Final Thoughts

I heard once from a very wise man that the greatest gift a person can give you is freedom.  I am here to tell you that he was absolutely correct.  Reflecting on the past few months I see that it was not my travels which where solely responsible for my recent transcendence, but the gift of freedom given to me by a friend, an ‘ex’ if you prefer, but one whom I will forever consider a friend.  I have seen the change in me most acutely through the reflection of myself in the eyes of those around me.   Never before have I walked down the street and had multiple people stop to talk to me, just because (in their words) “they wanted to know what was behind the light.”  Someone commented that it is as if I have won the lottery, and I truly feel that I have.  There is no monetary value to this lottery, however.  It is the lottery of life.  I see the world before me and look forward to the challenges because I know now that I have the capacity to transcend any obstacle and overcome the sway of duality.  I am truly and deeply content; at peace with who I am and how I fit into this life.

My travels have landed me in Mexico until after the New Year at which point I will be starting a new blog for anyone interested in following my journey to find a home.

Thank you for reading about my travels.  I love you all.  Happy New Year!

God Bless and Namaste

Headline: Harry Potter meets Dorothy then meets Vancouver Police Force

Hello from North America!  I have successfully returned to my continent of origin and am happy to report that this last leg of my trip has been the most eventful to date.  This may require a bit of math in some parts, but bear with me.  I got up this morning (Monday) at 0330 (GMT+13) making it to the Christchurch airport with plenty of time to spare before my flight to Sydney.  It was a pretty bumpy ride across the Tasman Sea, but we made it at our expected arrival time.  I had four hours to kill in Sydney so it was no surprise that my gate information wasn't up yet, but when it still wasn't up an hour before departure time I was becoming mildly concerned.  It turned out that the incoming flight was delayed, so we were going to be delayed about 30 minutes.  Being the clever traveler that I am, I decided to take the extra time to wash my face, etc., and.... Harry Pottered my glasses!!! Broke them right down the middle, even split.  Overcoming the devastation of having to wear my contacts on the long flight, we boarded at 1230 (GMT+11) then proceeded to sit at the gate, all buckled up, until 1400.  Evidently the winds were so strong in Sydney that they had closed down all but one runway.  We were finally cleared to push back from the gate (hallelujah), then had to wait in line for take off for another 45 minutes.  The winds really were horrific.  Not even trying to be clever with the whole "Yogi of Oz" thing, I half expected to see Dorothy or the Wicked Witch of the West flying past as we took off.  And so.... what was supposed to be 14 hours of pure bliss on a 777 turned into a glorious 16 hours trapped in the window seat by two exceedingly large men (whom I later found out were not only Canadian tractor trailer drivers, but also stimulating conversationalists).  We arrived in Vancouver at 0930 (GMT-8) on Monday (again...or still).  Fortunately, I didn't have a connection on the Vancouver end of the flight, so I was at a far lower stress level than the majority of the plane.  

I made it through customs and immigration with minimal questions as to the nature of my travel and tracked down the taxi stand (after nearly being killed by my own stupidity - cars drive on the other side of the road here).  My taxi driver was incredibly friendly and we were chatting away about his home town in Africa when, "whoop whoop" Vancouver's finest pulled us over.  Haha!  I didn't even know that cops pulled taxis with fares over.  It was hilarious (for me).  The officer told us that he is also a commercial vehicle inspector and the taxi didn't have daytime running lights on which apparently is a Very big deal.  My driver didn't get fined, but he did receive a list of things he needed to fix before he could take another fare (after dropping me off of course, although a ride home with the cops would have made a far better story).  

Don't worry, this story has a happily ever after:  I made it to the hotel, they let me check in early, I got new glasses, and have a nice low key evening of Canucks hockey ahead of me. 

As always, all of my love!  

Christmastime in Christchurch

family away from family at Lyttelton Harbour

I think I may be reaching new heights of depression tonight… I don’t want to leave this amazing country!!!  =)  And, this past week has been one of the best of my entire trip.  I truly feel as though I've been staying with family this week. I am so blessed to have so many amazing people in my life.  As with most time spent with family, this week has been chock full of fantastic family events including a grade school awards ceremony and concert, working in the vineyard, a mini road trip, my very first zumba class, Greening the Rubble, and Christmas carols at the local church (just to name a few).  The weather has gone through all four seasons and back again, but it hasn’t deterred our adventures in any way.  I will touch on a few highlights from the week, but what I’ve enjoyed most of all has been the companionship; the nights spent catching up over a bottle of wine.  Thank you, Murray family, for really making me feel at home.

huge nerd in the vineyard

The first of the week’s highlights took place Thursday morning.  I got to help Laura out in the vineyard!  We were just pulling vines up off the ground and running them up through the wires, but it was fun to participate in a “local” activity and try something entirely new.  I would not want to work in a vineyard for life, but it is an experience I feel fortunate to have and will not soon forget.

