Too much for just one shot - panorama time!
Friday, July 9, 2010
Thursday, July 8, 2010
Kia Ora...or hello in Maori (New Zealand native). The last post was a quick and dirty run down of the bulk of our trip and we were traveling so I couldn't finish it in a nice way. Now, since we are back in Sydney for a few days before our final homecoming, I wanted to share the last few days of our beautiful, awesome, wonderful vacation.
July 8th- Today, we decided to drive to Lake Te Anau, which is supposedly very pretty. It took us five hours but in the mean time, we took plenty of time and just took in the scenery. I never knew how mountainous this country was and well, its just WOW. I just can't get over it. Most beautiful place in the world, for sure.
So, we got to the lake and it was quite cloudy and bitterly cold. We didn't think this would deter us...but when you get there and you are eating a PB&J with nothing too gorgeous happening, you start thinking the car is an awful warm place. So we drove around and found a hike around a lake called Lake Mistletoe. The sun tried to come out, but nothing doing. Oh well. We did get a few photos out of it.
But the best part of this day by far is when we got to experience the epitome of that which is New Zealand....WE SHEEP MUSTERED!!!!
We were driving and found all these sheep trying to cross the road...but we wanted to drive, so we mustered them and it was absolutely awesome
Sheep mustering
After our fun, we went to Queenstown for the night, bought a few souvenirs and then went to bed.
July 8th- Our last big day!!! We had to drive around six hours from Queenstown to Christchurch because we had our flight from there, but that didn't mean we wouldn't have any adventures.
On our way to Christchurch, we found a beautiful bridge and I was really mad at Paul so I told him that he should just go jump off it...and he did. It was quite embarrassing because Paul screamed like a dying gorilla on the way down. It was pretty funny. He survived though, so no need to be scared for him. He finished it and he's healthy and annoying again :).
We also stopped at Lake Tekapo and saw heaps of snow, which tickled Paul who has rarely seen snow.
Well, that was about it. That's it for our fabulous happy time in New Zealand and Australia. We will be leaving Sydney on Monday for the States and will be in on...well, Monday.
Thank you, for everyone who followed our blog. We hoped you enjoyed this crazy, fun filled adventure. I know we have. We are so sad to see this wonderful country and experience go, but hey, it's on to our future. I don't know what's behind that next bend in the road, but I sure do have good company with me :). Thank you for all the love and we will see you very soon.
Also, to my past students, I will see you very soon...
July 8th- Today, we decided to drive to Lake Te Anau, which is supposedly very pretty. It took us five hours but in the mean time, we took plenty of time and just took in the scenery. I never knew how mountainous this country was and well, its just WOW. I just can't get over it. Most beautiful place in the world, for sure.
So, we got to the lake and it was quite cloudy and bitterly cold. We didn't think this would deter us...but when you get there and you are eating a PB&J with nothing too gorgeous happening, you start thinking the car is an awful warm place. So we drove around and found a hike around a lake called Lake Mistletoe. The sun tried to come out, but nothing doing. Oh well. We did get a few photos out of it.
But the best part of this day by far is when we got to experience the epitome of that which is New Zealand....WE SHEEP MUSTERED!!!!
We were driving and found all these sheep trying to cross the road...but we wanted to drive, so we mustered them and it was absolutely awesome
Sheep mustering
After our fun, we went to Queenstown for the night, bought a few souvenirs and then went to bed.
July 8th- Our last big day!!! We had to drive around six hours from Queenstown to Christchurch because we had our flight from there, but that didn't mean we wouldn't have any adventures.
On our way to Christchurch, we found a beautiful bridge and I was really mad at Paul so I told him that he should just go jump off it...and he did. It was quite embarrassing because Paul screamed like a dying gorilla on the way down. It was pretty funny. He survived though, so no need to be scared for him. He finished it and he's healthy and annoying again :).
We also stopped at Lake Tekapo and saw heaps of snow, which tickled Paul who has rarely seen snow.
Well, that was about it. That's it for our fabulous happy time in New Zealand and Australia. We will be leaving Sydney on Monday for the States and will be in on...well, Monday.
Thank you, for everyone who followed our blog. We hoped you enjoyed this crazy, fun filled adventure. I know we have. We are so sad to see this wonderful country and experience go, but hey, it's on to our future. I don't know what's behind that next bend in the road, but I sure do have good company with me :). Thank you for all the love and we will see you very soon.
Also, to my past students, I will see you very soon...
Tuesday, July 6, 2010
It's been a while, but it's time for an update. July 1-8, Paul and I are romping through the land of Lord of the Rings, New Zealand! We are so excited about our little vacation before returning to the US. So, on to the post!
July 1- Arrived in Christchurch really late due to some terrible, terrible flight things from US and from Sydney. Paul had to wait for me in the airport, but then we drove to Arthur's Pass.
Night mountains
July 2- After a very long night, we had a fabulous time exploring Arthur's Pass, one of the greatest scenic routes in the country. It was completely gorgeous. One of the most amazing things about this country is that every place looks like an amazing. It's almost an overload!
Arthur's Pass
We also got to do a beautiful hike to the Devil's Punchbowl and met the infamous kea. Keas are cheeky little parrot birds who hang out at car parks to mess up cars. They are hilarious in that they are unfazed by anything...even if you try to make them get off your car door while it eats the rubber lining.
Devil's Punchbowl
Dangerous keas
Later, we went to Castle Hill, where they filmed the final battle scene for The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe. We got to play around there for a while in the snow. Paul absolutely loved getting to see big snow. After a beautiful day, we went back to our accommodation.
Our reenactment of the Lion, Witch and the Wardrobe
July 3- Although New Zealand is infamous for having finicky weather, we have been quite fortunate with having sunny, clear skies. Save on this day. But, we were lucky because we essentially just traveled from Arthur's Pass to Franz Josef glacier. It's also incredible that this country is so remote and that you can be completely alone without actually having to try. It's amazing.
We did a couple of hikes and then got to Franz Josef glacier at around 4:30, in time to see the sunset. We then headed off for the "glacier hot pools". Pretty much, it was justa bunch of jacuzzis, but it all felt amazing.
July 4- Happy July 4th! We were a little sad to miss one of the major holidays back home, but also really excited because today, we got to climb a glacier! After doing a hike down near a lake, we picniked next to a crystal clear river. We were taking our time before the long hike before we realized...we're at the wrong glacier! We were supposed to go hiking on Fox glacier! It was 30 minutes away but our guides were really nice about the whole thing.
So, we did a heli-hike, which means that we took a helicopter to a good ways up the glacier, put some clampons and then walked all over the glacier. It seemed very odd for there to be a glacier in the middle of a temperate rainforest. But it has made a home there and Fox glacier moves about 1 meter a day, which is quite fast for such a mammoth thing. It was so beautiful and such a unique experience, we were quite excited about the whole thing.
Happy 4th of July! That's what our sign says...I am a wonderful artist.
After the heli-hike, we traveled to Wanaka.
July 5- We got to spend this day seeing Milford Sound. We took a scenic flight from Wanaka to Milford Sound with our trusty pilot Tom. It was gorgeous and I even got to fly the plane. You never get to see snow covered mountains and glaciers in an untouched landscape ever!
On the flight
Once in Milford Sound, we took a cruise and got to see the beautiful waterfalls. You can tell why Peter Jackson chose New Zealand to film his movies because it was just an impeccable landscape. We got to see dolphins and seals too!
We returned via plane again and saw the Sutherland Falls. Afterward, we went to Wanaka and went to A Puzzling World, which is a place just full of puzzles and mazes. We did the Great Maze, which was super fun but challenging as well.
July 6- Another fun day in Wanaka. We went skiing today! It was Paul's first time and I haven't been skiing in a very long time. We did a couple of lessons and enjoyed the bunny slope :). Also, Paul fell...twice. He's okay, I just like to mention it :). We like to learn things together so this was a lot fun for the both of us. Later we went to the hot tub for a relaxing moment after a long day of skiing.
We have so much more planned, but I felt like I needed to update with the things we have done. It's a beautiful, beautiful vacation and we are so lucky to be here!
Wednesday, June 16, 2010
Last Australian adventure! So bittersweet, and we had company on this one. Our friends Sarah and Chris went camping with us in the great Kakadu National Park in the Northern Territory. In other words, the Outback. The boys had Monday off for the Queen's birthday...and what better way to celebrate it than a day off!
Have you seen Crocodile Dundee? The filming in Australia was shot here and it was breath taking. There is so much to talk about, so lets get started.
Friday: Took the red eye from Sydney to Darwin and stayed in the Holiday Inn. This is part of the reason why we are now all exhausted.
Saturday: Started the day brilliantly with the boys off to get our four wheeling vehicle and Sarah and I at the Woolworth's buying provisions. We bought so much food, but hey, better more than less and starve! Our car was definitely jam packed with our suitcases, food, and water. Paul and I were great with how we packed: we got our 2 man tent, pillows, sleeping bags, and mats all in one suitcase! We think congrats are in order.
All of us in front of our car
We drove out to the park and did a couple of hikes that had Aboriginal art. We learned that this culture is one of the oldest in the world (20,000 years). It boggles the mind that humans have been around for that long. It was neat to see all the different pieces of art from all different areas.
