling cause it sounds funny.

Penny is going to have a nap now cause she says all this traveling is very tiring.

Ohmygod!!!!!!Ohmygod!!!!!!Ohmygod!!!!!!OMG,OMG, OH - MY - God

WAIT TILL YOU SEE!!!!

Dadpad took me for a ride in his 4WD and we saw <squeal> KANGAROOOOOOOOOOOOS!

Real live wild kangaroos (except dadpad says they are wallabies).

Looooook arn't they just soooooo cute.


Dadpad saw them in the bushes (bush Penny, we call it "the bush")



Then we snuck up as close as we could.



Then they hopped away. Boing boing boing and it was so cool to see real live wild ones. There wernt any baby ones that I could see. I really wanted to see the baby (what are they called dadpad?) (Joeys Penny) joeys put their heads out of mommas pouch. Oh well maybe another time.

So, now that that excitement is all over I guess I better tell you where I am.

This is Australia, with margo's place in sydney up the top. (Thanks Margo I had a really good time.) And Melbourne which is the capital of Victoria down the bottom.






That kinda blue bit near dadpads home is Eildon weir which supplies lots and lots of irrigation water for growing food.

And this is the street dadpad and mumpad and sonpad and all the padgang livein.


This is dadpads house


And this is his backyard


After I arrived and met everyone I had a nap then we went for a drive


Dadpad said we could go to the top of that hill you can see in the photo below.


Those hills are called The Paps.


We had to go through a gate with a cattle grid. Dadpad said a cattle grid is to stop the cows getting out if the gate gets left open. Its a rule that if a gate is closed when you come to it, it must be closed after you go through but some people dont know that rule.


I tried to see if the grid would stop hamster getting out as well.

Yep!

Lucky dadpad was there to help.


There were cows in the paddock


And some new baby calves

Next we went into "The Bush" which is Australian for forest.


The road was really bumpy and rough.


The road went round and round and round the hill. When we got to the top the view was spectacular.

Dadpad took photos all the way round the top of the hill so you can see all of the view. If you put the photos next to each other they match up.









This is a fire spotters tower. No one was there though.


Then we went down the hill and saw the.... wallabies.

when we got to the bottom I helped dadpad close one of the gates.

Exciting. You really seem to like Oz, Penny!