Nothing stops your heart like a phone ringing at 2am. Nothing can alleviate the sense of panic as you shoot up in bed and your heart starts to pound inside your head. Nothing can change the mind as it races to find alternative reasons for the phone to be ringing so early in the morning. Yes. This is perfect. My friend Hallie in London has no idea what time it is here and is calling for a jolly chat. Yes. That has to be. But no. The voice that comes softly across the sea is that of a family member. And the heart stops again. The tears come immediately. What can you do. All you can do is ask. "What's up?"
And then the words that you don't want to hear come across the line. Again, your brain races to find a way that you heard it wrong. Really, she said that Grandpa is fine and out of hospital. The single most painful thing of my life happened that night. Being so far away. Not being able to do anything. Feeling so isolated and alone. Not having anyone that knew and loved your Grandfather to the degree that you did near enough to reach out to and share the pain. Nothing can make that pain go away, but someone can help ease the pain. Take on some of the pain onto their own shoulders and let you cry through the sorrow and the emptiness. Be there for you to lean on. There to bring you fresh squeezed juice in the morning. There to offer you a plane ride home. Thank you Matthew for just being.
Tuesday, April 08, 2008
That amazing place they call Tassie
I have to say for the record that if you are going to come to Australia, you must go to Tasmania. I think it is one of those places people cut out rather quickly because they think it is just a tad too far, or a tad too small or just not quite as exciting as say the Gold Coast or the Great Barrier Reef, but I will tell you now... it has been BY FAR my favorite place to visit in Australia. Now, as you've read before, I have had some pretty grand adventures down here and I don't want to cut down any of the places I have been before, but I just want to say that ten fold, this little island that so easily gets over looked was absolutely fabulous. Let me tell you a little bit about why. But forewarned, I do not take any responsibility for future expenditures on your part to ensure travel to this great destination... You are completely responsible for your own actions and any planning or travel expenses you may incur are completely on your shoulders! :)
Now that the legalities are done with, let me start with Launceston. This is a quaint little town with all the 'big city' department stores and services... yet somehow... it managed to feel like home-small, easy to navigate and incredibly friendly.
The city center was old brick 3 to 5 story buildings with classic facades and wide streets and sidewalks. It actually felt like going down one of the 'blank' movie sets at Universal Studios, just waiting for the next feature film to add their signatures to the blank canvas of buildings and film a great blockbuster movie set in the gold rush era, world war I, or even small town America in the 80's or 90's. The sidewalks aren't covered in advertising and you don't have that overwhelming feeling of commercialism as you walk down the streets. 
This was a great start to our 2 week adventure! We had a good look around at Lonnie (as the locals call it) and discovered the Cataract Gorge and First Basin. What a great little retreat and so close to the city center! There is a free public pool with a wading section and a deeper lap section, all set in a nice little protected basin with a natural fresh water reservoir with rocks to jump from, a tea house with a peaceful garden gazebo and short little walks you can take. If the day is too hot, you can always just jump in the water, pool or lake to cool off! One of the best parts of Launceston was our shopping experience. We were browsing through Myers, which is of very similar quality and style as Macy's/The Bon Marche, and we had endless staff looking after us and asking if we needed any help. I'll admit, that it was Easter Sunday and the shop was virtually empty, but the staff was so friendly and very helpful when I lost Matt and couldn't find him in the Men's department. Luckily he is tall and I was able track him down!
Next stop was Devonport. From here we were planning on trying to get to the famous Cradle Mountain, but unfortunately, the weather didn't cooperate. Not that it was really that bad, but because of the elevation and the quickly changing weather in the region, we opted instead to go for a walk at Narawyntapu National Park.
Here there was a good 4 hour walk up to Archer's Knob and along the way we saw plenty of Pademelons and great coastal wet land scenery. There is a very shallow lake that normally would be chock full of birds, but unfortunately, due to recent drought conditions, it was virtually dry. 
Still the walk was refreshing and we had a great time climbing up the knob for a great view of the inlet and an endless deserted beach. From here we went to Mole Creek to check out the Karst National Park Caves. The one hour tour was informative, friendly and I saw Glow Worms for the first time that I remember... though I have been on cave tours when I was younger, and there was probably Glow Worms then... I just don't remember them, at least not to the degree we saw at these caves. 
Anyway, it was a great way to spend a drizzly, cold day and we also went on a short excursion to Alum Cliffs. This was a short ten minute walk along a ridge that ended with a grand view of sacred Aboriginal Red Ochre cliffs and a stunning drop off to a river below. Very much worth the detour! And the picture can't even come close to doing it justice..
Next we headed south to Hobart. Hobart was not on either of our lists as a must see because we both felt that it might be a bit drab and just like every other city. But both of us were pleasantly surprised. Other than the awkward one way streets that you could easily learn to deal with over time, it was actually quite nice.
We had a short time in Hobart, but I feel we made the best of it. We first stopped at the Department of Immigration so that I could legally remain in the country since my Visa was about to expire. Then we checked into our little hotel off of Sandy Bay Road which was a very short walking distance to the Casino... Hey hey... my family favorite! So Matt and I had a walk to the casino for some cheap and HUGE eats. Then we watched a little Texas Hold 'Em and then wondered back to our room.
The next morning was an early rise so that we could scale Mt Wellington. It was a steep climb, but well worth the view. As we approached the top, there was some pockets of snow that had fallen the night before, but hadn't melted off yet. brrrrrr. it was cold, but still very much worth the view! We walked back down the lovely mountain under the Organ Pipes which are the columns of dolerite that are visible from the city. Quite precarious how they are all balanced carefully. This is of course the part of our adventure where I learn that Matt's favorite plants is the bottle bush. I had no idea this was the case until this trip and now I notice the firery red flowering bush every where we go. It is a native plant and doesn't have any fragrance, but still, it is quite pretty.
On Saturday morning, we wandered around the Salamanca Markets near the water front and enjoyed some live Peruvian music while watching the market goers scramble for cover when a light shower passed through. From Hobart we headed east and then south to the Tasman peninsula where the world famous site of Port Arthur is located. Staying at Eagle Hawk Neck we were just across the dog line from where one of the worlds most famous gaol (jail) was located. Thousands of prisoners were shipped to "Van Diemans" land to serve out their sentences.
Before heading to the historic site, Matt and I took the Sealife Experience eco tour. This was a fun 4 hour adventure on an open boat with a guide and the driver pointing out the endless wonders of the sea.
I think I was the only person to deny taking sea sick tablets... don't worry, I didn't live to regret it, my tummy handled the rough seas just fine. :) We explored the Tasman Peninsula from the water including Tasman's Arch, Devil's Kitchen, Waterfall Bay, the Totem Poll and Cape Hauy, Cape Pillar and Tasman Island. They stopped over in a private little cove for some local cheese, wine and dips. The cove was beautiful and very picturesque. The boat had an underwater camera that they would put down every so often so we could see what creatures and plant life were hiding beneath the surface. It really is a whole nother world under the shallows. At Tasman 
Island, we saw hundreds of Australian Fur Seals. These males come from the warmer northern waters while the females stay up along the Gold Coast and the Sunshine Coast feasting and raising their pups. The males make the short trek to the north for breeding season and then come back down to the cooler waters to live it up in their bachelor pad. It really did smell like a bachelor pad too... the rocks are stained white from the birds and the seals. Pee-Yew!! Because I had the camera, I was up moving from side to side on the boat near where the bow had some protection glass, 
while Matt stayed seated towards the back where the sides were open. Even though the pictures don't really show how rough the waters were that day, we did have a pretty rough day on the water, with really gusty winds and some pretty choppy waves. Unfortunately for Matthew, he got a big spray of sea water that cleared the rest of the folks out of their seats, and Matt just stayed there and got drenched... He never once complained about getting wet, though he did complain about me taking a picture of him afterwards... :)
Overall, the tour was worth every penny. Just hope for slightly better weather, though I think it kept the numbers down and we only had 10 people on the tour with us... made it very easy to move around the boat and get great pictures without having to jostle around everyone else.
