We were up early for breakfast and once again, it was a very nice buffet selection of delicious food. Among the condiments offered for breakfast was a jar of Vegemite. I decided to try it on a piece of toast. When it first hit my tongue, I thought, hmmm…this isn’t too bad, but then the bitter taste kicked in, and yuck…it’s actually pretty vile. I stuck with scrambled eggs, baked tomato, and a thick slice of toasted raisin bread smeared with peanut butter and marmalade. Delicious!

I forgot to mention in my other posts, that all over Melbourne, you can see scooters parked on the sidewalks. We were curious. Do people just borrow them and then leave them somewhere else?  Apparently, you can purchase a card and that card allows you to take a scooter and use it for as long as you like, and then you can leave it anywhere so the next person who might need it can pick it up. Helmets are also attached to the scooters. It’s a pretty neat system.

Australia is now in its fall season and the weather is quite lovely. Apparently summers are extremely hot and not very pleasant for touring so we are happy that we opted to travel at this time of year, which is autumn. 

After breakfast, we boarded our coach and our driver and guide Graham took us on a journey to the Dandenong Ranges, a set of low mountain ranges that are covered in a thick temperate rainforest with gorgeous vegetation.

On the way, he stopped so we could see the eastern grey kangaroos up close. They were sunning themselves and the mom had babies in her pouch and joeys alongside of her. There are millions of kangaroos in Australia and they are culled by hunters for meat. The meat is high in protein with very low fat.  (I did whisper softly to them that I was very sorry, but in all probability, I probably ate one of their relatives last night. And then I hightailed it as fast as my wonky foot would let me back to the coach!!). However, if truth be told, kangaroos very rarely attack humans, but can cause serious injury if they feel cornered. Their sharp claws can make deep cuts, and their powerful kicks can cause severe bruising and internal injuries. Usually, they will just flee before engaging in a fight with a human. The males however will spar with each other for dominance, but rarely to the death. It is almost a gentlemanly fight, where the victor will come out practically unscathed and the loser might come away with a torn ear, some scars and a few bruises.

The Commonwealth Coat of Arms is the formal symbol of Australia, comprised of a shield held up by a kangaroo and an emu. These animals were chosen as they are native to Australia and they symbolise the nation moving forward. This is because those animals can only sit with their legs forward and neither animal can move backward easily.

After spending time with the kangaroos, we continued on. What a beautiful temperate rainforest. We saw huge mountain ash trees and beautiful ferns and the entire rainforest was bursting with life. It was a perfect day – not too warm and the sunlight that filtered through the treetops was stunning. 

The forest is prone to bushfires which can decimate the area, but the beautiful truth is, under the fallen trees and the ashes, seeds are waiting to come forth and the cycle of life will begin anew. 

Our guide Graham was wonderful and his love for the rainforest and the respect he has for nature was so evident as he walked with us and explained all about the vegetation, the wildlife, and what the different markings on the majestic trees meant. 
He showed us evidence of where wallabys had sharpened their claws on the barks of the trees, and how the trees rid themselves of disease, and how the bark of the mountain ash strips off and makes a ground cover on the forest floor. This unfortunately is great tinder for the bush fires.

The Dandenong Ranges are home to the sulfur-crested cockatoo, the laughing kookaburra, and the crimson rosella. As we walked along, the birds were screeching to each other, no doubt letting each other know that humans were around. Wallabys and wombats also reside in the forest. We walked to a lovely waterfall and just stood, admiring the beauty and enjoying the serenity.

We had a delicious lunch in a little town called Sassafras, and afterwards, we were able to peruse the boutique shops that were nearby. 

Graham then drove us to the SkyHigh lookout to view the flat plain of the mountain divide separating the wet east coast from the drier part of the continent. It was a beautiful panorama. We stopped for ice cream on our drive back to the hotel and then we bid Graham a fond goodbye. He was a wonderful naturalist and the perfect person to show us this lush vista which is unbelievably, only an hour from bustling Melbourne.  

Tomorrow we have to get up early to be on the coach at 5 am to catch our flights to Alice Springs. Qantas is very strict about weight limits. Our main suitcase that will be checked can weigh no more than 50 lbs and our carry-ons (we are allowed a knapsack size and small personal item) which together can weigh no more than 30 lbs the heaviest weighing a maximum of 22 lbs. We are well under the limit, even factoring in the two bottles of wine we purchased to enjoy while star gazing in the Outback. There is no limit on liquids…you just have to be under the weight limit.

See you tomorrow in Alice Springs!

Mountain ash trees

Wallaby scratchings

Vista from Skyhigh lookout

The Australian coat of arms