For the last day of this For the last day of this amazing journey, I took the tram and the train out to meet Hayley, the gal who was the program director for my sail around the Greek Islands in 2005! We have kept in touch and it was so fantastic to catch up with her. She and her French friend, Kat, picked me up at the station and added her "Mum" Lyn to the group and off we went to drive up into the Dandenong Ranges - gorgeous and huge gum trees, Lyre birds (can imitate anything they hear!), tree ferns and lots of walks, shops and restaurants. We started with scones & coffee at Miss Marple's Tea House (The Brits have a big influence here), did some shopping, then went to the heart of the matter: Ricketts Sanctuary. This is a garden/park that is dedicated to Ricketts' natural sculptures that are fired clay then placed in the forest setting - they are of Aboriginal subjects because he was a naturalist who believed that those people need protection, respect, and a proper legacy. The sculptures are truly beautiful.
Afterwards, we had lunch then a view from the top of the mountain, then back to Melbourne. Tonight, Kylie and I will be attending the Swing Patrol's Christmas party so that we can experience swing dancing in Australia. Hard to believe that this wonderful trip is over tomorrow and that I'll be returning to the winter!
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