Note to self: next time, bring the camera.

Still catching up on posting about the trip to Australia. Dear readers, I last left you in Warrnambool. Here comes the weekend: time for lots of exploration courtesy our gracious hosts. First up: Tower Hill Wildlife Preserve, a short drive from Warrnambool. For some inexplicable reason, I neglected to bring any cameras – just my cell phone.

As we bobbled along the dirt road into the parking area, we came across a kangaroo minding its own business by the side of the road. Due to the aforementioned lapse in judgment, this is the suckiest picture ever, but I would be remiss if I didn’t include it, because this wound up being the ONLY kangaroo we ever saw.

You’re welcome.

We strolled along a boardwalk.

Can you see the emu? No?

There were two of them in there, actually.

A few koalas were spotted. They are beyond adorable. For one thing, they’re basically stoned.

This one is passed out on a branch with its legs dangling down. There will be better shots later, don’t worry.

A wallaby.

My cousin Kate has magical powers. She had just mentioned a desire to see some snakes when she heard a slithering at her feet.

Lord help me, I can’t remember what it’s called, but it was the 11th most venomous kind in Australia, according to the ranger we later consulted.

On our way back to the parking lot I was desperate for any kind of photo of decent quality, so I was pleased to find some amber in the making:

Ahhh, much better.

We drove out of the preserve to a viewing spot with a marker plaque.

Note to self: we are far from home.

We then proceeded to a nearby small town, Port Fairy, for a bite to eat, followed by a long ramble over a causeway to access a the beach.

That would be a wallaby carcass. Not the only one we saw. We made our way toward the ocean.

My boy did what he does.

The colors of the water enchanted.

We each wandered separately for a while.

Cousin Kate inspecting the rocks.

Definitely worth inspecting.

Bird cuneiform.

We worked our way up the trail, away from the beach, for a bit.

...and contemplated this wallaby for quite a while. It groomed itself and had a snack of some sort. At last, we reached A Specific Destination.

Still hungry for more adventure, we proceeded to the deservedly renowned Great Ocean Road. But as we live in the age of short attention spans, that’s gonna be the next post.