05.31.10

So we are down to the wire. Last night we started to pack our 75 liter back packs. We will be leaving quite a few things behind! We still dont know what we will do with the stuff we arent bringing. For now we will keep them stored at Len and Jennys. We did over pack, but its nice that we are at least able to make a decision on what to bring and what to leave. We come back to Melbourne for the last weekend in November, so we can switch out some clothes then, or maybe just ship everything we want to keep, back home.
Getting the backpack on your shoulders is the hard part, but once its on, it isnt so bad. We didnt compromise on the quality of our bags, so they are well padded and have an excellent harness system. The belts around the waist and chest help keep the bag from pulling down on your shoulders. It is just strange to have this extra weight on your back!
We made our last walk to Epping Plaza where we bought a few last things for the thank you gifts we made for each of the 1st cousinsand of course Zia Antonia. We also grabbed some materials so that we can rig some wheels onto the backpacks. Why carry it on your back if you can pull it like luggage? I am not sure if that is considered cheating in the backpackers manual, but Id like to think its a smart alteration. If they made more backpacks with wheels already on them, we would have bought it, but we couldnt find a good quality pack with wheels, and we didnt want to compromise on all the other important features of a good pack, ya know? Im keeping my fingers crossedJohn is installing them right now. Hopefully it works out!
Luckily, we ended off the night with an incredible dinner at Zias. Ivana is back in town to help look after Zia for the week. She prepared us spaghetti, potatoes and carrots, asparagus omelet, red peppers and peas, sausage and fresh bread. It was delicious. Everyone keeps teasing that its our last proper meal. We have been eating so well that we each have easily put on 5 pounds since we have been here. We dont mind though, we will need the extra nourishment when we start the hardcore traveling. Plus, I love food so you never have to ask me twice to eat!
Other good news is that John is FINALLY on his last pack of cigarettes. YIPPEE!! He says that once we land in Brisbane, we wont buy another pack. This is it for him, and I am SOO excited! I am proud that he stepping up to the challenge to quite. Above and beyond all the health reasons to quite; we simply cant afford it. Its 16 bucks a pack out here! Just way too much. That is our meals for the day, and I am just glad that he is ready to make that sacrifice.
Well this is it Melbourne. Thanks so much for your warm hospitality and friendly faces. We loved spending time with you!

05.29.10

Since we got here, we have been planning a night out with the cousins in celebration for several things. One, its Daivins birthday (son of Elisa and Frank). Two, Jessicas boyfriend, Niko, will be DJing. Three, John and I are leaving Melbourne in a few days. We decided that we would all go to see and support Niko, while celebrating Daivins birthday and having a good-bye celebration at the same time. Well, tonight was the big night!
Everyone came out! Silvia and Paul, Lawrence, Antoinette, Jessica and her friends, Daivin and his girlfriend, and Justine even got Jov and Elena to come out as well. It was near Fitzroy where we had gone before with Nadia. It was a smaller club called Johnston, but still nice. The music that Niko mixes is like a reggae, techno/jazz thing. Totally different then what we normally listen to, but has such a great rhythm to it. You feel like your in Jamaica.
Even though the club was smaller, the dance floor was still packed. People were dancing everywhere. It was great to see everyone just let loose. John said it perfectlythe people dancing look like how its supposed to be. They dont care who is watching, they just let the music move their bodies. I totally agreed. It was such an eclectic crowd of people, some looked like Aussie-Rastafarians with their dread locks and beanies. Others were all dressed up but wearing sneakersperfect for dancing in. Either way, John and I had a great time with everyone. This time we didnt forget the camera and we got some great pictures!