After the tour we headed to Port Arthur. It was a very ponderous place to visit. The landscape is so beautiful now, but as you enter the site you are given a playing card with an actual prisoner who was sent to Van Diemans Land to serve their sentence. You then follow the path of this
prisoners life as he arrived at Port Arthur and learn what their conviction was, what tasks were assigned to them to carry out and what their living conditions were, what they ate, where the slept, etc. As you follow their path you learn about their chance of survival and if they had families back in England. It gets very serious as you find that your prisoner, your Ace of Spades, dies after serving only 8 years of their life sentence from a disease the runs rampant through the gaol. Also, the tragic story from 1996 when a single man killed 35 people in and around Port Arthur, still lingers in the air. The Cafe where he did most of the killing, has been converted to an area for quiet reflection in very good taste. Fortunately, authorities were able to capture and convict the murderer. This is the leading cause to the incredibly strict gun laws here in Australia. I found that most Aussies who remember the event were so deeply affected that 12 years later, they still will not talk about that day. As an outsider looking in, it is a very tragic story and my heart goes out to not only the victims and their families from that day, but to the people of this country that have been so affected by its occurrence.
After the Eco Tour and Port Arthur, we did some serious hiking at Cape Raol and Cape Hauy. Both hikes were fairly long and had some good climbing stints in them, but were definitely worth it. The views and seascapes we enjoyed can't be done justice by my humble writing skills and even the camera fails to take in the true grandeur of these places. At Cape Raol, the cliffs of dolerite columns and wind protective scrub brush were the hightlights of the day. Cape Hauy,
besides seeing the Totem Pole from above, had the added bonus of my first live look at an Echidna. He/She really had no interest in us what-so-ever and just went about it's scrounging the cracks of rocks for bugs to eat. After my initial startle (I had no idea what it was at first!) it was quite interesting to watch the little forager dig and snuff his way around. His feet look like they are attached backwards (the back feet that is) and watching him dig under the rocks it makes perfect sense why his feet would be attached backwards... but you have to see it in action to really appreciate it.
Anyway, we spent the next week driving our way up the east coast stopping along the way to catch some awesome views. We did a short hike at Wineglass Bay in the Freycinet National Park. I thought the view was pretty good and that the area was really nice, but Matt had such high expectations
(Wineglass Bay is the most photographed place in Tasmania, plus one of the biggest 'advertising' stints Tourism Tasmania promote) from seeing and hearing about it so much, he couldn't help but be a little disappointed. Besides, it was the first time that we really had to 'share' our space with other tourists. We had done some really cool hikes so far only seeing one or two other groups of people that this hike up to the lookout seemed a little like the start of a big race where people are jostling all around and getting themselves all hyped up. Okay, it wasn't really that crowded, but after the space and emptiness we had been experiencing it did feel a little overwhelming to be surrounded by people again... But, I thought it was beautiful and I enjoyed the hike. 
We came back via Hazards Beach and this was a little more remote and empty so Matt settled down pretty well after we left the hustle and bustle of the Wineglass Bay side. Threatening clouds began moving in so we did have to hustle a little bit to get back to the car before a storm rolled in. Luckily, we escaped with only a few drops of rain. Nothing too bad. We stayed at a nice little Bed & Breakfast, self-contained cottage, in Bicheno. It was really quaint and lovely, except for the little black scorpion that I found in the blanket I was using to cuddle up before we watched a movie... It made me jump straight up and stand on a chair until Matt trapped it with some paper and an upside down glass and 'removed' the critter to the great outdoors... I had a hard time sleeping after that and had to strip apart my bed looking for hiding scorpions in the covers before going to sleep for the night. 
From Bicheno, we travelled to a little known Douglas-Apsley National Park. This park is filled with boulder lined rivers and crystal clear blue green waterholes. We didn't spend much time here, as a recent fire had caused some trail closures, but the little bit we saw, definitely put Douglas-Apsley on our most do next time list! We then headed to St Helen's after stopping off at St Columba Falls and Ralph Falls. We also visited the largest White Gum Tree as we stopped off for a cool visit to the White Knights in Evercreech National Park. These tall trees were bravely saved from deforestation by a forester who was well beyond his time in conservation methods. He noticed the trees and thought them strangely tall, but had to do some serious investigation to confirm that they were unusually tall for their breed. Luckily, he was able to protect them from the loggers and now the area is natural rain forest pocket surrounded by working state land that is farmed regularly for wood and paper production. Matt and I had a very interesting time navigating to these areas because the maps of this region aren't very up to date or accurate as constant logging changes the routes of travel often. Luckily, my sense of direction and magnetic field in my head was able to help us reach our destinations. 
At St. Helens we finally got some beach time. We had one almost nice day where the sun was trying really hard to warm things up for us, but my Seattle/Spokane bones said it was warm enough and we spent a day lazing in the sun on the whitest sand I have ever seen. We even braved the water for a little while, though it was cold when we got out as there was a strong breeze coming off the water!
On our last day we drove to Leggs Tor which is the second highest peak in Tasmania and did a wet, cold hike up to the peak. From there we could see the ski lifts for the snow fields (ski resorts) and then we hurried back down to the car as we had to get our way back to Launceston, find a gas station and get to the airport before our early evening flight. Overall, it was a fantastic trip and I can't express enough how, in all our adventures, barely scratched the surface of things to discover in Tasmania. We, for one, didn't even make it to the West Coast side, where the mining history is deep and there is a whole corner of this island state that is only accessible by hiking in and camping overnight. Also, we would like to head towards Cradle Mountain region and some of the little islands off the coast line that are nature preserves to see some of the avian wildlife. So, like I disclosed before, don't try and come after me for financial reimbursement when you decide to travel to Tasmania and it costs you a pretty penny (based on current fuel prices-this is most likely to occur!)... You can just live vicariously through me and my mini-adventure... but it is too hard to do justice to all that little island state has to offer... it is truly a place one must see to believe. Sorry this post took me so long to get up and online. I've been working on it for months, so I hope it was worth the wait!
Ciao, Alison
Now that the legalities are done with, let me start with Launceston. This is a quaint little town with all the 'big city' department stores and services... yet somehow... it managed to feel like home-small, easy to navigate and incredibly friendly.
The city center was old brick 3 to 5 story buildings with classic facades and wide streets and sidewalks. It actually felt like going down one of the 'blank' movie sets at Universal Studios, just waiting for the next feature film to add their signatures to the blank canvas of buildings and film a great blockbuster movie set in the gold rush era, world war I, or even small town America in the 80's or 90's. The sidewalks aren't covered in advertising and you don't have that overwhelming feeling of commercialism as you walk down the streets. 
