After staying with the newlyweds Chris and Sophie and cramping their style for 3 weeks, Hannah and I have finally found an affordable place to live that's near the city. After looking at trashy places in sketchy neighborhoods, getting lost trying to find places and being rejected, we have finally found our humble abode. You are now looking at one of the new residents of 150 Mt. Alexander Rd, Flemington VIC 3031. We have been in this house for about a week now and learning many new things about the place daily. We don't live with any Australians unfortunately but we do live with a Dutch girl named Malu, a Mauritius guy named Vivian, German girl named Yvonne and 3 Italians named Fabio, Maurizio and Frederico. Kind of sounds like the beginning of a joke, right? The house is a 6 bedroom place so it’s a decent size. There is one shower and 2 toilets so sometimes it’s a little crowded but for the price it’s worth it. In Australia they advertise prices weekly and I am paying $90 a week, which is one of the cheapest places I have been able to find. And what makes it cheaper is that Hannah and I share the room. It is right on a main street where conveniently a tram stop is located that can take me straight to work, the amazing Queen Victoria Market and to the heart of downtown. The house is pretty old, so old that the house is on stilts and there are holes in our floor where you can see the ground so there is quite a draft sometimes. I have to keep reminding myself that it’s affordable and a good location.
Now to say a little about my roommates. Malu lives across the way from Hannah and I and she is here working at a research center at one of the hospitals. She is really nice and usually out of the house during the days saving people’s lives through her research. Vivian is the sous chef at the restaurant I work at. He is the one that told me about the available room. He is trying to get his permanent residency here and is a really nice guy. Yvonne is traveling a bit I believe and is currently taking English classes while trying to find a job. She has only been here for a couple of months and also just finally settling down. The Italians are an interesting group of guys. 2 of them share a room while the 3rd one has his own. They like to smoke inside the kitchen, which is always pleasant when you are trying to cook or eat your food. There is nothing like biting into your meal with smoke blowing into your face at the same time. We've asked them kindly to smoke outside but they bluntly refuse. Luckily, they are moving out in a week. At first I didn’t really care for them because of the smoking issue, but I tried to keep an open mind and have carried on some conversations with them. They are good-humored guys and nice but I’m still looking forward to when the smoke smell disappears.
The house is pretty old, so old that the house is on stilts and there are holes in our floor where you can see the ground so there is quite a draft sometimes. I have to keep reminding myself that it’s affordable and a good location and it’s not for the rest of my life. If I had money that I could just spend without a care, I would love to take a trip to IKEA and completely decorate this house so it looks like someone lives there and completely get this place organized and clean. But I don’t, so I have to make do with what is available. One thing I’ve also noticed and only in this house so far is that the cold water knob is on the left and the hot water knob is on the right but only in the bathroom. I had a few cold showers before realizing this. The knobs in the kitchen are normal, at least by our standards. In the backyard we have around 6-7 shopping carts just hanging out there. The nearest grocery store is about a 15 minutes walk and by the looks of our fridge and cabinet, no one buys that many groceries to where they need to bring a cart home with them. I’m thinking they got there by some drunken escapade. Needless to say the character of the house and the things I find here definitely makes life interesting.
Sunday, February 28, 2010
Tuesday, February 9, 2010
Reality in Australia
So I have been back from traveling for almost 2 weeks now, and you might wonder what I've been up to. Well to be honest, nothing exciting like the road trips, but still managing to squeeze fun into job searching and house hunting. So far, it has been waaaay harder than everyone here said it would be. We were supposed to be these novelties that any place would love to have. That is what some Australians told us when we began our journey. Well any feeling of "novelty" has definitely worn off. After handing out and applying for over 70 jobs and not a single confirmed job yet, is a little worrisome. I have had some leads, and still do. But I feel like I can't count them until I'm told that I'm hired or I see my name on the schedule.
My mom knew someone who knew someone who manages a restaurant in Melbourne called the Spaghetti Tree. Naturally, that was the first place I stepped in hoping that my connection follows through. Unfortunately, David (one of the managers) said that business is very slow at the moment because everyone is on holiday and down by the beach but he would keep my resume if something comes up. After dragging myself out there and forcing the positive thoughts to come back, I have been walking up and down streets looking for help wanted signs on windows. They are out there, but my visa has limited me and have not been qualified for some jobs because of it. After a few discouraging days, I randomly walked in a restaurant called The Trust and they said to come back in a few days for a trial. A trial? What's a trial? I guess they test you out before they officially hire you or tell you any pertinent information you might want to know such as wage, hours, perks etc. After a few days of trialing with the restaurant I find out on my own that they are also really slow and yes my name is on the schedule now, but more as a sub or when there is an event at the restaurant that they need extra staff for. I found out through a dutch guy who was bartending there that he gets paid under the table and roughly every week. He doesn't get much hours either. Fortunately, I had a trial last night at another restaurant called the Metropolitan that I had a connection with through the Spaghetti Tree. The trial went well I thought and Chase, the manager, said he would call me. But is this the "I'll call you" as in no I won't at all and you did terrible or is it really I will actually call you. I hope its the later option. He said they were looking to fill a 25-30 hours a week position which would be PERFECT! The guy who was training me had only worked there for 7 days and it seemed like he was there for longer. This restaurant seems very detail oriented which is good but its to the point where its obsessive. Everything is PERFECTLY in line and there are so many stupid and silly time-consuming things that it makes you wonder if customers will actually notice. Its not like its a 5 star restaurant, more like a wannabe but with average customers. Weird. But beggars can't be choosers and I hope I get the call from Chase. I also had an interview this week for a reception position at Morley's Real Estate. It went really well but their only concern was me only being here for a year and they are looking for someone even more long term. I made up some crap about 2 year visas but I'm not sure if he bought it. Considering its been over 48 hours and that's when he said he would call, I reckon I didn't get the job. Shucks! I'm trying to keep my spirits up and keep applying in hopes something for sure will come up.