05.27.10

Len has had the past two days off of work, so Jen took off work, and they took us for a night in Bright, Australia. Its about 3 hours away from Epping, and right in the middle of all the mountains. We were right by Mt. Hotham, which is a big ski and snowboarding resort.
The first day, the weather was beautiful. A little more then half way through, we stopped at the Ettamogah Pub, which is far from the ordinary! I guess there was a comic strip based on this place some time ago, and it looked just like thata comic strip! It was still really early when we got there, so it was dead, but it was neat to see, none the less.
It had a pub, and a restaurant, and in the back it had some small shops for lollies, and a little museum with all the comics in it. It also had an old garage with some beat up vintage cars in it too. It was your classic, old town, country hang out, perfect for the kids during the day, and the adults during the night.
After lunch, I ran into a tiny little puppy! Cute little thing named piglet. She was still just a puppy and as friendly as can be. Even though it made me miss my puppies so much more then I already do, It was also really nice to have a puppy in my arms again. I posted the picture of us in the gallery ; )
When we got to Bright, we got all our things situated in the little cabins, and then took a drive up Mt. Buffalo. It was winding and sharpand right at the cliffs edge. It just kept going up, and up, and up. It took us at least 35 minutes to get to the top. We stopped at the gorge to grab a good view, and man, was it breath taking! We were so high up that when I went to the lookouts edge, I almost passed out from vertigo. My eyes wouldnt adjust spatially so I just felt like I was spinning. (I will admit that though scary, vertigo is kind of fun.) Jenny felt the same way, so we jumped off the rock and took a small walk to see the waterfall.
The waterfall was in the crevice of two jutting mountain sides, so again, vertigo set in. I cant help it, it just happens! I let John snap all these pictures! It was kind of hard to see the waterfall well without feeling like I would fall over the edge, so we went back to the car and headed further up the mountain.
This time, we really did drive to the top. The mountains themselves were just covered in these giant rocks. They looked unreal though. Most of the rocks were just massive, and their surface was so smooth looking, like it had spent a few years in a tumbler. They were also placed so oddly, like someone had moved them specifically to that spot or just placed them there by hand.
At the top of the mountain, it was called The Horn, and was actually another mountain of rocks. It was getting late so we neglected to walk to the top, but did manage to grab some awesome pictures of the view. We could see miles and miles of nothing but mountains. The sun was starting to set, so it just casted these beautiful colors and shadows on the mountain sides. We didnt stay long, but it was an incredible view.
After the slow and long ride back down the mountain, we went back to the cabin to wash up and then headed off for dinner.
Now, Bright is a very small, quaint little town. A cute little countryside. The homes have more land, and you past quite a few farms on your way in or out of town. The shops are all little boutiques and have this nostalgic feel to them. Right in the center of town is a restaurant called Simones. Owned by a local lady and her husband, the restaurant itself is made inside a home! This is where we went for dinner
When you walked in, you felt like you were walking into a good friends home. There were two or three tables in what looked like it use to be a living room, a dining room and a lounge. There was a fireplace in each room, which made it so cozy and warm. There was art work from all different parts of Italy and in the main hallway, the walls were decorated with all the awards the restaurant has won since it opened.
It was all so perfect except for one thing.how do I even begin to choose from this tasty menu? Pheasant, quail, filletsthe menu was just full of so many items that seemed so delicious!
I finally settled on the black truffle gnocchi and blood plum quail.
This is bold, and at often times abused in most peoples statements, but it was by far, the most amazing, most delicious, most incredible meal I have ever had in my entire life!!! The gnocchi was a perfect size, and in this delicious cream and black truffle sauce. I dont even have the right words to explain it, and all the good words I need to save for explaining the quail. Yes, the quail. It was my first time indulging in this bird so I was a little scared that I may not like it. It had a crispy skin that was rubbed with what tasted like some cheese and herbs. It was filled with a chestnut stuffing, that just made the bird that much more moist. The plate was drizzled with this blood plum reduction and had a few chestnuts that were boiled soft around the plate. The bird itself was small, but the meat was just soo savory! The savory taste of the bird and chestnuts with the sweet and rich flavor of the blood plum was to die for. You got the nutty flavor of the chestnuts with the whole combination that just made it perfect. What I would do for this meal again
We all topped off dinner with a desert. I got an assorted desert plate, with nougat and almond bars, cookies, biscotti sticks and a desert wine. John got the tiramisu, and Len got a homemade raisin and rum ice cream topped with Baileys Irish Cream and rum. It was all so delicious!
That night, we curled up with our heated mattress pad, and I finished watching the final season of Sex and the City.
The next day, we stopped at the local brewery and tried out a few of their beers. I also got my first taste of chicken and honey potato chips! (savory chips are popular out here, like honey baked ham, etc.) The smell of the barley cooking in the brewery was amazing! They need to sell barley scented oils or something I loved it!
We also stopped at a local farm where this family had pretty much made a 24/7 garage sale. They had big barns all put together to make up 27 different shops. Well, they were really just themed rooms. Some of the stuff seemed like real antiques. Others, just plain old junk. They had a tobacco and gold museum, but we opted not to pay the 4 dollars to go inside.
At the other side of the parking lot was another giant barn, just full of old things. Old machinery, appliances, furniture, bric-a-brac and what not. There was a small barn where they sold coffee and had arranged for you to sit and read some magazines from the 80s. Everything you saw was for sale, and most of it looked like it had been there since the 18 hundreds! Jenny grabbed some random pieces of wire and chains for Justines installation project and we headed off.
We quickly stopped at a berry farm. Though out of season, we grabbed some raspberry syrup for waffleswhich we were all hooked on since mothers day.
Our final stop was at a cheese factory. We taste tested a bunch of homemade cheeses and jams, grabbed some for the road and headed home right before the rain came.
It was so nice to be in the country, even for just a night. You see, I am not crazy about the city. I like cities the same way people like hangovers. My problems is that I cant help but get totally intoxicated by the aurora of a city. The shops and fashion, the upbeat, chic lifestyle, the clubs and entertainment but still, my heart always goes back to the country. We have been spending so much time in the city, that my hangover was getting to become a little unbearable. The country was exactly what I needed to start feeling better.
The next day I woke up, and I was excited again. In only a few more days, we will be shipping off to Brisbane, and our back packing adventure will really begin!

