The Animals

Right, so we haven't yet been through the peculiar animals, reptiles and insects over here. Shame because there's a lot of 'em! ... and here they are in random order with our personal scores.

The Koala...
Sleeps an awful lot and we have seen a few in the wild. Just having an all day nap of course. They feed on the leaves of the gum tree, which is why they're always as high as a kite (the lucky bastards).
Score: 8

The Spiders...
Ozzie tip: the bigger the spider, the more harmless it is!
Huntsman Spider
Very large (handsize) but a harmless fellar. It's a good pet, because he feeds on all other unwanted insects in your house. Moves at unexpected speeds over the ceiling when hunting. Annet has seen the biggest one and wasn't scared. Frightening good fellar.
Score: 7
White ass
Sighted once. Bites, which hurts a lot apparently, steer clear of this one and leave alone.
Score: 3
Red Back
Bites, and can be lethal. Anti-serum is available but needs to be taken within a few hours. Not yet seen, good and keep it like that.
Score: 0
Funnel Web Spider
Lethal bite. To the hospital if bitten, real quick, very lethal. Give-away: he rises on his rear legs if threathened, so be quick to run away if he does so. It's also the only spider who decides to attack, all others will try to run first. Not seen, yet.
Score: -1

The birds...
Kookaburra
Pete's alltime favorite. Laughs all the time, very loud, like a monkey (most films use Kookaburra sounds as jungle sounds). Line up two of them next to each other and they will carry on telling each other jokes - day and night. Certainly not shy, and for the Kookaburra every slice of food represents a worm, still alive, that needs smacking onto the ground. Very big beak (relative to the rest). Furry fella.
http://teachit.acreekps.vic.edu.au/animals/kookaburra.htm
Score: 9
The pinball bird
Our own name, only heard, not yet seen. Makes the sound of a 'free ball' on a retro pinball game. Score: 6
Cockatoo
Very big white parrot. There are lots of them and they hold group-meetings. The most irritating ones are high in the gumtrees overhead the caravan, eating nuts and throwing the peels downwards which then end up on the roof very loudly. According to the Ozzies they get stoned after a while from eating the (gumtree) nuts and sit quitely staring at nothing. Nice 'haircut' - Elvis style- but real annoying bastards.
Score: 6
Redbreast parrot
Holds group-meetings as well. Are somewhere inbetween a pigeon and a parrot. Lots of these as well.
Score: 4
Moan-bird
Our own naming as well. Big black. Moans all the time and has red eyes from boozing (we guess). Score: 2
The Lyrebird
OK, that does it all. Imitates aaalllllll others birds, inclusive of appearance. Just when you think you've seen it all, it imitates an umbrella in the storm. Fantastic!
Score: 10
Pelican
Great flyer. Really enjoyable to see. Enormous beak - will fit a bicycle, at least.
Score: 8
The 'all feathers'
Emu for experts. It's an Ostrich-like walking bird with shaky feather package.
Score: 7

The snakes ...
We've only just seen the one, and that was a rather flat specie (a flat-snake: overriden by a car and therefore somewhat out of proportions length-width-wise).
Apart from that there seem to be quite a few around at the Proving Ground (where Peter is based for work).
Score: 0

The Wombat...
How we wish to get a glance of him! Annet has spotted one in the dark. Small stubby dog-like thingie. Funny fella, digs deep holes.
Score: 8

Skippy!
Seen a lot of them by now, Big Reds, and small ones (Wallaby), still very funny. Oh, how they jump with those far too short front legs and enormous rear Skippy-legs.
Score: 9

Winter in Melbourne

Allright, it really is winter now. And what a nicer present for Peter's birthday than a skitrip. That is possible 'close by', only a 3 hour coachtrip, so just do-able for a day.

Rain is a regular feature now and I don't think there is another country that welcomes the rain as enthousiastically. The reservoirs (that should provide us with water next summer) are getting fuller. We are at 33% now, after a 26% low. We need at least 50% at the end of winter, so we still have some rain to go!

Peter did a test trip for work in the new Holden Ute. Very secret, the car had to wear a mask (bra), just like Zorro (well...). Inland looked quite different now: in summer it was all yellow, but now it has changed to green. Nice trip by the way - through all challenging dirt and bendy hill roads. Stopped for lunch in a small roadhouse.... (population 20). On the way the trip needs changing, because by now there is so much rain that whole areas are flooded. The weather here is all or nothing at all as well!