The past few weeks have been a whirlwind and very exciting, to say the least. Picking up from where I left off in my last blog posting, I had a great time in Melbourne dispite the dreary weather and enjoyed catching up with my old roommate Gen. From there I hopped on a puddle jumper and flew to Hamilton Island in the Whitsundays and was greeted with beautiful weather, amazing scenery, as well as wine and cheese in the hotel thanks to my mom and dad who had arrived a few hours earlier. They filled me in on their adventures and I caught them up on mine as we relaxed on the balcony of our 10th floor hotel overlooking the Coral Sea. Talk about picturesque!
The next few days were filled with resting and relaxing on the beach and by the pool. One of the days we were there my dad and I booked a day trip on a sail boat to go snorkeling which was great. (My mom is not a big fan of boats so she stayed on land that day and hung out w/ a koala.) We saw lots of fish and coral and I got to put my underwater digital camera to use for the first time! Another day he and I went parasailing which was amazing. It was so relaxing and peaceful to float up in the air as a boat pulled us along while we overlooked the other small islands around us. And it didn't hurt that it was a gorgeous day!
That same night we boarded yet another boat for a sunset dinner cruise (which we almost missed and had to run the whole way to the marina from our hotel after they called to find out where we were) which had a beautiful view of the sunset as well as great food and wine.
The following day we went on a bus tour of the island and found a great spot to watch the sunset so we returned there that evening and sipped on cocktails while we watched the sky fill with shades of pink, red, purple, and orange. Simply beautiful!
We found it hard to leave the island since it was definitely the highlight of our travels. Nothing beats relaxing on a beach for five days! We returned to Sydney for my parents' last night in Australia and had dinner overlooking Bondi Beach where we saw another great sunset. There was certainly a pattern of that! I said goodbye and safe travels to them the next morning and started my check-off list for my final week in Australia.
I enjoyed being able to soak up the city, wander around and appreciate all that Sydney has to offer. I met friends for lunch, went to a museum, walked around the harbour, and visited a few of my favorite spots for one final time.
For my last weekend Jen gathered some friends to join us on a double decker bus to tour around the city and see all the highlights in one day. It was a great way to capture tons of pictures to make up for all the ones that were lost on the stolen computer, so thanks to everyone who joined in on the fun, and a special thanks to Jen (and Kevin) for organizing it! And not only did we hop on and off the bus for pictures, but in the true spirit of Australia we stopped for a few pints of beer along the way as well! It was a fantastic send-off celebration that will forever be a highlight.
In less than 24 hours I will be on a plane headed back to the states and I can hardly believe that nine months has passed so quickly. I predicted that time would fly while Jen and I were here but of course it's gone faster than I ever could have imagined.
A big thanks to everyone who supported us along the way from the states and in Aus. A super special big thanks to Kat who took us under her wing and introduced us to great people, great food, and great wine! You will be missed. To those of you who I've met in Australia, you will always have a friend to look up in Atlanta. To everyone who's never been to Australia, you need to check this place out! It's fantastic and has a lot to offer.
And finally to Jen- thank you so much for joining me on this crazy adventure and I can't wait for whatever adventure may come next!! Enjoy the rest of your time here and try not to rub it in too much that I'm not right there by your side like I have been for the past nine months. I will miss you lots!
Thanks to everyone for taking the time to read the blog; I've enjoyed writing it and hope you've enjoyed following it!
xoxo,
Kari
Wednesday, August 5, 2009
Wednesday, July 22, 2009
On the Move
My parents arrived at the beginning of the month and we stayed busy in Sydney checking out the sites including attending the opening night of Aida at the Opera House! We also went on a harbour cruise, took a behind-the-scenes tour of the zoo, went to lots of markets, and then I sent them off to all the museums by themselves. They also climbed the Harbour Bridge and went to the Blue Mountains for a few days. And lucky for them, they were around to help Jen and me move out of our apt and say farewell to Cascade Street. I had them weeding our garden and everything!
The next day I was on a tour that went to Wineglass Bay among other great spots for great photographs. Wineglass Bay was beautiful but the weather wasn't the greatest so it probably would have been even better in the warm sun.
