Bendigo and Beyond

                                                                 

                                A walkabout in the bush

We went on a walk about in the "bush" - a mixture of grasses, rock, trees, and bushes. It looks dry and uninviting. We encountered kangaroos in the bush after they took flight from a cemetery. 

Preston in the bush

Not all parts of the bush are inviting

Our walkabout

Kanagaroos bounding off from cemetery

Bendigo Botonical Gardens

We also took a walk through the botonical gardens in Bendigo. Rural towns and cities have their own botonical gardens. It seemed more like a park than a botonical garden. They did identify plants and tees. In Bendigo, they have a play area for children and a tree for climbing. 

Unusual tree

Family picnic complete with Christmas stockings hung from a tree

Lincoln up a tree

Musical fence - Louisa pushing a button to hear sounds

Preston bouncing out of view like a kangaroo
Trees and vegetation outside of Bendigo

Tree climbers at Otway National Park

A forest grows between the roots of an elevated tree trunk

Like a scene from Avatar

A hillside of tall trees

A fern canopy in the Otway National Park

Flowering tree at Otway lighthouse

City park at Lorne

Pine tree at Torquay

Tree in Lorne

                        A trip to Melbourne

Shopping at Queen Victoria Market in Melbourne

Queen Victoria Market is a huge open air market with 1,000 stalls for fruits and vegetables, meats, sundry items and souveniers, and restaurants. It is also a tourist attraction. Afterward, we picked up some packages and mail at the US embassy.

High rise apartments across from the Queen Victoria Park

We also enjoyed a Christmas party for church friends at Tyler and April's home.

A sister missionary from Fiji is telling about her Christmas traditions while her companion from Samoa is seated on the couch.