The next highlight of the week occurred later the same evening.  We all went to the local high school auditorium for Wilson’s award ceremony and school concert.  Wilson won an award for a painting he did that will now be displayed in the school!  Additionally, we got to hear samplings of a rock band, recorder ensemble, ukulele group, violin duet, the orchestra and the choir, including a Christmas classic that was new to me, Christmas at the Beach.  =)  (A side note to my parents – you are truly amazing for all of the school concerts, sporting events, ballet recitals, etc., that you attended in support of me.)

Highlight number three was a day trip around Banks Peninsula. We stopped at various gorgeous harbours en route to Akaroa, a perfectly picturesque beach town.  We had lunch, walked around the local church market, and then made our way through the display area of a car show complete with Santa and Christmas carols.  The pictures from the drive are stunning and can be found in the album for this post at http://picasaweb.google.com/smichelle.manning/Christchurch?feat=directlink. (I have also downloaded the rest of my pictures from my past two weeks.  You can find them all at http://picasaweb.google.com/smichelle.manning.)

Capoeira

My last morning in New Zealand was spent at an event for a project Leicester is involved in called Greening the Rubble.  They are a group of Landscape Architect students who are turning demolished buildings (from the earthquake) into temporary parks.  It was a rainy day for a launch party, but I did get to see morris dancing for the first time in my life (check it out on youtube, it’s pretty fantastic) as well as Wilson trying his hand at capoeira.

And to finish up my Christmastime in Christchurch week, Laura and I went to the local church this evening for a Christmas carol service.  I was shocked at how many of the songs I had never heard before!  Apparently the weather isn’t the only difference between Christmas here and Christmas in the States. 

Tomorrow I am getting on a plane to Canada before flying down to Montana for Christmas.  Thank you all for following along with this journey!  I plan to post another blog from Vancouver, but if I don’t post it before Christmas, Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to you all!!!

~All my Love~

XO

Life in 1300 kilometers

In the past five days I’ve covered over 1300 km; I have seen breathtaking scenery, been touched by the kindness of others, and met some of the most incredible people in my life.  I can honestly say that I am a different person today than I was just one week ago.  This has been my journey…

km 0-225 – Drive from Paihia to Auckland

Christmas in the Park

I woke up to another beautiful Paihia sunrise and drove back south to Auckland just in time for Christmas in the Park!  About ¼ of the population of Auckland turned out for the event.  It reminded me of lawn seats at a country music festival except that instead of singing along to Achy Breaky Heart, everyone was singing Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas.  They did a countdown to light the tree, Santa rode his sleigh through the crowd, and they finished with an extraordinary fireworks display.  Amongst the celebratory crowd I met someone whose impression will remain with me for the rest of my life.  I may have only talked to them for a few hours, but I know the impact of that conversation will alter my life to come, playing into every decision I make from here on out.  If you are reading this, I can only say Thank You.  In this person I saw the beauty of dreams on the forefront of discovery and have been inspired to stay true to my own dreams.  I experienced the power of listening and am the better for the wealth of knowledge I received though open ears and an open heart.  I have heard before, and deeply believe, that people come into and go out of your life for specific reasons.  They may be in your life for 1 day, 6 months, or even 50 years, but there is a purpose behind it and it is our job to discover that purpose.  I believe the purpose of this encounter will continue to show itself, likely at times when I least expect it.

km 225-865 – Train from Auckland to Wellington

Mordor

After *maybe* an hour of sleep I got on the 0730 train south to Wellington.  It was a 12 hour trip through the country side of the North Island.  The views were stunning (including the volcanic cone used as Mordor in the Lord of the Rings trilogy), but what I truly enjoyed was the uninterrupted time for reflection.  What has been weighing on my mind recently, and for some time, is the concept of home.  I know I am always welcome and will always have a place to stay at the house I grew up in, but Montana just doesn’t feel like home anymore.  Everywhere else I’ve lived has been wonderful, but I don’t feel particularly drawn to return to any of those places.  I am comfortable with the concept that I have detached from all these locations in order to inspire travel, but at the same time I am starting to feel a pull towards finding a place where I really feel at home. I have no intention of stopping my travels, but it would be nice to have somewhere to return to that holds that illusive “Ahh, I’m home” quality.

I made it into Wellington at 7:30pm, checked into my hostel, and crashed!  I had a couple hours in the morning to explore before my ferry, but it was pouring rain so I really only made it down the harbor a ways to a café.  Oh well, maybe next time. =)

km 865-965 – Ferry from Wellington to Picton (with a detour to Havelock at the end)

I met another fascinating person on the ferry to Picton.  She is here from Nebraska studying Geology.  She was so clearly a free spirit it was really enjoyable talking to her.  She is leaving NZ in February (after a year’s stay) and then backpacking around South America for six months… something I would LOVE to do!  And so, another trip is in the planning stage.

Havelock

I arrived in Picton at 1618 as scheduled and was greeted by friends of friends of friends who’d been asked to collect me and bring me to Havelock where I was spending the night with friends of Laura and Leicester.

