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G’dday readers!

If you’ve been tracking with us recently then you’ll know it’s been a wild few months. Today I’m excited to tell you that for me, the adventure didn’t stop in Tasmania. Instead, I hopped in the car with Jena and Kelsey the next morning and while they got on their flight home I also took to the skies – to Perth, Western Australia. It was here that I discovered a whole new bunch of people to love: the other half of my big Macedonian family who were generous enough to welcome me with open arms.

My hosts for the week were my Uncle Jim and Aunt Alice, along with my third cousins Mara, Stephen and Leanna. Between their gorgeous pool and all of the delicious breakfasts Alice made me every day, I was tempted to never leave. I had a quick power nap after settling in on that first afternoon and then it was off to a music festival with Mara and her friends (all of whom were lovely but infinitely cooler than me). The festival is held outside under the trees of the University of Western Australia and celebrates alternative, local bands. With craft beer in hand we enjoyed some music and dancing and I was so grateful they let me tag along because it was a blast and a totally unique experience. The next day, Alice and I explored the heart of the city. We rang the famous bells of Perth’s Bell Tower (see me happily pulling the cord for the bell below), explored Elizabeth Quay and stopped for a snack and took a stroll through King’s Park and botanical gardens. King’s Park is an important site for commemorating those that have served in the Australian military. This includes the Wall of Whispers, a circular monument that we were delighted to discover actually carried our whispers from one end to the other as we stood on opposite sides. There were lots of laughs shared. We finished our day with a surprise champagne high tea at the Pembridge House historic site overlooking the river.

The next few days were spent enjoying the family and their beautiful city. We walked along City Beach and Floreat Beach, where we had a fantastic brunch overlooking the ocean. One night, Stephen and Leanna let me watch the season opener of Game of Thrones with them and while I had no clue what was happening, it was lots of fun to be a part of their weekly ritual. Evenings were filled with delicious Macedonian treats courtesy of the babas – including our traditional lentil stew, stuffed peppers and “petoulis” (delicious special occasion fried dough balls). Besides keeping me well fed, they also took me out for a beautiful lunch. I also made it down to the historic neighborhood of Freemantle where I took a ghost tour of the old Freemantle Prison – and I survived despite being all by myself!

If all of that wasn’t enough to keep me busy, I hopped on a tour bus for a day to see some sights outside of the city limits. We started with a visit to Yanchep National Park where I learned that no koalas naturally live in Western Australia (who knew?) and got to see the amazing white tailed black cockatoo. After the park we continued north to Guilderton, a tiny local vacation spot where the Moore River meets the Indian Ocean. Besides being an incredible natural feature, it was a great place to go for a walk and get our feet wet. We drove another hour up to Lancelin for one of the main events – sand-boarding. Now for those of you who don’t know, sand-boarding involves taking a mini surf board to the top of a massive sand dune and sailing down it. If you’re thinking that this sounds like a fun, adrenaline filled activity, then you’d be exactly right. I had a blast flying through the white sand.

Now those of you that know me really well know that I love geology and geography, maybe more than the average person. So when we ended our day at Nambung National Park I was in my element. This is because the park is home to the famous “pinnacles desert” – hundreds of limestone pillars that were formed hundreds of thousands of years ago. The desert is a gorgeously complex ecosystem and landscape and made for some incredible photography. Needless to say I was probably at my happiest when frolicking amongst the limestone. It was an incredible day spent in Western Australia’s natural landscapes.

Good Friday was spent touring the Swan Valley wine region with Jim, Alice and Anna. We ate and drank and enjoyed one another at a few different wineries and breweries. The day ended with us hunting for black swans, a must see when you are in Perth. After several stops we managed to find a few that were out despite the cold, rainy weather. As you can see, I’m clearly thrilled we found them.

The very last day in Perth ended up being the warmest and sunniest – perfect for a trip to Rottnest Island with Mara and Leanna. Rottnest has recently increased in popularity for it’s stunning beaches, beautiful walking trails and adorable wildlife, most significantly the quokka – a small marsupial found almost exclusively on the island. These little creatures are friendly by nature, which has led to the famous “quokka selfie”. I’m proud to say I managed to befriend one long enough to get the shot. Besides the quokkas, we had a beautiful day out biking around the island, eating some of the island bakery treats and going for a swim in the ocean. Most importantly, I loved getting to know my cousins better and spending the day outside with them. I’m so grateful they made the time to take me out.

