The kookaburra sings for me

As kids, my sisters and I loved going to Girl Scout camp and one of the memories I treasure is the singing: singing in the mess hall, on the trail, and around the campfire at night when our clear high voices mingled with the smoke of the fire, rising in the night to the stars. If you ever went to camp, you sang the kookaburra song too:

Kookaburra sits on the old gum tree,
Merry, merry king of the bushes, he.
Laugh, kookaburra, laugh,
Glad your life must be.

 And I never dreamed I would ever hear a real kookaburra in the wild, yet here I am in Australia, waking every morning to a family of these birds yelling at each other at 5am! Who needs an alarm clock? They use their raucous cries to share information about their territory and the bug supply and to keep in touch with each other. It hasn’t taken me long to get used to my wake-up call, however, and after only a week I lie in bed waiting for it. It’s early summer in Sydney so as the morning sun gilds the tops of the tall eucalypts on the hill behind our house I can be sure the laughing will begin soon.

And it’s not just the kookaburra song I never dreamed I’d hear: near the house where we’re staying is a greenway belt which permits wildlife to move from the coast inland and to nearby national parks. So, without half trying, we’ve seen (and heard!) lorikeets, cockatoos, parrots, Indian mynahs and any number of smaller birds which I’ve yet to identify. And the insect life is so prolific as to boggle the mind. There’s been some rain after a seven-year drought, so the cicadas have really ramped up their racket and are so loud that at certain moments when talking out on the deck we have to turn up our volume also. I love the tropics.

In fact, my fascination with Australia has continued unabated for years. Apparently my children have taken that seriously. Craig and I own a holiday home in Cairns, in Tropical North Queensland, and Tracy and her family have emigrated to Australia to make it their permanent home. I have come Downunder with them as they search for jobs, housing and a school for Jack and Abby, but can only stay for three months on my tourist visa. Dan found a wonderful house for us to rent while they are getting settled and it couldn’t be more perfect. Located near Nerrabeen North beaches, it is a three-story house nestled in a breathtaking tropical garden that would top any gardener’s favorite list. Tree ferns, eucalypts, hibiscus, gardenia, jacaranda, ginger, and other as-yet-unidentified plants grow in profusion on the hillside; I even spotted an azalea or two peeking out along the shaded walks through the garden. I do love the tropics!

I am home schooling Jack and Abby because their new school term won’t begin until the end of January, so we have lessons in the morning while Tracy and Dan are out. Afternoons are for exploring and enjoying the glorious Northern Beaches. Last Sunday there were lifeboat competitions up and down the coast, where lifeguards wrestle their heavy rescue boats into the pounding surf and race out beyond the surf line and back to the beach. I felt as if I were in the midst of a National Geographic shoot! Most beaches have a rock-enclosed swimming pool or two at the south end of the beach; fed by the surf, they offer lap swimmers and little nippers alike a safe swimming experience.

Emigration to Australia is a long process, taking almost a year and entry for permanent residence is not assured even if all the paperwork is accepted. But Tracy and family made it and began the process of a permanent move in summer of 2008. It meant sorting through all their belongings, because the container going by ship is only 7’ x 7’ x 4’! They sold almost all the furniture, sold their house and one car. They still have a diesel-powered 2001 VW bug yet to sell. The container will arrive in March, so everything needed till then we checked or carried on the flight. And here’s the scary part: for the five of us, we checked 13 bags and carried on another eight, and even on the flights to Los Angeles, there were folks checking almost that many bags and I can tell you, they were not emigrating to Australia!

We stopped to visit Disneyland before heading Downunder, and that was a good way for the kids to make the transition. It’s a big move for little ones, seeing their lives turned upside down, but visiting the Mouse can take your mind off most anything. The park was all decked out, over the top actually, for Christmas. I still enjoy Indiana Jones.

It rained tropical fury last night, so cicadas are really in full voice, the sun is shining, and it’s going to be another fabulous day in paradise. No snow on the forecast, either.

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