Trek to the Center.

Yes, 4:20 am comes early in Australia too. Being busy with school and me being a fabulous procrastinator left only a 4:20 am bus as my mode of transportation to Alice Springs to meet up with Marcey. Another catch... I have a day to kill in Melbourne and a day to kill in Adalaide and 3 nights of "sleeping" on the dreaded bus. I told you about my new Jewish friend. And my day morning in adelaide, the city of churches, was spent trying to find a church to attend! With no such luck, I wandered and did the sight seeing thing. Free chocolate samples at the chocolate factory, walked through the botanic gardens, and cruised up and down the river on Popeye II. Back to the bus station nice and early. Waiting and watching for my bus through the giant glass windows. I see a greyhound finally pull up, but it's going to Darwin, not Alice... so I sit and wait more. I watch all the people get on and then the bus drives away... now it's past 6 and I go to the Premier Bus counter to ask them if they know where my Alice bus is. then told me it just left! apparently Alice springs is on the way to Darwin! AH! The same type of panic hit as when I was lost in California b/c I got on the wrong bus. I tell you, me and busses do not get along. But through my tears, the Premier guys decided to help me and they gave me a supper reduced rate on their bus to get me to Fort Augusta to catch up with my bus before it left it's supper break there at 11pm. Whew, so I boarded the bus and finally calmed down. Only to me. Only to me. Once on my proper bus at Fort Augusta, my seet was occupied by a sleeping woman... so the only other place to sit (that wasn't being slept on) was beside this abo guy. well, the entire bus was full of abos. it was actually very intimidating. But, my new abo friend Theo, let me sit with him. He's an opal minner in Coober Peedy. Neat. We hit 2 kangaroos on the highway. serves them right for punching my eye!

I arrived in Alice later than Marcey and she even let me have a shower before we rushed to the flying doctors. The best part of the Flying Doctors was the coffee and cheesecake was ate in the cafe at the end. lol. Oh yes, and one tip, when posing with the dummies in the stretcher for a picture... do not attempt to hold their hand with a concerned look on your face... their arm will fall off.

So we're up early an on our way with a tour bus heading to Kings Canyon. as the sun started to rise we stopped for camel rides. It's a pretty bumpy ride. but I was wedged between two humps... so I didn't fall off. We walked around Kings Canyon and wathced the sun set over a dried up salk lake. We ate camel for supper (how ironic) and slept under the stars in swags. another early morning to watch the sun rise over the red sand dunes. Wlked around the base or Uluru (Ayers Rock) and then walked through the Olgas. yes, my knee was not happy. we watched the sun set opposite of Uluru so we could see the "colour changes" on the rock. It was pretty neat. and it's at this time that ayers Rock looks briliantly red. We ate kangaroo for supper. Slept in swags under the stars and I fell asleep after seeing 7 shooting stars.

Last day of our tour we watched the sun rise beside Ayers Rock. Our "coach captin" (not bus driver) took us on a mini tour around Uluru and told us some of the spiritual stories along the way. pretty nifty. We stopped at Jim's Place on the way back to Alice and Marcey played the piano there. And a dingo jumped onto the keys as she was playing and started howling! lol. I took pictures when I wasn't laughing... so we don't ahve a lot of pictures because it was too funny! And then the tour was over and we were happy to shower. I met Mulga, the tour owner guy and he let me try on his fuzzy pink hat. I actually saw him again today in Adalaide! Small world.

Now it's back to albury (via night bus that I will not miss) and them camping again on Monday! After that it's back to Sydney for my final weekend in the Souther Hemisphere. Then I will see you all Tuesday at the airport!!

love me!

Sydney Adventure

Ok, now for the belated sydney adventure. Three assignments due on Friday... I worked like a crazy mad man and finished by Thursday around 5pm. Then a rush pack job and Anna dropped me off at campus to hand everything in on our way out. We drove north on the Hume highway until we reached her mother's houe for the evening. we spent the night there. Stunning. WOW! Her mother rents the house from a guy in Sydney. It is on a farm (but someone else rents and farms the land). The house is OLD and has the high ceilings and beautiful furnature, fireplaces in all the main rooms, wall paper, you get the picture. Basically my dream home. so after the tour I was served homemade punpkin soup! Picture dad's carrot soup (the same thickness and creaminess) but with pumpkin and not carrot and rice. VERY good, but also a bit spicy so I had to have a piece of homemade bread to ease the fire on my tounge. YUM! Slept in one of the many rooms and was surprisingly warm (winter here and no central heating).