It seemed like my adventure was just getting started when the short week came to an end. I will be forever grateful for my family’s generous hospitality and for the experience. It is an amazing feeling to find a piece of who you are thousands of kilometers away from the place you were raised. Their beautiful spirits, heart for family and passion for food and hospitality were all values I see in myself and my family back home. History has a way of separating people but when we come back together we often find we are more similar than different. I am so happy to have found you all.

My Baba and Dedo’s wedding photo.

Just as I was about to leave Perth, I unexpectedly got a call from a farmer in Victoria who had some work for me that would satisfy the last of my working days required for my visa. The catch? It would start immediately when I returned to Melbourne. Stay tuned for exactly what happened on my next adventure out to the farm.

As for me, I’ll be here with Chokka the Quokka (an Easter gift from the Margaret River Chocolate Company) – though I’m not sure how long he’ll last!

Linnea

Finding Perth G'dday readers! If you've been tracking with us recently then you'll know it's been a wild few months.

Dearest friends and foe,

Out last two posts were feature posts meant to share the adventures of close friends from their own perspective. Today we’re sharing the adventure from our side of things!

The girls arrived during a school week which meant that unfortunately, we were working throughout the week. No fret – that gave them ample amount of time to sightsee in Melbourne throughout the day. In the evenings we usually went into the city to grab a drink by the Yarra Valley or catch the sunset by the beach. At this point in the visit, we were just happy to be with our friends again. We celebrated Kelsey’s twenty-fifth birthday in St. Kilda, where we nearly got blown away by the water and ate to our hearts’ content in a chic little restaurant.

Our first weekend in Melbourne was a preview for the road trips to come. On Saturday, we set out to the Mornington Peninsula, where we visited the beautiful Sorrento back beach. When it comes to water, Linnea’s fearless and determined to swim, no matter the weather conditions and happily dipped into the salty ocean. We had the most extra lunch of our lives at The Boss’s Daughter, and then carried on to Gunnamatta beach where we (Linnea and Oshaen) performed an earthquaking version of the Spongebob Squarepants theme song in commemoration of a piece of sea sponge we found. We ended the day at the Peninsula Hot Springs for some chill time. Happy and exhausted, we set off for home.

Sunday was overcast and rainy, which isn’t ideal for the day of wine tasting we had planned. After church which we set off to visit the Healesville Sanctuary to make some new friends and fulfil Kelsey’s dream of meeting a koala. We had a great time snapping selfies with the numerous animal statues littering the grounds and interacting with the living Aussie creatures about. Kelsey’s heart burst at the first sight of an active koala, and then we had to hustle out of there before we got locked in for the night. Linnea wove the car over hills and between trees on the way home and we filled our bellies with tacos to celebrate another successful day together.

It seemed like just as the girls were getting settled into Melbourne life it was time to hit the road again – we were off to conquer the Great Ocean Road (we can now officially confirm that it lives up to its name) and hopefully make it to Adelaide in one piece. We set off on Jena’s rainy birthday morning and although the weather was not exactly beach friendly, we managed to hit world famous Bell’s Beach, Point Addis Marine National Park, Point Danger, Airey’s Inlet, Apollo Bay, Torquay Surf Beach and Urquharts Bluff all in one day. A birthday road trip wouldn’t be complete without a brewery lunch and a stop at the Great Ocean Road Chocolaterie and Ice Creamery, where Kelsey swears she had the best ice cream of her life. We believe her.

Day two started with a walk through the rainforest (Jena was amazed that in Australia you can go from beach to rainforest in a matter of minutes) and then we spent some time exploring the site of the Cape Ottway Lighthouse, which was particularly amazing for Kelsey who discovered it was Australia’s most significant lighthouse. The weather picked up in the afternoon and we managed to get some beautiful sunshine for our visit to the Twelve Apostles, which are limestone cliffs that have been eroded over time away from the mainland. If you’re like Linnea and random limestone amazes you then they are a geological wonder. If you’re like the rest of the known universe they are worth seeing for the remarkable views and cultural significance. After that we spent some more time enjoying rock formations and beach views along the way, stopping at Loch Ard Gorge, The Arch and the Bay of Martyrs where we enjoyed the sunset. And on day two we managed to get some swimming in at Port Campbell where we had fish and chips and veggie burgers by the ocean.

