Aussie Letters

Photos taken by Caylee, unless stated otherwise.

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See You Later Australia

After the Great Ocean Road I had only three nights left in Australia, I stayed with friends in the suburbs of Melbourne, who were amazing with accommodating my stay! I wish I had spent more time with them and I hope they know how much I appreciate them taking care of me. I left Australia to come surprise my mother on her birthday in Hawaii, leap year only comes every four years so this was a special one that I couldn't miss!! My mother finally, after waiting four years has turned 12! :) My Aunt picked me up from the airport after learning that the airline had lost my luggage, so my arrival into Hawaii started out with me in tears but hopeful that my luggage would be found. My great Aunt had a beautiful lei for me, that lifted my spirit and reminded me why I was there - to see my mother. I don't think it has hit me that I left Australia, I'm thinking its because I was excited to come to Hawaii - a place I haven't discovered yet. The adventure isn't over yet!

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The Loch Ard Gorge is a few kilometers past the Twelve Apostles on the Great Ocean Road, it is an absolute must to stop and enjoy! The small beach got its name from the Loch Ard Shipwreck of June 1878, only two survived and swam to safety on this beach. As I was walking closer to the water I felt like Leonardo DiCaprio in The Beach. This enclosed beach is stunning, you feel as if the Loch Ard Gorge is your very own private paradise. And I wouldn't mind living here! This location wins for the greatest stop on the Great Ocean Road!

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From Melbourne, my friend Allison, her two friends Albert and Jack, and I took a road trip on the Great Ocean Road! The drive along the cliffs were beautiful, the lookouts and sights were unreal...This was a 2-day road trip of constant jumping in and out of the car. And it was well worth it. These are most of our stops: Geelong, Torquay, Apollo Bay, Split Point Lighthouse, Kennett River, The Twelve Apostles, Bay of Martyrs, Bay of Islands, Loch Ard Gorge, London Bridge, and Port Campbell. Kennett River is where I hand fed flocks of Rosella's, and where I finally saw Koalas - in the wild!! If your looking for animals in their natural habitat definitely go to Kennett River and be sure to bring bird food! If you see people feeding the birds, PLEASE do not drive past them, the birds flee and it ruins the experience. It's best to stretch your legs from the drive, take a walk, and see what you can find!

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I ended up changing my flight to leave Tasmania a week early and headed over to Melbourne. I wasn't as impressed with Tasmania as I thought I would be. I arrived in Hobart at 7:30 p.m., wondered around for a grocery store or restaurant...could find hardly any LIFE. Everything was closed with the exception of a few pubs and the restaurants along the harbour side. The tours were limited and a bit over priced. The weather wasn't great either, if I'm going to spend $300 on a 2-day 1-night tour of Wineglass Bay and Bay of Fires I want it to be a nice sunny day. I did have some great experiences which I wrote about and posted photos in earlier posts. Arriving in Melbourne I was happy to be back in a real city! A city with good transportation, a variety of food and price ranges, free orchestra shows, late night shopping, and even a few days of tanning on the beach and park.

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Richmond, Tasmania has the oldest landmark's of Australia which are still in use - the Richmond Bridge, built in 1823, and the St John's Roman Catholic Church, built in 1836. I was lucky enough to get my own shot of the bridge and church!

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Hand-feeding one of the many hungry kangaroo's kickin' back at the Bonorong Wildlife Sanctuary. The animals have a nice life here!

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A cute little Tasmanian Devil at the Bonorong Wildlife Sanctuary. Brighton, Tasmania.

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Wim Delvoye exhibit at MONA in Hobart, Tasmania

