Friday, February 27, 2009
Southwestern Oz
First, here's a photo from Rottnest Island that a nice, fellow Canadian took of us...
After seeing the desert area above Perth, we decided to travel south to the more forested southwest, known for wineries, wildlife, and of course nice beaches. It was quite a change in landscape with much cooler nights and mornings. Highs of 24 seemed “brisk” – how messed up is that?? It was nice to be out of the desert though with beautiful parrots everywhere and lots of kangaroos too. We stopped for a swim in Bunbury and had visitors – three dolphins swam right by us! Too cool!
Margaret River is famous in surfing/windsurfing for its big wave spot that always seems to get the biggest, cleanest waves on the west coast. It’s quite an intimidating spot though since the wave breaks onto such a shallow reef, affectionately known as the surgeon’s table. In fact to launch windsurfers, a keyhole had to be made using dynamite. The lack of wind close to shore adds to the difficulty. Chris had no intentions of windsurfing here because of its reputation but today was “not too big” in Margies terms so after about two hours of convincing himself he thought he should give it a try.
Chris making sure his gear is ‘just right’ – don’t want any mishaps here. The only other time Chris looked so nervous was before Aimee walked down the aisle.
Chris launches through the keyhole.
Lots of waves were over mast high but Aimee points out that none of the ones that Chris caught were that big. Chris’s quote: “Did you notice that my hair is still dry? I was too scared to fall!”
Margies is also known for its cruiseship/tour bus clientele, there to indulge in the 105 wineries that mark the region and local artisans.
While looking for one of these artisans, we stumbled upon Yallingup Beach, just north of Margies where we found crystal clear water, perfect for an afternoon snorkel.
We left Margies and headed south to Denmark, home of Steve and known for its out-of-this- world beaches and surf. Along the way, we found the coolest camping at Hamelin Bay in which we parked our camper on a sand dune. Hamelin Bay also had spectacular sunset swimming.
We were greeted in Denmark by very cold and rainy conditions. It was our first rain in Oz and we didn’t like it. After taking a look at Ocean Beach which was so beautiful even in the rain, we felt even more depressed about the lack of sun. After a day in Denmark and with four more days of the same forecasted, Chris on a moments’ notice, literally, informed Aimee of the change in plans and within an hour, the two were on the road back north to Gero, 8 hours away where the wind was still blowing and the temps were in the 30’s…
The drive back saw the rainy skies turn into sunnier ones which allowed for this beautiful sunset picture over a farming landscape.
Chris got 2 more solid days of windsurfing in at Gero. Our extra time in Gero saw us exploring more of the city and that’s where we came across this gem of a swimming spot.
As always, Aimee working hard to find an internet connection in the middle of nowhere, this time, the woods.
We're off to Perth tomorrow and flying to Melbourne on Monday...
More updates soon!
Cheers,
a&c
After seeing the desert area above Perth, we decided to travel south to the more forested southwest, known for wineries, wildlife, and of course nice beaches. It was quite a change in landscape with much cooler nights and mornings. Highs of 24 seemed “brisk” – how messed up is that?? It was nice to be out of the desert though with beautiful parrots everywhere and lots of kangaroos too. We stopped for a swim in Bunbury and had visitors – three dolphins swam right by us! Too cool!
Margaret River is famous in surfing/windsurfing for its big wave spot that always seems to get the biggest, cleanest waves on the west coast. It’s quite an intimidating spot though since the wave breaks onto such a shallow reef, affectionately known as the surgeon’s table. In fact to launch windsurfers, a keyhole had to be made using dynamite. The lack of wind close to shore adds to the difficulty. Chris had no intentions of windsurfing here because of its reputation but today was “not too big” in Margies terms so after about two hours of convincing himself he thought he should give it a try.
Chris making sure his gear is ‘just right’ – don’t want any mishaps here. The only other time Chris looked so nervous was before Aimee walked down the aisle.
Chris launches through the keyhole.
Lots of waves were over mast high but Aimee points out that none of the ones that Chris caught were that big. Chris’s quote: “Did you notice that my hair is still dry? I was too scared to fall!”
Margies is also known for its cruiseship/tour bus clientele, there to indulge in the 105 wineries that mark the region and local artisans.
