Christmas in Summer

I've heard differing opinions of Christmas being in Summer here.  A few people (both ex-pats and Australians) have told me they're disappointed it isn't the traditional season and it doesn't feel like Christmas, but most people I've met love it and embrace it.  Christmas is an outside, summer holiday, with barbecues and trips to the beach.  Personally, I love it.  Running your errands and doing your shopping on the warmest and longest days of the year makes this time of year so much more enjoyable.

On Christmas Eve Glen, Gary, Megan and I went to the supermarket at 7am.  It was very busy, but also very organized.  Every cash register was running, there was tons of staff and the shelves were constantly being re-stocked. 

We woke up Christmas morning and did a little gift exchange with Gary, Megan and Jackson.  We spent some time in the kitchen getting dishes ready.  Being summer the food was a lot of vegetables, fresh salads and prawns, along with the traditional ham, pork and chicken and my very American contribution: brownies for dessert. 

At about noon everyone starting arriving and Glen and I made a quick run to pick up Zach, where he was spending time with Nikki's family. 

Everyone was coming to Gary and Megan's (where Glen and I are staying).  I love their front yard.  It's a big, sunny deck, closed off from the street.  The temperature was sitting at about ninety degrees, but they had an awning up to protect us from the sun and a constant breeze kept us cool.

Not long after lunch/dinner, Nikki arrived along with a few friends of Gary and Megan's.  The afternoon turned into a late night and we were still sitting outside, nice and warm in shorts and sundresses.  There was a lot of laughing.  Someone poured shots of tequila.  Then another.  Megan pulled an enormous red lamp out of her garage and plugged it in, and for some reason (probably the alcohol) I thought it was the funniest thing in the world. 

I woke up this morning (Boxing Day) feeling pretty good after a cup of coffee and a vegemite sandwich.  We're going to the beach today and having a little picnic with the paddleboards tomorrow.  Sharon and Tony will be in town until Thursday, and we'll be spending time with them. 

Since we arrived in August, I've been keeping a list of my favorite things in Australia, which I will share in a future blog.  The latest addition to my list: Christmas in Summer.

Christmas under a Frangipani Tree!

  The bar set up on Gary & Megan's deck.  Note the umbrella up above, so Zach the bartender wouldn't get too hot making our cocktails.

We stayed up pretty late and at some point, this huge red lamp came out.  It looked like a cartoon!  I still can't look at it without laughing.

Glen and I are back in the Northern Beaches.  We are staying with Gary, Megan and Jackson (Glen's brother, sister in law and 13 year old nephew) We drove about six hours from the North Coast today, arriving at about 5pm, just in time to kick off the beginning of Jackson's summer vacation.  

We told them stories from the road, and it was hard to believe we'd only been traveling for 18 days.  The beginning of the trip felt like it was years ago.  Because we showed up today happy and well rested, it was funny to recount how difficult the first days of the trip were.

When we left Sydney, we headed straight back to Port Stephens, not far from Shoal Bay, the town we fell in love with back in October.  We set up camp and paddled and spent time at the beach.  We drove out on the sand dunes to Samarai Beach, a very beautiful and secluded spot, and had a great day laying in the sun and swimming.  On the drive back, the car got completely stuck in the sand dunes. Realizing how stuck we were was upsetting.  Lucky enough, we were far enough off the beach that we didn't need to worry about the tide coming in.  We tried to dig the car out.  I put my foot on the accelerator and Glen pushed the car.  Then Glen put his foot in the accelerator and I pushed the car.  Finally, Glen looked at me and said "Oh, Jenny, we're in trouble."  We stood on top of a sand dune and called NRMA (Australian Triple A).  They said they don't come to the sand.  We called a towing company that does come to sand.  They said they'd come in an hour and a half and it would cost $450.  

Suddenly, two men appeared in a pick up truck and towed us right out. They were so friendly and nice, we thanked them profusely and drove into town, canceled the $450 tow and planned out the next leg of our trip,  to a town called Forster.  

The following night we packed up for an early departure the next day.  We glanced at our phones only to see in every Australian news outlet that there had been a shark attack on a surfer.  In Forster.  We decided to pass Forster and head farther north.  

As we drove out of Port Stephens the following morning, the 'Check Engine' light in the car came on.  We drove the car to Beuladelah, about 75 kilometres to the north and as we pulled into town, we realised that at low speeds, the car was shaking. We googled the nearest Toyota dealership which happened to be in Forster.  The car was fine at high speeds, so we drove it into Forster where the Toyota dealership was happy to take a look.  