Friday was spent checking out the town of Warrnambool which is technically where the Great Ocean Road is supposed to end, but not for these adventurous travellers. We spent time hiking and hanging out with emus at the Tower Hill volcano crater. This was also where Jena almost stepped on a snake… which we are fairly confident wasn’t poisonous but in Australia it’s always better to be safe than sorry! After a quick stop in Port Fairy we were off again to Cape Bridgewater where we took a walk to see the Blowholes lookout (wishing it was whale season) and the petrified forest. We spent the night in bogan country at a holiday park in Coonawarra where we may have had a little rum and a bit too much fun…

We started Saturday off with a tour of the Alexandra Cave at the Naracoorte Caves National Park, where Linnea was in her element and our friendly tour guide gave us free admission to the Wonambi Fossil Centre – thanks mate! We drove for four hours to get to the Urimbirra Wildlife Park in Victor Harbor for more wildlife. Kels got as close as you can get to holding a koala in Victoria as Oshaen let a a carpet python slither across her face. Next step: ADELAIDE! We made it to the city then ducked into an exquisite Thai restaurant called Hypnothaized for Pad Thai and lovely service from the staff and manager. Exhausted from driving, we settle down for a restful night in our AirBnb.

We fuelled for our day of driving with a nutritious brekkie in Adelaide’s CBD, and then cruised to Port Adelaide for a peak at the Sunday market before an eight hour journey back to Melbs. The drive was long but bearable with excellent tunes and taking turns driving. By the time we got home, we only had a couple of hours of sleep before we had to get to airport for a flight to Tasmania… worth it! Our Great Ocean Road trip was one for the books and a highlight of our Aussie experience to date. Our next blog (coming soon) will detail our time in incredible Tasmania – land of the pademelon.

See you soon,

Linnea & Osh

The Great Ocean Road (Trip) Dearest friends and foe, Out last two posts were feature posts meant to share the adventures of close friends from their own perspective.

Hola readers!

It’s been a long, hot summer (to quote our Aussie home boy Keith Urban) and although we can’t be together, we wanted to get everyone caught up on what life has been like down under. Yes – for all you Canadians out there – we did reach temperatures of over forty degrees. And yes we did survive, although one perilous beach day almost burned off the bottoms of our feet. But I digress.

As you know, your two favourite Canadians took to the Yarra Valley to spend some time at CherryHill Orchards working towards our second year visas. It was a summer of hard work, great friends and lots of cherries (Linnea often can’t control herself in the orchard). CherryHill was a place that humbled us as young professionals, and gave us the time and space to appreciate cultural and ecological diversity. It gave us people to spend the holiday season with, and friends to cheer with into the new year. Even more, it gave us a stunning landscape view and thus, the backdrop to an unforgettable three months in Victoria. We’ve heard horror tales of expats fighting through snakes and spider ridden banana trees, and to that we say, THANK YOU CHERRYHILL! The peeps know who they are.

Long cherry days turned into fun evenings spent with colleagues, including celebratory dinners and New Year’s Eve night to remember. Some fond memories include our favourite food truck vendor Adrian, affectionately crowned the “spud guy”, hunting through discarded cherries to give them a second chance at going home with a lucky visitor, doing the “I can help you down here” pose (pictured below) and the time time Oshaen was thanked on the phone for being useless. We love our valued customers.

Linnea then decided to trade the Australian summer for the Canadian winter during the month of February. It was a month spent with lots of love, laughter, skating, home cooking and one very special wedding. Shout out to Anna (the bride) who is a huge fan of the blog. It was such a privilege to be able to watch her and Richard walk down the aisle and an even greater privilege to be able to give them great big hugs of congratulations in person. Other Canadian activities included: lots of shopping and pizza with mom and Keegan, TimTams + Brooklyn Nine-Nine and one ridiculous hat with Leigh and Spencer, visiting the Common Market in a snowstorm with Shaelagh, sushi with Mike and Amanda, drinks and video games with Nolan, vegan food and improv with Matthew and Julia and lots of pampering, food and rest with dad, Teta and Baba. Although the time spent with you all was too short, everyone did an outstanding job at reminding me just how special you are to me and how important you are in my life. Cannot wait to see many of you on this side of the Pacific!

