HAPPY AUSTRALIA DAY

It was on 26 Jan 1788 that the english Captain Arthur Phillip, arrived in Port Jackson (Sydney Harbour) with the First Fleet of convicts and marines to start a new colony. Arthur Phillip erected the British Union Flag  and became the first governor of New South Wales. We celebrate Australia Day every year on 26 Jan. It is our birthday. However, some aboriginal members of our society are not happy celebrating on this day. They call it the day of mourning because it is the day they lost their land. They would like to change the date or abolish it altogether. Some of them protest march on the day. Others are happy to keep the day and celebrate all different people living together in our wonderful country.

We celebrated in our village with a few typical Australian activities. We had a barbecue, a thong (flip flop) throwing competition, an Australian song sing-a-long and lamingtons to eat. (Chocolate coated pieces of sponge rolled in coconut.)

Australian Song sing-a-long with the village singers and musos.

In Australia we call these thongs not to be confused with string, backed undies.

Thong throwing competition. We had to get the thong into a bucket.

Aussie comfort food, lamingtons.

We were asked to dress up in Aussie gear for the day. Bill found some friends with the same kind of weird glasses.

After the fun and games some stayed behind for more singing together fun.

That evening we were invited to go to our friends appartment in town for dinner and to watch the fireworks. 

Kathy and Rob  have a great view from their balcony.

We walked to the cliffs at Kangaroo Point to watch the fireworks at South Bank.

Part of Brisbane from the cliffs at Kangaroo Point.

We had a fun filled Australia Day and a hot one. 

CURLEWS HAVE MOVED INTO THE VILLAGE

A pair of Bush Stone-curlews have made the village gardens their home and they have raised a chick. I have been trying to photograph the chick for days but it is difficult because the parents protect it very well. These birds are hard to see because their colour blends in with the leaf litter where they spend their time during the day. They are nocturnal birds and they have a high pitched wailing screech at night.

 Here they are hiding the chick and it can't be seen. 

 The next day I was lucky to capture the chick with a zoom lens. Unfortunately walking away from me .

 Another evening one walked right up to our front door.

We had to shoo it away.

They stand very still during the day.

CHRISTMAS WITH FAMILY

Oh dear! I am late with this post. Chores keep getting in the way of blogging. Anyway "Gattina" asked to see some big photos of our Christmas so that spurred me into action. Even then I had a visitor interrupt.

We were so lucky to have all of our family come to stay with us for the five days up to Christmas Day. Sonya, Bernie, Fox and Banjo from Melbourne and Carol and David from Sydney.

We celebrate on Christmas Eve because that is how it is in Switzerland. It suits our children because they can then go to their other families on Christmas day. So David, Bernie and Bill cooked us a beautiful lunch which included fish, prawns, crayfish (bugs), ham and salads, Christmas cake and custard. 

 After lunch David put on the Santa hat and gave out the presents from under the tree that were from family members to each other. Fox is patiently waiting for his name to be called out.

 The boys enjoyed opening their presents.

 They gave their parents hugs to say thanks for their gifts.

 Grandma got to hug and

Granddad too. We don't see our grandsons very often in the flesh but thanks to technology we get to see them often but its not as good as a real hug.

The next morning the boys found that Santa had left a sack of presents under the fake bamboo tree.

 Fox was impressed with his Minecraft book and toys.

This all happened at 6:00 am by 8:00 am we were in the car on the way to the airport for them to fly back to Melbourne to have Christmas Dinner with Bernie's family. David and Carol left at 7:00am to drive across Brisbane to have Christmas Breakfast with David's family and later Dinner too. We enjoyed the quiet house and left overs for lunch before the clean up and washing started. I miss my hugs already.