Michigan Visit

We spent a wonderful two week in Michigan enjoying the long days of summer with family.  Click on the photo to see more.

Family Visit

Carol, Olivia and Parker arrived in Sydney on June 27 for a three week holiday. The moment I told Carol that Galen and I were headed to Sydney for 18-24 months, she confirmed they would make the trek to visit us. No small feat to organize all that goes into international travel for 3, but Carol made it happen without a hitch.

To the question many of our Sydney friends asked, “Where is your family staying white they are here?”, the answer was, “With us..”, to which we received mostly eyes widening and and rapid blinking (translate: “5 people in your small one bedroom apartment?! What..?“). Really people, no problem.

Our time together is best sectioned into three parts: Sydney, The Great Barrier Reef, and the Blue Mountains, with an auxillary 2 days in Jervis Bay (turns out his trip rounded out the authentic “Aussie experience” for Carol, more on that later).

Sydney

Great mix of of checking off the highlights with room for those everyday life activities which become much exciting with our little gang. For example, all 5 of us went for hair cuts. Not all on the same day, and of course not all at the same place. To say Galen and Parker’s experience was a stark contrast to us gals is a massive understatement. The guys were in and out of their barber shop in less than 30 minutes total, without having to utter a single discernible word (everything is done in grunts) and only $35 lighter. The female experience was, well, let’s just leave it at different. We also celebrated a 30th birthday, saw Harry Potter at the 3-D IMAX, cooked some good meals together, and made a few indulgent stops at our local favorite coffee shop and gellatoria.  Some of the more traditional “must see” sights checked off of the list were:

• Bondi Beach and the coastal walk to Clovelly
• Botanical gardens (a favorite)
• Manly Beach (Galen and Parker swam, Brr!, and their first fish ‘n chips)
• Walk across the Harbor Bridge
• Opera House (Carol and I attended a symphony production, front row seats)
• Taronga Zoo (can’t hold the koalas, but you can get very close to them!)
• Sydney Aquarium
• Australian Museum and Gallery of NSW

The Great Barrier Reef

Galen took care of that post. It was amazing.

Jervis Bay

“The kangaroo jumped into our car.” Carol and I practiced our statement as we made our way to return the rental car. That was the truth. Not 5 minutes into Carol’s madain voyage driving on the left side of the road, the kagaroo charged right into the side of our car. And it was the nice Aussie folks who were passing us when it happend who chuckled and told us that now we have had an authentic “Aussie experience.” Not the one we were hoping for, but we’ll take it. Thank God for excess reduction.

The run in with the ‘roo was the most unique action in Jervis Bay, but the whale watching, hiking/trail running, and beach combing was fun too.

Blue Mountains

Unfortunately Galen and I were stuck with work, but Carol, Liv and Park didn’t miss a beat as they hopped a train to the Blue Mountains for 3 days. The report back was two thumbs up. They checked things off the perverbial “list” there too; daily hikes, the Three Sisters, toured the Jenolan Caves, 1000 stairs climb (Park has the shirt to prove it). They cased the little town of Katoomba and unearthed the best hostel to stay in (flat screen TVs and backpackers don’t usually go together…), a local bee keeper/opal jewller to patron, and the tastiest bakery (after tasting the ginger pear cake Carol brought back, I agree wholheartedly). Liv and Park’s hiking endurance was impressive; they were motivated! Couldn’t miss the twinkle in Carol’s eye as she proposed destinations for the next family trip…Pacific Northwest, the Rockies…endless possibilities here, gang.

No pics of their Blue Mountain trip, but you can get an idea of the terain here.

More than once during the trip Liv turned to me and said, “I just can’t believe we are here with you in Australia!” My thoughts exactly. This family makes it happen. Great family, great trip. Here are all of our pics.

Great Barrier Reef

Photos from our trip to Port Douglas and the Great Barrier Reef here.

Happy to say the Great Barrier Reef lived up to its standing as one of the natural wonders of the world.  We spent 6 days/5 nights in Port Douglas with Kristin’s family visiting from Michigan (Carol, Parker and Olivia).  Port Douglas is the easy-going resort town north of Cairns (major hub where we flew in) that serves as a launching point for many reef cruises.  The trip was great for two main reasons: 1) Snorkeling on the reef was outstanding and 2) the trip as a whole was relaxing, warm, tropical and felt like a true vacation.

First #2.  We scored a fantastic self-contained apartment right on the beach.  The 3 BR house, part of a balinese-themed compound of 8 other units, featured a fully stocked kitchen and a beautiful outdoor veranda with a BBQ so we could relax and cook all our own meals.  We also got lucky and arrived the same weekend that a monthly fishing boat shows up to unload fresh prawns, bugs (kind of like lobster) and scallops by the kilo.  We stocked up on enough for the whole week and BBQ’d to our hearts content every night.  Yum.  The house was right on the aptly named Four Mile Beach (facing east), and all the adults made it a point to watch the sunrise every morning (and I was happy to get a soft surface to run on every day).

