Australia 2012
	The World Clock may not be visible in non-flash Browsers. To see the time in a zone place the cursor on that zone.		The World Clock may not be visible in non-flash Browsers. To see the time in a zone place the cursor on that zone.

Went to Healyville Animal Sanctuary today, we don't have zoos anymore they aren't PC, you put the animal in a large habitat-like area where it can bloody well hide rather than earn it's money by posing for pictures. I think I'm going to open a rare animal sanctuary in the back garden, all you have to keep saying is: 'they are very shy you know'. Of course for a large extra fee you can purchase a 'magic moment' with the animal when presumably it invites you back for drinks, or hopefully tears you limb from limb. I'm overdoing this for effect, but amongst the critters that we didn't see were the wombats. I took a good picture of the picture on the enclosure and when I'd 'photoshopped it a bit I thought maybe I could pass it off as authentic, but Pam said 'you will always know it wasn't real'. I couldn't understand the point and it has the advantage that you are allowed to punch it. Apparently, the best way to see a wombat is in your headlights at night (they are daft enough to try to face down a car) steve's advice is: 'don't swerve, just line that critter up and drive through it', I don't know what it is he doesn't like about wombats, Irish, Australians, Southerners, people that live on our street.....Anyway, saw loads of stuff, a dingo, a duck-billed platypus, a kangaroo (short something, long something else..?) and the top ten poisonous snakes, all of which the Australians proudly possess. Apparently they are all very shy. Appart from the taipan, which isn't. Saw a croc as well. Just looked properly at the car we got. They didn't have the one we asked for so they gave us a Toyota Aurion ZR6 which is a 3.5L V6 automatic with a reversing camera. It doesn't even have a hand brake. Too easy mate.....

Friday, the Shark dive at Melbourne Aquarium

Had a really good time doing the dive and seeing all of these fish up close and personal, the sharks tended to stay high up above us, but I got a really close look at a 300 kg Grouper which had had to be separated from the small sharks because it was eating them, fully grown they can get to the size of a small car. it seemed friendly anyway, as did the stingray that buzzed me later. Mum took some video from the other side of the glass and I have stitched it together. The file is big and some parts are less than optimal, but it's not too bad. Mum obviously filmed the stars of the show so the sharks aren't that easy to spot. Anyway most of the people there lost interest in the fish and started watching the divers instead. Inevitably there is a large bream that wanted to be with the divers, I think that it likes the bubbles.

This is the film of the shark dive, it is a very large .mov file (150 Mb approx) I have stitched together all of the individual bits of film.

Ignore previous comment about film, it plays well with quicktime, windows media player makes a mess of it.

This is the dive profile downloaded from the dive computer.

Steve had a game of golf with Martin on Thursday this is the maestro in action (small file)

General movie of the Aquarium (Penguins and stuff)

PLAY WITH QUICKTIME

I hired the dive shop camera, because wasn't allowed to use mine, but won't get the pics back until we get back to Melbourne, but will put some up when I do.

Certified Shark-Divers.

Sunday The Great Ocean Road and 12 Apostles

There was a coach trip along the Great Ocean road fom Melbourne, but this would have meant getting up very early to get the train into town, so we decided to drive the road to Port Campbell, I mean, it's just around the corner isn't it (or so it looks on the map)? We ended up doing a round trip of 600 Km, but lovely views and I even managed to get in a row with a Chinese tourist who thought I was spoiling her camera shot. It's a free country, get used to it.

Had a fine dinner in Port Campbell, very nice and then set off back. I even managed to master the cruise control on the way back, very relaxing.

On Wednesday we drove to the airport Hotel dropped the bags and caught the shuttle into Melbourne for the day. We got on the free Citytram and did a circuit of the CBD (cenral business district), getting off at the docklands development.

OK then off to Port Douglas and a new page.