Aotearoa

New Zealand - so amazing! will be back some day very very soon!

Here is a list (in no specific order) of some of my favorite things, incredible adventures, and to say the least memorable moments from New Zealand.

1. Mountains everywhere!

2. Snow on my birthday

3. Kayaking in Milford Sound

4. Paragliding from the Remarkables Mountain Range in Queenstown

5. The turquoise color of Lake Tekapo

6. Reenacting Lord of the Rings

7. Counting sheep

8. Green rolling hills

9. Good company

10. Driving on the wrong side of the road

11. Loosing my voice for five days straight

12. Drinking a glass of wine, in my assigned seat at the movies, in a theater about the size of a large home theater

13. Outrigger Resorts - one night of spoiling ourselves

14. Curling up with a good book

15. ... the list could go on and on...

Aotearoa - The Maori name for N.Z., most often translated as 'Land of the Long White Cloud.'

Under Down Under

Tasmania, the full package deal. Just imagine a land of beaches, turned into mountains with lakes, spreading out into the greenest rainforests you’ve ever seen, abounding with gorgeous waterfalls. This week of traveling around Tasmania could quite possibly be my favorite part of my trip over here. A week may seem like a long time because we were able to see so much, but really there is just so much more that we didn’t get to. And by this, I drawn the conclusion that I will have to go back there again some day. I was traveling with the tour group Under Down Under, and the people and the guide were great and made good company along the journey. I loved every part of this trip, the hiking, the wombats, jumping off sand dunes, playing games at night in the hostels, the picture perfect sights, and the friends.

Victoria

This was a weekend of wonders in and around Melbourne. The waddling of little penguins to the miles upon miles of ocean coast left me gaping in awe once again of the mysteries and majesties of the beautiful, powerful, God created natural world.

On our first day in Melbourne we visited the Queen Victoria Markets. A fun atmosphere with the many different sights and smells, but to be honest, a bit over whelming. It actually reminded me much of the Chatuchak Market in Thailand.

Later that afternoon we went down along the coast of the peninsula south of Melbourne. We stopped and had lunch on a beach that was lined with brightly colored shed type buildings (I suppose which people keep their beach gear in). Quite a fascinating site. Then we headed off to Phillip Island where we would watch the Penguin Parade. Ends up we knew someone who knew someone and we got hooked up with the VIP tour for free. VIP tour meaning we had our own personal guide, we were given big jackets to wear (it was very cold on the island at night), little seats for sitting on the beach, headsets and binoculars. Anyway, so we went down to the beach and right at dusk groups of small penguins began to gather right at the waters edge before they made their scurry across the sand to their burrows along the hillside for the night. What an amazing opportunity to see this undisturbed pattern of nature. Each penguin follows the exact smae path every night to its home...interesting fact. This time of year is also their mating season so we were able to hear the males calling out to attract their mate and a more feisty call when protecting their burrow/territory from other males. These little penguins were adorable and as simple as this daily routine may seem, I'm so glad I was able to witness it.

On Sunday we hired (rented) a car and drove The Great Ocean Road. This was my first experience driving on the left side of the road and I am happy to report that all went well! The coast line, with its giant cliffs and turquoise blue water was gorgeous! Parts of the drive were through forests where we saw many koalas in the treetops. We also drove through beautiful green rolling hills where we saw kangaroos grazing. They are kind of like deer in Colorado. We stopped to see two of the famous sights along the drive, The Twelve Apostles (only seven of which are still standing) and The London Bridge. Now, if you have ever seen pictures of these I'm sure you thought, 'Yeah, that looks pretty cool.' But let me tell you, to see these enormous rock formations off the coast and jutting high out of the water, was absolutely amazing. truely breath taking. And then there's the giant waves crashing around the base of the rocks. I have never seen anything like it.

