December in Canada is unfolding, and we are all now home on Canadian soil. As I find myself trying to figure out what time it is (there are still clocks to adjust to daylight savings, which occurred the first Sunday we were 'down under'), and yawning with jet lag, I'm happy to be going through photos on a computer, rather than my phone, and able to download with the easy click of a button, rather than the frustration of the limitations of wi-fi/broadband/iffy connections.
While in Cairns, we were lucky to spend a day exploring Aboriginal culture, through our ride in the jungle, listening to the didgeridoo, watching the dancing which was a way of story telling, (in the middle of that epic rainstorm - what an experience that was!) and a bit of a chance to try out the use of a boomerang, essential to the survival of a hunting people in the outback. Lets just say its a good thing our meals don't depend on our throwing ability, but we did have a lot of fun. I tried to get photos of everyone of us trying this out...and you'll find them below. It was a lot of fun being down under, exploring two countries, trying out some new food, ideas, experiences and seeing such glorious sights together. For most of us, this was a 'bucket list' trip, a chance to do something 'for once in our lives'. Whether that was learning about Captain Cook and his botanist Mr. Banks who learned so much through their travels 250 years ago; (these glorious pink flowers are "Banksia" the genus named for said botanist)
(Map of Captain Cook's Voyages)
Whether it was seeing the geysers in Rotarua, the movie set at Hobbiton, trying out a zip line, or snorkeling; tasting mussels or Vegemite ( did anyone try Vegemite?); racing down a hill in a "luge" or sailing behind a boat on a Para-sail; trying as many flavors of delicious New Zealand creamy ice cream as we could or taking a deep breath before heading waaay up high in the 'Sky Ride' at Kuranda, and sometimes needing to close our eyes... (okay, that was me); feeling awed by the Sydney Opera house and the location it is set it, or "aaaw's as we held a Koala or fed a kangaroo; watching the dolphins in the mist of Milford Sound and the sunset from the height of the Sydney Tower.......
... - we all experienced a 'moment' in life which will be one of the 'moments' in our lives that is forever remembered.
Thanks for being a part of it all. Thanks for your patience, kindness, laughter, willingness to risk and try things out, to forgive our mistakes and to generally make this a wonderful holiday for us all. If we could do anything over we'd forbid all cold bugs and the cold rain in New Zealand, but as it was, we were grateful no one complained that we kept wearing the same (warm) clothes over and over!
And now we return (unlike our boomerangs!) to home and Advent, a season of preparation and celebration. May this homecoming be a time of hope, peace, joy and love, knowing how small this world is, how full of wonder, and a renewed sense that we are all part of a wondrous creation.
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