Fiji - and a week without swimming

I might be the only person to spend a week in Fiji and never wear a swimsuit. I was in Suva for a week working as a library consultant at the International School Suva. It was a working trip. My hostess did take me to the closest beach which was an hour from Suva the Sunday I was there.

It was overcast and chilly so I didn't go swimming.























I worked with the librarian of the school and enjoyed several special events at the school. One was the elementary literature parade where the students dressed up as their favorite character in a book.

I thought the Cat in the Hat was so cute. I was at the school for the Dewali, The Hindu Festival of Lights, assembly. The students did wonderful dances.










I enjoyed my time at the school and was kept busy. If I ever make it back to Fiji I hope to have time to be a tourist and enjoy some of the beaches and snorkeling. - Nancy

Sydney - Only from the Air

On my way to Fiji I had hoped to have enough time to leave the airport to see the Sydney Harbour Bridge and the Opera House. But time didn't allow for this so the best I could do was views from the plane - landing from Kuala Lumpur and then arriving from Nadi,Fiji. I took these pictures for Daniel and Eli. -Nancy

Take a Pick of Boats

I realized as I was looking at photos of recent travels that boats were a common theme. So take your pick of the boats - a Langkawi basic one, a Perth water taxi, a sailboat in Perth, an adventure "eco" boat that was promised not to sink (This only made me think of the Titanic.) when we took an ocean tour that resembled a roller coast ride, or a lovely yacht in Fiji. - Nancy

Grandpa's Tough Life ...

... sometimes involves a day (or 1/2 day) with Rania -- since both Reeve and Gabi are in school these days and Rania is home alone with Juvy. So, on this Wednesday morning I worked-out in the weight room after taking Nancy to school at 7:00 a.m. and then picked-up Rania at about 8:20. Usually her first priority is to go swimming at G'pa's so we did that. Then comes "Priority #2," i.e. - watching the DVD, "Barbie Island." That takes time, but it did allow a pause on the DVD for snacks, and then a short time working puzzles before we headed back home for a nap. Like I say, it's a tough life! - rw

Rub-a-dub-dub ...

... three cherubs (+Grandpa) in a tub."

The swimming pool at Hampstead Rise continues to be a great joy to all of the Woodward tribe -- at least those close enough to enjoy it! The picture above was taken with a delay timer on a day that G'pa had Reeve, Gabi and Rania over for an afternoon. - rw

What would Australia be without ...

... Kangaroos? So, while in Perth we were determined to visit a wildlife park where one could enter a kangaroo pavilion, feed them, and study a host of them at close range. (Nancy spent lots of time with her zoom lens trying to capture a picture of an infant peeking his/her nose out of mother's pouch. Alas, it never happened!) Wouldn't you like a Dingo for a pet? They sure looked a lot like a domestic dog, but you sure can't say the same for the Tasmanian Devil pictured right below!
A big highlight of our trip to the wildlife park was the chance to visit a bunch of koalas on a sleepy afternoon (for them!). An attendant was present and made it clear that pictures were fine and that one particular koala was okay to pet, if done gently. And then, of course, Nancy and I had to have our picture taken with a Wombat and his keeper. - rw

No, WA doesn't stand for Washington State!

In spending a week in Perth, Australia we saw a lot of "WA" abbreviations. But it's Western Australia, not the state of Washington that's being referenced. Perth was great! It was cool and comfortable, both day and night, but mostly bright and sunny -- with a full moon shining over the Swan River the last night we were there.




On the Saturday before we flew out early Sunday morning we took an all-day cruise to Rottnest Island (Rottnest is "rat's nest" in Dutch, and was so-named by a Dutch explorer who encountered Quokkas and thought they were huge rats.) It was an interesting day that included a 1 1/2 hour boat trip from Perth to the island, and then a 90-minute "Eco-tour" around the island in a smaller boat. On the tour we were disappointed not to see humpback whales, but did see a bunch of seals, lots of bird life and the huge osprey nest that's pictured. We also saw some very nice beaches that would be very inviting in a couple months when the water warms up. Note the "family fishing experience" on the pier that included a very large pelican that happily devoured any fish that weren't "keepers." - rw





Notice that in this "family of five" Mom and Dad are busy fishing, the son (hooded sweatshirt) appears bored, the daughter (pink hat) seems busy with something, while the pelican is waiting patiently for the action.