Tuesday, July 17, 2012

Florence, France and Rome, Italy

Pisa to Florence then Rome (July 16-17) 

Bonsoir France and Ciao Italia! 

Day 1: Today, we crossed over into Italy. I had actual Italian pizza for our lunch stop. Delicious but oh so fattening.  Coffee here is quite tasty and potent. The scenery is bath taking along the coastline. Bright blue and royal blue waters along mountains. It looks exactly like everything I was expecting of Italy. 

The first thing we did in Italy was go visit the leaning tower of Pisa. It was a lot smaller than I thought it would be. The heat was atrocious so the visit was short lived. I have the classic tourist photo of me holding the tower. 

Upon arriving in Florence, we did a bus tour of the city. Nothing stood out as very important. Florence is a city of artists and history. Van Gogh, Machivelli, and Dontatello are all famous from Florence. We saw most of the major landmarks that Florence has to offer. 

We drove to Florence to the camp site. A quick turn around and back on the bus for the dinner in Florence. A seven course meal awaited us. The first course was a meat and cheese plate. Second was three types of pasta (pesto, spaghetti, and spinach and cheese ravioli). Third was chicken and salad. Four was mash potatoes with meat balls. Fifth was tiramisu. Sixth was espresso. Seventh was lemon cello. I have never been so full in my life. I discovered I really like pesto pasta. I didn't eat the fourth course. 

After dinner, the crew ventured to the Red Garter. It is a karaoke place in the midst of Florence. I had a lot of fun singing along with everyone. Public signing scares the living day lights out of me. 

Day 2: After a very early start, the crew did a walk around your of Florence. It has a lot of history to which I didn't pay huge attention to. It had a lot to do with famous artists and sculptures. In a nutshell, the church is famous for being the first dome in Europe. The sculptures are famous for the artists. The bridge is famous for its goldsmiths. The city was built on another Roman city which sits 3 feet under the ground. 

It was about 30 C outside and just glorious. I am starting to fall in love with Italy. 

After the tour, we went to a leather shop and learnt about leather. The difference between real and fake leather is that real leather burns. Leather should not actually smell like the classic leather smell. I bought a black leather jacket. It took quite a few shops to find the right jacket for me. 

For lunch a couple if us went to go eat at the place where the cast of Jersey Shore worked whilst in Italy. It had incredible 60 second fire grilled pizza. I had a four cheese pizza. Brodie and myself then got a dark chocolate gelato. I died in heaven from the richness of  the gelato I can now say I had gelato in Italy. One more of my bucket list items crossed off. 

Back onto the bus meant a trip to Rome. I think I am getting a tan from sitting near the window. 

AFN  

Nice, France

Nice (July 14-15)

Day 1: This morning was an early start to a long travel day. Literally spent 10 hours on the bus due to the high volume of traffic. Holidays tend to drive people to the highways which made our journey significantly longer than it needed to be. I really hate long bus rides. 

I slept most of the afternoon as I was so bored of staring at sunflower and jasmine fields. It is very beautiful countryside but I had better things to do with my life. I am most of the way through the first Game of Thrones book. I highly recommend it. The entire Fifty Shades of Grey series is risky but so damn addictive.  

A quick stop was done at a French perfumery. It is interesting to hear about how each scent is made. There are people who go to "nose" school for 10 years to create new scents. They get paid on average 700,000 euro a year. I wish I had that sense of smell and artistic ability to do that. I guess France is known for their flowers and thus perfumes. It was neat to see the people hand creating each scent. 

Dinner was frog legs, turkey steak, corn, and green beans. I surprisingly enjoyed the turkey steak. Frog legs did not pass my lips. That one is just too hard to swallow. After dinner we adventured down the road to a carnival with rides and games. It was like the Stampede but French. I had a lot of fun with a couple of the girls. 

Day 2: We took the train from Antibes into Nice. A couple of Americans and myself paid 14€ for a private beach chair. It was about 30 C and glorious. I set foot into the Mediterranean sea but did not swim. The beach was a pebble beach. Different and not quite the same experience as sand. Many French women were topless and hairy. Not a good combination in my mind. I suntanned like the French to avoid tan lines and to do as the Romans do. The day was very relaxed and simple.

The girls and myself had lunch at the beach chairs. I ordered a prawn salad which was delicious. When we decided to go back home and pay our bill, we discovered that a gentleman had paid our entire bill of drinks and lunch. It pays to be young and beautiful sometimes.

Upon showering I discovered I had been attacked by either bed bugs or a spider. Thus, I had to change rooms and freeze everything I owned. Everything sat in the freezer for twelve hours. I am not enjoying the people or the places we are staying. I really would like to just come home but I will stick it out for the next week. 

After getting all dolled up back at the campsite, the crew headed to Monaco. Monaco is the third smallest country in the world. The two smaller are Vatican and Black Island just off the coast of Western Australia. Monaco is the home of the rich and famous as people don't pay income tax and businesses only pay 1%. You have to apply to be a citizen of the country. Elton John got denied to be a citizen. Grace Kelly was a princess of this country. The current prince is a price of work who essentially is holding a former German Olympiad prisoner until she gives him a heir. 

In Monaco I visited the castle which had spectacular views of the bay and wealth of the country. Monte Carlo was the major city we visited. The grand casino was neat to go see and gamble at. Bids started at 100€ for blackjack and poker. I played some of the slot machines just to say I did. I ended up winning 98.76€ which isn't too bad. I walked around in six inch heels and my feet just killed the next day. 

The ride back home was quiet as dope actually fell asleep for once. The night was quite quiet. 

AFN 

Lyon, France

Lyon (July 13)

Last night my roommate got just right pissed. She puked on her bed and all over my legs. I woke up in her puke. I seriously didn't start the day off on a good foot. I ripped h a new one. That is so gross and disrespectful. She is just fresh 18 and wild. I don't miss residence life. I thought I had picked a quiet roommate. I missed breakfast to shower and rub raw the puke off. So gross.

I get that each person has their own agendas on this tour but seriously get your act together and learn your limits. She ruined one of my days of this trip without any concern. Stupid Zimbabwe teenagers.  I can't believe people don't know their limits or have any regard for them. 

Today we drove from Paris to Lyon. The drive had been very boring. the landscape is all the same of rolling hills and rain. I finished a couple of books by the time we hit our final destination. This is just a day of travel so that we can get to the French Rivera tomorrow. The bus had several veryxs hungover and sick people on it. The ride was horrific. 

The first rest stop was at Fountainbleu which is some important feat of architecture for the French. I just got a coffee and croissant instead of touring it. It was raining and breakfast seemed like a better idea than a guided tour. I bought the two cutest necklaces from this small town. I bought an owl that is a clock and a Cinderella pumpkin necklace. Very one of a kind. 

Upon getting to the Chateau, we had a wine tasting included in the tour which I just skipped as I was in a bad mood. I should have probably gone but not worth the energy that I didnt have. I am hoping tomorrow is a better day. I am in a room on my own tonight as for my troubles last night. My tour manager is pretty awesome in that regard. 

I just want to get to Italy. 

AFN 

Paris

Paris (July 11-12) 

The flight from Calgary to London was a disaster. I was in between two babies and beside two lesbians. The lesbians did some funny things under blankets. I didn't sleep the entire flight. I did the heathrow express into town. I did a bit of London but I have seen it all before. I fell asleep by 4 pm by accident. I got up at 3am which was a hassle because nothing was open and I was hungry. I took the tube to meet up with my contiki group by 6 am in some strange part of London. 