Up for an early start to the Blue Mtns. We got there and drove down into the veiwing area. Where did the fog come from? Yikes! So we payed for our parking and walked thorugh the visitors centre and looked at what the veiw was supposed to look like. Then we attempted to see some thing, anything, off the veiwing area. nope. nadda. Just white. all white! It was actually kinda creepy becuase you had your eyes wide open and still all you could see was white. crazy. so we walked down the slippery and wet path to the base of the first of the Three Sisters. Anna didn't want to walk down the steep stiars... and truthfully, my knee wasn't feeling up to the task either. so I saw a vage outline and back to the car we went. We finished the drive into Sydney and stopped at the largest mall in the Southern Hemisphere on our way into central Sydney. Here I bought a pair of shoes. they have heels. oh my word. checked into a hotel (Anna's more of a five star girl... not a hostel type girl). and walked (in my new shoes) to Darling Harbour for supper! What a good veiw. And the food was only ok. But after supper we walked to the other side of the harbour for cheesecake and coffees. That was the good part!

Saturday, up early again for some Pitt St. shopping and Paddy's market. We walked over to "The Rocks" to see the rocks, lol, and to look thorugh some markets. walked back tothe hotel though sydney Harbour and stopped for coffees. We drove across the harbour bridge to meet Anna's sister for drinks at the Oaks before supper. Then we went to the trendy side of Kings Cross and ate an exquisite meal at The Victorian Room. Just walking down the street all you could see was a big bouncer tye guy standing infront of the door. Anna's sister just walked right up to him (not something I would do), and he opened the door for us. Up the staricase and into the most magnificent dinning area I have ever seen. Mohogany wood, forest green lamps, big chandeleirs, burgandy apolstery... wow. I could barley read the menue I was too enthrawled with the decor.

Sunday morning Anna and I went to Bondi beach to try to find some great market her sister was telling us about. I guess the weather was too bad, because we never did find it. So we went to the Elizabeth bay house and then Anna dropped me off at the government house. apparently she didn't want to see it too?? But here is where Trevor calls. And he wants to hang out but he and his mates are going to the pub for a very blokey night watching soccer... not a place where Anne fits in. so he wants to meet me now at the National Art Gallery across from the opera house. So I met up with Trevor and we went for coffee in the sweetest place in The Rocks. Then Trevor took me to the 36th floor of the Shangru-La hotel. There is a lounge up there and a seriously breath-taking veiw of the sydney harbour and beyond. We got up there just in time to see the sun set. WOW! the colours in the sky and the reflections in the water. So amazing. Then Trevor (our lawyer friend) says I can order anything on the menu and it will be his treat (as if the coffee wasn't already)... then he noticed the $3000 bottle of wine. He said I couldn't order that. Then he saw the $999 bottle of wine... also I wasn't allowed to order that... so anything with 3 numbers I wasn't allowed to order. lol. too funny. what a character. Still time before he meets his mates, so we drove across the harbour bridge and to a Thai place for supper. at the risk of sounding repetative, it was beautiful. great meal. great company. what a good Sydney night. He dropped me off when we were finished at the place Anna, her sister, and their dad were meeting for supper. Trev went to meet up with his mates and the rest of us went to the pub across the street.

Now Monday, brekkie with Anna's dad. He's a racecar driver. and he too all of us ladies out for a Greek brekkie. I had french toast, so I'm nt sure what was greek about that... Anna and I hit the Sydney aquarium up before our long drive home. So yeah, it's like sea world, finding nemo, and crocodile hunter all rolled into one. Very cool.

And that was my most fabulous weekend in Sydney!