While looking for one of these artisans, we stumbled upon Yallingup Beach, just north of Margies where we found crystal clear water, perfect for an afternoon snorkel.
We left Margies and headed south to Denmark, home of Steve and known for its out-of-this- world beaches and surf. Along the way, we found the coolest camping at Hamelin Bay in which we parked our camper on a sand dune. Hamelin Bay also had spectacular sunset swimming.
We were greeted in Denmark by very cold and rainy conditions. It was our first rain in Oz and we didn’t like it. After taking a look at Ocean Beach which was so beautiful even in the rain, we felt even more depressed about the lack of sun. After a day in Denmark and with four more days of the same forecasted, Chris on a moments’ notice, literally, informed Aimee of the change in plans and within an hour, the two were on the road back north to Gero, 8 hours away where the wind was still blowing and the temps were in the 30’s…
The drive back saw the rainy skies turn into sunnier ones which allowed for this beautiful sunset picture over a farming landscape.
Chris got 2 more solid days of windsurfing in at Gero. Our extra time in Gero saw us exploring more of the city and that’s where we came across this gem of a swimming spot.
As always, Aimee working hard to find an internet connection in the middle of nowhere, this time, the woods.
We're off to Perth tomorrow and flying to Melbourne on Monday...
More updates soon!
Cheers,
a&c
Tuesday, February 24, 2009
Drop us a line!
As much fun as it is to chronicle our adventures, we love even more when we get comments from you, our readers! (even if there are only 5 of you!)
It's not hard and you don't need a gmail account to drop us a line, so give it a try!
a&c
It's not hard and you don't need a gmail account to drop us a line, so give it a try!
a&c
Saturday, February 21, 2009
Happy Birthday Shout-out!
Happy Birthday to our now 11-year-old nephew, Aidan!
Love & miss you!
Aunt Aimee and Uncle Chris
Love & miss you!
Aunt Aimee and Uncle Chris
It's a Trailer Park Life
Last Sunday we returned to Perth to pick up our new home for the next 2 weeks – a ginormous campervan. WE LOVE OUR NEW HOME! In fact, it’s a little scary how much we love it. It’s so much fun, roomy, but also quaint. Aimee especially likes the organizational aspect, particularly, how everything in the van has its own designated space. Our new house on wheels is equipped with a kitchen, bathroom (toilet/shower), living area, which converts to a huge bed at night, and plenty of storage. It’s like camping, but without the bugs (Lynn, think “cottaging” on wheels – you’d love it!).
We took our big blue van on a road trip to northwestern Australia in pursuit of wind. We found ourselves back in Lancelin where we met a really swell couple from Israel. We’ve been following each other up the northern coast and settled in a small city called Geraldton, four hours north of Perth where we’ve spent the last bunch of days. Geraldton, with a population of 26 000 is the second largest city (after Perth) in Western Australia! Along the way, we’ve found ourselves in some tiny towns (i.e., ones that don’t register on the GPS). Nevertheless, each town had its own, special beauty…
Jurien Bay
The sand on the beaches of WA is some of the finest and whitest sand in the world
Chris had a few great days of windsurfing on the northwest coast in the beautiful, turquoise swells of the Indian Ocean…
Stoked to finally be in WA!
Sunset session at Sunset Beach
Consistently windy conditions on the west coast
After some great wind, we left the northwest and headed south to begin our journey along the southwest coast of WA. We plan to visit beautiful Margaret River, known for its famed wineries and spectacular surf and hopefully make it as far south as Esperance, which is said to have some of the most beautiful beaches in Australia.
Cheers!
a&c
We took our big blue van on a road trip to northwestern Australia in pursuit of wind. We found ourselves back in Lancelin where we met a really swell couple from Israel. We’ve been following each other up the northern coast and settled in a small city called Geraldton, four hours north of Perth where we’ve spent the last bunch of days. Geraldton, with a population of 26 000 is the second largest city (after Perth) in Western Australia! Along the way, we’ve found ourselves in some tiny towns (i.e., ones that don’t register on the GPS). Nevertheless, each town had its own, special beauty…
Jurien Bay
The sand on the beaches of WA is some of the finest and whitest sand in the world
Chris had a few great days of windsurfing on the northwest coast in the beautiful, turquoise swells of the Indian Ocean…
Stoked to finally be in WA!