The first day was a cluster storm of chaos. Twelve tours left from the same location at the same time. The bus ride was a long one. We took it from London to Dover then hopped on the ferry over to France. I saw the white cliffs of Dover which were very unimpressive. The ride was even longer to Paris. Paris is extremely dirty in my opinion. the first night we took a bus tour of Paris and saw most of the important buildings. I tried escargot and nearly puked. I hate the feel of them going down my throat. I will never eat one again. Later that evening, I visited and climbed to the top of the Eiffel tower. There is 789 steps plus a short elevator ride to the top. My calves are going to hurt by the end of the tour. I did the Eiffel tower in sandals which was a huge mistake. I got to see the sunset over Paris from the top. Spectacular views. The light show on the Eiffel tower is cool as it sparkles and is red white and blue for their national holiday on Saturday. 

Day two of Paris started early with a horrible traditional French breakfast of just coffee and apple sauce. They don't seem to eat here at all. I walked to a bakery and had a chocolate croissant. We all got dropped off in town at the Arc de Triumph. I climbed it and swathe Eiffel tower from there and the sprawl that they call Paris. The weather held for the morning. I did a tad bit of shopping down the Champs de Elysses for a bathing suit and a pair of runners. I forgot both on this trip. I had several cups of French coffee all day. 

My afternoon was very artistic. I walked to the Louvre. I saw Monna Lisa which was significantly smaller than I thought it was going to be. The last supper is massive and covers about 60" squared. I wandered through the Spanish, Greek, Italian, and Egyptian art works. I spent about three hours in the Louvre mostly because I got lost and couldn't get out. I walked then to the Musee d'Orsay which has the Van Gogh exhibits. Starry Night is spectacular to see but I left after that as I am not much of an art buff. 

Night two of Paris was a traditional French dinner (French onion soup, cheese,beef bouillon, chocolate moose, and espresso). Very good dinner with entertaining conversations. This tour is mainly Australians and Kiwis with the majority from Perth funnily enough. I don't think I hung out with that many Perth kids whilst living in Perth as I do this trip. After dinner everyone was ushered to a Moulin Rouge show. It was amazing - I loved the costumes. The men were stunning and the women were just skinny. I wish that it was a little bit more exciting but that's fine. It isn't like the movie which was a bit depressing. 

AFN 

Monday, July 02, 2012

Sydney - July 2, 2012 (Carrie Underwood concert)

As my last full day in Australia I decided to do the rest that Sydney had to offer me in sixteen hours.

I did the Sydney Aquarium (Sydney < Melbourne) which was okay but very small. I did the Sydney Zoo (Sydney < Toronga). I had lunch at the Hard Rock Cafe. It had real American ketchup which was so tasty. They are the same all over the world which was what I needed. I know I should have eaten something Aussie but I really wanted chicken fingers and fries.

I did a walkabout around the Cockle Bay Wharf, Darling Harbor, the Rocks, the Opera House, and the Harbor Bridge. I think I walked about 20km or so in flip flops. 

Starbucks has been a staple of my diet for the four days I have been in Sydney. I found five of them and visited them all. I don't think I have eaten anything other than Starbucks here actually.

I packed up which was sad and fit it all into two and a half bags. I bought a very cute gym bag.

Tonight, as a going away treat I saw Carrie Underwood. She was playing at the Sydney Opera House. I have never seen such a great performance. She is better live than on iTunes. She never missed a note and has a spectacular vocal range. I loved this performance. I didn't know she had a new album out.

Coming back to the hotel and sleep would be nice. I will try to stay up so that I can sleep on the longest journey home.

I am looking forward to being home. See y'all soon. 

AFN

Sydney - July 1, 2012

Today was extremely busy. I switched to an actual hotel. The Best Western Hotel Stellar is located on the Hyde Park. Starbucks was just across the park which was brilliant. My hotel room wasn't available at my 6 am walk up time. So I decided to set about on the city.

I visited the Australian National Museum which had a neat underwater exhibit. The Indigenous exhibit was moving but the same as every other aboriginal exhibit I have seen. There were tons of small children yipping around.

I went shopping. Dangerous amounts of shopping. Hours upon hours of shopping. Sydney has some of the best shopping I have ever done. I had to buy a second suitcase to get all of the stuff home. It is also sale time which makes shopping even more tempting.

I then went to the Royal Botanical Gardens. I saw Mrs. Macquarie's Chair which is the point of the first Australian landing. From these gardens I could see the Opera House and the Harbor Bridge. I really enjoyed the quiet of the gardens. The city was a very busy place. Perth made my pace of life slow down.

My feet hurt from all of the walking that I did.

I checked into the hotel at 2pm and literally did nothing for the rest of the day. I did venture out at night to go watch Snow White and the Huntsman. Not worth the two block walk or the ticket price. It was shitty with the same story line but horrible actors. Chris Hemingsworth is stunning but remains clothed the entire time which is depressing.

AFN

Sydney - July 30th, 2012

Today started out fairly early. Hostel life is not conducive to sleeping. The beds aren't bad but it is the other people in the room waking up and talking is the worst. As I was up at 5 am, I decided to last minute Skype Miranda. It was a good three hour chat on everything.

From there I went to Starbucks and people watched for a while. I finally got my gold card. I am now a card carrying Starbucks member. It should arrive in the mail soon.

A friend from my Contiki tour, Ilir, came and picked me up in the early afternoon. He showed me around Parramatta first then took me to a RFL (Rugby League) game. It was the Eels v. Knights which from what he said are the two worst teams in the league. I had a lot of fun anyways. Rugby is a lot rougher than AFL but I honestly prefer AFL cause I understand it. It was good to catch up with him. Contiki seems to be a great way to make friends across the world. After the game, he took me to a family BBQ. God, it was wonderful to eat around a bonfire. I really can't wait to be home.


Later this evening, Ilir, showed me around the Cockle Bay Wharf. It is spectacular at night. The fireworks were neat for Canada day. The casino was very architecturally designed but honestly not my thing. It was too high class and snooty for me.

AFN

Friday, June 29, 2012

Sydney - June 29th, 2012

Jeff and I flew into Sydney a day early to meet with the lawyers who executed the deal. I went and bought a stunning dress and shoes for the occasion. Thanks Jeff. Dinner was hilarious. Eight people and 18 shots of tequilla plus four bottles of wine make for an interesting night. I had a wonderful eye filet of steak and Italian ice cream. I swear I eat better when I am with Jeff than I do the rest of the year.

I slept in a wonderfully comfortable bed until noon - the view was of the Sydney Bridge and the Opera House. Upon packing I moved to the hotel that I had booked by Groupon. In reality, I had booked two days of buffets at the Novotel not the actual hotel room. So, I moved to the WakeUp! hostel for the next two days. At $40/night it is not too bad but no where near the 6 star I stayed in last night. I don't have much of a choice though as Sydney is wicked expensive.

I have gotten very used to public transit and cannot wait to have my car back. I took hours of public transit today. Sydney is almost worse than Perth for the public transport system.

I ran into Jenna (who I know from UWA) here in Sydney today when I was on my way to the zoo. We did the Torongo Zoo which is a ferry ride away from the Sydney Opera House. The zoo was awesome and we saw tons of Australian animals. The platapus' were no where to be seen which was a tad depressing.

I booked a ticket for an opera at the Sydney Opera House tonight which should be spectacular. Will update after the opera.

AFN 

Melbourne Round Two

Melbourne was a whirlwind of a trip again but much shorter. The food was incredible of course.

This time I was shopping for Jeff's apartment. I met with a real estate agent who showed me houses that were essentially sterile places. He picked a great choice out in Brighton. I found several designers for him as well. I find Australian people super hard to understand on the phone.

Jeff and myself had dinner with the former CFO of Customers' at a fabulous Italian place. She was quite nice and moving to Geralton out in WA. The waitress was a huge winch. All I wanted was mussels on a bed of pasta and she could not comprehend. Instead, we had mussels to start and then Josie and myself shared a tripe pine nut pasta thing which was revolting. However, there isn't much I could do when she offered to share the plate for dinner. I went to Macca's after dinner cause I was still hungry.

