Hunter Valley Weekend

We finally made it to The Hunter!  The drive is easy and only a couple of hours from Manly.  It’s always funny to me when I’m doing something as mundane in another country like a driving and in looking around you forget that you are in another country because it looks so much like a place you’ve been in the US.  Our trip was like that this weekend.  Much of the scenery was new and interesting to look at but there was one section when we were driving over a water way that both of us were reminded of St. Thomas.  The islands were tall and rocky, covered with trees.  It felt really tropical and seeing the calmness of the water in the river below us made us want to own a lake house and spend some time over there ;)  

We arrived in time for our first tasting at 11 on Saturday morning.  We started at Tatler Vineyard (www.tatlerwines.com).  The wines were ok, but nothing like what we’re used to from South Australia.  The Hunter Valley is known for Semillon and Shiraz but the Shiraz is much more earthy, spicy, and leathery than we’re used to.  Semillon is generally very light and often doesn’t have much taste in my experience.  As we’re bigger, fruiter wine lovers we were both a little unsure of how much we would enjoy the weekend in this particular wine region. After the tasting (we didn’t buy any wines) we had a very nice tapas lunch before heading off to our next location. 

Round two was at Binbadgen (http://www.bimbadgen.com.au/).  We enjoyed the wines more there, and the conversation with the woman serving us from Buffalo, NY but still we weren’t convinced by any of the wines.  The reds weren’t fruity or big enough and the whites were pleasant but nothing to knock your socks off.  The nice thing about this cellar door was the location and atmosphere in the tasting room.  It was a very professional operation and I can see us attending a concert there some day!   

Brokenwood (http://www.brokenwood.com.au/) was the last stop on our list for Saturday.  We were lucky enough to get a private tasting from one of the wine makers (thanks to David’s Managing Director’s connections!)  It was a good education to see how the wines are grown and picked.  She took us in the cast room and gave us some tastes from the barrel of a few different wines.  Then we went inside to the private tasting room upstairs to settle in for an hour of tasting ~15 wines.  She set each group up as a flight so we could see how each wine compared to the next.  We had a lovely time chatting with hear and learning about the nuances of each year.  2007 and 2003 were great years for Hunter Valley wines as they were drought years.  2008 was a flood year.  It’s amazing the differences between the quality and the characteristics of each wine during these years.  Many wineries had to discard their 2008 grapes because of the amount of rain!  Brokenwood is a winery that sources grapes from a number of locations in Australia so they were pretty well protected.  Our favorites at Brokenwood were the dessert wines, but they had a sangiovese with distinctive chocolate flavors that I really enjoyed and a pinot noir that David loved.  

We stayed at Vineyard Hills Retreat (http://www.vineyardhill.com.au/) not far from the vineyards.  We were a little scared pulling into the site, to be honest but once we got into the room we were quite pleased.  We had a nice view of the mountains (see the pictures from our deck) and the accommodations were clean and comfortable.  It would be a great place to go with a bunch of people for a weekend in The Hunter.  We can BBQ and spend the evenings drinking great wine and hanging out in the hot tub or pool =)

Dinner was at a cute little placed called Leaves and Fishes (http://www.leavesandfishes.com/) The setting was quaint and darling.  The dining room was set up on a porch over a pond with a water feature.  The roof was a canvas awning with water dripping over the edges into the pond below.  The sound was like rain falling softly and was really relaxing.  The food was delicious but we were so tired after such a long day of wine that we had to get our main’s to go!  It was a really romantic spot - I wish we had the energy to stay to enjoy it longer ;)

Sunday morning we had a great breakfast at Paterson’s Champagne House (http://www.petersonhouse.com.au/).  Nothing like coffee, sparking wine and a big, delicious breakfast to get you going!   David was feeling a bit dusty from the day before so he skipped out on the bubbly but I was happy to partake.  That experience is a MUST for any Hunter visitors!