Hello people

Well, I guess time flies when you're studying... I didn't tell you all about my weekend in Sydney with Anna. I will fill you in when I have more time. But for now I'll tell you about my last two days. So I was in Melbourne yesterday after finishing the semester in Albury. I got a bus at 4am! yikes. Anyways, I spent the day shopping and sight seeing in Melbourne only to catch a 9pm bus here to Adelaide. Anyways, I was in Melbourne scoping out the parks and government buildings. And On my way I looked up and saw I was standing right infront of the Hard Rock Cafe Melbourne! So I took a picture for you dad ;) Then I went into the parliament gardens and saw this cool fountain thing. Then I watched some guy walk into it. But I still wanted a picture... So I took one. The guy ws standing in the middle (where only his shoes got wet) and he was SINGING his lungs out!! WOW! he was loud. I thought maybe he was "singing in the rain". So walking down the street later that day I saw the singing guy. So I asked him what he was singing. Anyways, turns out he's from Montreal and we toured around some churches and parks together. It was pretty cool. HIs name is Daniel and he's a Jewish guy. He had some very interesting perspectives on life and was quite inspiring. So that was really fun. And I'm out of time but I would like to close in saying that I saw a dog today with three tennis balls all in his mouth at once! who does that?! And then I watched his owner throw the balls for him and I watched him pick up all three balls, one at a time, without dropping any! Now that's talent! I'm catching the bus here in an hour and then I will see Marcey in Alice Springs tomorrow arvo. And then I guess we're going to see the flying doctors. Just guess who's idea that was. lol. TTYL!

Love me

Isn't he cute!

The new friend I met today. It went well, I'm not hurt! lol.
Here is Noni and I being 'rotic' on top of Huon Hill overlooking Wodonga eating some sort of dessert puff thing. The other direction you can see Albury. We watched the sun go down adn it makes all the hills pink! Very cool. Something I will not soon forget.

My Autum Birthday

Happy Birthday to me! Robyn prepared a yummy breakkie for me in the "breakfast nook". Yes, the first bagels I have had since January at home! Very hard to find in this country. Robyn has been looking since I arrived.

After church I went for morning tea with the ladies. This is Robyn's mom, sister, and Robyn herself! Such the tea party with the cups and saucers! So much fun. Best part was the "dainties"! Yummy!

Julie called while I was in Beechworth looking down this street. My birthday on a sunny autum day! Will that ever happen again??

After dinner in Three Monkey's Tavern. Noni, me, Shane, and Robyn. Dessert is about to arrive!!!

My birthday cake this year. Oh yeah, that was so good. Honey comb covered in chocolate on the top there. YUMMY!!! It was delivered with a sparkler!!

Boxing Kangaroo Pictures!

Aww, cute koalas! Just outside of Albury

Aww! Look at the joey in the pouch!! SO cute!

Aww! Look at the roo dancing with me! How sweet!
AHH!!! This is after the blood was all cleaned up. The major cut you can't see. It was inside my bottom eyelid.

The Walabee thought I was pretty funny looking too...

Just so you know

Hello people,

I'm crazy busy here. Just like any end-of-semester time. But I have not written for a while and hope that it hasn't worried too many of you. I'm still alive and no more kangaroo run ins for me. I have assignments (only 2 left now!!) and one final. I have some incentive to get my two assignments done by Thursday. Anna is going to Sydney this long weekend and is taking me along with her. If I get everything done early, we will also be able to go to the Blue Mtns. If not, we will still go to Sydney but for one less day. When I get back from my weekend away, I will have an entire week to prepare for my tourism final on 16 June. It's in the arvo and has 3 hrs allocated for it. Last night in class our teacher assured us that it will not take 3 hours. Well, Anna dropped the key off to her house so I can go there to work on my assignments during the day when no one is home and hopefully get finished sooner rather than later. So I'm off to the library to gather some resources so I can work for the rest of the day! I also got some great study snacks in the mail today from Canada!! Thanks Julie! So I'm ready for 3 intence days of assignments. Yes, just so you are all aware, my procrastination habbits did not stay in the Northern Hemisphere... they followed me here. But I guess I do what I do best. :S

Enjoy the srping weather and I will enjoy *cough cough* the winter weather here. But I must sya, this is the most mild winter I have ever experienced in my life!