Adelaide with friends

Today was special. Glen and Helen, the parents of Bob and Brenda’s pastor, Ryan, from Everett, met us early this morning as we disembarked. We hit it off immediately with them and they graciously showed us their city and taught us about their country. We spent hours in the Gorge Wildlife Park where Australian animals were featured. The Australian pelicans (above) were quite large and we believed it when Glen told us it could give you a fright when they flew over your car. The park has a large number of albino kangaroos, some dangerous cassowaries and many species of beautiful birds.

Dale graciously did the photography while the rest of us held the adorable and SOFT koalas.

But, to be truthful, the very large (about the size of footballs) fruit bats were my favorites. They were just hard to get pictures of through the wire cage.

Dale and Bob were thrilled that they got to stop at Costco and they found it to be an exact replica of the one at home, right down to the crowded parking lot and the roasting chickens.

Before we returned to our ship home we stopped at the beach where Brenda and I waded in the very warm ocean and there were the beautiful (Can a scavenger of the sea be beautiful?) red legged sea gulls.