Just outside our cabins there were stacks of white cockatoos with yellow crests, and green and red parrots. They were in the trees, walking on the grass, and in the feeder. The one blurry shot of the cockatoo was just after he chased a smaller bird away from the feeder, flaring his crest in agression.

Blurry Cockatoo	At Feeder	Cockatoo in Tree	Our Cabin in Blue Mountain
Parrot on our Railing

We nearly hit this tortoise on the way into a service station to check our air pressure. The alignment's been off, and the car pulls to the right a bit. On closer inspection, the tire was completely worn on one side. After 4500km it's no surprise. The tortoise was right in the middle of the exit ramp, and cars were swerving around him. I moved him to the other side, where it seemed he was trying to get to. He didn't appear very grateful. Just sort of stared at me, wondering if I was planning on eating him or not.

Halfway Across the Street

Safer on the Curb

We drove through Gosford several times trying to find the entrance to the Pacific Highway. I think California also has one of those. There wasn't that much interesting to see because of all the rain, so I mostly just read my book.

Near Sydney, But Not the Opera House

Bite Me

What They Call Burger King

Racing the Train out of Gosford

Rose said that this is usually the most beautiful part of the trip, but that it was spoiled because of the rain. Though the gray filtered light of the heavy clouds above, you could see into the distance, the once green fields reflecting the sky in lakes and ponds. The riverbanks are up the the edges of the houses. This part of Australia seems to have extreme weather, either drought or flood, baking heat or frigid cold. On the news tonight, they said that Coffs Harbor, right in our path for tomorrow, has been declared a disaster area due to the excessive rain. It is surrounded by mountains and hills where bananas are grown, but those hills and mountains drain all the rainfall into the valley between them. If it doesn't rain tonight, it should probably be alright.

Percy drove the lead car, looking back occasionally through the pouring rain to check we were still behind him. Our car was easy to recognise, he said, because it only had one headlight working. He swerved suddenly, avoiding a huge pothole in the road, and saw a plume of water splash up from the car behind. With no time to react, and the roads too wet to react too quickly, Matt hit the hole dead center with the left front tyre (tire), rattling our car, and shaking the shifter out of drive and into 3rd! Percy looked behind and did not see our car anymore, and probably panicked. We were still behind him, a little shaken, but the impact had knocked the broken headlight back on! We figured it might also have evened up the car's alignment.

Overflowing River

Flooded Fields

More Flooding