Australia Archives - Page 3 of 3

Could we just adopt this cute furry animal?

We decided we needed another weekend adventure that involved some cute little Australian animals… and what could be better then a few little baby penguins? We had no idea what we were in for. We hoped to see some but not like this!

We drove out to Phillip Island with the intention of watching the penguin parade but we had no idea we would be seeing them ‘up close and personal’.

Once are arrived at the island we had a few hours to spare so we checked out the visitors center and rode down to a little beach close to where the Penguin Parade takes place.

After hiking around some of the shoreline, catching a few sprays of the ocean, spotting a few wild kangaroos, and seeking a few shells we then stumbled amongst hundreds of baby penguins waiting in their burrows for their mothers to return from the sea.

It was an incredible site!!!

Dale captured these Kangaroos in mid-air… they almost look like they are flying!

Amongst the shoreline we found so much natural beauty we could hardly tear ourselves away to get to the Penguin Parade. Besides, after seeing all these baby penguins up close, we almost didn’t go to the Penguin Parade.

But our ‘Chauffeur’ was ready and willing to drive us to our next destination. Marissa was excited to have a few minutes to drive like an Aussie but who really looks more scared?

The Penguin Parade is truly remarkable as you watch hundreds of adult penguins swim then waddle up on the beach for their nightly strut back to their babies and burrows. After spending an exhausting day at sea looking for food – they are back. It is really inconceivable to us that they return home every night at almost the exact time, day after day. Apparently they have a built in time clock that is always right on time (I could certainly use this some days!). When you go to their website they actually have a count down as to how many hours and minutes until the penguins arrive.

As we stated before we weren’t sure if we wanted to watch the parade because we had already seen so many baby penguins BUT this was a great way to not only witness the amazing natural spectacle and help support what they are doing to preserve their natural habitats. This is a non-profit organization that does much to take care of the penguins and give them refuge but it also controls the masses of people that come to see them so that their homes are not destroyed.

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Because we did not leave until after 9 pm we arrived much later then we wanted at our fun little hotel… The Fish Creek Hotel.

Built in 1939 this gem from the past has a great garden area surrounding it with picnic tables and lots of grass for kids to roam. We actually stayed in the little hotel units in the back which where clean, comfortable and inviting. Unfortunately because we arrived late and left early we were never able to sample food from their scrumptious lunch or dinner menu. We would highly recommend you stop if you are near by as they use fresh local produce and seafood, as often as possible. This charming place is only 25 min. from the gates of the next part of our adventure….Wilsons Promontory.

Travel Saving Tips:

1- For the Penguin Parade were able to get a 20% discount but we already had found a coupon for 20% off at a local hotel. Most hotels have travel books with coupons for the areas where you are staying – even if you are not staying in a hotel you can stop and see what pamplets they have to offer. They are free to anyone.

2- We found that the most exciting part of our day was walking on the beach for FREE and watching all the baby penguins and wild kangaroos. No cost for this ‘tour’.

3- Always ask when you call or arrive at a hotel and want to know pricing, “Is that the best you can do?”. We LOVE this question (which we got from a great friend of ours, Richard Paul Evans), we have saved thousands of dollars over the years!

A few bumps….

Saturday night while we were gone to ‘White Night’ we had accidentally left the gas stove on (we didn’t notice because the flame had gone out but the gas was still going on high). Once we returned home ….snacked…. showered we went to bed, around midnight Marissa came down and said that she had an extreme headache and stomachache. She proceeded to let us know that she looked around and noticed that the stove was still on so she turned it off. YIKES! How could we have done that?! We opened windows, turned on a fan, and made her come downstairs as her room was upstairs by the kitchen. She woke up not feeling great (of course) but as the day went on she got worse and worse. We were very concerned, made a few calls to find other ideas for help and took her for a walk for more fresh air.

Monday was like magic…after she had a long night but she was at least a bit more herself. It is Friday now and she is still fighting the headaches and stomachaches but nothing like the first day or so.

Here are the beautiful Royal Botanical Gardens. We made her take a walk in the fresh air… she could barely make the short walk.

Have you ever had a scary life changing experience and you know that there must of been some heavenly intervention, divine inspiration, or whatever you want to call it? We sure feel like this was one of those times. We feel blessed!!

Dale and I had a great ‘date night’ out this week at the LDS Melbourne Temple.

We are settling in quite nicely along with a ‘few bumps in the road’ but isn’t that life wherever you live?

