Brooke's Visit: Melbourne and Sydney

Sorry it's been a bit since my last update, but a lot has happened since then, and this time I have pictures...

Brooke came in on the 17th and we spent our first day walking around Melbourne in the heat. Brooke was understandably a little tired from her trip (Rome - USA - Los Angeles - Melbourne), but we managed to see a lot and enjoy the weather while it lasted...

Our first full day we had a tour scheduled to visit the Yarra Valley and Healesville Animal Sanctuary. Although our brochure advertised a formal tea ceremony, we found the actual "Billy tea" a bit more rudimentary. Nevertheless, we drank our tea and decided to feed some Cockatoos who are not in the least bit shy. I have the scars to prove it.

Our next stop was the Puffing Billy - a steam engine that has been in service for about 100 years. Although it no longer serves its original purpose, the train still provides for some unique scenery as it winds through the bush of Victoria.

For lunch we were dropped off at Ferguson Winery, where the day started to come off the rails a bit...

After lunch we stopped at Healesville Animal Sanctuary, where we got our first look at dingos and kangaroos.

The next day we went to the beach at St. Kilda. Unfortunately the wind was really howling and it was pretty cool, but it didn't stop us from having some oysters and wine at the end of the day. My friend Chris met us there and decided to take us to the casino where I lost $5 on roulette.

The next day we took a tour to Phillip Island to see the little penguins march up onto the beach from the ocean at dusk. We weren't allowed to take pictures of that actual event, but the island was gorgeous. On the way up we stopped at a Koala Sanctuary where they were clinging to the branches very high in the air...Check out the rules for the sanctuary....And here's us at the top of Phillip Island.

In addition to the sanctuary we stopped at a little farm for lunch where we were able to feed some kangaroos and wombats.

The following day we departed for Sydney. We spent the day just hanging around, preparing ourselves for the climb the next day. There is a big bridge in Sydney, and in 1998 they started allowing people to climb to the very top of the arch. Before we climbed (with a guide) we went through an hour long orientation to acquaint ourselves with the harnesses and steep steps we would be climbing. Here were are in our jumpsuits...

And here we are at the top. Really, really cool.

By the way, our hotel was awesome. The Russel is one of the oldest hotels in Sydney, and we had a room facing the harbor.

Next up on our agenda was a visit to the Blue Mountains. We spent the first half of the day walking around ScenicWorld, which is kind of like a nature theme park complete with railroads and see-through floor cable-cars. The views were really spectacular. Check out the rules for the cable car - "no charismatic leaning".

Later that day our tour took us to another zoo where we were able to get a little closer to the koalas...

On our free day we had planned to go to Bondi beach, but unfortunately it was raining most of the time. We decided to check out the Sydney Opera House instead, which was really a great tour. We found out that we could get tickets to "The Magic Flute" for $50 if we had student ID's, so we purchased ourselves some tickets that are regularly $280 a piece and had a night at the opera.

Earlier that morning we took a ferry the Sydney Fish Market - the largest fish market in the world next to Tokyo. You could buy oysters on the half shell there as well as sashimi and a million kinds of fish. Tasmanian oysters were very good. Big, creamy and sweet. But fresh enough that the creaminess was pleasant. Also, big crabs.

The next day was very sad, as we parted ways at the airport. The international and domestic flights left from different terminals, but I scored some free bus tickets and travelled to the international terminal to see her off.

I know this isn't the most detailed update, but I figured some photos were better than nothing.

Got a full time gig at DHL and I start tomorrow. Wish me luck!

News...

So a few days have passed and I am happy to report that I have found employment at "the gravy train" - a local cafe only a short walk away from my house. They hired me despite my lack of cafe experience, and I am quickly learning how to carry multiple coffees without spilling their scalding contents onto children.

Back to New Years Day. After we returned from the races, Eben, Petra and I decided to see a free show in St. Kilda (beachfront area of Melbourne). Upon arrival at 9PM, we found out the DJ we wanted to see didn't go on until 1AM, which ended up being 1:45. Needless to say, we were exhausted at the end of that day, my first full day in Melbourne.

Things did slow down for a bit after that, and I spent my time peppering the town with my resume. Amusement parks, book stores, ice cream shops, bars, cafes, any place that had a door I gave my resume to. I got a few call backs, and one of them was the bar that I mentioned in the last post. They thought I did a good job after my "try-out", but I haven't heard from them since. I'm going back tomorrow to pick up my wages and we'll see what they say. I much prefer the cafe job anyways. Pays the same, and doesn't require a train ride.

So for the next week I'll be working almost every day until Brooke gets here (the 17th). Then some serious sight-seeing begins, and I can relax for a bit (read: no work).

Soon I will share with you the coffee culture of Melbourne...stay tuned...

Job-Seeking

"You worked behind a bar before?"
"I tended bar in DC for a while."
"Can you be here at seven tonight?"

Here we go.

First Full Day

New Years was nice...picnic in the park and fireworks at midnight. Celebrations got real when three competing factions of the crowd began setting off their own fireworks. These were some serious boomers, too.

And then some kids took to setting off flares in the middle of traffic. Happy New Year!

Backtracking - after picking me up from the airport, Petra gave me a little driving tour of Melbourne and we stopped in St. Kilda to get a bite to eat. Fresh calamari and chorizo salad. Let me tell you something - the calamari was not chewy. At all. Just creamy and delicious.

After that we went to the mall to try and get me a cell phone. Trying to understand a cell phone plan after two beers and a fifteen hour flight was tricky. You don't buy "minutes" but rather more money. For $20 a month I'm getting $450 worth of credit. But other plans had different setups...one was unlimited texting. One was rollover. And they all have different allowances and different rates. Brand loyalty kicked in and I went with Virgin Wireless.

So that was New Years Eve. New Years Day was even longer.

Eben and his friend picked me up at 11AM to go to the races at Hanging Rock. On New Years Day, there are horse races all around the country and the closest one to Melbourne was the one we were headed to. We arrived a few minutes before the first race and decided to place a little bet to make things interesting. There are a ton of bookies standing around with computer terminals and an LED board with their odds listed. Like the good novice gambler I am, the first thing I did was look at the horses' names. "Silent Harmony"? How could I resist?

Well, he was just about last in everyone's predictions. A bookie named "Chippy" had him at 42:1 to win it, and 7:1 to place. Yikes. But after a little bit of walking I found someone who had him at 10:1 to win. I figured that guy's confidence was enough for me to return to Chippy and place $2.50 each way on Silent Harmony. If the horse wins, I get $105. If it places, I get $17.50.

Well wouldn't you know it, that damn horse came in second place. High fives and beers all around! I knew this was either the beginning of a very good day, or perhaps the beginning of a very bad one. Time would tell.

So as soon we place our bet for the next race...$5 on Fat Tony to place. A cool $25 was bound to be in my pocket, I knew it. But then a voice from the loudspeaker: Ladies and Gentlemen, unfortunately there is a hole in the track that is unrepairable. Therefore the remaining five races are cancelled and no refunds will be given, as is the racetrack policy. But please stick around, we still have the band and the TVs, so you might as well enjoy your time here. Also, if you have a Founder's Club ticket, a full refund will be given.


No, I didn't have a Founder's Club ticket. And no, I didn't have any interest in the band or the TV's in the 90 degree sun.

But I left a winner. And that's all that mattered.

More to come on this day later...

Happy New Year

Goodnight!

Finally.