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The guy who owned the caravan worked at the spooky school featured in scary 70's Australian movie Picnic at
Hanging Rock. He said it is a true story, but my guide book says otherwise (who knows?).
The trip down here was incredible, with fantastic panoramic ocean views and fantastic modern architecture
houses along the route.
Yesterday we trekked out to Bridgewater bay to see seals enjoying basking in the 30° sunshine and seemingly
dancing in the wonderful blue ocean. The flies were and are an absolute nuisance though and dive for your mouth
and eyes (yuck). They liked Joe in particular (I wonder why?). We also saw a porcupine and stroked his spikes
and emus. So we are not doing too badly for wildlife.
On the other coast we saw plenty of Roo's but they were all horribly squashed on the side of the road.
Wendy gives Joey a Bear Hug
We also visited a billabong park and did the cuddling the koala photo and stroking the Joey photo. Well we had
to do a Joey with a Joey shot didn't we?
We got some good tips last night from a guy who had cycled around the whole of Australia but was stranded as
his bike had just died. We felt sorry for him stranded for Xmas as Australian towns can be very dull. We had
lunch at a place called Kieth this afternoon and I wouldn't wish Xmas in the caravan park there on my worst enemy.
Even the trailer trash had cleared out!
Journal Update 24th Dec 2004
We got our king prawns for the BBQ and some cheese, nuts and biscuits. A bottle of Oz bubbly and are all set for
Xmas in the back of the van. Love you all.
Will be at church tonight for midnight mass.
Foreword to Journal Update 26th Dec 2004
Tsunamis Devastation in Asia & India
THIS MORNING A TIDAL WAVE CARRIED TERROR TO THE COASTLINES OF SEVEN COUNTRIES
The events in the wake of the tsunamis unleashed by the earthquake which measured nine on the Richter
scale (the biggest for 40 years) devastated the shoreline of seven countries to include: Thailand; Malaysia;
Indonesia; India; Sri Lanka; and the Maldives. The epicentre of the quake was just off the northern tip of
Sumatra Island. Just west of Sumatra lies a major fault line in the earth's crust between which two tectonic
plates - the Indian, on which the Indian Ocean and Australia sit, and the Eurasian one on which Europe and
Asia sit.
On the 26th December 2004 the two plates slipped and the Indian plate moved 10 metres in seconds. The
ocean floor was forced upwards by 100ft and the released energy generated a swell which started the tsunami.
Waves gathered speed reaching 300-500mph. They then slow to around 30 - 50mph near the coast as friction
increases, but also gain height. The tsunami then crashed on to land, travelling up to two miles inland.
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