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- #126
You have to be worn out @AuzzieMatt
AussieMatt travels home - a thread
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- #127
Last dump of the zoo.
My spirit animal.
Funny thing about wombats, their poop is shaped as a cube...weird.
These guys are also known as spiny ant eaters.
Another emu.
If you Google these fellas, you'll see they look like the happiest things on Earth because they look like they're smiling from face on.
Bin chicken!
Aussie Pelican
After a long hot day (it was 87° today) I smashed a few of these.
I hope I didn't bore anyone with this dump. It's not all the photo's I took, but they were to give you all a little look at our unique fauna.
My spirit animal.
Funny thing about wombats, their poop is shaped as a cube...weird.
These guys are also known as spiny ant eaters.
Another emu.
If you Google these fellas, you'll see they look like the happiest things on Earth because they look like they're smiling from face on.
Bin chicken!
Aussie Pelican
After a long hot day (it was 87° today) I smashed a few of these.
I hope I didn't bore anyone with this dump. It's not all the photo's I took, but they were to give you all a little look at our unique fauna.
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- #128
I'm a bit weary but I'll have time for sleep later.
- Thread starter
- #129
Blame a certain Canadian transplant, he wanted to see some!
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That guy!!!
This has been a great follow. Congrats to your brother as well.
Boring no one, at least not me. I've thoroughly enjoyed the tour of Australia and appreciate you bringing us along!!
You're a great tour guide @AuzzieMatt, really enjoying this thread!
Thanks for sharing @AuzzieMatt! I've really enjoyed following along 
Great pictures and you deserve a few cold ones.
Look under the toilet seat as well, just to make sure
I remember my last job in Perth, every morning going to the bakery for the breakfast pie and getting serenaded by the bin chickens, truly not a delightful sound.
Wonder if we have some audio @AuzzieMatt ?
Wonder if we have some audio @AuzzieMatt ?
- Thread starter
- #143
No mate, magpies warbling every morning. I miss that sound but I don't miss getting dive bombed in the spring.
Could've been the magpies too, being a kiwi all I know is they were bloody annoying at 6am and all I could so were the ugly big chickens.
Glad you're having a good time in the homeland mate, taken the boys down to get them introduced to all the lollys you grew up with as well? My daughter has her favorites now when we go home.
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- #145
Well, he bought 2 packs of Tim Tams to share with people when we get back. He also like wagon wheels.
- Thread starter
- #146
Today was a more relaxed day for us today. The Minister and Mum went into the city for a girl's day.
Connor and I went to Costco and I got 3 pails, yes pails, of Vegemite to bring back. We also went to Big W and I bought another suitcase to bring all the extra crap home.
Stopped in at Dunnings Golf to have a look. The store wasn't that impressive and the only thing cheaper than in the US were Callaway Chrome Tour balls. They were about $5 cheaper than home. Irons look to be generally sold by the iron and were up to AU$335 a pop. Drivers were around AU$900-1,000 each.
We also went to the grocery store to grab a few treats to bring back home, including some honey that the bees were feeding from the Iron Bark eucalyptus tree.
Later in the arvo, Mum's husband and I went to the golf club they're members of (they don't play so beats me) for a beer and I got this photo of the #11 tee.
Just recharging the batteries today which was good not to be rushing around.
Connor and I went to Costco and I got 3 pails, yes pails, of Vegemite to bring back. We also went to Big W and I bought another suitcase to bring all the extra crap home.
Stopped in at Dunnings Golf to have a look. The store wasn't that impressive and the only thing cheaper than in the US were Callaway Chrome Tour balls. They were about $5 cheaper than home. Irons look to be generally sold by the iron and were up to AU$335 a pop. Drivers were around AU$900-1,000 each.
We also went to the grocery store to grab a few treats to bring back home, including some honey that the bees were feeding from the Iron Bark eucalyptus tree.
Later in the arvo, Mum's husband and I went to the golf club they're members of (they don't play so beats me) for a beer and I got this photo of the #11 tee.
