NaDave Aussie: 22-26 (Tasmania) part 2

Day 24 (Sat)

We awoke to another beautiful view & and had a warm shower to start the day.  We then drove downtown for the Salamanca Market.  It is listed as a "must-do" on all the lists, and it certainly was!  There were over 300 booths & we spent over 4 hrs there.  It was a great way to take in some local flavor.

From there we headed to critically acclaimed MONA (Museum of New Art) for wine tasting & a tour.  The wine tasting was incredible...and the museum not so much.  But thats all part of the experience!

Next we drove up to Mt Wellington to get a great view of the city.  After that, we got on the road, to cut some hrs off the drive to Cradle Mtn.  We stayed overnight at a free campground...we made a small campfire, drank some wine, and the view of the stars was incredible.  Another great day!

Morning View

MONA wine tasting

View from Mt. Wellington

Day 25 (Sun)

We awoke to steady rain, which meant a wet tent.  We packed up quickly, and got on the road.  Today was a major driving day.  Maybe 8 hrs total.  We got to Cradle Mtn around 1pm, and were welcomed with a forecast for snow on our hike around Dove Lake.  Well the forecast was right, and we had a wintry mix!  It never got miserable on the hike, but we laughed at ourselves several times.  We were gonna do the hike no matter what!

We finished the hike wet & cold, headed back to the visitor center, then headed off to Launceston (the other major city in Tassie).  We had our sites set on a celebratory fresh seafood sampler dinner (after days of peanut butter & bread)...and we did it up right!  Oysters, scallops, prawns, fish, shrimp..mmmm!

There was also an Australia Day Festival right by where we ate, and there were fireworks at dusk!  Very cool to see another country celebrate its independence day (remember, Tasmania is a state of Australia).  We then drove an hr down the road to a free campground, and headed right to bed to rest up for our final day.

Dove Lake @ Cradle Mountain

Dinner in Launceston

Day 26 (Mon)

We were up early again, and got on the road for the East coast of Tassie.  It was a clear blue sky day...and we started with a beer sampling at a local brewery at 9am!  We then headed towards for Bicheno, for a quick stop at a cafe overlooking the waterfront, and then headed towards Freycinet National Park.  

The main attraction at Freycinet (and maybe for all of Tassie) is Wineglass Bay...and it did not disappoint!  We hiked up to a view point...then hiked down to the beach.  The beach was something out of a Corona commercial.  Nadine & I packed swimsuits, and hopped in.  It was cold!  But we stunk so badly that is was well worth it.  The beach was very 'raw'...we even a saw dead penguin.

We looked at our watch, and it was time to head back.  From Freycinet, we headed to a local oyster farm for delicious oysters.  They were amazing and cheap (just how we like it!).  Nadine then had her eyes set on two neighboring wineries with free tastings that closed around 530p.  The wine was a perfect way to end our final day in Tassie.  We romantically shared the last of our trail mix, and then headed to the airport to fly out.  We landed back inMelbourne at 10p.

Beer Tasting

Bicheno Beach

Wineglass Bay View Point

Wineglass Bay Beach

Fresh Oysters at Oyster Farm

Say goodbye to our Steady Car!

WOW...what an amazing trip!  Who thought we'd ever go to Tasmania?!  It was worth every penny...and every lost minute of sleep

NaDave Aussie: 22-26 (Tasmania) part 1

So what I forgot to mention in the last email regarding our first camping experience...was that Nadine & I each woke up to a completely flat air mattress (maybe thats why we looked so great in that picture!)  So the Tues/Wed before Tassie included Dave taking a trip to KMart & Nadine heading to a book store to get a 'Lonely Planet Tasmania Book' (The Australia Book from Tanya & Manny had only a small section on Tassie...so we needed a 2nd resource!).

(Also, oddly, KMart & Aldi are big in Melbourne.  I thought KMart was gone for good!).   And one more thing...Tassie is pronounced "Tazzy"

Day 22 (Thurs)

We traveled with one checked bag (containing sleeping bags, tent, KMart air rafts, camping gear, & our clothes) and we each had a carry-on.  We flew with JetStar, and their checked bag policy is that you pre-pay by weight for your checked bag.  So we paid for 20kg...and we came in at 19.5kg!  (Man are we good!)  We left our carry-ons light, knowing that we would bring home gifts/souvenirs.