While we waited, we ate a kilo of shrimp at a picnic table.  We walked on the beach.  Not all the beaches were open due to the shark attack. But this particular beach was open...but for obvious reasons, we were the only people on it.  It was so hot out.  We couldn't help it....we jumped in the water....really fast.  We didn't get eaten by a shark.

We were thrilled to pick up the car and even more thrilled to learn it was a simple, seventy five dollar fix.  

So we continued up north, eventually landing in the beautiful town of Crescent Head, in a campsite on the water.  We swam and paddled and walked on the beach.  We had a glass of wine and saw some big clouds building behind us.  We could see a big storm was coming, so we got some cheese and crackers ready and figured we'd have a little party in the tent.  

The wind started blowing.  I got in the tent and Glen came in too.  Suddenly, a pole broke.  Then another....the back side of the tent collapsed.  I ran into the car.  (I'm not very brave).  Glen loaded everything from the tent into the car and took the tent down but secured it to the ground.  We googled hotels in Crescent Head and found a room for $99. 

We drove into town and checked into the room.  The room was situated so it was not near the road or parking lot, so we had to run our things quite a distance, in the rain.  

Finally we were settled in.  We were wet.  All of our stuff was muddy. It was still pouring outside.  We never got to eat.  For the first time since we'd arrived in Australia, we were both completely defeated.  We talked about the move we'd made, and even questioned why we did it.  We said this may have been have a big mistake and we wondered, where do we go from here?  Not just on this road trip, but in life in general.

We barely slept and woke up early.  The day was beautiful.  We drove back to the campground.  People everywhere were re-building their campsites.  Ours was back up by 930am.  We made friends with our neighbors.  We spent the next few days swimming, paddling and surfing before continuing north to Yamba, then even farther north to the Gold Coast and then back down the coast to beautiful Nambucca Heads.

As you can probably guess, as we talked to Gary, Megan and Jackson we loved telling them the stories from the road.  The more trouble we were in, the more fun it was to talk about.  I suppose it's natural for us to question what we've done sometimes.  But at the end of the day, I wouldn't trade this for anything.

At this moment in time we probably should've been tying more ropes off, rather than taking photos in front of the storm clouds that would take the tent down about ten minutes later. 

It's about 90 degrees and being December 12, it's one of the longest days of the year.  The holiday season doesn't seem to be quite as a big a deal here as it is in the US, and I'm not sure if that's because it's summer or because Australians just aren't as into Christmas.  The other day I walked into a movie theater and Jingle Bells was playing and for a moment I thought "why are they playing Jingle Bells!?"

After six weeks on the Northern Beaches, Glen and I have spent the past two weeks camping up the coast.  Although I write this from the Gold Coast (we are at Sharon and Tony's again!) it's hard to believe we're ten hours from Sydney because we never drove more than two or three hours at a time.

Camping in Australia is a completely different experience from camping in Colorado. It's far less rustic.  Campgrounds are called caravan parks,  Caravan Parks consist of cabins, RV sites and tent sites.  We've always had water and electricity. The  campgrounds have camp kitchens, with grills, sinks and sometimes, refrigerators.  Oh, and the campground bathrooms are absolutely, positively immaculate.  The only downside is, campground bathrooms are constantly closed for cleaning.  So, not exactly roughing it (to borrow Beaver Creeks tagline) but I don't mind one bit.

The past two weeks have been filled with adventure, including four wheeling down a sand road to a secluded beach, where we got stuck in the sand on the way back.  Luckily we were pulled out by two friendly guys, who when we thanked them just replied "too easy!"  which I think may be my favourite Australian saying.

Another night, on a campground just off the beach in a town called Crescent Head, a thunderstorm storm came in with so much wind that part of our tent collapsed.  Glen took the rest of the tent down and secured it to the ground, while I helped by hiding in the car and googling hotels.  We spent the night in a hotel, and had our tent back up by 930 the next morning.

We've spent a lot of time at the beach.  I thought I had a great tan until I saw myself in a full length mirror and was shocked....I look like an over cooked turkey!  Glen surfs and I've been playing around on his surfboard a bit...not surfing, just playing on the board, with the thought that one day, I might jump up!  And of course, we've been paddling!

One of the highlights of the past two weeks was a stop in a town called Yamba, about two hours south of the Gold Coast (8 hours north of Sydney). We really fell in love with this beautiful beach town with good restaurants, yoga and a feeling of a great quality of life.