At 18 degrees latitude, the climate in winter was ideal (sunny and mid-high 70’s) and made for a very relaxing tropical vacation.  We ate fresh coconuts that fell from the trees lining the beach.  Yes, tropical indeed.

On to the reef.  Several companies run daily boat trips out to the Reef – about 70 kms (1.5 hours) off the coast to get to the outer reef.  We chose a company that had a newer boat (faster and more stable) and made stops at three different reefs for snorkeling and diving.  At each of the three stops everyone puts on their gear, jumps into the warm water, and gets treated to a fantastic display of marine life.  Carol had a go at diving while the rest of us enjoyed the theatrics from the surface with our snorkels.  It was truly amazing.  We saw electric-blue starfish the size of a frisbee, giant clams the size of a large stuitcase, and honestly too many colorful fish to keep track of.  It was brilliant to see hundreds of fish swimming together in schools and changing directions simultaneously as if it was choreographed. But a favorite of everyone was the probably the reef shark, with it’s unmistakable profile that grabs your attention no matter how safe anyone tells you it is.  We all loved the experience so much we signed up to go back for the same trip 2 days later.

No pictures to tell the underwater story, unfortunately, but google great barrier reef snorkeling and you’re sure to come up with some good ones.

Melbourne

The rivalry between Sydney and Melbourne dates back to the foundation of Australia. Though historically the debate was more around the settlement of the the capital city, nowadays the argument seems to mainly come down to culture, weather, and sport. Melbourne is characterized as a city more fashion-forward, full of character, and a dominant cafe culture, hence it is often described as “more European”. Sydney on the other hand is a little more showy and boisterous – it is home to the famous Harbor Bridge, the Opera House, and the many beaches. The dominant culture is surf culture (but with big city long work hours…go figure).

Having lived in Sydney for around 7 months, we have begun to develop a good sense of this city and it’s unique character. So, we took advantage of some cheap airfare and spent a weekend getting our first taste of Melbourne. We stayed with our friends Kate and Craig, who were the best type of hosts. They seamlessly integrated us into their weekend, an active, yet relaxing way to experience a local’s weekend in Melbourne.

We arrived on Saturday in time to pick up Kate and meet Craig down in the CBD for lunch. Our first experience with the laneways! These charming little pedestrian walkways are full of little boutiques and cafes. We ducked into a local chocolate shop for dessert following a tasty lunch at Hell’s Kitchen, followed up by coffee on the river.

That evening we went out for dinner to a great restaurant called Veggie Bar in the Fitzroy, a neighborhood with an independent vibe that reminded us a lot of Chicago’s Wickerpark/Bucktown.

After breakfast the next morning we headed out to the Dandenong Ranges National Park, just 30km east of Melbourne. We spent the first half of the day on the trails (Galen and Kate took off, and Craig was sweet enough to go a bit slower with me) and finished up the afternoon grabbing lunch and poking around the little towns in the area. That evening Kate and Craig invited some friends over and we had a bbq and played a lively, men vs women, game of Taboo. I probably don’t need to tell you who won, you can probably guess.

Well, it is confirmed, we loved Melbourne. I’ll refrain to adding any more foder to the Sydney vs Melbourne debate, but it is sufice to say I will be looking for any excuse to return – ASAP.

Nelson Bay

This past weekend Kristin and I met friends Kate and Craig in Nelson Bay.  Kate and Craig are friends from Melbourne who I originally met in Boulder during one of Kate’s marathon training stints a few years back.  (She is an Olympic marathoner and often visits Boulder for high altitude training stints).  We finally found an opportunity to meet up in Nelson’s Bay (about 3 hours north of Sydney), where she and Craig had already planned a weekend getaway.

We spent a wonderful weekend cooking together, going for trail runs in the hills, reading magazines, and walking on the beach.  The apartment we rented  had a BBQ and  beautiful views overlooking the bay so we were quite happy just relaxing in the apartment and taking a break from the city.  I BBQ’d my first whole fish bought from the local fish monger on the docks, and Kate made us our first pavlova – an Australian dessert comprised of a crispy on the outside and fluffy on the inside meringue with fresh fruit topping.  It was an excellent weekend with good friends.

A couple “snaps” from the weekend here…

South Coast Road Trip

Easter is a big holiday in Australia.  Kids get a week or two off school and everyone else gets a 4 day weekend (and hot cross buns take over cafes menues for the preceding month).  The 4-day weekend is important, because no other holiday here receives such a designation (they obviously don’t celebrate Independence Day or Thanksgiving).  We took advantage by renting a campervan and driving down the south coast, stopping and camping at little beaches along the way.  Our favorites were Congo Point, which had a 4 mile long beach perfect for barefoot running and a shallow break great for body surfing.  And Pebble Beach, with wildlife that you couldn’t make up in the movies: kangaroos and giant goanna lizards mingling on the bluffs, colorful parrots swooping from tree to tree, and at one point, we looked up from our beach chairs to see 15-20 dolphins within 50 meters from the beach.  It was one of those experiences that knocks you over the head and reminds you you’re not in Kansas anymore.

