The past month

This past month has gone by so fast, and I can't believe mum and dad's visit is over already...  We've had such a great time and it's been so good to have them here. Tack mamma o pappa för en fin månad! 

Apart from our trips to Ayers Rock, Alice Springs and Sydney, we've been travelling around quite a bit in the area around Newcastle and Port Stephens and done and seen loads of things.  I'm pretty impressed with all the wild animals we've seen; Koalas, wild Camels(!) in Ayers Rock, a Monitor, a Blue Tongue, Seals, Whales, Kangaroos, Possums and of course a variety of exotic birds! We've been running a bit behind with the blog, so this will be a long post! This is some of the stuff we got up to.

Wine Touring

It's been nearly a year since Wyatt and I were last touring the vineyards around Hunter Valley and I had forgotten how many they were... It's hundreds of them, one after the other.  In a couple of hours we managed to visit 7! Mum and dad bought two bottles of real tasty wine that we enjoyed later on in the week. Thanks!

Beautiful lush valleys

The Spit

If you time it right, when the tide is out,  you can actually walk all over to a deserted island off Fingal Bay on a narrow piece of land tongue called the Spit.  We missed the tide but still had a beautiful walk on a great stretch of beach. 

The Island and the Spit in the background

 

The water closing in from two sides

 

After a long day on the beach we went to the Tea Rooms, a café with stunning views overlooking the bay.

 

   

Barbecuing

A great thing about Australia, well at least where we live, is that they are communal bbq's everywhere.  So we've been packing the bags more than once with sausages, meat and beers to find a nice spot for a barbie in true Aussie style!

 
Shoal Bay

 

Mum's Birthday...

...was celebrated like this:

 Renting a boat in Nelson Bay, with some picnic to go along

 Wyatt and dad climbing Mount Tomaree in the background

 Drinks on the balcony

 Dinner by the sea in Newcastle

Waiting for food!

Whale Watching

Mum, dad and I went out on a whale watching cruise in Nelson Bay when Wyatt was working.  Instead of using their normal big catamaran vessel, we were in a pretty small, wooden boat.  Luckily it was only us three and another 5 people on board so there was loads of space. The captain warned us beforehand that it could get a bit rough out at sea due to the weather... and it did.  Mum and dad were mostly laughing hysterically while I was trying to focus on the horizon not to get seasick. At one point it was impossible to walk anywhere, let alone to stand up without grabbing on to something with both hands.  Luckily it calmed down, and it turned out to be a lovely trip.  We did get to see two whales, but they only showed a couple of times and at a distance.  As a bonus, we saw dolphins really close, right next to the boat and a couple of Aussie seals sunning themselves.

Jumping dolphin, and another one just under the sea surface

 Our little boat!

 Holding on for dear life

 The back of a whale...

 Australian Fur Seals

Plenty of room

Central Coast

For a change, we ventured south instead of north on a day trip down the Central Coast. A real beautiful area. 

 Trying to figure out where to go next...

 Hunting for a Blue Tongue...

 ...and here he is!

Well, this post turned out pretty long so I think I'll finish up with these last pictures.   We've been eating, drinking, hiking, playing cards, laughing, talking and relaxing.  I could right a tonne more but I think you get the picture!  The place feels a bit empty right now, but we're looking forward to our next visitors, Wyatt parents Marg and Dale who will be here for Christmas and just in time for the good weather!