For the last day in Tassie I went to Port Arthur which is an old convict settlement from the 1800s. It was very interesting to see this old place where tons of prisoners were shipped from England and Ireland back in the day. It was a long drive to get there so the tour bus made a few stops at great spots with more picturesque scenery. All in all, Tasmania was beautiful though I would love to return when I have more time and warm weather!
From there I flew to Perth to visit my friend Claire and soon after I arrived we hopped in a car with some of her friends and drove 2.5 hours south to Margaret River which is a popular wine region of Western Australia. We stayed at a beach house though it wasn't warm enough to go to the beach, but we had a great time visiting lots of wineries and exploring the area. It was a great weekend though again we didn't have the best weather as it rained on an off for the few days we were there.
I am now in Melbourne and am staying w/ my old roommate Gen from when I lived here 6 years ago so it's great to be back in the old apartment on my old stomping grounds. However I think the bad weather is following me b/c it started raining this afternoon and it's been a dreary day!
On Friday I am off to the Whitsunday Islands for 5 days and will meet my parents there who are currently in Cairns checking out the Great Barrier Reef. I'm hoping the bad weather pattern doesn't continue b/c I would love nothing more than to relax on the beach and enjoy the white sand and blue water! Fingers crossed.
I hope to post pictures soon, so stay tuned!
Tuesday, June 30, 2009
June Happenings
Well the last few weeks have been interesting ones so I will jump right in.
On the same day that Jen left for a 4-day trip to New Zealand (June 18th), someone decided to break into our apartment. I came home from work to find the front door ajar and the lights on. I then discovered that someone smashed my bedroom window, ransacked both my room and Jen's room, and took one of the few valuables we have here- Jen's laptop. Luckily we don't have a lot of treasures here and we didn't leave any cash lying around but they still took a few other things like jewelery and wine. (They must have been thirsty after all that effort to get in our apt!) Unfortunately the computer held ALL of my Fiji and Australia pics so they are now gone forever. RIP, photos! (Kari's lesson for the day- backup your photos!!)
I called the cops immediately and then called Kat who came to my rescue while we waited for the cops to show up. I also had to deal w/ getting my window replaced which turned out to be a lot more simple than I thought it would be considering it was after 7pm. It could have been a long, drawn-out evening but the cops and window repairman had come and gone within 2 hours of me getting home to find the mess.
I stayed with Kat for the night and the next day I met a forensics lady at my apt to look for fingerprints, etc. She said she thought she got a good hand and finger print but it's almost two weeks later we still haven't heard anything. Fingers crossed they catch the guy at some point! Now we just have to wait to get reimbursed for our missing items from the travel insurance we bought.
Jen really enjoyed New Zealand and hopes to go back to see more of it at some point but she didn't enjoy coming home to the news of the break-in. After a lot of thinking and negotiating with our real estate agent, she has decided she doesn't want to stay in the apt after I leave so our lease ends on July 14th which is the day after I start my travels.
My last day of work is Friday so things are really wrapping up here. My parents arrive just over 13 hours from now so it will be great to see them and show them around Sydney. There are a lot of exciting things planned while they are here so it should be a great visit. (And there will be a ton of photos for the blog!)
I haven't seen any pics from Jen's trip to NZ yet but here are two pics Kat took of my first meeting of Australian cops.
On the same day that Jen left for a 4-day trip to New Zealand (June 18th), someone decided to break into our apartment. I came home from work to find the front door ajar and the lights on. I then discovered that someone smashed my bedroom window, ransacked both my room and Jen's room, and took one of the few valuables we have here- Jen's laptop. Luckily we don't have a lot of treasures here and we didn't leave any cash lying around but they still took a few other things like jewelery and wine. (They must have been thirsty after all that effort to get in our apt!) Unfortunately the computer held ALL of my Fiji and Australia pics so they are now gone forever. RIP, photos! (Kari's lesson for the day- backup your photos!!)
I called the cops immediately and then called Kat who came to my rescue while we waited for the cops to show up. I also had to deal w/ getting my window replaced which turned out to be a lot more simple than I thought it would be considering it was after 7pm. It could have been a long, drawn-out evening but the cops and window repairman had come and gone within 2 hours of me getting home to find the mess.
