Australia: Not every day is a koala-hugging day

Totems in the botanic gardens.

After yesterday’s big adventure, you’re probably wondering how we topped it today. The answer is: We did not, nor did we even try. After all, not every day can be a koala-hugging day.

We’re all still processing our amazing experience yesterday. I now totally understand why actress Kristen Bell freaked out when a sloth showed up at her house. I still cannot believe that I held a koala.

So I think that if we had 21 straight days of mind-blowing adventures, our heads would probably explode, which was why today was a totally normal non-koala-hugging day.

So, what did we do?

To begin with, we managed to sleep in until 5 a.m., which was a nice improvement over yesterday. Then we had a mellow morning, which included both First Breakfast and then Second Breakfast. We read. Some of us played games on our Nintendo DS’s. We got caught up on the Olympics*.

* The TV coverage is so. much. better. in Oz than it is in the U.S. and not just because Bob Costas is not involved.

And then…

… then we got to meet Mooselet (she of the Vegemite incident), who I’ve known online for several years. She and her family came to Oz from the U.S. about a decade ago and are rapidly becoming full-on Aussies.

Anway, Mooselet came and picked us up in her car and we headed just outside of town to Mount Coot-tha, which is visible from nearly everywhere in Brisbane. We drove all over the mountain and then we stopped at the Brisbane Botanic Gardens for some walking around and great views of Brisbane, plus a closer look at some of the amazing vegetation that Australia has to offer. For example, you know that song that starts off Kookaburra sits in the old gum tree…? I found out today that gum trees are a type of eucalyptus, of which there are more than 700 kinds. I have also learned that kookaburras sound a bit freaky when they start making their simian-esque calls and I am really glad that I don’t have any living in my backyard.

After we left the Botanic Gardens, we drove to the very top of Mount Coot-tha to take in the views.

Unfortunately, this photo doesn’t even do justice to the view. Beyond the city, one can see Moreton Bay in the distance. Not pictured, but to the right of the view above, is the Great Dividing Range. Here’s another not-doing-it-justice photo:

After that, we had lunch at a lovely cafe right next to where I took those photos. Then Mooselet drove us through Brisbane and showed us some of the lovely neighborhoods. She also pulled into a grocery store so that we could get some necessary supplies* and pick up dinner. We’ve been eating in at our apartment because we’re so wiped out by the end of the day that we don’t have the energy to go out. Everyone’s goal tonight is to stay up until a more normal bedtime, rather than collapsing in an exhausted heap just moments after clearing the dinner dishes.

* “Supplies” in this case would be a variety of Aussie chocolate.

As I type this, the sun is setting in Brisbane and the sky is all sorts of lovely colors.

So no, it wasn’t a koala-hugging day, but it was still a lovely one all the same.

As for tomorrow, I’m not even sure what we’re doing. We’ve tossed about different plans, but will wait and decide tomorrow. With any luck, for once we’ll sleep in until the sun has risen.

Until then…