Living in Australia--New and different Things

Riding on trains has been new for us Americans. People do it all the time here to get around!

Pumpkin pie was new to the aussies! They never eat it here, and you can't even buy canned pumpkin in the stores. So we had to stew down a fresh one for the pie we made.

It turned out pretty well!

The rolling hills all around here have been amazing for us to see. We're so used to Michigan's flat-ness!

Seeing things like crabs at the beach is new. That one is small, but we've seen some bigger ones too!

Oh, and Cockatoos! These white birds with the yellow crest are everywhere around here! And there are Parrots, and Kookaburras. I love hearing all these tropical birds singing in the mornings!

Flags at the beach. There are flags and lifeguards at every public beach. Between the flags is the safest place to swim. I got a feel for just how powerful the ocean is recently. I had a bit of trouble, trying to swim past a strong riptide last week. Not too fun! But the ocean is so amazing.

Aussie treats! Loretta let me help her make Lamingtons. Slices of yellow cake rolled in chocolate and coconut. Delish!!! I definitely want to try making these again.

Cooks in the kitchen!

See that tree? Its a Fig Tree! I've hardly seen such an amazing tree before. We thought of the parable of the fig tree from the Bible.

There's so many different things about Australia compared to the US! Things like money, tipping, and shopping are all a bit different. For example, if you buy something priced 2.52 you will only be charged 2.50 since there are no pennies over here.

Everyone has that aussie accent, and its been interesting being the 'foreigners'. I expected to meet way more Americans, but so far have only met a few. I think a lot of people who've heard that we're from America find it really interesting. It is so far away from here!

Its been so much fun, getting to know a different part of the world!

~Chlo-chlo

Surfing!!!

There were some strong waves!

My surfboard hit the sand below ^

Hey guys!
This post is about two weeks old, but no matter . . .
Chloe and I took our first-ever crack at surfing here in Australia, at Corrimal Beach. At couple from the Robbo's church heard we were interested and offered to give us a lesson!
On the scheduled Friday, it looked like a thunderstorm was rolling in, but we hopped in the car praying that the storm would miss the beach.
Praise God, the thunderstorm never hit, and we had heaps of fun learning to catch waves!!

Day Trip to Kiama. NSW

Behind us is the site of the Blow Hole.

See the palm trees? :)

We tried out a little coffee shop.

Look how cute!

Jess has been catching our adventures on camera. :)

Down there is the Blow Hole.

Scenery was lovely.

Pelican!!

Hi all! Last week we rode a train to Kiama, which is a little town south of Wollongong. It was a fun place to visit! We walked down main street and went into the little shops (and restaurants!), and also went to see the Blow Hole. On days when the sea is rough, water is supposed to shoot up through the hole. That didn't happen when we were there, but it was still neat to see the location! We also swam in a salt water pool that was along-side the ocean. All in all, Kiama was a neat experience!

~Chlo-chlo

The Beach - Rain Or Shine!

South Beach ^

Fisherman's Beach ^

Kiama ^

North Beach ^

North Beach before and after^ the storm rolled in

Port Kembla Beach ^ (I think)

South Beach! ^

We've made a goal of swimming twenty times before we leave for America. At halfway through our trip we've swam 9 times, which means we're doing alright as long as we step it up a notch these next two weeks.

"Will you miss the beach when you go home?" Someone asked.

*sniff-sniff* "Oh, yes."

The great lakes of Michigan are a condolence, but they won't be swimmable for MONTHS after we get back. Icy things.

Oh, well. At least there's no rip tides. =)

~Annie

Bush Hike to the Water Hole

Can you see Annie's splash? She jumped from the cliff!!

It was slippery stuff...

Getting ready to experience the Water Hole!

And there's the group of us! (except me, who is behind the camera.)

On Sunday afternoon, we took a bush walk to a water-hole. This was no ordinary hike. We were hiking along the side of a mountain, and at some points we only had an inch or so of foot-space, and some branches and roots to grab to keep us from the great abyss below. I actually was glad no one had described to me just how challenging it would be, or perhaps I would have decided not to attempt it. But it was quite the adventure, and in the end I was SO glad we did it! Besides, the location was gorgeous. :)

A few more shots from the Zoo! :)

Giraffe!

Riding in the Cable Car!

Can you see the Crocodile?

Komodo Dragon!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

That's us on the Ferry, on the way to the Zoo!

Most poisonous snake in the world. You can't tell that there is glass between Annie's hand and the snake.

That's a Kangaroo behind us!

I didn't do a very good expression there.

Its not exactly real. But still scary.

That's me with the Komodo Dragon!


Hope you like all these pics from our visit to the Taronga Zoo! It was such a fun experience for us. And God blessed us with a great day!

~Chlo

Social Gatherings!

Fun in the spa! This is when we were visiting Jess and Loretta's Auntie and Uncle for afternoon tea. They were so kind and hospitable! (and they let us use their spa.) ;)

This lovely spread was from when Jess and Loretta's grandparents and aunt came for a visit, and we had morning tea. Those delectable looking white squares are Lamingtons--my new favorite!

And there's the group of us, getting ready to enjoy. :)

These orange bottles held Ginger Beer. Much like our American Ginger Ale. It tastes like fresh ginger! Everyone drinks it down here.

This was at another gathering--all the families from the 'Fourth Dimension' and 'Yards Apart' came over for a visit. It was great meeting all of them!

We young people played several intense games of 4 on a Couch.

We had a blast! :)


Hey everyone! Hope you like these pics from some of the different fun times we've had meeting new friends. We've gotten to meet many of the Robertson's family and friends, and they have all been so nice! It feels like such a privilege, getting to meet each one of them. The Robertson's blessed Annie and I with a sort of 'welcome party' one evening (the pictures of us playing 4 on a couch are from that day!). That was so nice! We really have felt welcomed. Aussie's are very friendly people!

~Chlo-chlo