Craig and Rhonda Harris sit on their couch in Elmore and look through scrapbooks and photo albums of their lives in Minnesota and Australia.

There are Australian Islanders on the Mainland, here in Faribault County.

The popular Australian PBS series “Bluey,” which has received global acclaim for children and adults alike, is an educational cartoon based in Australia of a family of Blue Heelers, and kids learn what life is like “Down Under,” but who knew Faribault County has its own Aussie’s to tell people about where they live much of the year.

Craig and Rhonda Harris, who spend a decent amount of their time living here in Faribault County, are retired and purchased a home in Elmore awhile back to spend time with family.

When asked what else appeals to them about living locally, Craig says, with a classic Australian accent, “I can live anywhere!”

Rhonda went on to say, “Part of our reason for moving back to the county part time, and for up to half of the year, was due to regulations for Craig to require a six month visa versus a 90 day visa, so we chose the six months.”

And both agreed, “home is wherever we are.”

Being the youngest of six children, Rhonda grew up on a farm near Blue Earth and is the daughter of Lester and Myrtle Martin. After her high school graduation in 1968 from Blue Earth, she went on to the University of Minnesota, and graduated Cum Laud in Biology, and jokes, “but that is not what I am remembered for.” It was hockey.

While she attended the University of Minnesota, Rhonda took up hockey, but not on a girls team. She joined a men’s intramural team as goalie. A local paper picked up the story at the time and touted her as, “The prettiest goalie in North America.” And included he fact she was one of the first women to play the position on a men’s team.

In that article, Rhonda says, “I don’t think a person should have to scream women’s lib’ every time she wants to do something different, I do it because I want to and I don’t think a couple of little old technical traditions should prevent me from doing what I want.”

Leaving her hockey role behind after graduating from the University of Minnesota, Rhonda went on to pursue a career in teaching and it landed her in Australia. While timing was similar in the era of the need for teachers there, it had nothing to with the decision for Rhonda who says, “I just went!”

When she has made trips back from Australia over the years, Rhonda has spoken in Blue Earth Area elementary and high school classrooms to talk about life in Australia and to answer any questions teachers and students have.

Through teaching and going crabbing, Rhonda met Craig, who was also involved in education. The two eventually flew back to Minnesota and were married here in Faribault County. Craig was immediately embraced by his new Minnesota family.

Craig, son of Mr. and Mrs. Desmond Harris, of Ipswich, Queensland, Australia, went through an apprenticeship and became an A-Grade mechanic, then received a teaching diploma in 1975 from Mount Gravatt Teachers College in Brisbane, Australia. Rhonda taught eighth, ninth, and 10th grade biology and science, and Craig taught industrial arts, both at Gladstone State High School.

The two have lived in several places along the east coast of Australia over the years, and have since settled in on Thursday Island, colloquially known as TI, or in the Kawrareg dialect, Waiben or Waibene, and is an island of the Torres Strait Islands, an archipelago of at least 274 small islands in the Torres Strait.

Thursday Island is located approximately 24 miles north of Cape York Peninsula in Far North Queensland, Australia.

“If not brought to school by a 32-foot catamaran, kids have to walk through salt water and through crocodiles to school,” Craig says, adding, “There is still a no kill policy of crocs in the area and they are considered a protected species after being overly hunted decades ago.”

Despite being from a rural area in Blue Earth, Rhonda has adapted quite well to Australia after living there most of her life, even living amongst the crocs and spiders. “The Huntsman spider is one that people should be aware of. It can be deadly,” says Rhonda.

A less frightening native species to Australia is the quoll. Craig and Rhonda describe them as “native cats which are fairly small and are carnivorous marsupials that eat things like lizards, and insects.” Even though they’re cute, they’re also wild.

Some kids are curious about their lifestyle, and for example, want to know if they have a favorite beverage or game, to which Craig says, “beer, training to drink beer, and boiled eggs.”

Rhonda’s response to the same question is “tomato juice, pool exercise, and eggs.” The two head back to Australia in early November, but continue to make plans to travel to Minnesota in the future.

For a little background on Australian lingo the couple adds “Well, esky is a cooler for putting your coldies in, arbo means afternoon, the hood of a car is a bonnet, and the trunk is a boot.” And of course they say g’day.