Nadine got to the airport via a direct Bus from Geelong.  She arrived at 630p.  Dave meanwhile got a free ride from his housemate (bc he lives only 20 mins from the airport).  That saved him about $40 for a cab ride, so that was a huge favor!

So we were standing in the security line at 650p for our 740p flight (boarding at 710p)...and we were a bit nervous.  However in Aussie, there really is no airport security (compared to the US), so we got through security super quick and, get this, never once did we have to show ID!  It was wonderful!  We also found a funny sign in the airport regarding Nadine's carry-on bag (see pic).

When we landed in Hobart...we divided and conquered...Dave got the rental car & Nadine got the luggage...and we were on the road by 915p.  Our first stop was a grocery store that closed at 10p!  We snuck in, got what we needed, and then got out.  We then decided to drive down to the Fortescue Bay campgroundin Tasman Nat Park, as this would put us in great position for our Friday plans.  We got in late, around 12p, but quickly setup our tent...and were officially settled in Tassie!!!!

High Sierra Bag

Day 23 (Fri)

We awoke on Friday morning to an early sun & an amazing sound of soft, crashing waves.  It was Fortescue Bay..and it was beautiful!  We were both up by 6am (bc we were so excited) and took a nice relaxing walk along the beach.  By being unable to see anything at night...and then an "unveiling" of everythingin the morning, it made the scenery of Tassie so awesome!

When then took off for Remarkable Cave & Port Arthur Historic Site.  We had the Cave to ourselves, and it was pretty cool to hear the rumble of the ocean as it echoed throughout the cave.  We then got to Port Arthur and took a tour of the grounds.  This is one of the places where prisoners from England would land in Aussie back in the 1800s.  It was known for being one of the worst places for living conditions (you can read about it online)

We then headed to see some Tasmanian Devils!  There aren't many in the wild, so you have to head to a conservatory.  We got there just in time for a feeding...and saw two devils go crazy on a carcass.  When they eat, they eat everything!  Meat, Fat, Bones & Fur.  And they also make a pretty intimidating snarl when they eat.  Unfortunately, there was no spinning around, and no sign of Bugs, Daffy, nor Yosemite Sam.

It was then off to the Northeast coast of Tasman National Park...we did about 3 hrs of hiking...and the coast is jaw-dropping.  The views & coastal islands look fake.  It may have been my favorite (and most unexpected part of the day).  From there we drove into Hobart, setup camp just outside of town, and then caught a bus into town to check the nightlife.  We hit up a couple pubs, and adistillery for a whiskey sampler.  The "highlight" of the night was our 'happy' selves missing the bus connection back to camp...long story short we took a cab home for a reasonable price (ha, oops!).

Fortescue Bay Beach

Driving to Port Arthur

Remarkable Cave

Port Arthur

Tasmanian Devils!

Tasman National Park Coast

Tasman 2... just beautiful

Downtown Hobart, Tasmania

NaDave Aussie: 19-21 (Australian Open)

Day 19 (Mon, Jan 19)

Dave's professor (Dr Fuss) gave him two free tickets to the opening day of the Aussie Open.  Dr Fuss also said to take the day off, and enjoy Melbourne during the day.  Nadine spoke to her professor, and he also said it was okay to fully enjoy the day in Melbourne.  So with sunburn faces from the weekend inTorquay, we hopped on the train in Geelong (heading towards Melbourne)....also with Dave's bike so he could finally get it to his place inBundoora.

We arrived into the main train station, and locked up Dave's bike (hoping no one would steal it!).  We then headed towards the Costco in Melbourne, to see what they had, and to see if Dave could use the card his Dad had lent him to borrow.  We found Costco initially to be a welcoming stress-free place, as they had everything you'd typically see a Costco in the states (even some free samples!).  We then did a test purchase with Dad's card...and were caught!  The Aussie cashier noticed I wasn't Edward Krzeminski and called over his manager.  We had to 'fib' and say "our father just dropped us off to get a few groceries" in order to let us buy the $10 in food.  They sternly told us that next time, the card will confiscated. (Never had this happen in the States!)

