Bellingen, Australia (Sydney to Newcastle to Bellingen)
After two days on the beaches of Australia (including boogie board surfing in Newcastle) today finds us in our own cabin at a youth hostel on a river in Bellingen, Australia overlooking green mountains in the distance. Last night's heat made swimming in the river a delight - something a lot of people do in this area - though I did wonder about freshwater crocs so stayed in the shallows with Ben (perfect croc bait). Read more about freshwater crocs today and am assured they are only in the tropics of Oz - further north of us. So today will likely include tubing and staying cool on the river.
Last night at dusk the darkening sky was filled with whir of hundreds of flying foxes, or fruit bats as they are also known, flying over our heads and off into the distance - as Amelia said it looked like they were migrating. The bats are much bigger than ours at home but their diet only consists of fruit, pollen and necter - hence the name. Interestingly, since they don't eat flying insects they don't have echolocation abilities.
Right below our balcony here at the hostel fuzzy baby chicks are living in enclosure. Never too far from the chick enclosure is a Water Dragon named Nigel - a lizard about 1 1/2 feet long - he's clearly full of hope that at some point one of the chicks will be within his leathery grasp.
Jackie
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