The renting market is really competitive here. In the beginning the 5 of us, Hannah, Brennan, Rich, Simon and I were going to share a place. After about 5 minutes looking, we realized that was near to impossible so then we split up and Brennan, Hannah and I are going to try to find a place. After looking and viewing some places, we realized this is also very difficult. So no Brennan is on his own and its down to Hannah and I looking for a place, which today was the first day looking. We called and e-mailed about 10 places in hopes that one of these will work. Rentals here go really quickly and some people pay 3 months rent up front to secure the rental. Unfortunately we don't have that kind of money. Hopefully one of these house share places will take us in. It has come to the point where Hannah and I don't mind if we have to share a room, we've done it for 1.5 months now, what a few months more? And it might save us on rent by quite a bit.
Now after reading that, it sounds like Australia sucks. It doesn't! Melbourne is such a fun city with so many festivals, squares and places to check out. We have gone to this one bar a couple times called Nu Guernica which is this old cabin kind of feel. Pretty funky and awesome specials. We have also gone to few BYO (bring your own alcohol) restaurants in china town and tried out some small cafes that can be found in small lane ways. The city is always moving and people are always hustling. Its so different and so much fun to be a part of. I could sit down on a bench all day and just people watch for hours, that is if I had time or when I have a job. I have all of these chocolate places I want to try out and other small cafes and restaurants to experience....of course when I have a job and a somewhat of a steady income, if there is such a thing here. The international festival is going on and showing some free movies so I plan to see some. They also have rooftop cinemas and moonlight cinemas in the botanical gardens that I would like to venture out to. So many things to do here, so little time and money.
Cheers!
My mom knew someone who knew someone who manages a restaurant in Melbourne called the Spaghetti Tree. Naturally, that was the first place I stepped in hoping that my connection follows through. Unfortunately, David (one of the managers) said that business is very slow at the moment because everyone is on holiday and down by the beach but he would keep my resume if something comes up. After dragging myself out there and forcing the positive thoughts to come back, I have been walking up and down streets looking for help wanted signs on windows. They are out there, but my visa has limited me and have not been qualified for some jobs because of it. After a few discouraging days, I randomly walked in a restaurant called The Trust and they said to come back in a few days for a trial. A trial? What's a trial? I guess they test you out before they officially hire you or tell you any pertinent information you might want to know such as wage, hours, perks etc. After a few days of trialing with the restaurant I find out on my own that they are also really slow and yes my name is on the schedule now, but more as a sub or when there is an event at the restaurant that they need extra staff for. I found out through a dutch guy who was bartending there that he gets paid under the table and roughly every week. He doesn't get much hours either. Fortunately, I had a trial last night at another restaurant called the Metropolitan that I had a connection with through the Spaghetti Tree. The trial went well I thought and Chase, the manager, said he would call me. But is this the "I'll call you" as in no I won't at all and you did terrible or is it really I will actually call you. I hope its the later option. He said they were looking to fill a 25-30 hours a week position which would be PERFECT! The guy who was training me had only worked there for 7 days and it seemed like he was there for longer. This restaurant seems very detail oriented which is good but its to the point where its obsessive. Everything is PERFECTLY in line and there are so many stupid and silly time-consuming things that it makes you wonder if customers will actually notice. Its not like its a 5 star restaurant, more like a wannabe but with average customers. Weird. But beggars can't be choosers and I hope I get the call from Chase. I also had an interview this week for a reception position at Morley's Real Estate. It went really well but their only concern was me only being here for a year and they are looking for someone even more long term. I made up some crap about 2 year visas but I'm not sure if he bought it. Considering its been over 48 hours and that's when he said he would call, I reckon I didn't get the job. Shucks! I'm trying to keep my spirits up and keep applying in hopes something for sure will come up.
The renting market is really competitive here. In the beginning the 5 of us, Hannah, Brennan, Rich, Simon and I were going to share a place. After about 5 minutes looking, we realized that was near to impossible so then we split up and Brennan, Hannah and I are going to try to find a place. After looking and viewing some places, we realized this is also very difficult. So no Brennan is on his own and its down to Hannah and I looking for a place, which today was the first day looking. We called and e-mailed about 10 places in hopes that one of these will work. Rentals here go really quickly and some people pay 3 months rent up front to secure the rental. Unfortunately we don't have that kind of money. Hopefully one of these house share places will take us in. It has come to the point where Hannah and I don't mind if we have to share a room, we've done it for 1.5 months now, what a few months more? And it might save us on rent by quite a bit.
Now after reading that, it sounds like Australia sucks. It doesn't! Melbourne is such a fun city with so many festivals, squares and places to check out. We have gone to this one bar a couple times called Nu Guernica which is this old cabin kind of feel. Pretty funky and awesome specials. We have also gone to few BYO (bring your own alcohol) restaurants in china town and tried out some small cafes that can be found in small lane ways. The city is always moving and people are always hustling. Its so different and so much fun to be a part of. I could sit down on a bench all day and just people watch for hours, that is if I had time or when I have a job. I have all of these chocolate places I want to try out and other small cafes and restaurants to experience....of course when I have a job and a somewhat of a steady income, if there is such a thing here. The international festival is going on and showing some free movies so I plan to see some. They also have rooftop cinemas and moonlight cinemas in the botanical gardens that I would like to venture out to. So many things to do here, so little time and money.
Cheers!
Monday, February 1, 2010
Adventures in New Zealand
Day 16 - January 20
Last night we arrived in Wellington, which is in the north island, pretty late so we slept in this morning. Andy showed us a lot of the city in between his job and an interview he had. He also told us that quite a bit of the city is built on sand to expand the size, and that they lie on a major fault line so if there was an earthquake, they would be screwed. We walked along the coast before Hannah, Brennan and I headed to Te Papa, the New Zealand Museum. This was our first museum of the trip which is weird considering thats what we went a lot to in Europe. This museum was so big and so amazing with everything that was filled in it. We saw the world's largest squid on display (dead of course) and learned about the Maoris, the equivalent to indians in New Zealand. The Maori culture and language is still very visible in New Zealand which I thought was really cool. After the museum we picked up some lamb that we were going to BBQ at Andy's and that is when we got to see our friend Ellie as well! They were explaining to us that the population of sheep in New Zealand is higher than the population of people. Interesting to think about.