After Costco proved to be a no-go, we walked to a Botanical Garden/City Park, and ate a peaceful lunch overlooking some beautiful flora.  We then hopped on a Tram to take us to Melbourne Park, the home of the Aussie Open.

We got there with the excitement in the air that comes with any Major sports event.  This was the Aussie Open!  The blue courts, the hot January weather, the rowdy Aussie fans!  We walked around the 20+ courts, and found a women's match with an American playing a Frenchie   We were surrounded by others cheering "USA" and it felt great to be among others just like us. The American women won in a match that went into overtime (aka, 3rd set tie-break), so what a great start to the evening!

It was then time to head into the arena where our actual seats were...and WOW!  We had seats to the main court...where Roger Federer & Maria Sharapova would be playing their 1st round matches.  What a treat!  For both of us, it was our first professional tennis match, so we took it all in.  Just amazing to see two of the best in the world...and we had great seats.

We got out of the Park late, but it was well worth it.  Just as we were leaving, a Mens match with an Aussie going for an upset was going late, and the crowd was going nuts!  The cheers echoed throughout the Park as we left!  Very memorable

We got back to the train station & Nadine took the train back to Geelong.  Dave grabbed his bike (it wasn't stolen...phew!) and then he proceeded to find out you can't take bikes on the city Trams bc the Tram operator yelled over the loud-speaker "Will the person with the bike please get off the tram!!"  YIKES!  After talking with an unhappy security officer, I found out bikes are only allowed on the subway (not the trams).  So I walked back into the main train station, and caught the next subway.  Unfortunately, that meant I would be let off about 4 miles from my apartment, around midnight.  Long story short...I made it home safely on my bike, in the dark.  What a day!  What a weekend!

Lunch at the Park

Beer Prices at Costco...beer is so expensive in AUS!

Walking to Aussie Open

Cheering on the US woman to beat the Frenchie!

Up Close Action around the park

Sharapova Serve

Day 20 (Tues & Wed)

We each recovered from our late night returns from the Aussie Open & finalized our day-to-day plans for Tasmania!  And did some research too ;)

After a full of work on Thursday, we would meet up at the airport and fly to Tassie for the Australia Day weekend!

NaDave Aussie: 15-18 (Surfin' in Torquay)

So Day 14 was the last update...which means this email is overdue (& Dave is behind!).  The past 15 days Down Under have been busy, possibly busier than the 1st 15!  (which you'll see in the upcoming string of emails!)

Day 15 (Thurs)

After much discussion & thoughtful consideration, NaDave decided that we should travel to Tasmania for the Australia Day weekend (AUS's independence day).  We each were getting Monday Jan 26th off as a Holiday & so what a great opportunity to tackle one of the destinations on our list!  So er purchased our plane tickets....depart Melbourne on Thurs evening (Jan 22) to Hobart, Tasmania & arrive back in Melbourne late Monday night (Jan 26)!  Exciting!

We also saw that the waves were forecasted to be 6-10 ft over the upcoming weekend.  Neither of us has seen surf this big, so we decide it would be fun to head down to the famous Torquay beach on Sat/Sun (due south of Geelong).  Also, Dave's bike was still at Nadine's apartment (after purchasing it in Geelong the previous weekend), so he also needed to get to Geelong in order to get his bike to his apartment in Bundoora.

Day 16 (Fri)

Friday was the 10th work day for each of us & Dave finally got keyed to his Sports Lab at RMIT!  Work continued to move slowly as all of the administrative stuff was moving at a slow pace, but moving forward nonetheless.

Dave hopped on the Tram at RMIT, and ~2.5 hrs later, arrived at the Geelong train station...greeted with a big hug & kiss from Nadine!  We were happy to see each other after our 1st 'real' weeks apart in Australia.  We then headed out to buy groceries (& boxed wine!) for dinner.  Over dinner we discussed our plans to bike down & camp overnight tomorrow near Torquay beach.

Day 17 (Sat)

We needed to test out our camping gear at least once before heading to Tasmania, so we packed our tent, sleeping bags & pads, swimsuits, towels, clothes, and accessories all into two backpacks!  We were doing our best Sherpa impersonations!

