Lifes a Beach ;)

Life sure seems lovely in the land down under. Maybe it was the perfect weather or just the way we spent our day, but one could get used to a life like this. :) (don't worry everyone, we do intend to come home)

This morning we had to leave bright and early so we could go to Manly Beach for our surfing lesson. We left the hostel about 7:45 so we could catch the 8:10 ferry. The ride over was nice and we made sure we sat outside to get a nice vantage point of the Opera House as we cruised past it. We made it to our surfing lesson at 9 and immediately got into our wetsuits. There were only 3 others in our lesson, and our guide, Brandon, took us down the beach. I'm going to say right now that carrying my surf board down a good bit of Manly Beach was a workout all it's own, but that probably would not surprise any of you reading this.

Anyway, Brandon gave us a quick briefing on the sand. The only thing I really remembered was to stay crouched low and keep your hands on the board while you moved your legs to get up. Apparently that was enough because I was the first person to have a go at it and I got up with no problems. I was pretty proud of myself. Mesa also got up on her first try too. We had a lot of fun out there and Brandon was a great guide. I learned that he's been working at Manly Surf School for 6 years, he turns 30 in April, he's a 5th generation of Manly, and he really only works about 5 hours a day.  Today he only had our 2 hour lesson and then he had to man the phones for 3 hours. Pretty different from my life, besides that whole turning 30 bit.

After surfing we took advantage of the beautiful day by laying out in the sun for a bit and then enjoyed some lunch right down by the water. Food is really expensive so although it is nice to sit somewhere by the water and be served, we have to do something else before we go broke.

We took the ferry back to Circular Quay only to go off to Bondi Beach. You can't cone to Sydney without going there. It's such a large beach and it's just packed with people. We didn't even go in the water there, but rather just found another nice spot to lay out for a while. The people-watching is spectacular.

We finished our evening with a little bit of shopping, standing outside the Apple store to use their free wi-fi, and meeting Eoin at Pie Face for dinner. What's Pie Face, you ask? Only an awesome, convienient little chain that has so many different kinds of pies - like pot pies.

Mesa had a vegetarian one, I had a thai chicken curry one. Eoin got some crazy thing with mashed potatoes, gravy, and peas on top. It was delicious.

Tonight's our last night in Sydney, so we said our goodbyes to Eoin and plan to just take it easy before bed.

We'd also like to give a special birthday shout out to Mesa's dad, Randal. I think she was the first to wish him well, although she did have a 17 hour advantage!

Bridge Climb / Opera House

G'day Mate! Right now I'm sitting with Mesa at a lovely little cafe called Rossini enjoying some really delicious fish and chips. It's located at the Circular Quay warf and we've just finished our Sydney Bridge Climb. It was unfortunately a gloomy rainy day so our views from the top of the bridge weren't the best.  But we had a fun time anyway. It wasn't very strenuous either, so if you're thinking of doing a trip to Sydney - put it on your itinerary! It's a must! Only 1,437 steps!

Our leader, Tom, was very knowledgeable and told some interesting stories across our radios. Like how this dude was working on the bridge and fell off about 50 meters but luckily he was a high diver and knew to go in feet first. He ended up with a few broken ribs but he went back to work 16 days later. Pretty lucky guy! This year the bridge celebrated it's 80th anniversary. We got to keep our hats too! In our group picture, look closely off to the right to see the opera house.

After lunch we walked over to the Opera House for our tour. It is pretty impressive up close. You always think that it's white, but when you're up close it actually has two-toned tiles: a creamy color and an egg shell like color. The tour guide we had, Alan, was really good. So passionate about this remarkable World Heritage Site. Jørn Utzon was the architect and started construction in 1959. His design almost didn't make it. It was put in the rejected pile but one of the judges was late and asked to look through them once he arrived. Because the project took much longer than the 3 years he estimated and they way overspent the 7 million estimated he ended up resigning from the project in 1966 after pressure about the project. He left Sydney and never came back to see it completed. (I'm not afraid to admit that hearing that made me sad and almost tear up). Luckily, there was reconciliation with Utzon, in 1999 he was brought on as an architect for future renovations and projects and his son is very involved and is in Sydney quite frequently.  I'd say the best part of our tour was that we went into the performance hall for Swan Lake. The male lead had to use an understudy for tonights performance and they were rehearsing when we went in. It was really cool to see the ballet dancers there rehearsing. Unfortunately, the show was sold out 6 months ago so that was all of the performance we will see.

