HFDU - 11th Edition

Originally sent: November 30, 2003

Hi everyone-- This email will basically be a summary of all of the adventures that I had with my first visitor "T". She just flew home earlier today, and we did so many interesting and enjoyable things that I had to send out another edition detailing everything that we did. Besides, it was the first time that I really had the chance to travel outside of Melbourne since I've been here. Forgive me if this is a long one, but you can't cut a weekend in Sydney and a drive along the Great Ocean Road short!

T and I had a fun-filled two weeks. She attended Greek lessons with me, went to my softball games, and we organized dinners and drinks with other work folks so that she could sit around the table and listen to all of the Aussies speak! Greek lessons are actually going well! I think because I am so eager to learn, it's easier for me to pick it up. It's really quite an interesting language and apparently I'm mastering the accent quite well! Softball is also going well too. The team is great and we've won 2 games and lost 1 so far. I've managed quite a few battle scars so far, but it's definitely been enjoyable! And, our refreshments during the game include beer, vodka cruisers, and Doritos, so sometimes the games are quite interesting :-)

Before we headed off the first weekend for the Great Ocean Road, I picked up my car! Having wheels again is one of the most liberating feelings that I have had in my life. I definitely feel more a part of the city now and have no restrictions. It's a great little SUV too -- a black Mitsubishi Pajero, 4WD, 6 cyl, soft top with a sunroof too -- and it's a standard, which means that I had to learn not only to drive on the left side of the road, but to shift with my left hand! I surprisingly picked it up rather quickly and feel very comfortable driving around Melbourne now.

Last weekend we headed off on the Great Ocean Road, which proved to be one of the most beautiful drives that I have ever been on! It's starts off on one of the famous surf towns along the beach, Torquay, and continues down for several hours with gorgeous views of the turquoise water and great surf. Our first stop was in a little town called Anglesea that is famous for its kangaroo-populated golf course. We made our way on to the golf course and managed to snap some good close-up shots of the wild roos, most of whom were lounging lazily underneath the trees. What a cool experience for two Texans! These pictures are also posted on the website.

Next we stopped in another quaint seaside town, Lorne, had lunch at a local fish 'n' chippery, did a little shopping, and enjoyed the views. I can't explain how beautiful the drive was in words, but it's definitely a recommendation for anyone who comes to Australia! On the other side of Lorne, we went for a 3 hour hike in search of Cumberland Falls in the National Forest. We soon discovered that the falls were virtually nonexistent because of the drought that's affected Victoria for the past 3 years, but the hike was great and we got to cross the river hopping rocks 4 times each way, and only got wet......about 8 times :-)

We stayed the first night in a bed & breakfast further down the GOR in Apollo Bay, had a nice dinner, coffee and dessert at a pub, and then headed out the next morning for the Twelve Apostles and other rock formations. Although it was cold and rainy that day, the drive to the Twelve Apostles was amazing! The GOR goes inland for about an hour through the Otway National Forest. We were driving through hills and forests, and it reminded me of what I imagine Scotland or Ireland would look like. We continued past the Twelve Apostles and saw other famous rock formations like the Arch and London Bridge, before deciding to head back to Melbourne via the inland highway that night. A great experience, and a must for anyone that comes to Victoria!

That Saturday night was the Rugby World Cup Final, and T and I watched the Australians get beat in overtime by England. It was a great match and kudos go to the Aussies for putting up a good fight! On Sunday we grabbed another girlfriend and headed to the wine country for a day of winery tours and tasting. The perfect girlie afternoon that resulted in us buying too many bottles of wine, most of which T took back to the States with her.

This past weekend we flew up to Sydney and had a fabulous time! We stayed with one of my other Houston co-workers "C" who is on rotation there, and her new husband "D" (who happens to be an Aussie!). T and I were both completely awestruck by "the Harbour City". We took a harbour cruise and saw all of the sites, including the nude beach (shocking!), from the comfort of our vessel. We honestly had to pinch ourselves as we walked past the Opera House to realize that we were actually there! We had dinner just down from the Opera House overlooking the water and were enjoying every minute that we were there.

Saturday morning we got up and climbed the Sydney Harbour Bridge, which is the largest bridge by weight in the world. It was an unbelievable experience! I didn't even know that you could climb the bridge, and before I knew it, we were at the summit looking out as far as we could see at the entire Sydney skyline and beyond, focusing on such sights as the Olympic Stadium! The entire experience took 3 1/2 hours, and is definitely something that I won't forget! Another must if you ever visit Sydney.

T and I met an English man and his Aussie girlfriend during the climb, and ended up spending the entire afternoon sitting with them at a pub in the Sydney sunshine. It was a neat experience to meet complete strangers and spend the entire afternoon with them. I think that's definitely a skill that I have acquired since I've been in Australia as I couldn't see myself becoming friends with total strangers in Houston. Saturday night we picked up some fish 'n'chips with C and D and took them to the beach to eat. It was a great evening, and a great weekend away! There are many differences between Sydney and Melbourne, but both cities have great things to offer.

Well, that basically summarizes T's two weeks in Australia. I know that she loved it and has already added more Australia sites to her list of places to go! She kept making the comment that she was supposed to make her list shorter by coming here, but now there are many other places around here that she wants to go, so her list actually grew instead! Maybe that will encourage some of you to plan a trip down here. I promise that you won't be disappointed! Especially now since I have a car and love to drive everywhere :-)

And, I do have a bit of news for you all. Some of you already know this, but I have been dating an Aussie bloke, "B", for over three months now. Dating someone was the last thing on my mind when I got down here, so it definitely wasn't planned. It just happened and he is wonderful! Unfortunately, the timing was not optimal as he left to go to London with work until April. So in the meantime, I get lots of pictures of London, he gets lots of pictures of my adventures down here, and we miss each other terribly. There seems to be theme starting........Texan women, Aussie men.......hmmm. I've put some pictures of us on the website as well.

Hope all is well back home. I hear that the weather is getting cooler. It's definitely going opposite here. Yesterday it was 38 degrees C in Melbourne, which converts to 100 degrees F. That's hot! Luckily, I was in Sydney, and I think it was only 28 degrees C. Christmas decorations are plentiful and the big tree in the city is up and twinkling at night. I made pumpkin pies today (a little late!) to take to the office tomorrow morning for a late Thanksgiving celebration. We'll see how they go with the Aussies! And, me and the other Texan down here are cooking a proper Thanksgiving meal for the Aussies next Saturday so hopefully they'll appreciate and enjoy it.

I've definitely taken up enough of everyone's time so I will close now by saying that I hope everyone is well and that I would love to hear from each of you, especially around the holiday season when I will be missing home more than ever! Take care and keep in touch.