This was a great start to our 2 week adventure! We had a good look around at Lonnie (as the locals call it) and discovered the Cataract Gorge and First Basin. What a great little retreat and so close to the city center! There is a free public pool with a wading section and a deeper lap section, all set in a nice little protected basin with a natural fresh water reservoir with rocks to jump from, a tea house with a peaceful garden gazebo and short little walks you can take. If the day is too hot, you can always just jump in the water, pool or lake to cool off! One of the best parts of Launceston was our shopping experience. We were browsing through Myers, which is of very similar quality and style as Macy's/The Bon Marche, and we had endless staff looking after us and asking if we needed any help. I'll admit, that it was Easter Sunday and the shop was virtually empty, but the staff was so friendly and very helpful when I lost Matt and couldn't find him in the Men's department. Luckily he is tall and I was able track him down!Next stop was Devonport. From here we were planning on trying to get to the famous Cradle Mountain, but unfortunately, the weather didn't cooperate. Not that it was really that bad, but because of the elevation and the quickly changing weather in the region, we opted instead to go for a walk at Narawyntapu National Park.
Here there was a good 4 hour walk up to Archer's Knob and along the way we saw plenty of Pademelons and great coastal wet land scenery. There is a very shallow lake that normally would be chock full of birds, but unfortunately, due to recent drought conditions, it was virtually dry. 
Still the walk was refreshing and we had a great time climbing up the knob for a great view of the inlet and an endless deserted beach. From here we went to Mole Creek to check out the Karst National Park Caves. The one hour tour was informative, friendly and I saw Glow Worms for the first time that I remember... though I have been on cave tours when I was younger, and there was probably Glow Worms then... I just don't remember them, at least not to the degree we saw at these caves. 
Anyway, it was a great way to spend a drizzly, cold day and we also went on a short excursion to Alum Cliffs. This was a short ten minute walk along a ridge that ended with a grand view of sacred Aboriginal Red Ochre cliffs and a stunning drop off to a river below. Very much worth the detour! And the picture can't even come close to doing it justice..Next we headed south to Hobart. Hobart was not on either of our lists as a must see because we both felt that it might be a bit drab and just like every other city. But both of us were pleasantly surprised. Other than the awkward one way streets that you could easily learn to deal with over time, it was actually quite nice.
We had a short time in Hobart, but I feel we made the best of it. We first stopped at the Department of Immigration so that I could legally remain in the country since my Visa was about to expire. Then we checked into our little hotel off of Sandy Bay Road which was a very short walking distance to the Casino... Hey hey... my family favorite! So Matt and I had a walk to the casino for some cheap and HUGE eats. Then we watched a little Texas Hold 'Em and then wondered back to our room.
The next morning was an early rise so that we could scale Mt Wellington. It was a steep climb, but well worth the view. As we approached the top, there was some pockets of snow that had fallen the night before, but hadn't melted off yet. brrrrrr. it was cold, but still very much worth the view! We walked back down the lovely mountain under the Organ Pipes which are the columns of dolerite that are visible from the city. Quite precarious how they are all balanced carefully. This is of course the part of our adventure where I learn that Matt's favorite plants is the bottle bush. I had no idea this was the case until this trip and now I notice the firery red flowering bush every where we go. It is a native plant and doesn't have any fragrance, but still, it is quite pretty.On Saturday morning, we wandered around the Salamanca Markets near the water front and enjoyed some live Peruvian music while watching the market goers scramble for cover when a light shower passed through. From Hobart we headed east and then south to the Tasman peninsula where the world famous site of Port Arthur is located. Staying at Eagle Hawk Neck we were just across the dog line from where one of the worlds most famous gaol (jail) was located. Thousands of prisoners were shipped to "Van Diemans" land to serve out their sentences.
Before heading to the historic site, Matt and I took the Sealife Experience eco tour. This was a fun 4 hour adventure on an open boat with a guide and the driver pointing out the endless wonders of the sea.
I think I was the only person to deny taking sea sick tablets... don't worry, I didn't live to regret it, my tummy handled the rough seas just fine. :) We explored the Tasman Peninsula from the water including Tasman's Arch, Devil's Kitchen, Waterfall Bay, the Totem Poll and Cape Hauy, Cape Pillar and Tasman Island. They stopped over in a private little cove for some local cheese, wine and dips. The cove was beautiful and very picturesque. The boat had an underwater camera that they would put down every so often so we could see what creatures and plant life were hiding beneath the surface. It really is a whole nother world under the shallows. At Tasman 
Island, we saw hundreds of Australian Fur Seals. These males come from the warmer northern waters while the females stay up along the Gold Coast and the Sunshine Coast feasting and raising their pups. The males make the short trek to the north for breeding season and then come back down to the cooler waters to live it up in their bachelor pad. It really did smell like a bachelor pad too... the rocks are stained white from the birds and the seals. Pee-Yew!! Because I had the camera, I was up moving from side to side on the boat near where the bow had some protection glass, 
while Matt stayed seated towards the back where the sides were open. Even though the pictures don't really show how rough the waters were that day, we did have a pretty rough day on the water, with really gusty winds and some pretty choppy waves. Unfortunately for Matthew, he got a big spray of sea water that cleared the rest of the folks out of their seats, and Matt just stayed there and got drenched... He never once complained about getting wet, though he did complain about me taking a picture of him afterwards... :)Overall, the tour was worth every penny. Just hope for slightly better weather, though I think it kept the numbers down and we only had 10 people on the tour with us... made it very easy to move around the boat and get great pictures without having to jostle around everyone else.
After the tour we headed to Port Arthur. It was a very ponderous place to visit. The landscape is so beautiful now, but as you enter the site you are given a playing card with an actual prisoner who was sent to Van Diemans Land to serve their sentence. You then follow the path of this
prisoners life as he arrived at Port Arthur and learn what their conviction was, what tasks were assigned to them to carry out and what their living conditions were, what they ate, where the slept, etc. As you follow their path you learn about their chance of survival and if they had families back in England. It gets very serious as you find that your prisoner, your Ace of Spades, dies after serving only 8 years of their life sentence from a disease the runs rampant through the gaol. Also, the tragic story from 1996 when a single man killed 35 people in and around Port Arthur, still lingers in the air. The Cafe where he did most of the killing, has been converted to an area for quiet reflection in very good taste. Fortunately, authorities were able to capture and convict the murderer. This is the leading cause to the incredibly strict gun laws here in Australia. I found that most Aussies who remember the event were so deeply affected that 12 years later, they still will not talk about that day. As an outsider looking in, it is a very tragic story and my heart goes out to not only the victims and their families from that day, but to the people of this country that have been so affected by its occurrence.After the Eco Tour and Port Arthur, we did some serious hiking at Cape Raol and Cape Hauy. Both hikes were fairly long and had some good climbing stints in them, but were definitely worth it. The views and seascapes we enjoyed can't be done justice by my humble writing skills and even the camera fails to take in the true grandeur of these places. At Cape Raol, the cliffs of dolerite columns and wind protective scrub brush were the hightlights of the day. Cape Hauy,
besides seeing the Totem Pole from above, had the added bonus of my first live look at an Echidna. He/She really had no interest in us what-so-ever and just went about it's scrounging the cracks of rocks for bugs to eat. After my initial startle (I had no idea what it was at first!) it was quite interesting to watch the little forager dig and snuff his way around. His feet look like they are attached backwards (the back feet that is) and watching him dig under the rocks it makes perfect sense why his feet would be attached backwards... but you have to see it in action to really appreciate it.Anyway, we spent the next week driving our way up the east coast stopping along the way to catch some awesome views. We did a short hike at Wineglass Bay in the Freycinet National Park. I thought the view was pretty good and that the area was really nice, but Matt had such high expectations
(Wineglass Bay is the most photographed place in Tasmania, plus one of the biggest 'advertising' stints Tourism Tasmania promote) from seeing and hearing about it so much, he couldn't help but be a little disappointed. Besides, it was the first time that we really had to 'share' our space with other tourists. We had done some really cool hikes so far only seeing one or two other groups of people that this hike up to the lookout seemed a little like the start of a big race where people are jostling all around and getting themselves all hyped up. Okay, it wasn't really that crowded, but after the space and emptiness we had been experiencing it did feel a little overwhelming to be surrounded by people again... But, I thought it was beautiful and I enjoyed the hike. 
