Blackouts and Bruises

Been a busy day in Kalgoorlie today. Gonna have to keep it short though as I think I may have a slight concussion - certainly not feeling so great, more on that later!

Started out with a trip into Kalgoorlie to the visitor information centre - what a waste of time that was! and then onto check out the sites.

Stopped in at Hannons Park, the kids loved it here, there were peacocks roaming around, and all around the edges of the park were bird cages.  Just outside the park there were emus and kangaroos.  They also had lovely green grass - haven't seen grass like this is weeks!!!

In one of the cages was a hilarious and very friendly cockatoo.  We walked over to the cage and he very polietly said "Hello" so we said Hello back.  He then asked "What are ya doing?"  We chatted to him and he chatted back.  He then made is cone stand straight up on end and started laughing at us - a very very loud human like laugh, or course we laughed at him and the more we did the louder he got.  We spent a good 15 to 20 mins with this silly bird.  The kids thought he was fabulous and wanted to bring him home.

We went up to the super pit, this is where they mine for gold.  Its a working mine and you can stand at the lookout and watch the monsterous trucks working in the mine.

The kids weren't so interested in the massive whole in the ground but they did enjoy fossiking through the shaley rock around the lookout and the carpark for bits of rock with gold in them.  They were pretty easy to find and both kids have left with quite a selection, we certainly won't be making jewellery out of them but its a fun keepsake for them -  in this case all that glitters is gold!

Took a drive down Hay Street -at night this is the red light district - not very child friendly so just did a day time drive by.  When I used to come here for work (many many years ago!) the whole street used to be full of these little stalls, now its just the ones in the picture - they have very much cleaned up there act!!

No this is where the bruises and blackouts come in...

Spent the afternoon at the water park - Dave tried his hand and wave pool surfing and if he doesn't have a sore bum (actually a sore body) tomorrow then it will be a miracle.  He did manage to stand up (for a short time) and the falls where pretty spectaular to watch.  If you fall the wrong (or maybe the right way I'm not sure) then the wave pool sucks you up backwards by your feet back to where you started - giving a massive wedgie!!!



So thats the bruises - now for the blackouts....

After Dave entertained the crowd at the wave pool we all took to the waterslides.  Let me just say it was only one slide and it was a lot quicker than I expected, I don't really know what happened but somehow I find my head getting smashed against the walls of the slide and thats when everything went wobbly and I didn't really know which way was up.  Sometime shortly after the waterslide spat me out, my bikini top was nearly off (not family friendly at all!!) and I was feeling less than well.  Lets just say I spent the next hour laying on my towel in the shade with my eyes closed whilst the kids enjoyed the slides.

Just so you don't think I'm a total wally I'd like to point out that both of the kids hit their heads in the slide too.  Either they didn't hit as hard as me or they are just tougher I'm not sure.

That completes are our time here at Kalgoorlie.  Tomorrow we head back across the Nullarbor - its official we really are on our return trip home.  A bit bitter sweet really, some things I am definatly looking forward to about being back at home - the obvious catching up with family and friends.  The not so obvious - not having to listen to other people fart loudly in the toilet in the morning when I'm still half asleep and not having to look at other women walking around in the bathrooms half naked - actually just to have my bathroom privacy back will be a big one!

Here is our site at Kalgoorlie - see what I mean about the lack of grass!

Won't have internet access for a couple of days whilst we make the crossing so...see you on the other side!!