I stayed with Kat for the night and the next day I met a forensics lady at my apt to look for fingerprints, etc. She said she thought she got a good hand and finger print but it's almost two weeks later we still haven't heard anything. Fingers crossed they catch the guy at some point! Now we just have to wait to get reimbursed for our missing items from the travel insurance we bought.
Jen really enjoyed New Zealand and hopes to go back to see more of it at some point but she didn't enjoy coming home to the news of the break-in. After a lot of thinking and negotiating with our real estate agent, she has decided she doesn't want to stay in the apt after I leave so our lease ends on July 14th which is the day after I start my travels.
My last day of work is Friday so things are really wrapping up here. My parents arrive just over 13 hours from now so it will be great to see them and show them around Sydney. There are a lot of exciting things planned while they are here so it should be a great visit. (And there will be a ton of photos for the blog!)
I haven't seen any pics from Jen's trip to NZ yet but here are two pics Kat took of my first meeting of Australian cops.
Filling out my first ever police report
Me and my new friends! (Names unknown)
Tuesday, June 16, 2009
June Update
It's been a few weeks since the last update so here's what's been keeping us busy!
The last weekend in May Jen went to Kangaroo Island in South Australia with a group of people we've been hanging out with. She had a great time and absolutely loved it, though without her sidekick photographer (moi), she doesn't have that many photos to share. The following weekend she went back to the Blue Mountains (where we went on my b-day) with a lot of the same people and a few additions. I stayed in Sydney and hung out with Kat since I'm trying to save $$ for my travels next month. Kat and I went to the Bondi markets, the Surry Hills markets, went window shopping, drank some champagne, ate a delicious meal she whipped up, went out dancing with her roommate Kaisa, and had a slumber party two nights in a row. So much fun!
This past Friday Jen and I went down to the harbor where the Opera House was lit up for a special art show. The pattern of lights on the Sydney icon changes every so often but we were too cold to wait around to see more! I was happy to get at least got one good photo of it. We then met up with some friends in The Rocks to hang out at The Argyle. On Saturday we went out for Yum Cha with 8 other people. It's a Chinese tradition of sharing lots of small plates of various types of food which is a popular thing to do here since there is such a strong Asian influence in Sydney. There was so much food (some of which was a little scary!) but it was a good time. That evening we went to a friend's apt for a going away party which was a blast. As usual, we enjoyed our weekend and didn't want to go back to work on Monday!
Enjoy the photos!
Jen and crew on 'Roo Island
At the Beresford Hotel w/ our color coordinating outfits and drinks!
Hat shopping at a vintage store in Surry Hills
The funky Opera House. Psychedelic!
J&K at the Argyle
Jen with our friends Kevin and Gareth at Yum Cha
Lots of food!
Saturday night house party
J&K with Gareth at the Bourbon on Sun night
The last weekend in May Jen went to Kangaroo Island in South Australia with a group of people we've been hanging out with. She had a great time and absolutely loved it, though without her sidekick photographer (moi), she doesn't have that many photos to share. The following weekend she went back to the Blue Mountains (where we went on my b-day) with a lot of the same people and a few additions. I stayed in Sydney and hung out with Kat since I'm trying to save $$ for my travels next month. Kat and I went to the Bondi markets, the Surry Hills markets, went window shopping, drank some champagne, ate a delicious meal she whipped up, went out dancing with her roommate Kaisa, and had a slumber party two nights in a row. So much fun!
This past Friday Jen and I went down to the harbor where the Opera House was lit up for a special art show. The pattern of lights on the Sydney icon changes every so often but we were too cold to wait around to see more! I was happy to get at least got one good photo of it. We then met up with some friends in The Rocks to hang out at The Argyle. On Saturday we went out for Yum Cha with 8 other people. It's a Chinese tradition of sharing lots of small plates of various types of food which is a popular thing to do here since there is such a strong Asian influence in Sydney. There was so much food (some of which was a little scary!) but it was a good time. That evening we went to a friend's apt for a going away party which was a blast. As usual, we enjoyed our weekend and didn't want to go back to work on Monday!
Enjoy the photos!
Jen and her Kangaroo Island crew at a winery.
