... and sea turtles say...

One of the best things about being away is seeing how the kids respond to different things. Before we left, all animals barked, according to Dylan, yet he now understands that some might baaa and has learnt new words like 'cow' 'sheep' 'bird and 'fish'.

He is also quite fond of the many walks we've been on, and has even climbed up one of Australia's deepest gorges, Porcupine Gorge (though insisted Daddy carry him down).

But the last couple of days have proved to offer some of his better entertainment. Yesterday we went to Townsville's water park on The Strand and he had a great time. It took him a little while to get into it, but once he was completely wet, there was no stopping him. Especially on the slide, which was my fave. He'd come spiralling down and at the bottom, he'd fly off, float in the air a second and then thump onto the (rubber) ground. He'd be straight back up to the top and by the end wasn't bothered at all when he happened to get caught under various dumps or sprays of water. A while later, we even passed a couple who told us they'd had the most entretaining half hour just watching him play.

Today, we went to the aquarium and while he was rather amusing watching the fish, squealing with delight and running about, I was most impressed when, during a short presentation about sea turtles, he drowned out the guide's voice as he enthusiastically pointed at the screen and proceeded to bark.

One cold morning

After setting off with just this

we drove past lots of this

and finally, got to wake and dress early enough to have this taken during sunrise last Wednesday, before the ice melted off the windscreen and we changed into shorts and t-shirts.

Outback update

A week in and we've covered a few kilometres, lazed in the sun, blinked red dust out of our eyes, watched the sun set and rise, celebrated an eighth birthday and even copped a little sunburn.

Of the things we haven't done, the one you probably care most about is that we haven't yet downloaded any photos onto the laptop, but trust me, Hamish has taken enough that he won't fit many more on his camera if we don't download them soon.

So I'll share one or two soon. Meanwhile, we're heading out of Coober Pedy in the morning and hope to make it to Erldunda sometime in the afternoon, ideally without strangling any of the short ones.

So long, Melbourne winter

It's been the craziest kind of week I've ever had, I think. Good crazy though, so long as I'll be able to find all the important things over the next few weeks I intended to take.

After a few final Melbourne outings for a while, including the pre-launch celebration of First taste at Sospeso Readings last night, which was awesome, and then the last minute packing today that we fitted in around a very informal and one week early birthday celebration for Hamish, we may actually be almost ready to go.

There were heaps of things I wanted to say and I'm a little afraid to check my to-do list as I'm not sure I want to realise which things I actually never got around to doing, but I'm very close to letting all that go.

We will have internet access every now and then while we're on the road, so no doubt I'll find time to post a glorious picture or two and to let you know how warm where we are might be. After the super-cold of this last week, I'm very much looking forward to warmth. I know I won't find it in Adelaide, where I'm featuring at Friendly Street Poets on Tuesday (although I'm sure THAT will be warm), but in a week from now we'll probably be in Coober Pedy, or further north, so double figured temperatures are definitely on the cards.