She's a bit longwinded...

In the land of scantily dressed trees that smell of Vics VapoRub, turquoise waters that act as a window to things both spectacular and chompy, and red dirt good for the walking and bouncing, Sylvie and I have parked our cabooses for over 3 months now. As I slowly transform into a giant freckle with arms and Sylvie becomes reunited with her native roots, we bit by bit make our way around this enormous island by plane, bus, bike and automobile. The first stop being Sydney where the weather was cold (mind you not by Canadian standards) and rainy, less than pleasant in comparison to Fiji’s hot hot heat. A quick look at the Sydney Opera House and the Art Gallery of New South Wales was satisfactory for us to warrant hightailing it outta there to Queensland’s balmy Surfer’s Paradise. Surfer’s was not only a paradise for those who enjoyed the sport but also for Japanese tourists, as well as those who enjoy boobies and living in Pepto-Bismol coloured high-rise apartments, however one can’t be too cynical when you are mere seconds from gorgeous warm water beaches. Graciously hosted by Sylvie’s sister and her beautiful family, we felt very much at home in their cozy apartment with what our hearts desired most in the hot humid weather, the Cadillac of all air-conditioning units. I’d have to say my favourite part of this leg of our journey was being kept company by Sylvie’s adorable two year old nephew, who at his inquisitive age was forever wondering “What happening?” Our week and a half visit to Queensland included some fantastic day trips to Byron Bay, a backpacker's haven, Burleigh Heads, a true surfer’s paradise, and the very eventful Tamborine Mountain where a daft young girl could have put our first aid skills to good use by repeatedly tumbling and sliding down various jagged rock faces. We then continued on to Adelaide where work beckoned.

Adelaide’s lodging was top notch, certainly the nicest home I’ve ever laid my head, complete with our own wing of the house, a pool and a pantry bursting with deliciously delectable treats to gorge ourselves on. We arrived in the mist of the Fringe Festival which we frequented religiously, one night even daring (because we a crazy like that) to have some drinks in a big blue double-decker bus turned bar. This is where I’d like to take a few moments to send out a word of warming to all those whom may be inclined to travel to Australia, never and I mean NEVER order a bloody ceasar in Australia, let alone from a double-decker bus sporting a unicorn statue on its roof. To say it was horrid would be an understatement, totally inconsumable made with fruit infused tomato juice, lemon vodka and seasoned with whole peppercorns which acted as mini missiles being fired at the back of your throat every time you took a sip from the straw. This public service announcement has been brought to you by Sylvie and Amy, two girls who always have your best interest in mind. Our stint in Adelaide also included a trip to our hosts’ beach house in Goolwa with a quick tour around the posh coastal area of Victor Harbour and a rainy day trip to Cleland Wildlife Park. A road trip to a wino’s favourite valleys, the Clare and Bourassa Valleys, also took place during this time but the events that unfolded are worth much more than a simple mention in this lengthy blog entry, thus a separate entry is in the works to be posted on a date yet to be determined (for our avid followers, you know that this may take some time). Having replenished our wallets, fed the docile kangaroos and pet with contemplations of stealing the perpetually drowsy Koala, we felt our mission was complete and traveled west to Perth.

Seems everywhere we go during these months of travel we’ve been blessed with the warmest and most welcoming of hosts, in Perth, Chris and Brooke certainly ranked at the top of this list. Their downright comfy retro apartment is where we both became one with the furniture acting as a staple of their living room. Their efforts in making us feel at home worked instantaneously, so much so that we refused to leave for three weeks. We sometimes managed to muster up the energy on rare occasions to take half day trips to a whole score of beaches, some of the surrounding areas (Freo being our favourite) and the large shopping mall that is Perth’s Central Business District, the CBD for short. In Perth, everyday ended with the most content of all sighs coming from Brooke who stood staring out her window at the setting sun over the Indian Ocean, a view we were all too lucky to have just across the street. Sylvie and I found jack squat while attempting to procure work and our ideal lives of swimming, reading and napping on a breathtaking beach (be prepared to take out your mini imaginary violins) eventually only made us grow restless, mind you restless with an excellent tan. As luck would have it, a reply to a microscopic classified ad found in a larger than life classifieds paper led us to the Shire of Esperance to become farmhands for three weeks. As with the Clare and Bourassa Valley, this story is deserving of so much more than a simple mention, thus it too has a placed in the 'to be written' category. But to keep you waiting with baited breath this story will have elements of horror, drama and delight that could only be recounted properly and oh-so dramatically in a few short sentences by the skilled movie preview voiceover guy. Truthfully, there are many stories still waiting on the sidelines and as you by now have probably come to the conclusion, I could continue to go on for eons but I’ll bring this entry to a close with a thanks to all for your patience in waiting for this long overdue entry to be written.