Now we’re dragging a few Canadian friends to our neck of the woods for some fun – Aussie style. We’re looking forward to having four friends visit in a couple of weeks: Erica and Gillian, who are currently gallivanting New Zealand after some time in Europe, and Kelsey and Jena, who are coming to cruise along the Great Ocean Road and across Tasmania with us. As much fun as it is meeting new people, it’s always nice to relax into the people who know us inside and out. Stay tuned for some upcoming blogs detailing the triumphs and tragedies of their visits and probably some obnoxiously good looking pictures of food from Linnea’s long overdue birthday brunch.

So g’day and goodbye for now as we are busy getting ready for our first visitors – stay tuned for all the adventures to come!

Osh & Linnea

Blood, Sweat & Cherries Hola readers! It's been a long, hot summer (to quote our Aussie home boy Keith Urban… 630 more words

Hello readers!

Your friendly neighborhood Australian wanderers here to let you know we haven’t forgotten about you. In fact, we promise not to disappoint with some exciting updates. The biggest change in our lives is that we are transitioning from teaching to working at a cherry orchard outside the city. Yes readers you read that correctly: we are taking a break from teaching. The Australian school year is coming to a close and with it comes the perfect time to head off to the countryside to do our required rural work to qualify for our second year working visas. You also read that correctly, we will be living and working in Melbourne for two years!

We are thrilled to share that we will be working at CherryHill Farms – a family farm for over 75 years. The CherryHill orchards supplies fresh cherries all over Victoria and New South Wales but we are lucky enough to work at their “pick your own” location which is open to visitors during the Australian summer (which is also cherry season). This location not only offers visitors a fun “pick your own” experience but a wide range of beverages and cocktails, homemade cherry ice cream, live music on the weekends and the occasional “cinema in the orchard” evening. Here we’ve found a fantastic team and an absolutely beautiful place to work in Victoria’s famous Yarra Valley.

We will be working in a few different roles at the orchard. Oshaen works closely with the administration team and management in the office to ensure that the bookings stay organized and guests stay informed, including monitoring social media. Linnea is working as an orchard guide, showing guests how to pick cherries and where the best ones like to hide, while also sharing some history about the farm and the property. She will also be working in the “shack”, which is the main hub for guests to purchase tickets and cherries. We are also very fortunate to be working with a great team of coworkers who pride themselves on creating a positive environment for both guests and employees.

On a personal note, Linnea is excited to share that she has now been an acoustic guitar student for over four weeks and is absolutely loving it. While her current repertoire is fairly limited, this week she finally learned the riff for Smoke on the Water, which according to her guitar teacher, finally grants her access to the official guitar players community. Oshaen on the other hand is working hard to keep up her kickboxing, and has even added a personal trainer into the mix to truly up her game. She is looking forward to the next few months with a potential fight in her future. For now we are looking forward to gaining new skills, meeting lots of people and working hard to save for many trips in the new year.

Here’s to a beautiful summer and a bountiful harvest,

Osh & Linnea

P.S. Shout out to two of our favorite humans Jena and Kelsey for being the first to book their tickets to come see us in March 2019. We’re so glad you’re Melbourne bound and can’t wait to share a piece of this adventure with you!

We’re “Cherry” Excited Hello readers! Your friendly neighborhood Australian wanderers here to let you know we haven't forgotten about you.

Happy Thanksgiving!

To our readers in Canada,

We’re amazed that we’ve reached our first Canadian holiday that won’t be spent with our family and friends back home – Thanksgiving. Although we’re sad to be without that chilly October air and freshly cooked holiday food, we’re also happy to share that our amazing friends here in Melbourne hosted a “Canadian Thanksgiving” dinner, complete with a Canadian flag and all…

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G’day mates!