We ended our adventure at Piggs Peake (http://www.piggspeake.com/) which was by far my favorite vineyard.  Steve, the wine maker, gave us a personal tour and tasting because it was so slow (being the weekend before Christmas!)  We spent a couple of hours discussing the techniques he uses - the difference between the first squeeze and the second squeeze (first squeeze is when the grapes are pressed lightly and all you get from the grapes is the ripe juice that falls out.  Second press is when the grapes are pressed harder so you get some of the characteristics from the skins and seeds; not simply the juice), where phenolics are found (skins and seeds) and what they do to the wine (they cause the wine to age prematurely), etc.  As he was describing the science of it all, he would give us tastes of the same wine from different years (or made with a different technique) so we could really understand what he was describing.  

We got to taste the fortified Little Pig Verdelho (dessert wine) from 2003 and from 2007 - the 2003 is still in the barrel and he’s not sure when he’s going to bottle it because it just keeps getting better.  The 2007 is what you’re able to buy right now.  The younger wine is released now because he used a technique including the second squeeze to make the wine.  It is aging must faster than the 2003.  For that reason they have to sell it now and have some time to wait with the 2003!  The science of it all is fascinating to me!

We really enjoyed the 2008 Wolfie Zinfandel and the 2009 Bushpig Grenache - this wine  is made from vines that grow freely in the bush (not on wires like you’re used to seeing) and all the grapes are hand-piked.  I described it like, “chewing berries” because it was so fruity and smooth.  I was shocked to have such a fruity wine from The Hunter and very pleased to find it!  

We got to taste the Were Wolf blend (15% Shiraz; 85% Zin) from the barrel as well.  It was lovely and he expects it to be bottled in March.  The Shiraz grapes came from South Australia and were affected by the bush fires which has created a very interesting (and tasty!) quality in the wine.  Steve said this particular Shiraz is not good by itself but when mixed with other grapes it’s amazing.  I think he knows what he’s talking about!

The coolest part of today was getting a decanter of the 2003 Little Pig Verdelho.  We were going to buy the 2007 variety but when Steve realized we were going to do that, he suggested we fill a decanter with the 2003 variety straight from the barrel!  It was such a cool experience!

The good news is that we have found wines that we really enjoy in The Hunter so that means we’ll be going back =)

~LAA =)

Hiking in the Blue Mountains

The Blue Mountains are really interesting to look at.  They’re all the same height and flat on top.  In the top section of each mountain there is a shear cliff that holds no trees.  The vegetation is only on the very top of the mountain and starting and the skirt around the bottom of these cliffs.  The effect is as though the top of the mountains have been popped up.  As the mountains are made of sandstone and can be blasted by quite a bit of wind, this bare section of the mountains erodes easily which is why nothing grows there. 

We spent the first part of Sunday hiking around the Three Sisters region of the Blue Mountains.  We did the “Great Round Walk” starting at “Secenic Wold” where we hopped on a gondola that took us across the valley in front of Katoomba falls.  The distance over the top of the rain forrest below is double that of the height of the Harbour Bridge!  The floor was made of glass so you could the birds flying under your feet.  

When we got to the other side we started the hike around the top ridge of the mountains.  The view was gorgeous and since it was so early there weren’t many tourists but the pesky flies were a real problem.  We didn’t stay long in any one spot so we could avoid them!

Once we got around the back side of Three Sisters (the famous 3 section rock formation that you always see in the pictures of the Blue Mountains) we started our journey down the Giant Stairway.  There were close to 900 steps down the very steep and narrow passageway.  It took us 20+ minutes to get down - I can only imagine what it would have been like to go UP!  By the time we got to the bottom both of our legs were shaking uncontrollably.  We’re not use to using those muscles! 

At the bottom of the staircase we walked along the path through the rain forrest.  Very peaceful - surrounded by gum trees and birds (and no flies!).  The path is well maintained and we were the only people in hearing distance for most of our trek!  At  the end of the path we got on the cableway to take us back to the top of the mountain; completing the full circle.  The adventure was quite lovely - I would highly recommend it!  Although the staircase is really only for the sure-footed.  I slipped at one point and thought I sprained my thumb (but I’m ok :)).

Off to wine country next weekend!