If you followed all those connections, I have to express how amazed I have been with everyone’s kindness and hospitality.  I have taken hour long car rides, shared meals, and stayed the night with complete strangers and have never felt more welcome. If this is what all Kiwis are like, I really don’t want to leave.

Anyways, I spent the night with a fantastic family who opened their home to me completely and unquestioningly in a way that I hope I can pass on in the future.

km 965-1305 – Train from Blenheim to Christchurch

Train to Christchurch

The train ride from Blenheim to Christchurch was a little over 5 hours of scenic bliss.  For a large part of the trip the tracks run along the coast so you have beautiful ocean views out one side and beautiful mountain views out the other.  And, once again, a fabulous setting for reflection, although this time it was mostly on my future yoga studio.

After a slight delay due to a “crossing accident” I arrived in Christchurch to the loving arms of Laura and Wilson (and Leicester a little later).  I am going to leave it here for this posting and share all my fabulous Christchurch stories later. 

More to follow shortly!
Love you all!

Northland, Aotearoa

Haruru Falls

What can I say about Northland?  The truth is I don’t think words can do justice to the experiences I’ve had the past two days.  I drove north from Auckland yesterday along one of the prettiest stretches of road I’ve ever seen.  I’m only sorry that I was driving and had to occasionally look at the road.  I arrived in Paihia early afternoon and went straight to Haruru Falls.  You could walk out onto the rocks amongst the pools of water where I found a great spot to sit and take in the sound of the falls and meditate.  Om Namo Narayanaya Namaha.  =)

After the falls I did a 30 minute hike up to the lookout point above Paihia in the Opua Forest. Most of you know that I am not a hiker, but it was well worth it looking out over the Bay of Islands as the sun began to set.  I was tempted to stay and watch the sun go down, but the idea of un-hiking the hill in the dark deterred that ambition.  Instead, I stopped at the beach on the way back to the hostel, laid in the grass, and watched the clouds change color.  Rough life – I know.

Sunrise in Paihia

This morning I got up at 0630 and went down to the beach to watch the sun come up (symmetry). Granted, sunrise was actually at 0602, but it was still a gorgeous morning.  Today was my Maori culture day!  (I must apologize for any fallacy in my relay of information; this is just a recollection of what I heard today.) I went to the Waitangi Treaty Grounds, where the Treaty of Waitangi was signed. “In January 1840 Captain William Hobson arrived in the Bay of Islands to make a treaty with the Maori chiefs on behalf of the British government.  Busby helped revise Hobson’s draft and Rev. Henry Williams of Paihia and his son, Edward, translated it into Maori.  On 5 February 1840 hundreds of Maori and scores of Europeans gathered in front of the Residency at Waitangi.  The Treaty was read and explained in English and Maori.  The chiefs debated all day at Waitangi and into the night at Te Tii, across the river.  On 6 February 43 chiefs signed the Treaty… Copies of the Treaty were then carried around the country.  By September 1840 over 500 chiefs had signed it.  Hobson proclaimed British sovereignty over the whole country on 21 May 1840.  Though debate continues over the interpretation of its parts, the Treaty is best understood as a whole.  It is an agreement between two peoples to live and work together in one nation.  This agreement is as relevant today as in 1840, for it guarantees the rights of both Maori and non-Maori citizens in Aotearoa New Zealand.” (from the Treaty Grounds guide)

I had a tour around the grounds including the 35m waka taua (war canoe) which is still used during the annual celebration of Waitangi Day (Feb 6), the Treaty House built in 1832 for the British resident James Busby, and the whare runanga (meeting house) which is the only meeting house in New Zealand representing all of the major Maori tribes.

haka

I had read in a guide that Christianity is very prominent among the Maori people due to the influences of missionaries who came to the island in the early 1800s.   In my mind, I found this loss of traditional beliefs as quite sad.  But, I heard today that the Maori were actually impressed with Christianity and the message of peace the missionaries brought.  Apparently the Maori culture has always celebrated a single God; the multiple “deities” depicted in their art work are actually seen as guardians, not gods (i.e. Guardian of the Sun, Guardian of the Sea, etc.).  Anyways, coming back from that tangent… I also saw a Maori cultural show in which all the ladies in the audience (myself included) got to try our hand at dancing with the poi (ball on a string) and the men got to learn some steps of the haka (war dance – well known for being performed by the All Blacks before matches, check it out on youtube!). We also heard the story of how Aotearoa (New Zealand) was discovered by the Maori.  If you’re interested I recommend reading more here: http://maaori.com/people/maoriara.htm

Maiki

After my culture-rich morning I decided to take the ferry across to Russell, what used to be “the hell-hole of the pacific” as it was the home of fleeing convicts, whalers, and drunken sailors. Now, it’s a quaint little town with a beautiful beach and even more beautiful yachts.  I did another hike up to Maiki, where Hone Heke chopped down the flagpole four times after the signing of the Treaty.

I spent about 2 hours in Russell then caught the ferry back to Paihia just in time to catch the local Farmer’s Market.  I really love it here.  I don’t want to leave!  But I am really looking forward to my train ride from Auckland to Wellington this weekend. 