Hike 1
Hike 2
That night, we camped near a swamp...and that's where I nearly died. Never, ever should you camp by a swamp as we found out the hard way. There was a swarm of mosquitoes that feasted on me. Sarah and Chris were probably thinking I was overreacting when I dressed myself in jeans and a jacket in warm temperature, but I was feeling every bite. It was a plague! I not only had lots of bites, but I had welts, that felt and looked like a softball. My ankle swelled to the size of a peach. It was the worst camping experience I ever had. But, I did make a beautiful fire and Sarah created a delightful dinner.
Paul going mosquito hunting in our tent
Sunday: After a rough night for me, we woke up exceedingly early (5:30) so that we could go on a crocodile safari! Sadly, they did not use pieces of meat to get crocodiles to come up to the boat. We did not even get to see the many of them, only two. But I suppose that's better than nothing. Paul at least had a good time taking beautiful photos.
Crocodile
Later, we hiked up to a watering hole (a billabong) and did some swimming. That's one thing that's the most surprising about the Outback: how full of life it is. We saw a goanna (monitor lizard creature we saw at Port Douglas) and of course there were warnings to watch out for freshies and salties crocs, but never found any.
Goanna
After the wonderful dip, we hiked around at another area with Aboriginal art and found a kangaroo with a joey in its pouch.
Chris got to have his four wheeling adventure when we went to set up camp in a very secluded area...or at least we thought so. Turns out that the area is well known and of course, being a holiday weekend, it was very packed. Oh well. We met a few people in the next camp over when we asked to borrow their fire to make our s'mores. Sarah and I also introduced the amazing s'more. Sharing culture everywhere we go! This night was much better than the night before :).
Monday: We got to have a lie in this morning due to our terribly early morning the day before. Sarah's leg was now the one swollen from bug bites. We were indeed in poor shape.
This day, we hiked up to the top of where we camped to the famous waterholes where they filmed in Crocodile Dundee. It. was. perfect. Simply. Just stunning. We swam in the pools and just loved it. Words don't describe, so hopefully these photos will.
Too cute
Waterfalls
Another pool
After this fun experience, we went on another hike that was perfectly secluded with a beautiful waterfall. This felt wonderfully Outback. Then, we headed off to Litchfield Park and found termite mounds that were 50 years old.
That night, we relaxed under the beautiful starry sky. It's sad to think that I will not see these stars again, or at least for a very long time after my time here. This pictures sums up everything I think. Paul took this one and is very proud of it.
Outback night. This one is definitely going on the wall.
Tuesday: This day, we did more swimming around in local water holes. This we found to be more touristy, but we didn't complain. It was wonderful to just relax and enjoy each other's company.
Later, we went four wheelin to reach the famous Lost City, which really is just a bunch of rocks that look like humans created them, but didn't. It was neat.
Around three, we left for Darwin, bringing our Outback adventure to an end. But not the trip. We went to see the sunset in Darwin. It is different because the sun sets on the water here. As exhausted as everyone was, we all had a long night ahead. We ate dinner and then watched a movie (A-Team). Our flight left at 12:00 at night and we did not get into Sydney until 6. The boys then had to go to work. Poor things. I don't know how they did it. I went to lay down for a 15 minute nap to wake up three hours later. We were all beat, but it was well worth it.
Well, that's it. We are almost done with our time here in Australia, but this is not the end of the blog. We do have one more big trip coming up...NEW ZEALAND! I will be coming to the States in five days for my friend's wedding and then returning for this trip. As awful as it may seem, I am thrilled about getting silver status with Delta :). What up free flights? Haha...anyway, here are a few more photos. Hope you enjoy them. And to my family and friends, I'll be seeing you soon :)
Paul and the 50 year old termite mound
Sunset
Exhausted
Have you seen Crocodile Dundee? The filming in Australia was shot here and it was breath taking. There is so much to talk about, so lets get started.
Friday: Took the red eye from Sydney to Darwin and stayed in the Holiday Inn. This is part of the reason why we are now all exhausted.
Saturday: Started the day brilliantly with the boys off to get our four wheeling vehicle and Sarah and I at the Woolworth's buying provisions. We bought so much food, but hey, better more than less and starve! Our car was definitely jam packed with our suitcases, food, and water. Paul and I were great with how we packed: we got our 2 man tent, pillows, sleeping bags, and mats all in one suitcase! We think congrats are in order.
All of us in front of our car
We drove out to the park and did a couple of hikes that had Aboriginal art. We learned that this culture is one of the oldest in the world (20,000 years). It boggles the mind that humans have been around for that long. It was neat to see all the different pieces of art from all different areas.
Hike 1
Hike 2
That night, we camped near a swamp...and that's where I nearly died. Never, ever should you camp by a swamp as we found out the hard way. There was a swarm of mosquitoes that feasted on me. Sarah and Chris were probably thinking I was overreacting when I dressed myself in jeans and a jacket in warm temperature, but I was feeling every bite. It was a plague! I not only had lots of bites, but I had welts, that felt and looked like a softball. My ankle swelled to the size of a peach. It was the worst camping experience I ever had. But, I did make a beautiful fire and Sarah created a delightful dinner.
Paul going mosquito hunting in our tent
Sunday: After a rough night for me, we woke up exceedingly early (5:30) so that we could go on a crocodile safari! Sadly, they did not use pieces of meat to get crocodiles to come up to the boat. We did not even get to see the many of them, only two. But I suppose that's better than nothing. Paul at least had a good time taking beautiful photos.
Crocodile
Later, we hiked up to a watering hole (a billabong) and did some swimming. That's one thing that's the most surprising about the Outback: how full of life it is. We saw a goanna (monitor lizard creature we saw at Port Douglas) and of course there were warnings to watch out for freshies and salties crocs, but never found any.
Goanna
After the wonderful dip, we hiked around at another area with Aboriginal art and found a kangaroo with a joey in its pouch.
Chris got to have his four wheeling adventure when we went to set up camp in a very secluded area...or at least we thought so. Turns out that the area is well known and of course, being a holiday weekend, it was very packed. Oh well. We met a few people in the next camp over when we asked to borrow their fire to make our s'mores. Sarah and I also introduced the amazing s'more. Sharing culture everywhere we go! This night was much better than the night before :).
Monday: We got to have a lie in this morning due to our terribly early morning the day before. Sarah's leg was now the one swollen from bug bites. We were indeed in poor shape.
This day, we hiked up to the top of where we camped to the famous waterholes where they filmed in Crocodile Dundee. It. was. perfect. Simply. Just stunning. We swam in the pools and just loved it. Words don't describe, so hopefully these photos will.
Too cute
Waterfalls
Another pool
After this fun experience, we went on another hike that was perfectly secluded with a beautiful waterfall. This felt wonderfully Outback. Then, we headed off to Litchfield Park and found termite mounds that were 50 years old.
That night, we relaxed under the beautiful starry sky. It's sad to think that I will not see these stars again, or at least for a very long time after my time here. This pictures sums up everything I think. Paul took this one and is very proud of it.
Outback night. This one is definitely going on the wall.
Tuesday: This day, we did more swimming around in local water holes. This we found to be more touristy, but we didn't complain. It was wonderful to just relax and enjoy each other's company.
Later, we went four wheelin to reach the famous Lost City, which really is just a bunch of rocks that look like humans created them, but didn't. It was neat.
Around three, we left for Darwin, bringing our Outback adventure to an end. But not the trip. We went to see the sunset in Darwin. It is different because the sun sets on the water here. As exhausted as everyone was, we all had a long night ahead. We ate dinner and then watched a movie (A-Team). Our flight left at 12:00 at night and we did not get into Sydney until 6. The boys then had to go to work. Poor things. I don't know how they did it. I went to lay down for a 15 minute nap to wake up three hours later. We were all beat, but it was well worth it.
Well, that's it. We are almost done with our time here in Australia, but this is not the end of the blog. We do have one more big trip coming up...NEW ZEALAND! I will be coming to the States in five days for my friend's wedding and then returning for this trip. As awful as it may seem, I am thrilled about getting silver status with Delta :). What up free flights? Haha...anyway, here are a few more photos. Hope you enjoy them. And to my family and friends, I'll be seeing you soon :)
Paul and the 50 year old termite mound
Sunset
Exhausted
Tuesday, June 15, 2010
I'm going to be a touch late with next week's post because I want to get all our pictures from Sarah, our photographer friend who traveled with us. But here are last week's photos from the Great Barrier Reef! Enjoy
Remember, copy and paste:
http://www5.snapfish.com.au/snapfishau/thumbnailshare/AlbumID=4673350014/a=113203351_113203351/otsc=SHR/otsi=SALBlink/
Remember, copy and paste:
http://www5.snapfish.com.au/snapfishau/thumbnailshare/AlbumID=4673350014/a=113203351_113203351/otsc=SHR/otsi=SALBlink/
Sunday, June 6, 2010
June is just an adventurous month for the Meggses as we tick off our second trip of the month. We went to Port Douglas, Queensland, which is another entry to visit the Great Barrier Reef. You may remember our previous post when we visited the Whitsundays and also scuba-ed at the GBR. We had heard great things about Port Douglas so we figured, why not?
Friday: Left cold and rainy Sydney at 3:30 PM and arrived in Cairns at around 6:30 PM. From there, we picked up our rental car (a mini Cooper...Paul thought it was super fun) and drove to Port Douglas, a scant hour away. We spent the entire time at the Sheraton, and after about a half hour of searching for the place, we called and asked for direction. We found it, but it was with reason why we couldn't find it. No lights. No markings. After sometime traveling down a road that seemed to lead to nowhere, we ran into it. Otherwise, a lovely stay! It was really cool that the hotel looked like it was in the middle of a huge lagoon, which was the pool that wrapped all around the hotel. Nice to have business class points!
