Friday, January 26, 2007
Australia Day 2007
Australia's first European colony was founded on January 26, 1788, just a few yards from the site of the Sydney Opera House. Roughly 1500 Brits, half of which were prisoners, landed, started building shelters, made lots of beer, partied like it was 1789, and the rest is history.
Every January 26 the Aussies celebrate this event with a nationwide party... kind of like our 4th of July here in the U.S. They spend an entire day reminding themselves about how much they like living in Australia.
Since my 7 year old daughter is half Aussie (and half driving me insane) we celebrate Australia day every year. If anything, it's a great excuse for a party.
Happy Australia Day Sweetie!
Both of my girls sitting on top of a crock at Steve Irwin's Australia Zoo this past October.
The Kanagroos were almost always laid back, though there is always one out of the bunch that likes to throw punches.
All three daughters annoying/playing with the roos. Like most of the zoo, it's easy to hang out with the animals instead of just looking at them through a cage. Definitely worth it.
Horseback riding in Newcastle... 100K North of Sydney. Lots of old WWII bunkers in the area to repel a possible Japanese invasion. Newcastle harbour is the world's largest exporter of coal, which made it a prime target for Imperial Japan. I of course couldn't go along... horses and I don't get along too well. Last time I rode one I ended up stuck in a tree.
posted by El Capitan at 1:24 PM
3 Comments:
said...
I give up. How did you wind up in a tree from riding a horse?
Nice pics and a nice dimple on the 7-yr-old.
El Capitan said...
You're right, those dimples just too cute for her. She actually won a dimple contest when she was younger. Just another reason while I'll be sitting on the porch cleaning my rifle when the boys start coming by. My daughters aren't allowed to date until she's 32. I told them that I'll make it 16 if they're good, but I don't see that happening.
As for the tree incident, it was a few days after I got married. The wife and I were horseback riding in the Hollywood hills at night and I made the mistake of telling the guide I was an experienced rider. They gave me a horse that was angry at the world, so he took it out on me. Tried to throw me many times, went running off, kept walking along the edge of cliffs to scare the crap out of me. This horse had it in for me.
When my wife finally got a guide to come and help, the guide asked where I was. My wife pointed towards the tree where I was entangled in the branches. I hope he's found his way to a glue factory by now.
Someone on the tour said they would trade horses with me, so I was given a much older and laid back horse, and his name was El Capitan.
Go figure.
So now I stay away from horses unless I'm betting on them.
Lindsay said...
cute pics!
and nice horse story, lol