Until next time,

All my love!

Table for One, Please

I am fairly certain nobody would categorize me under the heading, “Shy”, however the idea of travelling alone in a foreign country was still a daunting one for me.  But I am truly loving it.  The freedom of it all has been overwhelming.  I can’t remember a time that I’ve been able to be so guiltlessly selfish.  =) I can do whatever I want to, whenever I want to.  It sounds very simple, but I feel that I’ve spent the past several years caught up in the never-ending checklist of things I thought I “needed” to do and have finally had the veil of commotion lifted.

Circular Rainbow!  They do exist!

I spent four days in Sydney taking in the requisite sights; Sydney Opera House, Harbour Bridge, Sydney Aquarium, Bondi Beach, etc. (Pictures will be posted of all of these later)  I even saw a circular rainbow!  True story.  See… I even took pictures.  I met some remarkable people while I was there – bonding over laundry and hunting for Thai food in the rain – whom I hope to keep in touch with for years to come.  Miss you guys!

I left Australia Monday morning for Auckland.  I have rented a car and made minimal plans other than to explore.  Today I went to the Auckland Museum (amazing), One Tree Hill (beautiful views), and drove along Tamaki Drive to Ladies Bay (nude beach). 

The hostel I am staying at in Auckland is quite different from the YHA in Sydney.  It’s in a two-storey house that was apparently built for Tongan royalty.  Everything is co-ed which is giving me flashbacks to my time at MMA, but everyone I’ve met has been incredibly friendly.

I have six more days of solo travel, and then it’s on to Christchurch to visit Laura, Leicester, and Wilson!

All my love!

Summer in Sydney!

Hi Everyone!

I made it safely to Sydney!  My original flight was cancelled about 12 hours beforehand, but after navigating an automated voice service I managed to get on a later flight giving me a few extra hours in Melbourne!

I got into Sydney around 6:30pm last night and took a taxi to the Sydney Central YHA.  I was a little nervous about staying in a hostel, but now that I am here I LOVE IT!  I am so glad I didn’t stay at a hotel.  All the girls in my room are travelling alone and are all incredibly friendly.  We sat around talking for a while, then I went to dinner with one of the girls from England.  We all went to bed around 10:30 and managed to sleep in until 8:00am.  I certainly didn’t expect to be getting such a good night’s sleep in a youth hostel.

My official Day One in Sydney was a marathon of walking, but it was fantastic!  I like this city.  I was actually impressed with how much of the map I was able to cover on foot in only a few hours.  I started my day walking down to Circular Quay.  I took the requisite pictures of the bridge and the opera house.  From all of the pictures I have seen of Sydney I really thought the opera house would be bigger and brighter.  It was still beautiful though and somewhat surreal to stand on the staircase leading up to such a famous building. 

I carried on through the Royal Botanical Gardens.  They had a fantastic sign at the entrance, “Please walk on the grass.  We also invite you to smell the roses, hug the trees, talk to the birds and picnic on the lawns.”  I am considering taking my yoga mat down there tomorrow for a morning practice if the weather holds out.  Speaking of the weather, it was at about this point in the day that the clouds broke and sent sunny beams onto my un-sunscreened skin!  Dah!  I have a sunburn. Boo.

From the gardens I continued on to Woolloomooloo Wharf and Kings Cross.  Woolloomooloo Wharf is described in my Lonely Planet as having once been “a slum full of drunks, sailors, and drunk sailors.”  How could I possibly resist? It’s pretty tame now, but there are still active grey hulls tied up along the pier.  Kings Cross had another fantastic Lonely Planet description: “The suburb’s reputation for vice congealed during the Vietnam War, when American sailors flooded the Cross with a tide of bawdy debauchery.”  Enough said.

I started heading back to the hostel around 1pm by way of Hyde Park.  I nuked some leftovers for lunch (the kitchen in this hostel is amazing!), then took off again for Darling Harbour. I think I will go back there tomorrow for the Aquarium and possibly a show at the IMAX.  Today I just wandered around and took in the atmosphere. 

I had a FABULOUS dinner at Mother Chu’s Vegetarian Kitchen – stir-fry tempeh, snow peas, broccoli, cashews and walnuts.  I will definitely have to remember that combination!  And possibly go back and try some more of their dishes.  =) 

More to follow!  Much love!

p.s. I am going to wait until I have free internet again to upload the rest of my pictures

Moving on from Melbourne

Cafes along Block Arcade

I am sad to say that today is my last day in Melbourne.  I have had such a great time exploring this beautiful area and making unforgettable memories with the McMeekings, it will be hard to say goodbye in the morning.  Being my last day in Melbourne I thought it would only be fitting for me to actually go into Melbourne (a radical thought, I realize).  I took the train in from Hoppers Crossing and spent the afternoon wandering around downtown enjoying the little alleyways of cafes and arcades of shops. Melbourne is a nice city, but I have to admit that I am a bit over the “big city” thing after living in Singapore for two years.  I found myself disenchanted with the high-paced buzz that would have held more excitement for me in the past.  There was one outstanding feature I truly did enjoy, the Christmas decorations minus the crazy Christmas crowds you find in the States!

