new Ecuador photos

After giving up on losing our photos from Ecuador, thay were recently recovered from Kate's mum's bottom bedroom drawer, along with all the missing socks in the universe. So here are a few highlights

Arent reptiles just sooooo cut.....
That's be an albatross

Kate versus the bug

another local fiesta

and another...this one to do with hats

the condor in action

another crappy fiesta part 50

Galapagos mud

two cuties who followed us for miles

the lovely albatross

Burmese Encounter

So there we were admiring the view at West head, when quite remarkably the view behind us was even more surprising. Out of the corner of my eye I saw a man of burmese appearance who looked quite familiar. It was one of those moments when worlds collide. I approached the man and asked "Do you by any chance come from Burma?" A very surprised "yes" was the answer.

My psychic powers continued with " Would you hapen to own a hotel in a very obscure non touristy town called Taungoo". And that would make you a doctor?"...Yes and Yes.

It was Dr Tin the owner ofthe Myanmar Beauty Guest House which wouldn't recieve more than a hundred visitors a year and yet here he was wandering around Sydney. escape from Burma per se a remarkable feat. Seems our Doctor and his wfe were the guest of another Aussie couple who visit the town regularly and now his parents were escorting around Dr Tin. The always eloquent Dr Tin summed up the encounter with a classic "This is globalisation for you"

Baby paparazzi hits womb

EXCLUSIVE: ITS A GIRL

It's official. After a chase around the placenta, the first shots of baby browne reveal a girl. In scenes reminiscent of Britney hopping out of her limo, baby Browne exposed herself to photographers thereby revealing her sex for the very first time. Once the paparazzi were spotted, in true celebrity style she tried hiding her face

The monkey like appearance has led top a range of Newspaper headlines around the world. The Sun in England referred to her as "Planet of the Brownes" . The Mirror went for "Baby Browne in the mist", while the more conservative Guardian led with "human mother to give birth to Monkey".

Baby Browne is expected June 2007

Snakes and hammocks

Behold mother nature in all it's terrifying beauty. The snake in the above photo, Carpet python to be exact, has just devoured a baby wallaby. We spent three nights at Pittwater YHA, a gem of a place in the Ku- ring Gai National park and to celebrate our arrival, Craig the carpet snake put on a bit of a show. Right next to the kitchen, he decided to spend the next 3 days recovering from his own christmas feast. After loading up with food we headed down to Church point where we got a ferry to Halls Wharf and headed up the hill to spend the next few days with an assortment of Australian native wildlife. Aside from Craig we saw his brother Terry the carpet snake, who surprised us on our walk one day and far from being scared, he moved steadily towards us which meant we had to abandon our walk due to sheer fear. (this was before we knew he was a friendly old carpet python).

Wayne the wallaby was around all the time, as were his extended family shane, sheila, warren and Trevor. Gary the Goanna popped over as did Barry the black Cockatoo. Yep it was world class views, interactive wildlife experiences, only an hour from the centre of Sydney and all for 60 bucks a night double room. And to think down the road people are paying 28,000 a week for their palm beach holiday home...

So for all those British tourists out there... Australia's a terribly dangerous place full of crazy critters ready to devour you in one sitting... and that's just the cricketers

Ho Ho Holmes and a very merry Browne

Santa came to Leichhardt this year and splashed orage paint all over our walls. Yes we now have the suburbs happiest house as seen thru the eyes of the idiot above. Kate hosted her family Xmas which by all accounts went swimmingly( except the odd complaint from a pregnant woman who had to stand up all day long preparing everything while the in laws stood around watching her and chattering).

As for me I was at Northbridge where my sister Meredith hosted a gala event which included lots of ham demolishing, present unwrapping and tennis ball throwing at hyperactive nephews...