~LAA =)

Carols in the Caves

I’ll admit it.  I’m a sucker for a Christmas concert.  It’s a great way to get into the spirit and who doesn’t know the words to all the songs?  I was excited for this weekend for a couple of reasons - I wanted to get into the Christmas spirit and I was really looking forward to getting away with David.  

The drive to the Jenolan Caves (http://www.jenolancaves.org.au/) was curvy but pleasant.  The scenery was beautiful and the weather was fair.  We made it to the caves in time to do a tour before the concert.  We were guided through the Orient cave and were fascinated by what we saw!

The caves are made of limestone and were only discovered by Europeans in the late 1800’s (known to the local Aboriginal population for many thousands of years before that as Binoomea, "Dark places") There are many secret caves still being discovered.  They have been well maintained by the staff and recently went through a major lighting renovation, upgrading the lights to LED.  The effect is stunning.  The crystals inside the caves are made when the water slips through the cracks in the stone, dissolving the minerals and creating amazing artistic displays.  The colors vary depending on the environmental factors that year and no two shapes are the same.  The pathway built into each cave is narrow and unobtrusive for the natural environment but it allows spectators to enjoy themselves during the tour.  I’ll warn you it’s not for those who are claustrophobic - it’s a bit cramped in places but certainly worth checking it out.  

The concert was less than thrilling... Unfortunately, while the location was stellar and the acoustics were really amazing, the quality of the singing was sub-par.  David left half way through to take a nap in the car, it was so bad!  We laughed as we left saying we would never do that particular Christmas concert again.  I’m still interested to hear the string quartet play at some point next year, though.  

I’ve attached some pictures of the formations for your enjoyment!

That night, we stayed at at B&B called the Kurrara Historic Guest House located in Katoomba.  Dinner was at Solitary (http://www.solitary.com.au/) just a walk away from the B&B.  The view from the restaurant was lovely and the meal was delicious.  We’ll go back there again for sure.  

~LAA =)

Thanksgiving in Summer

Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday. No matter your religion or citizenship, if you live in the US you’re celebrating Turkey Day on a Thursday late in November. If you see someone on the street that day you are safe to wish them a happy holiday. Smiles abound and by the end of the day you’re fat and happy (and often tipsy on wine!) =)

Living in Australia, the locals obviously do not celebrate this US holiday (I think it might be the only holiday they DON’T celebrate!) I’m happy to say that many of my co-workers wished me a Happy Thanksgiving but I really missed the smell of blueberry muffins and sausage cooking (for the stuffing) in the morning. Not to mention the Macy’s Day Parade. I did leave work a bit early and promptly turned on the Christmas music as I walked in the door. I baked a pumpkin pie (do you know how hard it is to find canned pumpkin in Australia?! I finally found it but spent $10 for a single can!!) We had a nice meal - rotisserie chicken (no time to cook a turkey!), green bean casserole, peas, corn, and David’s famous mashed potatoes. It was a great meal. Perfect for the two of us.

We continued the celebration with some friends on Saturday. We fried a turkey (yes, they’re from Georgia!) and enjoyed a feast! The sweet potato casserole was AWESOME! I’ve got to get the recipe =)

David and I visited the Botanical Gardens this weekend and saw the flying foxes! They look like bats but they’re not nocturnal. Check out the pics!

Happy Turkey Day to all!

~LAA =)

Laser Skirmish!

Go figure - David’s company has a social club that plans monthly events. We have a blast every time we attend! This month was laser tag - if you haven’t played it’s totally worth your time. It’s surprisingly fun just like Whirlyball in Atlanta (http://www.whirlyballatlanta.com/)

David and I were on opposite teams - needless to say we purposefully sought each other out during the competition to shoot each other. If only I had a recording of the shrieks and laughter as we ran around tagging each other - SO funny!

Here’s a fun pic of the group outing!

~LAA =)

Farewell Dupree

What a lovely visit we had with Dirk! We miss having him around! “Dupree” as he’ll be named henceforth was a wonderful houseguest. He, as we expected, educated us on the interesting things to do in Sydney - how funny that it takes a friend visiting from the other side of the world to tell us about how wonderful the city is where we live. =) Here’s a great pic of David and Dirk on his last night in town.