05.23.10

Im tired, plain and simple, Im exhausted. I have been shooting non-stop, and with all this other work on my plate, I cant seem to catch a moment to just chill out. I fall asleep with so much still on my mind, that I cant help but be running around in my dreams as well. I wake up feeling just as tired as I did when I fell asleep!
Im so excited to be getting pictures back though. I have been doing some really interesting shoots, some of which were even underwater! As I start getting pictures back, I will have them posted at www.autumnroxye.com in the Australia category. Unfortunately, I never know when my pictures will go to print, which means, I wont see them until they do. Even though Im slightly worn out, Im still so excited to be workingespecially over seas. John has been getting some work in front of the camera as well! I will post his pictures in the same gallery as mine, so just check back often.
Other good news is that we got our tent in the mail! We ordered a super light, super durable, super awesome, amazing, high end, tent from black wolf. Its the same company we got our sleeping bags from as well. Just one step closer to being full-blown backpackers!
As far as today went; we went out for the day with Jessica and Niko (Elisa and Franks daughter and her boyfriend). Niko is originally from Reunion Island which is just a tiny country off of Africa. They met in Europe when Jessica was overseas.
They showed us around their lovely, chic apartment, and then took us to a small park not too far away. We went for a small walk, and then headed back for pizza and some pastry. Unfortunately, I havent been feeling good, so I feel like I was a dead nut, but I still really enjoyed spending the day with them. Jessica is just a joy to be around, and Niko is just down right funny. We will actually be seeing him DJ at a night club on the 29th, so it was nice to get to know him better before hand.
Until then, I need to start feeling better.

05.21.10

HAPPY BIRTHDAY JOHN! He is an old man25 years young! It was strange for me not being able to just go and get him a birthday present. We are budgeting pretty hard, and well, there is no way I could spend money without him knowing! I tried to make it special for him in every way I could though, and I think he was just excited to be in Australia.
We had a great dinner and then ate a chocolate mars-bar cake. After the third bite I thought I had died of chocolate overdose!
That night, Justine and Jov took us out to a club called C.Q. It was downtown Melb, and was our first nightclub experience.
They played house all night long.which, John and I both love. It was a pretty big club, and it was decently packed. Everyone was dressed to the nines, and we didnt hesitate on getting to the bar.
Ordering drinks here is so much different then in the states. First, they dont work for tips here(no one does). Second, their drinks are completely different. Their alcohol isnt even the same. They didnt know what a washington apple was, and telling them how to make it is just as hard when you dont know what their brands of alcohol are. Jov ordered us a shot called citros. Not too sure what exactly is in it except for absinth, 151 and sambuca. If ever there was a description on the taste of a donkeys assthis would hit it right on the nail, Im sure! My face was cringing with the after taste for at least 10 minutes after I took it down. It did the job though, we got a buzz right away, and with how expensive drinks are out here, it was nice to make the most of one shot!
We danced all night long. Everyone did! That is the one thing that I really love about Melbourneeveryone was dancing. In Cleveland, most people just stand around, but everyone, all over the club, was full-on dancing their tookies off. Its great when you can see a bunch of people being brought together by music, and just letting loose. Its one of my most favorite things in the worldto watch people dance, and of course, to dance with them.
The only bad thing about the night was Jessi. Yes, my dear friend back home, the lady who is watching my dogs, Jessi. Me and her are soul mates when it comes to clubbin, music and painting the town. We always were, from head to toe, the best dressed girls in Cleveland (and any city we partied in for that matter), we knew everyone that was anyone, and could not only sing every house/techno song known to man, but could request it by title and artist. I take a small pride in our expertise in the nightlife arts, and it just pained me to know that this clubthis townit was without my Jessi. Its just not the same without her to make havoc with. Although I still had fun, I just couldnt help but keep turning around to look for her so that I could scream in her ear.OMGOSH!!!! Its our song!!!!. My dear Jessi, this ones for you!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fCnxvXxBDvY