We came back via Hazards Beach and this was a little more remote and empty so Matt settled down pretty well after we left the hustle and bustle of the Wineglass Bay side. Threatening clouds began moving in so we did have to hustle a little bit to get back to the car before a storm rolled in. Luckily, we escaped with only a few drops of rain. Nothing too bad. We stayed at a nice little Bed & Breakfast, self-contained cottage, in Bicheno. It was really quaint and lovely, except for the little black scorpion that I found in the blanket I was using to cuddle up before we watched a movie... It made me jump straight up and stand on a chair until Matt trapped it with some paper and an upside down glass and 'removed' the critter to the great outdoors... I had a hard time sleeping after that and had to strip apart my bed looking for hiding scorpions in the covers before going to sleep for the night. 
From Bicheno, we travelled to a little known Douglas-Apsley National Park. This park is filled with boulder lined rivers and crystal clear blue green waterholes. We didn't spend much time here, as a recent fire had caused some trail closures, but the little bit we saw, definitely put Douglas-Apsley on our most do next time list! We then headed to St Helen's after stopping off at St Columba Falls and Ralph Falls. We also visited the largest White Gum Tree as we stopped off for a cool visit to the White Knights in Evercreech National Park. These tall trees were bravely saved from deforestation by a forester who was well beyond his time in conservation methods. He noticed the trees and thought them strangely tall, but had to do some serious investigation to confirm that they were unusually tall for their breed. Luckily, he was able to protect them from the loggers and now the area is natural rain forest pocket surrounded by working state land that is farmed regularly for wood and paper production. Matt and I had a very interesting time navigating to these areas because the maps of this region aren't very up to date or accurate as constant logging changes the routes of travel often. Luckily, my sense of direction and magnetic field in my head was able to help us reach our destinations. 
At St. Helens we finally got some beach time. We had one almost nice day where the sun was trying really hard to warm things up for us, but my Seattle/Spokane bones said it was warm enough and we spent a day lazing in the sun on the whitest sand I have ever seen. We even braved the water for a little while, though it was cold when we got out as there was a strong breeze coming off the water!
On our last day we drove to Leggs Tor which is the second highest peak in Tasmania and did a wet, cold hike up to the peak. From there we could see the ski lifts for the snow fields (ski resorts) and then we hurried back down to the car as we had to get our way back to Launceston, find a gas station and get to the airport before our early evening flight. Overall, it was a fantastic trip and I can't express enough how, in all our adventures, barely scratched the surface of things to discover in Tasmania. We, for one, didn't even make it to the West Coast side, where the mining history is deep and there is a whole corner of this island state that is only accessible by hiking in and camping overnight. Also, we would like to head towards Cradle Mountain region and some of the little islands off the coast line that are nature preserves to see some of the avian wildlife. So, like I disclosed before, don't try and come after me for financial reimbursement when you decide to travel to Tasmania and it costs you a pretty penny (based on current fuel prices-this is most likely to occur!)... You can just live vicariously through me and my mini-adventure... but it is too hard to do justice to all that little island state has to offer... it is truly a place one must see to believe. Sorry this post took me so long to get up and online. I've been working on it for months, so I hope it was worth the wait!Ciao, Alison
Tuesday, February 05, 2008
A pet Gecko... You must keep these in the laundry!
So I don't know if I've put anything in this blog in the past about the bugs/creatures here in Australia... but I'll tell you one thing... there are A LOT of them! Matt is a bit of a conservationist when it comes to life... insect life. The rule of the house is that we can only kill cockroaches and a certain spider that I can't even remember. Everything else must "be removed from the premises with as little disruption as possible". Right. Let's just think about this for a minute... I don't mind bugs when they are outside. I don't mind giving them space and letting them live their lives... I even understand if they feel threatened that they have a need to protect themselves by biting or stinging me as a the threatening human...but in MY HOUSE... it is fair game to me. I should be able to squish or spray or drown something if it is in my space... So, when Matt isn't home--or not in the room--that is exactly what I do... but there are some things that I can't even look at much less aim at and destroy... like cock roaches. They have got to be the most awful looking creatures to me... THANK GOODNESS Matt lets me kill them with spray... but still, early in the morning when they are lurking in a dark corner somewhere--it can be very hard to not scream out and wake the whole neighborhood--much less Matt, the world's lightest sleeper. I have conquered this fear and just recently, as I was about to step into the shower early on a Sunday morning, I managed to calmly spray a big-'ole CR and watch it go all nuts--all this without squealing or yelling or even waking up Matt. I was very proud of myself. In fact, I showed Matt the result of my conquest as soon as he was awake!
One day, Matt picked me up at the train station as I was coming home from a night out with good friends and apparently just before he left, he noticed Maize (his cat) playing with something in the courtyard. When we got home from the station, Matt went outside to investigate. He found that Maize had been playing with a little gecko. And now the sugar ants (the same ones that have been plaguing our house-living in our garbage bin-and cleaning out under the oven door (you know the crack that you can't ever clean because it is so tiny, but still catches everything!) have been attacking the poor thing. It was still alive so Matt picked off all the ants, found a shoe box and spent then next 5 days trying to resuscitate the poor thing. I allowed the shoe box to be in the laundry room, but would not allow it any further into the house. We determined that it had broken back legs and probably had internal injuries as well, but still every night Matt came home from work and caught flies, moths and bugs to feed to the gecko. Finally Matt decided there was nothing else he could do for the little fella so let him go in the courtyard. In a flash, he had scurried off under the bushes never to be seen again.
We had a month where we were under attack by the little sugar ants. They were everywhere! I had done some clearing in the courtyard, so I don't know if I disturbed them or if the drought was what drove them into the house searching for water, sugar and protein. Matt apparently has spent years studying these ants and has figured out their patterns, what draws them in, how they operate and has coined the phrase "random search mode." This being there is a select set of ants are sent out each day to search for food and water. When they find a source they head back to the ranch (nest, hill-whatever!) and tell the others. These worker ants then follow the trail left by the searcher back to the source. In droves, they come to break off bits and pieces of the food or drink the water to carry back to the hill. Once the source is used up or the trail lost, then the searcher ants return to "random search mode' and start all over again. Well, needless to say, they were relentless at finding any meat crumbs, sugary bits or pools of water they could find and cleaned us out, so to speak. I spent weeks trying to find anything they might possibly be interested in our kitchen and tossing them or sealing them. The honey now lives in a Ziploc bag because you all know it is impossible to remove every last drop of honey from the cap--etc. Finally they have left us and I still see the colony in the courtyard, but they have quit coming into the house for now.