Sunset session at Sunset Beach
Consistently windy conditions on the west coast
After some great wind, we left the northwest and headed south to begin our journey along the southwest coast of WA. We plan to visit beautiful Margaret River, known for its famed wineries and spectacular surf and hopefully make it as far south as Esperance, which is said to have some of the most beautiful beaches in Australia.
Cheers!
a&c
Saturday, February 14, 2009
Week 2: Perth & Lancelin
On February 9th, we took a 5-hour flight into Perth. On the western coast, Perth has a reputation for sunshine and an easy-going lifestyle and is Australia’s most isolated yet most modern state capital.
The West Coast has the most beautiful sunsets
Minus one piece of luggage (Aimee’s, of course), we left Perth and drove 2 hours north to Lancelin, known for its consistently windy conditions. When we arrived on Monday afternoon, the wind was dead. This was, in fact, good news for Chris as he couldn’t even go into the water for 72 hours on account of his toe, and Aimee made sure to remind him often of how the lack of wind was really in his favour. With no wind in sight until Thursday, and a high of 40 degrees forecasted, we decided to ditch Lancelin and travel back into Perth to take the ferry to idyllic Rottnest Island for snorkeling. The diving and snorkeling off Rottnest’s beautiful coves are unlike anywhere on the adjacent mainland. The easiest way to travel about the 11 km island is by bicycle, and so for kicks, Chris and I rented a tandem. Pictures from our adventures on Rottnest will come later – we took them on our more compact camera and the camera cable failed to make its way into our luggage…
Later that day, we met up with Steve and ended up staying the night in Fremantle, the eclectic port of Perth with a very European feel. Fremantle is one of Western Australia’s most historic sites and has many wonderful cafes, shops, and historic buildings. We loved it so much, we decided to return a few days later for the famed weekend market.
Thursday saw Chris finally get his sea legs wet in Lancelin for his first ever sail in Australia! Woot!.
Friday was even better. There was big wind (4.7), logo high waves (10 ft), bath-like water, dolphins swimming about, and general smiles all around. Aahh.
The next 2 weeks of our trip see us traveling up and down the west coast, where will be, in Chris’ words “chasing wind”. In case you’re wondering, Aimee is being an exceptionally good wife and traveler by “going with the flow” and will be happy “chasing wind”. No sarcasm, seriously. She’s just happy to be here
Catching Aimee in a "Bond Girl" moment...hehe
We’re traveling via campervan the next few weeks, so internet access may be iffy. We’ll do our best to update.
Cheers!
a&c
The West Coast has the most beautiful sunsets
Minus one piece of luggage (Aimee’s, of course), we left Perth and drove 2 hours north to Lancelin, known for its consistently windy conditions. When we arrived on Monday afternoon, the wind was dead. This was, in fact, good news for Chris as he couldn’t even go into the water for 72 hours on account of his toe, and Aimee made sure to remind him often of how the lack of wind was really in his favour. With no wind in sight until Thursday, and a high of 40 degrees forecasted, we decided to ditch Lancelin and travel back into Perth to take the ferry to idyllic Rottnest Island for snorkeling. The diving and snorkeling off Rottnest’s beautiful coves are unlike anywhere on the adjacent mainland. The easiest way to travel about the 11 km island is by bicycle, and so for kicks, Chris and I rented a tandem. Pictures from our adventures on Rottnest will come later – we took them on our more compact camera and the camera cable failed to make its way into our luggage…
Later that day, we met up with Steve and ended up staying the night in Fremantle, the eclectic port of Perth with a very European feel. Fremantle is one of Western Australia’s most historic sites and has many wonderful cafes, shops, and historic buildings. We loved it so much, we decided to return a few days later for the famed weekend market.
Thursday saw Chris finally get his sea legs wet in Lancelin for his first ever sail in Australia! Woot!.
Friday was even better. There was big wind (4.7), logo high waves (10 ft), bath-like water, dolphins swimming about, and general smiles all around. Aahh.