5.14.10

We started off the night having dinner with Elisa and Frank again. Of course, they prepared a meal to die for, almost too gorgeous to eatthe key word being almost. We met their neighbors which is actually Franks brother, and his family. Niko and Jessica made it as well. Niko had us all on the floor laughing with his jokes and stories about his cat, Bubunu (goodness knows if I spelled it right!?). He has the greatest French accent, so it made everything he was saying twice as fun to hear! It didnt take long for us to be stuffed.
Afterwards, we finally got a chance to spend some time with Justine and her boyfriend, Jov. They took us down to Lygon Street where it is infamous for their restaurantsItalian to be exact!
Every restaurant was full of people and the sidewalks were busy as well. It was kind of late, so it was neat to see that there is more to do then to just hit clubs or pubs.
We first got some pizza. I was craving spaghetti sauce pretty badly, so, I just ordered a gravy boat of Napoli sauce! Yum! I ate the whole thing! On my top ten list of best sauces.
After, we hopped next door for some gelati. Its like gelato, except its like a sorbet. It looks so smooth and shiny.its strangely appealing; I could hardly make a choice. I decided on the mango, and Justine got lemon. I wouldnt lie to youit was like I was eating a mango right out of its skin. The taste was dead on, and the texture even felt like the squishy insides of the fruit. I then took a bite of the lemon. The first word out of my mouth was WOWZERS! I couldnt believe how rich and zesty the lemon flavor was. I have been craving mango gelati ever since, but it seems that only Gelatissmo serves the best stuff.
Right after, we grabbed a cappuccino at another little restaurant and then headed home. It was nice to see a nightlife outside of what I am use to in Cleveland. The concept of going out for coffee takes a whole new meaning out here, and I love it!
That night, John and I laughed at each other while we tried to see whos stomach stuck out more. Neither of us have eaten so much in such a short time span. I think we both put on 10 pounds that day!

05.10.10

Even though it has been a wonderful (and busy) few weeks in Melb, John and I are happy to spend some time together and relax a bit. I know, I know...we HAVE been spending time together, but it's hard to feel like your really together when your around so much company and doing so many things. I know...weird.
Today we took the train into downtown so that we could go back to the discount camping stores and look for some backpacking gear. Because it was mothers day, and because it was Sunday...they gave us a deal for everything which was awesome! We got two awesome travel packs (75 liters each) with a detachable day pack. They come with rain covers which is nice for traveling through airports, and of course when it is raining. We got some locks, a small utility knife (for going around Australia), two sleeping bags, some rope and some latches so we can attach things to our backpacks. We didnt find any tents we were crazy about and will just keep looking. All we really need now is the tent, and some torches (flash lights).
We are really excited to have our backpacks, and I am shocked at how heavy the thing is WITHOUT anything in it! Now, trying to get everything to fit!

05.09.10

Today was our first mothers day with our 'mum' away from home, Jenny. She (and Len) have been so wonderful to us, that it really feels like we are still at home. We got up early and ran to the store to get her some flowers and a card. Justine got her a waffle maker, which we recently found out, is not nearly as popular as it is in the states. I guess they eat them out here like we eat crepes. You go out to eat them, but you'd never make them at home. Well, we didn't forget about our moms back home either. Before we left, we had hid cards in our moms houses so that they could open them for mothers day. Happy Mothers Day to everyone!

On another note....
Even though it has been a wonderful (and busy) few weeks in Melb, John and I are happy to spend some time together and relax a bit. I know, I know...we HAVE been spending time together, but it's hard to feel like your really together when your around so much company and doing so many things. I know...weird.
Today we took the train into downtown so that we could go back to the discount camping stores and look for some backpacking gear. Because it was mothers day, and because it was Sunday...they gave us a deal for everything which was awesome! We got two awesome travel packs (75 liters each) with a detachable day pack. They come with rain covers which is nice for traveling through airports, and of course when it is raining. We got some locks, a small utility knife (for going around Australia), two sleeping bags, some rope and some latches, so we can attach things to our backpacks. We didnt find any tents we were crazy about and will just keep looking. All we really need now is the tent, and some torches.
We are really excited to have our backpacks, and I am shocked at how heavy the thing is WITHOUT anything in it! Now, trying to get everything to fit!