Anyway, I wish I had thought to take photos of the gecko, but didn't think about it, so here is a photo of Maize the cat... she isn't as mean as she looks-most of the time!
Ciao,
Alison
One day, Matt picked me up at the train station as I was coming home from a night out with good friends and apparently just before he left, he noticed Maize (his cat) playing with something in the courtyard. When we got home from the station, Matt went outside to investigate. He found that Maize had been playing with a little gecko. And now the sugar ants (the same ones that have been plaguing our house-living in our garbage bin-and cleaning out under the oven door (you know the crack that you can't ever clean because it is so tiny, but still catches everything!) have been attacking the poor thing. It was still alive so Matt picked off all the ants, found a shoe box and spent then next 5 days trying to resuscitate the poor thing. I allowed the shoe box to be in the laundry room, but would not allow it any further into the house. We determined that it had broken back legs and probably had internal injuries as well, but still every night Matt came home from work and caught flies, moths and bugs to feed to the gecko. Finally Matt decided there was nothing else he could do for the little fella so let him go in the courtyard. In a flash, he had scurried off under the bushes never to be seen again.
We had a month where we were under attack by the little sugar ants. They were everywhere! I had done some clearing in the courtyard, so I don't know if I disturbed them or if the drought was what drove them into the house searching for water, sugar and protein. Matt apparently has spent years studying these ants and has figured out their patterns, what draws them in, how they operate and has coined the phrase "random search mode." This being there is a select set of ants are sent out each day to search for food and water. When they find a source they head back to the ranch (nest, hill-whatever!) and tell the others. These worker ants then follow the trail left by the searcher back to the source. In droves, they come to break off bits and pieces of the food or drink the water to carry back to the hill. Once the source is used up or the trail lost, then the searcher ants return to "random search mode' and start all over again. Well, needless to say, they were relentless at finding any meat crumbs, sugary bits or pools of water they could find and cleaned us out, so to speak. I spent weeks trying to find anything they might possibly be interested in our kitchen and tossing them or sealing them. The honey now lives in a Ziploc bag because you all know it is impossible to remove every last drop of honey from the cap--etc. Finally they have left us and I still see the colony in the courtyard, but they have quit coming into the house for now.
Anyway, I wish I had thought to take photos of the gecko, but didn't think about it, so here is a photo of Maize the cat... she isn't as mean as she looks-most of the time!Ciao,
Alison
Sunday, January 13, 2008
Summer At Last
So arriving here in early January did allow me to experience a glimmer of summer. Finally. I had personally had about 15 months of winter since making the decision to move to Australia. Trust me, that was not my optimal choice, but with an early winter hitting in 2006 in Bothell and the visa taking much longer than anticipated... I managed to start winter in September of 06, left in lat March of '07 just in time to arrive here in Australia as their winter came into full swing. Luckily winter here is by far much more mild than even Seattle's dark, wet and grime winters. I still was missing daylight that lasted more than 10 hours a day and the warmth of a summer evening, BBQ's and eating ice cream without feeling like putting on the wool socks first!
Also included in the refreshing summer like weather is getting out and doing stuff! Walks, bike rides, and even a little bit of running... just a little bit-no marathon training for me right now! But I have also gotten to do a bit of gardening. Our courtyard is pretty small, but at least now, I've cleaned up and pruned up some of the bushes. We have a nice little gardenia that is loaded with buds that smell amazing.
If we can figure out how to keep the possums out of our gordonia, it just might bloom one of these days! I've also been growing some basil, oregano and lavender in pots. Matt's mum got Maize (Matt's cat) some cat grass and cat mint to entertain her. I had to split the cat grass into two pots so we can put one out of reach and let it rest while she eats away on the other one.
Hope all is well with everyone!
Also included in the refreshing summer like weather is getting out and doing stuff! Walks, bike rides, and even a little bit of running... just a little bit-no marathon training for me right now! But I have also gotten to do a bit of gardening. Our courtyard is pretty small, but at least now, I've cleaned up and pruned up some of the bushes. We have a nice little gardenia that is loaded with buds that smell amazing.
If we can figure out how to keep the possums out of our gordonia, it just might bloom one of these days! I've also been growing some basil, oregano and lavender in pots. Matt's mum got Maize (Matt's cat) some cat grass and cat mint to entertain her. I had to split the cat grass into two pots so we can put one out of reach and let it rest while she eats away on the other one.Hope all is well with everyone!
On The Long Flight Home
Stopovers are a wonderful thing. Especially when you get to check in with a good friend and eat yummy Korean BBQ for the first time! I love seeing my friend Nicole in Honolulu. She is so fun to hang with and is such a good friend. I couldn't ask for a better excuse to break up my flight! We saw the tail end of a Hawaiian sunset from a valley where her and her partner (now fiance!) are looking to buy a home and then headed off for my first experience of Korean BBQ. Gather up your hunger for the week because you can eat for ages at this place! You go pick out your meats, veggies and a few sides and you take it all back to the table to cook it your self. The meats have all been marinating for hours, so they are tender, delicious and moist. The veggies are all freshly chopped and add lots of color to your plate. Plus, there is ice cream... all you can eat ice cream... what more could a girl want???
Who doesn't love heading to the airport early in the morning... and even better, who doesn't love sold out nine hour flights??? I've done this trip too many times to count now and I have to say, I've gotten my routine down pretty well. I am happy to plug in my ears (iPods are truly a wonderful travel companion) pick up a book and before I know it I am landing in another country... but I also don't really like to talk on these flights any more than necessary. Partly because every one of them has been emotional--everything from excitement, nerves, fear, sadness, elation and everything in between, but also because what could you possibly talk about to a complete stranger for 9+ hours? Most of my flights across the big blue pacific have been empty enough to have a spare seat next to me so I often don't even have to think about conversing with strangers or the guy next to me is totally engrossed in the in-flight movie and sleeps like a rock. But this time, this time I got to sit next to Madonna... I know surprising isn't it? And you all thought I was flying Economy... well, actually, I am flying economy and the Madonna sitting next to me had several kids of her own and wasn't trying to adopt any refugee children out of Africa. It turned out she was a retired school teacher heading out on her first overseas adventure alone. Luckily for her, I have all the necessary forms memorized and could help her fill out her information. I did worry though when she told me she was connecting in Sydney to go on to Melbourne... I had a sneaky feeling that she wouldn't know what to do to get through customs and take the transfer bus to the domestic terminal (a nasty fate you have to endure when flying in from Hawaii.) As much as my introverted flight mode hesitated to return conversation with this woman, I found that I actually quite liked talking to her and the flight still went relatively fast. She was quite courteous to me when I indicated it was time for me to try and catch some sleep and let me curl up against the window and doze. She also enjoyed watching the same in-flight movies as me so didn't keep trying to talk during the movie... I helped her collect her bags and navigate through customs, then I helped her find the bus and her gate at the domestic terminal. She was pretty excited and was going to have a good time at the Australian Open tennis tournament which is why she was on this trip. There was someone scheduled to meet her at the airport in Melbourne and as we had different connecting flights I bid her goodbye in Sydney.
