goodonya'

somehow got a table at the "best indian restaurant in australia" last night. felt a bit underdressed, but susie and i enjoyed the mango lassis, the eggplant bhatha, butter chicken, garlic naan and palak paneer. apparently bill clinton is a fan of the highly praised restaurant as well. thought of you both - we'll have to reconvene at bombay mahal in september and tell stories.
the past week has been good - exploring canberra, then adelaide. took a day trip out on the ferry from adelaide to kangaroo island - a very protected island that is still wild and green, with beautiful wildlife and rugged coastline. saw all of the animals that i've heard so much about. australian sea lions resting on the sand of seal bay, after three long days out at sea, diving deep to the bottom of the ocean to find food. they were all around - close enough to touch. they stretched their necks towards the sun and rolled back onto the sand next to their partner or pup, to sleep. saw a lone sea lion surf in completely enveloped by a wave, visible through the clear blue water.
later met some birds of prey face to face including a falcon,a barn owl, two kookaburras (clancy and banjo) and a wedge-tail eagle...the eagle with the largest wingspan in the world.
also looked a few koalas in the eye - they hold eye contact for quite a while. so do the wombats (i've only seen one...and may have found a new favorite animal).
sadly my first wild kangaroo that i saw was a dead one, on the side of the road...and it wasn't the only one that i have seen in that state. i guess they are often killed by cars here because they are so great in number. but later i saw a whole "mob" of them jumping through a field. they are quite beautiful.
also in adelaide visited a museum and gallery space for the aboriginal people. am learning a lot about australia's history with their native peoples. horrible things have happened here. up until as late as the 1960s aboriginal children were taken from their homes and families and sent to "missions" where they were taught about jesus and forced into a "white" way of thinking. this was all government funded and supported. only a few years ago did the new prime minister, kevin rudd, finally apologize for the atrocities commited against the aborigines and the complete disruption of their culture and way of life. i have so much more to learn about this world.
why aren't we taught the important things in school? the true things?

tasmania tomorrow...to susie's hometown in the bushland. there, i shall try my hand at left side of the road driving! more later.