~LAA =)

Master Chef 3

I'm excited to say we hosted our first real dinner party this weekend! We had 11 people over for “Master Chef 3.” The theme was Thai food and each couple brought a course for the challenge. It was great fun - yummy food, lots of wine, Thai-tinis (ask me for the recipe sometime!) and a few rousing games of Celebrity (unfortunately the guys won!!). How wonderful that we finally have our stuff so we have the provisions to host that many people! Let alone a table big enough to fit all of them. I was in heaven. :) The people in the picture starting on the left and going clockwise: Jaclyn (“Jacs”), Dirk (“Dupree”), Amanda, Pete, Janine, me, Niels, Gretchen, Kyle, and Sam. David is (conveniently) taking the picture. Every one of us is an American/ex-pat with the exception of Amanda and Sam!

David found his own heaven on Sunday when we finally went for a dive with our own gear! There were 5 of us who went down to Shelley Beach, just a stone’s throw away from our house. We saw a shark in the process of giving birth (!!) a few woebegones, and some large blue grouper (or maybe they were some kind of wrasse?). It was a little chilly but nice to be back in the water. David was beside himself to have such a lovely day. I’ve come to learn that David and I both truly love hosting - I prefer it above water and David prefers it below ;)

~LAA

The Flies Kept me Running this Morning

It’s officially black fly season in Manly. HOW ANNOYING! I feel like I need a switch to keep them away sometimes! I suppose it’s good for me because every time I slowed down or took a break to do some lunges or squats I was forced to get running again just to keep the flies off me! YUCK! I hope this season doesn’t last long! The good news is when there’s a sea breeze they tend to stay away. I’ll have to experiment with fly-free location along my running route in the next week or two.

Part of the magic of Sydney is that during the same time that the flies come out, the Jacaranda Trees are in full bloom. Check out how beautiful they are! Covered in violet flowers, they remind me of purple cherry blossom trees and they’re EVERYWHERE!

~LAA

You, Me and Dupree

We’ve officially named our guest room “Dupree’s Room” inspired by the movie after Dirk Brown (one of David’s close friends and groomsman in our wedding) commented on how he never wanted to leave our humble abode. Dirk arrived on Friday and will be staying with us while exploring Sydney for the next couple of weeks. We’re happy to have Dupree stay for a while! It’s so gratifying to have friends travel from the other side of the world to see us and experience our new home!

Dirk has already been subject to a small dinner party and now he’ll be deep in the thick of living with us while we entertain as we have 11 people over for a dinner party on Saturday! The theme is “Master Chef – Thai Night.” We’ve taken to having cooking competitions with some friends – this is round three and everyone is taking a course. We’re making curried apricot pork – a real winner in this household. Hopefully it will hold up to our Master Chef friends’ expectations! 

We went to see Jeff Dunham at the State Theatre in Sydney last night (www.jeffdunham.com and www.statetheatre.com.au ) If you’ve never experienced Jeff Dunham you have to check him out – he is SOO funny! We were rolling for most of the night! Even knowing most of his jokes (because the CD’s were already released in the US before we left – it’s all new to the Aussies!) we still laughed hysterically. The State Theatre was really interesting in itself – it reminded us both of The Fox in Atlanta but it seemed to be a little better cared for. Ornate wall decorations, art and elaborate ceilings were the main focus, along side the interesting architecture. There’s a grand sweeping horseshoe shaped staircase in the main lobby – so beautiful!

Manly hosted a surfing festival this weekend. I was originally really excited to attend because I know so little about surfing but after watching a couple of events I can see why I’ve never been sucked into the sport – how boring to watch! You stand there for 20 minute intervals waiting for the 3-4 surfers in the heat find their perfect wave and do some tricks for all of about 5 seconds. I guess perfect waves are few and far between! It was cool to have a new experience but I think I’ll stick to below water sports ;)

Here are some updated pics of our apartment now that our stuff has arrived!