I had my own welcoming committed in Melbourne when I landed. Matt had his Mum and sister Kate with him and Matt's brother Paul brought his family along to meet me as well, however, they went to the wrong terminal so ended up meeting us at baggage claim instead. It was quite the reunion. Australian security still allows people to see you off and collect you at the airport properly, not requiring a ticket to get through security for domestic flights. It is very refreshing to see a friendly face when disembark the aircraft instead of the daunting, cold fluorescent walk to baggage claim on your own...
Sorry this post is so delayed--you would think that not being allowed to work would find me posting things all the time, but I just didn't have the motivation to sit at the computer typing away until now when I can't sleep... So--till next time!
Who doesn't love heading to the airport early in the morning... and even better, who doesn't love sold out nine hour flights??? I've done this trip too many times to count now and I have to say, I've gotten my routine down pretty well. I am happy to plug in my ears (iPods are truly a wonderful travel companion) pick up a book and before I know it I am landing in another country... but I also don't really like to talk on these flights any more than necessary. Partly because every one of them has been emotional--everything from excitement, nerves, fear, sadness, elation and everything in between, but also because what could you possibly talk about to a complete stranger for 9+ hours? Most of my flights across the big blue pacific have been empty enough to have a spare seat next to me so I often don't even have to think about conversing with strangers or the guy next to me is totally engrossed in the in-flight movie and sleeps like a rock. But this time, this time I got to sit next to Madonna... I know surprising isn't it? And you all thought I was flying Economy... well, actually, I am flying economy and the Madonna sitting next to me had several kids of her own and wasn't trying to adopt any refugee children out of Africa. It turned out she was a retired school teacher heading out on her first overseas adventure alone. Luckily for her, I have all the necessary forms memorized and could help her fill out her information. I did worry though when she told me she was connecting in Sydney to go on to Melbourne... I had a sneaky feeling that she wouldn't know what to do to get through customs and take the transfer bus to the domestic terminal (a nasty fate you have to endure when flying in from Hawaii.) As much as my introverted flight mode hesitated to return conversation with this woman, I found that I actually quite liked talking to her and the flight still went relatively fast. She was quite courteous to me when I indicated it was time for me to try and catch some sleep and let me curl up against the window and doze. She also enjoyed watching the same in-flight movies as me so didn't keep trying to talk during the movie... I helped her collect her bags and navigate through customs, then I helped her find the bus and her gate at the domestic terminal. She was pretty excited and was going to have a good time at the Australian Open tennis tournament which is why she was on this trip. There was someone scheduled to meet her at the airport in Melbourne and as we had different connecting flights I bid her goodbye in Sydney.
I had my own welcoming committed in Melbourne when I landed. Matt had his Mum and sister Kate with him and Matt's brother Paul brought his family along to meet me as well, however, they went to the wrong terminal so ended up meeting us at baggage claim instead. It was quite the reunion. Australian security still allows people to see you off and collect you at the airport properly, not requiring a ticket to get through security for domestic flights. It is very refreshing to see a friendly face when disembark the aircraft instead of the daunting, cold fluorescent walk to baggage claim on your own...
Sorry this post is so delayed--you would think that not being allowed to work would find me posting things all the time, but I just didn't have the motivation to sit at the computer typing away until now when I can't sleep... So--till next time!
The Holiday's at Home
First Holiday up... Thanksgiving. Arriving in style with cousin Monica and her clan of Lena, Nora and Lizzie (the dog they had to get to replace me... Just kidding!). Oh, and I can't forget good 'ole Rob and his seized up back. The guy is normally 6'3" tall but was so bent over that he could hardly get in the Suburban. After a couple of hours of failing to entertain Miss Nora in the back seat, Monica sequestered herself to the duty and I drove the rest of the way. Luckily, we had clear skies and light traffic once we got out of Seattle. With in minutes of being home, I was snacking on the many options strewn about the kitchen. Yummmmmmy!
Nanette's dog Buddy, Mom & Dad's old faithful Bowtie and Lizzie spent the next several hours getting acquainted. Luckily, Bowtie is a Martyr and he kept things pretty reasonable, but Buddy and Lizzie have some growing up to do yet.
Here the three of them are paling around with Sydney and Conner. The next day is the big Turkey day. Mom made all the Thanksgiving standards. Turkey, Spiral Cut Ham, Mashed Potatoes, Stuffing, Gravy, Steamed Veggies, Jello Salad and Rolls. Aunt Edith brought over a huge fruit salad. It looked like it might topple the table over.
Sydney lead us all in a prayer before the meal and then we all ran like hell to get to our seats first! Gotta get as close to the mashed potatoes as possible... Mykel and I were going to having a little brawl over who got the first dollop.
Luckily, I got to sit at the kids table (no really... I like sitting there, it is where all the good stuff is kept. :)
Everyone else had to sit at the fancy adult table where manners are always on and you are too far away from the punch bowl to get refills on your drink!
I headed back over the mountains with the clan so I could get around in the Seattle area for awhile and try and catch up with friends over there. It's hard around the holiday's because so many people are gone off to see their own families, but I managed to have a few drinks, laughs and catch one of the worst colds I've had since I lived in the cottage. I haven't been that sick in a long time, but I still stayed up late to catch up with Hallie as she was in town from the UK and all the girls got together for some good story time. :) It was so great to see everyone again and to be back on the right side of the road!
Unfortunately, my friend Nicole did have a tragedy in her family, so she was in the area unexpectedly. I was so happy to see her, but sad for her circumstances. She had to fly out of Seattle, so I drove a car back for her to Spokane, but first went to Bellingham to have a visit there. I haven't spent much time IN Bellingham, mostly just passing through, but the town is fabulous and there was 6 inches of snow to greet me. I had a great time catching up with an old friend from High School and then sped off again to go back to the family. Luckily I got over the mountains without too much trouble, because once the snow started coming... it STILL hasn't quit. But it did melt.
There was some severe flooding in Western Washington, several million dollars in damages, not to mention some deaths and I-5 being shut down for the better part of a week. It put some people in some hard places and during the holiday season it is terribly sad. I got home and spent some time with Mom, Dad and Nanette before Christmas.
Nanette and I went to an ice hockey game and the Spokane Chiefs (hockey team) were collecting teddy bears for local area kids in need.
Nanette and I did our part and tossed a poor stuffed bear down to the ice after the Chief's first goal. The beard littering the ice were amazing.
They filled 3 full size pickup trucks (and I mean AMERICAN full sized!) with the bears and it delayed the game for a good 20 minutes while the players picked up all the bears. The cabs of the trucks were full, the beds and they were piled up over the tops of the cabs as well. Unbelievable! There were over 3000 bears collected. The Spokane Chiefs Hockey club is part of the Canadian Hockey League in the Western Division. The team has 20 or so players ranging in age from 16 to 19. Believe it or not, most of the kids come down from Canada and are taken in by a local family for the school year. The kids work their tail off hoping to get drafted into the NHL (National Hockey League) someday.
After a beautiful, quiet white Christmas with the family, I flew to Portland to meet up with my good friend Brian. I haven't seen Brian in about 2 years so it was so great to catch up with him at his home in McMinnville.