Living in Australia or a vacation?

We have always loved to travel but is it really so different living in another country? Even for a short while, it is much more like living everyday life back home but you get to miss and APPRECIATE all the

people and things you left at home while taking the time to love new people, new customs, and embrace other cultural distinctions. We haven’t done as many ‘Touristy’ things while here, as we would on vacation but we fit in what we can.

Here is one of the amazing things we are missing back home. Our little grandson is jumping to his Dad singing to him… too sweet!

We found that being in Australia in most respects isn’t much different than the USA, other than driving on the other side of the road and trying to figure out what they are really talking about, even though it is suppose to be English.

Marissa and I stopped in for lunch after a few hours of working at the Op Shop. Marissa thought this was one of the best veggie sandwiches she has ever had… score!

They had their herbs growing in a box next to where we were sitting… yep, I did take a taste or two.

Marissa and I wanted to have some real Aussie experiences while Dale was working so we volunteered at the Sacred Heart Mission. What they really needed most help with was at their Sacred Heart Mission Op Shops (which is a 2nd hand store filled with clothes, household items, furniture, etc… almost anything you might need). They use the $ donated for the homeless that they serve at their mission. It has been a great to work with these diverse and fun people! Marissa and I not only get to enjoy working with them, feeling like we are making a difference, but also meeting so many different people from countries all over the world that shop there. Marissa had the opportunity to train the new volunteer today on the sales counter… even though it was only her second day.

Marissa working at the Op Shop

You would be surprised at the difficulties of getting cell phones, finding food markets and the like. This however is all part of the experience and a whirlwind it has been. Luckily people in Australia are very friendly and willing to lend a hand.

This little boy was so intent on his photography, I couldn’t help myself in capturing a photo of him.

Simple things may be a bit different, even like the mail person… I just had to take this photo because there was such mix of colors.

We took a little walk on a back walkway after dinner one night and found this fun wall of graffiti. We didn’t ever think we would say graffiti was beautiful but Melbourne has proven that it can be.

So far the transportation system of trams, busses, and trains make it easy to just about anywhere. We do have a car but many times it is easier to not fight traffic or pay for parking. I finally drove on Sunday to church…. I think that Dale and Marissa enjoyed watching my expressions (and of course, they made sure their seat belts were on!).

Healesville and the White Night – Is that full or what?

Our adventures were just beginning at Healesville Sanctuary, we are excited to see what we will encounter. Marissa is hoping for some cuddling Koala time (Dale is secretly thinking the same thing).

There isn’t any Koala holding going on but Marissa still seems happy to see them.

If we were that kangaroo, we would want the entire treat too. Why would you want to share it?

We could play this over and over – it just makes us smile! Marissa was really excited to meet him but see what happens…

Don’t miss out on the fabulous bird show, ‘Spirits of the Sky’.

Who knew that birds are so smart… actually the rumor has been out there for a while but this black breasted buzzard has an edge on smarts.

We don’t see signs like this in too many places! We hope to see them crossing our pathway here.

The other show they offer at Healesville is, ‘Tales from Platypus Creek’. This is the only Platypus show in the world, so sit back, relax and enjoy a bit of the show.

Look closely as the Platypus keeps swimming up to cuddle her arm.

Melbourne city is a buzz of noise, lights, entertainment, food and an endless amount of people coming to see the ‘White Night’ extraordinaire.

The theme we noticed over and over at ‘White Night’ was ‘Alice in Wonderland’. Every few minutes the projections on this building would change to a different photo. There were different buildings throughout Melbourne that were being highlighted for this night. The city (which was closed to everything but foot traffic) was bustling with so much activity and adventures to be seen around every corner…many were there until it ended at 7am the next morning. As their Premier pointed out, ‘This 12 hour celebration of art, music, film, and dance will light up Melbourne’s city streets, laneways, gardens, and buildings, showcasing performers and works from Victoria and around the world.”

Not us, we had had a fun filled but exhausting day although we made it 10:30 pm.

Here is a moving projection on the Flinders St. Train Station…. grab a quick snack and a seat. Enjoy!

‘Oh Really’ down the Gold Coast!?!

While enjoying a scrumptious lunch out with Helen and Peter we spotted these ladies sporting these uncommonly unique hats, so of course Michelle’s curiosity got the better of her. She went over and introduced herself as a travel writer and asked about their story. They were more then excited to share. These women travel the world attending horse races (especially Anna on the right) but mostly participating in the fashion part. Racing Fashion is taken to a whole new level. Check out Anna’s website:

www.racingfashion.com.au

The Gold Coast is insanely beautiful and serene…. here is some of the waterways around homes where you can park your boat at your backdoor, if you wish to.

