A Fantastic Day In The Countryside

Tammy and Ryan took Vicki and I on quite the tour of some areas outside Melbourne yesterday (Sunday, our time). We did a couple of short hikes through the Dandenong Ranges, which feature incredibly tall trees and ferns:

Vicki decided to play "Hobbit" and investigate the interior of a tree that called out to her:

She got a little scared once we pointed out that all manner of beast might live within that tree trunk, after which she required a bit of consoling:

Temporarily worn out from all the sightseeing, we rewarded ourselves with a late lunch at a wood oven pizza restaurant known as Ivy in a tourist town called Olinda:

The next stop on our tour was Sky High, where you're elevated enough to see Melbourne off in the distance as well as lots of farmland and other natural beauty:

Speaking of natural beauty...

... it was finally time to go looking for kangaroos! We visited Cardinia Reservoir, which is one of the best places in this neck of the woods for 'roo hunting. For awhile, it seemed we might come up empty, and then:

Success!! We saw a small herd of them, bounding across the dry grasslands not far from where we stood. That was definitely the highlight of the day, which is saying something in a day full of amazing sights, sounds, smells and experiences. Tammy and Ryan are the ultimate tour guides, and we can't wait to see what they've got planned for us next!