Saturday: We were picked up at 7:50 AM by our scuba cruise company to do three introductory dives. Paul and I were so excited, but the getting out to Tongue Reef (the name of the part we went to) was not easy. The boat rocked and swayed and Paul found himself feeling queasy during our little education on scuba diving. After an hour of the sea tossing us around, we made it. The dives were even better than the ones at the Whitsundays, which suffered from a cyclone a few weeks before we were there. We saw so many interesting things, like an eel, a cleaner shrimp, and even a turtle. Nemo of course was there.
Each dive had such friendly fish that would get right up in your face. Paul and I just loved it. I think that we are going to go ahead and get certified to scuba, since the better dives are with the certified people.
Scuba Steve Rachel
Scuba Steve Paul
The boat, Poseidon, was an excellent company, with good food and great people. Our guide, Gemma was really nice and she just loved to chat with us. The lunch they provided was wonderful and the photographer took great pictures that we can always treasure, and decorate our home with!
That night, we went to the town for dinner and ice cream and then just lazed around. A day of diving sure takes it out of you!
Sunday: Queensland is known for a famous rainforest called Daintree, which is the home of the endangered Cassowary. Unfortunately, we did not see a cassowary, but they are about as tall as an ostrich and look like Kevin from the movie Up. Or, at least I see it that way. We went and hiked in a few areas after we picnic-ed. One place near Myall Creek, we were walking along the beach when we saw a huge monitor lizard like creature that had invaded a couple's picnic area. It was so funny, but Paul did not get the camera in time to take a picture. That's what the blog is for I guess! I found a mini sand dollar though, which I loved. It was very relaxing and we loved the beautiful scenery.
Cassowary friend
Monday: Ugh...we woke up at 3:45 AM so that we could catch our flight in Cairns at 5:40...agony!!! I don't like mornings, especially really early ones. So, now I am here, blogging but still a little on the tired side.
That was our delightful weekend. Monday is a bit terse, I know, but we had to get back in time for Paul to go to work. It's so sad to think that in about two weeks I will be making my way back to Charlotte for my friend's wedding. But I will return, so I don't feel too heartbroken. I will be excited to have a home when we do go back. Anyway, leave a comment, let us know what you think. Toodles!
Friday: Left cold and rainy Sydney at 3:30 PM and arrived in Cairns at around 6:30 PM. From there, we picked up our rental car (a mini Cooper...Paul thought it was super fun) and drove to Port Douglas, a scant hour away. We spent the entire time at the Sheraton, and after about a half hour of searching for the place, we called and asked for direction. We found it, but it was with reason why we couldn't find it. No lights. No markings. After sometime traveling down a road that seemed to lead to nowhere, we ran into it. Otherwise, a lovely stay! It was really cool that the hotel looked like it was in the middle of a huge lagoon, which was the pool that wrapped all around the hotel. Nice to have business class points!
Saturday: We were picked up at 7:50 AM by our scuba cruise company to do three introductory dives. Paul and I were so excited, but the getting out to Tongue Reef (the name of the part we went to) was not easy. The boat rocked and swayed and Paul found himself feeling queasy during our little education on scuba diving. After an hour of the sea tossing us around, we made it. The dives were even better than the ones at the Whitsundays, which suffered from a cyclone a few weeks before we were there. We saw so many interesting things, like an eel, a cleaner shrimp, and even a turtle. Nemo of course was there.
Each dive had such friendly fish that would get right up in your face. Paul and I just loved it. I think that we are going to go ahead and get certified to scuba, since the better dives are with the certified people.
Scuba Steve Rachel
Scuba Steve Paul
The boat, Poseidon, was an excellent company, with good food and great people. Our guide, Gemma was really nice and she just loved to chat with us. The lunch they provided was wonderful and the photographer took great pictures that we can always treasure, and decorate our home with!
That night, we went to the town for dinner and ice cream and then just lazed around. A day of diving sure takes it out of you!
Sunday: Queensland is known for a famous rainforest called Daintree, which is the home of the endangered Cassowary. Unfortunately, we did not see a cassowary, but they are about as tall as an ostrich and look like Kevin from the movie Up. Or, at least I see it that way. We went and hiked in a few areas after we picnic-ed. One place near Myall Creek, we were walking along the beach when we saw a huge monitor lizard like creature that had invaded a couple's picnic area. It was so funny, but Paul did not get the camera in time to take a picture. That's what the blog is for I guess! I found a mini sand dollar though, which I loved. It was very relaxing and we loved the beautiful scenery.
Cassowary friend
Monday: Ugh...we woke up at 3:45 AM so that we could catch our flight in Cairns at 5:40...agony!!! I don't like mornings, especially really early ones. So, now I am here, blogging but still a little on the tired side.
That was our delightful weekend. Monday is a bit terse, I know, but we had to get back in time for Paul to go to work. It's so sad to think that in about two weeks I will be making my way back to Charlotte for my friend's wedding. But I will return, so I don't feel too heartbroken. I will be excited to have a home when we do go back. Anyway, leave a comment, let us know what you think. Toodles!
Tuesday, June 1, 2010
Monday, May 31, 2010
It's been a fairly quiet few weeks here in the Australia world. With Paul's work and things up in the air about our return home, we have not traveled much. But, this blog entry is going to be terribly exciting because we went to...
FIJI!
For our seven year anniversary (wait, let me just rewrite that...SEVEN YEARS!), we decided to treat ourselves to a little slice of heaven. Sydney has been so drab and rainy for the past month (168 mm) that it was time to get away and relax. On May 29th, our anniversary, we boarded the plane and took the four hour flight to Nadi, the nation's capital. After the flight, we met up with the resort's pick up guy and he drove us to the little harbor where our tiny boat waited. The boat took us to our resort on the Yasawa Islands (Waya). The ride was...unforgettable to say the least. It was very fast but was so powerful that I felt at points we may have been thrown out. The tour was still beautiful and I felt a little like I was in South Pacific but instead of a French plantation man, I had a Southern chicken farmer...I think I got the better deal.
Our resort was called Octopus Resort and it was beautiful! The boat ride took a solid hour but it was so worth it. It was awarded by Lonely Planet as one of the Best Romantic Getaways. It's a nice blend of backpacker and resort. When we got there, we were greeted by the staff (who are all local villagers) who sang a little song saying bula (hello). After being given fruit cocktails, we were shown to our rooms. We opted to stay in a cabin, but were upgraded to the premium suite, with our own hammock, lounge chairs, and outdoor shower!!
That night, we participated in the local welcome ceremony where you have to clap your hands once, say bula, drink this stuff called kava, then clap three times afterward. Fun, but I may need to make sure I don't have any diseases after sharing a coconut with fifteen other people. But whatever was in the kava stuff was interesting...it sortive numbed my mouth. Nothing too terrible, but it was just a funny feeling. Oh well! Can't live until you do things! The time change was two hours ahead of Sydney, so after dinner, we went to bed.
Next morning, we did the most amazing stuff...which was lying around, getting tans, swimming in the warm ocean, and snorkeling. The snorkeling was so amazing. To get to a good snorkeling spot there, all you have to do is swim out to some orange buoys and you're there! The water was crystal clear and turquoise. I could not get over how amazing everything looked. We saw so many different fish,even Nemo again. We could not have had a more fantastic day just by swimming and tanning.
That night, they had a big movie screen up for movie night where we watched Alice in Wonderland 2010. Good movie, good times. That night, they even put up our mosquito nets, which was so thoughtful of them to do...if you ever decide to go to Fiji, I know the resort that is absolutely perfect and doesn't kill you in the process.
Next day was our last day at Octopus and we were sad to see it go. But before we left, we kayaked around and then had massages (for only $30 Fiji dollars...which is nothing!). It was such a perfect weekend, it was so hard to say good bye.
We left the resort at 3PM on the big ferry boat for the mainland. We had to stay the third night on the mainland because our flight to Sydney was so early the next day. We stayed at the Westin and made a few friends...the kind of friends I loathe to see. Mosquitoes. At dinner, I was eaten alive in an hour. Of course, I forgot the bug spray. I had 20 bug bites by the end of it and found plenty more in our room. And yes, there were no mosquito nets in the hotel. So during the night, I waited for the pests and did get a couple more bites before the end of the trip. Sad ending, but I recommend that if you do go to Fiji, bring bug spray and stay on an island...the mainland has more to do, but a little less beauty. So now I am forced to scratch myself to death for a few days. Oh well!
This trip was still gorgeous and of course very meaningful to me and Paul. Seven years. We have been through so much together in these years. We've grown up together. Sometimes, I'm just so amazed and happy whenever I am just sitting next to him. I always think, man, high school Rachel was so very smart. I'm a little wiser in so many ways now, but back in high school, I made the best decision in my life: GET THAT PAUL MEGGS! Haha, I'm very grateful for him and for our life together. He's a wonderful man and I love him very much. Okay, I'm done with the mushy, but I just wanted to commemorate this post to the man who has made this craziness possible: Paul W. Meggs.
FIJI!
For our seven year anniversary (wait, let me just rewrite that...SEVEN YEARS!), we decided to treat ourselves to a little slice of heaven. Sydney has been so drab and rainy for the past month (168 mm) that it was time to get away and relax. On May 29th, our anniversary, we boarded the plane and took the four hour flight to Nadi, the nation's capital. After the flight, we met up with the resort's pick up guy and he drove us to the little harbor where our tiny boat waited. The boat took us to our resort on the Yasawa Islands (Waya). The ride was...unforgettable to say the least. It was very fast but was so powerful that I felt at points we may have been thrown out. The tour was still beautiful and I felt a little like I was in South Pacific but instead of a French plantation man, I had a Southern chicken farmer...I think I got the better deal.
