The Big Banana

Today we went to Coffs Harbour and saw The Big Banana. It was about two metres long and about three inches tall.

Then we went to the marina. There we saw some fishing boats with giant boats with giant nets. There was also a fish shop which had all the types of fish you could think of.

Other stores including the home made icecream store and the souvenir shop which I got my sunglasses at. I also got an icecream for $3.50.

We saw some people who were fishing. We then went on the boardwalk which lasted about 1 – 2 km. Then Mum and Dad bought some food and we went on a playground which was quite big. A lot of it was under construction so we couldn’t play on some of it but it was still enough. It would have been better if it had swings that were not baby ones. We did have lunch at the playground. Then we kept playing happily for a long time.

From Watigan Forest to Coopernook

After the Australian Reptile Park we went to KFC and got take-away. Then we went to our campsite which was in the Watigan Forest and set up in the dark. In the morning we found some walking trails then we explored them. Then we went to the Abbott Falls and they were lovely and next to them was a log that crossed the river. I walked across it and back. Farther along the trail there was a tree that had fallen down along the path but it was only about one inch tall so we could step over it. We found that someone had made a cubby by piling sticks on top of rocks. Along  the road to Dungog there was a tree fallen down and we had to saw it with the a handsaw. we are now in Dungog Showgrounds. There was some old machinery and a grandstand to play in. The next day, when we were looking for Coopernook campsite on Forest Rd we ran into a problem. Dad was trying to find our camp but it was hard because a sign said use next exit but it was the exit after that but we did find it. we were staying at Coopernook.we went to Port Macquarie and got fish and chips. The we went inside the Glass House and went up and down with a lift with mirrors inside. There was also a performance group of people who have disabilities called Bago Magic. Next day we went to Taree and got a lead for the gas BBQ and then we went back to Coopernook and played football with a man called Soren who came from Denmark.

The Australian Reptile Park

Today we went to the Australian Reptile Park and saw lots of animals including a lizard, a python and an echidna. They also showed us a show about how you catch a funnel web spider and she was demonstrating with a real one and it wasn’t trained. In a different show my Mum got to hold a python and they let an alligator, a lizard, python and a tortoise roam about on the show pit floor. When we were walking around the park some kangaroos came up to us and we patted them. The we went to Spiderworld. It had a lot of cartoonish things like a two metre tarantula statue that stood on its hind legs. There was also a room which was inside a fake crocodiles mouth and there was a sensor so when you walk in a mummy’s eyes start flashing red and a speaker starts playing a script about reptiles. The Mum said to me ‘Max will you please take some photo’s in Frog Hollow’ so I did then we hopped in the car and then we went away.

We’ve Arrived at Sydney

We arrived at Lane Cove River Tourist Park on Friday and Harry fell off his bike and his hand started bleeding. Then we went on a spotlighting tour and saw two species of possums, a bandicoot and an Australian Noisy Minor which sit on the very end of the skinniest branches to avoid predators (they can not get there because they are too heavy to get across). We went to Sydney on Saturday and went on the train. When we were there we went inside the Opera House. When we were walking we heard people cheering and shouting. We went closer and saw some street performers were there and one jumped over 4 1/2 people (four adults and one child) who were touching  their toes. Now on Saturday we got a funday Sunday ticket which is usually $20 and adult and $10 for all children but on Sunday is only $2.50 each. They allow you o go on all ferrys, trains and buses. On the 29/6/11 you can also go on the monorail all for the same price. We took a train to Sydney and then took a ferry to luna Park and had a look around then we took a ferry to Manly and back. After that we went back home.2

The Botanic Garden

Today we went to the cool-climate Botanic Gardens. We drove up the road and through the driveway and parked, then climbed out of the car to have a look around. There were heaps of things to do. There was even a class room which we sneaked into after we had read a note/post about how the class-room had heating using grass which had a warmth when mixed with oxygen. Then we had a look around the room and then the people who taught the children came and showed us around the class-room. They dropped fish food in the fish tank for the fish and carrots for the yabbies who didn’t want to get into a foodfight (fight over food) even the big one didn’t want a fight either. Maybe it was because it only had one claw. Then we went into the shop and bought a postcard and went down stairs. I looked at the fungi display while my hot chocolate was being made. We had a look around and saw a fungi that can grow up to 8.5km² and after rain it pops up from the ground. Then we drove back to our campsite and Harry and I played on the playground and rode our bikes.

The Cowra Breakout

Last night we stayed at Boorowa. It had a lot of historical buildings including a court house which is now the visitor centre, St Josephs school and the A.N.Z.A.C. mimorial which looked more like a room than a memorial.
Then we drove of to Cowra where the P.O.W. (prisoners of war) camp was. It also had a hologram of the breakout, where 1100 Japanese solgers escaped using sharpened kitchen knives and baseball bats. They brought clothes and towels to aid their escape to get over the barbed wire fences. When Private __________ __________ ran to the machine gun the Japanese were planning to use and started shooting and killed 23 Japanese but later they died themselves. Heaps of men went out looking for escaped prisoners and one found one and he got stabbed in the heart with a sharpened table knife. He died instantly.