I met up with Claire, Maria, and Leigh (who I know from UWA) and did an afternoon of sightseeing and the aquarium. I have been to the aquarium three times now and it doesn't seem to wane. We did lunch at some back alley restuarant that was called "No Name". I had a turkey and cranberry sandwich.

Melbourne doesn't really change which is nice - the weather was pleasant again.

I went for a couple of runs and a good workout while I was there. Probably a good thing as dinners were rich and loaded with calories. The best dinner was at the Atlantic - we had Morton Bay Bugs, Prawns, Crab, Scallops, and a steak. Literally, I couldn't have eaten any more food. I don't want to know the cost of anything I ate there.  

The Hilton still does deliver warm robes to your room which is fabulous.

AFN 

Dive Trip

Write post here.

Dive Boat - June 20-25 

I landed in Cairns at 10 am after a hell flight from Perth-Brisbane-Cairns. I checked into Mike Ball and found out I was only allowed one bag on the boat. Of course since I packed up my room and flew here, nothing was in any sort of packed order. I unpacked and replaced one bag with all of my dive gear and select clothes. 

I walked around Cairns until 4 when we all met up for dinner. There is a nice boardwalk around the lagoon. Other than that though, there's not much to do. Everything is based around the water. The dive boat has 29 people on it plus eight staff. It is a 100 foot boat called the Spoilsport. I am in cabin 6 on the port side. Nice room with my own bathroom/shower. 

We got on board and I pretty much went to bed after the safety and dive procedure talks. The first day we dove four times - Challenger Bay, Two Towers twice, and Challenger Bay again. We saw crocodile needlefish, sea snakes, squirrel fish, lion fish, anemone fish, clown fish, and minke whales on the first dive. The two towers dive, my buddy and I misused the compass and ended up miles away from the boat. We had to be picked up by the rescue boat cause no air and no snorkel are a great combination when you aren't a mile away from the boat. However, when we got lost we ran into a mum and calf minke whale set which was the first set to be seen in this area ever. The second time here was better and didn't get lost. The night dive was terrifying cause the predatory dish would be behind you and as soon as you flashed the light on a dish it was eaten. My buddy and I did dives of 62-69 minutes every time. 

We ended up snorkeling with 9 minke whales on the first day. They are magnificent. They are maybe 6m long and 7 tons. They are quite inquisitive and thus com within touching distance of you. They stayed with us all day for 9 hours which is rare I guess. We had nose breaches, ballerina spins, belly presentations, and noises. The minke specialist thinks that the GBR is a place where they come to mate. Not much is known about them; they don't know where they migrate, where they eat, why they are in the GBR, and why they don't eat in the GBR. This trip has had a lot of firsts I guess 

The second day we dove four times at Pixie Pinnacle and Lighthouse Bombie. The lighthouse Bombie wasn't fantastic. The visibility was maybe 6 feet. It was also a shallow dive. The current was brutal as well. The first dive, we saw lion fish, nudibreg, coral, barracuda, purple fish, blue fish, giant four foot blue starfish, red flashing file clam, and tons of angel fish. The second dive we saw eels, mantis shrimp, nudibreg, white top sharks, bull rays, coral, clownfish, bullhead parrot fish. The night dive was entertaining. My buddy and I got lost again and missed the site but found the boat again. I honestly didn't see much on that dive. Over the day we averaged a dive length of 66 minutes on 3200 PSI. 

We got extraordinarily lucky and had a pod of 39 whales over the course of the day. The best times to see the whales is the last week of June and the first week of July. The whale specialist told us all about the whales and how little they know about them after 10 years of research. We had whales literally pop up for air a foot away from you. It was incredible. 

The third day we dove the Cod Hole. Swimming was impossible-as the current was intensive and going to wrong way from the reef. I fought the current the entire time. This area is known for its giant potato cod which a five foot monstrous looking cod. There was nothing interesting on this dive that we hadn't seen for the last couple if days. Minke whales showed up in the arvo. I sun tanned and did the required no diving within 24 hours before a flight thing. 

Food has been incredible the entire time. 6 am wake up are not my favorite thing. I tend to go to bed at 9 here. The rocking because of waves didn't bother me. I showered after every dive cause a 3mm wetsuit and 26C water didn't mix too well. The sun shined all weekend. Cold wetsuits are the worst part of the morning. I spent more time in the water than on the boat. it took. Couple of hours to be able to do stairs and walk on a constantly moving boat but I feel like I will have sea legs when I get back on land. 
 
AFN 

Tuesday, June 12, 2012

Tropical Storm

It is pretty scary here in Perth right now

There is a severe weather warning out today for: being in the midst of a tropical storm. The wind is blowing at 185 km/hour. I live in a construction site basically. There is a giant crane in the middle of Currie Hall. The windows are shaking its so bad.

It has been alternating between thunder/lightening and hail the size of golf balls. It is ridiculous. I guess some major tropical depression is off the south western coast of Australia right now affecting the Perth area.

The power is about to be cut off for a while because they are worried about the buildings.

AFN 

Saturday, June 09, 2012

Fremantle

This morning started at 515 am when I was woken up by construction. I don't understand why they start so bloomin' early on the weekend but they do. I studied for a couple of hours then Jenna, Caitlin, Christy, Malou, Leigh, and myself meandered down to Fremantle City. It is the artsy town just an hour bus ride south of Perth. It's quite the neat town - old buildings and a giant university. I generally go to Fremantle to get on the dive boat but have never set foot in the town.

Every second Saturday they have a giant market where they sell an assortment of items such as boomerangs, tea and spices, tacky tourist things, opals, local artisan items, and food. I had the most delectable Moroccan coffee whilst the girls bought the tacky tourist things for home. It honestly was heaven in a cup.

We played with boomerangs in the town square and learned how to properly throw one. It is an intricate balance of force and angle. You throw it like a little girl throws a baseball or a good beer pong shot at between a 15-45 degree angle. I still can't throw one that spins around me but I can get it to come back to me.

Lunch was at Ciserello's on the water. It is a hole in the wall fish and chips place. I ordered chicken fingers and fries which came wrapped in newspaper. The girls had fish and chips which looked delicious. I base not eating fish as karma - I don't eat them so they don't eat me.

I picked up more Fantales to ship home in the suitcases that are being shipped home. I figured a taste of Australia would reach me when I get home. It is probably the only way that they won't get eaten.

The best part of my day though was my nap. I am going to miss my afternoon siestas from 2 - 3pm daily. There is something refreshing about an arvo nap. 

The weather held up for the most part today - 18C and cloudy. I am tired of rain. Rain is truly depressing and makes my hair look horrifically poofy. People don't understand that torrential downpour for three solid days is worse than snow. With snow at least the sun shines at some point or you can see the moon at night.

As a perk of studying on a Saturday night, Currie Hall delivered late night pizza to our rooms. I am falling in love with BBQ chicken (pizza dough, BBQ sauce, chicken pieces, and cheese) from Broadway. I need to find somewhere in Calgary that does BBQ sauce instead of tomato sauce.

Tonight will be a late night of power cramming for my Tuesday exam. I have drank five cups of Australian Afternoon Tea and a cup of coffee today.

AFN

Friday, June 08, 2012

Packing Up

This is a very sad day. I finished packing up everything that is going to Canada. My entire life fits into a suitcase and a duffel bag. I also have a backpack for my travels afterwards but my room feels empty and bare. I got rid of 4kg of clothes and one pair of shoes that I am not bringing back. I am pretty sure red dirt never comes out of anything. I am not looking forward to unpacking due to the manner in which I packed - chaotic and no rhyme or reason.

My shelves have only my coffee/tea collection and my showering stuffs. My closet is actually visible to the back now. There was a very large Huntsman spider living at the back with a giant web. Google it - they are big as dinner plates, hairy, black, large, furry creatures. I screamed bloody murder and made campus security remove it promptly. The shoe rack only has flip flops, a pair of sneakers, and Toms. My floor is clean for the first time in four months. Cleaning my floor meant finding a New Zealand $20, $9.05 in change, four Fantales, one sock, and a very cute pair of earrings. There is nothing under my bed besides dive gear. Four out of five drawers are completely empty.

