A koala isn't a bear, it's a marsupial

We spent a very funny morning this week at the Featherdale WIldlife Park in the outer west of Sydney. It is completely bizarre place to find a wildlife sanctuary because it is located within a massive housing estate in the middle of the burbs. Sydneysiders are notoriously postcode prejudiced and anywhere too far west is considered the wild west. We would have been regarded as bold indeed to venture out along the freeway further than Parramatta 'quelle horreur!' to Doonside. The sort of place where a punch in the face is as good as a handshake. Our amusement began when after paying to get in we passed the wall of fame littered with photographs of the famous who had passed before us. It tickled us greatly to note that Matt Damon, the blonde bloke from 90210 whose name no one ever remembers and boxing legend and 'grilling innovator' George Foreman had also driven through the miserable streets of Doonside. What must they have been thinking as they stared from their limousine windows, mouths agape, marvelling at all the cars parked on lawns, sheets pinned up to windows as curtains and various unshaved blokes standing around on street corners polishing their flick knives? Inside, once the lively pong of animal wee subsided we were greeted by a fantastically friendly and very large wombat. I hadn't seen a wombat since I first came to Australia on holiday in 1993, when I got to cuddle one at another wildlife park. They are so cute. Behind us wallabies and kangaroos bounced up and all around huge birds screamed and shreiked in a way only Australian birds can, pelicans gibbled their giblets and fairy penguins waddled passed. Next we were into the massive koala area where 30 odd koalas clung to trees in various states of sleepfulness. Most people wrongly think koalas sleep all day because they are stoned from eating a diet reliant solely on eucalyptus leaves. It is actually because they stay up late watching talk shows and reruns of David Attenborough documentaries. Everytime one of them woke up, they were grabbed from their perch and placed on a makeshift tree branch in order to be photographed and petted by people like us. Our one - Monty - was soooo soft. Then we were into the children's petting zoo - my favourite bit. I just about did a toilet in my pants when as soon as we walked in, a baby lamb ran up to me for a cuddle. A cuddle! If only I had known this day would come I wouldn't have bothered wasting hours in my younger years planning pincer movement traps for sheep through fields in Scotland, shouting 'mint sauce'. There were also rabbits, guinea pigs, goats and a big pig all craving our attention. We also spotted Tasmanian Devils, a crocodile, snakes and spiders and a selection of high speed commuter trains that whizzed noisily passed the perimeter fence every few minutes reminding us we were not deep in the outback but deep in the outer west. Every time I experienced this reality check I felt sorry for the local housewives as I considered the quantity and consistency of bird poo they would have to contend with on their washing - remember there are pelicans flying unencumbered here - think a bucket of white paint and double it. Although it was a bit grotty and run down it was also incredibly child friendly and lots of fun. If it's good enough for Ian Zering, it's good enough for us. Scarlett enjoyed it too.

Wet, wild, windy and gloriously hot

A bizarre weekend weatherwise. Maybe Al Gore is onto something. On Saturday we managed to fill an entire morning satisfying Scarlett's fondness for public transport and our own fondness for going out for breakfast. We jumped on the bus from Leichhardt to Circular Quay, a journey punctuation by squeals of delight from Scarlett along with many many 'There's another bus' comments. From there we boarded the ferry across the harbour to Luna Park, Sydney's very own homage to Coney Island, where we had breakfast at Ripples, a cafe right under the harbour bridge with very cool views back to the city and opera house. While I tucked into a satisfyingly large wild mushroom omelette with rocket and pesto, Scarlett made light work of some sour cherry toast and Rob looked disappointed with his poached eggs on toast. A quick sojourn to Luna Park in time for Scarlett to meet park mascot Lunabelle and we were off again on a bumpy and windy ferry ride round to Darling Harbour, huddled against the gale and threatening rain. Then back on the bus home. Once again Scarlett's 'baby' doll caused great alarm to all who saw it slumped forward in the doll pram its head scraping the pavement, assuming it to be our not much cared for second child. On Sunday the weather couldn't have been more different. We met Jules and Lenka, Zoe and Paul and their broods at the beach where we lay in the sun all morning, paddled in the rock pools, sipped flat whites and nibbled at moist fruity friands. As I type this morning at my desk, rain is lashing my 26th floor window. Rob and Scarlett are taking the air in the Botanic Gardens. I wonder if I might see them moving swiftly past my window any time soon.

Spring has sprung

Spring has sprung early even though it's still winter. We spent a glorious couple of days at Balmoral beach this week, lying in the sun, splashing in the surf - still too cold for a full dip - reading the papers and eating fresh stuffed rolls from the kiosk. On Tuesday we met our friends Stef and our old next door neighbour George and their kids. Our girls - Sophie, GG and Scarlett - all aged between 2 and half and 3 and a half, get on really well and love playing together on the beach. Rob took them off, Pied Piper style, for a walk to the island that divides the beach in two, now renamed Dragon Island, for adventures and dragon hunting. They loved it and came screaming back along the sand declaring they had seen a dragon. It reminded me of when we were kids and our Dad set up a dinosaur trail in a quarry that led to a cave.

Spring Forward...