Day 17 - January 21
Today we had to get up super early in the morning to catch a taxi to the ferry to take us to the south island. I was pretty tired so I slept most of the ferry ride but woke up right on time to see the amazing views of the south island coming in. It was full of green hills/mountains with patches of really low clouds surrounding them. It was just absolutely beautiful. After the ferry ride we had an hour to kill before the 6 hour bus ride to Christchurch where we were meeting Ellie, our next tour guide. When we were all together, her family kindly let us borrow there car and we drove up to their batch (vacation house) along Arthurs Pass. It was a cute little cottage in the mountains and made me think of Colorado a bit.
Day 18 - January 22
In the morning we woke up to Ellie blasting Sound of Music, quite entertaining. We took a short hike/bush walk/shrub walk along Arthur's Pass and saw the point between east side and west side. The mountains are quite different here than they are in Colorado. They are definitely taller and covered in various types of green trees and shrubbery, but still made me think of home. Then we drove to Fox Glacier where I got to see snow...and a glacier. The Glacier was amazing to see. Unfortunately we couldn't touch or walk on the glacier without a guide but we still got pretty close. You could actually smell the ice, which made us all think of the Titanic. There was a creek running off from the glacier with as you can imagine, extremely cold water, but it was so clear and pretty cool thing to see.
Day 19 - January 23
Today we drove to Queenstown, the well known backpackers town. On the way we stopped at this big open meadow with mountains in the background because it literally looked like it was from Sound of Music. So we all got out and ran out into the meadow while spinning around and singing, a little show for the cars driving by. For dinner we had a picnic by Wakatipu lake while listening to some techno from a nearby boat. Interesting setting for sure. We also learned about FaFa which is this mythical Maori creature that lives in the water and he creates the waves in the water when he is upset. I can't remember what it is actually called but we did the honors and called him FaFa. We thought it suited him. After dinner, we joined all the other backpackers and checked out the night scene. We went to the World Bar where we had there famous tea pot drinks which are basically a mixture of different spirits and juices. They come in actually tea pots and you pour them into these little shot glasses. Brennan and I played it safe and shared a Long Island Iced Tea, something we were familiar with. The backpackers vibe was definitely present in the town and there were people from all over the world.
Day 20 - January 24
Today was another long drive to Milford Sounds. We had a quick lunch stop in Te Anau before making our way to our hostel. The drive there was soooooo beautiful. We were driving in between up and down mountains that had tons of small waterfalls just streaming through them. So gorgeous. After getting to our hostel, we braved the cold and went swimming in the Claddao river, which was incredibly cold. I've never been in cold water like this. We warmed up a bit and walked to Milford Sounds, which we saw at dusk. It was so cool how you could see the different layers of mountains almost with the water in the middle. Pictures could not even capture how amazing of a sight this was. On our walk home we stopped on a little trail and saw glow worms, a first for me. That was pretty cool and surreal to see hundreds of these small glowing things spread out in the bushes. This place is full of wonderful things.
Day 21 - January 25
After our short stop in Milford Sounds we headed back to Queenstown for another night. On our way back, we stopped for a several hour hike and stretched our legs. We did the beginnings of Routeburn track and continued onto the summit hike where at the top you could see everything around you. At the top we were at 920 meters or 3,018 feet. So still not quite a mile high. After a pizza dinner in town we went on a blind fold pub crawl with our hostel. That was so much fun and interesting. We each had to get in pairs and take turns being blind folded while the other person would guide you to the next pub. I was paired with Ellie and Hannah and Brennan were paired. We went to 6 different places where at the entrance you received a different shot. Our roommates (we were in a room of 6 for the night) were from Holland and such fun and happy girls. They also went on the pub crawl and made the evening very fun. It was great to talk to them and hear about their experiences as well. Made me miss my dutch friends. There was also a dance contest, which Ellie won. Her prize was a free bungee jump!!! Amazing. Unfortunately she didn't want it and we were leaving somewhat early the next day so we couldn't use her prize at all. Oh well, at least we all know that she won.
Day 22 - January 26
Today was our 7-8 hour drive back to Christchurch where we stayed at Ellie's parents place. They had such a cool house, away from the city, where they had a pool (not heated but still fun to swim in), a tennis court made of grass and a croquet field. It was so cool. They also have a lot of land and cows. After a delicious dinner that her parents kindly made us, we played some croquet, I was behind for most of it but got 2nd in the end. I guess I did get dad's croquet skills after all.
Day 23 - January 27
Another really early morning to catch a flight back to Melbourne. Our vacation is over, and reality begins, well what reality would be in Australia anyways. It's great to be back but now we need to find a place to live and jobs. Oh boy. Wish us luck!
Last night we arrived in Wellington, which is in the north island, pretty late so we slept in this morning. Andy showed us a lot of the city in between his job and an interview he had. He also told us that quite a bit of the city is built on sand to expand the size, and that they lie on a major fault line so if there was an earthquake, they would be screwed. We walked along the coast before Hannah, Brennan and I headed to Te Papa, the New Zealand Museum. This was our first museum of the trip which is weird considering thats what we went a lot to in Europe. This museum was so big and so amazing with everything that was filled in it. We saw the world's largest squid on display (dead of course) and learned about the Maoris, the equivalent to indians in New Zealand. The Maori culture and language is still very visible in New Zealand which I thought was really cool. After the museum we picked up some lamb that we were going to BBQ at Andy's and that is when we got to see our friend Ellie as well! They were explaining to us that the population of sheep in New Zealand is higher than the population of people. Interesting to think about.
Day 17 - January 21
Today we had to get up super early in the morning to catch a taxi to the ferry to take us to the south island. I was pretty tired so I slept most of the ferry ride but woke up right on time to see the amazing views of the south island coming in. It was full of green hills/mountains with patches of really low clouds surrounding them. It was just absolutely beautiful. After the ferry ride we had an hour to kill before the 6 hour bus ride to Christchurch where we were meeting Ellie, our next tour guide. When we were all together, her family kindly let us borrow there car and we drove up to their batch (vacation house) along Arthurs Pass. It was a cute little cottage in the mountains and made me think of Colorado a bit.