Jen and crew on 'Roo Island
Me, Kat and her roommate Kaisa
At the Beresford Hotel w/ our color coordinating outfits and drinks!
Hat shopping at a vintage store in Surry Hills
The funky Opera House. Psychedelic!
J&K at the Argyle
Jen with our friends Kevin and Gareth at Yum Cha
Lots of food!
Saturday night house party
J&K with Gareth at the Bourbon on Sun night
Tuesday, May 26, 2009
Latest Oz Update
Here are the latest happenings in Sydney:
Two weekends ago we attended a Sydney Rabbit's rugby game (yet another intimidating mascot!) with our American friend Zach and some of his friends. We had a mini tailgate before the game and we were the ONLY people doing so. Apparently (and very surprisingly) that's not a common pre-game festivity for Aussies.
Last week we had to say goodbye to our friend Nagesh. His contract work has ended here so he had to return to the states and we went out on Thurs and Sat night for his final send off. First, our Aussie friend Adam left for London and now Nagesh bid us farewell. Zach is looking at a job in England so he might be ditching us too. It's so sad to be losing some of our friends!
On Sunday our fabulous and favorite hostess, Kat, held a Mexican feast. And what a feast it was! She cooked up a storm, mixed some mean tequila drinks and everyone had great time as always.
My time in Australia will soon be coming to an end which is so hard to believe. Before I depart the land Down Under I'll be making a few trips which I'm quite excited about. My parents will be visiting for the month of July and I'll hang out with them in Sydney before they take off for Ayres Rock and Cairns. While they explore those areas (I've been to both before), I will visit Tasmania (where it will be freezing and most likely snowy) and then I'll visit my friend Claire in Perth before heading back to Melbourne to visit my old roommate Gen. From there I will meet my parents in Hamilton Island on the north east coast where it will actually be warm and sunny! I'm very much looking forward to that as the Whitsunday Islands were my absolute favorite part of Australia the last time I was here. It will be a great way to end my time in Oz: sitting on the beach, snorkelling, swimming, and relaxing. Pretty much how we started our adventure back in Fiji!
I will be flying back to the states in the beginning of August and will visit friends in LA for a few days before stopping in San Francisco to help my previous and future roommate Hayley celebrate her birthday. (#24 right, Hayley?) ;) My arrival date in ATL will be Aug 11th. Mark your calendars!
As far as Jen goes, her adventures will continue in Australia for as long as the government allows since she's not ready to leave just yet. With her visa she can legally stay here until Nov 1 so she will be here at least until then!
Here are the latest photos of fun:
Two weekends ago we attended a Sydney Rabbit's rugby game (yet another intimidating mascot!) with our American friend Zach and some of his friends. We had a mini tailgate before the game and we were the ONLY people doing so. Apparently (and very surprisingly) that's not a common pre-game festivity for Aussies.
Last week we had to say goodbye to our friend Nagesh. His contract work has ended here so he had to return to the states and we went out on Thurs and Sat night for his final send off. First, our Aussie friend Adam left for London and now Nagesh bid us farewell. Zach is looking at a job in England so he might be ditching us too. It's so sad to be losing some of our friends!
On Sunday our fabulous and favorite hostess, Kat, held a Mexican feast. And what a feast it was! She cooked up a storm, mixed some mean tequila drinks and everyone had great time as always.
My time in Australia will soon be coming to an end which is so hard to believe. Before I depart the land Down Under I'll be making a few trips which I'm quite excited about. My parents will be visiting for the month of July and I'll hang out with them in Sydney before they take off for Ayres Rock and Cairns. While they explore those areas (I've been to both before), I will visit Tasmania (where it will be freezing and most likely snowy) and then I'll visit my friend Claire in Perth before heading back to Melbourne to visit my old roommate Gen. From there I will meet my parents in Hamilton Island on the north east coast where it will actually be warm and sunny! I'm very much looking forward to that as the Whitsunday Islands were my absolute favorite part of Australia the last time I was here. It will be a great way to end my time in Oz: sitting on the beach, snorkelling, swimming, and relaxing. Pretty much how we started our adventure back in Fiji!