05.08.10

A much sunnier day today...windy, but nice. Our first stop was to another hike through the bush. This forest was popular because of the giant trees in which Aboriginal tribes have used as shelter. In this particular part, there are fallen trees everywhere. The other trees then have to grown around this massive trunk, which makes their roots really tall. It is absolutely incredible to see a giant tree and all its roots on the outside. I just couldn't believe how strong they must be without the ground to keep them steady. The fallen tree trunks were everywhere, and all covered in so many other forms of life. Like Lucy had said, its sad to see a tree die, but its incredible how the body is used to sustain life of so many other creatures!
At one point John was taking a picture of me inside one of the giant trees when we heard the cracking and splitting of wood...and then boooom...this deep growling bass of a tree hitting the ground! We had just heard a tree fall!!!! I couldn't believe it! My heart had stopped, it was the strangest sound. The way it just smacked the ground, and the deep low boom it made kind of just shook my body. It was AWESOME!
Well, we then made the hour trip down the famous Great Ocean Road to see the 12 Apostles. It is considered to be one of the 7 wonders of world, so you can only imagine my anticipation. We started to hike to the cliffs edge, when I turned the corner and there it was...exactly like what you see in books and on TV, right in front of me. I was so astonished, it took my breath away. I was so overtaken by emotion, I didn't know what to do with myself.
My dream of traveling and seeing the world has a small check list of the things I want to see and do. The 12 Apostles being one of them. I guess that after seeing them with my own eyes really confirms that my dream are coming true. I was seeing the world, day by day, and becoming a more seasoned traveler. This moment meant so much to me; it's hard for me to put it into words.
Unfortunately, the 12 Apostles has dwindled down to 7. Where the water meets the land is actually a massive cliff and is made up of inlets. The waves and salt slowly start to erode the walls of the cliffs. Hitting the sides at 60 waves per minute, you can begin to see that the erosion happens rather quickly. It eventually carves through both sides of the inlet making a cave, or rather a bridge. Eventually the bridge collapses creating the massive rock stock which make up the 12 Apostles. These lone standing stacks eventual fall after the erosion continues. Even though the 12 Apostles are now 7, there are new rock stacks that are slowly being created.
We walked a few more paths to see other rock stacks and got to see the stages of the inlets turning into rock stacks. It was pretty wild to say the least.
The day was amazing, but given all the hiking we did the day before, my calves were shot, so we called it a night and headed home. (Mind you, hiking in the mountains is all up and down, and at a pretty steep incline. Not to mention that you have to walk down a long ways in order to see a waterfall, so walking back up all those steps gets intense. Bush walking is not for the weak!)
The next day we got up early to head home. It was mothers day and Lucy wanted to rush home to her kids. It was a lovely weekend, and was a great way to cap off all our wild adventures so far in Melbourne.

05.07.10

Yesterday was our last day with Ivana. She dropped us off at the train station and as a sweet little memento, gave us a book about meditation. It was such a sweet thing of her to do! The ride was about 4 hours, but was much nicer then the city train. John and I both started reading the book before falling asleep for the rest of the ride.
Thursday night we took advantage of some killer airfare offers. We got tickets to Indonesia, Tasmania and Fiji, for the both of us, for just under $500 bucks! Can you believe it? It was a buy one-get one deal, and the one ticket was already reduced by 50%. Needless to say, we are excited to have a good portion of our future travels locked in and dated.
At 7:30 am sharp, Gray was at the door ready to get on the road. We are staying with Lucy and Gray at their cabin in Apollo Bay. It was a two and a half hour ride, which we slept the entire way. It was foggy and wet outside when we got there but that didn't stop us from making the most of our day.
We stopped and picnicked for tea and cake, and some how managed to do so in the only window of sunshine for the entire day. It was really misty, which is strange, because it was the first time I can recall every actually seeing mist. At first glance, you could barely tell there was anything in the air, but you could feel it. It was slightly annoying...kind of like a bug that won't get out of your face. The mist was just dancing all around us, bouncing every which way. When the sun rays would come through, it looked like tiny sparkly rainbows floating around everywhere. It was such a simple thing to enjoy, but I really liked it.
On the drive to the first hike path, all the mist created the most magnificent rainbow I have ever seen. It was right over the ocean, and you could see the entire thing from start to finish. We pulled over to get a picture but it was too big to get the whole thing in the frame. I loved it...all these rainbows!
Gray took us to an area that he said they have frequently seen wild Koalas, and sure enough, we spotted one! It was high up in the tree, and a little too far for pictures, but I was so excited to have actually seen a wild one! On our drive to the next hike path, I ended up spotting one moving from one branch to the other from the back seat window. Gray pulled over so we could walk back to see it, and we ended up seeing two more! This time they were much closer so we got some great pictures. The one was all curled up in a little ball and I said "Hi Mr. Koala..." and he turned his head towards us to see what the noise was all about! Haha he looked so sleepy, but I was elated that he turned to look at us. Four, 100% wild koalas in one day...
We stopped a few times within the Otway Park and walked a few hike paths to see some waterfalls. It's like the rainforest out here. Everything is green and mossy, like in Buchan, but all the foliage is much more exotic. (However, in their dry season, I guess it gets pretty dry.) The tree ferns are what really make it...some of them taller then me. There were so many different types of mushrooms and mosses, most of them growing on the trunk of a fallen tree. It was muddy and rocky, so we really had to pay attention to where we were stepping. Because of this, it made it a little hard to enjoy the surroundings. All I wanted to do was look around but had to watch where I was walking instead. Luckily, some of the last hikes we went on had actual wooden paths.
For lunch we stopped and ate under the California Redwoods. They planted them in this area, not expecting them to grow but they did! Not nearly as massive as the ones in California, but still very large. Again, walking into the forest felt like I was in the middle of a fairy tale. Just an unreal environment. It amazes me at how surreal Gods creations really are. You hear about it, you read about it, but until you see it with your own eyes are you able to grasp the intensity. You feel so small, which in a world were man dominates all...isnt such a bad thing.
The rain under the tall redwoods came down every so often, but is was very lazy rain. Not like the dancing mist earlier. Each drop came rolling down in over-filled globs. When they hit the ground, they just exploded, making other tiny raindrops that were much more modest in size. When you looked to the tree tops, you could pick a fat raindrop and just watch it come tumbling to the ground. The sound that each drop made was loud and rhythmic, especially when it hit the plastic-like material of my coat. It's not too often you can actually be outside and enjoy the rain at the same time, but we all agreed that it was quite a wonderful day.
Our last stop for the day was to see the glow worms. We got to the park just before dusk and made some tea before heading out into the darkness. They were all gathered along the wall of the mountain right next to our pathway, and decently close to a stream/waterfall. Their bioluminescences was a pale blue; some more bright then others. The more we walked, the more we ended up seeing. I couldn't believe my eyes! Everyone said that they reminded them of Christmas lights, but to me, they looked like stars. Some dim, some bright...some in clusters, others spread out. You could identify little constellations within them. It was sooooooo neat!
These glow worms, aren't really worms at all. They are insects. The females (in this case) dont have any wings, but the males do. Their glow is to attract a mate, and it seems as though there is some pretty heavy competition in this area! ; ) The glow worms that are found in caves are actually worms, and they spin a long beaded thread that is then lit up to attract prey. I can't wait to see them when we go to Queensland in the next few months.
All the bush walks, and seeing the forest, the creatures, the foliage and the natural wonders...reminded of Avatar. People watched Avatar and saw this magnificent, beautiful world and wish that it really existed...but what they dont realize, is that it already does ; )