~LAA

Back in the Land of Oz

It’s been a long few weeks of travel and a hiatus from our “normal” life but I’m happy to say David and I are back in the land of Oz. An untimely death, a beautiful wedding, our stuff arriving (finally) and crossing too many time zones to count has made for a very emotional 2 months.

First let me pay tribute to my beloved StepFather, Jim Gilson. He may have loved this blog more than anyone I know. I hope you have the World Wide Web in heaven, Jim. I’m sure you’re keeping up with things from up there. You are incredibly missed. We love you very much.

Although I’m so sad to have left the US (we miss or amazing family and friends terribly) there are two big reasons I’m happy we’re back in Oz after a long journey. The first is being able to sleep in our OWN BED again. How gratifying to feel the familiar softness of the sheets and hear the sounds of our neighborhood through the open window.

The second is my run on Sunday morning. Due to the jet lag we will feel for the next week or so, I was wide awake at 4:30am. I stayed in bed for an hour or more trying to allow the sun ample time to come up and then I got up to go for an early morning run. The weather was perfect, the water was like glass and all I could hear was the pounding of my feet hitting the ground, birds singing their tunes, the water crashing on the rocks next to me and an occasional “Good morning” from a passing stranger. It was wonderfully peaceful.

Like I mentioned earlier, our stuff finally arrived! It took 4 months to the day. I’m happy to say every bit of the 57 (yes 57) boxes of stuff have found a place somewhere in a nook or cranny of our modest apartment. I really didn’t think it would be possible, but just like with a dishwasher, it takes a woman’s touch to get everything squeezed in. Poor David took on the task of unwrapping (he’s SHOCKED at the amount of kitchen stuff we have. Seriously, every family needs 3 sets of measuring cups, right?) and I took on the time consuming task of finding homes for all of it. The only thing left are the pictures. Those of you who know me well know that this will be my favorite part. Gotta love a decorating project!

The great news about our stuff arriving is that we’re going to be ready to host our first stay-with-us guest this weekend! Dirk Brown, one of David’s close friends and a groomsman in our wedding will be arriving for a couple of weeks on Friday. We’re very excited to start our 8 month stint of at least one set of guests every month. We were serious when we offered our home to our brave family and friends willing to cross the big pond to come for a visit. Word to the wise - the time slots for a visit and free place to stay are starting to run out so please let us know if you plan to visit in the next year and a half and we’ll let you know what the social calendar looks like ;)

It’s time for me to find my running shoes and hit the pavement again. The birds are calling and the breeze is cool. Enjoy this fine day!

~LAA :)

Pictures of our Street

For those of you who have enjoyed looking up our address on Google Earth, here are some pictures of our street (Darley Road) as well as some pictures of Manly Beach, just a few blocks from our door. Spring has arrived in Australia - it's 88 degrees (31 C if you're a local) and sunny this weekend! Beautiful with the sea breeze!

Netball

I attended the Australia vs. New Zealand Netball game last weekend (http://www.netball.asn.au/extra.asp?id=782&OrgID=1). The sport is very similar to basketball but the nets don't have backboards (how strange to see simply a pole with a net at each end of the court!) Many of the other rules are a bit different as well - for example when the shooter is going for a basket the opposition's feet cannot be within 3 feet of hers. Although the speed of the game seems to be faster than basket ball, due to the 3 foot rule all play stops when a basket is being shot. The entire stadium gets silent for each basket!
The thing that really impressed me about netball is that it's a predominantly female sport - the stadium was filled with moms and young daughters. To see the "tweens" getting so excited about a sporting event was really wonderful.
It was nice to see a different sport but I think I'll stick to football and soccer. ;)
~LAA

Parakeets and Cockatoos

It astounds me that we live in a place where parakeets and cockatoos roam free. They're the kind of animal that I expect to see in a cage in a pet store or someone's home. Here they're everywhere. You can walk down the street, look into the trees and see 3-4 of them. They other day I ran past 10 cockatoos eating crumbs from the ground like pigeons! This country continues to amaze me! ~LAA