Christmas Decorations!!!

I am leaving for Sydney tomorrow – another big city – but I will be staying in a youth hostel and will have a schedule full of quintessential Australia site-seeing to attend to, so I imagine I will have a slightly different “city experience” than I did today.  Then it’s off to New Zealand for two weeks!!!  I must confess I am far more excited for NZ than for Sydney… =)  BUT, I am certain I will have some great stories for my blog at the end of my week at the Sydney YHA.

I don’t know what my internet situation will be like for the next couple weeks so I’ve updated my facebook profile with an Aussie phone number I can be reached at in case of emergency (or in the unlikely event of an insatiable yearning to talk to a ginger).  I should still have access to email, but it may take me a while to get back to you if you write. 

I will update again when I can!  Love and miss you all!

Bringing Thanksgiving Down Under!

Happy Thanksgiving!!!

My Pie!!!

Please allow me to start with a bit of a sappy moment.  I just want to say how thankful I am for all of the remarkable people in my life who have supported me through my multitude of life altering transitions this past year.  In particular my amazing sister, mom, and dad, and my incredible best friends, Jen, Ryan, and Andrew, without whom I can’t imagine where I would be today.  Thank you all for everything you do for me.  I spent my entire day with an unfaltering smile thinking of how much this day means to me this year.

Arts and Crafts

I had such a fantastic day today!  I made a traditional Thanksgiving dinner for the Aussies, starting my cooking escapade around noon with a serving time of 7:30pm.  I made a pumpkin pie – FROM SCRATCH – sweet potato soufflé, green bean casserole, turkey, stuffing, gravy, and tofu for the chef.  I did it all by myself and it was AMAZING!!!  My pride and joy was the pumpkin pie which I successfully made FROM SCRATCH (in case you missed it the first time), and without a soupy middle!  While everything was in the oven I even had time for some arts and crafts to really bring the whole thing together.  =)  (Russell the wombat was a bit overshadowed today, but being an American holiday he understands and will be featured at another time)

Jacki set a beautiful table and I think we all had a great Thanksgiving, as I hope you all did as well!

For those truly brave souls, enjoy Black Friday!

All my love and gratitude!

Tom and Russell at the table

"Acknowledging the good that you already have in your life is the foundation for all abundance." ~Eckhart Tolle

Bushwalking Bluey

BBQ in Toora

Guess what I got to do this week?!  I got to go bush walking around the southernmost tip of the Australian mainland!  The three of us drove down to Toora (pop. 647) Tuesday afternoon in conjunction with a vessel Stephen had to attend.  Unfortunately, we forgot to book an extra room for yours truly, but the one room that was booked had a sofa bed so all was not lost.  Tuesday was the first truly warm (those who haven’t lived in Singapore for two years may have considered it hot) day I’ve had since arriving in Victoria which meant it was time for a barbeque dinner!  One of the best things I’ve learned about Australia is that the parks all have free electric grills.  We grilled up some steaks for the McMeekings and some portabella mushrooms for me and then were promptly run off by swarms of little black bugs.  I am fairly certain that I am no longer a vegetarian… the bugs were EVERYWHERE!!!

Tidal River at Wilsons Prom

Wednesday morning Jacki and I drove down to Wilsons Promontory while Stephen was working.  Wilsons Promontory is a beautiful national park chock full of bush walking/hiking trails.  They have everything ranging from 20 minute walks to overnight hikes.  We drove into Tidal River, set Jacki up under a tree with a stack of books, and I took off for about two hours of roaming.  It was midday, so the sun was a bit hot, but the views were breathtaking and it felt great to stretch my legs for a while after so many days in the car.  I don’t want to bore you all with more descriptions of how beautiful this country is, but it’s definitely worth checking out the pictures in picasa.  I did make one spectacular purchase after my walk that I must mention; his name is Russel, he is a wombat.  And, he will be featured in my next post.

Agnes Falls

This morning we awoke to a misty, rainy day.  Jacki and I had a quiet morning of reading and then drove up to Agnes Falls.  Apparently it’s the highest waterfall in Victoria (59 meters).  The falls were no Niagara, but listening to the water and looking out over the valley was pure serenity.

Weather!

After the falls we went to Yarram for lunch then drove back to Barry Beach to pick up Stephen.  On the way we drove into an incredible storm front.  I had never really thought about the weather in this part of Australia.  They are at an interesting crossroads between the hot, dry desert in the north and Antarctica in the south.  As I’m sure you can imagine, they get some awe inspiring cloud formations.  With my love of storms I was in heaven!  I don’t think Jacki felt quite the same joy from the driver’s seat…

We drove back to Melbourne this afternoon and are all happy to be back home with no big trips ahead.

Tomorrow will be spent in the kitchen as I am bringing Thanksgiving to the Aussies!!!  Neither Jacki nor Stephen have EVER experienced Thanksgiving, so I imagine I will have a fun blog up after tomorrow! 


