Summer Fun - walks, movies, art

Monet Impressionist Exhibit





This was the final, most famous painting. Very cool to see and learn about the history












Met Kristen, Maura and Jacko for a nice evening - art, music, wine and dinner.



We spend a long time wandering through and experiencing the art.




















Centennial Park Outdoor theater - Becky and I went to see Twilight. It was my second time seeing it - I liked it much better. All the teeny boppers were screaming and excited. Weeelll i was pretty excited too.

All I want for Christmas is my Edward!
































Inauguration Day - many Americans got up at 3am to hear it live. I choose to wait until lunch rerun (like I could actual get up early). It was on syndey university campus. very historical fun time. I miss being in school and on a campus










They are so empowered and trying to make a stand - they had pics of people like Bush which you could throw a shoe at.









Bondi Open Air - Maura and I went for the showing of Dark Night. Live music, drinks and picnic before.








































Bondi to Watson Bay walk













This is the mouth of the where the harbor starts

































Kristen busted out her new camera









































































Magpie bird - my favorite sounds from the birds here, they make a bunch of cool sounds but kind of like crows, and Ive heard they can drive at humans?

























Amazing park bench! The city has a haze as there have been major bush fires throughout australia. especially down south - full on towns wiped out, its been one of Aussies most devastating disasters which look to be partially from Arsonists.

Yummy lunch at Watson Bay Harbor then beach time

After walking back - met the manly crew for some more bondi beach time and swimming

Mexican night at Kristens

Played some Sequence - nice little sunday

Caity and I spent the day walking to Clovelly - hitting all Waverly beaches along the way! did some snorkeling - good classic sydney saturday

Taronga Zoo to Balmain walk

Balmain

Wishing Well

I cut my hair short - going even shorter soon

another bondi to Clovelly walk - too cold and wavey to snorkel. Went to a pub with stewart and walked back for a night out in bondi

the walk takes us through this amazing cemetary

Great Ocean Road Trip

Flew into Avalon - which is 45 outside melbourne. Caity was in the city for work that week, she picked up the rental and rolled south to pick me up.



























Made it through another flight - not so scared anymore. It was only about an hour flight.

















Convertible!! Road trip time.














Thats the airport - in the middle of no where









Stopped for some subway -- maps are out and we are set for a 4 day trip. We have 2 of the 4 nights plan, the others we will play by ear.












Caity drives on the other side - so i just got to kick back and relax.












Great Ocean Road is one of the most famous most beautiful stretch of road.














Road Trip Music on!!

Dixie Chicks on repeat.




























First stop - Torquay...not sure how to say it but a small surfer town.














Walked along the beach - we really had a good vibe, not so rushed to get anyway...

















This was already in the sand - it took us a few to figure out what the heck it said. Dirty Dirty


























Taking it in - rough life




















Bustin out yoga - as I always do



















Some apps and wine - listened to live music and got into the slow pace of the town













Check out the locals - snuck this pic...matching red outfit, lizard brown skin and lovely red lipstick to match. a good laugh



















Stopped at all the lookout and tourist things














First night in Lorne!
A few hours south

Our cute place

We ate a dinner and headed to the pub for a drink. However this was no typical pub, first there was a line - i am not standing in line and paying a cover!! We had to show ID and get our picture taken to gain entry. Random! Lots of locals and we were like the oldest chicks in the place.








Ended up owning the stage - met a bunch of randoms, danced the night away. The DJ was playing music for us - we told him old school rap or something other than the teenie bopper stuff. Next thing you know MC Hammer You Cant Touch this comes on - seriously he brought it TOO far back. The entire floor cleared and we had to sympathy dance. Dom a 50 year old firecracker joined us and man he could hang!

A few late night drinks on the beach! Followed by a meat pie - classic aussie experience.

Is that tracy or a banana split - silliness

Walked out on the pier in Lorne after hitting the weekend markets

Ship wreck

Top down - bikinis on

I was clutch getting all the signs as we drove by

wild koalas!!!!
We caught ones that we actually awake - see videos

Went down into the CAPE Otway Lighthouse - nice drive through the national park. The lighthouse walk was fun with museums, lil things to look for like local animals (didnt see anything so exciting)...

Fun to actually go up in the lighthouse!

Super windy and scary up there

What is wrong with this sign

Tip #1

Landscape

Beautilful beaches

Princetown - one store and lots of bare land.

We stayed the second night right next to the 12 apostles. Down this gravel road - a little B&B, not really that nice but doable. We grab some wine and walked around - major flies here, that is several on Caity's back.

12 apostles - the water washed them away so in a few years this might not be here. Beautiful - watched the sunset and drank good wine.

There were all these fun places to stop for some chilling and pic opps - think this Grand Archway

London Bridge which in the early 2000's fell

Some historial pub - we had to divert off course for this one. there were signs from the main road but took us down this country road for a bit but we found it.

The bar men were interesting - we got a stubbie (i was like is that a kind of beer or what - it is like saying a pint)

Caity's last name is Noonan - weird as the whole way there were Jarvis Streets, Tracy signs and a radio station that said Tracy and Caity. spookey

Cheese was not so good - like one room with some cheese, the tasting as just a chick with a plastic tub and toothpicks, no tour, explanation, anything. We got some to eat in Port Fairy, our next stop.

Played Cards, drank wine, relaxed and ate our cheese

Some wild life action - a seal

Road Sodies - back back roads! We decided we were going to Forrest a tiny town up north, there was an eco tour we wanted to do.

Hmmmm, no one can see me right

Stopped for some skipping down the road - why not

Eco Tour - hour hike to Elizabeth Pond to see wild platypus and glow worms on the hike back out.

ate some wild berries along the way - which is usually a major No No but our guide must know better...right

So relaxing! there were 4 of us, just slowly floating around for like 3 hours, in peace and quiet. It was very Zen, flashed backed to Bali.

You could hear the koalas stating their territory, this grunting sound

The B&B we stayed at was amazing, they had these cute themed rooms. A married couple owned it, very welcoming! their family was in visiting and the grandpas was a hoot.

We stayed in the Bakers Room

Just an eclectic little place - just fun to look at all the stuff.

The staff have Jam sessions and just really felt homey.

The local Australian Day celebration (the 4th of July here). We woke up to the local band practicing for the big partay - old men in the classic army uniforms. E

vertyone came from all the loca town - very funny to roll up and just hang.

This women was hilarous - like dancing on the stage, you know the town drunk/crazy women.

Man she has so much to say about America and everything else. we ended up huggin it out.

King Pariots - wild birds, I was in heaven feeding them with grandpa

The stories grandpa told us - classic. he has alzhimers, so many great great grand kids, he came out in his PJ just telling stories, and crackin us up!

He gave us a present - a book of short stories and wrote a nice note to his new friends "Ni Illegitimi Barbourundury (something his dad told him, always give em hell, or somethiing), To My new Mates with fond memories of your visit Down Under, Australia Day Daryl Jamison"

We did some hiking before heading back to melbourne for our last night

Lunch at this spot

Found a lil spot downtown melbourne - had a super early flight back to sydney, which i had to go directly back to work. We had Chinese Dinner which happen to fall on Chinese New Year. Crashed.

I missed the morning bus and had to get a 100$ taxis :( pretty pissed but I flew my first time sober sober...not so scary!

Another fun Australia Adventure comes to a close