Melbourne

We put our trailer in storage in and drove to Dallas to catch a flight to Melbourne to see my brother Ian and his family.

Trailer in storage in Texas

  

Welcome to Melbourne!

We stayed at Ian's place. A wonderful house with a fantastic yard in the hills.

Ian's family

 The yard is a magnet for birds, and Australian birds are a lot of fun.

Parrots

  Kookaburras were our favorite.  They will eat right our of your hand.

Kookaburras

Cockatoos are everywhere in Australia, like pigeons in New York. They are responsible for the damage to the wood deck railing, the patio furniture, and anything else wood that they decide to chew on.

Cockatoo

Lorikeets are colorful and probably would have made a bigger impression if it wasn't for the cockatoos and Kookaburras.

Lorikeets

 Kookaburra and magpie vying for a snack.

Rebecca and friends

 Not to be outdone by the birds, a possum came looking for food too.

Possum

 We drove down to see Brighton Beach and walked on the sand.

Brighton Beach Bathing Boxes

Brighton Beach

We took the train into the city and spent a day exploring downtown. 

St. Paul's Cathedral

 Melbourne is a buzzing hive of activity!

"Queen Bee" by Richard Stringer

Queen Victoria Market

The Sherbrooke Forest is home to the Mountain Ash, the tallest flowering plant on Earth.  Despite the name, they are a type of Eucalyptus, not an Ash.

Mountain Ash

Sherbrooke Forest

 The forest is home to the Superb Lyrebird, who lives up to its name both in appearance and vocalization.

Superb Lyrebird

Superb Lyrebird