Pictures from this trip are at http://picasaweb.google.com/smichelle.manning/WilsonsProm?feat=directlink

I miss you all!  Thank you for keeping up with my travels!

All my love!

Great Ocean Road

Hello again everyone,

It’s only been a couple days since my last posting, but I had such an incredible weekend I just couldn’t wait to share.  We got up early Saturday morning, packed an overnight bag, and drove inland a bit to Bacchus Marsh.  They were having their 4^th annual Strawberries and Cherries Weekend!  Our first stop was a little orchard asking a mere $8/kg for self-picked cherries. We were led out to the trees by the owner who demonstrated the proper technique for picking cherries and left us with a step stool and a couple crates for our haul.  Amazingly, we ended up with about 3-1/2 kilos of cherries despite eating every other bunch we pulled off the tree.  We then moved down the road for strawberries, stopped at the Big Apple Tourist Orchard store for some fresh goat’s cheese and tomatoes, and picked up some freshly baked bread at the bakery. After a stroll along Main Street (and some cherry and strawberry ice cream) we packed up our pillage and took off for the Great Ocean Road. 

Bells Beach!

We started our Great Ocean Road expedition at Bells Beach!!!  It was a bit surreal to stand on such a famous beach watching the surfers out in the waves and the paragliders suspended in the updraft over the cliff.  There was a group of older gentlemen there decked out in their wetsuits videotaping each other walking down the beach with their boards.  You could just imagine them all as young boys doing the exact same thing 30 years ago.

Cape Patton

Our journey continued on making various stops for pictures along the way.  I am in awe of the magnificence of the views here.  I went a little camera-crazy and should probably apologize for the quantity of pictures that accompany this in picasa, but I just couldn’t bring myself to leave any out.  We stopped in Lorne for a picnic lunch, dining on our take from Bacchus Marsh before driving on towards Apollo Bay for the night.  We checked into a little motel/restaurant along the beach and spent the rest of the night at the pub.

Twelve Apostles

We got up Sunday morning, Stephen and I a bit worse for wear, and promptly took a nap under a tree in the park.  Feeling a bit more human around noon we carried on towards The Twelve Apostles. A brief description I picked up from Wiki: “The apostles were formed by erosion: the harsh weather conditions from the Southern Ocean gradually eroded the soft limestone to form caves in the cliffs, which then became arches, which in turn collapsed; leaving rock stacks up to 45 metres high. The site was known as the Sow and Piglets until 1922 (Muttonbird Island, near Loch Ard Gorge, was the Sow, and the smaller rock stacks the Piglets); after which it was renamed to The Apostles for tourism purposes. The formation eventually became known as the Twelve Apostles, despite only ever having nine stacks.”  There was a strong wind coming across the cliffs but the view was well worth the 30 minutes of cold.

We moved on to Loch Ard Gorge after leaving the Twelve Apostles and finally made our way to Port Campbell and essentially the end of the Great Ocean Road!  After another beachfront picnic we hopped on the highway and came back to Melbourne.

You can check out the pictures at http://picasaweb.google.com/smichelle.manning/GreatOceanRoad?feat=directlink.

Much Love!

Glorious Gippsland

Hi everyone!

Lakes Entrance

I can’t believe it has only been two weeks since I left Singapore!  This has truly been an unforgettable trip, and I’m only a third of the way through.  I left Perth at 0-dark-30 on Monday for a three hour flight east to Melbourne where I was greeted by the beautifully 8-1/2 months pregnant Jacki and husband Stephen (Melbourne based friends I met in Singapore).  Monday and Tuesday were spent touring the surrounding area and enjoying some well deserved R&R.  We haven’t made it into the city center of Melbourne yet, but it’s on the list for next week! 

Stephen had to travel to Sale for work on Wednesday so Jacki and I decided to tag along and make a road trip out of it.  We arrived in Sale mid-afternoon and decided that an evening at the pub was in order.  We drove 30km down the road to a tiny little town called Tinamba (reminiscent of Two Dot, Montana).  The local pub/restaurant/hotel turned out to be quite a pleasant surprise.  We ended up staying for about four hours and had a delicious three course dinner complete with local wine and homemade Baileys.

Thursday morning Stephen flew out to the rig and Jacki and I took off for 90 Mile Beach.  Ninety Mile Beach is exactly what it sounds like… ninety miles of pristine white-sand beach running from Port Albert to Lakes Entrance along the south-eastern coastline of Victoria. We made a couple stops along the drive to take in the view until stopping at Golden Beach for Macadamia nut ice cream.  After taking some pictures at the beach (it was far too cold to go swimming) we drove back inland.  There was much deliberation with the local information gurus, but eventually we decided to carry on to Lakes Entrance. Lakes Entrance is a little holiday town located at the man-made channel that links Bass Strait and the Tasman Sea with the Gippsland Lakes, a 400 sq km network of inland waterways.  We were looking for something a bit different from the standard Comfort Inn and ended up staying in a great little cabin at the Lazy Acre.  The manager recommended we take a walk through town but we opted for a drive instead as there was a significant arctic breeze whipping across the water.  Within two minutes of leaving our room a life-long dream of mine came true… I saw black swans in nature!!!!  For those who don’t understand my excitement, I had a book about black swans when I was young and always dreamed of coming to Australia to see them.  Check!  =)  We drove around a bit longer, facing a difficult decision between the airfield and the rubbish tip, before coming back to the cabin for a quiet night in.