Helen and Peter were sweet to offer us a ride on their magnificent and classy boat…OF COURSE! Here a few of the waterways leaving their condo.

Here we are after our ride on Helen and Peter’s boat ‘Oh Really’. A wonderful end to a day!

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When evening hits Melbourne lights up like something magical.

The historic and beautiful Melbourne Train Station.

What does this remind you of?

Our last night in Melbourne we spent a wonderful relaxing evening at the LDS temple….. after quite a long trek to get there. Quit a bit of walking to the tram, then train, and taxi. Thankfully someone we met there gave us a ride back to the city afterwards, what a relief.

If you are interested in knowing more, check out: lds.org

The beautiful lake at the Botanical Gardens

We were able take a walk the next morning to see a few more tourist spots before heading off to Brisbane. First the Botanical Gardens (again), you could literally spend days exploring because there is so much to see. Some evenings they have an outdoor movie night and very often venues in many different areas of the park. You have to really check weekly to see what is being offered.

It is a great place to relax, take a picnic, read a book or just people watch (what? Did we just say that:)

They also have art shared at the Melbourne Museum from Aboriginals. There are many creative works but Dale and I concluded that they really like DOTS. Most of their paintings are done with a series of dots. Take a look..

A couple of different art forms displayed at the Melbourne Museum from local aboriginals. The artwork on the wall was made up of tiny little dots and the dolls were made of some kind of yarn or string.

We shared this yummy salmon salad because neither of us were extremely hungry. It had wonderful flavors although we may have enjoyed cooked salmon a bit more… just preference.

Travel Saving Tips:

1- In Melbourne we decided NOT to rent a car because Sydney was so expensive (about $645 for 5 days). We saved $ by using a taxi sparingly but we mostly walked, took the tram or train.

2-We shared a lot of meals.

3- Buy the weekly or monthly pass (depending on how long you are here) for the tram and train, it saves you $.

We spent the morning out for a walk and look what we found….

We spent the morning out for a walk and we found the cutest little girl out feeding the birds with her Dad.

A perfect morning…. just out feeding the birds.

Through the recommendation of someone we met at the Wildlife Park we joined a Free Walking Tour of Sydney….. did we just say FREE? Yes, we did! This is our most favorite way to vacation. This is a 3 hour walking tour, so not for ‘Tired Feet’.

Our walking group by ‘Free Tour’ (imfree.com.au)

There is a story behind why she is rubbing the nose…. that might be a story for later!

(possibly fertility… but maybe you needed to rub another area for that one:)

And who does this look like…. Queen “WHO”?

This is their ‘Bird Cage Walkway’ representing
the many different birds found in Australia.

We learned a lot about
Sydney’s culture and history
along with the experience
of meeting others in our
group from many faraway
places.

Here is the talking dog head of one of their adoring Queens.
It actually talks… a little disconcerting but entertaining!

Aborigine playing his ‘Didgeridoo’

After the walking tour, we did even more walking around the city where we ran across an Aborigine who WOW’d us with his musical abilities on his Didgeridoo. Just making a digeridoo is a talent all it’s own!

We couldn’t leave Sydney without a night shot of this amazing icon.

Amongst some the tasty tidbits we learned about Sydney, we understand that the man responsible for designing the Sydney Opera House was not invited to the premiere (we are sure there is much more to that story).

Did we mention all the walking that day? Why not a bit more walking that evening just to get the evening shots of Sydney. Though it was worth the extra blisters, heat, and long day we were ready to do a little less the next day…thankfully we were flying to Melbourne, so sit back and relax.

Check out the kangaroo hanging out with us!

Following some advice from friend who lived in Australia we headed to ‘Featherdale Wildlife Park’. We got there in the heat of the afternoon so many animals were sleeping (next time we would come in the morning)……but that did not stop a kangaroo from taking an afternoon stroll up to Dale. Dale took the opportunity to talk to his new friend, try to feed him and enlisted him for a photo shoot. The cute Kangaroo seemed just as interested in Dale as Dale was in him (I captured some proof…Check out the video below).

With the right kind of food they will do anything for you!
Apple and carrots are one of their favorite treats.