After the tour we walked around to the Sydney Royal Botanical Gardens because Eoin said there was a good photo spot there. We weren't disappointed. Although our legs were quite tired, it's been nice to walk around a bit.

We met up with Eoin for dinner after he was done working. I had a delicious chili crab linguine that was tossed in a lemon and mint sauce. Yum! Afterwards, we went to the Shangri-La Hotel. There's a bar on the 36th floor, Bar Blu, that has an amazing view of the bridge and the opera house. They also have a drink called The Martini on the Rock for $10, 000 that comes with a diamond in the glass and a hotel room. A little ridiculous, but maybe some girls like super over the top proposals. Regardless, with the city full of lights, and fabulous company, it was a nice way to end to our evening.

National Maritime Museum

Another nice day in Sydney! I'd even go so far as to say it was the best one yet! But that may be because our backpacks finally arrived! They didn't come until this evening, but at least we got them!

This morning we took it pretty easy since we were up late last night so we went out to Darling Harbor for lunch. It was a little cooler today but we still ate outside. After lunch Liam, Eoin, & Giovanna met up with us and we went to tour the National Maritime Museum. We started with a tour of the Endeavour, a replica of Captain Cook's ship that was reconstructed to be as similar to his original ship that was used in 1768-1771. We also went on the submarine Onslow which served in the Royal Australian Navy from 1969-1999. The sub could stay under water for 6 weeks at a time. The spaces were so tight that you better have liked the people you were with. They gave us these bright yellow clips so they could regulate the number of people going in, which I lost in the Harbor as I peered over the edge to look at all of the jellyfish. After that we toured the destroyer ship called the Vampire. It was the last big-gun ship built in Australia before the introduction of guided missiles. It was used in the Navy from 1959-1986. I've decided that all sailors have to be short because their sleeping spaces are so small.

We had a nice break after the museum and then Eoin, Giovanna, and Liam left so Liam could catch his flight. After that Eoin, Mesa & I went to The Rocks for dinner at a little Italian place. We had some delicious pizza and went for a nice walk afterwards. We went around the Circular Quay and had some nice views of the bridge and Opera House.

We also had our first encounter with the massive fruit bats. I'm telling you, these things are larger than a crow and would swoop down by us as we walked under the trees. So gross.

It's crazy that the weekend is over and tomorrow we'll be leaving Eoin.

Time flies when you're having fun.
Until tomorrow...

Harbor Cruise

Our bags have still not arrived. Quantas gave us another $500 and said our bags should come tomorrow. We have tried to make the best of it but it is quite frustrating. 

Today was still a very fun day. We did a harbor cruise with Eoin's friends. It was terribly hot out so it felt great to be out on the water. We had an amazing view of the Opera House and the Bridge. After the cruise we went out with the group back to Victoria's place. She was the one who organized the cruise.

It was really nice of everyone to be so welcoming.  We are having a wonderful time, now we just need our bags to arrive!

We have arrived!

We have arrived in Sydney!

We had a little issue with our luggage. Apparently, when the airline pushed back our departure time about a month ago, it left us with only 45 minutes to connect in Dallas and the airline cannot print an electronic baggage ticket unless there is 50 minutes. Since we had no other option, we had the lady hand-write our baggage tickets and just prayed that they'll make it.

We were both able to sleep a good deal of that 16 hour flight (and still watch 3 movies and eat 2 meals).

Unfortunately, our bags did not make it to Sydney. Luckily, Quantas was really helpful and will be forwarding our bags to Eoin's house. Plus they gave us $200 and a bag of pajamas and other essentials.  We used the money to buy our train tickets to meet Eoin along with new swimsuits and dresses. It is soooo hot and muggy and we both wore jeans on the plane. We expect to have our bags by tomorrow.

Today we took it pretty easy. We had a nice relaxing day with Eoin and then went out later to meet up with Liam, his brother and his wife (the ones who were married in Peru when we met these guys). It was great to see all of them. It still doesn't feel like we are in Australia, but I'm sure that'll change in the upcoming days.

Hope everyone is doing well back home.

Itinerary

ITINERARY
Wednesday November 28th - Depart Minnesota at 6:45 PM

Thursday November 29th - Lost in air.

Friday November 30th - Arrive in Sydney at 10:15 AM. Take train into the city to meet Eoin. Liam will also be arriving this day from Melbourne.

Saturday December 1st -  Harbor cruise with Eoin, Liam, and their friends.

Sunday December 2nd - Left open pending plans with the guys!