BLACK SWAN!!!

We got up early this morning to start our trip back towards Sale to collect Stephen.  Blessed with a gorgeous day, we took a slightly different route back following some smaller country roads and dipping south to Metung.  Metung appeared to be a smaller and far wealthier version of Lakes Entrance.  There was a small yacht club in the center of town and a boardwalk all the way around the water’s edge.  And… more black swans!!!  

Spike the Spider

We made it back to Sale in time to pick Stephen up from the heliport then took off towards Melbourne.  We stopped for lunch in Traralgon after a moderately frustrating scavenger hunt for “the other Peterkin Street.”   This is a picture of our lunch buddy on the umbrella over our table.  We pulled into Melbourne (Hoppers Crossing) around 4pm and have an evening of laundry and homemade pizza ahead of us.

Tomorrow we are going for another overnight along the Great Ocean Road so be sure to check back soon for another update! Much love!


New pictures at http://picasaweb.google.com/smichelle.manning/GloriousGippsland?feat=directlink

Southwestern Australia Road Trip - Chose Your Own Adventure!

In the spirit of spontaneity that guided us on our trip I have created a ‘choose your own adventure’ so you, too, can join in the fun!  Additional pictures have been posted at http://picasaweb.google.com/smichelle.manning/AussieRoadTrip?feat=directlink, as well as a map of our actual route at http://mapq.st/h/3-9aMQcUHs.

It’s a cool Tuesday morning in East Fremantle.  After a cappuccino at the café down the street you and Mar decide to pack up a couple backpacks and hit the road.  You have one plan – head south.  Keeping the coast on your right you drive until discovering a giant wooden sailboat by the side of the road that says, “Welcome to Rockingham.”  Inspired, you drive into town and down to the beach. It is breathtaking.  You walk out to the end of the jetty and find… a bus stop?  Yes, there is a bus stop at the end of the jetty.  Overcoming the urge to wait and see if a bus arrives, you get lunch at a little bistro on the water where Mar meets a Chilean waiter named Claudio and proceeds to carry on an entire conversation, in Spanish, about the government in Chile.  Eventually, you pry Mar away from this exhilarating chat and get back in the car.  Where to next?  If you decide to go to Bunbury (highlights according to the tourist map: Dolphin Discovery Center, Mangrove Boardwalk, Big Swamp Wildlife Park) continue to part 2.  If you decide to go to Busselton (highlights according to the tourist map: Busselton Jetty, Underwater Observatory, Old Butter Factory Museum) skip ahead to part 3.

PART 2

Oh no! It’s raining in Bunbury!  Fortunately you packed an umbrella and will not be deterred by a little bit of rain.  After finding a room for the night at the Lighthouse Beach Resort you go for a walk along Lighthouse Beach.  The coastline here is rugged, reminiscent of the rocky coasts of Maine.  The waves crash against the rocks forming little pools in the patches of sand.  Further down the beach there is a small crowd of surfers and kayakers in the breaks. Later in the evening you go into town for a quiet dinner returning to the hotel fairly early as you are both quite tired from the drive.  The next morning you get up, have breakfast in town and hit the road again.  If you decide to go to Busselton continue to part 3.  If you decide to go explore some caves and drive through the Boranup Karri Forest skip ahead to part 4.

PART 3

Welcome to Busselton and the famous Busselton Jetty.  The Busselton Jetty is the longest wooden jetty in the southern hemisphere. It is nearly 2 km long and was built for loading timber onto ships that couldn’t come into the shallow port. (If you’d like to read more about it, there’s an interesting article on Wikipedia)  After a coffee overlooking the Jetty you jump back in the car and head towards Cape Naturaliste, the northernmost point of the Leeuwin-Naturaliste Ridge.  It is a beautiful drive along a small winding road that leads to yet another stunning beach.  The forest meets the ocean as you walk through thick trees to reach the shore.  Looking out at this pristine view you reach for your camera and it is missing!  You left it in Busselton!  You have to turn around and go back.  

After a successful camera recovery you decide to head directly south along the Bussel Highway towards Cape Leeuwin, the southernmost point of the Leeuwin-Naturaliste Ridge as well as the most south-westerly point of the Australian continent.  Cape Leeuwin marks the division of the Indian Ocean and the Southern Ocean.  (There is a 360° video of the cape and lighthouse in picasa that is a must see) You spend the night in a little cabin up the road in Augusta, population 1,068. 

