Australia

 Togo in Oz. 6.21.25 - 7.5.25

Friends from my time spent in Togo, West Africa. Christel Chandra (Pharmacist, Brisbane, Australia). Christa Brown (Family Medicine, Sacramento, CA), Jebha Babu (Pediatric Emergency Medicine, Houston, TX). Amanda Bressler (Long Term missionary MK Teacher in Mango, Togo, West Africa)

6.21.25 

 

Took Amtrak from Lafayette to Chicago. Blue Line out to Ohare. Then flights ORD to LAX, and then LAX to Brisbane.  

 

6.23.25 

Christel is a Pharmacist who also makes cakes. 

Wallabys in Christel's backyard... kind of like how we would see squirrels in our backyards here in IN.

6.24.25

Visting the Australia Zoo.

Komodo Dragon

We learned that everything in Australia wants to kill you. So many poisonous snakes.

poison frogs

Wombat with a random bush turkey

Wombat

Koala

Wallabys and kangaroos

They are so incredibly soft. 

Got to pet the koala on her bum bum.

Red Panda

Tiger with cataracts

Echidna

Lemur

giraffes

Cheetahs

 

More koalas.

mama with baby koala

Learned all about them at a little talk given by a zoo keeper at the koala nursery. 

Jabiru (black-necked stork)

Quokka

But we didn't get to see one smile at us.

Crocoseum. Wildlife Warriors presentation. Name of this Croc was Bluey.

6.25.25

Fixing Christel's prescription sunnies.

Ready to go! Eumundi Markets. Sunshine Coast.

Tried all the tasty treats. Including fresh hot fried calamari. 

Quick hike in Kondalilla National Park. 

Picture does not do justice to the magical feel of the forest.

Then we had to skedaddle back to Brisbane so Amanda could have her second dentist appointment of the trip. And then we got to finally pick up Christa. She had been delayed in Doha for 24hours due to Iran retaliating against US strikes with their own attack on US military base. 

6.26.25 

Ferry to North Stradbroke Island

Picnic lunch. North Stradbroke Island. 

North Gorge Walk. We saw whales, dolphins, sharks, turtles, fish, and so much more. 

Turtle!

Hawk with a caught fish in his talon. 

Taking the ferry back to Brisbane from Straddie again. 

Staying warm.

6.27.25

 

Springbrook National Park. 

Springbrook National Park. 

Springbrook National Park. Twin Falls Circuit. 

Twin Falls

Stopping for picnic lunch on our hike in Springbrook National Park. 

Rainbow Falls. Springbrook National Park. 

The "Best of All" Viewpoint. Springbrook

Extra windy at the Best of All. Keeping warm. 

Purling Brook Falls. Springbrook National Park.

 

Christel, Jake & I did an extra little jaunt over to the warringa pool. 

Stop for pies on the way home again. 

6.28.25

Chill day with a slow morning and then massages in the early afternoon. 

Southbank. Brisbane.

Dinner at Mado. Complete with belly dancing. 

6.29.25 

Sunday church at Grace Bible Church Springwood. 

 

 Picnic lunch with YoPros from Grace Bible church and some of Christel's friends. 

 

Australian playgrounds are legit. 

6.30.25

Travel day from Brisbane to Cairns.

 

 

Spent the evening in Cairns trying to track down Christa's lost checked baggage (which we finally did succeed in) and watching the quintessential Australian movie, The Castle. 

 

7.1.25

Frankland Islands tour. Heading out for a day of snorkeling on the Great Barrier Reef.

 

Frankland Islands Tour. Snorkeling on the Great Barrier Reef

Normanby Island. (1 of the 5 Frankland Islands).Home base for the tour.

 

Brittle Star

View of other Frankland Islands from Normanby island. 

Boat ferry back to mainland from the Frankland islands. 

Croc

Anna and Trento selfie snapped when Anna was taking our group pic. 

Croc

Evening walk along the Esplanade in Cairns. 

A moment caught by Christa.

7.2.25

Kuranda Scenic Railway. 

 

Quick train stop at Barron Falls. 

Barron Falls. 

Coming into Kuranda.

Exploring Kuranda.

Kuranda Scenic Railway

We snuck away to get a quick picture with the locomotive.  

We hadn't realized that Amanda caught us. 

She hadn't realized that Jebha had caught her catching us. 

Train ride back to Cairns again. 

Amanda resting her eyes. 

7.3.25

Sugarcane fields. 

 

Rainforrest River Tubing. 

Was nervous we would all freeze, and it was chilly, but we managed just fine and it was great fun!

Quick stop on our way back for a picnic lunch

 

 Cairns Botanic Gardens

Cairns Botanic Gardens

 

Playing on the playground, Cairns Botanic Gardens. 

Arrows Hike. Cairns Botanic Gardens

Spent the evening on the Esplenade again. Exploring the Cairns Night Markets.

 

7.4.25

Walsh's Pyramid. Wooroonooran National Park. (Side Note: absolutely amazing that all of these National Parks were free entrance and parking.)

Hiking Walsh's Pyramid.

3000ft elevation gain. Hiking straight up the pyramid. Everybody made it!

Picnic lunch at the top. 

Sugarcane train. 

That evening Jake and I started our trip home again. Flew Cairns back to Brisbane.

7.4.25

While the rest of the chicas watched the sunrise on the beach in Cairns. We watched along but from the airport in Brisbane. 

Flew Brisbane to Sidney. Sidney to Dallas/Fort Worth. Dallas/Fort Worth to ORD. Then traced our steps back via the Blue Line to Union Station and Amtrak back to Lafayette again. Drove to Brookston entering the town at 10:30pm catching the tail end of the town's fireworks display welcoming us home again. 

Much Love.