Tomorrow morning we're heading back down the coast and we'll take about five days to get back to Sydney.  We'll be staying in the Northern Beaches til the end of January and then...who knows?  I'm hoping whatever we do includes another visit back to Yamba.

Hello from Shoal Bay!  Shoal Bay is in the Port Stephens region, about two hours north of Sydney.  We pulled in yesterday for some much needed relaxation time.  Just kidding.

Really, though, we wanted to take the new car on a road trip and Glen has always talked about this area.  He spent a lot of time here as a kid and I've heard a lot about the area, but I never realized it was so beautiful.  It reminds me a bit of Hawaii, with mountains rising out of turquoise water. 

The towns of Shoal Bay and nearby Nelson Bay are low key and relaxed, a beach scene with little cafes and shops. We've rented the cutest little cabin here for three days.  

We brought our paddle boards and took them out for a two hour paddle in the bay this morning.  The water was so blue and clear - we could see the bottom the whole time!  The water was wavy and bumpy, but the boards handled great.  

Afterwards, we threw on shorts and t-shirts and went into Nelson Bay.  We went to a local fish market where we bought a kilo of prawns, caught here in Port Stephens last night!  We ate them at a picnic table right across the street.  They were absolutely delicious.  When we were done, we went back to the same market and bought a dozen oysters for dinner tonight.

Dare I say it?  I really, really love Port Stephens, it's the newest addition to my 'favorite towns in Australia' list.  

Cheap red wine and pizza is the way to travel on a budget!  We just discovered 'Lambrusco', a sparkling red wine, served chilled.  Perfect for al fresco dining on warm, Spring nights.

Port Stephens taken from a lookout, at the entrance to the bay.

 The fishing looks amazing, (Dad)!

Purple Trees and Pink Paddle Boards

Australia has purple trees!  They're so beautiful!  I've never been in Australia in Spring before, and it is completely unreal.  Everywhere you look the trees and flowers are pastel colored, and the air smells of gardenia's and honey suckle.  My favorite, the purple tree, aka the jacaranda, sprouts purple flowers in the spring.   Glen and I parked under a jacaranda tree yesterday and I was thrilled when we walked out to see our white car covered in purple flowers this morning.  (A less thrilled Glen purposely didn't park there tonight, because the car was "stained and sticky" from the night before).  

We also took our new paddle boards out this morning.  Last Friday, we bought them at a shop at a place called Narrabeen Lake.  We tried two boards out, a 10'6 board and a 9'6 board.  We both preferred the 10'6 board, so we asked if they had another 10'6 for sale and the sales guy ...Matt...or Nat (I still have trouble understanding people) said  "yes, but it's bright pink."  Glen asked if I'd use the pink one if we bought it. I rolled my eyes and mumbled "sure."  But I'm going to tell you a secret....I love it!  The 9 year old girl in me, oh hell, the 38 year old woman in me loves my white paddle board with hot pink decals! Don't tell Glen though, he still thinks I'm a trooper for using the pink board.  

Anyway, we took the boards to Manly Dam today, a beautiful, peaceful place up in the trees.  We used to paddle a lot in Summer in Colorado, so it was exciting thinking that we'll be able to use the boards year round here.  Paddling made me feel like my old, Colorado self.  

Not to say that I feel like I've changed, but life has changed.  Now, everywhere we go is a place I've never been and everything we do is something I've never done.  I love it.  At the same time, it was fun to enjoy one of my old favorite activities, paddle boarding,....in a new place, of course!

Planes, Trains and Automobiles

Annandale

G'day, Glen here! We thought it was time for me to share some thoughts and adventures on the blog. So here goes!

After our month up north in tropical Queensland (good times but too many crocodiles nearby for our liking, maybe 20 years in the States softened me?) we totally changed up the scenery and moved into Bevan and Celia's place for three weeks while they are off exploring China.

Bevan and I went to the same kindergarten, primary school and high school and lived in the same neighborhood, so I was surprised when they invited us to take care of their beautiful home, given he still remembers our antics the first time my parents left my older brother and I home alone for a week back in 1978.

Their home is in an old historic inner city neighborhood called Annandale which is about 3 miles to the city center. My mother, Bev, grew up in Annandale so we thought it would be nice for her to come over for dinner and stay the night, which she did this week. Bev had not been back to Annandale for many years.  Even though she only lives about 9 miles from here, the harbor and some serious traffic make the trip challenging.

Anyway, we were blown away by how excited she was while exploring all her old haunts including her childhood homes, elementary school, high school, church, the halls she went to dances in and even the one where she made her debut. She shared many stories of life in the neighborhood including all the hot spots for kissing boys.