05.05.10

We drove about an hour away to a town called Buchan to see the caves today! SUPER cute town, in the center of a bunch of rolling hills, and in a very remote part of Australia. It was very nostalgic, and here the leaves were really turning beautiful Autumn colors! That fall smell was everywhere. Even though it was kind of chilly outside, that warm Autumn feeling makes you kind of toasty on the inside! It's just strange that we are going through another fall so soon.
The caves are located in a park. They had camping grounds, several different caves and lots of hike paths. The cave we saw was called 'Fairy Cave' because of all the glittering calcite on the inside.
John and I have both been to a few caves, and all the ones we have ever seen have been cold. However, because of the high humidity in this area, the caves were actually warm if not HOT!
You figure that once you see one cave you have seen them all, but it's strange how much they vary from one another. I have seen much grander stalactites and stalagmites in other caves, but this cave had halagtites, which are curly! I have only ever heard of these; never actually seen them until today. They certainly had some of the most amazing bacon strips, which are thin stalactites. You can see the layers of rock through them when you put a light behind it and it has the tendency to look like a piece of bacon! The most incredible part was the calcite though. It looked as though it had flown down the sides of the cave, like water, and just froze. It was a pretty white color and sparkled like a million diamonds. It was my favorite part.
After the cave we took a hike through the woods to see the waterfall. The first animal we spotted was a lyre bird. It's a cousin of the peacock and has a set of long feathers on their behind. Ivana says that it is extremely rare to see these birds and that we were very lucky! The second animal we saw was a bird that came tumbling out a tree right as we were walking by. At first it looked like it was hurt or something, only to find out that it was two birds...in the middle of a mating ritual! The male was bright yellow with some black and the female looked like just a brown bird (still havn't been able to figure out what they are). He was dancing and puffing his feathers out...he started to sing to her, and all just a few feet away from us. After a few minutes he gave up and flew away. Ivana couldn't believe it! She said it must be John and I because she never see's things like that. John said he thinks I can talk to the animals. He's probably right. : )
The last creature was again, another bird. This time we only heard it...the kookaburras! They sound like they are laughing. Not just a gentle chuckle though, it sounds like they are rolling on the floor in tears! It was the first time I heard them laugh, and I couldn't help but laugh myself. John walked off the path a bit to try and get a picture of them without scaring them off. All of a sudden me and Ivana here this crazy, weird laser beam sound. I'm not kidding you, it sounded like something straight out of star wars; turns out it was the lyre bird again, and two of them! John got a glimpse of them but Ivana and I were too far away. We got it all on tape, so we will post it in the gallery.
The forest itself was so much different then back home. The humidity makes moss grow everywhere...and on everything. Seeing so much green inside the woods makes you feel like your inside a fairy tale. The forest was constantly changing too. Some parts the trees were really tall with full, bushy tops. Another part, the trees were shorter and lean and had wispy branches that just swayed in the wind. Then you would come to all the thick and wide trees whose bark just fell off in long strips. On the outside it was shades of brown but on the inside; shades of red and orange. My favorite part was when you got to all the tiny ferns. Only a feet or so tall, but they made the entire forest floor such a bright green. The trees had moss falling off its branches, and all the rocks were a soft, fuzzy green...it made me feel like I was kid again!
The hike was up hill and then down, up and down. Needless to say, we never found the waterfall, but saw SO much more!
Our last stop before home was at Tesslers Bridge. It was on the way to Lakes Entrance, and was tucked back into the woods. I guess they had built the bridge with some wood back in the 50's to help service the coal trains. It's not so often you see such a historic item left as it was years ago.
When we got home, we walked the dogs again, had dinner and got all our things packed and ready. We hop on a train back to Melbourne tomorrow morning.

