Greatest day ever!

Happy Christmas Eve!
I know I said my next post would be about my birthday.  I'll get to that, eventually.  But I have to write about our day today, because it was awesome!
It was a day to remember, for sure.
We took our time getting out the door this morning.  Left here about 10, and that's saying something since the sun comes up about 5 in the morning.
We loaded in the car (a Holden 4-door sedan, fits our family very well), and headed North.  I'm getting the hang of driving here quite well, and I have become a huge fan of roundabouts.  We passed through town and took the road toward Byfield, eventually turning West.  And arrived at our destination, the Cooberrie Park Wildlife Sanctuary.  Fifteen minute drive from town.  If you're ever in the area, I highly recommend you visit!
After we paid our entry, and passed through the main gate, we were immediately greeted by sounds of wildlife.  Mostly very loud birds.
And personally greeted by the wildlife!  Ducks, geese, peacocks, guinea fowl, chickens.
Oh yeah, kangaroos and emus!

We bought bags of animal food, which made us very popular, and as we wandered through the park looking at the animals in the pens, we were followed.  Mostly by the kangaroos, peacocks, and ducks.
We got to see foxes, dingos, crocodiles (both freshwater and saltwater), all kinds of snakes, lizards, cassowaries, bettongs, dragons, a wombat, sugar gliders, and many birds.  We saw rainbow lorikeets (which live wild in the trees near our apartment), kookaburras (one of these actually landed by the pool at our apartment while we were swimming the other day), parrots, and a tawny frogmouth.  And as we wandered around looking, we frequently stopped to stoop and feed whatever was near.  Except the emus.  They pecked hard at a handful of food, knocking it everywhere.

Emu and peacock

Grace had a follower

Wombat

And the highlight was the animal show.  The staff talked about, and then let us hold two kinds of skinks, a spiny dragon, and a carpet python "Cutie Pie".


Carpet python



The star of the show, however, was the koala.  A 7 year old sweet female.  We all got a turn holding her.  And we learned that koalas smell great!  Like eucalyptus.  And they're incredibly soft!

As for me, I am now a lover of kangaroos.  I found that they like to be rubbed under their neck.

Altogether, a wonderful experience!
After that, back home to rest and clean up, with a stop along the way at the market.

For dinner, we called Thai Takeaway.  We picked up our order of pad thai, fried rice, and sweet/sour chicken, and headed across the street to the beach where we ate and watched the waves.  Beautiful!

Selfie stick.  Thanks Amy!

We left the beach, drove to church, and enjoyed a quiet little Christmas Eve service.
Back home, Tricia is cooking (think she got the oven figured out... I hope), Maggie working a jigsaw puzzle, and I made a great discovery...
Yesterday's Tonight Show comes on at 8:15, with no commercials!

The kids are tracking Santa, have put out reindeer food, and are in their Christmas pajamas.  Soon we'll read the Texas Night Before Christmas, and then The Night Before Christmas as my parents did every year, and they'll be off to bed.

Here's to a great Christmas Eve in our new home, great adventures, and wishing all who read this a Merry Christmas.  We'll beat the Americans to it by a few hours!
Good night-
Peter