Now its back to work after a short but fabulous adventure. I will be working at the cafe for about two more weeks, then I will begin a month full of traveling around here before I head home. Wow, how time flies. First I am headed to Tasmania, then up along the east coast, and lastly over to New Zealand for a couple weeks. Hopefully my earnings over the past month or so will sustain me through all these travel plans! I hope you all are well. Know that you are often in my thoughts. My the grace and peace of Christ be continually yours.

Wine Country

Out of the city and into wine country, and a beautiful country at that. I have to say, this has probably been my favorite weekend since I've been here. To set the scene: Picture a countryside filled with rows and rows of the just blooming spring grape vines in the many vineyards that extend up onto the base of the small mountain range to the west and as far as the eye can see. And a small country road winding through the beautiful region. Perfect for a Sunday drive. For all of those from Spokane, WA, image the Green Bluff atmosphere, but instead of orchards and fruit picking - vineyards and wine tasting.

Katie and I, and our friend Martha, who's from Tennessee, spent the weekend up in Hunter Valley, enjoying the scenery and drinking excellent wine. We stayed at a great hostel, the Hunter Valley YHA (Youth Hostel Australia - there are tons of YHAs all over Australia). It was a small wooden lodging where we had a room meant for eight but empty except for the three of us girls. After arriving here we dropped off our bags and boarded the famous purple bus in which we traveled to the vineyards with a group of four other wine tasters and a lively and informative tour guide.

We went wine tasting at four different wineries. All of them ranging in style/atmosphere from small antique farm like settings, to a Tuscany and Spanish feel and achitecture, to bigger industrial sized wineries who produce ten times as much as the small ones and sell internationally. The largest winery that we visited, which may be familiar to some of you, was Lindemans. My favorite of the many wines we tasted that day was a Semillion, made by the Iron Gates Estate, year 2001. I'm sure that after this weekend I'm well on my way to becoming a wine connoisseur... or maybe not quite yet. :) We ended our tour at the most beautiful place called Hanging Tree Wines, where we sat drinking our glasses of wine watching the sunset over the mountains, turning the rows of new leaves on the vines a glowing spring green. Its hard for me to explain in words the sense of peace and quietness I felt here. I'm sure it had something to do with the fact that I haven't left the busy and noisy city in over three weeks. But, it was exactly the calmness and stillness that my mind, body, and soul was desperately in need of. Then we finished off our amazing day at the hostel with yummy handmade woodfire pizza and a bottle of my favorite wine (yes, there was a lot of wine consumed that day), under a beautiful star-filled sky. I was beginning to think Australia didn't have any stars. I guess here you either have to choose the lights of a glowing Opera House and Harbor Bridge or the majestic, twinkling lights of the heavens (hmmm no favoritism there).

My body's internal alarm clock followed its weekly work schedule awaking me about six on Sunday morning, just in time to see one of the most amazing sunrises I've ever seen. The entire valley was filled with a low fog as the sun crept over the misty blanket, bursting forth into what would become a warm and glorious blue sky day. Perfect for relaxing in the Hunter Valley Gardens, surrounded on all sides by this beautiful wine country.

Espresso

I have an income! I am working at a small cafe, called Vispo Espresso Bar, right in teh heart of the city. Its sor of a high end cafe that caters to wealthy business professionals who work in the area, but our main sales are our 'coffees' to all the regulars. Now I must exlain to you that 'coffee' in most places around the world is done very differently than in America. Our pot of hours old brewed coffee (that waitresses carry around offering refils with) is made fun of in these places where coffee is: espresso shots pulled fresh for each cup.

Some of the blessings about my job: The day I went out to look for a job, I walked around for about 45 minutes and handed out TWO resumes and then started work the next morning. Also, hospitality wages are very high here in Australia, so I get payed quite a bit of cash every week. And the people I work with are great, very friendly and helpful. Oh and one other thing, my hours are excellent. I work Monday-Friday from 8am to about 3pm and the place is closed on the weekends so I have nights and weekends off.
The downsides of hospitality work: I hate waiting tables! But I suppose I can manage for only three months. And as much as I like accents, I have to admit that there are times when I have the hardest time understanding what people are trying to order. But alas, all is going very well.

