All Over Australia - A Story from Bob and Carol Matthews, Aberdeen, Scotland.
From Bob and Carol Matthews in Scotland - Their Third Email
From: "BOB MATTHEWS"

HELLO AGAIN WALKABOUT! WELL WHAT CAN I SAY!!IF ANY READER OF THIS LETTER CARES TO READ THE OTHER THREE LETTERS IN THE INDEX WITH MY NAME ON IT,THEY WILL DISCOVER THE BACKGROUND TO, AND REASON FOR, THIS ONE! BECAUSE OF MY FIRST LETTER TO THIS SITE, I'VE NOT ONLY SEEN KANGAROOS IN THE WILD FOR THE FIRST TIME BUT HAVE FOUND NEW AND VERY DEAR FRIENDS IN SYDNEY,NAMELY BILL AND OLGA BRAY. WE FINALLY MET EXACTLY ONE YEAR TO THE DAY AFTER HE SENT AN E-MAIL TO ME CONCERNING MY'LACK' OF 'ROO' SIGHTINGS. THEY TURNED UP AT 6.AM ON AN UNUSUALLY RAINY MONDAY MORNING AT SYDNEY'S AIRPORT TO WELCOME ME AND MY WIFE BACK TO 'OZ' ON OUR FOURTH TRIP DOWN UNDER. THEY TOOK US TO THEIR HOME AND SHOWED US AROUND THE SYDNEY AREA OVER A PERIOD OF NINE DAYS ,THINGS THAT WE WOULD ALMOST NEVER HAVE DISCOVERED OURSELVES. BUT MORE IMPORTANTLY THEY CONFIRMED WHAT I'D ALWAYS THOUGHT OF YOU 'AUSSIES', A VERY FRIENDLY AND WARM PEOPLE WITH A JUSTIFIABLE PRIDE IN THEIR COUNTRY.

ON THIS TRIP WE ALSO 'DISCOVERED' TASMANIA!! THIS PLACE IS A 'JEWEL' ON THE AUSTRALIAN CONTINENT. WHY DON'T YOU SHOW IT OFF MORE?? ON ONE HAND I WAS DELIGHTED BY THE LACK OF TOURISTS [LIKE OURSELVES] GIVING US THE ISLAND TO OURSELVES. BUT I 'FELT' FOR THE LOCALS WHO LIVE IN THE PRETTY LITTLE VILLAGES WHICH LINE THE MAIN HIGHWAY, AS THEY SEE 'FOR SALE' SIGNS ON NUMEROUS SMALL SHOPS AND BUSINESSES BLIGHT THEIR MAIN STREETS. WHOEVER IS IN CHARGE OF YOUR TOURIST INDUSTRY ISN'T DOING THEIR JOB PROPERLY!! HOWEVER I DIGRESS -- THE HIGHLIGHT FOR ME PERSONALLY WAS THE VIEW FROM THE TOP OF MOUNT WELLINGTON!!-----MAGNIFICENT!!! THE LITTLE TOWN OF BICHENO WITH ITS LITTLE WHITE BEACH AND BLUE WATER,AND JUST ALONG THE ROAD THE EXCELLENT EAST COAST BIRDLIFE AND ANIMAL PARK,WERE MEMORABLE. AS WAS THE TOWN OF DELORAINE AND THE NEARBY TROWUNNA WILDLIFE PARK. [HAND FEEDING 'ROOS' AND WALLABYS IN A GLADE OF 'GUM' TREES ALL ON OUR OWN IS A MEMORY THAT WILL REMAIN WITH ME FOREVER!

SO! ANOTHER SUCCESSFUL TRIP WAS COMPLETED AND WE RETURNED HOME TO SCOTLAND SATISFIED AND HAPPY,BUT NOT KNOWING WHEN WE COULD AFFORD TO RETURN.  ON CHECKING MY E-MAILS ON MY ARRIVAL,ONE INFORMED ME THAT I'VE WON TWO FLIGHTS WITH B.A. TO SYDNEY!!!

WE RETURN IN NOVEMBER!!!

I'LL BE BACK!!

P.S., I'D LIKE TO TAKE THIS OPPORTUNITY TO THANK ALL THE OTHER PEOPLE FROM AROUND THE WORLD WHO E-MAILED ME BECAUSE WALKABOUT WAS SO KIND ENOUGH TO PRINT MY FIRST LETTER.

PPS. I ALMOST FORGOT, I THOUGHT I'D SEEN AND DONE IT ALL IN SYDNEY,UNTIL I DID THE SYDNEY HARBOUR BRIDGE CLIMB!! JUST OUT OF THIS WORLD!!! VERY WELL ORGANISED,YOU MUST TRY IT!!

CHEERS BOB AND CAROL MATTHEWS.

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