Australia Day 2007

January 26 is Australia Day and if we didn't experience it in 2007 we might never get another chance. So, on Australia Day Eve (yes, the Aussies start celebrating the day before....) we headed to Parliament Hill to the big outdoor Australia Day Eve Concert, where the Prime Minister, John Howard, conducted a citizenship ceremony for "Australian Idol" Damien Leith (from Ireland) and awarded the various Australian of the Year awards. This was followed by a great concert and the atmosphere was electric. We ended up among a group of very friendly and generous Australians who shared their food with us - man Australians really know how to pack for a picnic or outdoor event! (We didn't have a clue!) It was great. Here is what the view looked like from our vantage point.
















Here is William with his newly purchased Australia bucket hat that conveniently matches his "Oilers" sweater. (My cousins from Calgary are going to kill me for that sweater!)




















The next day we were up early to watch and participate in all of the Australia Day goings-on. We started out at Commonwealth Park where we watched as a team of paratroopers sky-dived into Lake Burley Griffin......
















followed by a military parade.......

















We have no pictures of it but there was an F18 fly-by as well - wow!

Then we moved on to a display of many old fire trucks organized by a volunteer group. William was in heaven - as would all of his grandfathers if they had been there. (This reminded us of our good friend Barney DeLong who used to take William on rides in the old firetrucks of the Hartland Volunteer Fire Department.)























That's William at the controls....










Later that evening we returned to Commonwealth Park for the fireworks - Australians really know how to do fireworks! Here we met up with our good friends Pat, Jodi and Grace Cooper - Pat did Staff College in Toronto in 2006. Here is Grace.....




















Grace and William showing off their Australia Day tattoos...yes, he's getting a little hyped by this point....















Ian with Jodi (left) and Pat (right)....oh yeah, and some beer. Did I mention that the Australians really know how to party?
















Here is the crowd we are sitting among as we await the fireworks. That's Lake Burley Griffin in front of us.

Happy Australia Day! (Oy! Oy! Oy!)