Our resort was called Octopus Resort and it was beautiful! The boat ride took a solid hour but it was so worth it. It was awarded by Lonely Planet as one of the Best Romantic Getaways. It's a nice blend of backpacker and resort. When we got there, we were greeted by the staff (who are all local villagers) who sang a little song saying bula (hello). After being given fruit cocktails, we were shown to our rooms. We opted to stay in a cabin, but were upgraded to the premium suite, with our own hammock, lounge chairs, and outdoor shower!!
That night, we participated in the local welcome ceremony where you have to clap your hands once, say bula, drink this stuff called kava, then clap three times afterward. Fun, but I may need to make sure I don't have any diseases after sharing a coconut with fifteen other people. But whatever was in the kava stuff was interesting...it sortive numbed my mouth. Nothing too terrible, but it was just a funny feeling. Oh well! Can't live until you do things! The time change was two hours ahead of Sydney, so after dinner, we went to bed.
Next morning, we did the most amazing stuff...which was lying around, getting tans, swimming in the warm ocean, and snorkeling. The snorkeling was so amazing. To get to a good snorkeling spot there, all you have to do is swim out to some orange buoys and you're there! The water was crystal clear and turquoise. I could not get over how amazing everything looked. We saw so many different fish,even Nemo again. We could not have had a more fantastic day just by swimming and tanning.
That night, they had a big movie screen up for movie night where we watched Alice in Wonderland 2010. Good movie, good times. That night, they even put up our mosquito nets, which was so thoughtful of them to do...if you ever decide to go to Fiji, I know the resort that is absolutely perfect and doesn't kill you in the process.
Next day was our last day at Octopus and we were sad to see it go. But before we left, we kayaked around and then had massages (for only $30 Fiji dollars...which is nothing!). It was such a perfect weekend, it was so hard to say good bye.
We left the resort at 3PM on the big ferry boat for the mainland. We had to stay the third night on the mainland because our flight to Sydney was so early the next day. We stayed at the Westin and made a few friends...the kind of friends I loathe to see. Mosquitoes. At dinner, I was eaten alive in an hour. Of course, I forgot the bug spray. I had 20 bug bites by the end of it and found plenty more in our room. And yes, there were no mosquito nets in the hotel. So during the night, I waited for the pests and did get a couple more bites before the end of the trip. Sad ending, but I recommend that if you do go to Fiji, bring bug spray and stay on an island...the mainland has more to do, but a little less beauty. So now I am forced to scratch myself to death for a few days. Oh well!
This trip was still gorgeous and of course very meaningful to me and Paul. Seven years. We have been through so much together in these years. We've grown up together. Sometimes, I'm just so amazed and happy whenever I am just sitting next to him. I always think, man, high school Rachel was so very smart. I'm a little wiser in so many ways now, but back in high school, I made the best decision in my life: GET THAT PAUL MEGGS! Haha, I'm very grateful for him and for our life together. He's a wonderful man and I love him very much. Okay, I'm done with the mushy, but I just wanted to commemorate this post to the man who has made this craziness possible: Paul W. Meggs.
Tuesday, May 18, 2010
Late post! It's ok, you haven't missed much. We pretty much relaxed all weekend because we didn't go anywhere. Sometimes you need the break from all the travel. Pretty much spent the weekend catching up on all the House episodes we have missed (the fact I went this long without it was killing me). Here's what we are up to for the rest of our time here:
We had a trip to Port Douglas in Queensland scheduled for this weekend, but it seems Paul has been called to Singapore at a last minute trip, so, we will probably visit the Blue Mountains when he returns. Then, we will are going to Fiji (I know, I know, I know!!!! I'm too excited) and then last but not week Kakadu National Park with our friend Sarah and Chris.
But that's not all! I will be returning to the States for my best friend's wedding on June 22nd and then coming back on June 28th so that we can visit...NEW ZEALAND! I don't like having to fly that much, but I will soon be silver status with Delta which means, free flight anywhere in the US. Sounds like our honeymoon to Alaska will be less expensive than previously thought.
So, I pretty much only have a month left here, and it's going to go by too fast. I have missed the US with so many little things, like really really good food. But, I also think I will truly miss this beautiful country. A little sad but seriously, you have no idea how much you miss Mexican food until it is no longer with you. I suspect our first two weeks in the States will be fat inducing indeed. Anyway, just a quick update for all of you on how goes it. Cya!
We had a trip to Port Douglas in Queensland scheduled for this weekend, but it seems Paul has been called to Singapore at a last minute trip, so, we will probably visit the Blue Mountains when he returns. Then, we will are going to Fiji (I know, I know, I know!!!! I'm too excited) and then last but not week Kakadu National Park with our friend Sarah and Chris.
But that's not all! I will be returning to the States for my best friend's wedding on June 22nd and then coming back on June 28th so that we can visit...NEW ZEALAND! I don't like having to fly that much, but I will soon be silver status with Delta which means, free flight anywhere in the US. Sounds like our honeymoon to Alaska will be less expensive than previously thought.
So, I pretty much only have a month left here, and it's going to go by too fast. I have missed the US with so many little things, like really really good food. But, I also think I will truly miss this beautiful country. A little sad but seriously, you have no idea how much you miss Mexican food until it is no longer with you. I suspect our first two weeks in the States will be fat inducing indeed. Anyway, just a quick update for all of you on how goes it. Cya!
Monday, May 10, 2010
This weekend, we re-visited Victoria since Paul had training down there. We were hoping this time to do the other fun activities we couldn't accomplish when we did the Great Ocean Road.
Friday:
Paul was already in Melbourne, so I was flying down to meet him. I had a jam packed day of fun before though. Paul's company was having a significant other program that got only the SO's out and chatting. This event was at the Art Gallery in downtown Sydney. We saw the Archibald Exhibit and it was so great to be out with other girls and enjoying ourselves! They were all super nice, even when I had to dash off so that I could catch my flight. Hopefully, more of those events will follow.
I flew into Melbourne and we ate dinner in downtown. It was so confusing! The city has trams that are in the middle of the street and if you need to go across the tracks, you have to do a hook turn, which means you must go into the left lane, to make a right. Weird, we know. We did not try that out. The city is not the most user friendly place, since it took us forever to navigate ourselves to the highway. We then drove all the way to Phillip Island to our bed and breakfast. We should not stay in B&Bs anymore, since we always arrive late. Oh well!
Saturday:
Next day, we drove out to Wilsons Promontory and hiked in a couple of areas. One place was called Squeaky Beach, because if you dragged your feet, you made noises that sounded like scuffing your feet on linoleum. It was fun to do.
Then, we went to the Penguin Parade. Phillip Island is home to a large colony of Little Blue Penguins, or Fairy Penguins, who are only a foot high. Every evening, at dusk, the penguins swim up to the shore in groups of twenty, and then make their way to their burrows in the vegetation. The place that "presented" the parade had bleachers on the beach, in front of the grassy knoll where people could see the little guys. They were so adorable! They came up and stood on the shore for a minute, probably too terrified to move, until one little brave soul booked it for the grass and then everyone else followed! We really loved it. Then we got to see them in their burrows, cooing to each other. We couldn't take photos because they were protected by law, but we were satisfied with the experience.
Later that night after dinner, we went to a local movie theater with roughly 50 seats in the house. We saw Date Night and it was so much fun. Of course, we are big Tina Fey and Steve Carell fans, so the two in a movie was blockbuster magic.
Sunday:
We checked out of the B&B and then made it to the happiest place on Earth for me...the local chocolate factory. Panny's is the name of the chocolate and we were able to go on a tour with samples a plenty! We got to try regular chocolate and then we got to try wasabi chocolate. We don't recommend it. Keep wasabi with sushi in my opinion. But it was neat and everyone was super friendly. Paul kept pressing all the machines that just doled out chocolate, like a rat in a lab. I did want to to do other things in my day, so I had to push him along. It was the best chocolate we have had in Australia though.
After Panny's, we went to the koala conservation centre, which was fun. We of course got to see more koalas. Then we were on our way to Melbourne.
Although the city is hard to navigate, once you park and walk around, you actually find that the place is very charming and beautiful. There is a river that runs through the heart of the city, Federation Square and it was nice to walk by it and see the markets. Paul actually wanted to go to the National Art Gallery there, since he was so inspired by my trip to the art gallery in Sydney. It was nice to explore the endless corridors with him and talk about which ones struck a cord in us, or which collection we liked and why. We are so cultured.
We also ate in a little cafe in a street that my student recommended going to. Melbourne is supposed to be the food capital in Australia, and it was pretty good. The little alleyways were very reminiscent of Spain for me, with all the cafes and tight spaces. Although the food is ok here, we couldn't help but start listing off the restaurants we were excited to go to when we made it back to Atlanta. We probably could gain back every single pound and more after a week back in the States. Can't help it, the food is so good in Atlanta!
After our fun day in Melbourne, we went to Geelong to hop on a late flight back to Sydney. We had a delay, but I guess Victoria is just going to the state where if you want to go anywhere, expect to be late. At least, that's the way it is for us. But it was a good weekend.
Thanks for tuning in! And Happy Mother's Day to all our moms and grandmas! We love you and thank you for all that you do!