I will be flying back to the states in the beginning of August and will visit friends in LA for a few days before stopping in San Francisco to help my previous and future roommate Hayley celebrate her birthday. (#24 right, Hayley?) ;) My arrival date in ATL will be Aug 11th. Mark your calendars!
As far as Jen goes, her adventures will continue in Australia for as long as the government allows since she's not ready to leave just yet. With her visa she can legally stay here until Nov 1 so she will be here at least until then!
Here are the latest photos of fun:
K&J cheering on the Rabbits
Some tackling action between the Rabbits and Tigers. (The Rabbits won!)
The crowd rushing the field after the game
Jen showing off her football skills
K&J in a really big chair at the Ivy
With Nagesh at the Argyle on his last night in Australia
Jen at the Mexican Feast
Jen and Kat's pepper 'staches 
Jen, Kat, Kaisa & me
Monday, May 11, 2009
Sydney Tour Guides
Another ATL visitor came to Sydney for a week, so once again we got to show off all the highlights of the awesome city we live in. It's so much fun to play tour guide!
Michael arrived on the 3rd (at 6AM!) and that afternoon we took him to an Aussie rules football game. This game is like nothing we have in the states. They have completely different rules from American football yet there is still tackling and intense impact but NO padding or helmets!! These guys are just plain animals! (Even though Sydney's team mascot is the Swan... could there be a less intimidating mascot?!)
On Monday we went to a few of the iconic landmarks of Sydney. We started at Darling Harbour, then took a ferry to see the Opera House and the Harbour Bridge. Even though I've seen the Opera House a million times, it's still so cool to look at it from all the different angles and in the day vs. evening when it's all lit up with spotlights. C'est magnifique!
On Tuesday we went out for Mexican to celebrate Cinco de Mayo w/ our American friends Nagesh and Zach, but it's just not the same here. Hardly any locals have a clue what the day is about or why there is a huge need to consume nachos, burritos and margaritas!
On Wednesday we explored the Royal Botanic Gardens, Thursday we went to Coogee Beach and took a 3-hour picturesque stroll along the coast and ended up in Bondi Beach. Part of the walk was closed off and instead of walking along an alternate path, we decided to be adventurous and scale the rocks. We only got a little wet and a few scrapes from the adventure...
On Friday we went to a contemporary art museum and then headed off to the casino. (No gambling for me, though! I need to keep my money for more travels...) On Saturday afternoon we jumped on another ferry and enjoyed the perfect weather as we toured around a few different spots along the harbour. We got off the boat at Watsons Bay and had some fish & chips and a few pints on a rooftop deck with an awesome view. There were tons of sail boats out so that only added to the beautiful scenery of a nice, relaxing Saturday afternoon.
Fall is certainly here, but we are still lucky enough to see 70 degrees a few days a week. Too bad it's getting dark at 5PM! It's kind of surreal to know it's May when it's getting cold and dark out. Our apt doesn't have heat so we bundle up in the evenings and pretend we have a fire place to keep us warm. Unfortunately it doesn't usually work.
Enjoy the photos from my new camera!
Sailboats on the harbour
Sunset at Watson's Bay
Michael arrived on the 3rd (at 6AM!) and that afternoon we took him to an Aussie rules football game. This game is like nothing we have in the states. They have completely different rules from American football yet there is still tackling and intense impact but NO padding or helmets!! These guys are just plain animals! (Even though Sydney's team mascot is the Swan... could there be a less intimidating mascot?!)
On Monday we went to a few of the iconic landmarks of Sydney. We started at Darling Harbour, then took a ferry to see the Opera House and the Harbour Bridge. Even though I've seen the Opera House a million times, it's still so cool to look at it from all the different angles and in the day vs. evening when it's all lit up with spotlights. C'est magnifique!
On Tuesday we went out for Mexican to celebrate Cinco de Mayo w/ our American friends Nagesh and Zach, but it's just not the same here. Hardly any locals have a clue what the day is about or why there is a huge need to consume nachos, burritos and margaritas!
On Wednesday we explored the Royal Botanic Gardens, Thursday we went to Coogee Beach and took a 3-hour picturesque stroll along the coast and ended up in Bondi Beach. Part of the walk was closed off and instead of walking along an alternate path, we decided to be adventurous and scale the rocks. We only got a little wet and a few scrapes from the adventure...