Our time in Annandale has been very urban and we have used the bus and train system to explore the city including hip Saturday markets, China Town and a Food Festival.  We even went to an Art Gallery exhibition opening in Paddington last night as guests of Zach's girlfriend, Nikki, who works at the gallery.

While we have been enjoying the inner city energy, the driving has been full on. Our primary mission while here has been to buy a car and equip it with the accessories we will need for our future traveling. Annandale is on Parramatta Rd which is probably Sydney's busiest. It's busy because it is a main artery into and out of the city but also because it has a huge amount of car yards and many other businesses on both sides. The good news is we have been able to find everything we needed within five or six miles of driving Parramatta Rd, but this involved many missed turns, back street re-routes, tight parking and I'm sure annoyance to the drivers trying to get through their work days behind us. Monday we get the stereo changed out to a blue tooth ready with reverse camera set up, then hopefully we are finished with Parramatta Rd and Jen's lessons in colorful Aussie language can be shelved for the time being.

This weekend we have started our physical and mental transition from urban/city back to a beach life mentality. We bought paddle boards yesterday and met with the family we will be house/dog sitting for in January. Talk about "The grass is greener".  They are heading to Colorado for a month of skiing, while we can't wait to watch over their home that is perched on a hill over looking Curl Curl Beach (the same beach I was a junior lifesaver " nipper" way back when).

Next month we'll be looking after my mum's place for a month while she travels and holidays in Queensland. Mum's place is about a quarter mile to both Freshwater and Curl Curl Beaches. It's still spring in Sydney so the weather varies greatly but we are hoping the water temps and weather will warm up for lots of paddling and beaching through November.

So this is Glen signing off. As you probably guessed we are not missing the snow but we both miss our wonderful friends and family back in the US. We are not big on posting on Facebook but we do enjoy hearing from all ya'll through F.B messenger and please know we are browsing F.B and stalking you.

Mum's back home after so many years

Town Hall and Mum's high school

Spring bloom

Mum, in front of her high school. Built in 1897.

Our new (used) Landcruiser, in front of Bevan & Celia's

Ready to paddle

"The Abbeys"  Annandale

A local church in Annandale

Classic neighborhood fire station

Local Town Hall

The street Mum came home to when she was born.  Not much has changed on the outside.

Planes:  Annandale is close to the Sydney Airport.  Great fun plane-spotting.  Qantas is our favorite!

Whenever I'm upset, I don't sleep.  Worries that seem solve-able during the day wake me up at night and bring me out to the couch.  On Tuesday night, I didn't even bother trying to sleep.  I brushed my teeth, washed my face, grabbed a pillow and blanket and went straight to the couch. 10pm in Sydney is 7am in New York.  My parents, sisters, brother-in-laws and nieces were all at my parents house, on their way to my Grandma's funeral.  I was filled with regret.  I regretted moving 10,000 miles to Australia.  I regretted leaving New York in 1996 to move to Colorado.  I regretted that since I'm eighteen, I've always lived far away from my family.  Most of all, I regretted not being there.  I slept on and off through the night. 

On Wednesday morning, I talked to my Mom, who told me I'm being ridiculous and she loves that I'm happy. 

Then, I tried not to feel regret, because in spite of it all, I am happy.  Each day is exciting and different from the last. 

This past week we had a goal:  Buying a car.  Glen and I drove around, scoping dealerships and researching, before finding the car for us - a 2003 Toyota Landcruiser Prado.  The car buying experience is different than in the US.  We had an inspection done, which in turn the dealership fixes any problems that are found.  One leaking rear shock, a broken fog light and new windshield later, the repairs are being made and the car should be ours tomorrow. 

In the meantime, I'm learning Sydney's public transportation and have been catching ferries, buses and trains.  I've also been driving Celia's car.  Today, I drove across the city to the Northern Beaches.  I drove across the Harbour Bridge...on the left side of the road...Australians are so picky about that!  ;-) 

I've also found a new passion:  Shopping.  (Unfortunate timing, considering we don't have jobs.)  I went shopping with Nikki in Bondi on Thursday night. It was so nice to spend time with her, and when we were done we went to eat at what looked like a little hole-in-the-wall Japanese restaurant, only to be served the greatest sashimi I've ever eaten.  Ever. 

Glen and I went to the super trendy Paddington Neighborhood and the Paddington Markets on Saturday.  Luckily, I don't have expensive taste...but I did manage to snag a pair of tiny boots that I've noticed women all around Sydney wearing.   

