I went to Mt Buffalo with my friend Neil. Mt Buffalo is in the high country in Victoria, Australia. We had a look at Mt buffalo Chalet. You can stay there and be right in the middle of the snow. We made some snowmen and had a look at a couple of the ski runs. Cresta Valley run was closed while we were there. We went tobbogining at Dingo Dell ski run. I froze my little butt off but we had a great time.

I went to visit my friend Michelle in Geelong. Geelong is a regional city in the state of Victoria in Australia. It is on the edge of Corio Bay. We had a look at the beautiful view of the city and the waterfront. We went for a walk around the waterfront. It is very nice, with lots of palm trees and places to eat. They also have lots of interesting Bollards, which depict the history of Geelong. I had my photo taken with some of them. We had a look at Cunningham Pier and the 100 year old Carousel. You can ride on the Carousel, it is fully restored. We waited for the ride to finish before we took the photo. We went further around and had a look at Eastern Beach. There is a beautiful swimming area and playgrounds. After that, Michelle took me to see the home ground of the local Australian rules football team. The Geelong Cats. They are doing a lot of work outside the stadium. Then we took a drive to the Surfcoast and went to Bells Beach. That is where they have the famous Rip Curl Pro surfing competition at Easter every year. There were a few surfies in the water when we went. Thanks Michelle. I had a wonderful time. It is a beautiful place.

When I arrived in Zadar, I met Leo's little dog, Rony. I liked him but he was a bit jealous of me. That night they had a welcome party for me. Leo's apartment is right next to the water. It is in a wonderful spot. The next day we took a walk from their apartment through the Marina, to the "Barkajoli" and we took a ride across Zadar port. I'm glad Leo was holding me tight, I was afraid I might fall in! Then we got to the city and the fish and fresh food market. The ladies on the market really liked me, and when they heard I was from Australia, they wanted to have their photo taken with me. I really enjoyed it. I love meeting new people. So, we bought everything we needed for lunch, and then decided that it is really time to take a little rest and drink coffee at city main square. I only had water. I don't like coffee. And after coffee (and water), we went sightseeing through Zadar. When you visit Zadar, you "must see" the Sea organ. On the Sea organ, two students were listening to the beautiful music, and preparing for their exams. I joined them and they were glad to take a short break to chat with me and enjoy the spring sunshine. After that we took a walk with Leo's beautiful wife through Riva. We also visited the Cathedral. After all of that walking and the wonderful sunshine, we were feeling very tired, so we decided to go home. But, and I really don't know who told them, two young reporters from the local TV station come and did an interview with Me. it was all very exciting. If you are in Zadar, on a Saturday when the basketball team is playing, you must to go and watch the game. Zadar is the town of basketball. Everyone loves and supports the team, which is one of the best in Croatia. With a great history. The first Croatian in the Hall of Fame was our Kresimir Cosic. So, Leo took me to a game. It was very exciting and the best part was that Zadar won the game. Leo was very happy. I had so much fun with Leo and his family and I would like to thank them very much for having me and showing me around.

I had the pleasure of staying at Bali Palms Resort in Candidasa, Bali, for one week. The resort is not fully open yet, they are still finishing a lot of the units. Also some of the facilities are not open, however, I had a wonderful stay. My one bedroom apartment was huge and the pool is the biggest one in the area. There was only one other couple staying, so we had the resort to ourselves.

Pan Pacific Nirwana Resort is right at Tanah Lot temple. The resort is wonderful. Lots of activities, big pools, lagoon style. The resort is surrounded by the golf course. Our room was next to the 6th fairway. The Day Spa is fantastic. I highly recommend it. They have a free shuttle into Kuta or Seminyak. There are private cabanas on the clifftop or by the pool. They even come and turn down your bed at night. There are several different places to eat, catering for all tastes. the staff are friendly and helpful.

While visiting Lightning Ridge, Marly went fossicking with Opal Jim, at the Grawin opal fields.

While visiting Lightning Ridge, Marly met Barbara, who runs the Lightning Ridge Historical Society.

While visiting Lightning Ridge, Marly met Kaye, at the Opal Wilderness shop.

While visiting Lightning Ridge, Marly went to see the Australian Opal & Fossil Centre. They have a wonderful collection of Opal and fossils. In the video, some of the exhibits are explained.

I went to Western Australia, with my friends Bill and Marcia, that I met in Bali. I had a great time touring around with them. There is too much to write here, so visit my page on my mum's website to read more. Thanks again Bill and Marcia! When we arrived and checked in at our resort, the lady gave us a package that had been waiting for our arrival. Of course, it was Marly, the teddy bear that would be accompanying us on our Western Australian adventure. There was much to-do getting Marly out of his confinement from the five day trip across Australia from Melbourne to Perth! And a thirsty little devil he was! A whole bottle of Coca-Cola right off the bat!! Our first day trip was to drive south to Margaret River. It seemed to be the general consensus with the Australians we talked to that we had to visit Margaret River for its many well-known wineries. Lunches are packed and Marly is ready to go! On the way to Margaret River, we stopped in Busselton, the home of the longest wooden jetty in the southern hemisphere. Our guidebooks said the jetty was closed in early 2009 for repairs but would be open again soon. The jetty was begun in 1853 and continually added to for a total length of nearly two kilometers until it was closed to shipping in 1972. A small train was used to haul goods, particularly lumber, in and out from the ships to the shore. A cyclone in the late 1970s destroyed a small branch of the pier which ran from about midpoint into shore and did tremendous damage to the main pier. They have since tried to rebuild it as a tourist attraction boasting an underwater observatory in addition to a train ride. Our next day was to Pinjarra and Dwellingup, inland from Mandurah. We found the Pinjarra Visitor Center and wandered around inside for a bit. We went to the "historical park." It turned out to be a lovely large park that the Murray River ran through. And over the Murray River was a long pedestrian suspension bridge. The river was home to more ducks and other water fowl. From here we traveled up in elevation to Dwellingup which is known for its Jarrah forests. Jarrah is of the eucalyptus family of trees and is highly prized for its hardness and termite resistance. When Jarrah is seasoned, Jarrah wood is so hard that conventional wood-working tools cannot be used. Jarrah was exported to England where it was cut into blocks and used as foundation under asphalt roadbeds. We visited the Forest Heritage Center where they have a renowned working school of fine wood training. The building complex is shaped in the form of a big leaf. The two little leaves are the visitor center, the main school the large leaf. They had many lovely items from jewelry boxes to furniture made from jarrah wood on display. We had a lot more adventures. Too many to put here.