Friday:
Paul was already in Melbourne, so I was flying down to meet him. I had a jam packed day of fun before though. Paul's company was having a significant other program that got only the SO's out and chatting. This event was at the Art Gallery in downtown Sydney. We saw the Archibald Exhibit and it was so great to be out with other girls and enjoying ourselves! They were all super nice, even when I had to dash off so that I could catch my flight. Hopefully, more of those events will follow.
I flew into Melbourne and we ate dinner in downtown. It was so confusing! The city has trams that are in the middle of the street and if you need to go across the tracks, you have to do a hook turn, which means you must go into the left lane, to make a right. Weird, we know. We did not try that out. The city is not the most user friendly place, since it took us forever to navigate ourselves to the highway. We then drove all the way to Phillip Island to our bed and breakfast. We should not stay in B&Bs anymore, since we always arrive late. Oh well!
Saturday:
Next day, we drove out to Wilsons Promontory and hiked in a couple of areas. One place was called Squeaky Beach, because if you dragged your feet, you made noises that sounded like scuffing your feet on linoleum. It was fun to do.
Then, we went to the Penguin Parade. Phillip Island is home to a large colony of Little Blue Penguins, or Fairy Penguins, who are only a foot high. Every evening, at dusk, the penguins swim up to the shore in groups of twenty, and then make their way to their burrows in the vegetation. The place that "presented" the parade had bleachers on the beach, in front of the grassy knoll where people could see the little guys. They were so adorable! They came up and stood on the shore for a minute, probably too terrified to move, until one little brave soul booked it for the grass and then everyone else followed! We really loved it. Then we got to see them in their burrows, cooing to each other. We couldn't take photos because they were protected by law, but we were satisfied with the experience.
Later that night after dinner, we went to a local movie theater with roughly 50 seats in the house. We saw Date Night and it was so much fun. Of course, we are big Tina Fey and Steve Carell fans, so the two in a movie was blockbuster magic.
Sunday:
We checked out of the B&B and then made it to the happiest place on Earth for me...the local chocolate factory. Panny's is the name of the chocolate and we were able to go on a tour with samples a plenty! We got to try regular chocolate and then we got to try wasabi chocolate. We don't recommend it. Keep wasabi with sushi in my opinion. But it was neat and everyone was super friendly. Paul kept pressing all the machines that just doled out chocolate, like a rat in a lab. I did want to to do other things in my day, so I had to push him along. It was the best chocolate we have had in Australia though.
After Panny's, we went to the koala conservation centre, which was fun. We of course got to see more koalas. Then we were on our way to Melbourne.
Although the city is hard to navigate, once you park and walk around, you actually find that the place is very charming and beautiful. There is a river that runs through the heart of the city, Federation Square and it was nice to walk by it and see the markets. Paul actually wanted to go to the National Art Gallery there, since he was so inspired by my trip to the art gallery in Sydney. It was nice to explore the endless corridors with him and talk about which ones struck a cord in us, or which collection we liked and why. We are so cultured.
We also ate in a little cafe in a street that my student recommended going to. Melbourne is supposed to be the food capital in Australia, and it was pretty good. The little alleyways were very reminiscent of Spain for me, with all the cafes and tight spaces. Although the food is ok here, we couldn't help but start listing off the restaurants we were excited to go to when we made it back to Atlanta. We probably could gain back every single pound and more after a week back in the States. Can't help it, the food is so good in Atlanta!
After our fun day in Melbourne, we went to Geelong to hop on a late flight back to Sydney. We had a delay, but I guess Victoria is just going to the state where if you want to go anywhere, expect to be late. At least, that's the way it is for us. But it was a good weekend.
Thanks for tuning in! And Happy Mother's Day to all our moms and grandmas! We love you and thank you for all that you do!
Tuesday, May 4, 2010
Monday, May 3, 2010
Sunday, May 2, 2010
Yes, finally the trip we have been patiently waiting for...the thing that we most associate whenever we hear the word Australia...it's the Outback weekend! Before I moved here, I really did not know so much about Australia except for the Outback, kangaroos, and dingos. Of course, over the last four months, I have been pleasantly surprised at the diversity of life on this continent and the Outback did much the same this weekend. I never knew how much life could be in the lands that are considered uninhabitable to humans. Trees were everywhere, despite the little rainfall, as well as animals. We didn't see kangaroos oddly enough...but we did find a camel. They run loose in the Outback and it's weird to see them.
Anyway, back to our whirlwind weekend. I was a little scared Paul and I would not be able to fit in all the things we wanted to do, but we were so good at keeping time. We are exhausted of course, but pleased with what we did.
Friday: Left Sydney at 9:30. It was raining, but there were no raindrops in the Red Centre. We arrived at Ayer's Rock airport at 12:40 and headed off to our hostel, The Pioneer Hotel. We were in a 4 bed mixed room which kept really warm at night which was nice. For this weekend, I packed lots of food because my student told me that the food was highly overpriced. She was correct but we still bought a few things anyway.
After dining on the turkey sandwiches I packed, we headed off to Kata Tjuta...or the Olgas. These are huge rock formations that just come out of nowhere. Although mountains always tend to make me feel small anyway, these truly were an imposing presence that made me just gape at them in awe. We did a bush walk on a trail called the Valley of the Winds and the Gorge walk. Both were truly spectacular and Paul loved how clear the sky was when he took the photos. We saw so many trees and flowers, it made me feel dumb to think that this place was desolate!
But, don't be fooled. This land is tough and you have to be tough to be apart of it. The bush walks were not all that simple because it involved a lot of rocks on the path that could trip you up. Also, the flies are a massive problem. My friend Sarah warned me to ask the check in guy at our hostel if the flies were a problem and if so, I was to buy a fly net to keep them away. The check in desk said, oh the flies are not a problem now! It's winter! How wrong they were! I guess I tend to forget that any winged insect loves me so much that they will get up in my business and invite all their friends to join in the fun. Where Paul did not get but two flies on him, I had at least 15. I have no idea why mosquitos/ flies are so possessed to be near me. But they are. And during my first hike, I learned a valuable lesson. We bought a fly net the next day.
That night, we hurried back to our hostel to change into nicer clothes to go to the Sound of Silence dinner. Sadly, no Simon and Garfunkel songs were played. We hopped on a tour bus that took us to a very open and very remote area that gave a clear view of the sun setting on Uluru (the big rock in the desert that is the icon of the Outback) and Kata Tjuta (Olgas). We had canapes and champagne while we listened to a didgeridoo and watched the sun set. Of course, it was beautiful. We then were led down to the restaurant itself, which we sat at tables with different people and ate some delicious food, like kangaroo and crocodile.
Then, when the stars were out, we were given a star lesson on the different constellations in the southern hemisphere and where they were located. I actually didn't know that on the Australian flag, the stars are not random stars, but actually a constellation called the Southern Cross, which helps you find south. We also found Orion, Alpha Beta stars, Saturn, Mars, Can nus Major and Minor, also several others. We also got to look through telescopes and see Saturn and the rings, and a cluster called the Jewel box cluster...which was all beautiful. Some folk were being very rowdy though and the teacher in me got very angry. The speaker had to wait for them to be quiet! Just goes to show you that every country has obnoxious people and there is no way in going around it. We then were taken back to our hotels.
Saturday: We woke up really early so we could see the sunrise on Uluru and found that it was really cold in the morning! Anyway, about Uluru.
Uluru is really just a giant rock in the middle of nowhere which looks really neat. You can actually climb on top of it, but it is a dangerous climb (some 33 people in the last 20 years have died). It is a sacred area to the Anangu tribe who own the land and there are certain areas where you are not permitted to take photos because they are sacred. The people still perform their traditions at the rock, although we did not see many Aboriginal people. In one area, women give birth to children.
After the sunrise, we walked around Uluru for three hours, just marveling at the magnanimous rock. Paul then fueled up the car and we drove for another three hours to King's Canyon. The ride was pretty much flat with lots of desert life, which you will see in the pictures I will upload.
After checking into our cabin area, we set out to hike King's Canyon. There were three choices and we chose the three hour hike that was moderate with a strenuous beginning. Paul wanted me to throw that in there. We completed it in two hours. Paul also wanted me to throw that in there. Paul and Rachel are hiking machines. We did not rush though and it was enjoyable. The hikes are getting easier for us and we love the experiences of all our hikes.
We then returned to our cabins where we picked up a BBQ pack and cooked our own dinner. Then, we set out to make a fire. In the past, our fire making attempts have not gone over well. However, this time...eureka! We created fire and it was magical! I think it also had something to do with dry wood...we never have dry wood. After watching the fire, we stargazed and picked out all that we learned from our star lesson the previous night. What a romantic close to a wonderful Outback weekend!
Sunday: Woke up after a very restful sleep and had a hearty breakfast and had to drive three hours back to the airport and then another three hours were dedicated to relaxing on the plane ride home. We absolutely loved this weekend and hope you like the pictures, which I will upload tomorrow because, we do not have our internet data back yet. We feel so fortunate to be here and experience such amazing things. The Outback is so wonderful and I cannot stop saying how much I love Australia!
Anyway, back to our whirlwind weekend. I was a little scared Paul and I would not be able to fit in all the things we wanted to do, but we were so good at keeping time. We are exhausted of course, but pleased with what we did.