I don't know if I will bring home all of the photos on my wall but I will be bringing my postcards home. I have a collection of 29 postcards from this semester. They range from being sent from Thailand, Calgary, Los Angeles, Canyon Ranch, Belize, to Texas. This is the most amount of mail I have ever gotten in my life.

It just feels strange that in 12 days that I will leave this place forever. As much as I BMW (bitch, moan, and whinge) about this place, it is home. "Take me to the corner of Winthrop and Wallaby" is a staple statement. The influx of South African and Australian accents are going to be the thing I miss most. I honestly loved the South African accent more than the Aussie one.  

I get to root up my entire life again but this time back "home". I will be back in Canada in 50 days or six weeks. I guess it has hit me that I am done my semester abroad besides finals. Australia is not my home any more; it is now a tourist destination.

People are starting to leave here as they don't have finals and its beginning to get strange around here. My three good girlfriends are leaving here in the next eight days. It is just strange to think that I will probably never see anyone from here in a long time or ever even. Chicago, Netherlands, Glasgow, Mississippi, and Johannesburg are all on the list of places to visit.

AFN

Thursday, May 31, 2012

Last class in Australia ever - COMPLETE

Hey y'all,

Just finished my class tutorial/class in Australia for this year. It is a bit strange to feel like this is the beginning to the end of a fabulous year. I mean there is still finals, an Australian paper, and travel left but it is all slowly coming to an end.

Last night I hung out with Ben and Rory, Callum, and Jamie at Captain Stirling reminiscing on the semester and how much you want to go on another exchange when you get home. I am ready to come home in some ways but in others, I never want to leave Australia. 

Tonight is the Farewell Dinner at Currie Hall which is jungle themed. I hate themed dinners as half the people dress up and ruin the photos of us who wish to dress up proper. I will not be dressing up as some jungle animal for the photos to be forever lasting.

Things that I will always treasure about living in Perth:
  • Thursday being a beach day regardless of weather conditions
  • Diving every Saturday
  • Dinner conversations 
  • Waking up 10 minutes before classes and still being early to class 
  • Running along Matilda Bay 
  • Biking to South Perth 
  • Tennis - outdoor tennis on clay court
  • TimTams, Fantales, and Salt and Malt Vinegar Chips 
  • A4 paper - it puts so much more onto a page 
  • Weekly coffee/bike dates with Curtis
  • Australian and South African accents 
 Things that I will not miss about living in Perth:
  • No car - TransPerth is the worst public transport system in the world 
  • Rain 
  • Weekly fire alarms at inconvenient times (2 am, mid dinner, 4 am, etc) 
  • Cockroaches 
  • Surviving on oranges or apples with peanut butter
  • Residence food
  • 24 hour clock system
  • Sea lice/jellies
AFN

Wednesday, May 23, 2012

Wake Boarding and Dolphins


I decided to go on a friends boat today with a couple of friends for an attempt at wake boarding in Matilda Bay/Swan River. It was 25C outside mid day, decidedly one of the nicest winter days I have ever had. I wore a jumper in the boat though - 25 is warm but not warm enough for a tee shirt.

I have to admit, it gets thousands of times harder to wake board (1) in salt water, (2) with wind making actual waves, and (3) trying to make it seem like I am not a technical person. The guys kept doing tricks and just being naturally awesome at it. I was quite jealous.

After successfully(ish) wake boarding, whilst waiting for one of the boys to switch over, there was a pair of dolphins just cruising around the boat curious. I got a few shots on my cell but didn't get any of me wake boarding in the ocean. It is harder to remember to take photos of yourself.

I am going to miss things like this when I go home.

AFN

Friday, May 18, 2012

Bucket List

Water Related:
  • Dive Blue Holes, Bahamas
  • Dive Manta Ray Bay, Hawaii 
  • Dive Yucantan's Cenotes, Mexico
  • Dive with Hammerhead sharks, Galapagos
  • Paddle down the Bashkaus River, Siberia
  • Step foot into every ocean (Indian Ocean, Pacific Ocean, Atlantic Ocean)
  • Raft the Grand Canyon, USA
  • Surf on two sides of a country
  • Dive with Great White sharks 
  • Learn to short board 
  • Learn to kite surf 
  • Learn to wind surf COMPLETED - Perth, Australia 
Land Related:
  • Climb the Tetons Cathedral Traverse, Wyoming, USA
  • Climb Mount Everest, Nepal
  • Climb Java Volcano, Indonesia
  • See Manchu Picchu, Peru 
  • Bungee jump COMPLETED - Queenstown, New Zealand (4 times)
  • See Tasmania, Australia
  • Walk across the entire Great Wall, China 
  • See the Northern Lights, Alaska 
  • Go hang gliding, Rio De Janeiro 
  • Visit Bora Bora
  • Ride in a gondola, Venice
  • Run with the bulls, Spain
  • See the pyramids, Egypt
  • Wingsuit Fly, Switzerland
  • Jump the Nevis Bungy, New Zealand COMPLETED - Queenstown, New Zealand
  • Ride around the Nurburgring, Germany 
  • Go shopping on Rodeo Drive, LA 
  • Experience the craziness of Tokyo, Japan
  • Spend a night in the African outback 
  • Go on an African safari
  • Take an Italian cooking class, Italy 
  • Experience 24 hours of darkness, Sweden
  • See a sunset on all 7 continents Half Complete - Australia, Asia, North America
Event Related: 
  • Finish an Iron Man Challenge
  • Finish a marathon
  • Complete a triathlon in under 4 hours
  • Jump in a taxi in New York and scream "FOLLOW THAT CAR!"
  • Have a star named after me 
  • Drive to the airport and take the soonest departing flight to anywhere and stay the weekend
  • Participate in a flash mob
  • Ride an elephant COMPLETED - Louang Prabang, Laos
  • Volunteer in a children's hospital
  • Study abroad
  • Have a bonfire on the beach
  • Go to the Craven Country Jamboree
  • Take a salsa class 
  • Get married on a beach 
  • Go sky diving 
  • Attend a masquerade ball 
  • Watch sunrise on the beach
  • Road trip with three closest friends to a point picked at random
  • Be in two places at once
  • Go base jumping 
  • Make a million dollars

Sunday, May 13, 2012

Anzac Cookie Recipe

Ingredients:

  • 1 1/4 cups plain flour, sifted
  • 1 cup rolled oats
  • 1/2 cup caster sugar
  • 3/4 cup desiccated coconut
  • 2 tablespoons golden syrup or treacle
  • 150g unsalted butter, chopped
  • 1/2 teaspoon bicarb soda

Method:

  • Preheat oven to 170°C. 
  • Place the flour, oats, sugar and coconut in a large bowl and stir to combine. 
  • In a small saucepan place the golden syrup and butter and stir over low heat until the butter has fully melted. 
  • Mix the bicarb soda with 1.5 tablespoons water and add to the golden syrup mixture. 
  • It will bubble whilst you are stirring together so remove from the heat. 
  • Pour into the dry ingredients and mix together until fully combined. 
  • Roll tablespoonfuls of mixture into balls and place on baking trays lined with non stick baking paper, pressing down on the tops to flatten slightly. 
  • Bake for 12 minutes or until golden brown.
Dan made these wonderful cookies for Mother's Day and gave me a few. I feel very left out of the world as I don't get to celebrate anything important whilst over in Australia except for my 21st for 48 hours on planes. So, I stole the recipe from him. They are delicious if you dip them in coffee.

A brief history of the cookies (according to Dan) is that they are actually celebration cookies of Anzac Day. Soldiers receive a dozen cookies from the government if they returned from any war. I laughed as a dozen cookies isn't what you think you would get if you return from a war.

