First Days in Australia: Kurnell & Cronulla 🇦🇺
G’day, Mate! 🦋
Tuesday, April 30
James Forrest, my first Australian host, from Christian Surfers Cronulla was waiting for me at the Sydney Airport when I emerged. He was holding a sign that said “TAMMY”. My first greeting with a sign 🙂! The room where I stayed at their house was his outdoor office, with a separate outdoor bathroom. I was greeted there by this cute, big-eyed, timid possum, my first Australian animal sighting!
It was pretty much right to bed after that, since it was about 2 a.m. to my body (still on New Zealand time) and midnight in Australia.
Wednesday, May 1 - One month since I left home!
In the daylight, I got to explore my new surroundings:
James & Shelley’s house
In the front yard
The newly remodeled kitchen
(Actually, the whole house is newly remodeled)
I couldn’t figure out how to turn on the sink! (Hint: It’s the bronze “hockey puck” on the right)
One of the inside bathrooms
The part of the backyard where I stayed. I was behind the white door.
The round wooden building is a sauna, and the barrel is a cold plunge.
There’s also an outdoor shower.
White door to the bathroom where the possum was
Inside the sauna
These are their beautiful children: (By age) Summer, Robbie, Poppy, and Jessica Jane (aka JJ)
Off school in the rain!
The sun and rain were taking turns all morning, but at one point I decided to brave the weather and went for a walk.
It started sprinkling after I left, and then it poured! Despite my rain poncho and umbrella, I got soaked!
I love the sounds of all the birds here in Australia!
I pretty much looked like I did after I went swimming in Waiheke
Later, when I opened the front door, I spotted another Australian animal!
Turns out, she belongs to the Forrests and roams free during the day.
Shelley picked me up when she got off work, and I went with her to pick up the kids. Then we went for a drive to beaches,
surf spots and National Parks.
The advantage of a semi-rainy day is rainbows!
Shelley says they have to rescue a lot of rock fisherman from this spot
Shelley and J.J.
It was pretty windy!
This is a famous spot for humpback whale watching. None today, though 🙁
In the evening, Shelley, Summer, and I went to Cronulla for a Christian Surfers Girls Night at Serena’s house, where we made gnocchi. Serena is now the leader of CS in Cronulla. She is quite young! James & Shelley were the former leaders. Brett Davis first started Christian Surfers in the 1970’s at his mum’s house in Cronulla. https://www.christiansurfers.org.au/the-cs-journal/2023/2/4/brett-davis-
The blonde is Serena
Gnocchi dough balls
Eating the fruit of our labors
Serena lives in her parents’ converted “Boat House”.
This photo is taken from her sliding glass door. The Cronulla Harbour
Serena has CS planning and vision strategies and life goals all around her home
Above the light switch
How was the gnocchi? Dan had a Italian friend up in Oregon who made it and he said it was good. What a blessed time for you to meet all these precious young people!
ReplyDeleteFrankly, it was pretty bland. Don't know if it needed more salt in the dough or if it was because of the gluten-free flour. We ate it with pasta sauce. I've only had it in soup at Olive Garden, where I loved it!
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