05.04.10

Ivana took John and I up to her home in Lakes Entrance, which is a 4 ½ hour drive from Melb. We will be staying with her Monday through Thursday.
The town is located at the mouth of where the lake and ocean meet which explains the name. It's extremely scenic and awfully gorgeous. It's a small fishing town, with cottage homes and vacation spots. Ivana's home is so cozy and reminds me a lot of my familie's cottage. She has two adorable puppies Emma and Lorna (sisters) who we took for a walk around the block yesterday. The house faces towards the ocean and is only a short walk to see the views. Behind the house is gorgeous, rolling, green hills with cattle, and is very country. We saw red and grey cockatoos, rainbow breasted parrots and some other really colorful birds. They are just flying around everywhere! The drive was kind of long though so after we walked the dogs, we just ate dinner and went to bed.
This morning, Ivana got us all set up for a bike ride. John hasn't been on a bike in some 10 years and me, at least 2 or 3. The first half of the ride was coming down the BIG hill which was easy, and of course riding along the scenic pathway made it twice as nice! The rest of the bike ride was along the boardwalk right next to the water. It's in the bay and right inside the mouth of the lakes entrance so it was super calm. The sun was exceptionally warm so neither of us had to wear a jacket. It felt so good to have the salty fresh air on our skin. We stopped a few times to take pictures and were able to get exceptionally close to the mammoth pelicans. Easily three times the size of any pelican I have seen in the states. They wait by the fishing docks to pick up the fishermans scraps, so we were able to get decently close. Along the docks we also saw a huge colony of jelly fish! A few big ones about the size of a fist, and the rest were tiny little baby ones. They looked like bubbles and there had to be a few hundred of them! It's weird to think that even baby jelly fish are cute : )
Well we crossed the foot path over to the island and hung out at the beach. It was nice and peaceful. Maybe only 3 or 4 other people on the entire few miles of beach. Being that it's fall here now, we have to deal with the less then desirable weather, but on the upside, everything is such an awesome rich green and everything is mostly quiet since its not tourist or holiday season.
While at the beach, we noticed these birds over the ocean that were doing kamikaze dives into the water; hunting for food. There were so many of them, and just one after the other they would throw their wings back and fall straight out of the air. They drop down from at least 30 feet high and just make the tiniest little splash. John walked down the beach a bit so we could get some good footage of them and I just stayed with the bikes. I took the time to just relax and clear my mind. It was a brief moment of meditation, but it's always so refreshing! There is nothing more soothing then the oceans waves in the background, especially when the next nearest human is a mile away.
On the way back we stopped to feed the black swans some bread. They are so beautiful with their red beaks and red eyes. Again, another big bird. It's head was easily up to my chest. They were really friendly and quite timid. The second we started feeding them, the seagulls came rushing in. I love the seagulls too, but they were taking the pieces of bread right out of the swans mouth! The poor swan would get bum-rushed by 10 seagulls every time I threw it a piece of bread. Even if the bird took the bread from my hand, the seagulls STILL tried to steal it. I felt bad but the swans got their fair share. John got some good footage of it too ; ).
We rode back, well, walked back up the giant hill and got home just before the sun set. Ivana made us a delicious dinner.....gnocchi and schnitzel! Ivana then asked me if I wanted to join her to her meditation class....of course I couldn't resist!
It was my first time meditating in a class and actually listening to a Buddha guru, but I really enjoyed it. I am in such infant stages of meditation and am still learning quite a bit about Buddhism, yoga and all the different kinds of meditation. It's something that I realize that I have always practiced, just never understood what I was doing. For example, trying to change my state of mind with relaxation and breathing when in pain, or when I know I'm going to be in pain...using common breathing techniques to relax my body so I can fall asleep, or just trying to clear my mind when I am experiencing anger to practice patience and compassion. Now, it's about combining all those things and practicing it all the time. Even John is into it. He is already so calm and laid back; I should be taking lessons from him! It's a slow process, especially the whole clear your mind thing, but the journey is so inspiring. They say the way to speak to God is through prayer, but you listen through meditation.

