insert blog title here.

I've had several ideas as to how to title this blog entry:

"Kanga Bangas"
"Kangaroo chasing with Sara and Jane"
"Wallabys, Wombats, and Echidnas, Oh MY!"
"Dingoes Ate My Baby!"
"Can I spelunk in that?"
"Snow, kangaroos, and rainforest. All in 600 kilometers."
"I'm completely in love with Jane Withers. In a platonic sort of way."

I'm daunted even at the idea of starting this blog. let me begin by saying that I LOVE LOVE LOVE the ways Aussies say the word, "here". They say "hee-yah". There's something about it that makes me giggle and repeat it every time. So far no one's gotten offended. Thank goodness for that.

After getting through customs at the Sydney airport, I walked up to the baggage claim area, waited 45 seconds, and then my first bag came out. Let this be a lessons to LAX which take 45 MINUTES top get the bags out. Jane and the Withers family are friend with my friends the Solomons. Jane was penpals with Rachel Solomon (sister of my dear friend Sarah Solomon (Rosenfeld)), and she and Len have kept in touch. Lucky for me, she and her family are the nicest people EVER, and
there she was, waiting for me at the airport after my whollopping 45-second wait. Let me just remind you reader, andmyself, that it's winter here. And I'm freazing my face off. Not quite as bad as Auckland was in terms of temperature, but when you're wet and it starts to snow and you've been up since godknowswhen...brrr...

Anyhoo...upron arrival Jane took me all around city by car. We saw Bondi Beach, and Opera House, King's Cross. And at night we went back out to see the special light show going on around SYney this month, which includes art projections onto the Sydney Opera House. So when you see the picture of the Opera House that looks like the fish in Finding Nemo, don't be alarmed.

Yesterday was epic. EPIC. E-P-I-C.
We decided to make a go for what was to be a long day. First to see all manner of indigenous animals at the Featherdale Park. There were Wallabys, Kangaroos that I fed by hand, Koala bears that made me want to die of cuteness, and all sorts of crazy other animals like Echidnas and Wombats, parrots, cocktoos, dingoes, crocodiles...

Next we were off the the Blue Mountains, where me may have frozen our tits off but damn if we didn't have fun. The blue mountains are in the bush, but house an entirely different ecosystem, including rainforest, limestone mountains...

Speaking of limestone, after thr mountains we drove an hour and a half to the Janolan Caves. Well I'll be. These are the most amazing things I've ever seen. Well at least the most amazing caves I've ever seen. There are 300 or so of them, and tons that have yet to be discovered! Google it if you don't believe me. My photos uploads are taking their sweet time, they'll be up soon.

For now, we went to the Hunter Valley today. We ate cheese and drank wine. We woke up late. Then I chased kangaroos at dusk. Jane trusily stayed in the car where it was warm, and even made U-turns at my request.; And just so you know, U-turns going right are really different than the U-turns I'm used to. And slightly illegal.

For a FAN-FRIGGING-TASTIC video of my kangaroog chasing (and Jane's adept U-turning skills), click here: Or "hee-yah":
http://www.facebook.com/home.php?ref=home#/video/video.php?v=107933733759&ref=nf

Here's a link to all my pictures so far!:
http://www2.snapfish.com.au/thumbnailshare/AlbumID=977310007/a=21470763_21470763/


Tomorrow it's Aboriginal Art at the museum and some shops, and lunch at Din Tai Fing Australia (for goodness sake, I have to show Jane something, don't I?).

Lastly, I'd like to say if you're reading this and have the time, write me an email and tell me what you're up to. I'd love to hear, even if I don't have the time to write back to everybody.

Love,

Sar