Air conditioning

We’re considered lucky to have air conditioning in our apartment. It’s not very common in Australia even though it gets pretty darn hot in the summer. The ironic part about this lucky happenstance is that AC in AU is nothing like back in the US! Instead of forcing cool air into a space, the system here sucks the warm air out and sends it outside. That means if it’s hot outside, the effectiveness of this stupendous system is diminished. Hum… that makes sense doesn’t it? Let’s create a system that doesn’t cool when it’s hot and doesn’t heat when it’s cool! NICE! Looks like we’re going to be investing in a few fans… ;)

There are certain things no one should have to live without…

Of course there are the basics – food, water, shelter, love, health – but then there are other more frivolous things that really fill one’s life. Great cheese for example. The ocean. Romantic dinners. Warm breezes (even in the middle of winter). Long distance telephone calls to reconnect, Good wine. The smell of a BBQ hard at work. And not leaving the house all day long if you feel like lounging.
This weekend was pretty simple at face value but when you think about all the great things we got to experience it was one for the books. Yes we stayed in all day on Saturday watching movies and relaxing. The day ended with a romantic dinner at a local fish restaurant (Garfish, http://www.garfish.com.au/ – we’ll have to take you there when you come visit!) and Sunday we visited Bunnings (AU’s version of Home Depot) and had some friends over for dinner. We raided the gourmet cheese cooler in the bakery below us (Four Olives) and stocked up on some amazing varieties for apps before dinner. I mean truly – can you really go wrong with AU brie, AU cheddar, manchego from Spain, homemade salami and rosemary bread?
Smiles, LAA

Koalas and Kangaroos

We got to pet kangaroos and koalas this weekend! After being in this country for about 2 months and not seeing a single indigenous animal (aside from some possums and spiders) we figured it was about time to take a trip to an animal park. We chose Featherdale because it’s small (i.e. less crowded) and you can actually interact with the animals. It’s about an hour away but an easy drive.
I didn’t realize the animals roamed free in the park until I turned around from one of the first exhibits and saw a kangaroo sitting behind me! A small boy had come up and yelped as he tried to touch the adorable little thing. To be honest I didn’t know what it was at first. I always thought kangaroos were bigger but this little guy stood only about 2 feet tall and when he realized there were people around him trying to pet and feed him, he sat right down (check out the picture with him sitting on his tail) and soaked it all in. Clearly it’s a common occurrence to get human attention in his home! Later we ran into more little joey’s with their mothers (see the head poking out of her pouch?) and learned that kangaroos really like ice cream cones (filled with grain and grass). The colors of the peacock were amazing and the wallabies were adorable! We couldn’t get too close to the dingos but the many birds scattered throughout the park were very happy to have spectators. The colors and songs were amazing! It was a fun experience – I’m glad we went there before the zoo but look forward to visiting Taranga at some point soon.
Today it is SO beautiful outside. The sun in shining and the breeze is pleasant. We have all the doors open in the house to get some cross ventilation. If this is winter, I wonder how hot summer is going to be! ~LAA =)

