We have one more week left of winter break so I thought I'd give you a quick update on our recent activities. It will probably be a long time before I can think of June/July/August as anything other than "summer" but the cooler days and rain are a good reminder that it isn't summer here. But it would take a whole lot more than cool, wet days to dampen my enthusiasm for exploring our hometown - particularly since you can count on a beautiful sunny day to break things up.
- We had one such day on Sunday and took full advantage by going whale watching at Cape Solander, about 45 minutes south of our house. Humpbacks, Southern Right and Minke whales all pass by Australia on their annual migration and can be seen off the coast of Sydney between May and October. The peak time is typically the first week of July. Turns out the whales are operating on their own schedule this year and while more than 1,500 have made their way past the South Coast of NSW in recent months the numbers are still quite low. When we arrived at Cape Solander on Sunday, the outlook was not good. They had only seen 1 humpback on Saturday and they had seen
5 at 7:30am on Sunday but none since. (they usually see 60-80/day in
early July.) But the view was incredible and the weather perfect so we
decided to stay for awhile. Sophia befriended the migration study
volunteers, who loved the whale book she brought to help identify the whales we
might see. Our patience was rewarded with 4 humpback whales, who swam
close enough to our vantage point that we didn't even need the
binoculars.
- We had a Malacarne family "meet-up"in Kauai the last week of June. It was so wonderful to see my parents, sisters and their families. The kids loved playing with their cousins - and were enamored by the two newest additions, Jackson (6 months) and Mara (9 months.) The 10 hour flight seemed like a breeze compared to the 16 hours it would have taken to get to LA or Dallas. So glad everyone was willing to meet us in the middle of the Pacific! Snorkeling, boogie boarding and exploring were the main activities. Zachary and I got so sick on the helicopter ride that I opted out of the snorkel trip but Grandma and Uncle Jake went in my place and fun was had by all. (Gave me some extra time with my sisters, nieces and nephews!) Next year at Disney, perhaps?
- We ended our Hawaii vacation with two days in Oahu with one goal in mind - giving the kids a chance to swim with dolphins. They were in heaven!
- I am looking forward to tagging along with Andy on a few upcoming business trips. Would you believe that i have yet fly anywhere in Australia since we arrived? That is all about to change - am going to Melbourne for a night next week and then to Noosa on the "sunshine coast"in August. Will be sure to tell you all about both trips.
School starts back next Tuesday so there is still some time to squeeze in a few more things. Will likely hit some musuems later in the week and possibly head up to the Blue Mountains to an animal park I've heard some good things about. Of course, the kids have already been to the zoo this week - LOVE those "Friends of the Zoo" annual passes. We have an extra one for guests so come on down and see us!
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