Day 18 - January 22
In the morning we woke up to Ellie blasting Sound of Music, quite entertaining. We took a short hike/bush walk/shrub walk along Arthur's Pass and saw the point between east side and west side. The mountains are quite different here than they are in Colorado. They are definitely taller and covered in various types of green trees and shrubbery, but still made me think of home. Then we drove to Fox Glacier where I got to see snow...and a glacier. The Glacier was amazing to see. Unfortunately we couldn't touch or walk on the glacier without a guide but we still got pretty close. You could actually smell the ice, which made us all think of the Titanic. There was a creek running off from the glacier with as you can imagine, extremely cold water, but it was so clear and pretty cool thing to see.
Day 19 - January 23
Today we drove to Queenstown, the well known backpackers town. On the way we stopped at this big open meadow with mountains in the background because it literally looked like it was from Sound of Music. So we all got out and ran out into the meadow while spinning around and singing, a little show for the cars driving by. For dinner we had a picnic by Wakatipu lake while listening to some techno from a nearby boat. Interesting setting for sure. We also learned about FaFa which is this mythical Maori creature that lives in the water and he creates the waves in the water when he is upset. I can't remember what it is actually called but we did the honors and called him FaFa. We thought it suited him. After dinner, we joined all the other backpackers and checked out the night scene. We went to the World Bar where we had there famous tea pot drinks which are basically a mixture of different spirits and juices. They come in actually tea pots and you pour them into these little shot glasses. Brennan and I played it safe and shared a Long Island Iced Tea, something we were familiar with. The backpackers vibe was definitely present in the town and there were people from all over the world.
Day 20 - January 24
Today was another long drive to Milford Sounds. We had a quick lunch stop in Te Anau before making our way to our hostel. The drive there was soooooo beautiful. We were driving in between up and down mountains that had tons of small waterfalls just streaming through them. So gorgeous. After getting to our hostel, we braved the cold and went swimming in the Claddao river, which was incredibly cold. I've never been in cold water like this. We warmed up a bit and walked to Milford Sounds, which we saw at dusk. It was so cool how you could see the different layers of mountains almost with the water in the middle. Pictures could not even capture how amazing of a sight this was. On our walk home we stopped on a little trail and saw glow worms, a first for me. That was pretty cool and surreal to see hundreds of these small glowing things spread out in the bushes. This place is full of wonderful things.
Day 21 - January 25
After our short stop in Milford Sounds we headed back to Queenstown for another night. On our way back, we stopped for a several hour hike and stretched our legs. We did the beginnings of Routeburn track and continued onto the summit hike where at the top you could see everything around you. At the top we were at 920 meters or 3,018 feet. So still not quite a mile high. After a pizza dinner in town we went on a blind fold pub crawl with our hostel. That was so much fun and interesting. We each had to get in pairs and take turns being blind folded while the other person would guide you to the next pub. I was paired with Ellie and Hannah and Brennan were paired. We went to 6 different places where at the entrance you received a different shot. Our roommates (we were in a room of 6 for the night) were from Holland and such fun and happy girls. They also went on the pub crawl and made the evening very fun. It was great to talk to them and hear about their experiences as well. Made me miss my dutch friends. There was also a dance contest, which Ellie won. Her prize was a free bungee jump!!! Amazing. Unfortunately she didn't want it and we were leaving somewhat early the next day so we couldn't use her prize at all. Oh well, at least we all know that she won.
Day 22 - January 26
Today was our 7-8 hour drive back to Christchurch where we stayed at Ellie's parents place. They had such a cool house, away from the city, where they had a pool (not heated but still fun to swim in), a tennis court made of grass and a croquet field. It was so cool. They also have a lot of land and cows. After a delicious dinner that her parents kindly made us, we played some croquet, I was behind for most of it but got 2nd in the end. I guess I did get dad's croquet skills after all.
Day 23 - January 27
Another really early morning to catch a flight back to Melbourne. Our vacation is over, and reality begins, well what reality would be in Australia anyways. It's great to be back but now we need to find a place to live and jobs. Oh boy. Wish us luck!
The Big City
Day 12 - January 16
Once again another run on the beach before a swim. Byron Bay definitely is one of my favorite beaches so far. We hung out on the beach a bit before grabbing a kebab and heading back to the packed down van for another drive. Today we are heading towards Koffs Harbour just for the night. Its a small town so there was not much to do. It was more of a stop for the night so that the drive to Sydney would not be as long. It was nice though just to hang out in our motel room and make dinner, instead of eating out. Once again, Brennan made another delicious meal that makes up for all of the small fish & chip and kebab places we've been stopping at. We also had a tv in our room, which was a first, so we watched Black Hawk Down which was on tv. Nothing too exciting, but sometimes you need a break from the super exciting life.
Day 13 - January 17
Today we drove to Sydney where we dropped off our van, that looks like a cat by the way, and enjoyed our luxurious 3 bedroom, 2 bath suite on the 75th floor of the Meriton World Tower. As Chris would say....sexy sexy time. We had a view of Sydney Harbour that was just absolutely breathtaking. Hannah and I got our own room with a king sized bed and our own bath with a jacuzzi. The boys shared two rooms and 1 bath. It payed off to be the only 2 girls. The kitchen was fully equipped and so nice. The living room was open with nice, comfy coaches and a tv. And how could we afford this you might ask...because Chris is amazing and booked this place 3 months in advance which meant we got a screamin' deal on it. Only $5 more than a hostel. Fantastic! Inside the building, we could use the gym, swimming pool, hot tub, sauna (sadly out of order when we were there) and free laundry, which we all took advantage of. Because of such a wonderful place, Brennan made us a delicious curry dinner before we walked around Sydney Harbour at night. Sydney Harbour is where the Sydney Opera House is. That was amazing to see at night because all of the lights were on so it was just glowing in the distance. A very good time!