Ummmm....coffee is good!

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More good news!...I have a place and no longer have to live out of my backpack! Halleluia! It was fun being in a youth hostel meeting so many people in similar situations as me, but its so good to have a place to go 'home' to after a full day at work. It is just north of the CBD (Sydney's central business districs, where I work), across the bridge, in an area called North Sydney. It is a three bedroom apartment and is fully furnished. Katie and I share a room and we are living with two other guys from California who we met at IEP (the International Exchange Program). And I must put a strong emphasis on the fact that we have an INCREDIBLE view of the harbor, opera house, and the bridge from our balcony!

Cheers Mate!

After a lovely time relaxing in Fiji, Katie and I arrived in Sydney anxious and excited to experience life with Aussies. We checked into the Sydney Central youth hostel, where we'd be staying for a few nights. And I have to mention, I have never stayed in hostel quite like this. It has over 500 rooms and is practically like a hotel, except for the fact that you share a room with five other complete strangers and use a communal bathroom down the hall. The hostels have been a great place to meet other young travelers and people who are also doing short term work while they're here, like ourselves.

On our first few days in Sydney we took some time to do a little sightseeing. We visited Darling Harbor, The Rocks, the Sydney Harbor Bridge, the all famous Opera House, the Botanic Gardens, and Bondi and Manly beaches. At Darling Harbor Katie and I had fish and chips overlooking the many boats that filled the harbor. At the Rocks, we walked through the many shops and booths during the lively weekend market. The Sydney Harbor Bridge and Opera House were, as expected, spectacular, especially by ferry (night or day). The walk along the Botanic Gardens was beautiful and a nice change of scenery from the busy Sydney streets. Bondi beach is very nice this time of year, winter, because you're not having to walk over hundreds of people laying on the beach. There were still plenty of surfers in the water though. And oh my goodness, I can't remember if I have ever seen waves so big. Its still hard to believe that I'm actually here after an unexpected and random idea that Katie brought up just a few months ago and all the planning that followed. And then to think, this is just the beginning, I have four months to enjoy and live this big adventure.

Now Katie and I are spending our time in Sydney getting to know the area while looking for work and a place to live. Basically trying to set ourselves up to feel 'at home' for the next few months. Its time to get out of the vacation mindset and into more settled and work thinking. Transitions and new places have a way of causing stress at times, but Katie and I are so excited to be here and have full faith that God will direct us, care for us, and place us where He knows best.

PS For all of those who are wondering and have been asking. Here is what I look like with curly hair.

BULA!

Katie and I just spent the first three days of our travels on the beautiful beaches of Fiji. We took a ferry along the Yasawa Islands and then stayed in a Bure (a bungalow) right on the beach. Here we spent a few days relaxing in the sun, admiring the many different shades of tropical blue waters, and watching the sun set right over the horizon of the ocean! We have now arrived in Sydney (pinch me I must be dreaming) and tomorrow will be a day of exploring and sightseeing!

And so it begins...

Is it possible that the time has already come? Well, ready or not, Australian adventures here I come. To update those who don't already know, this May, after four great years, I graduated from Whitworth College. Over the summer I lived and worked with a wonderful family in Spokane, nannying their three adorable kids (ages 6, 3, and 1) and doing yard work around their beautiful home. I have also done my best to take advantage of all the fun activities summer has to offer, including things such as going to baseball games, hiking, kayaking, white water rafting, bouldering, sleeping under the stars, swimming in lakes, picking strawberries at Green Bluff, playing in hoopfest, riding horses on a ranch.... And if I wasn't blessed enough being able to explore and be a part of God's amazing creation with so many great friends already this summer, the opportunity has now come for me to travel, once again, where I know I will learn, grow, and experience so much. I'm am getting ready to head for the airport right now, so with God's light and grace shining before me I am ready to step into life's next great adventure!