AFN  

Tuesday, May 08, 2012

Margaret River Wine Tour

A couple of friends from Currie Hall and myself bought a Groupon for a wine tour. This tour actually picked us up in Perth City unlike most tours. The day started with a cab to Perth City at 7 am as buses don't run in the morning on the weekends which is so strange to me. Upon running through the Wellington Bus Station in pissing rain, we made the coach on time. The nine of us napped for the two hour drive to Busselton, our first stop. The coach provided coffee and small snacks for us. They took us to the jetty that Dad and I had visited. This time it was hurricane force winds and terrestrial down pour. We didn't stay long.

The first wine tasting was at Lady on the Manor Winery. The wines were delicious but small servings. We tried five white wines and three reds. I am not a fan of red wine at all. Port is the worst drink imaginable. I am quite a fan of a Savingion Blanc or a Chardonney. Dry wine is significantly harder to drink at a tasting. Since I don't drink red wine, I gave all of my red wine tastings to my friend Christy. This winery was smaller and only produced 5000 bottles a year - a boutique winery. Pretty location but not great wines.

The second wine tasting was at Laurance Estate. The estate was owned by the couple who owns Sea World and Movie world in Sydney. The location is spectacular. It has a giant rose garden and a lake with the golden chick on a stick landmark. We tasted fifteen different wines here. The dessert wines were super sweet and hard to drink without food. After the tasting, lunch was served. I had garlic prawns on a bed of rice. It was the second best meal I have had in Perth.

We visited the Margaret River Chocolate Factory then the Cheese Factory. I was in heaven. So rich but so tasty. The tastings made the visit that much better. Following this, we stopped at the Olivio olive oil factory. A loaf of bread and nineteen different types of olive oil were served. My favorites included Parmesan infused, mandarin infused,and thr balsamic olive oil mix.

On the way back to Perth, we stopped at one more winery. I can't remember the name of it to save my life. I just know I drank more white wines and Christy drank my red wines.

Finally it was time to go back to Perth. The three hour drive home was quieter than the ride there. People had hit a level of intoxication that put them to sleep. Napping on a bus is super uncomfortable and my neck loved me for it. The bus driver was nice enough to actually drop the nine of us back at Currie Hall instead of the city.

I have never woken up so hungover in my life. Wine and all day drinking really don't mix. Learn from my mistake.

AFN

Thursday, April 26, 2012

Rotto Dive Number Thousand

I did a dive on ANZAC day this week. ANZAC day fell on a Wednesday this year. It is similar to our Remembrance day but with more of a relaxed feel.

I got picked up by the president of the dive club. He is a pretty relaxed dude. The dive was pretty cruzy. We did Bouncy Bay just off the eastern coast of Rottnest Island. I reckon that it was my favorite dive thus far. I lasted 68 minutes on 3700 PSI. I legit came up with about 400 PSI cause we had to do two safety stops. My dive buddy got some great shots of me diving and is supposed to email them to me at some point. I have to get a 7 mm wet suit soon. The water has hit about 20 C which is just freezing.

Since it was a public holiday, the boat actually took us onto the island for a drink and a snack. We had lunch at the Rottnest Island Pub. I had delicious margarita pizza. I saw a quokka - it is half kangaroo and half rat. They are adorable but feral little things.


The American Navy is in Fremantle for the next three months. Thus, whilst they are here, their aircraft carriers and several other major navy artilery boats are in the bay. The boat took us around the aircraft carrier. They are massive yet so small for a plane to land. The boats mean that American Navy are in town ruining the city with their drunkness. They got to be in the city for three days and now are patrolling the water for the next three months.

 AFN

Monday, April 16, 2012

Photos From New Zealand

https://plus.google.com/photos/102267298311394255173/albums/5731806624768068497

https://plus.google.com/photos/102267298311394255173/albums/5731558723626402849



Saturday, April 14, 2012

Queenstown to Franz Josef, New Zealand - April 11, 2012

Today the aim was to get to Franz Josef to see the Cook and Fox Glaciers. They are one of three glaciers that you can actually just walk onto. A four hour bus ride there was spent sleeping - all I missed was sheep, cows, the odd mountain, and sheep. The town itself is quaint and basically one main street. A spinach salad took an hour to make because, well, salads are hard to make - lettuce, dressing, and pecans.

I did a heli-hike on the Fox Glacier. It is stunning to see blue and green ice. The helicopter ride was pretty insignificant because of the terrain that we saw. I miss hiking and the cold actually. I got to climb through an actual crack to an under ice river. The glacier moves at a pace of 4 m per day. Glacier water from the river was one of the freshest things that I think exists. 

Just before dinner, a couple of girls and myself headed out to the hot pools. They were advertised as "natural" but in reality were just giant hot tubs of various temperatures.

I am just ready to go home to my own bed and not share a room with anyone. 

AFN

Queenstown, New Zealand - April 10, 2012

Today was epic. I woke up to go white water rafting down the Shotover River. To get to the river you have to go down a road named "Goldfinger Road". No lie - it is the scariest road I think in the world. It is barely big enough for the van to be on it. One side is sheer cliff to death and the other is the top of the road with a sheer cliff. It was not for the feign of heart. The forty minute drive was well worth it though. White water rafting was a lot of fun. I guess we did the top ten most dangerous rapids in the southern hemisphere. It didn't feel that big of rapids though. The river was a balmy 2 Celsius and the outside temperature only 1 Celsius. Getting wet was a death sentence.

I literally jumped straight onto another coach to get to my third bungee jump - the Ledge at a 45m drop. Ledge was incredibly terrifying - you can do anything you want to jump off of this one. I decided to back flip off of this one. The view is spectacular as you can see the entire view of Queenstown and surrounding area. You can do a second jump for $30 and since the staff didn't feel like unbelting me then rebelting me, I did the jump twice in a row within five minutes of each other. This really didn't put fear into me. It was a significant amount of time to free fall before the bounce.

The afternoon was spent at the Canyon Swing. It is basically a bungee jump that ends up swinging at the end. Whoever came up with the idea was brilliant. It was the most terrifying thing I did. I jumped backwards the first time then I jumped with my hands behind my back. No hands to grab the rope is more terrifying than not being able to see where you are going. The swing is 209 m long with about a minute free fall time.

AFN

Wednesday, April 11, 2012

Queenstown, New Zealand – April 9, 2012


This morning started off rainy and cloudy – skydiving was cancelled. I was SOL. I was a little disappointed that I could not jump out of a plane at 15,000 feet. However, I do have another things planned for the day.

I had a coffee and a read on the balcony over looking the Remarkable mountain region.  The mountains are called the “Remarkable Mountains”; it is not just a describing term. They are stunning and have a tiny bit of snow at the top already. It is supposed to snow tonight in the mountains and it may make its way into town. Ski hills open the first weekend in June.

Queenstown is New Zealand’s version of Banff. It is a quaint ski town with the summer options of bungee, sky diving, hiking, paragliding, etc. It is as the adventure capital of the world according to the local guides and tourist shops. There is only one main road with two pretty significant roads beside it to the town. Hiking shops, cafes, adventure tourist shops, and a Starbucks are the majority of shops along the roads.  

I had a bungee jumping booking at 12:10 through AJ Hackett to do the “Nevis” jump. You walk to the shop from the hotel, roughly 20 minutes all down hill, to this shop dedicated to checking people in for the bungee jumps. Once you were weighed then signed your life away, you hopped on the Nevis shuttle. The physical jump is 40 minutes outside of Queenstown. The bungee location is in the middle of a canyon 300 m above a river. You have to take a gondola out to the station that has a glass floor. The physical station moves in the wind and when people jump. I had the same crew as yesterday, so they made sure I had an awesome jump. I gave my camera to them and some of the pictures they took are ridiculously hilarious.

