Sun-shine Aquatics: Perfect day to wrap up our perfect trip!

First of all, a quick update of what the kids did yesterday with their families --- Albert had a great time in Dream World and real enjoyed some crazy rides; Michaela went to the Movie World (kind the equivalency of the Universal Studios) and she definitely wants to come back to Australia; Kenji took a nap and chased down a kangaroo in the backyard and figured out that he couldn't beat the Roo in running; and Zack and Jarrell played with kangaroos a little in their backyard and then went shopping.

We all had a bit hard time saying goodbye to all the host families. Told by our kids, some of the family members cried last night; some younger ones in the families wouldn't let our kids go out of the door this morning; and our kids for sure didn't want to leave at all. Too bad that we can't stay any longer (blame the summer school then).

Wow, what a wonderful and memorable day we spent at the Australia Zoo! It was supposed to rain today but somehow the sun was out the entire time... We spent almost 6 hours at the zoo walking around, taking tons of pictures, and having fun. We finally made it, everything we had waited for --- watch the famous Croc show (Steve Erwin used to be on site whenever he was not on tour filming); feeding and taking pictures with the kangaroos; petting and holding koala bears (the one we took photos with is "April" and she is only 18 months); having the python with the boys; and picking up many souvenirs for families and friends. Well, I have to mention that everyone "drained" their wallets and nothing is left in any of them. I guess it is time for us to go home then... When we got off the shuttle in the zoo for the food court, Steve Erwin's son Robert ran pass us. We didn't see his wife Terry and his daughter Bindi, but it was great to see his son (remember the little baby Steve Erwin held in front of the big croc years ago?). Everyone working at the zoo seems to share very much Steve Erwin's passion and love for animals, and we could definitely sense his presence around us.

A little funny story here again... we were walking into the kangaroo field to feed them, and Albert said "I kind want to feed a crocodile"... Then Zack said "then you will be going to the Paralympics". Classic!

The python snake was scary (well, at least to Michaela and I) but it was cool to see the boys holding it. Indeed, they worked so hard the entire week before they could get their dream come true, right? But the highlight has to be koala bear April, even though it costs us $20 each for a photo shoot (the money goes to the Steve Erwin Zoo Foundation to keep it open anyway, so it made us feel good)... Originally just me in line doing the photo shoot, then Michaela came along for it (well, Gail... I told her that you won't be having a problem with her paying $20 for this once-in-a-lifetime photo); then each of the boys came after because they just couldn't pass this opportunity and they all wanted to cuddle the koala bear. We were the loud tourists at the place counting the money in our wallets to make sure we still had enough for this. Hahaha... They allowed us to use our own cameras after their shot, so I (who is a great photographer) took the greatest photos for each one. I nearly took over the lady photographer on site. Heehee... So make sure you check your swimmers' camera (except Zack because he didn't even bring a camera) for the photos I took for them. I took so many pictures with my camera and my battery died at the end just as we walked out of the zoo. Perfect timing though...

Per the boys' request, we had to stop by McDonalds one more time for the 50-cent ice cream cones. In reality, this is the only item they could still afford with their money in the wallet. Now we are back in Chris' house and waiting for the big BBQ (kangaroo meat comes in soon, but feel bad now after feeding these adorable animals). We will party at the house tonight and be ready for our trip home tomorrow. I don't know if I will have enough time to write another one tomorrow morning, so just in case I don't, thanks very much for sharing our trip every day and we are excited to return to the island. We miss you a lot, and we can't wait to share more stories as soon as we are back. From me personally, I want to thank all the Moms and Dads who supported these kids to get on this trip. I know we made your $$$ worth it and experience memorable. I know these kids appreciate very very very much, as they spent lots of time in the gift shop today finding good gifts for their families. As we say one more time here... G'Day and G'Night...