Fun times back in Victoria

As I said in the last blog, coming back to Melbourne felt like coming home … we can’t believe we’ve been with Kaye and Greg less than a month … it feels like we’ve emigrated – totally settled into the Australian way of life. So post Christmas and New Year we were full of good intentions to detox, up the exercise regime etc. We got straight back into the running, walking, personal training sessions (well one!) and healthy eating…. the old wine bottle still seems to creep out most evenings at 6pm however – can’t do everything at once!! We enjoyed a few relaxed days in Highett before the four of us hit the road for Anglesea – Victoria’s famous Great Ocean Road. Gary and Rita (friends of Kaye and Greg’s) kindly gave us the use of their holiday home in Anglesea for a week, a beautiful seaside retreat. So Wednesday morning, bright and bushy tailed, we loaded the car and set off to find our beachside home. In less than 2 hours we were there – such a beautiful house – we settled in quickly and set out to explore the local beach and area.

It was most definitely prosecco time for Kaye and I when we got back … and after we had polished off a bottle, we left our men to fire up the BBQ while we boldly went to explore the bush for wildlife. In true Attenborough style, I spotted the first kangaroo just 5 minutes around the corner – so many cockatoos too.

Had a great beach day on the Thursday – incredible weather, perfect waves for bodyboarding (without being too ferocious and rib-damaging) – a day of relaxation, picnic, reading, swimming …. bliss! And Greg made homemade pizzas for dinner – on the BBQ – far out!! Tucked in till we were bursting – they were magnificent. Before dinner we had taken a walk to the local shops and, lo and behold, found a kangaroo grazing literally behind our garden fence – we were half expecting him to be joining us for the BBQ on our return! Since found out that he is a regular visitor and is affectionately known as ‘George.’

After dinner we went out for a drive and spotted a mob of kangaroos on the local golf course, amazing creatures – could watch them for hours.

Love getting to see the wildlife here – lots of interesting bird life particularly … cockatoos, galahs, laurakeets, rosellas, wagtails, Australian magpies, kookaburras … all so interesting. Have done a few bush walks and marvelled at the birdsong … it’s made us laugh though realising how your interests change as you get older – being a ‘spotter’ would have seemed so naff when we were young!! And not that I want to tempt fate but, despite signage, no snake spotted as yet. Why do so many things look like snakes though!? – tree roots, fallen branches, twigs, even hoses!! I’m constantly jumping out of my skin.

Can’t believe I’ve been brave enough to walk through these bush areas (and in some wet and windy weathers too) – I’m not quite Steve Irwin yet but feel my bravery deserves some recognition!! Hoping to see some koalas or platypus … still searching ..