The jump boasts a 143m fall with you attached via your feet. It was about a 45 second free fall before the first bounce. I did not scream this time; I enjoyed jumping off way too much. On the second bounce, you had to release your feet by pulling a strap to get you right side up. I managed to get it on the first attempt but sliced my finger. As such, I filled out a waiver stating that a Band-Aid would be the only thing I would need from the company. I was a lot calmer on this jump than the one yesterday.  It is the second largest bungee in the world behind one in South Africa. You take a gondola out to the station where you jump off of. From the point you jump to the ground is only 1,000 feet. The rope line is 143m for a 30 second free fall. With this jump, you have to actually pull a rip cord so that you can be pulled back up to the top upright.

After the jump, I headed into town and saw all that the town had to offer. Mainly the town had tons of tacky tourist shit and some very cute running clothes. I tried to buy adorable pink Nike trainers but they did not have my size.

I walked home uphill to the hotel before the group meets at a place called the Minus Five Ice Bar. Legitimately, it is made of all ice inside – the table, the glasses, and the seats. You are given Ugg boots, a heavy winter jacket and matching pants, and an ugly hat to wear while in the bar. Neat concept in a town that has snow…

Tonight was another early night. I cannot do the entire party thing when I have to be up at 7 am the next day.

AFN

Dunedin to Queenstown, New Zealand – April 9, 2012


The morning bus ride was a blur. I slept from Dunedin to Cromwell, our lunch stop. Cromwell is a town just north of Queenstown that is famous for its fruit. As such, the town central promenade has five statues of giant fruit - hilarious but very artistic. Subway was the lunch of choice in this small town. I do not know if the name had anything to do with the person, I did not bother asking.

Roaring Meg was the first photo pit stop. The story of the name is that during the gold rush men way outnumbered the women in the area. Thus, a brothel was established in this area to keep the men “entertained”. However, the men would go in have a good time and decide to marry one of the whores. This became such an issue that the brothel owner had to import the ugliest women he could find to keep his business thriving. Roaring Meg became well known in the area for her screaming while on the job. The actual look out point was a view of one of the wealthiest rivers during the gold rush and the surrounding mountainous area. The story was better than the view.

Kawarau River was the next stop. The Kawarau Bridge is home to the world’s first bungee jump by AJ Hackett. This bridge has a bungee set up in the middle. To get you prepared for the jump they wrap a towel around your ankles, then a strap around your ankles, then strap on top of all of that. The strap contraption is then attached to the physical bungee rope. Many people were shaking and a few backed out. Of course, I jumped the 43 m over the river. My choices for jumping on this bridge were either a swan dive or a superman dive. I chose a swan dive for its grace and simplicity. It is terrifying to have to put your toes onto the edge of the platform knowing your going to fall. I let out a small scream on the way down as I was dunked to my elbows in the river. The point where I finally was put into the boat was a moment of “oh thank god”. The experience is exhilarating and the biggest adrenaline rush I have yet to experience.

 After everyone who wanted to jump had, the tour headed slightly down the river to where we went jet boating. The drivers are crazy and have the best tourism based job in my opinion. You drive in boats down this canyon, do 360s, and come close to caves all done at high speeds. Did I mention that the max depth of water was one foot and the minimum depth of water was five centimeters?  

After all of this adrenaline rush, we finally had reached Queenstown - our home for the next three nights. Dinner was at the Skyline Restaurant. This restaurant sits 300 m above Queenstown with a splendid view of the city. A gondola takes you up and down to the main area.  The menu was an unbelievable buffet. My stomach is so full that I think I might have issues sleeping.

Tomorrow is an interesting day – sky diving, the world’s highest bungee jump, and an ice bar.

Wish me luck.

AFN

Sunday, April 08, 2012

Lake Ohau to Dunedin, New Zealand – April 8, 2012


Hey y’all,

Today was an early morning brekky at the hotel. A continental breakfast was served at your own pace. We all jumped onto the bus to head to our next destination. The view consisted of rolling hills, three different lakes, and millions of sheep.

Our first picture stop was at the Benmore Dam. It was built in the 1960s out of 28 million tons of land. Lake Benmore is the largest manmade lake in New Zealand. It is a deep blue in color. The machinery to transfer the power to the North Island cost $6 million dollars.

The next picture stop was in Oamaru. It is a quaint little Victorian era town. Fun fact: it is the home of Steam Punk New Zealand. Steam punk is an interesting movement. It believes in recycling technology of today and recreating the old. The history I would recommend doing a quick Google search to learn more about. Whilst the bus filling up with petrol, the group meandered around town. The main steam punk art I visited was a train that actually blew steam out. Roughly, 40 or so Hollywood movies have been filmed in this town. I can understand this due to the landscape and building structures.

The lunch stop was in a tourist location called Moeraki boulders. The attraction is perfectly circular rocks that are on the beach. The beaches thus far in New Zealand are completely different beaches to that of Australia. This beach was more hard packed, orange, and ugly. 130 kids ordered lunch all at once and some lunches were forgotten to be made. Of course, mine was forgotten so I missed out on fish and chips. Dang it.

Dunedin was our final destination on the bus today. The first stop was Baldwin Street. It’s claim to fame is that it holds the Guinness world record for steepest street. At the steepest point, the gradient is 1 in 2.86. The road is 161.2m long and climbs a vertical of 47.22m. I did climb the entire thing in flip-flops. Houses are straight but the fences follow the vertical.

After a quick refresh, the tour headed by foot to the Cadbury Factory.  Chocolate was handed out left right and center. My stomach actually hurts from the sheer amount of chocolate I ate. I didn’t know that certain Cadbury chocolate types are only sold in New Zealand. The sugar comes from Queensland, Australia, the milk comes from Dunedin, New Zealand, and the actual cocoa beans are from Malaysia, Ghana, and the Congo. All Cadbury chocolate is made in the Southern hemisphere and then shipped around the world. The beans are husked and roasted in Singapore then shipped to New Zealand. Milk chocolate and white chocolate are made in New Zealand but the dark chocolate brands are made in Tasmania.  

The chocolate factory was preceded by a tour of the Speight's Brewery. It is the dominating beer in New Zealand. Not a huge fan of beer so I didn't really pay attention. Dinner was at the Ale House attached to the Brewery. I had a chicken salad and ale house bread. 

Tomorrow we make our way to Queenstown. I am bungy jumping off the original bridge tomorrow morning.   

AFN

Christchurch to Lake Ohau, New Zealand – April 7, 2012


There was a small tremor last night in Christchurch that you could feel in the hotel. It is part of the aftermath of the Christchurch earthquake of February 28, 2011. I only woke up cause things started to fall off the desk and such.

The morning was a big breakfast with 80 Contiki’ers in the mess hall. There were two trips leaving from Christchurch all from the same hotel. One is a longer tour that includes both islands and the other, mine, is a shorter version with just the south island. Seemingly, everyone is from Australia or studying abroad in Australia. I have yet to meet anyone who is just here for the tour.

Our tour manager explained some of the local Kiwi terms:
-       Bro is a common term similar to the Aussie mate
-       Togs are bathing suits
-       Jandals are flip flops – short for Japanese sandals
-       Sweet as means it’s all good

The drive is stunning. New Zealand is one of the most scenic and stunning countries I have been too. The drive to Geraldine, our first stop, was incredible. You saw tons of sheep, farmland, rolling mountains, and then actual mountains along the way. Each window side of the bus had different views.

Geraldine is home to the Guinness World Record for the largest knitted sweater. It is ugly as all sin. The woman who made it was equally ugly. Lunch was found here in a little café called the “Milk Bar”. I assumed it has something to do with the farmland surrounding it. Food was super cheap.

The bus ride from Geraldine to Lake Ohau (our sleeping destination) was spectacular. All of a sudden it was the Southern Alps and three different glacier fed lakes. Very breath taking scenery. Lake Tekapo was a teal clear blue with amazing views of the mountains. Pictures do not do it justice. Lake Pukaki has the backdrop of Mount Cook and the Southern Alps. Mount Cook is New Zealand’s largest peak. Mount Cook had actual snow on it and the Aussies were impressed to actually “see” snow live.

