Monday, February 24, 2025

Andi and I planned something special for our family in Adelaide today. We hired kayaks for the morning at the Adelaide Dolphin Sanctuary. Around 8:30am, the four of us hopped in an Uber to drive 20 minutes north of the city to Port Adelaide.

Andi and I opted for a self-guided tour of the mangroves around Garden Island. This is a popular spot for bottle-nose dolphins to fish, play, and socialize in the calm, protected waters. The dolphins can come and go as they wish, but odds are good for spotting them here.

The Dolphin Sanctuary required the kids be in double kayaks with an adult, so we paired up two & two. It was a beautiful morning to be on the water with sunny skies and temperatures around 70 degrees.

We were free to explore the waters of the sanctuary on our own. First, the four of us paddled through a narrow channel of mangrove trees. We didn’t see any dolphins there, but it was a peaceful spot. The water was so calm; paddling was easy.

After the channel, we entered back into the open water near the spot we launched our kayaks. Just then, we spotted a dolphin jump out of the water! It was so special. The dolphin continued to swim and jump in front of our kayaks for the next 15 minutes. It didn’t seem to mind us being there at all.

The four of us had a lot of fun on the water this morning. Tory kept wanting to race the boys’ kayak, but her arms quickly tired. “Faster, Mom, don’t stop!” she shouted as she laughed. “I can’t feel my arms! They’re noodles!”

“I think we floated on the water and talked more than we kayaked,” Aden remarked when we finished. That was OK though. Quality time spent together in nature is time well spent.

Around 11:30am, we returned our kayaks and called an Uber to pick us up. Andi wanted to check out North Adelaide, so we took a car to that neighborhood. He picked a place called The British for lunch. We were all starved by this point, and decided to share a Mediterranean platter of grilled meats and chips (french fries). Tory ordered herself a cheeseburger. Our food tasted excellent.

Andi has been pushing Aden to get a haircut in Adelaide because it’ll probably be his last/best chance for a decent style. Aden said he didn’t want his hair cut at all, and couldn’t understand why he doesn’t have the power to decide how he wears his own hair. It did look pretty shabby, so I tried to help sway Aden into getting a cut today.

Andi didn’t say much more about it. He found a barbershop in North Adelaide and steered us in that direction as we walked down Melbourne St. “Oh, this looks like a good spot. Let’s go in here,” Andi said without further discussion.

What an intriguing glimpse into the life of an Australian man as we sat and watched the barbershop action for an hour. The two stylists were very skilled at their trade as they cut mens’ hair. No appointments necessary at this barbershop, but there was a line of customers waiting.

After an hour, it was finally Aden’s turn. I popped up with him and tried to explain the style Aden wanted. The stylist looked at me and said, “That’s not trendy. You want something modern. Do you trust me?” I did, honestly. After watching her the past hour, it was obvious she knew what she was doing. She went to work on Aden, shaving off a good chunk of hair on the back of his head.

“No going back now,” Andi leaned over and whispered to me with eyes wide.

Aden’s hair turned out so good! And, best of all, he loved it. His new style completely changed his face shape and makes him look older, I think.

Andi got a haircut and beard trim as well, and I thought it was the best haircut he’d ever had. His beard was perfectly shaped.

We had an unexpectedly fun afternoon with the ladies of Da Ginni Barber. Their personalities were so lively and fun, and they did excellent work.

After haircuts in North Adelaide, we took an Uber back to our apartment in the CBD. The kids wanted time to chill, so Andi and I went out by ourselves to walk around the River Torrens / Elder Park area. The sun was warm as we walked along the river together. It was a beautiful area.

The only hiccup happened when I stopped to take off my sweatshirt and a Rainbow Lorikeet pooped on top of Andi’s head! It ran all the way down his face and onto the back of his t-shirt. Yuck.

Back at home, Andi made chicken with beets and carrots for dinner. The four of us ate, and then watched a replay of this week’s sermon from our home church in Wisconsin.

What a full, active day we had in Adelaide. Tomorrow is our last day in town, then off to New Zealand. More to come.