The alarm was set and we were all up early ready to set off after a yummy egg breakfast Steph made. We drove for about an hour to Werribee gorge national park with our backpacks ready for a bush hike. It was a 10k hike off the beaten track, up hills, clambering over rocks and finding brilliant views over the gorge. We started off and had been walked 2 minutes before Steph spotted a koala bear sat up in a tree! This is very rare apparently down here and Jay has only ever seen 1 other in the wild so we were very very lucky! We got quite close and he was inquisitively looking down on us and watching but also looked like he was struggling to keep his eyes open and not fall asleep! He looked a bit like a grandpa bear with a little smile, very cute, but he didn't take up my offer of a cuddle. He did have very sharp claws so maybe it was for the best. We trekked on and walked for about 3 hours with a stop for a snacky lunch, loved getting out in the fresh air and doing some exercise and the the weather was perfect. Unfortunately we didn't spot any wallabies or kangaroos which are quite common in that area and thankfully didn't see any snakes or spiders! I did see my first Aussie spider yesterday in the shower though.... It was the size of my little finger nail, I'm sure there's bigger to come.
After saying our final goodbyes to grandpa K we climbed back in the truck and headed off, only to come across another rare find. An Echidna, it looked like a giant hedgehog with big old spikes he was a little more weary of us and kept burrowing his face in the soil to hide before he forgot we were there and went about his business again.
This afternoon/ evening it was Steph and Jays housemates birthday BBQ party, another great day spent with friends in Melbourne