Day 14 - January 18
Today I took advantage of the free gym before some french toast for breakfast. We took the ferry out to Manly Beach, very manly indeed. :) It was such a cute little place to walk around, go to the beach and enjoy an ice cream. On the ferry, we had amazing views of the opera house and the Sydney Harbour Bridge where you could actually see people climbing the bridge. After our little trip to Manly Beach, we walked into the opera house to take a look. The architecture of the opera house is amazing in itself, but its even more amazing to see all of the little tiles that make it up, so elaborate. I really wish to see a show in there someday. For dinner, Brennan made a fabulous 3 course dinner for us, complete with champagne and wine. After stuffing our faces, Hannah, Brennan, Chris and I went for a walk by one of the nearby parks to walk off all of the food and enjoy the perfect temperatures outside. We sat at a park bench talking and we saw some bats and big rats, which of course I freaked out about. I did not need to see that rat, but nonetheless, another wonderful day.
Day 15 - January 19
Today we went to the fish market, something I have never seen before. It was kind of cool to see all the variety of fishes they had so neatly laid out. It was a little creepy seeing the eyes, we felt like they were following us. Hannah and I decided to be adventurous and we tried a fried soft shell crab...whole. It was ok at first until you got the middle where there were lots of different body parts that I just did not need to see. We couldn't finish it because we started thinking about what we were eating to much...but at least we tried, and liked it at first. I also got some fresh salmon sashimi, which was absolutely amazing. After getting our fill of fresh fish, we got on a sketch bus to the world known Bondi Beach. It was pretty and cool to see but really crowded, kind of like Surfers Paradise. After Hannah, Brennan, Chris, Andy and I had a short walk along the beach, we left Rich and Simon who were going to try to surf for the city again. For lunch we had malaysian food, which was the first for all of us and so delicious. Laksa is one of my favorite dishes now. We then caught a taxi to the airport, where we were heading to Wellington, New Zealand, the start of another adventure.
Once again another run on the beach before a swim. Byron Bay definitely is one of my favorite beaches so far. We hung out on the beach a bit before grabbing a kebab and heading back to the packed down van for another drive. Today we are heading towards Koffs Harbour just for the night. Its a small town so there was not much to do. It was more of a stop for the night so that the drive to Sydney would not be as long. It was nice though just to hang out in our motel room and make dinner, instead of eating out. Once again, Brennan made another delicious meal that makes up for all of the small fish & chip and kebab places we've been stopping at. We also had a tv in our room, which was a first, so we watched Black Hawk Down which was on tv. Nothing too exciting, but sometimes you need a break from the super exciting life.
Day 13 - January 17
Today we drove to Sydney where we dropped off our van, that looks like a cat by the way, and enjoyed our luxurious 3 bedroom, 2 bath suite on the 75th floor of the Meriton World Tower. As Chris would say....sexy sexy time. We had a view of Sydney Harbour that was just absolutely breathtaking. Hannah and I got our own room with a king sized bed and our own bath with a jacuzzi. The boys shared two rooms and 1 bath. It payed off to be the only 2 girls. The kitchen was fully equipped and so nice. The living room was open with nice, comfy coaches and a tv. And how could we afford this you might ask...because Chris is amazing and booked this place 3 months in advance which meant we got a screamin' deal on it. Only $5 more than a hostel. Fantastic! Inside the building, we could use the gym, swimming pool, hot tub, sauna (sadly out of order when we were there) and free laundry, which we all took advantage of. Because of such a wonderful place, Brennan made us a delicious curry dinner before we walked around Sydney Harbour at night. Sydney Harbour is where the Sydney Opera House is. That was amazing to see at night because all of the lights were on so it was just glowing in the distance. A very good time!
Day 14 - January 18
Today I took advantage of the free gym before some french toast for breakfast. We took the ferry out to Manly Beach, very manly indeed. :) It was such a cute little place to walk around, go to the beach and enjoy an ice cream. On the ferry, we had amazing views of the opera house and the Sydney Harbour Bridge where you could actually see people climbing the bridge. After our little trip to Manly Beach, we walked into the opera house to take a look. The architecture of the opera house is amazing in itself, but its even more amazing to see all of the little tiles that make it up, so elaborate. I really wish to see a show in there someday. For dinner, Brennan made a fabulous 3 course dinner for us, complete with champagne and wine. After stuffing our faces, Hannah, Brennan, Chris and I went for a walk by one of the nearby parks to walk off all of the food and enjoy the perfect temperatures outside. We sat at a park bench talking and we saw some bats and big rats, which of course I freaked out about. I did not need to see that rat, but nonetheless, another wonderful day.
Day 15 - January 19
Today we went to the fish market, something I have never seen before. It was kind of cool to see all the variety of fishes they had so neatly laid out. It was a little creepy seeing the eyes, we felt like they were following us. Hannah and I decided to be adventurous and we tried a fried soft shell crab...whole. It was ok at first until you got the middle where there were lots of different body parts that I just did not need to see. We couldn't finish it because we started thinking about what we were eating to much...but at least we tried, and liked it at first. I also got some fresh salmon sashimi, which was absolutely amazing. After getting our fill of fresh fish, we got on a sketch bus to the world known Bondi Beach. It was pretty and cool to see but really crowded, kind of like Surfers Paradise. After Hannah, Brennan, Chris, Andy and I had a short walk along the beach, we left Rich and Simon who were going to try to surf for the city again. For lunch we had malaysian food, which was the first for all of us and so delicious. Laksa is one of my favorite dishes now. We then caught a taxi to the airport, where we were heading to Wellington, New Zealand, the start of another adventure.
Wednesday, January 27, 2010
East Coast in Australia
Day 9 - January 13
Today we drove to Maroochydore which was one of my favortite places. The beach here was so amazing and it was such a cool town to be in. On our way there, we stopped for a picnic lunch at the beach where the ocean was really shallow and you could walk out a far way. And it was one of the first times we could actually go in the water without worrying about the jellies. For dinner I had this massive burger with "the lots" which I feel like its everything you think could be on a burger is on it...plus some. Hannah and I walked along the beach to meet up with the boys who drove and it was so peaceful and a great way to see the town.