One morning, I video chatted with my friends Larissa, Peyton and Sarah in Breckenridge while they drank wine and I sipped coffee.  They put the phone on the table and we chatted like I was right there with them.   

On Friday morning, Glen and I had a huge run on Bondi Beach.  Just when we thought we were too tired to run anymore, we realized the parking meter would expire in 20 minutes.  I grabbed the car keys and ran ahead another three kilometers, arriving at the car with three minutes to spare, making me the hero of the day.

That night, we went into the city to sample the Noodle Markets (Local Asian Restaurants set up booths, where you can sample tastings from their menu).  It was a blast, but in usual Friday night event fashion, it quickly got crowded and the lines became so long, we wandered the city in search of a restaurant that served noodles...and found one without problem.

On Sunday, I drank (too much) wine with my sister-in-law, Megan.  I stopped drinking when, to my horror, I heard myself saying "I've never seen Drach Zunk."

I've called and video chatted with my family more than I ever did in Colorado, because I miss them so much. 

This week has been an emotional rollercoaster, filled with sadness, happiness, excitement and regret.  That's okay.  Those emotions are all a part of living, and living life is exactly what I came here to do. 

Beautiful Bondi Beach, start and end of the longest run I've done in Australia, 15 kilometers/9 miles!

Hopefully we'll have this car tomorrow!  That bar on the front is called a 'Roo Bar.'  So if you hit a kangaroo, it doesn't hurt the car...but likely hurts the kangaroo.  Even so, I really, really, don't want to hit a kangaroo. 

The ultra cool Paddington Neighborhood, home of the Paddington Markets! 

Last night (Sunday night) at about midnight my phone started buzzing.  Half asleep, I squeezed my phone to make it stop and put it under my pillow.  A minute later it was buzzing again.  Glen woke me and said 'you'd better check that, something might be wrong.'  There were messages from my parents asking me to call. 

I quickly called my Mom, who told me that my Grandma had gone to sleep the night before and never woke up.  

This was coming. At 98, she wasn't well.  Two weeks before I left for Australia I said good bye knowing very well that may be the last time.

I went out to the living room to call my sisters.  It was Sunday morning in NY and I wasn't going to sleep while my family was going through this.  We were going through it together.  

My family and I had discussed this before I left and agreed that if this happened, I wouldn't come back.  But for the first time since I arrived, I didn't want to be in Australia.  I wanted to be home, in New York, with my family.  

I texted and talked with my sisters through the night and one of us always had an update of where my parents and Aunt and Uncle were, what they were doing and the arrangements they were making.  

My Grandma Jean and Grandpa Manny (who died twelve years ago) were such special people.  They had four grandchildren and we each had such a great relationship with them.  

My Grandma was always giggling and so happy. She hugged or kissed everyone, in fact, a lot of other family friends referred to her as Grandma Jean, too.  I realize that living to be 98 is a privilege, but I will miss her forever.

Which leaves me here in Australia, sad and a little bit homesick.  

Mom, I'm so sorry I'm not there for you right now.  I can't believe I'm not going to be able to hug you.

Grandma Jean, as always, I love you big bunches, with hugs, kisses and pinches. 

Here's to you, Grandma, on a life well lived.  

Stay off the Road, Australia!

I've been a little slow with my posting lately.  I actually wrote this entry on Sunday, October 9, but took 24 hours to actually post it.  - Jen

After 12 sunny days on the Gold Coast, we jumped on a plane to Sydney this past Wednesday, an easy hour and fifteen minute flight.  

When we arrived we caught up with our friends Bevan and Celia.  They were heading on vacation until the end of the month and asked if we would like to stay in their house while they're gone.  Their house is absolutely incredible.  I'm going to call one of those real estate shows and walk the camera man around the house while I show him all the rooms and explain the features. 

When Celia was showing me around the house, showing me how everything works, she mentioned we're welcome to use her car.  I asked her if I could drive it and told her I hadn't driven in Australia on this trip yet and she said 'sure!'

So today, Sunday morning, I drove for the first time since August 24.  Years ago, when I had my learner's permit, my Dad used to take me driving on Sunday mornings, so this brought back a memory.  

Keep in mind, we're dealing with a few things here: 

Driving on the other side of the road: After being a passenger here for six weeks it's not as dis-orienting as you might think. 

Driving on the other side of the car:  This is actually pretty confusing (for me).  I put the windshield wipers on instead of signaling.  I drive pretty far over to the left, which Glen said is natural, just before calmly telling me I was going to hit the side wall of the tunnel we were in.  