The next morning you wake up early, have breakfast in town, and drive down to the jetty.  After spending some time on the water it’s time to decide where to go next!  If you decide to go to Bunbury, return to part 2.  If you decide to explore some caves and drive through the Boranup Karri Forest continue on to part 4. If you have already done both of these….I’m not very good at writing choose your own adventures….read on to part 5 to make your way home!

PART 4

Your first stop driving north along Caves Road is Hamelin Bay!  Hamelin Bay fits in perfectly with the theme of this trip – breathtaking abandoned beaches. Every view could be a post card.  Despite being sunny, it’s pretty chilly on the beach so you keep driving north until you reach Mammoth Cave.  Mammoth Cave is one of the most famous caves in the area as it was found to contain rare fossils dating back over 35,000 years. The self-guided audio tour takes about 90 minutes, after which you decide to continue driving north towards the mouth of the Margaret River.  When you reach Gnarabup Beach, you walk up to an overlook to watch the windsurfers and take in the stunning scenery.  

Having spent so much of the road trip along the coast you decide it’s time to head inland.  You drive toward Margaret River, then continue along a tiny country road through the Boranup Karri Forest and on toward Capel.  A detour around Capel inspires a change of plans and you turn back south toward Nannup.  Following the directions on GPS you find yourselves on a dirt road in the middle of nowhere.  Fortunately, you have a vast library of Girl Scout songs in your head to keep Mar entertained. Finally, you emerge on the other side of the ‘outback’ and find the esteemed Nannup Hotel/Bar/Restaurant. Deciding to branch out from the hotel restaurant, you go for a walk through this thriving metropolis, but alas everything else is closed. And so, the rest of the night is spent socializing with the local lumber workers over a game of pool and some frosty beverages.

You wake up to a beautiful sunny morning and hit the road!  If you haven’t seen Bunbury yet, go back to part 2.  If you missed Busselton, go back to part 3.  If you’ve made it all the way through, carry on to part 5; you get to go home!

PART 5

You continue your drive northwest, lured by a sign for the Old Cheese Factory in Balingup.  Finally reaching your destination you discover that you have been fooled!  The Old Cheese Factory is not, in fact, an old cheese factory!  It is the largest craft center in Western Australia!  All is not lost though as a new friend joins the gang for the rest of the journey (see pictures for further explanation). Carrying on north from Balingup your next stop is in Donnybrook, the home of the Granny Smith and the center of apple production in Western Australia.  As you are both getting a bit anxious to head towards home you point the car north until the need for gas can no longer be ignored. You pull off the highway to follow signs for a gas station and end up in Preston Beach.  After filling up the car you decide to take a look at the beach and discover…wait for it… yet another breathtaking and abandoned beach.  You get back on the road, making one final stop at Silver Sands Beach in Mandurah to stretch your legs, and arrive home Friday afternoon to crash on the couch!

THE END =)

Toes in the Sand - Fremantle

I have finally pried myself away from the beach long enough to post my first blog.  Australia is amazing! The end.

Alright, I suppose I can give you a few more details.  =)  My last week in Singapore consisted of returning the company car, shipping a few boxes back to the States, and moving out of my apartment.  Remarkably, I only amassed six boxes of belongings (plus a backpack) in my two years in Singapore.  Even more remarkable, I found a company to ship said belongings OUT of Singapore.  Evidently, Singapore is a bit like the Hotel California. A million companies ship into Singapore, but you have to be rather tricky to find one willing to move you out.

I turned over my apartment on Tuesday then moved from friend to friend until my flight on Friday. After a pleasantly uneventful six hour flight (aside from the volcano we had to divert around) I arrived safely in Perth. Despite the distance travelled it didn’t start to sink in that I was really on vacation until I woke up the next morning to the most amazing blue sky I’ve seen in years.  Mar and I started our Saturday at the Fremantle Market, a local crafts and farmers’ market in the middle of town.  We picked up some fruits and veggies then proceeded to walk around Fremantle for the rest of the afternoon stopping briefly to bury our toes in the sand at Bathers Beach. *Note – if you are going to spend the afternoon walking around in the sun (even if it feels a bit chilly in comparison to Singapore) don’t forget to reapply sunscreen. Especially if you’re a ginger kid.



Bathers Beach



Saturday night, we took my newly developed sunburn for a night out on the town. We started at the Little Creatures Brewery then moved on to Sail and Anchor followed by Rosie O’Grady’s Irish pub.  Being the raging partiers that we are, we called it a night around 11pm.

Sunday was officially deemed beach day at Coogee beach.  It was incredible. We were practically alone on this stunning white sand beach for the entire morning. The water was cold (and shark infested) but I was more than happy to just lie on the beach and do absolutely nothing.  Monday was much of the same, only we moved to O’Connor beach.  It was equally stunning and equally abandoned.  I can’t believe Mar gets to live here.  It’s a good thing I already bought return tickets because it is not going to be easy to leave this paradise.

Coogee Beach with all my friends

We are planning a road trip south along the coastline for a couple days, so be sure to check back for another update at the end of the week! 

All my love!