On Friday we went to a contemporary art museum and then headed off to the casino. (No gambling for me, though! I need to keep my money for more travels...) On Saturday afternoon we jumped on another ferry and enjoyed the perfect weather as we toured around a few different spots along the harbour. We got off the boat at Watsons Bay and had some fish & chips and a few pints on a rooftop deck with an awesome view. There were tons of sail boats out so that only added to the beautiful scenery of a nice, relaxing Saturday afternoon.
Fall is certainly here, but we are still lucky enough to see 70 degrees a few days a week. Too bad it's getting dark at 5PM! It's kind of surreal to know it's May when it's getting cold and dark out. Our apt doesn't have heat so we bundle up in the evenings and pretend we have a fire place to keep us warm. Unfortunately it doesn't usually work.
Enjoy the photos from my new camera!
Aussie rules footy- Sydney Swans vs. Richmond Tigers
Kat & Jen at the game
Michael & me at the game
Me on a ferry in the harbour
Margaritas on Cinco de Mayo!
Limes post tequila shot w/ Zach
Michael getting attacked by the waves
A beautiful cemetery by the ocean
Fishermen on the rocks
Friday night at Fringe Bar
Sailboats on the harbour
Sunset at Watson's Bay
The Opera House w/ the moon in the background
Thursday, April 30, 2009
Six months!
It's hard to believe it's been a full six months since we got on a plane in Atlanta and left for the unknown. Since we've been gone, we've learned so many things about ourselves, each other and Australian culture. Here are some of our favorite things we've discovered about the Land Down Under so far...
A paper cutter is a guillotine
Jail is spelled gaol
A car trunk is a boot
A windshield is a windscreen
Food can taste beautiful
A street curb is spelled kerb
A bottle of beer is a stubby
They drink champagne almost as much as wine; it's not just for weddings!
Plenty of Speedos can be seen on the beach
They watch so many American shows yet are still excited to hear American accents
Their People Magazine is a girlie mag
Veggie is spelled vegie
You pay for internet usage by the megabytes you download/upload
It's really hard to find good Mexican food but you can find great Indian and Thai anywhere
Aussies are repulsed by the idea of PB&J
It's completely accepted (and fairly common) for 20-somethings to live with their parents
Burger King is called Hungry Jacks
Peppers are called capsicum
Cilantro is called coriander
Weather is often predicted to be 'mostly fine' (one of my personal favorites)
If someone says they're pissed, they could be mad or drunk
No pics to post as of now, but my new camera will be arriving shortly!!
Stayed tuned...
A paper cutter is a guillotine
Jail is spelled gaol
A car trunk is a boot
A windshield is a windscreen
Food can taste beautiful
A street curb is spelled kerb
A bottle of beer is a stubby
They drink champagne almost as much as wine; it's not just for weddings!
Plenty of Speedos can be seen on the beach
They watch so many American shows yet are still excited to hear American accents
Their People Magazine is a girlie mag
Veggie is spelled vegie
You pay for internet usage by the megabytes you download/upload
It's really hard to find good Mexican food but you can find great Indian and Thai anywhere
Aussies are repulsed by the idea of PB&J
It's completely accepted (and fairly common) for 20-somethings to live with their parents
Burger King is called Hungry Jacks
Peppers are called capsicum
Cilantro is called coriander
Weather is often predicted to be 'mostly fine' (one of my personal favorites)
If someone says they're pissed, they could be mad or drunk
No pics to post as of now, but my new camera will be arriving shortly!!
Stayed tuned...
Wednesday, April 15, 2009
Easter Weekend Adventures
Brace yourself- this is the longest blog entry yet! But it involves Irish men peeing in our room, camel rides at sunset, and lots of cool photos, so it's worth the read! =)
Here goes...
Australians love an excuse to have long holiday weekends, so we had off Good Friday through Easter Monday. Jen and I decided to take advantage of the 4-day weekend with a trip to a beach town about 3 hours north of Sydney called Port Stephens.