05.02.10

We spent the night over Elisa and Frank's and today they drove us over to Zia's house for the barbie! All ten cousins, and their kids and their kid's kids, were there to celebrate Zia's, or in their case Nonna's, 90th birthday. It was also a nice way for John and I to meet everyone!
Everyone was SOOO excited to see John. They kept saying how much he looked like his grandfather. People were so interested to hear about what we thought of Australia compared to USA and of course poked fun at our accent. The food was plentiful and excellent as always. All the cousins took us around the property and told us stories about when his grandpa was in Australia, and when Zia's husband was still around. Not only could you literally see the four generations of family, but you could feel the rich Italian traditions right in the backyard.
They surprised everyone by brining in traditional Italian singers and dancers, two of whom were Mary and Lucy (two of the ten). Zia LOVED it and even got up to sing with them. At one point, they brought John and I to the front to welcome us to Australia and wish us well.
It was nice to have everyone together, especially considering that a lot of them haven't seen one another in some time. Even through the hustle and bustle, I did manage to get a picture of the ten cousins (minus 1! Olivio didnt come till later) and Zia.

05.01.10

Elisa and Frank picked us up early today and took us to Phillip Island. It was about a 1 hour and 45 minute drive, but we really enjoyed the scenery. Phillip Island is a popular place for holidays, but seeing as though we are in the Autumn, it was sparse of vacationers and tourists. Our first stop was at a little beach where it was known for its surfing. There had to be 8 or 10 surfers out just today and they were actually getting some waves. The view was awesome, though it was quite windy. We stopped shortly for a glimpse and then headed into town to one of Elisa's and Frank's favorite Italian restaurants. After, John and I bought some ’chips’ (fries) and fed them to seagulls. It was neat because they would just hover in the wind waiting for you to give them something to eat! I have never been so close to a flying bird before… or that many for that matter! (We got a great video of it too!)
One of the first things that I noticed about Phillip Island is the smell. The whole drive there we rode with the windows up, so when I first stepped out of the car is when I got smacked by the exotically fresh air!
It was sweet, but not like sugar, like from a flower. I imagined that this is what bee's must smell that makes nectar become so irresistible. The air was chilly and the wind was brisk, but is smelled warm. Like a house smells warm when you bake bread. The best part is the tiniest scent of salt. Every time I go to Myrtle Beach or Florida, it smells like salt and sand and ocean. Here, you really have to sniff around to catch that same smell. It's wonderful when the wind starts blowing and you finally do catch a whiff. I just wanted to sit down and smell, as odd as that sounds, but it really was something else.
Well, we first walked to see the koalas. Now the koalas are wild but are in a protected area. It would be like if you went to the Metro parks to see deer. They had made pathways and bridges and put up little educational plaques every so often. We did see a few koalas though, and it was really exciting! It's just so neat to see these large fuzzy balls curled up in the cracks of two branches. Some of the branches they were sitting on were so thin it looked like the koala bear was wearing a thong! They only eat eucalyptus leaves from the gum trees. The leaves are actually made up of some type of narcotic/alcohol base which makes them super sleepy and slow. They say that if it weren't for the drug like effect, the koalas would otherwise be very aggressive and dangerous. We got some awesome pictures though and have them posted in the gallery.
While we were there we also saw some wallabies! They look just like kangaroos but are much smaller. Full grown, they get to be about 2 ½ to 3 feet, where Kangaroos are 6, 7 or even 8 feet tall! The other major difference is in color. Wallabies are multi colored and normally darker shades, where kangaroos are shades of sandy reds and tans! Wallabies will have a color tipped tail or toes and have much smaller and round faces, where kangaroos have longer noses and are much more square. Even Aussies commonly mistake wallabies for kangaroos, so there are the facts for all of you that are unsure of the difference. We did see quite a few wallabies all throughout the day and really close up for that matter. We saw more kangaroos as well, but not nearly as close.
After, we headed over to another park like area that was on the side of the cliffs by the water. It over looked some giant rock islands, one of which was inhabited by sea lions. We did catch a glimpse of them through binoculars, but no picture. They had built pathways along the side of the cliffs which is made up these really pretty green plants. It covered all the hills and mountains which I thought was exceptionally beautiful. This is also the home of the tiny penguins. Only about a foot tall, these little buggers go out to sea every morning before dawn for food and come back just after dusk. They come to shore only under the cover of darkness to avoid predators on land, like large birds of prey, foxes and other wild animals. Once they get the guts to cross shore, they waddle themselves to their little burrows inside the cliff-side and under the green foliage. We actually got to see them do this! It was so neat to watch them come to shore in their small groups and hurry home. The sounds and calls they make to each other is so odd, but really pretty. We weren't supposed to, but managed to get some great footage of them on the video camera. (We will post it on the gallery page as well.)
I really loved these little penguins. They remind me of myself ...so adventurous and brave and all they want to do is get out to sea to swim, play and eat. At the end of the day though, they always manage to find their way back home!