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I said goodbye to Sydney and hello Tasmania in the beginning of February, where I absolutely fell in love with this Victorian home! Can I please transport this home back to California? The highlights of Tasmania were taking the ferry to the MONA Museum of Old and New Art, I spent the entire day looking at art, enjoying a delicious lunch with one of the restaurants near the museum, lounging on bean bags in the lawn overlooking Hobart, and to end the day right I did a cellar tour and wine tasting at the Moorilla Wine range with our guide Mick. Moorilla Wine has two brands: Muse and Praxis. Being known for my "expensive taste", I preferred Muse over Praxis. The other highlight was taking the shuttle ride out to the Bonorong Wildlife Sanctuary and Richmond to capture that famous shot of the Richmond bridge and oldest Catholic Church in Australia. The Bonorong Wildlife Sanctuary was ten times better then visiting a zoo. The sanctuary was not crowded which made the experience more intimate, especially with the short informational tour with the [sleepy] wombat, Tasmanian Devils, and koala. After the short tour ending with petting and snapping a shot with a koala [also, sleepy], I spent most of my time with the Tasmanian Devils, watching them run around after each other was more playful then devilish. There were kangaroos everywhere, they definitely ruled the sanctuary. The moment they heard my hand going into the brown paper bag with kangaroo food, they would stand next to me and patiently wait for me to put my hand out. It was adorable! I lost track of time here, I was having far too much fun, the driver was at the end of the trail waiting for me...whoops!! I didn't want to say goodbye to all the kangaroos, Tasmanian Devils, quolls, koalas...Australia has amazing native animals, I wish I could have one of everything!

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California vs. Sydney

Same thing, different name... Ralphs = Woolworths Office Depot = Officeworks Burger King = Hungry Jacks BevMo = Liquorland Ritz Camera = Ted's Camera Craigslist = Gumtree     We say, they say...

February 2nd = 2nd of February Grocery store = Market Sprite = Lemonade Habor = Harbour White trash = Bogan Movie theater = Cinema Roommates = Flatmates 

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Today I took the L90 bus to Palm Beach, 1 1/2 hours north of Sydney, the weather was said to have possible light rain in the PM. The weather has also said to rain for the past two days but it hasn't rained. So I took my chance hoping it wouldn't...I was wrong. By the time I walked from the ocean pool to other side of Palm Beach just below the trail for the lighthouse located at the top of the hill, it started raining heavily causing me to turn around and head back to the bus. I did get some nice pictures, Palm Beach is gorgeous, and I collected so many shells!...It would have been nice to walk up to the lighthouse...Today was my second to last day in Sydney, I will have to return to Palm Beach whenever I return to Sydney.

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So Many Goodbyes

Today I say goodbye to the Surry Hills terrace home I've been living in for 6 weeks, it was a unique place to live...I am happy to be moving on. My final nights at the bar are tonight and tomorrow, I will be sad to say goodbye to everyone. It was a fun place to work and my coworkers were so great with getting me in the groove of working there and becoming a bartender. I'm so happy Australia gave me this opportunity and I'm happy to take it back home with me and continue being a bartender in California. Only one week left for me in Sydney, this rain will hopefully stop...

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Happy Australia Day!!!

I'm spending most of the day packing up my room then going to the Max Brenner Chocolate Bar tonight to wish a safe and happy farewell to Lillian, my coworker, whose leaving for Asia tomorrow!

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I wish I could close up shop whenever I felt like it!...So Australian of you!

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The Chinese New Year event ended at 10 p.m., Kyla and I went home and finished my birthday wine, not long into our second glass we decided we didn't want our Friday night to end so early! We quickly finished our Penna Lane and headed to Chinese Laundry in the CBD, I was due for my dance fix. My music selection is limited these days, I only listen to reggae on rare occasions because it reminds me of good times with my high school sweetie and I truely enjoy EDM (electronic dance music), there is a style for every mood I'm in and to me EDM is limitless. This seems to be a running theme throughout my life that I absolutely love one genre at a time but believe me I have tried and tried again to break the cycle and expand my music horizon. This love for EDM started in 2006, we will see when it ends, if it ever does. I've been wanting to check out Chinese Laundry since before arriving in Sydney, of course I had to research dance clubs before leaving the USA! The club decor is nothing to be impressed over but I could care less about the decor and more about if the music and sound quality is good. Yes, the music was awesome! Dubstep in the main room, Haters with Ministry of Sound, not the typical style of dubstep I'm use to hearing in California but it was good. Kyla and I spent most of the night in the second room which had awesome drum n bass spinning. Got my dance fix and a great work out! The music brought me back to the days I lived in San Francisco, reminded me of the parties I attended, sitting on hippy hill on a sunny day, and driving around the city at night - all with drum n bass as the background music of my life. It was a great first and last impression of Chinese Laundry.

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This weekend was the Chinese New Year celebration in Belmore Park, Central Sydney. Celebrating the year of the dragon..but this rabbit was cuter :)

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Wild cockatoos all over Blue Mountains!!!