Wake to koalas

Amber woke me this morning at about 7.30 with “Mum, they are feeding the koalas at the hospital in half an hour, we have to go” so, hair and teeth tidied, we headed off. As we arrived, pandemonium had broken out, along with two koalas and the team were trying to capture them with long poles and rags on the end. Apparently, they don’t like something over their eyes and will climb down to get away from it. We watched an old koala getting her formula and Amber bought a book about these marsupials, vowing she would work at the hospital in the Sunshine Coast one day.

Since we were away from the tent we headed into town to the Pancake Place for an amazing (and completely calorie-free) breakfast of blueberry and banana pancakes. This restaurant caters to kids amazingly with their own menu, play area and movies.

On the drive north, we stopped at Richardoes Tomatoes where a passionate couple have turned their hydroponic farm into an award-winning tourist attraction. It has been said that kids these days don’t know where their food comes from, and this place is slowly changing that, one kid at a time. Picking strawberries here is easy because they are grown in terraces and kids and adults pick at different heights! They can pick their own lettuce too. We tasted tomato and passionfruit jam which was sensational, and we couldn’t resist a jar.

Next stop was an unusual stable... where rocking horses are born. 82 –year-old Mick Campbell has made exquisite horses for 30 years and it’s a delight to see old-fashioned craftsmanship.

Finally we arrived at Trial Bay where our caravan park was one of the best so far: Jumping pillow, playground with climbing wall, free internet, games room, lake, lovely grassy site and lots of kids for Amber to meet. I didn’t see her for the rest of the day and, as the sunset, she joined in on a four family game of backyard cricket. I watched with red wine in hand.

The weather is beautiful, the vine-ripened tomato bolognaise sauce was delicious and I am very content!

Trivia: Why is a tomato a fruit?
 
The tomato is technically a fruit because it develops from the ovary of the plant. Scientifically and botanically, the ovary, and its seeds, of a flowering plant are the fruit of the plant.