Kiwi’s actually put canals on the sides of the highway to refill the lakes which feed the hydro dams. New Zealand is powered mainly by hydro. They are teal in color and magnificent.

Lake Ohau was the first stop on this tour for sleeping. It is located in the town of Twizle. It is situated in the beginning of the Southern Alps with a view dead center of Mount Cook. It is very remote located. The water is blooming freezing though. I stuck one foot into it and decided against swimming in glacier water.

The hotel has incredible views of the lake. Sunset over the mountains and lake was astonishing. The restaurant over looked the lake facing the South Alps. Dinner was served to our group quite quickly. The menu was beef lasagna, mixed greens, baby potatoes, homemade bread, and a chocolate brownie topped with whipped cream. All in all a good meal.

Tonight’s occupancy is actually twin share due to the hotel constraints. My roommate for this trip is awesome. She goes to University of Arizona as a marketing major studying in the University of New Castle, Australia. We are not big partiers, so this partnership is going to work very well.

AFN

Perth, Australia to Christchurch, New Zealand – April 6, 2012


Kia Ora (hello),

I met Mrs. and Mr. Charlton in downtown Perth on Thursday for lunch and to get my backpack. They are wonderful people. It was nice to see a friendly face from home and hear stories about my group of friends. We ended up at Cottlesoe Beach for a drink or two and then we parted ways that arvo, me going to New Zealand and them going to Bali.

Air New Zealand has one of the funniest safety demonstration videos. I would recommend goggling it or you-tubing it.

My flight was delayed two hours in Perth to Auckland, which was a hassle. Your not allowed leaving the secured area once you have cleared security. Not shockingly, there is no food on the security clearance side. I was starving once I got onto my plane as I hadn’t eaten since lunch. Since I did not purchase a ticket with meals, I was not fed on the plane either.

The flight to Auckland is seven hours and ten minutes. The kid next to me puked for six straight hours on a full flight. I was not allowed to change seats anywhere. It blew. I didn’t end up sleeping on my overnight flight. The four-hour time difference did not help either. I was not a happy camper by this point in the travel – no sleep and feeling disgusting.

Since the plane was late leaving Perth, my connecting flight had left by the time the plane landed. I must say, going through customs in Auckland was an adventure. I was pulled out by Biohazard New Zealand. I had dirt on my hiking boots and was made to sanitize them right there in the airport. I paid an $110NZ fine for having dirt on hiking boots. The also make me unpack everything and repack it all in front of them.

You actually have to pick your baggage up in Auckland and personally take it to the domestic airport that is a fifteen-minute walk outdoors. I ran to make the next flight out to Christchurch. I did not end up checking my bag on the second flight. My backpack fit above the seat with my little day bag fitting under the seat.

The flight from Auckland to Christchurch is one of the most spectacular I have seen. It goes from beach tropics, to farmland, to mountains comparable to the Rockies, then to farmland again. It is only an hour and spare change - easy flight actually. Landing in Christchurch was interesting. The airport is an international airport but it doesn’t fly to Perth, only eastern states, which should be a three and a half hour flight from there.

I met other Contiki mates when I was checking into the backpacker motel. The three of us ended up walking around Christchurch. It is dead here. The earthquake has destroyed the majority of downtown and the fact it was Good Friday did not help either. The only things open in the city were a coffee bar, a strip club, and the backpackers’ pub.

The tour starts tonight, which should be interesting. This time I am staying in quad occupancy rooms.

AFN

Tuesday, April 03, 2012

Quick Turn Around

Today, I boarded a taxi at 4:40 am to get on a 6:10 am flight. Whoever thought I was a morning person was misinformed. The flight was easy and I slept the entire four hour flight.

I am only back in Perth until Thursday night to which then I board a plane to go to New Zealand.

This is my itinerary for the time I am gone:



I start in Christchurch and end in Christchurch. I am only doing the southern island this time. I couldn't get the time to do the entire thing. I was thinking that I did all of it when I booked it but I guess I opted to actually attend my midterms.

I am going sky diving, bungee jumping, and heli-hiking the Fox Glacier.

AFN

Bike Ride

This morning I studied while Aunt Sue and Jeff did the final works on their business here. The afternoon was spent doing a "quick" bike ride along the Yarra River in Melbourne.

We rented bikes from city from a program called Melbourne BikeCity. It is an initiative to get people to use greener technology and to improve tourism. You rent a bike for $2.60 for the day. These bikes are heavy as all hell. They probably weight about 15 lbs.

Jeff wanted to bike along the river so we did. Since Aunt Sue and I had gone along the river out of the city the plan was to go inner city along the river. We rode on highways without helmets and then got caught in some industrial area - all Aunt Sue directions. The executive decision to turn around was made. We rode along the river for probably 8 km total in about an hour and a half.

My calves and quads still hurt and I did this ride yesterday arvo.

AFN

Sunday, April 01, 2012

Yarra River - Domine-Chadon Winery




The three of us ended up going to the Yarra River valley to a winery called the Domine-Chadon. It is owned by the Chadon family of France who make some type of famous wine.

The restaurant had been raved about - no one could find anything to eat (all "fancy food" items). Thus, we toured the winery then did a small tasting of a Saivon Blanc and a Chardonnay. Sparkling wine is actually distilled twice. The process of making it is more complex than still wine.

The view from the winery was stunning - rolling hills and vines.  


AFN


Great Ocean Road - Day Two

The road stretches 243 kilometres along the south eastern coast of Australia between the towns of Torquay and Warrnambool. The speed limit is 80 kilo most of the way as the road hugs the coastline. You get spectacular views of the Southern Ocean and the natural limestone and sandstone rock formations including Loch Ard Gorge, the London Arch and The Twelve Apostles.

We started the day with a short hike to the Erskine Falls which are about 30m high - unimpressive but still a good excuse to get out of the car. As part of the plan, we explored downstream into the more lush rainforest with giant ferns on the Erskine River Track which has a warning sign that the trail is meant only for "experienced bush walkers". We saw a kangaroo (it might have been a wallaby) bouncing up the river which was pretty cool. Aunt Sue screamed bloody murder. Jeff ended up slipping a few times. The hike was awesome and you felt like you were exploring undiscovered lands with no one else on the "path".

We then drove to Teddy's Lookout and then onto the Great Ocean Road. We stopped and climbed down Gibsons Steps to Gibson's beach where you get a vista of two of the apostles. Then onwards to view the rest of the 12 apostles which are famous limestone stacks. They are incredible.

We were meant to stay the night in Port Campbell but decided to drive inland back to Melbourne. McDonalds was the choice of meal as everyone was set on getting back into Melbourne.

AFN

Start of the Great Ocean Road

This morning I woke up had an early breakfast, went to the gym, and waited around for Jeff and Susan to finish all meetings. Aunt Sue and Jeff wanted to do the penguin feeding that I did previously so we meandered to the Melbourne Aquarium. I took tons of photos for them. Both looked adorable staring at penguins.

From the aquarium, we headed out of Melbourne to the Great Ocean Road. It was a bit of an issue getting out of the city but the highway was good. I have never met two people who can't drive in the same car. I feel like one of them is going to kill me behind the wheel for different reasons - one swerves in one lane and the other plays frogger at high speeds.

I was in charge of planning the entire weekend trip. We will see how that goes. 

We stopped at Bells Beach - the site of the Rip Curl Bells Beach surf competition. It had a rocky orange sandy beach. The waves were massive. I can see why it is an international surf haven. The road to Lorne is twisty and curvy done at mild speeds. The views of the ocean are spectacular. It really is indescribable. I have pictures of it. The final destination tonight was Lorne. Dinner was at Maple Ridge - a seafood place owned by a Canadian. I had king prawn, soft shell crab, french fries, and creme brulee. It was scrumptious.

