Happy Easter and ANZAC day!

Happy Easter to you!!!

All of Australia has a 5-day holiday this weekend. Almost everything closes Good Friday through ANZAC (Australia & New Zealand Marine Corps) day which falls on Tuesday April 25 this year.

We were thinking about traveling around Australia or driving south to Marg River for this long holiday, but decided to stay put and enjoy our home. (plus airfare skyrocketed last month!) So we've been sleeping in (one day til 11am!!!), playing with the dogs and cooking! I've made some really yummy treats.... homemade granola, an apple crisp, spinach & Gouda quiche, everything-but-the-kitchen-sink frittata. Today....it's blueberry muffins or oatmeal pancakes??? What sounds good to you? :)

Tomorrow I will attempt the traditional ANZAC cookie (or biscuit as they're called over here) made with local honey, oatmeal, coconut and golden syrup.

I really miss my family during the holidays and Easter isn't an exception! Ricky and I made the weekend special though. We surprised each other with Easter baskets filled with yummy goodies, sipped champagne during a leisurely brunch and enjoyed my apple crisp and coffee over great conversation with friends. Oh and not to forget.... lots of chocolate easter eggs!!! yummm!

Part 1 Kangaroo Island: The Galapagos of Australia

My youngest sister Adele, my mom and dad made the journey down under to visit us in March. We spent one week in Perth, Kangaroo Island for 4 days then Melbourne for 2 days. It was a perfect 2 week trip, in my opinion. We relaxed and went to the beach in Perth, saw amazing wildlife and had an interesting epicurean experience on Kangaroo Island, then enjoyed the hustle and bustle in Melbourne.

For those of you (probably most) who are unfamiliar with Australia's geography, here's a map of our travels:

We arrived on Kangaroo island from Adelaide and drove across the country side. The minute we arrived at Southern Ocean Lodge, I knew we were going to have the most relaxing, luxurious experience!!! It is the most majestic place. The views were breathtaking, the lodge itself was very cozy and we had plenty of laughs over drinks and delicious local, organic cuisine. This could be my favorite place on earth. Seriously.

You must check out these pics. A luxury travel guide recently posted some professional photography of the lodge:
http://www.thetailor.com.au/southern-ocean-lodge-gallery/

Here are some of my not-so-professional snapshots of the Lodge.

Beautiful Adele sitting in lobby at Southern Ocean Lodge (SOL)

Our room and its deck. Several rooms had hot tubs on their balcony!

Main dining room and lobby at SOL

View from our room

Another view from our room

Snapshot from our clifftop walk

Dad and Adele on our clifftop walk

Another gorgeous view from hotel

The wildlife on Kangaroo Island is incredible and very fascinating. In one day we saw dolphins, seals, kangaroos, koalas, and endangered species of birds! I'll share all of these fascinating pics in future posts. In the mean time, check out these amazing pics of kangaroo mommas and their babies or "joeys." We went on a evening tour called canapes and kangaroos that are our hotel put together. It was a beautiful evening. We enjoyed watching and learning about kangaroos in their natural habitat while sipping Southern Australian white wine.

My favorite!

Trip Home

ATTENTION ATTENTION!

Ricky and I are coming home! We booked our tickets! We fly into DFW on June 22 and spend 2 weeks in Tulsa, Grand Lake and Dallas. Please mark your iCal because we'd love to see you! It will be the dead of winter in Perth (rainy and in the 50s) and the heat of OK summer! And plus we can't miss our favorite holiday, 4th of July on the lake!

JUNE 22, 2011 - JULY 8, 2011

Change of Season!

If you check the weather over here in Perth, you will definitely notice a bit of change! Summer has ended and now we are transitioning into fall. It's dropped down to the 70s and 80s during the day and the 50s and 60s in the mornings/evenings. nice and cool - such a relief!! We even had a thunderstorm last week. I think it was our 2nd or 3rd one since we moved here last October. It's really crazy everyone at home is enjoying a different season change! We aren't seeing any leaves change but nothing beats opening up all the doors and windows for a fresh breeze! Not to mention .... light jackets and beach walks!!! It's funny how your body craves a change after awhile. For you, it may be the warm sun on your face. For me, it's the goosebumps on my arms! :)

Hope everyone is enjoying the warm sun and azaleas in the northern hemisphere!

Pink Roses in Australia

More Visitors!

We just heard the most amazing news today!!! Our best friends, the Nelsons are coming to see us in Perth this May! Leslie and Riley are the sweetest, most fun couple and we cannot wait to have them here!!! It will be nice, fall weather....perfect for wine tasting in Margaret River. I look forward to sipping some WA chard and taking walks on the beach with Les! I know Ricky can't wait to play tennis with Riley. And we're clearing the living room for a dance party with Gus and Fred.