Friday: Left Sydney at 9:30. It was raining, but there were no raindrops in the Red Centre. We arrived at Ayer's Rock airport at 12:40 and headed off to our hostel, The Pioneer Hotel. We were in a 4 bed mixed room which kept really warm at night which was nice. For this weekend, I packed lots of food because my student told me that the food was highly overpriced. She was correct but we still bought a few things anyway.
After dining on the turkey sandwiches I packed, we headed off to Kata Tjuta...or the Olgas. These are huge rock formations that just come out of nowhere. Although mountains always tend to make me feel small anyway, these truly were an imposing presence that made me just gape at them in awe. We did a bush walk on a trail called the Valley of the Winds and the Gorge walk. Both were truly spectacular and Paul loved how clear the sky was when he took the photos. We saw so many trees and flowers, it made me feel dumb to think that this place was desolate!
But, don't be fooled. This land is tough and you have to be tough to be apart of it. The bush walks were not all that simple because it involved a lot of rocks on the path that could trip you up. Also, the flies are a massive problem. My friend Sarah warned me to ask the check in guy at our hostel if the flies were a problem and if so, I was to buy a fly net to keep them away. The check in desk said, oh the flies are not a problem now! It's winter! How wrong they were! I guess I tend to forget that any winged insect loves me so much that they will get up in my business and invite all their friends to join in the fun. Where Paul did not get but two flies on him, I had at least 15. I have no idea why mosquitos/ flies are so possessed to be near me. But they are. And during my first hike, I learned a valuable lesson. We bought a fly net the next day.
That night, we hurried back to our hostel to change into nicer clothes to go to the Sound of Silence dinner. Sadly, no Simon and Garfunkel songs were played. We hopped on a tour bus that took us to a very open and very remote area that gave a clear view of the sun setting on Uluru (the big rock in the desert that is the icon of the Outback) and Kata Tjuta (Olgas). We had canapes and champagne while we listened to a didgeridoo and watched the sun set. Of course, it was beautiful. We then were led down to the restaurant itself, which we sat at tables with different people and ate some delicious food, like kangaroo and crocodile.
Then, when the stars were out, we were given a star lesson on the different constellations in the southern hemisphere and where they were located. I actually didn't know that on the Australian flag, the stars are not random stars, but actually a constellation called the Southern Cross, which helps you find south. We also found Orion, Alpha Beta stars, Saturn, Mars, Can nus Major and Minor, also several others. We also got to look through telescopes and see Saturn and the rings, and a cluster called the Jewel box cluster...which was all beautiful. Some folk were being very rowdy though and the teacher in me got very angry. The speaker had to wait for them to be quiet! Just goes to show you that every country has obnoxious people and there is no way in going around it. We then were taken back to our hotels.
Saturday: We woke up really early so we could see the sunrise on Uluru and found that it was really cold in the morning! Anyway, about Uluru.
Uluru is really just a giant rock in the middle of nowhere which looks really neat. You can actually climb on top of it, but it is a dangerous climb (some 33 people in the last 20 years have died). It is a sacred area to the Anangu tribe who own the land and there are certain areas where you are not permitted to take photos because they are sacred. The people still perform their traditions at the rock, although we did not see many Aboriginal people. In one area, women give birth to children.
After the sunrise, we walked around Uluru for three hours, just marveling at the magnanimous rock. Paul then fueled up the car and we drove for another three hours to King's Canyon. The ride was pretty much flat with lots of desert life, which you will see in the pictures I will upload.
After checking into our cabin area, we set out to hike King's Canyon. There were three choices and we chose the three hour hike that was moderate with a strenuous beginning. Paul wanted me to throw that in there. We completed it in two hours. Paul also wanted me to throw that in there. Paul and Rachel are hiking machines. We did not rush though and it was enjoyable. The hikes are getting easier for us and we love the experiences of all our hikes.
We then returned to our cabins where we picked up a BBQ pack and cooked our own dinner. Then, we set out to make a fire. In the past, our fire making attempts have not gone over well. However, this time...eureka! We created fire and it was magical! I think it also had something to do with dry wood...we never have dry wood. After watching the fire, we stargazed and picked out all that we learned from our star lesson the previous night. What a romantic close to a wonderful Outback weekend!
Sunday: Woke up after a very restful sleep and had a hearty breakfast and had to drive three hours back to the airport and then another three hours were dedicated to relaxing on the plane ride home. We absolutely loved this weekend and hope you like the pictures, which I will upload tomorrow because, we do not have our internet data back yet. We feel so fortunate to be here and experience such amazing things. The Outback is so wonderful and I cannot stop saying how much I love Australia!
Monday, April 26, 2010
It's been a pretty relaxed few weeks, but now we have gone on another wonderful weekend trip: Tasmania. We absolutely loved this beautiful land. As the post title suggests, it is a magical land.
Last week, Paul had to go to Singapore on a business trip and I was left to do as I please. So, that was just me packing for Tasmania and getting all our other trips squared away. I felt so bad though when he came back, he was so tired, he just fell on the bed and was asleep in minutes. Although, I did get presents! Anyway, back to the trip.
Saturday: We left early in the morning and arrived in Hobart around 9:30. Our friend Vish took the same flight and was meeting up with some friends that were flying in from Melbourne. Apparently, their flight was delayed, so we took Vish to the Hobart Open Air Market and just walked around. Hobart is a lovely city, almost like Asheville, except it is on a coast. We loved the mountains that surrounded the city and even saw a rainbow! When Vish's friends arrived, we left Hobart and went on our own adventures on the west side of the island.
Although the trees in Australia are not like our trees in autumn where they do the full color change, there were a few trees that were a beautiful yellow. It felt more like fall in Tasmania than in Sydney. Fall is my favorite time of year, so I couldn't stop smiling! We looked at our first night's accommodation's directions and saw that they recommended a salmon farm. We at first scoffed saying why would anyone go to a salmon farm? Paul then of course said why not and we turned off the road. It was a lovely place and the fish were ridiculously big. In our pictures, the ones with the yellow trees are all from the farm. Interesting little stop.
We did a few hikes along the way, including the Russell Falls. The entire west side of Tasmania is a World Heritage area. It was very cool. On our way to Derwent Bridge where we were to spend the night, we drove at night. Such a poor decision because all the animals want to get hit it seems. Luckily we did not hit any of them...however, we did find our first...WOMBAT!!! This little creature has been eluding us for some time. That and the platypus. When we found it, he was just sitting in the middle of the road and I started yelling at Paul to get the camera, but we were too slow. Sadness!
Sunday: From our cabin, we left to see Lake St. Clair and try to find platy-pi...of course, no luck. I guess it's really difficult to find one of them. Also, throughout the trip, we couldn't find a Tasmanian Devil either. But there's a reason for that: they are going extinct. They are suffering from a disease that is killing them off rapidly and it's quite sad. We of course donated to the fund of saving the Tasmanian Devil. Poor things...what's a world without them?
We traveled up to Cradle Mountain, which took longer than anticipated. I did not factor in how long it would take to get from one area to the next. My bad. Well, we made it, and did a circuit around Dove Lake, which is right in front of the mountain. It was beautiful and the pictures show it! It was freezing cold though as the pictures show as well. It is so wonderful to walk around in woods though. We then also found our second wombat, which we took lots of photos and videos! They are so precious and I just wanna hold them. But I was sure this wombat would not have it.
After our trip, we drove from Cradle Mountain, back to Hobart, another long trip. Oops. But I decided to help Paul by driving...first time on the wrong side. It was not so bad...until I hit a kangaroo. It was gross and after I told Paul he had to drive. It left little hairs on the bumper. Ew. Very sad and very gross experience.
Monday: I forgot to mention! Paul had Monday off because in Australia, this weekend is known as Anzac (Australian New Zealand Army Corps) Day-their Memorial day. One town we stopped at had completely shut down to go to a memorial service. So, it was neat to see that.
We then went off to the southern tip of Tasmania and did the Tahune Air Walk, which is a raised platform above the trees that you can walk on. We did a longer hike around as well.
Before we left, we ran off to Mt. Wellington to see the gorgeous view from up top. Yes, the view was spectacular...but the weather was so cold! Of course, we didn't have gloves or hats, so we just froze while taking photos...and my lips were so chapped and windburn, I am still nursing them back to health! But it was worth it. Afterward, we left for Hobart and left for home.
I am going to post a video of the wombat and pictures are ready to go. Let us know what you think, we love to hear from everyone. Next weekend: Uluru and the Red Centre...or to everyone else..THE OUTBACK!
perhaps the steakhouse?
Last week, Paul had to go to Singapore on a business trip and I was left to do as I please. So, that was just me packing for Tasmania and getting all our other trips squared away. I felt so bad though when he came back, he was so tired, he just fell on the bed and was asleep in minutes. Although, I did get presents! Anyway, back to the trip.
Saturday: We left early in the morning and arrived in Hobart around 9:30. Our friend Vish took the same flight and was meeting up with some friends that were flying in from Melbourne. Apparently, their flight was delayed, so we took Vish to the Hobart Open Air Market and just walked around. Hobart is a lovely city, almost like Asheville, except it is on a coast. We loved the mountains that surrounded the city and even saw a rainbow! When Vish's friends arrived, we left Hobart and went on our own adventures on the west side of the island.
Although the trees in Australia are not like our trees in autumn where they do the full color change, there were a few trees that were a beautiful yellow. It felt more like fall in Tasmania than in Sydney. Fall is my favorite time of year, so I couldn't stop smiling! We looked at our first night's accommodation's directions and saw that they recommended a salmon farm. We at first scoffed saying why would anyone go to a salmon farm? Paul then of course said why not and we turned off the road. It was a lovely place and the fish were ridiculously big. In our pictures, the ones with the yellow trees are all from the farm. Interesting little stop.
