Big P and The Red Arrows

We somehow managed to sleep until 10am today, and were awoken by Kim telling us we needed to hurry up as lunch was at 12:30 some hour and a half's drive away. So The Bad Influence was not too influential the previous night after all!

Our route took us through more Australian bush landscape. I was interested to see the suicide proof bridges over the motorway (although apparently the wire mesh cages around the bridge are actually to stop people throwing stones off the bridge rather than themselves). I think it could catch on in the UK, in fact if the cages were fitted to bridges and multi storey car parks it could save me a lot of work.
The level crossings here are quite scary. Claire is pretty cautious about level crossings back home, but I don't think she'd dare drive over one of these, unless she had her eyes closed. There are no gates, manual or otherwise, no warning lights, no traffic lights, no nothing. Just a road that goes over the railway with a poxy little sign saying "watch for trains". Fortunately Kim took a route over a bridge so Claire's nerves remained intact.

We had mountains of barbequed food at Di's.
A quick family tree of the guests for those who don't know who I'm talking about or are particularly forgetful:
Di = Claire's former step-mum, mother of Lewis, Claire's super tall little brother.
Auriel = Claire's gran, married to Peter (a.k.a. Big P - more on this later)
Irene = Di's mum, Keith = Di's uncle
I assume you all know who Hilary, Claire and Kim are by now, if not, then perhaps you should consider reading a different blog.

Di had promised us flocks of birds to tick off the card and we thought at first that they were avoiding us, or that Di had imagined them. However, once evening was approaching, all of a sudden some parrot things started having some sort of turf war fight between black and white cockatoos in the trees. Then they started a performance to rival the Red Arrows, swooping around in front of us and swerving out of the way at the last minute. I was a bit dissapointed they didn't write anything in the sky in coloured vapour trails but I suppose you can't have everything.

During the afternoon Peter divulged that during a recent visit to the doctor, he had got a bit confused when the doctor asked him what his street name was. Feeling rather uncool and behind the times, Peter admitted that he didn't have a street name, to be met by a confused look from the doctor who had to rephrase the question to find out Peter's address. Should a street name ever be required again, we suggest "Big P", as P Diddy is already taken by some rapper bloke.

I also had a telling off about my previous blog. Apparently Koalas are not bears, they are marsupials. I bet that will be a relief for Chris Bear.

Big P and Auriel left first, I presume to continue their cockatoo/lorakeet training regime ready for our visit to their house tomorrow. I am expecting big things of their birds.

On the way home we didn't see any kangaroos, despite the yellow road signs warning us about them. We did spot a camel though, just after the kangaroo sign, in a field next to a plane about the same size as the camel.

Tomorrow we are going for another breakfast at the nice cafe near the church, and then doing some serious planning for the remainder of our stay.