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

Valentine's Day in Wollongong

Some of my decorating. (:
Opening the package that Mom sent to Australia with us.
The unbelievable Hummingbird cake that Loretta made!
(Pink and red) "Happy Valentine's Day!"
I"m trying to get Mandy in the spirit of things . . .


We celebrated such a happy Valentine's Day here in Australia with the Robertson family! V-Day doesn't seem to be quite as big here down under as it is in America, so we gave them a little taste of our family's traditions by teaching them that it's fun to wear red or pink on the 14th, and some "love-hearts" around is crucial. (:-D

Loretta made a Hummingbird cake for the special day. It's a moist cake with pineapple and banana, and cream cheese filling and icing. I tell you, it was fabulous. Oh, my. (:

Mom Z had sent a secret package with us to Australia. She hid it in my suitcase and told me NOT to peek until Feb. 14th. I was a little nervous going through customs, not knowing if there was anything in there that I would need to "declare," but no worries. We opened it in the evening before we all watched a movie and inside was good ol' American chocolate and a sweet note to each of us. Aww, thank you, Mom!