Just recharging the batteries today which was good not to be rushing around.
- Thread starter
- #147
This morning we went for Yum Cha (dim sum in Americanese) down near one of my old stomping grounds.
As we have a huge Chinese population in Australia, our Chinese food is authentic and not westernized.
Prawn dumplings
BBQ Pork Bun
Dim Sims (really a Chinese Aussie invention from the 1940's based on siu mai)
The highlight of any Yum Cha for me is the chickens feet. Yes, actual chickens feet. They're delicious.
Connor tried them and he liked it so much he had another one.
Connor said it was the best food he's ever eaten and this was a kid who only ate chicken nuggets and french fries.
We're leaving in about 10 minutes to go out for a special dinner tonight. More to come...
As we have a huge Chinese population in Australia, our Chinese food is authentic and not westernized.
Prawn dumplings
BBQ Pork Bun
Dim Sims (really a Chinese Aussie invention from the 1940's based on siu mai)
The highlight of any Yum Cha for me is the chickens feet. Yes, actual chickens feet. They're delicious.
Connor tried them and he liked it so much he had another one.
Connor said it was the best food he's ever eaten and this was a kid who only ate chicken nuggets and french fries.
We're leaving in about 10 minutes to go out for a special dinner tonight. More to come...
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All that food looks amazing! Never tried chicken's feet, but I'd give them a shot. It looks like a variation of General Tso's chicken.
Nothing like the weekly service , or more frequently at the Cathedral of Bunnings. And the scent of snags , detours you before you’ve even got a greeting lol at the entrance
Today we traveled over the Blue Mountains to Bathurst to see my Dad's side of the family. It's a 2.5 hour 180 kilometre/111 mile trip one way through the countryside.
On our way we stopped at Blue Mountains Ugg Boots at Faulconbridge. (Follow the link and you can order them from the manufacturer in Australia for delivery to the USA or elsewhere, I have before and I've still got the Uggs) The Minister was making noise about wanting a pair but funnily enough, when we got there, she said she didn't. So Connor and I both got a pair of scuffs for ourselves like these.
While we were there we stopped at Maccas
View attachment 9251153
for brekkie and I filled up the chariot next door. The tank was half full
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And of course this thing needs 95 octane, which is the bottom price of AU$2.149 per litre. It was US$51.
After that kick to the stones, we headed off to arguably one of the best road racing courses in the world.
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This is actually all public roads except on race day. So, being public roads, I wanted to drive it because when I was racing, I never had the opportunity to race there. The Minister was kind enough to hold the phone for me. The speed limit around the track is 60kph or about 40mph. The guys in the V8 Supercars go upwards of 280kph/175mph on the track and the really twisty bits, like the corkscrew and the dipper, I was down to around 25kph/15mph and they do 60kph/40mph or more.
After the lap, which had me grinning from ear to ear, we headed to my cousins house, which is less than 5 minutes up the road.
We had a barbie (no shrimp), smashed some beers and just had a good time.
View attachment 9251144
It was great seeing everyone again and meeting the new additions to the family, including all of the kids (who've been born while I've been in the US) and one of my cousins husbands.
This is just my Uncle and Aunt (they're divorced), their kids, their kids kids and Connor and I. Basically my Dad's side of the family.
View attachment 9251147
Someone looks a bit grumpy in the front row!
This is my Dad's only brother and Connor, the Minister and me.
View attachment 9251148
And this is everyone.
View attachment 9251152
The guys on either side are my cousins husbands and someone is still grumpy.
One the way back we stopped in the Blue Mountains again and saw the Three Sisters, which is an iconic (in Australia) rock formation and an area of significance to the local aborigines.
View attachment 9251150
View attachment 9251151
It was a great day catching up with family that I haven't seen, in some cases, for 15 years and for Connor to meet more of his family.
Love the Ugg boots ) especially , more that they were invented here ….