Day 10 - January 14
We had an early run and swim along the beach this morning before we headed to the infamous Australia Zoo, or Steve Irwin's zoo. After a whopping $55 to get in, Hannah and Brennan fed the elephants before we were able to walk around a kangaroo park where you could pet and feed them. It was insane on how cool they were with people coming up to them. I also got to pet a Koala Bear which was really soft and very cute. Wanted to take one home with me. We of course saw crocs and a croc show where the Irwin family all came out on the stage and hosted the show. Parrots and these crazy fast birds were also flying freely around us. I felt like I was in a different world. We also saw wombats being fed which were surprisingly really cute animals, despite the name. Tigers, Red Pandas, Dingos and Tasmanian Devils were also a list of animals we saw. After the zoo we made our way to the Gold Caost where we stayed in Surfers Paradise which is an extremely touristy place. We had a quick swim in the ocean before Hannah and I split off from the boys to have a girls night. We went out with 2 girls we met from our hostel and went to a bar called The Bedroom where ladies could drink free as long as you had your glass to bring up. It was so much fun to have a night out with the ladies and dance the night away.
Day 11 - January 15
Woke up again with another early run and swim in the ocean and before we headed to our next location. Today we were driving to Byron Bay which is known for its backpackers vibe. It was such a small hip town where all the pretty people go. The beach was once again beautiful and great to walk along and relax by. It was different than Surfers Paradise in that it was a lot of less people which made it a lot more peaceful. Along the coast, cafes, bars and shops were lined up for the tourists, something we definitely enjoyed. We kept it easy tonight and enjoyed dinner, drinks and card games at our hostel.
Sorry about the short posts, I just have so much to catch up on. Will try to update more tomorrow!
Today we drove to Maroochydore which was one of my favortite places. The beach here was so amazing and it was such a cool town to be in. On our way there, we stopped for a picnic lunch at the beach where the ocean was really shallow and you could walk out a far way. And it was one of the first times we could actually go in the water without worrying about the jellies. For dinner I had this massive burger with "the lots" which I feel like its everything you think could be on a burger is on it...plus some. Hannah and I walked along the beach to meet up with the boys who drove and it was so peaceful and a great way to see the town.
Day 10 - January 14
We had an early run and swim along the beach this morning before we headed to the infamous Australia Zoo, or Steve Irwin's zoo. After a whopping $55 to get in, Hannah and Brennan fed the elephants before we were able to walk around a kangaroo park where you could pet and feed them. It was insane on how cool they were with people coming up to them. I also got to pet a Koala Bear which was really soft and very cute. Wanted to take one home with me. We of course saw crocs and a croc show where the Irwin family all came out on the stage and hosted the show. Parrots and these crazy fast birds were also flying freely around us. I felt like I was in a different world. We also saw wombats being fed which were surprisingly really cute animals, despite the name. Tigers, Red Pandas, Dingos and Tasmanian Devils were also a list of animals we saw. After the zoo we made our way to the Gold Caost where we stayed in Surfers Paradise which is an extremely touristy place. We had a quick swim in the ocean before Hannah and I split off from the boys to have a girls night. We went out with 2 girls we met from our hostel and went to a bar called The Bedroom where ladies could drink free as long as you had your glass to bring up. It was so much fun to have a night out with the ladies and dance the night away.
Day 11 - January 15
Woke up again with another early run and swim in the ocean and before we headed to our next location. Today we were driving to Byron Bay which is known for its backpackers vibe. It was such a small hip town where all the pretty people go. The beach was once again beautiful and great to walk along and relax by. It was different than Surfers Paradise in that it was a lot of less people which made it a lot more peaceful. Along the coast, cafes, bars and shops were lined up for the tourists, something we definitely enjoyed. We kept it easy tonight and enjoyed dinner, drinks and card games at our hostel.
Sorry about the short posts, I just have so much to catch up on. Will try to update more tomorrow!
Monday, January 11, 2010
The Road Trip Begins
Sorry about the delay, finding and paying for internet is not always fun. Here is recap of what I've been up to the past couple days.
Day 4 - January 8
Drove to Melbourne today and got to see where our new home will be. We started learning all of the different areas of where to live, and I'm def excited. We went straight to St. Kildo beach for some lunch before we walked around a bit. The beach is filled with tons of shops a12facebook.com/index.php?lh=98886066cf47b5c71b2902cfe2a086dd&long the way and I can't wait to start making some money to buy some of these things. We also checked out the Crown Casino to gamble some (I didn't, but some of the guys did) and walked around some more. Its such a beautiful city with tons to do. They have millions of restaurants and each cuisine has its own area or street. For dinner we tried out China Town and ate at a place where it was BYO which I've never seen before. So we all came in with our wine ready to enjoy great Chinese food. We had a lot of Uppsala people meet up with us at the restaurant and it turned into a huge reunion. After we stuffed our faces we went to a karaoke bar. This was pretty cool because you book your own room so you are only singing in front of your friends. I def rocked out to Spice Girls.
Day 5 - January 9
More of a lazy day today with sushi for lunch and some wondering around Melbourne again. They have tons of sushi stands that are relatively cheap to buy and you order rolls that hasn't been cut in slices and eat as is. That was different and felt very weird picking the roll up with my fingers and just eating from it. We did a free tram ride that makes a big circle around Melbourne and it was a good way to see the city and kind of catch my bearings. We went to Lygon street for dinner which is a street with Italian restaurants lined up one right after another. It was absolutely delicious food. And to just pig out some more, we went to a chocolaterie for dessert where we had mousstinis and tirimisu. The best chocolate mousse I've had in my life. I was in heaven. All of these amazing meals is confirming that Melbourne truly is a food capital.