We’re starting to feel like we actually live here

I bought our first plant for the apartment this weekend. If that doesn’t say “home” I don’t know what does! ;)
We are starting to get into a great routine and are settling into our life here nicely. We FINALLY got the internet hooked up in the house this weekend (if you want to get either of us fired up just ask for the long story) and took a long walk along the Manly Scenic Walkway (MSW) to Reef Beach. The beach was formally a nudist beach but with the onset of the development around Manly (e.g. families with kids) they banned the practice. If any of you come to visit us we will have to do this walk (not to become nudists, of course!). The vegetation is so lush and interesting, the birds sound like they’re electronic and the views are unbelievable! There are plaques along the walk explaining how the Aborigines used to have settlements on the land. It’s interesting to learn about the history – where they lived and how they caught the shellfish.
Friday night we went to a really cool wine tasting. It was at a wine bar called Wine Odyssey. The “Experience Room” is upstairs. There is a video interview with the wine makers of 6 different wines. They talk about their techniques and what makes their wine unique. After each interview the video walks you through the look, smell and taste of each wine, explaining what you should experience as you taste. It’s always been fascinating to me watching experienced tasters pick out subtle smells and flavors. Having the wine makers tell us what to look for really helped me to pick out the individual characteristics I’ve missed in the past. After the tasting, we went into the aroma room where we smelled the individual essence of 20-30 smells. There’s a section in the room where they focus on the undesirable smells/tastes in a wine which was almost as interesting as the favorable smells! I didn’t realize I had smelled some of the examples before until we spent some time studying the room.
Sunday night we went out to an Indian restaurant with some friends. Truth be told, I had never really had true Indian food before. It was great! We’ve mentioned this before but one of the coolest things about many restaurants in this town is that you can bring your own wine to dinner. What a great concept! Charge a small corking fee (literally around $2) and allow your guests to enjoy what ever wine they prefer. Genius! The trick is knowing ahead of time if the restaurant you’re going to is BYO. It stinks getting caught without for a nice meal ;)
Time to make dinner. Maple glazed salmon with nutmeg zucchini and potato pancakes. Did I mention that I’ve been getting into cooking since we arrived? Miss you all! =)
Smiles, LAA

I can’t believe this is what I see when I go running

A year ago I would never have guessed that we would be living on the beach in Australia. Now we ferry to work and I get to run along the water, on a footpath filled with locals and their dogs. I get to hear the crash of waves against the rocks and the rumble of boats on their way to dock. Even in the middle of winter here it’s the perfect outdoor running temperature. At a temperate 55-60 degrees all you need is a long sleeved short and long pants and you’ll be comfortable running for 5K! Today it was 70 degrees outside! In the middle of winter! Check out these pictures from my run this morning. Hard to believe that we live here ;) ~LAA

Customer service is lacking

Although I still think Australia is the most hospital country I’ve ever visited, the customer service for things like phone and internet is definitely lacking. We’ve had one issue after another trying to get everything turned on. What a pain! It was easier to buy a car than it was to get set up with a cell phone and internet! ~LAA

Wrong Turn

I drove the car to a customer appointment last week. The appointment went very well, as did the inaugural solo drive. Everything was perfect until I got to laughing at the drive-home radio show. They had called New Zealand to get them to admit to launching an invasion on Australia after an earthquake moved the island 30cm closer to AU. It makes me giggle just thinking about it now! I was so distracted that I missed the exit to go back to Manly and ended up driving over the Harbour Bridge during rush hour. Then of course the Tom Tom couldn’t figure out which end was up and kept trying to get me to turn on streets as I was passing them. I finally came to my senses and stopped listening to the GPS. I got turned back around and made it home safe and sound. I don’t think I have ever opened a bottle of wine that quickly after arriving home from work! ~ LAA

Manly is so lovely

Manly is a lovely town. I think we’re really going to like it here. We’ve already found our favorite fish market, pizza place, move theater and ice cream stand. What more could a person need?! ;) Check out the pictures we took on our walk on Saturday. ~LAA

We have a home!

We’re finally in an apartment. Here are some pictures of our place. We bought furniture and have unpacked the air shipment. Now we just need the sea shipment to arrive and we’ll be good to go! I can’t wait to have real wine glasses again. The lowball glasses just aren’t quite as romantic ;)
The move was relatively easy – the hardest part was getting to and from the city in our new car. Driving on the left side of the road has been quite the challenge. It never occurred to me that I drove in the States without giving the action much thought. Now that we’re on the other side of the road I actually have to concentrate on what I’m doing! Gauging the distance in the lane on each side of the car is a special challenge because the lanes are generally very narrow here. The country’s settlement started in Sydney so the when the roads were built they weren’t very wide. As time and expansion have progressed, the lanes have gotten wider but many of the old roads are especially hard to traverse. Beyond the narrow roadways, sitting at a traffic light is really the hardest part. You have to hope that there will be a car in front of you so you can follow them into the turn. Otherwise it’s up to you to make a snap decision about which lane to follow!