Driving in the city:  Sadly, this was my biggest problem. Not surprisingly, driving in Breckenridge is not very aggressive.  So today I had to do quick lane changes, drive in narrow lanes with cars all around me, pass cars that were doubled parked, etc.

Maybe you should stay off the road in the US too...just to be safe.

All in all, it was a successful drive and I'd like to keep on driving because it's the only way I'll become comfortable.

It's Springtime in Sydney, which feels like summer to me.  We've been swimming and laying by the pool.  We've been staying in Annandale, a fun, urban area, not a far walk from downtown Sydney, better known as the Central Business District or CBD.  We've been exploring nearby boutiques and markets and on Saturday we went out for drinks and dinner with Zach and his girlfriend Nikki.  

Stay tuned for our next big step - buying a car.  

Bevan & Celia's home.

I'm reading as fast as I can, because there are about 12 books from this room on my nightstand.  

We did actually ask for permission to post photos of their home on the blog!

Yesterday was an exceptionally fun day.  Friday is Tony's usual day off and Sharon took the day off to extend the holiday weekend.  Bear with me while I digress for a little story: The state of Queensland celebrates the Queen's birthday on the first Monday in October, but the rest of Australia celebrates the Queen's birthday in June.  "So which one is the Queen's birthday?" I asked.  The answer:  Neither.

There are a handful of funny little things like that, that confuse me.  Like not all cookies are called bickies, but some crackers are. 

Back to yesterday: One of the surprises I've had in the miles we've covered so far is how hilly the landscape is.  Wherever we've been, there are always hills or mountains nearby.  Today we drove west to the hills, to a place called Springbrook, which is both a town and a National Park in some areas.  

It was less than a thirty minute drive from the coast and the drive alone was beautiful.  We hiked in rain forest so thick, at times you could hardly see the sky through the trees above.  We walked into a cave that opened to a waterfall.  We saw another waterfall that dropped more than fifty feet.

I could not get over how beautiful it all was.  I can't believe I never knew this place existed.  

Tonight is the Australian Football League's Grand Final, the Sydney Swans vs the Western Bulldogs from Melbourne.  Sharon and Tony are huge Swans fans.  I have a pretty good understanding of Australian Rules  Football (minus a million rules) so I hope I'm okay at following the game, or at the very least, don't  accidentally cheer for the Bulldogs.  

We booked a flight back to Sydney for Wednesday and a plan for October is starting to come together. 

Oh...and go The Swan-y's!  I'm picking some things up!

Because it's hard to describe a cave with a waterfall.

The town of Springbrook.

We had the most delicious lunch in this little cafe!

So much has been going on, I'm not sure where to start!

I left off after the only key we had to our return RV snapped off in the camper door.  We were a little delayed the following morning waiting for RACQ (aka Royal Automotive Club of Queensland or as we can secretly refer to them without the Australians finding out: Australian Triple A).  Anyhoo, it was a bit of a hassle between calling the camper people, and waiting for them to call RACQ, but hey, we were stuck in a tropical town on a beautiful day, so it was a pretty happy dilemma.  

We drove the final two and a half hours into Port Douglas and arrived just in time to go to Four Mile Beach, get a campsite for the next two nights and book ourselves onto a snorkel boat to the Great Barrier Reef the next day.

I don't know what to say about the Great Barrier Reef, because I'm sure many people who are more eloquent than me have said it better than I can.  It is every bit as spectacular as everyone says it is.  It almost doesn't look real - like a cartoon. We returned that evening and had a beer with another couple from the snorkel boat, on vacation/business trip  from Arizona .  It was fun to spend time with another couple.  Glen and I had been talking to only each other for so long, I think it took us a minute to remember how to socialize!  

Early the following morning we dropped the camper off in Cairns, then crossed the street to a different camper place to get our next return camper, a converted Toyota Landcruiser, with a Diesel engine!  We loved this vehicle!  We were feeling so good we drove south all day.  The sun set and we kept on driving.  It was about midnight and we were getting pretty tired and were nowhere near a town, when

****MOM, STOP READING****

we pulled over, set up the bed and slept in the camper on the side of the road.  I mean, it's not like we were in the shoulder with our hazard lights blinking.  It was a proper pull off...and there was a truck there...and another camper....and we were so tired, we had this huge power nap that felt so good.

Just before 5am we were awake and driving to Hillsborough National Park.  Less than an hour later we were watching kangaroos hop along the beach at sunrise.  We booked ourselves into a campsite, where we stayed for the next 24 hours.  

