Another Room With A Beautiful View

Tasmania is truly a hidden gem. So clean, so green (well, actually when we were there it was also red, yellow, and orange). Gorgeous views, pretty bays, and lovely people. Ocean, beach, and mountains... what more could one want? Maybe more time for starters since we only had a week and that week only offered a snapshot of the treasures found in Tas. Everyone said, "You'll love Tas" and we do.

And we would be remiss if we didn't say a huge thank you to our Mennonite Your Way hosts, Stuart and Kathleen Rochester.  Their hospitality, insight and knowledge about Tasmania was invaluble to us.  Our hope is that one day we can return the favour in Canada.

Just Between Friends

Spending time with friends (old and new) is a wonderful way to pass the time and our visit to OZ let us do just that. After exiting the heat of the Outback, we settled for the cool weather but warm welcome of Natalie Overall, a contact made through a mutual friend (Margis Malisauskas) waaaaay back in 2002. What a delight it was to visit with Natalie again and to introduce her to Matthew who was equally charmed by her. We spent three days in Adelaide and thoroughly enjoyed reconnecting our friendship. Natalie is a treasure and we feel very privileged to call her a dear friend.

Next to our new friends, George and Bev Anstey-Long. Having connected over breakfast in our London Airbnb, we joined them at their vacation home in Ocean Grove and spent three more days exploring another new part of Victoria. I've been here three times and there is still so much more to see.

Thank you Natalie, George, and Bev (Rhys and Katherine) for making Australia unforgettable. We love the country... we love the people and we will miss our friends. Snow anyone?

Out and About in the Outback

 

... And so we headed out to the Outback via 'the scenic route' of Dubbo, Broken Hill, and Coober Pedy. After four loooooong days of driving the Outback (do you know how many dead kangaroos we saw on the side of the road?), we pulled into the Uluru/Kata Tjuta Hostel. Matthew and I hiked part of the Valley of the Winds walk at Kata Tjuta while Bernie did the whole thing and the next day we walked King's Canyon. We hiked, we sweated, and we perfected the Australian National Salute. (For those of you who don't know what that means, we swatted away endless flies from our faces.) From there it was on through more Outback to Alice Springs for some R&R and then back once more via Coober Pedy to Adelaide. (I have now been to Coober Pedy four times... it's a little one horse town without the horse but it is an experience.) But don't let the looks fool you. 85% of the world's opals are mined around this small dry, dusty town and some mighty big money deals are brokered in those run down looking buildings. There is money in them there holes! Having said all of that, of the four nights spent in Coober Pedy, I have spent three of them staying in the same underground hostel. I'm not sure what that says about me (us)... and maybe it doesn't bear thinking about:)

I'm not sure that I will ever return to the Outback... most Aussies have never been here... but it is worth the trip!

 

I LOVE Sydney!

 

Of all the cities in the world that I have been privileged to visit, Sydney continues to top out as my all time favourite. And in particular, I love to watch the city of Sydney come into view from the Manly Ferry. That first glimpse of the Opera House and the Harbour Bridge after the ferry has rounded the heads sailing towards Circular Quay always makes me happy. I can't describe it. I just know that I will never get tired of it. And to have visited this marvelous city three times makes me a very fortunate person indeed. Now I'm looking for a four leaf clover... :)

A huge thank you goes out to Leonie and Ray Keipert for hosting us in their cozy Sydney home which enabled us to have this wonderful experience in my favourite city.