Tomorrow's plan is that we head to Cape Otway for the lighthouse, do a waterfall hike, see wild koalas, maybe do a wine tour, and have another delicious dinner.

AFN 



Thursday, March 29, 2012

A Day in Melbourne

Today, I spent the day as a tourist. I woke up an had Starbucks for breakfast. I people watched everyone as they went to work. Melbourne is a business town that has a seemingly strict dress code.

I walked to the Eureka sky tower and went to the top. It is 88 stories to the sky deck. The claim to fame is that it is the largest free standing building in the southern hemisphere and the largest residential building in the southern hemisphere. The elevator moves at a rate of 9m/second.

I finished that to walk to the Melbourne Aquarium. It is the best aquarium in the world supposedly. I saw penguins, manta rays, sharks, jelly fish, and tons of strange Australian fish. I bought the package where I got to learn all about the penguins then go into the exhibit. You learn all about the King Penguins and the Gentoo Penguins. I would recommend doing it. Penguins are just plain adorable. I spent over three hours in this place just in awe. I told Aunt Sue and Jeff about this and we are going to do it again tomorrow. In the shark exhibit, they had sharks, manta rays, and sting rays. The manta rays were four feet round. The sharks actually swam over you. The jelly fish were annoying and well lit.

I had lunch out on the patio of a restaurant called Grilled. The chicken burger with cranberry sauce was pretty good. The chips were amazing. I then walked through St. Paul's Cathedral. It is stunning but the organ is placed in a funny location.

I got bored of being alone so I went and grabbed my computer and homework. I ended up in Fitsroy Gardens. I walked through James Cook Cottage - the oldest building in Australia. I sat myself down in front of the Dolphin Fountain and did homework. I might have gotten a bit of sun but the location was stunning.

I met everyone at 515 to go to the opening day of the Melbourne AFL season. The eight of us had dinner at the Melbourne Cricket Club (also the AFL stadium) before the game. The game was exciting and loud with 100,000 people in the audience. It got rowdy and everyone enjoyed it.

I have come back from this to plan the weekend trip to the Great Ocean Road. I hope that it works out as I planned. 

AFN

PS. Jocelyn how much did you pack for me. It didn't fit in my suitcase. Thank you for all of it though.

A Day With Contiki Kids - Melbourne Style

I got into Melbourne last night to meet Aunt Sue and Jeff. The plane ride was easy - a three hour flight from Perth but with a three hour time change. The car that had been arranged for me never showed up so I jumped into a cab. I guess everyone else who is here got ripped off as my cab was only $45 and everyone else was in the range of $100+. We are staying at the Grand Hyatt Melbourne hotel. It is a stunning hotel in a very expensive area of Melbourne. There is a Louis Vuitton in the lobby.

I literally got checked in to go to dinner with the entire business group. The restaurant was horrible - very limited choices. I had a steak that was undercooked and more fat than meat. I was really looking forward to a good meal. The BMO crew are very well education and interesting to chat to. Everyone decided that I should be the tourist the next couple of days as the business was over my skill level.

The next morning, I met Sue, Jeff, and Adel for breakfast at 8 am which is 5 am Perth time. We power walked to the Crown Casino before they all had to go to meetings for the day. I walked to the NGV (National Gallery of Victoria) to just take a meander around it. The gallery had an indigenous art floor, a fashion floor, an indigenous photography floor, and an Australian painter floor.

I met up with a couple of kids I knew on my Asia Contiki tour. The boys showed me where to have an off the wall burger, cupcake, and good coffee. The conversation was hilarious and I might have relived my trip with them. They took me to:
  • Eureka building - is 88 stories, the largest residential building in the Southern Hemisphere, and just massive.
  • Old finance building - the home to the gold rush museum 
  • Federation square - a major area in the downtown core, massive TV, and a neat bar
  • South gate bridge - the bridge that has an artistic flair that connects over the river 
  • Federation bells - a set of bells that people can choreograph a symphony and listen to it in the park live
I met up with Aunt Sue, Jeff, and Adel for dinner. We went to the Atlantic restaurant. I had a Caesar salad to start and scallops as a main. It was delicious. Seafood makes any day that much better.    

Sunday, March 25, 2012

Weekend Update

I fractured my ankle this Wednesday in tennis, so I am bit bedridden for the moment. It is only a hairline fracture according to the x-ray so I can still walk without a cast but must keep icing and taking anti-inflammatory drugs constantly. There is nothing that a cast would benefit. My physiotherapist says that I should be able to keep training for my triathlon by the end of next week as long as I keep resting it. I might have ignored his request that I stay bedridden all weekend by going on a small dive.

A friend from another residence college and myself got onto the UWADC boat to Rottenest Island for Friday instead of our normal Saturday dive. We had a very kind neighbor drive us to Fremantle to get onto the boat for 730 am. I guess we had been told incorrect information that the meet up time was 730 rather than the boat left at that time. Oh well. We waited around until 830 before saying I think something is wrong. The friend ended up dropping us off in Rockingham at the Grain Jetty where the shore divers were diving at 9 am. One of the fellow divers drove us back to Perth City after the dive.

This shore dive consisted of us walking in full gear 50 m down a sand hill to dive around a dock ("jetty" for any Australian). The dive had shitty visibility - only about 4 feet at the max. I saw tons of jellyfish, squid, and puffer fish. I lasted 68 minutes on 1000 PSI. The max depth my computer told me was 5 m so no decompression time needed. I only came to the surface because I was cold, my ankle started to hurt, and honestly just tired of being stung by jellyfish and sea lice. I have a great sting line across my chin right now. I just look broken.

I have spent the rest of the weekend doing homework, laundry, and general lazing around cause I can't go be active. I might have caged animal syndrome by the end of the night if I don't go do something.

AFN 

Friday, March 23, 2012

The Hunger Games

A couple of us decided that we would attend the midnight premier of the Hunger Games. It came out a full day earlier which equates into me seeing it 38 hours earlier than I would be able to see it in Calgary.

The movie was out in Garden City - a two hour bus trip which only was 30 km away from the university. The bus system here drives me insane. It is very inefficient and runs only until midnight. We got there and were surrounded by 15 year old females and their parents. It is completely understandable as the book is written for that demographic.

The movie is pretty good - not going to be one of my top ten movies. The book was actually enthralling and entertaining. The movie attempted to cover too many of the little subplots and missed out on one of the major plots. The digital animation could have taken this movie to an epic but it didn't. I was not that impressed with it. I personally like the book better.

The movie finished at 2:15 am which we had pre-booked a taxi for this reason. The taxi didn't show up within 20 minutes of the designated time so we called the company again to send another taxi. It took six phone calls, over two hours of waiting, and one irate phone call to the police to get a cab to come pick us up. We finally got home at 4:30 am - a brutal hour of the morning. However, I didn't have class the next day.

AFN

Tuesday, March 20, 2012

Ladies Who Attend Luncheons

Today has been one of those days that I feel like a lady who does luncheons as a hobby. I attended not one but two of them.

I attended an event for exchange students staying at Currie Hall with the President, Chris Massey, and the head organizers for Currie Hall. Lunch was tasty - finger sandwiches, fresh fruit, real juice, and cheese with crackers. It was a meet and greet session to make sure that none of us were dying living in residential colleges. I call it an opportunity for good food, they can call it whatever their heart fancies. Most people are going to Bali through res for spring break so conversation was aligned with stay safe, don't do drugs, your a college representative, etc.

Then following that luncheon, I went to a luncheon for the UWA Business School with the Dean and Vice Dean. The invitees were shockingly the exchange students again. The food was tasty again - finger sandwiches, sushi, and real juice. The school is very involved in making sure that as an exchange student you have the entire university behind you supporting you. I think they just want more exchange students and have a different philosophy on life than home does. As a token of appreciation, the school gave each one of us who attended an engraved UWA Business luggage tag.

AFN