I ventured to the airport on Friday morning to pick up a rental car and jumped in a white Toyota Corolla hatchback. Jen inadvertently ordered a manual car so it was a good thing I learned to drive on a stick shift and wasn't scared off by it! It took a little while to get used to shifting with my left hand and a few times I turned the windshield wipers on instead of the turn signal, but at least the gas and brake pedals were on the same side as normal!
We arrived at our hostel and checked into a cabin-type setup which seemed manageable for a few nights. (I'm so proud of Jen for suggesting we stay in a hostel since she wasn't keen on the idea for such a long time.) The bathrooms were in a separate unit 50 yards away which didn't make for fun late night bathroom breaks, but again, we managed.
From our hostel we walked 5 min to One Mile Beach (which is an unusual name since they use kilometers here) and enjoyed the scenic sand dunes, forests, rocks, etc. surrounding the water. After we had some dinner we headed back to the hostel to call it an early night. We were sharing the room w/ 4 other people including 2 Irish guys and 2 German girls. The Irish lads were playing cards and drinking a few beers in our room and we chatted w/ them for a little while before they decided to move to the common area to continue their late night debauchery. Hours later they stumbled back into the room and one of them proceeded to snore loud enough to be heard over the iPod earphones Jen and I were both using. After that (around 4am) we heard a strange sound of leaking water and I hear Jen say, "Dude, are you peeing?!?" The snorer drunkenly mumbled a few swear words before I told him to go outside to which he replied, "There's only a little bit left."
Never in all my experiences at hostels have I ever been in such a situation! Jen finally convinced him to get a mop to clean it up even though he said, "That's gross- I'm not touching that." We surely weren't going to touch it either! This whole time his friend was passed out and didn't have a clue that his laptop just got peed on.
When the German girls left around 7AM, they stopped in the office to let the owners know about the peeing incident which prompted them to come in our room at 7:30 and kick the two guys out. We really don't think the one guy had any idea about why they had to leave so suddenly. I would have loved to have heard the conversation between them about why they were out of pocket for the week's worth of accommodation they booked and how the computer got wet!
Even though we were going on very few hours of sleep, we still managed to have a good day at the beach. We took a catamaran lesson, hiked up a mountain with gorgeous views at the summit, and went on a camel ride on the beach at sunset. (So cool!) We were ready for an early night but were faced with anything but that. The two Swedish girls who replaced the Irish guys were loud, rude and inconsiderate of the rest of us who were exhausted from the drama from the previous night. We asked them repeatedly to go somewhere else to talk but they just didn't get the clue that we wanted to sleep! They said it wasn't their fault that the guys kept us up the night before so they didn't see why they should have to keep the noise level down. If that wasn't enough, we heard the neighbors in the cabin next door making a rucus and discussing who was going to sleep where since one of the girls threw up in her bed. Such drama!!
Needless to say, on Sunday morning we asked for our money back for the 3rd night we were meant to stay there so we could drive back to Sydney and sleep in our own beds. After we were refunded, we jumped on a ferry for an hour long ride where we saw quite a few dolphins. We were then picked up in a 4-wheel drive vehicle for the day-long tour we had booked. We drove a few miles down the beach and then walked over some sand dunes to go sandboarding. So much fun! We then went surfing and were able to catch a few waves (after plenty of failed attempts). From there we went kayaking on a lake and eventually made it back to the ferry for the ride back. We jumped in the car and got on the road as soon as possible and somehow managed to stay awake for the drive home.
Even though it was a drama-filled weekend, we still managed to enjoy our adventures during daylight!
Enjoy the photos! (Thanks to our friend Nagesh, we were able to borrow his camera to take pics of our adventures.)
xoxo,
K&J
Sunset at One Mile Beach
Jen during our hike in Tomaree Head
The view from the summit of our hike
K&J in our special camel riding helmets
Here goes...
Australians love an excuse to have long holiday weekends, so we had off Good Friday through Easter Monday. Jen and I decided to take advantage of the 4-day weekend with a trip to a beach town about 3 hours north of Sydney called Port Stephens.
I ventured to the airport on Friday morning to pick up a rental car and jumped in a white Toyota Corolla hatchback. Jen inadvertently ordered a manual car so it was a good thing I learned to drive on a stick shift and wasn't scared off by it! It took a little while to get used to shifting with my left hand and a few times I turned the windshield wipers on instead of the turn signal, but at least the gas and brake pedals were on the same side as normal!
