Ballina-South of Lenox

Well, the Kombi didn't quite make it to Byron Bay, our destination. So we ended up just "South of Lennox" in Ballina. A quaint little costal town with less tourists and bigger surf (not so good for me!). Fortunately, Mike purchased premium roadside insurance, which sported us for a week at the Leisure-Lee Apartments, with "Magical Water Views". I can't totally complain! We caught our first legal fish for dinner and enjoyed beautiful sunsets from our balcony! Next stop....Byron Bay, so Heather can work on her surf!

Billy Tea

To say that Tea is an important part of the Australian culture is like saying that the Universe is kind of big. Everything begins, and ends, with a "cuppa" to the point where sometimes I wonder if I'm going to dissolve. That said, I like a good cup of tea. Not just for the tea itself, but the whole ritual. One such tea ritual that is part of our cultural heritage, is that of making "billy tea", perfected by the various swaggies (essentially travellers of "no fixed abode") that used to roam the country looking for work, and camping by the sides of billabongs and such. A billy is essentially a tin-can with a handle. My Dad, no doubt proud to have a homeless son, fashioned us a billy out of a can he found in his workshop and gave me fatherly advice as to the proper technique of preparing the billy tea. Bring the water to the boil first, then add a tea-spoon of tea for each cup, and an extra one for the pot. Add the sugar. Bring back to the boil for a few minutes. Then (preferably outside the kombi van), the billy is swung rapidly in giant circles to settle the tea. Apart from being a lot of fun, the tea actually tastes really good.

Beware of the Murrumbidgee Mud Sharks

Continuing on the "country" leg of our tour, we stopped overnight on the banks of the Murrumbidgee River, in the town of Gundagai. Most Aussies are familiar with a song about Gundagai, "there's a track, winding back, to an old-fashioned shack, along the road to Gundagai..." One of those, "one-day" things I can now cross of the list is actually going to Gundagai. And although we didn't see the shack, or the track, we did meet some really lovely people. Turns out the spot we picked to camp overnight is a pretty popular swimming hole with the locals. One guy warned us about the Murrumbidgee mudsharks, which had Heather going for about a few seconds before she figured out it was a joke. In fact, there didn't seem to be many fish really. Although we were determined to catch something. Only problem is we didn't actually have any bait. So being the resourceful couple of kids we are, we improvised. Heather tried a vegemite-dipped raisin while I tried a piece of bread. Then I found some discarded MacDonald's french-fries on the rocks and tried them too. Needless to say we had a lovely ravioli meal that night!

Kelly country

Ned Kelly, that is. So after a lovely (albeit hot) winetasting in the Yarra valley, we came up through northern Victoria, through the alps and into a pretty special part of our country and our history. As a kid growing up in Australia, we are all taught about the history of the notorious Kelly gang: a band of wild Irish bushrangers who roamed this part of the Victorian countryside, giving the rich British squatters and cops a very hard time. The Irish were very much an underclass in the early colonial days, many of whom, like my ancestors, were essentially rounded up and shipped off to Australia to be used as slave labour. Upon pardon (if they were that lucky), they had to work hard to eek out a living for their families and were often harassed by the police. OK, maybe some of them actually deserved it, since they were Irish after all. Anyway, Ned Kelly, and his brothers got a bit tired of all this, and decided to take matters into their own hands. They were sort of like "Robbin Hood", in that they stole from the rich, and well, at least some of it went to the poor. The Kelly gang were finally captured after a bloody shootout at Glenrowan, and Ned was hanged in Melbourne gaol in 1880. His final words reportedly were, "Such is Life". We had the pleasure of stopping through Glenrowan which is about as kitsch touristy as it gets (see photo). Although, staying overnight the previous night in the bush in Strathbogie gave us a lot better feel for what the Kelly gang experienced as it was touted to be one of their bush hide-outs.

Yarra Valley Wine Tasting

Since we brought our mountain bikes, I thought it would be a great idea to tour the wine valley with them! The day we set aside to do this tour of 5 wineries, temperatures reached into the 100's. Carrying water packs, we stay hydrated in between our tastings. Ironically, the wineries treated us extra nicely due to our crazy efforts, which is probably the last thing we had needed, more wine. On our 4th stop, we rested in the shade munching melted cheese and nearly fresh baked bread, as they were cooking in our packs along the way. The 5th winery I started hallucinating and getting dizzy which made the last 3 mile rolling push to the car very exciting. Still smiling, we made it back safely and quickly pushed forward to find a water hole. -Heather

Kozciusko Mountain!

