Michael and Jane and flying Kangaroos

Just woke up after the first leg of our big journey across the red center. We spent the day in a beautiful little town called McLaren Vale just near Adelaide. A friend I work with (Thanks so much Teri!) has family over here and assured me that just HAD to visit these people. At first I thought it might be a bit awkward, but what the hell. Teri got us hooked up through email and these graciousness of these hosts started flowing. We had already booked a hotel in Adelaide for this trip but they offered to put us up for the night, so we canceled and decided to stay with them.

They met us at the airport, and proceeded to take us from goergous winery to georgous winery. McLaren Vale is like the Australian version of Tuscany. Vines and wineries everywhere. Being able to experience this place with instant friends made it that much more special. They knew the people at the wineries, and introduced us. What was even more amazing was that it was Super Bowl Sunday (or The Grand Final as they call it). Michael is a big footy fan and he still made it a priority to take us around. If the president of the USA came to visit me on Super Bowl Sunday... I'm still not unparking my backside from the chair. What amazing people! Although we missed part of the game we still watched most of it. Hawthorne won... that's who is was going for since the Western Bulldogs got knocked out. After the game Michael, had bought me a Cuban cigar (serie D no.1 for the aficianados) that was absolutely exquisite. We sat on his front step and watched the sun set on the the vineyards.

After the cigar, Michael and Jane wanted to prove to us that Kangaroos really do exist outside zoos (Nichole and I were starting to think it was a Australian toursism conspiracy) so we went for a drive in search of the roos. We found one alright! Of course the first image Nichole and I have of a Kangaroo in the wild was it flying over the car. Ooops. Not at all Michael's fault and he along with all of us felt horrible for the poor kangaroo. But what can you do? It's like living in Montana... sooner or later you'll hit a deer. The car was smashed up, and Michael and Jane didn't worry about it at all. They were more concerned in continuing the search for a live kangaroo. There were a bunch out in a fieldjust hopping along, very cool creatures!

Anyway, it seems everyone is up, and moving around so I better go. Today we head north on the Ghan (the railroad that runs from the North to the South of Australia) on our way to Ayer's Rock or Uluru. More updates to come...