I am soooo looking forward to Spring, which officially begins on September 1st, and for the warm weather to return. We got a hint this weekend of what's to come and for the first time last night kicked off the American quilt that nightly tops our winter weight duvet. We spent a happy and sunny Saturday morning at the organic growers markets with Martin and Drew, bumping into our mates Ewan, Kel and Sarah and their offspring at the jumping castle. Once Scarlett was all jumped out we queued with the best for the bacon and egg rolls that have become the toast of the market, stocked up on flat whites, lattes and ginger cordial before sitting in the sun to eat. I spent $10 on shitake and oyster mushrooms from the mushroom man and was happy to be relieved of $9 by the flower man in exchange for a huge bunch of yellow tulips, yet to flower. After a lunchtime sleep we headed to Clark Rubber, home of custom cut foam, to get Scarlett a new cot mattress. Who knew foam could be so much fun? They also sell above-ground pools, pool supplies and accessories, so while Rob waited for our foam to be cut Scarlett and I entertained ourselves by trying on goggles and fins and punching an inflatable duck in the face. The new foam is part of the transition from cot to bed. We have put away the sleeping bags she has slept in since birth and have remade the cot with sheets and blankets as if it were a bed. The next step is to get her in the bed. Every time we show her the big pink bed on the IKEA website she looks delighted. But as soon as I suggest she sleep in it, she shakes her head, pouts, points at her room and says "No. I don't like it. I want to sleep in my cot in there.' We were hoping if we had her in a bed before we go back to England it would make our trip easier if we didn't have to cart a travel cot around.
In the evening I made Terry Durack's recipe for Mushroom risotto using pearl barley instead of rice and my mushrooms man mushrooms. It was a triumph. But let me add, that pearl barley seems to have quite an effect on the digestive system, if you get my meaning, and a night of the dancing duvet ensued. We also watched V for Vendetta which is quite a film of our time. On Sunday I chained Rob to the dining table to finish his new CV while Scarlett and I headed to the the sunny park at the end of our street. Rob appeared momentarily dragging and scuffing his feet in the manner of a sulky teenager, declaring it was 'too hard'. I distracted him from his attempts at a career change by whisking him and Scarlett off to the neighbouring suburb of Five Dock for the Italian festival, Ferragusto. We ate pizza, Italian doughnuts, corn on the cob and Italian sausages, and Scarlett had her face painted. Then we all went home and slept for 2 hours. In the afternoon, a short walk delivered us back to the local park where we bumped into Deb and Ewan, Kel and Sarah again who were, along with many others, enjoying the heat of the late afternoon sun and a bottle of champagne. We have arranged to meet up again next Sunday at Petersham Park, where they have bbqs for a late lunch early dinner cook out. As I say I can't wait for Spring.

Cold and old

Another fun weekend despite feeling old and cold. On Friday, two incidences at work made me realise that some of my colleagues think I either look, or am, much older than my 38 years. Shocked of Leichhardt!! Rob is 43 this year and still looks younger than me. I find him very handsome as he ages. Since Rob's job finished he has been pottering about at home. It is very nice having him around all the time and Scarlett loves the extra time with him too. Today they are spending the morning perusing the Art Gallery of New South Wales while I am in the office. We watched Transamerica on Friday night. We loved Felicity Huffman but found the story quite slow going. Still a low budget movie and made before she was famous. On Saturday we met Martin and Drew for breakfast at Brasserie Bread, the great bakery. A serving of bacon and egg pie, sourdough pancakes and granola with fruit and yoghurt later, we armed ourselves with bread for dinner and headed to the beach. We managed about 9 seconds before we were lashed with rain and violent winds that sent us running for the cover of our cars. Saturday night Melissa and Larry and baby Lotus, and Kendall and Brett came for dinner. A brilliant night despite an interruption to the main course. Just as we were sitting down I heard Scarlett's cough turn into a vomit. I excused myself from the table and in under five minutes I managed to soothe her, strip and remake her cot, change her clothes and sleeping bag and get her back into the cot without anyone at the table knowing what had happened. No point ruining a good dinner with a vomit story now is there? We seem to have sleeping sickness in our house at the moment as we have all been sleeping in until 8.30/9am. Scarlett used to be our 7am alarm clock but seems to have outgrown that. Maybe it's the very unusual cold, wet weather we are are having so much of this winter but none of us can get out of bed in the mornings. I had to drag myself out of bed on Sunday morning to go and do the Bay Run, a 7km circuit around the bays near where we live. In the afternoon we went to GG's 3rd birthday party which was in a brilliant park on the north shore with lots of kids toys and sandpits and climbing frames and silly mirrors. However it was so cold we were soon bundling ourselves back into the car and applying layers of chapstick to our extremities. Until summer our life is all about casseroles, turning the heater on at 10am to warm the house by the evening and applying ointment to nasal sores caused by extreme nose blowing.

Weekend at Banjo's

Just back from a brilliant weekend away in the Hunter Valley, 3 hours north of Sydney, with our friends Chris and Stef and their children Genevieve (GG)and Harrison, and Rachel and her daughter Ava. All the kids got on brilliantly, sitting down to eat together at their own special table at meal times, and LOVED the interaction they got with one of the wild kangaroos that live in the bush around the house we rented which they got to stroke and feed. We spent our days walking, eating, playing tennis, table tennis, mini golf, eating, visiting the local olive grove and village, eating and playing on the swings. Our nights, once the kids were all bathed and in bed comprised eating fine food we all took turns cooking and reading trash mags in front of the ridiculously large fire. GG and Scarlett gone on particularly well and were sad to say goodbye. Very very relaxing.