Adventures of NaDave

Wednesday, January 21, 2015

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!

Sunday, January 18, 2015

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)

Monday, January 12, 2015

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

Thursday, January 8, 2015

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!)

Monday, January 5, 2015

NaDave Aussie: 1-4 (a little long)

Wanted to send out an update/recap about how the first 4 days in Australia have gone for Nadine & Dave. It’s a little on the long side, since so much has already happened!

We couldn't be more thankful for the accommodations provided by our hosts (Nadine’s professor Dr Paul Collins, and his wife Sharon) for the first 4 days inGeelong. Paul & Sharon picked us up directly from the Melbourne airport, and answered all of our countless list questions on the ride back. They've also provided us meals, a guest bed & bath, showed us around town, and driven us where we've needed to go. We've even shared a couple bottles of wine, and have also let us rummage through their kitchen for breakfast and snacks. It feels almost like we are family.

Okay, let's recap Days 1-4....

Day 1

We woke up with a living room that looked like a garage sale, and after a morning of packing and sorting, we fit it all into 6 bags. We were driven to the airport by two students in our Polymer Research group, what a blessing to have “door-to-door” service. After hugs & good-byes, it was time to check-in. When we put our checked bags on the scale, we found out one was 40 lbs, and the other was 56! So we had to open our bags right at the counter, and after some switching around on the spot, we hit exactly 50.0 lbs!

Our Southwest Airlines flight from NOLA to LAX was completely full (Nadine & I sat across the aisle from each other), and other than leaving a little late, it was great. We had built in a 4 hour layover, to ensure that delays wouldn’t be an issue. Upon arrival into LAX, we had to fetch our checked luggage, and get over the International terminal, to re-check in with Qantas airlines. Since we didn’t want to walk the whole way, Nadine had the idea to hop on a rental car bus, since they have to go to all terminals. So we hopped on, with all 6 bags. When we got to the Int’l terminal, we hopped off the bus, and after about 20 steps I realized we only had 5 bags! I ran back to the bus (thank goodness it hadn’t driven away yet!) and fetched our 6th bag. Nadine had hopped off with 2 of 3 bags (since we were used to only carrying 2 since we checked luggage in NOLA). Nevertheless, our first major crisis was averted, and off we went to excitedly check-in for our Melbourne flight!

We got our tickets, got through security no problem, & got to the gate with no problems. When we boarded we were greeted by a lovely Australian crew, welcoming us on our journey. The best part was that our flight was ~20% full, so that meant Nadine & I each were able to get our own row to stretch out and sleep lying down. The 16 hr flight ended up being super easy, since we had so much space. Additionally, there was a small champagne toast at midnight Melbourne time, so Nadine & I set our alarms to wake up for that.

When we landed, we were excited to officially be in Australia! We were fully relieved when we got our checked bags, and made it through Customs. We were greeted by Paul and driven to his house (see above). After a warm shower and a clean change of clothes, we drove down to Torquay for lunch, and quick tour of their beaches. Torquay is known as 'Surf City'. We headed back to Paul's house, and got ready to walk around Geelong to find Nadine a place to live!

Day 1 - Stuff Everywhere!

Day 1 - All in 6 Bags!

Day 1 - New Year's Toast over the Pacific Ocean

Day 1 - Torquay Beach

Day 2

We set off in Geelong to open our bank accounts, acquire cell phone packages, and look at possible housing accommodations for Nadine. It was a day full of walking, and the temperature soared about 100 degrees! We easily got $$ out of our accounts, and cell phone plans. We then treked around the city, looking for a few places for Nadine. At one point, we were driven by a landlord to look at a couple places in the back of his convertible! Pretty cool for only Day 2 in Australia!

We didn't find an apartment for Nadine, but we did learn the neighborhood she wants to be in. Downtown Geelong, where she could take a University shuttle bus everyday to work. We ended day watching a bike race down at the beach, and then got fish & chips at a local eatery. Overall, Day 2 was a success!

Day 2 - Bike Race at the beach

Day 3 (Saturday)

We headed into Melbourne to find Dave a place to live. We hopped on the 8am VLine train into Melbourne, and then wandered over to a local cafe to get breakfast (it was delicious!). We then took a subway up to Bundoora, and walked around the town, looking at a few places to live (it was over 100 degrees again!).

Dave found a place right near campus through Airbnb (11 Betula Ave), for at least the first week. It is a short walk to work, groceries, and a tram stop.

After paying one week's rent to secure the room, we hopped on the Tram, and took it back into downtown Melbourne (took about ~1 hr travel time). We grabbed dinner, then hopped on the 6pm train back to Geelong. Overall, Day 3 was a success! Dave found a temporary place to live near campus, and we learned to successfully navigate the 3 forms of transportation in Melbourne. We also learned it is ~3 hrs from Dave's work to Nadine's work, via public transit.

Day 3 - Yummy Breakfast

Day 3 - Dave at RMIT

Day 4 (Sunday)

We slept in! Then we did laundry, grabbed brunch at a nearby cafe, drove by Nadine's campus, and relaxed by watching the Steelers lose their playoff game. Nadine continued to look up apartments in Geelong, while Dave packed his bags for his first week at work. Paul & Sharon drove us into Geelong, so that Dave could catch the 5pm train & Nadine could visit a couple more places. Day 4 was quieter in comparison to Days 1-3, but this was much needed. We each prepared for the start of our 'individual' Australian adventures, with work starting Monday morning for each of us!