Farewell to Australia

Well we are on our last week here in Australia!! We say goodbye to the land down under on July 15^th. What a ride this has been – definitely has had its ups and downs. I’m still in amazement as to how fast these months have come and gone. Seems like just yesterday Nathan and I were back and forth on the phone reminding each other to bring this and that before we left our houses back home for the last time. And especially for me… wondering how the heck I was going to carry this 40 lbs pack on my back for 1 year. Well we both managed to do so – but unfortunately for us they only got heavier!!

It’s going to be a bittersweet departure for sure. We’re ready to leave in the sense that we have definitely had enough of the hostel scene. Other than the 3 1/2 months we lived in Sydney we’ve been sharing a room with at least 2-8 other people. No privacy and no peace and quiet. I’m looking forward to not having to wear my flip-flops in the shower and no longer worrying about what sort of cooties are growing on the toilet. *L* And probably the main one… no more inspecting the beds for bugs!!

However; we are definitely going to miss the freedom we’ve had here. It’s like this is not reality so we can do as we please. If we want to do absolutely nothing all day… than we will. If we’ve had enough of this place then we’ll pack up our bags and leave – try somewhere new. We’re going to miss having the ocean so close that if we feel like lying on the beach all day we can. And we’re really going to miss the weather!! I like it hot and Australia has lots of that to offer. I mean come on – their winter really is a joke. We’re in the dead of it right now… and it’s still +14!!

On the other hand though we are so excited to see some familiar faces again!! Our friends, family and especially… Misty and Casey. I can’t wait to grab my little fur ball and give her a hug!! I know Nathan is going nuts not being able to play with Casey!! Having our own beds again seems like a dream!! And ladies – try wearing the same 5 outfits for a year – it sucks!! You all don’t even know how excited I am to just have my wardrobe back!! *L*

So we’re going to end this post with some of our best and funniest memories from our time here. They will definitely bring smiles to our faces for years to come…

- Seeing the Sydney Opera House for the first time in person and realizing that we finally made it here.
- Booking our first hostel online in Canada and realizing once we arrived in Australia that it was in the middle of the Red Light District – King’s Cross.
- Staying at “The Victoria Court” and the continental breakfast.
- Nathan getting bit by an Ibis on his first day in Australia.
- Holding Gandalph – the Koala at Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary.
- Laughing so hard at the Kangaroo who held the footy and receiving glares from people near us thinking we were tormenting the poor thing.
- Being so excited that our first real address in Australia was called “Sunrise Boulevard” in Surfers Paradise.
- Cruising around the Gold Coast and Sunshine Coast in the Ford Capri convertible.
- The drive up to O’Reilly’s Rainforest – was it ever going to end and why did Nathan have to drive like he was in the Indy 500?
- Finding a new family and home in Lane Cove, Sydney.
- Rocking out with The Fumes @ Bondi Beach Hotel!! And for Erynn – meeting them!!
- Erynn frantically paddling the kayak through the jellyfish and Nathan praying she wouldn’t flick one up onto his lap.
- Steve & Toni’s TV smoking and nearly exploding on us the day after they leave on holidays.
- 3 weeks with no TV so instead we download movies - only ending up with internet being slowed down to dial-up speed. Great – we broke their internet too!!
- Sitting down to a Christmas meal by ourselves and watching How The Grinch Stole Christmas (on the computer!!)
- Spending Christmas Day at Bondi Beach.
- New Years Eve 06/07

• Crossing Sydney Harbour Bridge as the 9 pm fireworks exploded all around us.
• Being sardined in the crowd of over 1 million people at the midnight fireworks and sadly smelling of their sweat afterwards.
• Passing out on the bus on the way home and having the bus driver kick us off. Then not knowing where the hell we were.

• Nathan walking home in socks because he gave Erynn his shoes since her feet were hurting.

- Front row seats for the Australia Day fireworks.
- Mulgas Rock Tour

• Neisha sending us on 3 hour hikes at Kings Canyon, Kata Tjuta & Uluru in +40 and over heat.
• The flies… oh the flies!!
• Reaching the Garden of Eden waterhole in Kings Canyon
• Laughing at Dan & the Asian tourists descend Uluru. We were waiting for one of them to come crashing down.
• Sleeping under the stars in swags.
• Seeing wild camels in the desert…then eating one for dinner.

- Grape picking in Dunsborough.
- Nathan and his Boonie ‘stash in Perth.
- Learning to surf in Lancelin.
- Drinking our 42 Below New Zealand (kiwi flavored) vodka.
- Taka, our favorite Japanese restaurant in Perth.
- Red Earth Safari from Perth – Exmouth

• Sleeping at the Outback Sheep Station
• Singing and dancing around the campfire
• Going to the Whaleshark Festival

- Coral Bay and the Ningaloo Reef

• A day on the ocean in search of the Whaleshark and finally getting to swim with it!!
• Snorkeling on the reef with Manta Rays, Reef Sharks & Turtles.
• Being able to walk out to the Ningaloo Reef.
• Seeing a pod of 100+ dolphins while in search of our Whaleshark.

- Melbourne & the helicopter ride over The Twelve Apostles.
- Diving the Great Barrier Reef and finding Nemo.
- Being hunted by a huge spider in The Daintree Rainforest.
- Rafting the Tully River from Mission Beach.
- Trying to forget our Magnetic Island experience.
- Sailing around the Whitsunday Islands and seeing Whitehaven Beach for the first time.
- Being stalked by a pack of 6 dingoes around our camp on Fraser Island.
- Playing with all the animals at Australia Zoo.
- Making hundreds of new friends from all over the world!!
- Getting smashed all over Australia with The Irish!!
So as you can see this past year has been one hell of an adventure!! We’re going to miss it!!

E&N

p/s Hawaii… here we come!!!