Well, my dad always said that lobster is the food of the Gods...well if that's true, than I must be in Heaven!
Mick and I are now near Mount Gambier, South Australia, the rock lobster capital of the world! Mick grew up here, and has fished and dived these waters many a time, so needless to say, he is a master at catching crays (or lobsters as we know them!) and abalone...something I hadn't tried yet! Yummmm. They taste something like a cross between calamari and clams. They're basically big snails that suction on to the rocks (you have to dive for them). The inside of their shells are famed for their mother of pearl which many of you may be familiar with.
I hate to rub it in, but I simply must! The past 4 nights we have had Snapper, Abalone, Lobster, Lobster and tonight we are having Tasmanian Atlantic Salmon and then tomorrow night...you guessed it, Lobster! You wouldn't believe the size of some of these sea buggers! We did something really fun yesterday... we took a boat out to a rock wall and stuck a pole in the water with fishing line tied on the end baited with fish and netted crays hanging on to the bait! We got pretty good at it too! Pulled in 3 two pounders! Once again...I'm in heaven!
Besides gorging on seafood, we have had a very impressive week. Since my last post, we have slowly traveled down the Great Ocean Road which for anyone who's ever been here will agree looks a heck of a
lot like the Big Sur Coastline with some very impressive rock formations, Koalas, world class surf, and coastal rain forest! Sooo beautiful! We saw tons of Koalas really close up which Mick tells me is pretty rare. He's only ever seen 2 in the wild previous to this trip, so I think we got pretty lucky! They are just the cutest darn things!
lot like the Big Sur Coastline with some very impressive rock formations, Koalas, world class surf, and coastal rain forest! Sooo beautiful! We saw tons of Koalas really close up which Mick tells me is pretty rare. He's only ever seen 2 in the wild previous to this trip, so I think we got pretty lucky! They are just the cutest darn things! The beaches here in Australia have to be absolutely the most beautiful ones in the world. The rugged coastline provides a picturesque view in every direction, and because the country is so underpopulated, there is hardly ever another soul sharing the beach with you! We've spent a lot of time of the beach soaking in the sights and sounds of the powerful ocean, and we have, time and time again been blessed with an abundance of seafood. It's funny how when you need food it somehow comes to you. It really helps you to understand how the Aboriginal people here survived for so many thousands of years with virtually nothing. We've been very lucky thus far, and hope our luck continues!
We've been staying with one of Mick's best friends for the last 4 days. It's been really cool to see him with his friends that he grew up with. It's funny to hear stories about him growing up and to get a feel for what his childhood and teenage years must have been like. It's always interesting to step into someone else's world for a while. It really allows you to feel what they would have felt. This place is special to Mick too since it is where he learned how to surf and fish, his two favorite past times. I'm lucky that I get to see it all first hand.
Well, that's it for this one. Hope you enjoyed the photos and you all had a fabulous Turkey Day!
