Firstly, thank you for all the 'Happy Birthdays'. I turned Thirty in style, diving with the SO on the Great Barrier Reef and then taking a trip up the coast to explore tropical Queensland. It was pretty brilliant (apart from some illness threatening to derail the trip) and certainly a birthday to remember.
I'm on the last leg of my bit in Australia, and though it was an unexpected visit, it's been really great. I didn't think about it much beforehand but I've pretty much been living in Sydney for three months now. One of the best outcomes has been all the time I get to spend with my excellent friend Sarah Vella. It's reminded me about how you can be absent for years at a time, but then if you're really meant for one another you just pick up where you left off and get on with it.
I've come to really enjoy hanging out in Sydney. I've had a bit of a turbulent past with this city but I think it's fully redeemed itself now. Next week I'm head off to the next thing, and it's all come around so fast. I'm sure I'll come to miss all the home comforts that I've gotten used to again.
I've read back over my posts from last year and realised I'm missing some vital animal-based content. When I'm back on a conservation project (in May) you'll definitely get a lot of wildlife chat, but in the meantime I'll revive my 'animal of the week' feature...
Animals of the week - Australian Special!
1. This koala, that I saw in Brisbane in March, pretending to be a bush.
2. This rabbit, who makes friends with salad:
3. These bears, who just wanted a healthy snack:
4. This rare Eastern Quoll I saw in Port Douglas:
5. This really helpful doggy: