Just off the dive boat

I just got back to our hotel in Cairns after five days of liveaboard diving on the great barrier reef. I'm typing this post from a public computer at the hotel, so I can't post the pictures yet, but I will in a few days when we're back in sydney. I got to do 20 dives at three different sites, from 20-100 feet of depth, and saw just about every sort of ocean creature you can think off. The night dives were especially great for seeing things moving over the reef surface. I saw hundreds of different types of fish including Nemo, lots of sea turtles, a bunch of sharks (one of which came right up in my face), giant clams, sea fans, hard and soft corals, lobsters, and a black and white speckled moray eel. I actually ended up staying for an extra night because I liked it so much, and completed my advanced diver course. There are so many stories to tell when I get back home.

On Vacation

There haven't been any recent posts because I'm currently on spring break in Ayers Rock and Cairns. Once I get back (Sept. 28) I'll post all of the pictures from the trip. Just hang in there.

Rainbow Lorikeets

On my way to class this morning I saw a Rainbow Lorikeet nest inside a hollow tree. I brought my camera the next time I walked past and got some interesting pictures of them. At first the male was sitting on the edge of the hole standing guard while the female sat on the nest inside, but while I was standing there the female came out and took the male's place and he went back to take a turn on the eggs. All of it is caught on film. Click the photo link and look for the new pictures in the 'Wildlife' album.

Kangaroo Meat

I had a kangaroo stir fry for dinner tonight. The look and taste was kind of like beef, but it wasn't quite as flavorful. Very lean too, not a scrap of fat in it. I'm pretty sure this is the first time I've eaten rodent. For everyone at home: don't worry, cows are much better :)

Taronga Zoo

Yesterday we went to the Taronga Zoo. It's a really amazing place right on the Sydney Harbor. There are all sorts of critters in there, from Australia and several places all over the world. We took a ferry and then a gondola to get to it. When you're looking at the pictures (click the link at the top left of the page), look for the Red Panda, which looks like a bushy red fox sleeping on a tree branch and is one of the rarest animals in the world. The chimps are really funny too. The city can be seen across the harbor from a lot of places in the zoo.