We were able to take photos with a few fuzzy friends but most slept through our brief meeting. I was a little worried the Koalas would wake up, see us, and have a melt down…. no such thing happened but if you look closely I was leaning away from them (just in case) as we took photos.

Dale hanging with the Kanga…

We enjoyed dinner by the ocean on Bronte Beach, a little beach walk and…..a little people watching (this can almost be as interesting as your favorite TV show)! Dinner and a Free show.

And dinner is served……

Our Free entertainment

Travel saving tips:

1- When visiting any attraction, check on-line or coupon book discounts (Groupon, Living Social, discount booklets at hotels, etc…). We received 20% off our tickets for Featherdale from a discount book we found at our hotel.

Bondi Beach

2- Save money by buying or making your dinner to take on a picnic instead of eating at a restaurant.

3- Instead of buying lots of trinkets wherever you travel, take lots of photos. These are better treasures that can’t get lost, nor do you need to dust it or find a place for it to go.

New Year’s the Aussie way.

Aussies take New Years to a whole new level… it is serious business here. You must book reservations months in advance at very expensive prices for dinner and watching –

to complete parties otherwise everything else shuts down. We opted to hike to a great spot and watch but after hours of walking we were told that they had sold tickets for a “watching” spot at the top of the park.

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Aussies celebrating for 2015

Because Dale’s exciting date (Moi) was having a migrane coming on, I knew I needed to find dinner and some tylenol quick before it turned into a storm of a headache. Because everything was closed down but a local fruit stand I asked there for tylenol to buy but they didn’t sell it so she kindly gave me some of hers. During the couple minutes I was in there getting that, the only other small cafe closed…. headaches and needing food make you bold….I saw someone and tapped on the glass, he nodded at me and opened up. They were very kind as they prepared a little something for us. The kindness of strangers makes life a little sweeter!

We found ourselves a great little spot on the corner and watched 2015 being ushered in grand style from in Sydney. They were simply incredible!

Travel saving insights:

1- Don’t pay big prices for all activities….. fireworks can be seen from many places (and tickets for sydneys started at $35 for a faraway crowded seat at a park – dinner at a downtown restuarant with a view could be anywhere from $300 and up).

2- Don’t be afraid to ask – even if they look closed.

3- Don’t be afraid to ask – even if they don’t sell it.

4- Always look for an alternative idea to activities you would like to attend.

Australia ….our new adventure!

Bondi Beach at Sunset

Have you ever dreamed of living in another country? Have you ever dreamed of enjoying exotic food in faraway lands? Have you ever dreamed…. of traveling somewhere? Have you ever dreamed?

We were presented with the idea of living in Australia for three months and why would we say ‘NO’?!

Dale and I have the opportunity to go ‘check out’ Australia (housing, etc….) before heading there on a 3 month work project. Dale brilliantly had a plan to hopefully get us a little more rest on our LONG flight there.

He reserved the window and isle seats…. hoping that the middle seat would remain empty. With so many variables, who knew what would happen and then it happened – the last person boarded the plan and did not take the seat! This allowed us to take turns sleeping across the seats which was the most sleep I ever had on an overseas flight and almost eliminated my jet lag afterwards (of course we had to stay awake all day after arriving at 8 am but that combination worked wonders).

Do you think Bondi Beach looks a little crowded?

We were so excited to experience fun in the sun, considering we left cold wintery/snowy weather back home. We couldn’t drop our luggage of quick enough to our quaint little apartment across the street from Centennial park in Sydney. We were met by a myriad of birds amongst them was a crowd of Corellas performing for us in the trees. We also encountered a fresh water eel that was trying to catch the bread being thrown to the birds.

Later that night we
did some ‘beach’ time on intoxicatingly beautiful Bondi Beach…. a long walk with a dose of people watching – often times it might be a tad bit more interesting then a movie, FREE entertainment! We sat and enjoyed some music on the beach along with some great food at the beachside restaurant/hotel, ‘Bondi Hotel'(topped off with Bondi’s famous Gelato).

Travel saving highlights:

1- Book your seats, if possible, so the middle one is empty and then you can enjoy all three.

2- Rent a home or apt. to save on hotel cost.

3- Enjoy all the local entertainment instead of paying for something to do.

4- Watch for daily specials at restaurants, at the ‘Bondi Hotel’ we ordered the $10 plate specials that after 8:30 went from $18 and up.

5- With Gelato you might have to still pay full price…. we feel like that is worth it!:)

Tag: Australia