Day 6 - January 10
Woke up early to catch a flight to Mackay. From Mackay we picked up the Van that we are renting and starting our road trip. We drove to Airlee Beach which is where you catch boats to the great barrier reefs. You are not aloud to swim in the ocean this time of the year without a wetsuit because of the stingers (jellyfish). They have tons of poisonous ones right along the coast, and the second most deadliest one can be only 3mm long so hard to see. We relaxed by the man-made laguna instead for some hours before heading to our cabins where we will be for two nights. We have kitchens in our cabin so we can cook our own meals which will definitely help out keeping costs down and for some home-cooked meals. Luckily Brennan can cook well! :)
Day 7 - January 11
Once again another early morning but its for our snorkeling excursion, makes it worth it. There was 21 of us total on a sail boat heading out to some islands for snorkeling. Its not exactly the Great Barrier Reef but pretty damn close. The sail boat was nice because we kind of took our time out there and didn't have the annoying sound of a motor for 2 hours. The first island had amazing snorkeling. You could just float with the fishes near the surface and they would get so close. We saw quite a few rainbow fishes which are absolutely beautiful fish with all of their colors which just sparkle in the water. We snorkeled for about 2 hours before we headed to the second island for a quick 30 min snorkel. The wind really started picking up here so the visibility wasn't quite as clear as the first island but still amazing. This one had a lot more variety of coral with beautiful colors. We then got back on the boat and attempted to eat lunch while sailing and windy conditions. Food was flying all over the place and the wind even carried Chris' bread roll right off his plate and into the water. They had big swells as well so we were getting quite wet up front which actually was fun and entertaining. We got back to our cabin around 4 and took showers before making dinner and drinks. After some drinks we took the 15 min walk into town to check out the pub scene which included lots of live music, outdoor areas and people all over the world. Met some guys from England and girls from Sweden. It's always so fun to meet people from all over and find out what they are doing in Australia. Great fun!
Day 8 - January
Today we left Airlee Beach and made our way to Rockhampton where we will be for one night. We made a quick pit stop in who knows where and had some lunch. It was right by the ocean and it was so shallow it was hard to see where the ocean ended and the sky began. So pretty. Hannah and I wanted to see how far we could walk out but alas, those stingers got in the way. The drive was also full of tons of greenery and rolling hills, a nice change from dry Colorado. The rain has also been off and on today which makes it a little cooler, but its still pretty hot if there isn't a breeze. We were told that it reached 43 degrees Celsius in Melbourne yesterday, that's about 110 degrees Fahrenheit I reckon. Apparently Rockhampton is know for their beef so we will be eating out tonight and getting some steak. Then later I guess we are going to a pub where there is mechanical bull riding....interesting. We will see how that goes.
Love you and miss you all!
Day 4 - January 8
Drove to Melbourne today and got to see where our new home will be. We started learning all of the different areas of where to live, and I'm def excited. We went straight to St. Kildo beach for some lunch before we walked around a bit. The beach is filled with tons of shops a12facebook.com/index.php?lh=98886066cf47b5c71b2902cfe2a086dd&long the way and I can't wait to start making some money to buy some of these things. We also checked out the Crown Casino to gamble some (I didn't, but some of the guys did) and walked around some more. Its such a beautiful city with tons to do. They have millions of restaurants and each cuisine has its own area or street. For dinner we tried out China Town and ate at a place where it was BYO which I've never seen before. So we all came in with our wine ready to enjoy great Chinese food. We had a lot of Uppsala people meet up with us at the restaurant and it turned into a huge reunion. After we stuffed our faces we went to a karaoke bar. This was pretty cool because you book your own room so you are only singing in front of your friends. I def rocked out to Spice Girls.
Day 5 - January 9
More of a lazy day today with sushi for lunch and some wondering around Melbourne again. They have tons of sushi stands that are relatively cheap to buy and you order rolls that hasn't been cut in slices and eat as is. That was different and felt very weird picking the roll up with my fingers and just eating from it. We did a free tram ride that makes a big circle around Melbourne and it was a good way to see the city and kind of catch my bearings. We went to Lygon street for dinner which is a street with Italian restaurants lined up one right after another. It was absolutely delicious food. And to just pig out some more, we went to a chocolaterie for dessert where we had mousstinis and tirimisu. The best chocolate mousse I've had in my life. I was in heaven. All of these amazing meals is confirming that Melbourne truly is a food capital.
Day 6 - January 10
Woke up early to catch a flight to Mackay. From Mackay we picked up the Van that we are renting and starting our road trip. We drove to Airlee Beach which is where you catch boats to the great barrier reefs. You are not aloud to swim in the ocean this time of the year without a wetsuit because of the stingers (jellyfish). They have tons of poisonous ones right along the coast, and the second most deadliest one can be only 3mm long so hard to see. We relaxed by the man-made laguna instead for some hours before heading to our cabins where we will be for two nights. We have kitchens in our cabin so we can cook our own meals which will definitely help out keeping costs down and for some home-cooked meals. Luckily Brennan can cook well! :)
Day 7 - January 11
Once again another early morning but its for our snorkeling excursion, makes it worth it. There was 21 of us total on a sail boat heading out to some islands for snorkeling. Its not exactly the Great Barrier Reef but pretty damn close. The sail boat was nice because we kind of took our time out there and didn't have the annoying sound of a motor for 2 hours. The first island had amazing snorkeling. You could just float with the fishes near the surface and they would get so close. We saw quite a few rainbow fishes which are absolutely beautiful fish with all of their colors which just sparkle in the water. We snorkeled for about 2 hours before we headed to the second island for a quick 30 min snorkel. The wind really started picking up here so the visibility wasn't quite as clear as the first island but still amazing. This one had a lot more variety of coral with beautiful colors. We then got back on the boat and attempted to eat lunch while sailing and windy conditions. Food was flying all over the place and the wind even carried Chris' bread roll right off his plate and into the water. They had big swells as well so we were getting quite wet up front which actually was fun and entertaining. We got back to our cabin around 4 and took showers before making dinner and drinks. After some drinks we took the 15 min walk into town to check out the pub scene which included lots of live music, outdoor areas and people all over the world. Met some guys from England and girls from Sweden. It's always so fun to meet people from all over and find out what they are doing in Australia. Great fun!
Day 8 - January
Today we left Airlee Beach and made our way to Rockhampton where we will be for one night. We made a quick pit stop in who knows where and had some lunch. It was right by the ocean and it was so shallow it was hard to see where the ocean ended and the sky began. So pretty. Hannah and I wanted to see how far we could walk out but alas, those stingers got in the way. The drive was also full of tons of greenery and rolling hills, a nice change from dry Colorado. The rain has also been off and on today which makes it a little cooler, but its still pretty hot if there isn't a breeze. We were told that it reached 43 degrees Celsius in Melbourne yesterday, that's about 110 degrees Fahrenheit I reckon. Apparently Rockhampton is know for their beef so we will be eating out tonight and getting some steak. Then later I guess we are going to a pub where there is mechanical bull riding....interesting. We will see how that goes.
