Every Inchie Monday -- Australia

This week we are down under in Australia. Peter and I went to Australia for nine weeks in 2004 to visit friends and relations. I didn't see any of my relations, only Peters. Until we came home and I spoke to my cousins I didn't know where they were. My great grandfather went there as a mining engineer when my grandmother was a baby. He saved up enough money to have her brought over, and when the lady went to get her in South Wales, the husband of great grandma's sister, had drunk all the money that great grandad had sent over. My grandmother never managed to get over there and never saw her father. Her father's sister brought her up with her own six girls, all of them I remember well. Grandma's mother had died I think in childbirth. He married again and had two daughters, it is their family that now live near Sidney.
We had the most wonderful time and I loved it there. If I hadn't had three children and my mum I would have stayed there. Whether we will ever go again is doubtful, age and money being the main stumbling blocks.
I have chosen to do the Koala and Ayres rock for my inches. I have chosen koala as not only did I spot one in the wild, sleeping in a tree, but I got to hold one as well. He was very heavy and very friendly.

Here of some pictures that definitely don't look like Australia.

These are views from our front door which Peter dug his way through today before the grandchildren came and one from my studio window which was 6 ft deep. The wind had deposited half of the snow from the field into our garden. The kids loved it, and the littlest one asked to see the drift mountain as soon as she arrived.