Monday December 3rd - Check into Backpackers HQ Hostel.

Sydney Harbor Bridge Climb 9 am.
Sydney Opera House Tour 3 pm.

Tuesday December 4th - Manly Beach Surf School lesson 9 am - 11 am.

Wednesday December 5th - Flight to Cairns. Leaves at 10:40 and arrives in Cairns at 12:45 pm. Check into Tropic Days Backpackers Hostel.

Thursday December 6th - Rainforest Habitat Wildlife Sanctuary 8 am.

Friday December 7th - Snorkeling in the Great Barrier Reef.

Saturday December 8th - Tjapukai Aboriginal Cultural Park, Skyrail Cableway to Kuranda, and Kuranda Scenic Train.

Sunday December 9th - Flight to Alice Springs at 11:25 am. Arrive in Alice Springs at 1:15 pm. Check into Haven Backpackers Hostel and explore Alice Springs.

Monday December 10th - Depart Haven Backpackers Hostel with Adventure Tours at 5:30 am for 4 day Red Centre Explorer Tour. Alice Springs to Kata Tjuta and Uluru (Ayers Rock). Stop at an outback camel farm for an optional camel ride, then catch your first glimpse of Uluru at Ayers Rock Resort. After lunch explore Kata Tjuta (the Olgas) on a guided Valley of the Winds walk. This evening watch the sunset over Uluru and sleep in a swag (Aussie bedroll) under the stars.

Tuesday December 11th - Uluru to Kings Canyon. Rise early to catch the magical Uluru sunrise. Take an unguided walk around the base of Uluru and stop in at the cultural centre for a fascinating insight into local culture and the opportunity to purchase indigenous arts and crafts. Enjoy lunch before traveling to Kings Canyon where we stay overnight.

Wednesday December 12th - Kings Canyon to Glen Helen. Explore the Amphitheatre, Lost City, and Garden of Eden within Kings Canyon. After lunch travel along the famous Red Centre Way and pass 140 million year old meteorite crater, Gosse Bluff. Overnight in Glen Helen, nestled in the western end of MacDonnell Ranges.

Thursday December 13th - Glen Helen to Alice Springs. Spot wildlife and discover the geological features of Ormiston Gorge on a morning walk. Next, travel along the ancient track of the Finke River to view the majestic Palm Valley and Cycad Gorge, exploring what was once prehistoric inland sea. Return to Alice Springs early evening via the impressive Western MacDonnell Ranges.

Friday December 14th - Depart Alice Springs at 12 pm.

Saturday December 15th - Land in Christchurch NZ at 7:25 am. Get rental car and drive to Kaikoura.

• Kaikoura Kayak with Seals Tour 12:30 - 4 pm.  

• Drive to Motueka, check into Laughing Kiwi Backpackers Hostel

Sunday December 16th – Depart Laughing Kiwi Hostel early morning to go to Abel Tasman National Park. Full Day Sailing Tour - visit Anchorage Beach, fur seal colony, Split Apple Rock. Drive to Punakaiki and overnight at Te Nikau Retreat.

Monday December 17th - Punakaiki Pancake Rocks, then drive to Franz Josef

• Franz Josef Glacier Tour @ 2:15 -5:30

• Overnight at YHA Franz Josef

Tuesday December 18th –Leave Franz Josef and drive to Queenstown. Check into Pinewood Hostel

Kawarau Bridge Bungy Jump

Wednesday December 19th - Drive from Queenstown to Milford Sound. Overnight cruise in the Milford Sound with Real Journeys.

Thursday December 20th - We return to Milford Sound at 9:15 am. Drive to Queenstown. Back to the Pinewood Hostel. Below Zero Ice Bar in the evening!

Friday December 21st - Lord of the Rings Tour.

Saturday December 22nd - Depart Queenstown at 2:40 pm.

Sunday December 23rd - Arrive in Minnesota at 5:50 pm.

Prepare For Departure

Just two weeks left until Mesa and I depart for our 1 month adventure to Australia and New Zealand!

We have talked about doing this trip since the second we returned from Peru in August 2011.

I've already pulled out my trusty travel pack - newly decorated with the Australia and New Zealand patches my sister Heidi picked up for me during her J-Term this year. I guess now all that I have left is to pack. Or, more specifically, wane what I've already pulled out.

I like to believe that I have excellent packing skills, but it is hard trying to figure out what you know you'll be stuck wearing for a month!

We just have a few more details to straighten out on our itinerary, but look for that in the next update.