We arrived at our hostel and checked into a cabin-type setup which seemed manageable for a few nights. (I'm so proud of Jen for suggesting we stay in a hostel since she wasn't keen on the idea for such a long time.) The bathrooms were in a separate unit 50 yards away which didn't make for fun late night bathroom breaks, but again, we managed.
From our hostel we walked 5 min to One Mile Beach (which is an unusual name since they use kilometers here) and enjoyed the scenic sand dunes, forests, rocks, etc. surrounding the water. After we had some dinner we headed back to the hostel to call it an early night. We were sharing the room w/ 4 other people including 2 Irish guys and 2 German girls. The Irish lads were playing cards and drinking a few beers in our room and we chatted w/ them for a little while before they decided to move to the common area to continue their late night debauchery. Hours later they stumbled back into the room and one of them proceeded to snore loud enough to be heard over the iPod earphones Jen and I were both using. After that (around 4am) we heard a strange sound of leaking water and I hear Jen say, "Dude, are you peeing?!?" The snorer drunkenly mumbled a few swear words before I told him to go outside to which he replied, "There's only a little bit left."
Never in all my experiences at hostels have I ever been in such a situation! Jen finally convinced him to get a mop to clean it up even though he said, "That's gross- I'm not touching that." We surely weren't going to touch it either! This whole time his friend was passed out and didn't have a clue that his laptop just got peed on.
When the German girls left around 7AM, they stopped in the office to let the owners know about the peeing incident which prompted them to come in our room at 7:30 and kick the two guys out. We really don't think the one guy had any idea about why they had to leave so suddenly. I would have loved to have heard the conversation between them about why they were out of pocket for the week's worth of accommodation they booked and how the computer got wet!
Even though we were going on very few hours of sleep, we still managed to have a good day at the beach. We took a catamaran lesson, hiked up a mountain with gorgeous views at the summit, and went on a camel ride on the beach at sunset. (So cool!) We were ready for an early night but were faced with anything but that. The two Swedish girls who replaced the Irish guys were loud, rude and inconsiderate of the rest of us who were exhausted from the drama from the previous night. We asked them repeatedly to go somewhere else to talk but they just didn't get the clue that we wanted to sleep! They said it wasn't their fault that the guys kept us up the night before so they didn't see why they should have to keep the noise level down. If that wasn't enough, we heard the neighbors in the cabin next door making a rucus and discussing who was going to sleep where since one of the girls threw up in her bed. Such drama!!
Needless to say, on Sunday morning we asked for our money back for the 3rd night we were meant to stay there so we could drive back to Sydney and sleep in our own beds. After we were refunded, we jumped on a ferry for an hour long ride where we saw quite a few dolphins. We were then picked up in a 4-wheel drive vehicle for the day-long tour we had booked. We drove a few miles down the beach and then walked over some sand dunes to go sandboarding. So much fun! We then went surfing and were able to catch a few waves (after plenty of failed attempts). From there we went kayaking on a lake and eventually made it back to the ferry for the ride back. We jumped in the car and got on the road as soon as possible and somehow managed to stay awake for the drive home.
Even though it was a drama-filled weekend, we still managed to enjoy our adventures during daylight!
Enjoy the photos! (Thanks to our friend Nagesh, we were able to borrow his camera to take pics of our adventures.)
xoxo,
K&J
Sunset at One Mile Beach
Jen during our hike in Tomaree Head
The view from the summit of our hike
K&J in our special camel riding helmets
(Because camels are so speedy and reckless!)
Jen and Jack the camel
K&J with Lucy and Jack on the beach
Me on the ferry to the Tea Gardens
Jen among the gorgeous sand dunes
Sandsurfing!
Jen took a tumble
I'm so excited to go surfing!
Jen and Jack the camel
K&J with Lucy and Jack on the beach
Me on the ferry to the Tea Gardens
K&J at Hawks Nest Beach
Jen among the gorgeous sand dunes
Sandsurfing!
Jen took a tumble
I'm so excited to go surfing!
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