I last posted as I was leaving Canberra and heading back for a short night at the B&B in Sydney before flying to Cairns to meet the next Earthwatch Expedition group. But I neglected to mention something I found very surprising. The sport obsession of the aforementioned Kara is roller derby! Since I’ve never met any roller derby queens in the US, and I know a lot of crazy women athletes, my sense is that the Americans who play the sport tend not to be members of the geek set. In Oz, however, the same women who play Ultimate Frisbee, have PhD’s, are engineers, or are otherwise of the more cerebral mindset are the very ones who put on helmets, skates, and knee pads and try to knock each other off the track. Who knew?

Jeff and Kara on our ride to the Botanic Garden. Canberra isn’t the most gorgeous city, but there are nice people there.

Didn’t get much time in the garden, but we did see this guy, and many of his brethren and sistren.

And while I’m on the topic of botanic gardens, I spent this, my last day in Australia, at the gardens in Cairns. Cairns has been hot, muggy, drizzly, pouring rain, patches of sun, rinse and repeat. But I had several hours without precipitation while I was taking in the tropical flora and learning about Gondwana’s weird plants. Green is a gorgeous color(s).

Ancient conifer.

This is one of two species of ibises that are ubiquitous in the parts of Australia I’ve visited. My previous attempts to photograph them have resulted in blurs on the grass. Here in Cairns there are also white ibises, spoonbills, and storks, among other avifauna. I have got to take up birding!

Next post will contain some deadly images! Happy Passover to those who celebrate. Can’t wait to come home and eat matzoh. (That’s at least half true.)