In the Southern Hemisphere!

Well, we are safely ensconced in Melbourne after an adventure just getting here - several lessons learned along the way:
- Always call the airline to check on flights before going to the airport. We arrived at Dulles at 5am on Fri. 6/15 only to discover our flight to LA had been cancelled. I must say the ticket agents bent over backwards to make arrangements for us to make the connection to Melbourne in LA - we ended up changing airlines and flying standby, but did get to LA, 6 hours later than anticipated, but enough time to enjoy our "day room", take a nap and make the flight to Melbourne.
- Weighing and measuring bags pays off - we easily met both requirements and we saw more than on unhappy traveler who had to re-pack or unpack in order to be allowed on the planes.

Our flights themselves were uneventful for the most part - boys were real troopers, there was plenty of entertainment and b/c they were overnight flights - just put the boys in pj's and they manged to sleep for at least half of the flight to Australia.

We were met at the airport by Grandma Jones, Jan, Doug and James Kerton who have been wonderful hosts! We are staying in a 3 bdrm apt. right in downtown Melbourne, easy to walk just about anywhere we want to go. Including JP taking little boys out for a middle of the might jaunt when they woke up and couldn't go back to sleep the first night here.

It was Sunday when we landed here, Noah's 16th birthday! A real treat to celebrate that on another continent! Spent that afternoon at the Aquarium and a bit of walking around the city. Early to bed to try and re-orient our sleep cycles, still not there, but hopefully in the next day or so we will have all of that sorted out.

Monday, had great fun going to the Melbourne Museum where they had a wonderful exhibit on The Great Wall of China. Just a really neat place with plenty of exhibits that the children enjoyed. Very interesting Aboriginal History section, plenty of bugs and stuffed animals to look at and even a rain forest section.

It is still very cool - long pants, long sleeves and jackets are definitely the attire of the day. Although chilly, no rain so we are taking brisk walks around the city.

Are off today to experience Victoria Market - an open air market in downtown Melbourne and then to "Matt's Place". A friend of Jan and Doug's who has a private sanctuary of Australian animals - we will get to be up close and personal with them.

I am going to try and post pics later today, but just haven't figured it our quite yet.

Some have asked for our itinerary so here is a brief synopsis -

June 17-June 22 Melbourne
June 22 - June 25 Ayers Rock
June 25 - June 27 Sydney
June 27 Arrive Brisbane and transfer to Hervey Bay
June 28 Hervey Bay to Lady Elliott Island
June 29 - June 30 Lady Elliott Island
July 1 Fraser Island
July 2 Transfer from Fraser Island to Hervey Bay
July 3 Hervey Bay to Brisbane
July 4 Brisbane and catch flight back to US

We are off to carpe diem!