WEEK 14
Dear Lincoln, Lilliana, Leni, Juliana, Evyn, Jack, Faye, Chloe, Emerson, Lake, Rita, Violet, and Ella,
This week I stayed with Chloe and Holly, who live just north of Sydney. They are so lucky because they live close to some beautiful National Park land, which is full of tree-lined valleys and winding creeks, and they are also not too far from some really amazing beaches. Chloe is 6½ and Holly just turned 3.
I hardly had time to unpack my bags when I had to pack up another bag because we were going camping.
Rosie the dog was not very impressed that she had to be left behind with the girls’ grandparents because, unfortunately, dogs are not allowed at the campground.
On the way, the girls’ dad told me all about drop bears and hoop snakes. Drop bears are bears that live in trees and drop down in the middle of the night on top of your tent. Hoop snakes are snakes that can roll themselves into a big hoop and roll down a hill getting faster and faster until they hit you and knock you over. I wasn’t sure whether to believe him or not. What do you think? Do you think he was making it all up?!
What I did believe, or learn, that I didn’t know before, was that it is really important to pitch your tent away from the super tall gum trees because it is possible for branches to snap off in the middle of the night, and if they fell on your tent from that high up, they could really hurt you. We had to tell this guy to move his tent to a safer area.
There was some really cool playground equipment at the campsite. There was a huge saucer swing that could fit around ten kids in it at once, and there was a flying fox, which is a long pole with a seat on the end that is attached to a wire that you slide along. It looked so much fun.
Holly taught me how you park your bike in a wide open space if there is nothing to lean it against. You turn it upside down!
While Chloe’s dad made 104 trips to the car to bring our stuff over to the tent and picnic area, we went exploring.
First we discovered the toilet block, the best camping toilets I have ever seen. I was very impressed!
They were built because one of Chloe’s neighbors campaigned to the local council for them. Well done, him! Then we went on a bush walk. This was my very first bush walk and they all told me to be careful to look out for snakes, spiders and giant ants!
We saw some beautiful sights walking through the bush, including these bushes that only flower when they are burnt in a fire!
We also saw a big cliff overhanging the creek below. Some people had written “JUMP” in the sand below, encouraging you to jump off the cliff. We didn’t think it was a good idea without knowing how deep the creek was below.
When we got back, it was time for dinner.
We had an extra, uninvited guest at dinner. This little possum decided to join us.
Wait! Sorry, that's not the possum! This is the possum!
I got a little confused because Chloe’s mom likes to call both Chloe and Holly her possums. When she was pointing this one out to me, at first I didn’t realize she was talking about a real one! She also sometimes calls the girls Hurricane Holly and Cyclone Chloe which, after seeing the quiet, peaceful Possum, I think probably suits them better!
After dinner we had so much fun toasting marshmallows in the campfire that one of the dads had built. One of the older girls was really good at making toasting forks out of long branches. She sharpened the ends so we could get the marshmallow on them and put them in the fire without getting too close.
We had a really good sleep (with no interruptions from drop bears!) and I was woken up by a couple of Kookaburras. They are native Australian birds. They look very cute, but they really are super loud!
I'm not quite sure what they call these one-legged birds!
The next day we did more exploring. We went to a different part of the creek where we found a group of people playing music, and some people with kayaks.
After the excitement of camping we needed a few days hanging out at home and chilling out. I found out lots more about Chloe and Holly.
Like the fact that Chloe plays the trumpet, and Holly makes the best peanut butter and jelly sandwiches I have ever seen a 3 year-old make.
But the most impressive skill Holly has, is her ability to drive a car... with only a little bit of help from her mom!
As Lincoln knows, I make the best popcorn. Chloe and Holly love popcorn so one night we sent their mom and dad out for dinner and we had a huge bowl of popcorn and watched the movie of Mary Poppins. It’s one of their favorite movies.
Holly loves dressing up and showed me her Little Red Riding Hood impression using a red blanket.
She also loved dressing up as me!
Both Chloe and Holly love doing art projects. Holly painted me a picture, and Chloe made a beautiful card for her mom and dad, for their anniversary.
Chloe and Holly love their house so much because it is very close to a park with swings and... a flying fox! They are both really good at it. Chloe can even stand up on it. I had a go on it but I looked a little silly so I didn’t let them take a photo of me doing it!
At school, Chloe’s class was learning all about different methods of transport so her teacher asked me to come and do a talk to the class about all the different types of transport I’d used or seen on my travels. Chloe's mom took loads of pictures while I was doing the talk.
We counted 31 types of transport in total! That was including this method of transport... the old-fashioned “dad’s shoulders” ride!
That photo was of our camping trip, where we had also seen this method of transport, a tug boat. Although I hadn't seen many made out of cake and candy before!
Of course, because I had done a talk to Chloe’s school, Holly wanted me to do a talk at her school. I told them all about the places I’d traveled to and also sang some songs with them.
Holly only goes to school three days a week so one day when Chloe was at school, I went on a Tiki tour (an Australian term for a “mini tour”) around their local beaches. The drive was beautiful. All around Sydney there are so many bays and creeks and rivers.
There is water everywhere and there are houses built near water and many people have boats.
Because so many houses are built on steep hills around the creeks and bays, many people have a travelator, which is a small outside elevator. This one was really cool.
Can you see the track that runs down beside the house.
This way people don't have to carry heavy things up all those steps from the house to the car.
We stopped in a lovely spot called Church Point for lunch.
Just out in the bay is an island called Scotland Island.
It is a tiny island and you can’t drive onto it, you have to take your little motor boat. Or you can take a really tiny ferry that fits about 8 people on it. One of Holly’s uncles lives on this island.
Then we went to the most beautiful beach I have ever seen (I know I keep saying that, but seriously, they just keep getting better and better!)
It was a long beach with really soft sand and super clean water.
The waves weren’t too big, and the best thing was a swimming pool that was cut out of the rocks and filled with sea water. It is an Olympic sized pool so you can really train hard in it.
Behind the pool we found a amazing cluster of rocks to climb over.
The waves crash over the rocks and when the water drains away some is left in little rocks pools that fill up with seaweed and tiny fishes and crabs.
Lots of fishermen like to fish off the rocks, and we also saw some interesting carvings.
I had so many cool adventures with Chloe and Holly and just before I left they had one more to take me on. Near where their other grandparents live (their dad’s parents) is a big park where hundreds of kangaroos live. We went to see them.
Can you see how they stand on two feet and their long tail is flat on the ground to help them keep their balance.
They love to play-fight too.
They are so tame, they come right up to the car, especially if they think you might have some food for them.
This one saw that I had no food and, after begging for a while, bounced away!
I was very sad to say goodbye to Chloe and Holly. I actually left my Mary Poppins umbrella at their house for them to look after, and so it could remind me of them. But I had to move on and travel further north to discover even more beautiful beaches.
The adventure continues!
Hope you are all well. Miss you all. Lots of love,
Susie xxxx
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