(unedited)

Today we went to Questacon we had to do 5 hours of work and then we went inside with a free pass. In Garery (Gallery) one we saw a tuch skreen computer that lets you controw (control) trafic. There was also a airiplain (aeroplane) simulater. I won one and Harry didn’t win any in galery three there were strings of wire and if you moved your hand across the wire it felt like velvet and it had tricks for the eye and ear there was also a Hover Chir (Chair) which was held up by air compreshion and Harry spun me into the sides of the corse I repayed him by crashing him at top speed!!

Next was the Theatre it was about colisions and kenecic (kinetic) enigy which is movement enigey and how it can turn into sound enigey or/amd heat enigey there were a lot of ecspermints (experiments) and I was one of the volenter (volunteers). It also had the Hollywood virsion of an astroyed (asteroid) crassing (crashing) in to earth. It made a shok wave fire and a lot of noese (noise)!!!

Snowy Mountains (Part 2 – unedited)

There was a screen that showed the generaters in every power stashion and if they were idile, unknown, running or syn-con and how full the dams are and it refresses every cupale of minnetes you could also look at a skulpture of the snowy Mountains and you could press a butine (button) marked tunals (tunnels) flashing lights would mark out were (where) tunnals where (were) dug out anuther showwed the water cycle with rain, thunder and litning (lightening) there was also power staishion which told you were (where) all the power staishons were and  anuther was Lake Eukembine different buten showeddams the last one was reservers (reservoirs).

There was also a power bike which you petaled (pedalled) on and it progost (produced) electristety here are the ratings from lowest to hightest – stairyio (stereo), tv, toster (toaster), heirdrier (hairdryer) and a kettale (kettle). There was also a tuch screen machene that you solected a subject there were three first was living, 2nd was werking and playing it had things like this there were people at the movies and they started leving (leaving) and a pirsin (person) said “why are you leving” and they said “the girls are in town”.

The Snowy Mountains

A couple of days ago we were driving across the Snowy Mountains. The lines were yellow so you could see them in the snow. They also had very tall reflector poles so the snow didn't cover them up.

Next we saw a hut that they used in the 1950s as a rest point for bad weather and the postman could only do half of the mail route on horse back so he left his horse at the hut and skied the rest of the way to deliver the post. Then (he) went back to collect his horse.

There was also an article titled "Two Mystery Deaths" which was about three men who stole a truck and stayed the night at the hut and two of the men drunk (sic) out of two paper wrapped bottles that they thought was wine but it was really arsenic which is a poison that was used in sheep dip to kill fleas. After they flt ill and (so) the other man slept in the lorry. He awoke after several hours of sleep and found both men dead on the floor. Then he ran for it. Eventually he admitted himself to the police.

Then we drove up to Charlottes Pass National Park and I saw snow for the first time in my life!! Then Harry Dad and me went and walk(ed) up to the top of Charlottes Pass and we were only about two kilometers away from Mt Kosciusko, the tallest mountain in Australia. At the top of Charlottes Pass we had a snow fight. When Harry was talking to Dad the ice hit him on the arm and a lot broke and went inside his ear. A brilliant shot.

Then I said 'The snow fight hasn't finished yet". Then Dad said "Guess what the snow fight hasn't finished yet' and raced after me with a piece of ice and I hid behind a rock and kept moving along. A crack was in there and I hid inside it. They never found me until it was time to go.

(On Friday we were in Cooma. We looked around town...) and at the Snowy Hydro information centre we learnt lots about the hydro electricity that is generated in the mountains.

to be continued .... 

Koonoomoo

Today we drove into Koonoomoo and Aunty Sally came to meet us. Then we went to the Big Strawberry which had a strawberry sundae which was the biggest sundae I had ever seen in my life. Then we went to Shepperton whish is known for the SPC (Shepperton Preserving Company), it was humungous. It was about 2-3 km². Then we went to an outlet and bought some food stocks for a cheaper price than normal. The =n we saw the Mooving Art which had cows that were made out of fibreglass that had paintings on them. Some included the Mermaid Cow, Leonardo Da Vinci cow Shrek Cow and the picnic cow. Next we went to Kidstown!! It was a giant playground with a slide that was about twelve metres long! I went on it three times. There was also a dairy maze which had jokes and facts about cows. There was also some udders you can pull and a bell rings inside it. There was also a ginormous spider web swing.that we and about eleven others swung on while my dad pushed it. I think it is the best playground I have ever been on and probably will be the best in my life. Then w went to Tocumwal and saw a flooded river. There was even a cut down log that was used for fencing and it had a concrete slab on the bottom of it and it had floated out to the middle of the river. Then we went to the Big Strawberry with Aunty Sally and had some lunch. The next day we went to Aunty Sally’s work which was horse cutting and she showed us how to crack a whip! I think Dad was the best of us all. There were also horses and the ribbons they won.