I got to tour his huge nursery and then we drove up to Seattle on a gorgeous clear sunny day. With a quick stop in Battleground Washington to visit Kristy's parents, and a few detours to find food and restrooms, we made it to Seattle on New Years Eve. We were both a bit daggy after the car ride so we opted to stay in at Miss Kristy's house and we barely made it to 12:01 am. After a Happy New Year wish, we both staggered off to bed. The next couple of days Brian and I played 'tourists in Seattle' and we did several fun things. We had a ferry ride to Bainbridge Island, we went up in the Bank of America Tower, toured the Seattle Public Library Central and even did the Underground Tour of Pioneer Square. We had lots of fun, managed to bump into an old co-worker of mine at where else, but a Starbucks.
We met Kristy and Adam for the movie Juno at The Big Picture. Get this... it is a theater... with cozy comfy 'quiet' seats for 100 people, and while you are waiting for your flick to begin, you can mingle with other guests, have some cocktails or beer and even schedule a drink delivery during the film. It was not only a great movie, but such a great atmosphere to watch a movie. I got my fill of foods I had been craving, friends updates and misty Seattle weather!
We even had a chance to swing by the original starbucks near Pike's Place Market... Busy as usual!
Overall, I had a blast and even spent some time pimping out MySpace pages for Rob and Brian... I feel like a technical genius now... except really, I am not... I just know how to cheat!
Ciao!
Nanette's dog Buddy, Mom & Dad's old faithful Bowtie and Lizzie spent the next several hours getting acquainted. Luckily, Bowtie is a Martyr and he kept things pretty reasonable, but Buddy and Lizzie have some growing up to do yet.Here the three of them are paling around with Sydney and Conner. The next day is the big Turkey day. Mom made all the Thanksgiving standards. Turkey, Spiral Cut Ham, Mashed Potatoes, Stuffing, Gravy, Steamed Veggies, Jello Salad and Rolls. Aunt Edith brought over a huge fruit salad. It looked like it might topple the table over.
Sydney lead us all in a prayer before the meal and then we all ran like hell to get to our seats first! Gotta get as close to the mashed potatoes as possible... Mykel and I were going to having a little brawl over who got the first dollop.
Luckily, I got to sit at the kids table (no really... I like sitting there, it is where all the good stuff is kept. :)
Everyone else had to sit at the fancy adult table where manners are always on and you are too far away from the punch bowl to get refills on your drink!
I headed back over the mountains with the clan so I could get around in the Seattle area for awhile and try and catch up with friends over there. It's hard around the holiday's because so many people are gone off to see their own families, but I managed to have a few drinks, laughs and catch one of the worst colds I've had since I lived in the cottage. I haven't been that sick in a long time, but I still stayed up late to catch up with Hallie as she was in town from the UK and all the girls got together for some good story time. :) It was so great to see everyone again and to be back on the right side of the road!
Unfortunately, my friend Nicole did have a tragedy in her family, so she was in the area unexpectedly. I was so happy to see her, but sad for her circumstances. She had to fly out of Seattle, so I drove a car back for her to Spokane, but first went to Bellingham to have a visit there. I haven't spent much time IN Bellingham, mostly just passing through, but the town is fabulous and there was 6 inches of snow to greet me. I had a great time catching up with an old friend from High School and then sped off again to go back to the family. Luckily I got over the mountains without too much trouble, because once the snow started coming... it STILL hasn't quit. But it did melt.
There was some severe flooding in Western Washington, several million dollars in damages, not to mention some deaths and I-5 being shut down for the better part of a week. It put some people in some hard places and during the holiday season it is terribly sad. I got home and spent some time with Mom, Dad and Nanette before Christmas.
Nanette and I went to an ice hockey game and the Spokane Chiefs (hockey team) were collecting teddy bears for local area kids in need.
Nanette and I did our part and tossed a poor stuffed bear down to the ice after the Chief's first goal. The beard littering the ice were amazing.
They filled 3 full size pickup trucks (and I mean AMERICAN full sized!) with the bears and it delayed the game for a good 20 minutes while the players picked up all the bears. The cabs of the trucks were full, the beds and they were piled up over the tops of the cabs as well. Unbelievable! There were over 3000 bears collected. The Spokane Chiefs Hockey club is part of the Canadian Hockey League in the Western Division. The team has 20 or so players ranging in age from 16 to 19. Believe it or not, most of the kids come down from Canada and are taken in by a local family for the school year. The kids work their tail off hoping to get drafted into the NHL (National Hockey League) someday.After a beautiful, quiet white Christmas with the family, I flew to Portland to meet up with my good friend Brian. I haven't seen Brian in about 2 years so it was so great to catch up with him at his home in McMinnville.
I got to tour his huge nursery and then we drove up to Seattle on a gorgeous clear sunny day. With a quick stop in Battleground Washington to visit Kristy's parents, and a few detours to find food and restrooms, we made it to Seattle on New Years Eve. We were both a bit daggy after the car ride so we opted to stay in at Miss Kristy's house and we barely made it to 12:01 am. After a Happy New Year wish, we both staggered off to bed. The next couple of days Brian and I played 'tourists in Seattle' and we did several fun things. We had a ferry ride to Bainbridge Island, we went up in the Bank of America Tower, toured the Seattle Public Library Central and even did the Underground Tour of Pioneer Square. We had lots of fun, managed to bump into an old co-worker of mine at where else, but a Starbucks.
We met Kristy and Adam for the movie Juno at The Big Picture. Get this... it is a theater... with cozy comfy 'quiet' seats for 100 people, and while you are waiting for your flick to begin, you can mingle with other guests, have some cocktails or beer and even schedule a drink delivery during the film. It was not only a great movie, but such a great atmosphere to watch a movie. I got my fill of foods I had been craving, friends updates and misty Seattle weather!
We even had a chance to swing by the original starbucks near Pike's Place Market... Busy as usual!
Overall, I had a blast and even spent some time pimping out MySpace pages for Rob and Brian... I feel like a technical genius now... except really, I am not... I just know how to cheat!
Ciao!
Monday, November 05, 2007
Halloween Aussie Style...and then some. :)
My God... Where have I been lately?!?! I have returned back to Melbourne for about a month and a half and then my Visa expired so I was home in time for Thanksgiving. Then after the holidays I came back here to Melbourne on a tourist Visa. So, I'll post the one I was working on before heading home and then add a few more shortly afterwards to catch you up on the journey home for the holiday's...
JUST WHERE DID MY SUMMER WEATHER GO?!?! When I arrived back here at the beginning of October, there was this perfect series of weather that was sooo easy to get used to and now it has disappeared and we are freezing our arses off once more! That's alright, it made Halloween a little more like home for me.
Halloween Aussie style, well let's just get one thing straight. We are NOT in Kansas anymore folks. You'll see why as you read on. First of all, hardly anyone 'celebrates' Halloween here. I distinctly picture entire streets lined with Jack-O-Lanterns and hundreds of ghosts and goblins and witches and princesses parading up and down the street with monster sized bags getting filled up by not handfuls but HUNDREDS of pieces of candy.