It’s hard to believe that we are half way through the Victoria school holidays, especially when our Canadian counterparts are only in their first few weeks of the school year. We could think of no better way to spend the break than by going on a road trip to see what Melbourne and the surrounding area has to offer and so that’s exactly what we did. This is the first in a two part post with adventures, stories and as usual, shenanigans from our four day road trip. Enjoy!

Destination number one: the sparkling beaches and rolling cliffs of Sorrento. Situated on the tip of Melbourne’s Mornington Peninsula region, Sorrento is home to the Millionaires Walk where you can enjoy breathtaking views of Port Philip Bay and see how Melbourne’s elite spend their time in their summer mansions. Make sure to click the link if you’re interested in some of the history behind this area. After our afternoon in Sorrento we drove to the next town over, Rye (yes, like the bread) to check into our AirBnb and get ready to visit the infamous Peninsula Hot Springs. And like many hot spring visitors before us, we put on some robes and braced ourselves for maximum relaxation. With over 30 different bathing pools and relaxation experiences, the hot springs are the perfect place to relax after a long term of teaching. Some of our favorites were the hilltop pool with 360 degree views of the surrounding countryside and natural spring serenity pools built right into the side of the hill. This is a once in a lifetime experience we highly recommend if you’re ever in Melbourne (or just come by for a visit and give us an excuse to go again)!

After a restful night in Rye we woke up bright and early for day two of the road trip – an excursion to French Island. We didn’t know what to expect as we boarded the small passenger ferry for the island. When we arrived it left us at a small dock with no other humans to be found, just a couple of bicycles we had prearranged to have waiting for us. So we biked three kilometers inland, still with no other people in sight, to the general store where we learned that not only was it the only store on the island but that the total population of French Island is only 100 people. That’s right, at one point we were in the store with 10% of the town. So again with very few expectations we set out again to bike for hours on the gravel roads that cover the small island. We rode down to the island’s winery and although it was closed, we got a rare opportunity to see an echidna in the wild. Spring is mating season for these little egg laying mammal, which might explain why he did not pay us much attention.

Next on our island excursion we were lucky enough to stumble upon Lois’ farm where she offers tours, local history and some delicious homemade scones and chicory coffee. Chicory, we learned, is a coffee additive that gives it a distinct flavor and was once an important export for the farm. Lois gave us the tour which featured cows, sheep, tropical birds, a pony, chickens (referred to as “chooks” here) and a rescue dog. She also took us on a walk to see the koalas that live in the trees on her property and how to spot where they might be hiding. Most importantly, we met one very special two and a half week old lamb who we were able to help feed! Truly the highlight of our lives and some of the friendliest animals we’d ever met.

Unfortunately when we arrived at the farm we didn’t have any cash on hand but wanted to thank Lois for her tour by purchasing some of her scones. Well, this didn’t phase her one bit – she instead asked us for some help on the farm in exchange for our snack. The tasks she had in mind included helping to feed the cows and trim a blackberry bush. It was such a fun day in the most unexpected ways.

We are so exited to share the rest of our trip with you! Stay tuned for part two coming soon. In the meantime, please enjoy some more pictures of the lamb because I just can’t resist.

Talk soon,

Linnea (& Osh)

Road Trippin’ – Part 1 G'day mates! It's hard to believe that we are half way through the Victoria school holidays, especially when our Canadian counterparts are only in their first few weeks of the school year.

golldenlikedaylight

HAVE YOU HEARD THIS?!

#taylor swift #taylurking #ts6 #ts6iscoming

IS NO ONE AWARE OF THIS YET?!

#ts6 #ts6iscoming #taylor swift #taylurking

guy-who-exists

crybaby learns how to swim - subtitled

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thechekhov

Ok but those subtitles are 100% accurate

a-lexandriaj

The sky was really pretty and I was actually awake to see it for once

a-lexandriaj

i am constantly worried that I’m being emotionally manipulative bc I Feel Like I Am despite it being 100% completely unintentional and I don’t wanna do it so I end up just not showing intense emotions until I’m too tired to suppress anything anymore and then it all comes out and then i get emotional at the stupidest of things and people feel bad bc I’m crying my eyes out and don’t believe me when I say idk why I’m crying it was literally nothing and basically it was a Bad Brain Day™

linneasweets

What is this/r u okay/text me ;D