The following day we continued our long haul south with a destination in mind - The Sunshine Coast.  An old friend of Glen's lives there.  We left Hillsborough at 730am with a lot of road ahead of us, snacks and Pandora streaming.  We pulled into The Sunshine Coast at 630pm and Glen's buddy Marty and his girlfriend Kelly had T-Bone steaks waiting for us for dinner.  

Marty took the following day off of work to show us around.  I got to see the world famous Noosa beach (Noosa Yogurt, anyone?).  We explored the towns along the beach and they came in all varieties; Noosa was pretty glamorous.  We discovered a town called Coolum that I loved, a down to earth beach scene.  There are great food selections up and down the region and a very natural feel around the area with beautiful forests, hiking and hills....so, if you know me you know where I'm going with this; the Sunshine Coast is my new favorite place.  

On the last day, I ran five miles barefoot on the beach.  I excitedly told glen it was the best run I'd ever had and that's how I'll run for the rest of my life.  Then I could barely  walk for three days because my feet were so banged up.  I finally ran on the beach yesterday with my running shoes.  

Look at that, I posted a photo!  The view from my first and last long barefoot run.  

After two nights with Marty and Kelly and a night in the Coolum campground, we were on the road again to Brisbane, less than an hours drive, where we dropped off the Land  Cruiser and hopped a train less than 2 hours south to the Gold Coast, home of Sharon and Tony.

We've spent a spectacular few days here.  They live two blocks from the beach.  The weather has been incredible.  They have a big house and an incredibly comfortable guest bedroom and bathroom.  They have the cutest dog!  They ask when we're leaving and we change the subject.  

Really, though, we're going to stay here through next weekend and then head back to Sydney, about another twelve hour drive south.  From there...well, we're really not sure!  I'm sure a plan will unfold. 

L

On the Road Again

Glen and I love road trips.  In Colorado, we loved our camper van.  We'd load it up on Thursday nights with paddleboards or other toys, come home from work on Friday and immediately hit the road for a weekend adventure. This is why we're thrilled to be driving camper returns for the next few weeks.  

This morning we picked up a camper van in Airlie Beach.  We have four days to drive it 600 kilometers north to Port Douglas.  The plan is to get it there as soon as possible so we can spend time swimming, snorkeling and exploring Port Douglas.  

Being on the road here feels a little different from Colorado.  We're taking highway 1, a two lane road.  The entire road is narrow, and if you want to pass anyone, you have to cross into oncoming traffic.  But I was completely comfortable with Glen at the wheel and me in the passenger seat.  I help Glen by screeching anytime anyone makes an aggressive move.  I'm writing this at 11pm from a campground in a town called Cardwell, about two hours south of Port Douglas.

Although a little scary, the drive here was beautiful. The farther north we headed, the more tropical it became.  The map made it appear as if we were driving right along the Pacific Ocean, but we didn't see the ocean until we rolled into Cardwell.

We found a campground and as we were checking in, we asked the owner if there were crocodiles in the creeks.  He nodded enthusiastically and then told us they're in the ocean too.  He said that when some of the local kids turn 16, they jump off the jetty, into the water and swim as fast as they can back to shore - he even did it himself, when he was young.  With my usual sense of over-zealousness, I asked how often one of them actually gets eaten by a croc...I think I may need charm classes.

We had a delicious dinner at a little place in town; fresh caught crab with lemon, lettuce, salt and pepper on a roll.  Then, we dropped into the pub (it's always 'the pub' here, never 'the bar') for a beer.

This is a lovely town to spend the night in.  I could stay here longer, and we just may, because tonight, the camper key broke.  But right now, life is good...and I'm sure we'll get that one figured out in the morning.

Glen and I in our happy place, on the road.  Note to self, work on my selfie smile.  

This morning, I asked the owner of the little resort we're staying in if a nearby waterfall was within walking distance.  She replied "No, it's not. You should borrow my car."  I'm sure I looked puzzled.  (I don't even like it when Glen borrows my car.)  I asked if that would be a problem.  

She answered "Nothing is a problem, Jennifer, you're in Queensland."

That is just how it feels around here. North Queensland is very, very relaxed.

We parked her car and the spectacular waterfall was about 100 feet from the parking area.  We decided we wanted to hike, so we traveled along slippery rock.  We kept rising to a waterfall spilling into a pond, and another waterfall spilling into a pond. Eventually we stopped and swam in one of the ponds.  We dried off while we sat on a rock and ate lunch.

