Melbourne (pronounced by the locals 'Melbin')

Like Craig, I write this blog entry from the gorgeous home of our hosts. My parents met the honeymooning Rogers on a bus in Israel in 1974. Yada yada yada (lots of phone calls, letters, cards, and even visits and meetings in various parts of the world over the past 35 years), they are wonderful, kind, warm, welcoming hosts to us now in 2009. Richard met us at the Melbourne airport and took us to the home of his newlywed middle daughter (Joanna and Darren). We six (Richard and Ros, Jo and Darren, and we two with the funny American accent) went out for a delicious and fun Italian meal.

To explain/correct Craig's previous entries:
The view flying into and out of Cairns is absolutely stunning because you can actually see the Great Barrier Reef below the surface of the bright blue waters of the sea from the airplane. Gorgeous.

Wallabies are not 'pseudo' kangaroos. Wallabies are marsupials related to kangaroos that look extremely similar to kangaroos, right down to the long tail and joey pouch. Speaking of marsupial, we also saw a koala-- they are so cute even though they are always high from the eucalyptus leaves on which they dine.

We plan to spend time with the Rogers and see Melbourne and the surrounding area for our final week in Australia. How wonderful it is to be in land of Tim Tams and kangaroos and 'no worries' and Vegemite.

It is after midnight local time, so we are off to bed. Hope all is well :)