Here in Melbourne very small pockets of neighborhoods have Trick or Treating and hardly any houses in the neighborhoods seem to participate. One thing people at the bakery didn't understand was what if you didn't want to participate? Well, I explained, "You leave your porch light off and if you want to participate you usually have a jack-o-lantern or two on your front step lite up to indicate you are a Halloween friendly household.' "AHHHHH" most of my Aussie friends replied, "that makes sense." So luckily for the traditional American in me, the street my little bakery is on participates in a Trick or Treating gig for the local kids. Most of the shops along the street put up a sign in their window to indicate they will be participating and a few even decorate their front window. Sharon, knowing how homesick I can be, invited me to help her decorate the windows of our shop. So on Halloween Eve, out came the witches hats, spiderwebs and ghosts and up went all the decorations in the shop. She also kindly took me with her to pick out a costume to rent. She perfectly fit into the Queen of Hearts costume while I managed to squeeze into a Dorothy from the Wizard of Oz costume. I even had a basket with a stuffed dog for Toto. So like I said... We're not in Kansas anymore!!
The next day I got to hand out Lollies to all the kids as they crowded in to the shop and we had 300 bags prepared. Last year they had around 200 kids or so. My guess-timate is that there was actually over 500 kids this year because we blew through the 300 in less than an hour and hoards of kids were coming in when we didn't have anything left. So off we sent someone to the IGA to buy more and we did that trick two other times. I had skinned some small roma tomatoes and boiled some spaghetti noodles. They were in black cauldrons and the witches were using the eyeballs and brains for their magic spells. :) Some of the kids even recognized me the next day when they came in and I was back to work in my normal uniform. Sharon was running through the street screaming "Off with their heads!" dressed as the Queen of Hearts and chasing her kids around. All in all it was incredibly fun and luckily the nice weather came back shortly afterwards so I have been desperately trying to soak in some sunshine and take advantage of the warmer weather before I head home for the cold winter that lies ahead in Spokane. I'll be home for Thanksgiving just in time for more winter!
After Halloween was over, my friend Robyn threw a birthday party for John (the friend I went to high school/college with). I offered to prepare the food for her and on a frenzy I went starting on Thursday... I made spanish chicken kababs with peppers and zucchini, guacamole, pork picadillo empanadas, fresh salsa and a huge batch of taco meat. I met Robyn (and eventually John) at Flinders Street train station when they got off work and they helped me carry the goods back to their place. We had some nachos with the taco meat for dinner while we waited for the first of the guests to arrive. Matt met up with us later and had the blender with him in the car. Soon after, there was margaritas all around and before I knew it, it was 2 in the morning and we were heading home. It was really great. I got to meet some more Aussies and have some girl talk with Robyn and Kaila. Poor Matt was out playing video games in the living room with John while the three of us gossiped away. But, man... that was fun!
I paid for it on Saturday though... I ended up sleeping away most of the day and then we had dinner at Peter's house (Matt's Dad) that night. Then the next week was Melbourne Cup Day.
This is a public holiday in the State of Victoria. And it sure was fun. The day is full of glitz and glam with most everyone dressing up for the occasion. We had so much fun that we came back to the races on Saturday for the Emirates Stakes Day event. Much more low-key but still many people were dressed to the nine. At least I could walk around a bit more and see some of the horses up close and personal. 
They are just 
GORGEOUS! Not only that... but you can't beat the view of the city from our reserved seats in the grandstand. We were almost dead onto the finish line so we could see just who won in the final seconds.
I can't believe that it is time to head back so soon. Just when the weather got nice again... I get to head back State-side for winter number 3. Yahoo!
JUST WHERE DID MY SUMMER WEATHER GO?!?! When I arrived back here at the beginning of October, there was this perfect series of weather that was sooo easy to get used to and now it has disappeared and we are freezing our arses off once more! That's alright, it made Halloween a little more like home for me.
Halloween Aussie style, well let's just get one thing straight. We are NOT in Kansas anymore folks. You'll see why as you read on. First of all, hardly anyone 'celebrates' Halloween here. I distinctly picture entire streets lined with Jack-O-Lanterns and hundreds of ghosts and goblins and witches and princesses parading up and down the street with monster sized bags getting filled up by not handfuls but HUNDREDS of pieces of candy.
Here in Melbourne very small pockets of neighborhoods have Trick or Treating and hardly any houses in the neighborhoods seem to participate. One thing people at the bakery didn't understand was what if you didn't want to participate? Well, I explained, "You leave your porch light off and if you want to participate you usually have a jack-o-lantern or two on your front step lite up to indicate you are a Halloween friendly household.' "AHHHHH" most of my Aussie friends replied, "that makes sense." So luckily for the traditional American in me, the street my little bakery is on participates in a Trick or Treating gig for the local kids. Most of the shops along the street put up a sign in their window to indicate they will be participating and a few even decorate their front window. Sharon, knowing how homesick I can be, invited me to help her decorate the windows of our shop. So on Halloween Eve, out came the witches hats, spiderwebs and ghosts and up went all the decorations in the shop. She also kindly took me with her to pick out a costume to rent. She perfectly fit into the Queen of Hearts costume while I managed to squeeze into a Dorothy from the Wizard of Oz costume. I even had a basket with a stuffed dog for Toto. So like I said... We're not in Kansas anymore!!
The next day I got to hand out Lollies to all the kids as they crowded in to the shop and we had 300 bags prepared. Last year they had around 200 kids or so. My guess-timate is that there was actually over 500 kids this year because we blew through the 300 in less than an hour and hoards of kids were coming in when we didn't have anything left. So off we sent someone to the IGA to buy more and we did that trick two other times. I had skinned some small roma tomatoes and boiled some spaghetti noodles. They were in black cauldrons and the witches were using the eyeballs and brains for their magic spells. :) Some of the kids even recognized me the next day when they came in and I was back to work in my normal uniform. Sharon was running through the street screaming "Off with their heads!" dressed as the Queen of Hearts and chasing her kids around. All in all it was incredibly fun and luckily the nice weather came back shortly afterwards so I have been desperately trying to soak in some sunshine and take advantage of the warmer weather before I head home for the cold winter that lies ahead in Spokane. I'll be home for Thanksgiving just in time for more winter!
After Halloween was over, my friend Robyn threw a birthday party for John (the friend I went to high school/college with). I offered to prepare the food for her and on a frenzy I went starting on Thursday... I made spanish chicken kababs with peppers and zucchini, guacamole, pork picadillo empanadas, fresh salsa and a huge batch of taco meat. I met Robyn (and eventually John) at Flinders Street train station when they got off work and they helped me carry the goods back to their place. We had some nachos with the taco meat for dinner while we waited for the first of the guests to arrive. Matt met up with us later and had the blender with him in the car. Soon after, there was margaritas all around and before I knew it, it was 2 in the morning and we were heading home. It was really great. I got to meet some more Aussies and have some girl talk with Robyn and Kaila. Poor Matt was out playing video games in the living room with John while the three of us gossiped away. But, man... that was fun!
I paid for it on Saturday though... I ended up sleeping away most of the day and then we had dinner at Peter's house (Matt's Dad) that night. Then the next week was Melbourne Cup Day.
This is a public holiday in the State of Victoria. And it sure was fun. The day is full of glitz and glam with most everyone dressing up for the occasion. We had so much fun that we came back to the races on Saturday for the Emirates Stakes Day event. Much more low-key but still many people were dressed to the nine. At least I could walk around a bit more and see some of the horses up close and personal. 
They are just 
GORGEOUS! Not only that... but you can't beat the view of the city from our reserved seats in the grandstand. We were almost dead onto the finish line so we could see just who won in the final seconds.I can't believe that it is time to head back so soon. Just when the weather got nice again... I get to head back State-side for winter number 3. Yahoo!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)