I couldn't come to Australia without seeing the ski areas and ascend the highest peak! Although there was no snow, you can see the the mountains during winter are beautiful with their spread of gum trees. Perhaps not very steep or technical, Australians come from all over to ski, embracing it just as much as many Washingtonians I know.
Mount Kozciusko, the highest peak in all the land, sits just over 7000ft, and we were able to mountain bike almost to the top!

Octopus Whisperer

Diving fiercly (literally) into the fishing scene, our 3rd evening on the road was rewarded with an ocotpus! After hours of trying to snag some bream or whiting, I was indulged with the 8 legged beast. Given their muscles reflexes, a dead octopus doesn't entirely mean a still octopus, and the first one I caught was an emotionally disturbing experience in part. However, Mike was a champ and happily skinned, chopped, marinated, and cooked up our second seafood dinner we would earn (the first being the lobster!).
We spent a very special 2 days in Bittangabee Bay in the Ben Boyd National Park, and very quiet and empty campground deep in the national park, thick with giant lizards and stalking possums. With great snorkling, I had no idea I would come across yet another octopus, which was quite a surprise meeting eye to eye under water! After fishing for almost 2 days and catching nothing legal, I was determined to have more earned seafood, even if it meant another 8 legged squirmy octopus. He gladly took up my bait, however broke my line. I didn't want him to die for no cause (and my tummy ached for more fish...), so I felt I needed to at least retrieve the bait. With a knife in my mouth, snorkle, and Mike's assistance, I battled with the octopus underwater and coerced him to our bucket. Being professionals at this point, the catching, cleaning, and eating was a far smoother process and great eating! -Heather

Pretty Beach Poach Discovery

Our first evening in the Kombi was celebrated with a can of ravioli noodles mixed with a delicious blend of squash and zuchini acquired from an unattended stand holding an honesty box. Honest souls we are, we dropped in our coins, cooked up some food, and complemented it with champagne!
We discoved that the Kombi is a great "poaching" device, allowing us to avoid the camping fees while we enjoy scenic views of ocean waves smashing on coastal rock, private little coves, and forested national parks. We simply pop the van top, uncork the wine, and cook up a mean bowl of canned food! -Heather

Bundeena

Bundeena is a hidden treat, a small alcove hidden amidst the Royal National Park just south of Sydney. Only 3,000 individuals are allowed to live in these pristine waters, surrounded by a lush forest of eucalyptus trees, wild goana lizards, and hidden coves. Fortunately Mike's parents are part of that community, sharing it with some of Australia's most elite artists and doctors.
Feasting on lobster my first evening was a clear indication of how special this place is!
This being our home-base, we will spend many weeks here in transitions, having a difficult time leaving and getting back on the road. Between boat races on the channels, private coves for swimming, some the best snorkling (as fish from the Great Barrier find their way here!), and obviously great fishing, all I need to worry about are avoiding the giant goana lizards which range up to 3-1/2 ft! -Heather

Lobster

So it had been about 6 weeks since I saw Heather, and finally she had gotten on the plane and was on her way. It had been a very busy time here by myself, catching up with family and friends, travelling around Australia a little (Queensland, Newcastle, and down to Melbourne visiting various friends), and picking up the 1976 VW kombi van from South Australia that I had bought on ebay (gotta love the internet). But today was to be a special day, the adventure (together) begins. So I thought I'd arrange something a little special for dinner. OK, to be honest, it was an absolute fluke! I found a lobster pot underneath Mum and Dad's house here in Bundeena a few days earlier. I bought some bones from the butcher shop for $2, tied one into the pot that and put it in the water just out the front of their house. I had been checking it everyday, but nothing... that is until Heather arrives. I went and picked her up from the Airport early in the morning and drove her back down here. After the ceremonial welcoming cup of tea with Mum and Dad, we decided it was time for a swim, and killing two birds with one stone, I thought I'd have a peek at the pot, and low-and-behold there was dinner! Yummo!

Preparing for departure

Mike flew out to Australia on Monday, November 27th. I am left to wrap up my massage practice, enjoy a bit of snowboarding and enjoy some Christmas cheer with friends and familly. I leave for Australia on January 9th to join Mike, where we will start our adventures together near Sydney, visiting Mike's family and friends!

Crystal Mountain Loop

Our adventures do no not start with Australia. Fall of 2006 brought many weekends up in the mountains, riding up long fire roads to beautiful views of Washington's best scenery, followed with challenging single track descents with technical and exposed obstacles! At the top of Crystal mountain with Rainier in the background, we are happy to share another sunny fall day!