We did a few hikes along the way, including the Russell Falls. The entire west side of Tasmania is a World Heritage area. It was very cool. On our way to Derwent Bridge where we were to spend the night, we drove at night. Such a poor decision because all the animals want to get hit it seems. Luckily we did not hit any of them...however, we did find our first...WOMBAT!!! This little creature has been eluding us for some time. That and the platypus. When we found it, he was just sitting in the middle of the road and I started yelling at Paul to get the camera, but we were too slow. Sadness!
Sunday: From our cabin, we left to see Lake St. Clair and try to find platy-pi...of course, no luck. I guess it's really difficult to find one of them. Also, throughout the trip, we couldn't find a Tasmanian Devil either. But there's a reason for that: they are going extinct. They are suffering from a disease that is killing them off rapidly and it's quite sad. We of course donated to the fund of saving the Tasmanian Devil. Poor things...what's a world without them?
We traveled up to Cradle Mountain, which took longer than anticipated. I did not factor in how long it would take to get from one area to the next. My bad. Well, we made it, and did a circuit around Dove Lake, which is right in front of the mountain. It was beautiful and the pictures show it! It was freezing cold though as the pictures show as well. It is so wonderful to walk around in woods though. We then also found our second wombat, which we took lots of photos and videos! They are so precious and I just wanna hold them. But I was sure this wombat would not have it.
After our trip, we drove from Cradle Mountain, back to Hobart, another long trip. Oops. But I decided to help Paul by driving...first time on the wrong side. It was not so bad...until I hit a kangaroo. It was gross and after I told Paul he had to drive. It left little hairs on the bumper. Ew. Very sad and very gross experience.
Monday: I forgot to mention! Paul had Monday off because in Australia, this weekend is known as Anzac (Australian New Zealand Army Corps) Day-their Memorial day. One town we stopped at had completely shut down to go to a memorial service. So, it was neat to see that.
We then went off to the southern tip of Tasmania and did the Tahune Air Walk, which is a raised platform above the trees that you can walk on. We did a longer hike around as well.
Before we left, we ran off to Mt. Wellington to see the gorgeous view from up top. Yes, the view was spectacular...but the weather was so cold! Of course, we didn't have gloves or hats, so we just froze while taking photos...and my lips were so chapped and windburn, I am still nursing them back to health! But it was worth it. Afterward, we left for Hobart and left for home.
I am going to post a video of the wombat and pictures are ready to go. Let us know what you think, we love to hear from everyone. Next weekend: Uluru and the Red Centre...or to everyone else..THE OUTBACK!
perhaps the steakhouse?
Saturday, April 17, 2010
Sunday, April 11, 2010
This week is our weekend off for many reasons: 1. Our bigger trips are for the most part planned. 2. We couldn't think of where to go on short notice and 3. Paul really has not had a break. I think I have stated that before, but really, going on a mini vay-cay every weekend can be exhausting. Especially when you work 70 hours a week. So, I took pity on poor Paul (note the alliteration) and said no, we are to sleep!
Even then though, a weekend in the city is not one to be considered boring. We have always been pleasantly surprised at how much we do while we are "staying in". Friday night, Paul's work had tickets to see The Merchants of Bollywood, which is like a musical revue of Bollywood movies. One thing to note is that they come out with 800 movies a year! That's ridiculous! It was a fun show with lots of hard core dancing, something I thought my sister Becca would enjoy. I of course tried to dance in my chair, but Paul started whispering things like "embarrassing" and "can't get rid of her" :). Then, we went to visit our friends Vish's apartment and our other friend Alison's apartment. Which we are jealous of 'cause they have such nice places! Don't get me wrong, our place is fine, but they have big apartments with balconies and separate rooms from their kitchen. I cannot wait for more space.
Saturday we literally spent the entire morning snuggling inside until we hit the beach with Vish, Alison, Tess, Aaron, and Christopher. It was nice to hang out with friends and just relax. We also spent the evening with the same crowd just relaxing and talking at Alison's apartment. We really want her balcony and Paul is slowly trying to coax her to switch with us. Fat chance of that happening!
Sunday we stayed in and worked on various items, like our wedding website, which is beautifully redone and we are sending out our save the dates...as soon as our parents approve the final guest list. We also finished our registries and thought of our other trips.
Becca, you were wondering about the weather here, so I figured since this will be a short post, I will dedicate a bit of time to the season change we are undergoing. It is indeed fall, but in this city, you would never be able to tell. We have a few big trees that I think would undergo the leaf change...but sadly not. What they do is slowly take back the green and leave a gross, dead, brown color. Not nearly as romantic as you would think. However, I have been told that the leaves change color in the Snowy Mountains, which is our next weekend trip (that or Jervis Bay), so I would like to see that.
As for the temperature, it is a bit cooler. I don't think it will get really cold but it has a September feel, with the look of summer? I guess being at the beach is a change of perspective for me 'cause I never lived in a coastal town. People still go to the beach and lay out, but there are others who have brought out their winter coats. I also give them a funny face.
During the day, I have dedicated my time to planning wedding things, finding a place for us in Atlanta, and also finding a job. The wedding so far is underway. We have our vendors and I feel like it will be a lovely little wedding on a mountaintop. As for the job and house, I have to be a bit more patient. Jobs for teachers are only seriously looked at in June/ July and housing we should seriously consider in May. I am anxious to see everything come to fruition so I don't have to be stressed upon my return home. So, any helpful directions in terms of living in Atlanta or a job would be most appreciated. Anyway, thanks for tuning in! We shall have a more active post next week. Cheers.
Even then though, a weekend in the city is not one to be considered boring. We have always been pleasantly surprised at how much we do while we are "staying in". Friday night, Paul's work had tickets to see The Merchants of Bollywood, which is like a musical revue of Bollywood movies. One thing to note is that they come out with 800 movies a year! That's ridiculous! It was a fun show with lots of hard core dancing, something I thought my sister Becca would enjoy. I of course tried to dance in my chair, but Paul started whispering things like "embarrassing" and "can't get rid of her" :). Then, we went to visit our friends Vish's apartment and our other friend Alison's apartment. Which we are jealous of 'cause they have such nice places! Don't get me wrong, our place is fine, but they have big apartments with balconies and separate rooms from their kitchen. I cannot wait for more space.
Saturday we literally spent the entire morning snuggling inside until we hit the beach with Vish, Alison, Tess, Aaron, and Christopher. It was nice to hang out with friends and just relax. We also spent the evening with the same crowd just relaxing and talking at Alison's apartment. We really want her balcony and Paul is slowly trying to coax her to switch with us. Fat chance of that happening!
Sunday we stayed in and worked on various items, like our wedding website, which is beautifully redone and we are sending out our save the dates...as soon as our parents approve the final guest list. We also finished our registries and thought of our other trips.
Becca, you were wondering about the weather here, so I figured since this will be a short post, I will dedicate a bit of time to the season change we are undergoing. It is indeed fall, but in this city, you would never be able to tell. We have a few big trees that I think would undergo the leaf change...but sadly not. What they do is slowly take back the green and leave a gross, dead, brown color. Not nearly as romantic as you would think. However, I have been told that the leaves change color in the Snowy Mountains, which is our next weekend trip (that or Jervis Bay), so I would like to see that.
As for the temperature, it is a bit cooler. I don't think it will get really cold but it has a September feel, with the look of summer? I guess being at the beach is a change of perspective for me 'cause I never lived in a coastal town. People still go to the beach and lay out, but there are others who have brought out their winter coats. I also give them a funny face.
During the day, I have dedicated my time to planning wedding things, finding a place for us in Atlanta, and also finding a job. The wedding so far is underway. We have our vendors and I feel like it will be a lovely little wedding on a mountaintop. As for the job and house, I have to be a bit more patient. Jobs for teachers are only seriously looked at in June/ July and housing we should seriously consider in May. I am anxious to see everything come to fruition so I don't have to be stressed upon my return home. So, any helpful directions in terms of living in Atlanta or a job would be most appreciated. Anyway, thanks for tuning in! We shall have a more active post next week. Cheers.
Tuesday, April 6, 2010
This was from our weekend in Sydney. Rugby, opera, and also a walk through Centennial Park.
Click here to view photos
Monday, April 5, 2010
Happy Easter!
Hope everyone had a wonderful, relaxing time off with beautiful weather and chocolate. I know we did!
This weekend was our long awaited trip to the Great Barrier Reef and the Whitsunday Islands. For Easter, Paul got Friday and Monday off, so it was an extended vacation, which is why I did not update on our Monday. This was one of our favourite vacations yet!
Thursday: We left for the Sydney airport at 5:30 AM (I hate early mornings!) and arrived in Macay, Queensland airport at 12 PM. From there, we took a Greyhound to Airlie Beach, where we were to pick up our cruise ship. We stayed in a hostel-like place but had a private room. Then, Paul and I decided to go on a little hike through a rainforest! It isn't nearly as exciting as you would think...rainforests are hot and humid. Plus, the one we went to was hit by the cyclone that came through a couple weeks ago. The destruction of that cyclone effected everything, including the part of the reef we visited. After our hike, we bought some food from the grocery store and proceeded to cook..without help of any pans or utensils...we apparently had to rent that separately. Either way, our meal of chicken kebabs, croissants and corn on the cob was satisfying enough...even if it was all cooked on a hot plate :)
Friday, we met up with our friends Sarah and Chris and boarded the Whitsunday Magic! This isn't a regular cruise ship in the sense of large, white boat with loads of other people. In fact, picture a pirate ship. That's what it looked like! It was so unique and we only had 30 people aboard. Paul and I loved it, especially the food. Our chef, Dan, made some amazing food. I really liked that we made new friends and that the experience was much more intimate.
