Back in Cairns, AU

Yesterday morning we left Port Campbell and drove inland to Melbourne. This was a beautiful drive with lots of lush green pastures, lots of sheep and cattle as well.
We were in Melbourne at an exciting time as their AFL (Australian Football league) was playing their grand final game there. One team was from the town where we stayed on Wednesday evening….Geelong. There were GO CATS GO signs everywhere and this is the team that won…the score was 163-44…..we have no idea of the rules, how you score or anything but it was the largest winning margin in the history of the finals, and it had been 44 years since Geelong had won it. So you can imagine how excited everyone was!!
After getting to Melbourne we found our way to the zoo…I had read that it was the oldest zoo in the world and had won numerous prizes through the years…sorry to say it was a bit disappointing. We saw no Koalas there …….I’m so glad we had seen them in the wild on Friday.
We stayed near the airport Saturday night as we had a very early flight this morning. Our flight was not the most pleasant as we sat behind a couple with two screaming kids. The 3 y/o was especially wild and had parents who essentially did nothing! It really made us appreciate our grandchildren, and although they have their moments this behavior would never have been tolerated by their parents and certainly not by us! I now have my first headache since leaving home!
We are now back in Cairns at TreeTops Lodge where we stayed last w/e. They had stored our large duffle bags this week for us …. Nice not to have to deal with that extra luggage! It is a great deal warmer here than it was in Melbourne or even Sydney for that matter. We have to think upside down as we are use to it being cooler when we go north….but in the southern hemisphere it is quite opposite!
Next time we write it will be from our home (for the next month) in Papua New Guinea. Continue to keep us in your prayers and especially tomorrow as we travel into Port Moresby and then transfer planes to fly to the Western Highlands where the Halls live. Pray that the flight does not get cancelled, as is occasionally the case.
Another prayer request….for Max Beck in Atlanta who will soon be on hospice. This young man and his wife have 2 small children and he is the son-in-law of my business partner, Joanne Onken. Please, whoever reads this, keep Max and all of his family in your prayers as they enter this phase of his illness.
Jim and Mary