Koalered

 It was a last and desperate attempt to spot a Koala today. We were passing the place renowned for Koalas again this morning as we set off for my cousin's near Melbourne. We were early to the spot. So early that Café Koala hadn't even opened. We had been told by the air bnb host that we had walked up the wrong road. He said he'd never heard of someone not spotting a Koala. We set off up the other road. It climbed higher and higher with very plausible Koala trees on either side. By the way, plausible Koala trees are Eucalyptus which are semi-stripped of their leaves and bark. When we spotted those stark, stripped white trees the other day, they were, in fact, the victims of naughty Koalas, not naughty Hyenas. We climbed so high that we came above the tree line. Not a single little brown thing clinging to a tree trunk. 

Despondent, we descended and decided to drown our sorrows in coffee at Café Koala. As we sat there, a coach disgorged it's contents onto the drive. Suddenly, a sea of mobile phones, followed by Chinese people made its way to the nearest tree, still in the car park. There it stopped and all phones tilted upwards. Others flocked to the photo-fest. My coffee was still being lovingly created but I was straight out there, phone in hand, ready to join the throng. And there, quite high up was a relatively large Koala clinging to a trunk, head turned towards the admiring onlookers. I returned to the coffee shop and Kate joined the throng. Then we sat, sighing with contentment, at having a Koala in the bag, so to speak.

Our stop off mid-way to my cousin's was the town of Geelong (pronounced Jahlong) We wandered the streets, delighted that for the first time in many days, we could wear T shirts. It was lovely and warm and we soaked up the arts bias of the town. There were venues for music, drama and art work at every turn. As well as stopping for some Sushi (I know, I'm getting help for it when we get home) we went to an impressive art exhibition venue. Much of the art was 'modern'. My favourite was a completely blank white canvas. Not so much for the blank canvas as the explanation by the artist, written alongside. I have attached it below for all you art buffs. I wonder if the gallery do a poster of it?

It seemed a long drive back to Bacchus Marsh, near Melbourne. I suppose Australia is quite big.

We had a meal with Julie and Tony, played a view games of a puzzling card game which they have invented, then after a bit of tv, we were ready to turn in. Tomorrow, (which is actually now this morning) will be a day of messing about and not doing much. You will probably be rewarded by a blessedly short blog😀

Now you're going to have to take my word for it,  there is a Koala in that tree!
Worryingly Sushi...
Ah, that's better 

John Cage's 4'33" of art...

A B.ird of Paradise plant 


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