Love you and miss you all!
Wednesday, January 6, 2010
The First Couple of Days
Hello all!
I've made it to Australia now safely after 3 flights, 9 hour layover in LAX and about 20 hours in the air. Everything went smoothly which made it nice. While I was in LAX, I actually met an aussie who had family in Longmont so we talked quite which was a nice surprise and made LAX not as miserable as expected.
It has been soooo good to see all of my friends again. Its amazing how quickly we can just pick up where we left off. The weather is absolutely amazing, I mean it is the summer time and all. Slightly pink on my face but so far doing good with the whole trying not to look like a lobster thing. The jet lag hasn't been too bad, just been waking up at 6am and getting tired around 6 but its getting a little easier. Below are the these that happened in the last few days in Oz land.
Day 1 (January 5)
Chris and Sophie picked us up at the airport and we made our way to Geelong with a packed car. When we arrived we had some drinks waiting for Rich and Simon to arrive before we made our way to the beach. We picked up some dinner for the beach and I had grilled flake (which is shark...awesome) and chips, such a classic Australian dish. After dinner we made our way back to Chris' for some backyard cricket. That game is so confusing with so many new terms I've never heard. I still really don't understand it at all but I gave it a try and was at least able to hit the ball with the paddle. Maybe one day I will understand.
Day 2 (January 6)
We started off the day by driving to Torquay Bay where we saw our first sighting of surfers and then made our way to the famous Bells Beach for a quick stop. I'm still amazed that I'm here in Australia right and I'm loving all of the beaches...and the ocean. The ocean is bright blue with hints of aqua, it is so beautiful and I'm loving every second of it. We took the Great Beach Rd, which is the scenic drive along the coast to get to our final destination for the day. We also stopped at Anglesea golf course that apparently has tons of kangaroos just hopping around while people golf. We were all expecting to see tons of kangaroos and didn't see any. Right when the car I was in was leaving, I luckily spotted one in the fields and we stopped to snap a picture. I got really excited about it...how lame. We then stopped in the town of Lorne for some lunch and then headed to the 12 Apostles. 12 Apostles was not what I expected. I knew that it was these big rocks sticking out of the ocean and I'm sure there is more history to it, I'm just not really sure what it is. It was extremely touristy and tons of flies which was random. Other peoples pictures are so misleading in the fact that it looks like no one is there, but there are TONS. But I guess I am doing the touristy things and will just have to accept it. We then headed to our camp ground for the night in Apollo Bay and set up camp. It was nice to just relax for the rest of the evening walking along the beach, watching the boys play some Australian Rules Football and getting tackled.
Day 3 (January 7)
Once we were all up, had some breakfast, and packed our things, we started driving back to Geelong. We made one quick stop to see a lighthouse at Split Point which is where a TV show was filmed and based on. It was a very beautiful and picturesque lighthouse and the views of the coast were breathtaking. We just made it back to Chris' now and soon will be heading for the beach for some swimming and tanning (hopefully not burning) and some relaxation. I'm looking forward to it. Hope the winter time is treating everyone well, I know I'm not missing it. :)
Cheers
I've made it to Australia now safely after 3 flights, 9 hour layover in LAX and about 20 hours in the air. Everything went smoothly which made it nice. While I was in LAX, I actually met an aussie who had family in Longmont so we talked quite which was a nice surprise and made LAX not as miserable as expected.
It has been soooo good to see all of my friends again. Its amazing how quickly we can just pick up where we left off. The weather is absolutely amazing, I mean it is the summer time and all. Slightly pink on my face but so far doing good with the whole trying not to look like a lobster thing. The jet lag hasn't been too bad, just been waking up at 6am and getting tired around 6 but its getting a little easier. Below are the these that happened in the last few days in Oz land.
Day 1 (January 5)
Chris and Sophie picked us up at the airport and we made our way to Geelong with a packed car. When we arrived we had some drinks waiting for Rich and Simon to arrive before we made our way to the beach. We picked up some dinner for the beach and I had grilled flake (which is shark...awesome) and chips, such a classic Australian dish. After dinner we made our way back to Chris' for some backyard cricket. That game is so confusing with so many new terms I've never heard. I still really don't understand it at all but I gave it a try and was at least able to hit the ball with the paddle. Maybe one day I will understand.
Day 2 (January 6)
We started off the day by driving to Torquay Bay where we saw our first sighting of surfers and then made our way to the famous Bells Beach for a quick stop. I'm still amazed that I'm here in Australia right and I'm loving all of the beaches...and the ocean. The ocean is bright blue with hints of aqua, it is so beautiful and I'm loving every second of it. We took the Great Beach Rd, which is the scenic drive along the coast to get to our final destination for the day. We also stopped at Anglesea golf course that apparently has tons of kangaroos just hopping around while people golf. We were all expecting to see tons of kangaroos and didn't see any. Right when the car I was in was leaving, I luckily spotted one in the fields and we stopped to snap a picture. I got really excited about it...how lame. We then stopped in the town of Lorne for some lunch and then headed to the 12 Apostles. 12 Apostles was not what I expected. I knew that it was these big rocks sticking out of the ocean and I'm sure there is more history to it, I'm just not really sure what it is. It was extremely touristy and tons of flies which was random. Other peoples pictures are so misleading in the fact that it looks like no one is there, but there are TONS. But I guess I am doing the touristy things and will just have to accept it. We then headed to our camp ground for the night in Apollo Bay and set up camp. It was nice to just relax for the rest of the evening walking along the beach, watching the boys play some Australian Rules Football and getting tackled.
Day 3 (January 7)
Once we were all up, had some breakfast, and packed our things, we started driving back to Geelong. We made one quick stop to see a lighthouse at Split Point which is where a TV show was filmed and based on. It was a very beautiful and picturesque lighthouse and the views of the coast were breathtaking. We just made it back to Chris' now and soon will be heading for the beach for some swimming and tanning (hopefully not burning) and some relaxation. I'm looking forward to it. Hope the winter time is treating everyone well, I know I'm not missing it. :)
Cheers
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