The next 2 weeks of our trip see us traveling up and down the west coast, where will be, in Chris’ words “chasing wind”. In case you’re wondering, Aimee is being an exceptionally good wife and traveler by “going with the flow” and will be happy “chasing wind”. No sarcasm, seriously. She’s just happy to be here
Catching Aimee in a "Bond Girl" moment...hehe
We’re traveling via campervan the next few weeks, so internet access may be iffy. We’ll do our best to update.
Cheers!
a&c
Thursday, February 12, 2009
Australia 101, tutorial 1
Australia 101
I’m not going to pretend to be an expert on Australia and Australian culture (I’ve only been here 2 weeks), but here are some important distinctions:
1. Look up, way up and you’ll find yourself marveling at different constellations, ones you don’t see in the Northern Hemisphere. For example, the Southern Cross, which adorns Australia and New Zealand flags is only visible in the Southern Hemisphere. Ok, I did know this prior to coming, but seeing it for yourself is something else.
2. Australians love their roundabouts. In fact, I’ve only seen one 4-way stop so far. The roundabout system seems to work extremely well here.
3. Keep left. We’re driving on the “wrong” side of the road, people! This is easier said than done (many, many close calls…).
4. Kangaroos as road kill (and dinner).
5. Some new and interesting vocabulary words:
• Daggy – unattractive
• Budgie smuggler or Lollisac – men’s speedos
• Bottle shop – liquor store
• Esky – camping cooler
• Thongs – flip-flops
• Singlet – tank top
• Oldies - parents
6. Most words here are abbreviated with either an “o” or “y” (e.g., “Bottle-o” for “Bottle Shop”; “Rashy” for “Rashguard”, that lycra top you see surfers wear).
7. Lots of tasty frozen treats (e.g., Weiss bars; Calippo ice lollies) that we don’t have back home.
8. EVERYTHING is more expensive (but people make more $ here to compensate)
I’m not going to pretend to be an expert on Australia and Australian culture (I’ve only been here 2 weeks), but here are some important distinctions:
1. Look up, way up and you’ll find yourself marveling at different constellations, ones you don’t see in the Northern Hemisphere. For example, the Southern Cross, which adorns Australia and New Zealand flags is only visible in the Southern Hemisphere. Ok, I did know this prior to coming, but seeing it for yourself is something else.
2. Australians love their roundabouts. In fact, I’ve only seen one 4-way stop so far. The roundabout system seems to work extremely well here.
3. Keep left. We’re driving on the “wrong” side of the road, people! This is easier said than done (many, many close calls…).
4. Kangaroos as road kill (and dinner).
5. Some new and interesting vocabulary words:
• Daggy – unattractive
• Budgie smuggler or Lollisac – men’s speedos
• Bottle shop – liquor store
• Esky – camping cooler
• Thongs – flip-flops
• Singlet – tank top
• Oldies - parents
6. Most words here are abbreviated with either an “o” or “y” (e.g., “Bottle-o” for “Bottle Shop”; “Rashy” for “Rashguard”, that lycra top you see surfers wear).
7. Lots of tasty frozen treats (e.g., Weiss bars; Calippo ice lollies) that we don’t have back home.
8. EVERYTHING is more expensive (but people make more $ here to compensate)
Monday, February 9, 2009
Week 1: Sydney and surrounding areas
After 48 hours of traveling which took us to
It was bloody hot, but we weren’t complaining. In fact,
We had 9 wonderful days in Sydney staying with Chris’ brother Jason and his girlfriend, Ziggy, who live in North Bondi, as in the infamous Bondi Beach, which has many parallels with Venice Beach, California – lots of hot, tanned people, for most of whom, the beach and beach culture is a major part of their lives.
We spent much of the week beaching at various places along the east coast in and around
Sydney Harbour Bridge
Koala says Relax
During our time in Sydney, Steve, Chris’ other brother came all the way from
This past weekend saw the 5 of us road trip to
Cricket anyone?
Don't ask..something about "tanning thighs..."
On day 2, we decided to venture further south and visit Termiel. This place has special meaning for Chris and his brothers as they had camped on this beach for 6 weeks 20 years ago when they lived in
Before...
After...
What a great sport :)
The timing on this one wasn’t great as we were scheduled to leave
We had a great time in
Special thanks to J and Zig for their hospitality, and for Steve to make the journey across
Cheers!
a&c
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