Captain Koala

Here he is, our resident Koala. The kids named him Captain Koala. When I told my mother about the koala in our yard, the first thing she asked me is if I tried to feed it. I explained to her that koalas only eat gum leaves (eucalyptus). Koala is an aboriginal word meaning 'no drink' and indeed any moisture they get is from the gum leaves. (And I wonder how much water they contain?!)As you can imagine, they are not the healthiest of creatures. Moreover, they sleep for about 23 hours out of the day and the other hour they spend eating. What a life......
I recently read that on Kangaroo Island there is an overabundance of koalas and they are destroying the gum trees by eating all the leaves. Several years ago they actually killed koalas on the island which led to local and national outrage. Now they are implanting the female koalas with a contraceptive device which will prevent them from becoming pregnant.
As you can see in this photo, koalas have very sharp claws which help them climb gum trees so well. You would definitely not want to get too close to a wild koala because they would certainly defend themselves using these.

Still ill

Influenza blues

In other words, I am still trying to overcome my bout with the flu (ie. fever with severe aches and pains). Now both of my children have it and are suffering too. We spent most of the day in bed and hopefully we will recover soon.........

Adelaidelisa

Koala in our tree

Ten days ago we discovered a koala in the gum tree in our yard and he has been there ever since! We know it is a he because only male koalas make that dreadful noise which sounds like a grunting wild pig. I took lots of photographs and sent them to all of my friends and relatives in Germany and in America since it is something really special for them to see. With any luck, I will be able to post a photograph on this site for you to see as well.

Adelaidelisa

Adelaidelisa

McLaren Vale and Willunga

About an hour south of Adelaide lies the magnificent wine region of McLaren Vale. We visited the Wirra Wirra Vineyards' Cellar Door yesterday and enjoyed the 2004 Church Block (a wonderful blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Shiraz and Merlot). We purchased a few bottles as well!

After that we had a delightful late lunch at the Willy Hill Cafe in Willunga. It is a charming place and the food and service were excellent. If you are visiting Willunga or the McLaren Vale area, it is definitely worth visiting this unique place.

We then enjoyed the last part of a warm Saturday afternoon on the beach in Aldinga. The water was still quite cold but it was refreshing. The kids had their boogie boards and enjoyed the waves. Beach season has officially begun.

Friday my first blog

Hi
Testing my first blog!