It took us about 75 mins to bike down the ~20 miles to Torquay, but we arrived safely.  We headed to the Torquay Surf Academy and each rented a wet suit & surfboard for 4 hrs.  We got to the beach & the waves were crazy huge!  The rip current was also ridiculous!  The sound and look to the ocean was sooo intimidating!  But nonetheless, we got out there, surfed a little, got tossed around a lot...but most awesomely, watched some of the locals ride the big waves.  They make it look so easy!...we each realized we have a long ways to go before we can 'hang ten'.

After 4 hours of punishment by the ocean, we walked our rentals back to the Surf Academy, showered off in a stream of warm water that felt like gold, and then found a burrito shop off the main strip that had portions large enough for our appetites.  We biked back to the coast to relax and enjoy the views with dinner.  With the sun beginning to set, we hopped on our bikes and headed to set up camp.

So 1st things 1st...there is no cheap place to safely camp in Torquay.  We looked all over, but no such thing!  BUT, we found a sketchy (& free) public park about 10 minutes outside of town that a 'Lonely Planet' blog suggested.  When we got there, another RV was parked, so we felt it was okay, but the toilets were out of order...so the trees would have to do.

We setup camp quickly, hung up our wet stuff, drank just enough boxed wine to make any bed comfortable, and then passed out with exhaustion.  It was our first night in the Australian Bush (aka, woods/wilderness), and we each awoke at different times at night to hear sounds outside that we had previously only heard on the Discovery channel.

That Backpack is PACKED!

Torquay Surf Academy

Sunset burrito & wine dinner

Our Free Campsite

Day 18 (Sun)

We each woke up alive (woohoo!) and looked terrible!  But at least all of our stuff was safe.  We packed up, biked back into Torquay, and went back for more ocean punishment!  We rented surf gear for 4 more hours, and had a little more success with the waves.  But the weather was great & the amazing surfers were out again.  We packed up our backpacks again for the return "Sherpa" trip back to Geelong.  After 1.5 hrs on the bike (with a wickedly awesome tail wind!), we got back safely, and cooked up a carbo-loaded dinner.

During dinner, we watched The Hunter (recommended by Manny) to prep for our upcoming Tasmania trip.  As Sunday came to a close, we also got ready for our free tickets to the Aussie Open on Monday evening! 

We look terrible after camping!  :)

Surfer Girl

Dave surfing (sort of)

NaDave Aussie: 8-14

Nearly a week has gone by since the last update...and you know Nadine & I didn't sit on our butts the whole time!  So here we go again, day-by-day...

Day 8

We both recovered from our January 7 trips down to Melbourne.  It was still my birthday back in America, so it was an extended celebration!  Also, Nadine finalized her apartment decision in Geelong, and so that meant we had to move all of our stuff out of Paul & Sharon's house in Armstrong Creek.  As a result, I was headed down to Geelong on Friday evening to pack up all of our stuff (I had only taken 1 weeks worth of stuff up to Bundoora, so I also had left stuff of mine behind with Nadine)

We were also hoping to find bikes in Geelong, such that we could extend our transport options beyond walking & public transit!  (It's been great to re-experience life w/out a car...you realize how much longer everything takes & how less efficient it is for your time)

Day 9

After a quiet day of work, I headed down from Bundoora to Geelong via public transit (~1 hr Tram ride + 1.5 hr Train ride).  Nadine & I met at a bike shop to look at a 2nd hand bike she had spotted that fit me & was in my price range.  It was a good fit, but we decided to wait until Saturday morning to make a final decision.

We were also on a quest to find Nadine a bike.  That same bike shop didn't have anything for her, but we scoured Gumtree that night and found a few options & setup a few rendezvouses for Saturday morning.  I also opened the 'real' card from Mom & Dad for my 30th birthday.  The celebrations it turned into my birthday week!

We also had drinks with a couple that Nadine met at a bus stop earlier in the week.  They were a young Aussie couple (both Deakin Uni grads) & lived a short walk away from Paul & Sharon's.  They showed us their home, shared some snacks, and provided plenty of beer!  I was a good guest & kept myself well-hydrated!

Dave's Bday Card

Day 10 (Sat)

We woke up at 7a to catch a bus at 7:45a, which would take us to the train station to catch the 8:20a train.  The bike we wanted to check out for Nadine was in Lara, and so we met the seller at the Lara train station.  After a couple rides around the parking lot, and Nadine negotiating a few extra $$ off the price, she got her bike & a helmet! (Helmets are required by law here...$60 fine if caught without one)  The seller was an Englishman who had been in Aus for ~3 yrs...a very nice man!