On this day, we also were prepped for our introductory scuba dive by our instructor, Thierry, the most hilarious Frenchman ever. He made us feel so comfortable, despite all our fears of killer jellyfish and unexpected surprises that may arise during the dive. It is disconcerting when you see warning signs everywhere on the coast telling you not to go into the water or you'll get stung. And what to do if you get stung. Also that they supply vinegar on the beach...really disconcerting. But apparently there are very few times people go to the hospital for stings so said our Aussie friend Prue who works at a hospital. Good.
Anyway, back to our adventures, our bathroom was so tiny! Our shower was the toilet and sink.
Our Friday was spent relaxing and enjoying the wonderful, clear weather on the high seas!
Saturday: SCUBA DIVING!! Our morning started really early when the captain (Paul) started the engine at 5 AM..ugh. However, the voyage was rough going and my Paul started getting a little woozy. I myself was not affected and tried to sleep longer, but I had to go hear about our scuba diving experience. We made it out to Bait Reef, on the outer part of the reef. Paul and I were the last and only couple in our group, so it was really nice to have the personal attention on our first dive. So, while we waited, we snorkeled on the surface. I have never seen such awesome coral and such beautiful fish! My favourite fish was the parrot fish...it looks like it got stuck in the 80s with hyper colors! We also saw starfish and
A SHARK!!!! I saw the big shark, Paul saw the little shark, but it was really cool to be following one and at such a close proximity! Sarah and Chris had a digital underwater camera so, we will definitely post them once we get them from our dear friends.
After our fabulous diving experience, we had a relaxing day, which included a glorious nap and another dive, but with not so many exciting fish like the first time.
That night, we stayed outside and found some squid in the water...and then dolphins chasing them! Something about watching dolphins brings out the kid in everyone because the sounds our boat was making in awe of these creatures was hilarious. After a nice look at the stars, Paul and I went off to our night in Hades...
Apparently, the Germans/elderly couples were complaining about the noise of the air conditioner and so one of the newer crew members turned it off...which also turned off the A/C in our room. It felt like 100 degrees and I could not have been angrier at 2AM. We were roasting and then, I got so disgruntled that I took my pillow and went up on the deck to chill out in the open air. And I would've stayed there too if Paul didn't say how uncomfortable it was on the deck chairs. Should've brought my blankets to cushion! Back in the depths of despair, Paul left our door open so that some breeze could make it down, but it still felt quite miserable and we slept very little. I don't wake up happily and couple that with lack of sleep, you get a very aggressive Rachel. Sarah and Chris made it a point to not say too much to me.
At least our captain made it up to us with free chocolate bunnies! Excellent!
Sunday: This day, we went to Whitehaven Beach, which has the purest sand in all the world. It's so pure that they use it to make the lens for the Hubble Telescope. Very cool. That's where a lot of our neat photos came from. Hill's Inlet which is right there is where all the swirly sand pictures were taken and it was gorgeous! We didn't like the intermittent rain, especially the deluge when we were traveling from the ship to the shore. Oh well! On the way we at least saw a sea turtle. He was huge! It was a pleasant day, especially after a good air conditioned nap.
Monday: Our last day on the boat! We were all very sad to see it end. We did a touch more snorkeling and found a starfish and a huge clam. We also trekked through a rainforest, but didn't see anything too wild. Turkeys are populous here. At 1 PM we disembarked sadly and made our way back to Sydney. It was so sad to see it end,
but it was amazing while it lasted.
Our next couple of weekends are not the most interesting, but who knows? We could always spontaneously go somewhere so keep checking up on us. Our next really big trip is Tasmania!!!!!!
So sad, but now I have to start thinking about our move back to the States. Hopefully, everything will work out for us in terms of finding a place to live and me getting a job! EEK! So, keep us in your thoughts, especially in June. Anyway, let us know what is new with you. Cheers.
Hope everyone had a wonderful, relaxing time off with beautiful weather and chocolate. I know we did!
This weekend was our long awaited trip to the Great Barrier Reef and the Whitsunday Islands. For Easter, Paul got Friday and Monday off, so it was an extended vacation, which is why I did not update on our Monday. This was one of our favourite vacations yet!
Thursday: We left for the Sydney airport at 5:30 AM (I hate early mornings!) and arrived in Macay, Queensland airport at 12 PM. From there, we took a Greyhound to Airlie Beach, where we were to pick up our cruise ship. We stayed in a hostel-like place but had a private room. Then, Paul and I decided to go on a little hike through a rainforest! It isn't nearly as exciting as you would think...rainforests are hot and humid. Plus, the one we went to was hit by the cyclone that came through a couple weeks ago. The destruction of that cyclone effected everything, including the part of the reef we visited. After our hike, we bought some food from the grocery store and proceeded to cook..without help of any pans or utensils...we apparently had to rent that separately. Either way, our meal of chicken kebabs, croissants and corn on the cob was satisfying enough...even if it was all cooked on a hot plate :)
Friday, we met up with our friends Sarah and Chris and boarded the Whitsunday Magic! This isn't a regular cruise ship in the sense of large, white boat with loads of other people. In fact, picture a pirate ship. That's what it looked like! It was so unique and we only had 30 people aboard. Paul and I loved it, especially the food. Our chef, Dan, made some amazing food. I really liked that we made new friends and that the experience was much more intimate.
On this day, we also were prepped for our introductory scuba dive by our instructor, Thierry, the most hilarious Frenchman ever. He made us feel so comfortable, despite all our fears of killer jellyfish and unexpected surprises that may arise during the dive. It is disconcerting when you see warning signs everywhere on the coast telling you not to go into the water or you'll get stung. And what to do if you get stung. Also that they supply vinegar on the beach...really disconcerting. But apparently there are very few times people go to the hospital for stings so said our Aussie friend Prue who works at a hospital. Good.
Anyway, back to our adventures, our bathroom was so tiny! Our shower was the toilet and sink.
Our Friday was spent relaxing and enjoying the wonderful, clear weather on the high seas!
Saturday: SCUBA DIVING!! Our morning started really early when the captain (Paul) started the engine at 5 AM..ugh. However, the voyage was rough going and my Paul started getting a little woozy. I myself was not affected and tried to sleep longer, but I had to go hear about our scuba diving experience. We made it out to Bait Reef, on the outer part of the reef. Paul and I were the last and only couple in our group, so it was really nice to have the personal attention on our first dive. So, while we waited, we snorkeled on the surface. I have never seen such awesome coral and such beautiful fish! My favourite fish was the parrot fish...it looks like it got stuck in the 80s with hyper colors! We also saw starfish and
A SHARK!!!! I saw the big shark, Paul saw the little shark, but it was really cool to be following one and at such a close proximity! Sarah and Chris had a digital underwater camera so, we will definitely post them once we get them from our dear friends.
After our fabulous diving experience, we had a relaxing day, which included a glorious nap and another dive, but with not so many exciting fish like the first time.
That night, we stayed outside and found some squid in the water...and then dolphins chasing them! Something about watching dolphins brings out the kid in everyone because the sounds our boat was making in awe of these creatures was hilarious. After a nice look at the stars, Paul and I went off to our night in Hades...
Apparently, the Germans/elderly couples were complaining about the noise of the air conditioner and so one of the newer crew members turned it off...which also turned off the A/C in our room. It felt like 100 degrees and I could not have been angrier at 2AM. We were roasting and then, I got so disgruntled that I took my pillow and went up on the deck to chill out in the open air. And I would've stayed there too if Paul didn't say how uncomfortable it was on the deck chairs. Should've brought my blankets to cushion! Back in the depths of despair, Paul left our door open so that some breeze could make it down, but it still felt quite miserable and we slept very little. I don't wake up happily and couple that with lack of sleep, you get a very aggressive Rachel. Sarah and Chris made it a point to not say too much to me.
At least our captain made it up to us with free chocolate bunnies! Excellent!
Sunday: This day, we went to Whitehaven Beach, which has the purest sand in all the world. It's so pure that they use it to make the lens for the Hubble Telescope. Very cool. That's where a lot of our neat photos came from. Hill's Inlet which is right there is where all the swirly sand pictures were taken and it was gorgeous! We didn't like the intermittent rain, especially the deluge when we were traveling from the ship to the shore. Oh well! On the way we at least saw a sea turtle. He was huge! It was a pleasant day, especially after a good air conditioned nap.
Monday: Our last day on the boat! We were all very sad to see it end. We did a touch more snorkeling and found a starfish and a huge clam. We also trekked through a rainforest, but didn't see anything too wild. Turkeys are populous here. At 1 PM we disembarked sadly and made our way back to Sydney. It was so sad to see it end,
but it was amazing while it lasted.
Our next couple of weekends are not the most interesting, but who knows? We could always spontaneously go somewhere so keep checking up on us. Our next really big trip is Tasmania!!!!!!
So sad, but now I have to start thinking about our move back to the States. Hopefully, everything will work out for us in terms of finding a place to live and me getting a job! EEK! So, keep us in your thoughts, especially in June. Anyway, let us know what is new with you. Cheers.
Sunday, March 28, 2010
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