After 4 days on the coast we turned inland and drove into the mountains of Kosciuszko National Park.  While their “mountain” classification would be a stretch by Colorado standards, they nevertheless offered cool autumn air and beautiful scenery.  Also notable is that Mt Kosciuszko is the tallest in Australia, and therefore one of the seven summits of the world (tallest mountains on each continent).   So of course i had to run up and tag the summit while Kristin went for a nice run/hike lower on the mountain. A campfire that night provided a wonderful ending to our first road trip in Australia.

A few photos here.

Byron Bay

Every country has a few iconic places that manage to encapsulate the true essence of the country, or at least a slice of its people,  culture, or  attitude.  These are the places you refer to when saying “you haven’t been to X country until you’ve been to Y”.  (For example, I would say you haven’t truly been to the US until you’ve been to New York or Chicago, the deep south, southwest Utah and at least 2 or 3 national parks. Obviously totally subjective, but you get the idea.)

Well, we went to one of those places in Australia this weekend that we felt truly embodied the country we are living in… a little slice of australiana, if you will.  Byron Bay.  It’s a 1:20 flight north of Sydney on the east coast (hooray for $49 internet fare sales!) and is known as a surf haven.  At 28 degrees latitude it has a climate similar to say, south Florida, so the nights are balmy and the ocean is warm.  It’s a small town and the vibe is decidedly chill.  Lots of beat up old vans with surf boards, fish n chips shops, outdoor bars, and the dress de rigueur is board shorts, sunglasses and flip flops.. Super casual, friendly people, slow pace… it was great

The highlight was taking a surf lesson with a guy named Marco (i wonder if any surfers go by their real name?).  Happy to say we both got up a dozen or so times in our 2 hour lesson and are craving more. Let’s hear it for slow waves and long boards.

I think what we are starting to understand is that even though Sydney represents 1/5th of Australia’s population, it’s not necessarily a proportionate representation of the culture or attitude  (it feels rushed and fast paced here in Sydney, a bit of a rat race at times.)

So it was nice to experience a more easy-going, fun-loving slice of this country… with many more yet to come.

Tasmania

The South Coast Track

We happily received our first family visitor this month!  My dad, Buzz, flew in from Boulder on January 30 for a 3 week visit to Australia.  After a week of trundling around Sydney, he and I left for an adventure together in Tasmania.  It had been eight years since he and I joined up on a trip like this (we traveled to Patagonia and Peru together in 2001-02), and it was good to be on an overseas trip together again.

Blue Mountains

The Blue Mountains National Park is a two hour train ride west of Sydney and offers an easy weekend getaway for the wary Sydneysider (as we are called).   Kristin and I ventured there this weekend for some much needed respite from our urban environment, namely fresh air and open space.

Before we go any further and you develop imagery of grandeur in your head suggested by a name like the Blue Mountains, let me set one thing straight: the blue mountains are neither mountains nor are they blue.  If I was an explorer back in the day and I discovered this swath of land, i probably would have named it ‘The Green Hills with Some Cliffs’.  But that’s why I ended up as an engineer instead of a storyteller.  Anyway…

On Friday afternoon Kristin and I hopped on a train and headed west for our weekend getaway.  After about an hour of tunneling through Sydney urban sprawl, the countryside started to open up and we soon reached Katoomba, the region’s primary urban center and our home for the weekend.

Christmas in New Zealand

Our first vacation called for a trip abroad. One may ask why not use our 14 days to explore the vast expanses of Australia, our new homeland, and that would be a valid point. But as we experienced (Kristin’s first time, Galen’s return), the South Island of New Zealand affords a breadth of dramatic and varied landscape in a relatively compact space that make for a ideal 2 week roadtrip experience.

New Zealand’s South Island is known by Maori as Te Wai Pounamu translation- “Water of Greenstone” and we surely found water to be one of the defining features of our trip; 9 out of our 12 nights we backed our campervan up water (mountain lake, river, or ocean). Not a bad way to end and start a day on the road.

Our campervan, complete with double size bed and kitchenette (2 burner stove, microwave, sink, refrig)  provided us the means to sleep, cook and relax in some of the most beautiful places in the country at our own pace.  No bus or train schedules to negotiate, hostels or hotels to hunt down each night, or (god forbid) tents to set up.  We simply drove until we found a nice place to make dinner and watch the sunset, and sleep.  This concept known as “freedom camping” is one of the defining characteristics of road tripping in New Zealand and is one of the many factors making it such a pleasurable travel experience.  Unlike in the U.S., freedom camping is a widely accepted practice in New Zealand, and is actually encouraged as a measure to reduce car accidents associated with sleepy drivers.

The pictures capture our trip… for a more detailed version, you can click below and read our notes on the highlights. (We admit this is a extra long post, so bare with us as we use this post to act as a general documentation system.)