Glen was watching rugby last night and I proudly declared myself a fan of the North Queensland Cowboys because I like it so much up here.  (Then I asked him a million questions about rugby).  

A couple of more days here and then we make our first RV return run from North Queensland to Far North Queensland, also known as FNQ...let the road trip begin!

Hello from Beautiful Airlie Beach!  Glen and I arrived here by ferry this afternoon, and it's where we plan to spend the next 6 days or so before we move on to our new career - driving 'Return RVs' from one destination to another!  More on that later, allow me to back up from where we left off:  Last week in Sydney I got my New South Wales driver's license!  Silly as it sounds, I was very excited over what a simple process it was - they just tied it into my American license!  It also makes me feel a little more local, and it's nice not to have to carry my passport around.  I plan on learning to drive in Australia very soon.  😉

On Sunday we hopped on a plane to Hamilton Island.  We were there for my sister-in-law Sharon's birthday.  What a beautiful island!  Palm trees, exotic flowers, my own personal kangaroo (not really) (well kind of) who hung out on the lawn outside of our room....it was a blast.

There he is!  

Some of the Australian Morgan's (L-R) Bob my father-in-law, Zach, Me, Glen, Sharon, Pat (Bob's partner) and Bev my mother-in-law.

More Morgan's:  Zach, Gary & Megan (brother & sister-in-law), Sharon, Tony, Me and Glen.

I got to spend time with my in laws.  Although Glen and I have been together a long time, I haven't spent a whole lot of time with them because of how far apart we've lived.  We had a great time in a fun and beautiful atmosphere and it just felt very comfortable.  

For a couple of months Glen has been in touch with RV rental companies regarding driving campers back to certain destinations.  For example:  A lot of RV's are driven one way from Sydney to Cairns, and then there aren't enough RV's in Sydney.  So for a very, very cheap price, we can drive the RV's back in the other direction....perfect, considering we're slowly making our way back to Sydney!  So here's the plan for now:  next week we are driving an RV about 1,000 kilometers north to Port Douglas.  We'll spend three days there, in the RV while getting beach time in.  Three days later,we've arranged to drive another RV down to Brisbane, not far from where Sharon lives!  At this point, the RV people are arranging a relocate back from Brisbane to Sydney, where we should be by the end of September.

Which brings us here, to Airlie Beach, where right now Glen and I are sitting on the balcony of our little 'holiday apartment.'  We bought some groceries so we don't have to keep eating out. We just had a beer and it's raining, but very warm out.  We're going to put on our raincoats in a bit and explore the town.  

After months of counting down to this adventure, I can honestly say that so far, everything has been as wonderful as I'd thought it would be.  

In the months before we left Colorado, I'd put the Manly Beach Live Cam in a small window on the corner of my computer screen and watch the sunrise.  Depending on the time of year, it would be somewhere between 11am and 3pm in Colorado.  Yesterday morning, Glen and I woke up at 5:30am and ran to Manly to catch the sunrise in person.  Even though it was too cloudy for a sunrise, it was great to be there.  I was always happy to watch cloudy Manly mornings from my desk in Breckenridge and was just as happy to see it for myself.
   

An American girl down under

The past few days have been spent taking care of details such as new phone plans (unlimited texting and free calls to the US!) a tax file number for me, banking, healthcare and other details.  Not too exciting, but it feels good to have these things taken care of. 

I'm starting to feel comfortable in Australia.  I've been running a lot and Glen joins me most mornings. 

Glen and I have been walking to the beach and catching up with friends and family.  Unlike past trips we've taken to Australia, it's nice to relax and know we're not on a limited number of days.  We will be in Sydney for another three days and on Sunday, we'll be flying to Hamilton Island to spend four days celebrating my sister-in-law's birthday.  Glen and I have not booked a return ticket back to Sydney and plan to spend the next few weeks exploring Queensland and finding our way back to Sydney. 

As I write this, it's 5pm on Thursday.  I'm sitting on my mother-in-law's balcony and there are kids having cricket practice in the park across the street.  Glen and I are going to meet my father-in-law for dinner.  At this point in time, life feels different and relaxing and I couldn't be happier.  I'll post more from the road.  Here are a few pictures of what I've been seeing:

Aren't these flowers amazing?  Not sure if they're called 'pig face' or 'pink face' because I have trouble understanding people and you can only say "what?" so many times before you're annoying.

On our way to Curl Curl beach.

Other than a handful of surfers, not many people on Curly beach today...maybe Australians aren't as excited as I am to be on the beach on the first day of September...or maybe they're working.