So we caught the 10am back into Geelong and headed back to the bike shop to get my bike.  After a couple hours of bike adjustments, rides around the neighborhood, and NaDave devising an offer...Dave got his bike, helmet & other accessories!  The owners are two brothers, that were super nice to us.  They helped us out in every way imaginable.

So we had two bikes, but weren't properly setup to ride all the way back to homebase.  So we hopped on a bus (learned how they store bikes on the bus) & got home.  We both then zonked out and took naps...we were exhausted!  We then re-packed up everything to move Nadine into her place.  With the help of Paul & his car...we moved Nadine in around 8pm.  We used our bikes to go get 'take away' from a local Italian place.  (Also, we tried out the Phone holders for the bikes...they are amazing!  Great Xmas gift!)

We ate our food & came up with a plan to bike down to the beach on Sunday for a surf lesson!

Nadine's Bike

Dave's Bike

Day 11 (Sun)

We woke up and booked 11am surf lessons at Ocean Grove beach.  We biked there and unfortunately were 15 mins late (a headwind the whole damn time!).  But we jumped right in and caught right up with the group.  It was Nadine's 1st time surfing (Dave's 5th)...but by the end, each of us had caught a wave!

We biked around the town, then decided to bike back to Geelong along the beach.  A beautiful view & a tailwind!  We got back to Nadine's apartment & cooled our heels.  What a great weekend!

Ocean Grove Beach

Day 12

We were both exhausted on Monday b/c of weekends, but we each made it through the day.  After work, we each found a Target in our areas, and bought housewares to make each of our places our own (new pillows, towels, sheets, etc).

Day 13

I had my first technical meeting in the Sports Lab, and got a quick overview of the sensor system I'll be using.  After work, I headed to a nearby Bikram Hot Yoga class and gave my back the TLC it was needing!  The 90 minute class kicked my butt, but my lower back is thanking me for it.

Day 14

No big plans for today...other than planning our next couple weekends!  Do we head down to Torquay this weekend for another surf lesson?  (The waves are forecasted to be ~10 ft!)  And for the following weekend, which we get Monday off for Australia Day, do we head to Tasmania?

We might try camping for the first time this weekend at Torquay beach...we'll see.  No matter what...we'll find something to do!  - NaDave

NaDave Aussie: 5(end) - 7

Another update from Australia!

Day 5 (end)

So Monday started off with finding out my advisor had a concussion...and ended with me doing a run around campus...that resulted in me seeing my first Kangaroos!  It was so cool!  They were watching me, and it even looked like they were gesturing at me with their arms. 

1st Swim in Australia

Day 6 (Tuesday)

So I met with my professor (Tino) at 9am...and he immediately surprised me with 2 tickets to the Australian Open on Monday, Jan 19!!  This is 1 of 4 major tennis tournaments in the world!  I then get a tour around the campus, see the Sports Eng Lab, and get to meet several people in the research group.  There's people from Singapore, Israel, Australia...it's going to be a great cultural experience.

The day ended with me needing something physical to get me back on track.  So I decided to search for the closest pool nearby via public transit and go for a swim.  It was my first swim in Australia!  The pool was indoor 25m & pretty sub-par, but it was still a great experience.  Guess what...they circle swim backwards!  That means on all flipturns, you come out right arm down & all open turns are backwards.  I had a blast.

1st kangaroo sighting!

Day 7 (Wed)

My birthday!  So you all knew that Nadine had surprises from each of you to give me!  The cards were wonderful!  I tried to hold the tears back, but I was overly touched by you guys & the moment.  What an incredible moment to remember...we were all there together, whether you knew it or not!

Nadine already shared our evening plans.  (The top of tallest building inMelbourne, caught dinner and (several drinks) at bar along the Saint Kilda Beach, and walked down to the water at sunset to see Penguins come ashore).  I added some extra pics too!

Penguin Sign

Skydeck

St. Kilda Beach (drinks)

Storms over Melbourne

This weekend we'll be in Geelong....we'll move Nadine into her new apartment....hopefully we can each find bikes...and then maybe a Sunday trip to the beach (Dave wants a surf lesson!)