Fantastic day!  Our Red Knight friend Shane and his son Kyle were again our great tour guides for another day.  We went to Split Rock Lighthouse - some of us climed stairs all the way to the top!  Drove the coast road along beautiful beaches.  Saw the 12 Apostles - these are rock formations naturally formed many years ago - some have washed away, so not all are there now, but an amazing sight!!  Have also seen some really beautiful birds!  Now I have to pack to leave in the morning - I have stuff scattered, so will take awhile.  Good thing it is summer here - had to skimp on clothes to carry netbook, camera and extra lens, binoculars, ipad etc - all I have to do is survive 15 hours on the plane!

Headed to wine country in Rutherglen today and toured a couple of wineries. Stopped in the town where Ned Kelly (Australian folk hero) was captured by police - Ned had made his own armor trying to protect himself - thus the unusual look of the statue. He and his gang seem to be similar to our Robin Hood - Ned

was hanged in 1880.

Had a great time at the Red Knights meeting yesterday - lots of nice people!! Today we went to a safari zoo - rode a bus through the area with lots of wild animals and interesting birds. The picture I'm sending is not actually the bus we rode - ours actually had all the wheels. Also went to the Victoria State Rose Garden and an old mansion built in the mid 1800's.

New Location

We have now re-located to hotel close to the airport, also close to our Red Knight friends.  Rented a car this morning in downtown area - along with about 50 other people - took awhile to complete this venture!!  So, Harry hands me the gps, a map and says guide us to the airport - about a 20 mile trip. The map doesn't have the airport on it, and I didn't have time to program the gps before he drove off, and you can't make any changes while driving! So, I'm reading a map that doesn't have our destination, trying to understand the person who lives in the gps - good thing I can multi task!!  We arrived just fine - time for wine!! Our friends are picking us up for an event this evening - I won't have to speak gps language again till tomorrow!!!

HARBOR

Toured the Harborside - drizzly day. This sailboat is a big step up from my little one!!! Yachts were fun to see - lots of building going on in the area and some buildings are very colorful.

HOT

hottest day of the tennis open - 40 degrees celcius, 104 of our degrees!  We saw Azarenka, and Serena Williams play first.  Then Tomac - the Australian who had several cheering section- lots of fun to watch. Harry and Judy went back to the hotel when the heat got so bad - I stayed till the end. Saw this stubby tailed lizard at an opal shop - also had a blue tongued lizard, but he wouldn't stick out his tounge for a picture.

Had some poisonous spiders there also - they stayed locked in their boxes!!

Eureka building

went to eat on the 89 floor of the Eureka Building - great food - beauriful view of the tennis area from our floor - tomorrow we will be in the Rod Laver arena for the day tennis matches.

Tuesday

went to the Victorian market this morning - saw a guy playing a digiradoo - old Australian instrument made of bamboo.  Also went to the Aquarium - saw penquins and a shark pool with a downed plane - glad that wasn't our plane!!!

Finally arrived in Melbourne - after 15 hour flight!