Update on Sam

Sam the Koala is doing well at the Wildlife Center in Rawson, VIC. Her caregiver is Colleen Woods, who also founded WRAP (Wildlife Rescue and Protection). Sam's bandages have been removed, and she still loves her boyfriend Bob! If anyone has further updates about Sam, please let us know how she's doing.

Sam cuddles with Bob

How is Sam?

In February, the gentle Koala with the burned paws brought the reality of Australia's bush fires to the attention of the world when she accepted a drink of water from firefighter David Tree, and then reached out and took his hand. The last word I heard about Sam is that she is recuperating at the Mountain Ash Wildlife Center in Victoria State with her new friend Bob, another Koala rescued from the fires.

David Tree paid her a visit at the Center, and, as you can see, Sam was happy to see her hero!

Does anyone have any updates on Sam? Please let us know how she's doing!

Wines from Down Under

After several wine tasting excursions in Australia and New Zealand, I decided to check out what's available in the local Rochester wine shops. I was very pleasantly surprised by the variety of wines I found. There a a number of very good wines from New Zealand, particularly from the Marlborough region. Matua Valley Sauvignon Blanc, Villa Maria Sauvignon Blanc, and Gisborne Chardonnay are all reasonably priced. I heard from many folks in New Zealand that Sauvignon Blanc is the best of the best; what I tasted was fabulous, and the Marlborough region makes some great ones. I also found a good price for a bottle of Yarra Valley Chardonnay. There is quite a lot more to Australian Wine than Yellow Tail, which is also very good. Now comes the fun part - drinking the wine!

Right Side Up?

After 32 hours of travel, and 12 hours of sleep (and one fried MP3 player), I'm home with the kitties. I have no idea what day it is, what time it is, or even what hemisphere it is yet. The Wizard of Christchurch's world map really sums it up nicely.

You'll find more information about the Wizard on the web.

http://wizard.gen.nz/contents.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Wizard_of_New_Zealand