Today, we went out for a bit of biking and boozing. We have officially started exploring a bit outside of our normal area, which leads us to our first place: the mornington peninsula. They brought us to the top of a lookout at the highest point, and then we biked to the beach, stopping at a few spots along the way.
From there we visited a few pretty nice cellar rooms (winery tastings). And no, we did not drink and ride. However, from the look of my arm (not pictured) may have you beg to differ.
Oh yeah, the movers just came and have deposited everything. It’s a great Christmas that’s for sure. It’s also fun unpacking everything and realizing how thorough the movers are, and the things we thought we got rid of before moving and repurchased here (like the Costco-sized cling wrap).
Yay! Oh and the image below is just the main room of stuff. The two bedrooms and laundry room are full of boxes too…
We finally have some new furniture! Granted, this is for the upstairs patio off the master bedroom,a.k.a. our sanctuary. Today was the first nice day that we were able to use it too. We had a run this morning, and then all of us (Kobe too) took to the roof and had a nap. It was glorious.
Now to get some more outdoor furniture we can actually share with others!
Now that the days are getting longer (and warmer) down here in the southern hemisphere, we’re really able to take advantage of the weather. One of those is the beautiful sunsets over the western part of Port Phillip Bay.
This post will just keep getting additional pictures added to it, as I upload them to my CMS with the correct tags. However, here are just a few we’ve taken so far from Adam’s balcony.
We (the Chicago group) were sitting outside on Adam’s porch, and all the sudden this very large spider crawled down the wall and across his patio. While it was making its voyage, we were enthralled. Travis threw his keys down to put the size into perspective, and then it crawled into one of the planters. Hopefully it will help with Adam’s bug issue.
Went to sign up for the Qantas Frequent Flyer program on their website and saw that it would cost $82 to do so. Uh, the whole point of a FF program is to reward the people that are already spending lots of money with you.
However, you can get around this fee if you sign up for the Woolworth’s Everyday Rewards card. It’s free, as I’m sure they sell your information, but you also get a free Qantas membership with it. Just swing by a Woolies, get the card and register it online to create a free Qantas account. Yay!
I had to call the US today because both of my major credit cards were flagged for fraud. Turns out a large expense in foreign lands tends to do that. Anyways, since I’m on pre-paid, I thought I’d have a look and see what the damage would be.
Turns out, it is actually cheaper for me to call the US than it is to call an Australian number. Good job Vodaphone! If I could find a forwarder that is less than $0.40/min, I could route all my calls through the US!
Calling within Australia.
Calling to the US.
Adam, Yow-Yow and I have been wanting to get out on the bay to try some stand-up paddle boarding for quite awhile now. Ever since Yow-Yow and I did it in Hawaii during our trip, we’ve been wanting to get out on the water again. However, each weekend we’ve had time the weather hasn’t cooperated. What has been even more annoying is that the bay has been very calm during the weekday mornings and evenings. And then yesterday morning happened.
I woke up stupid early, as the weather had been calling for a pretty nice day. Not too warm (18C), but not a lot of wind. To my surprise, when I looked out our window, I found balloons floating over the CBD in the early morning sun. It was at that point I knew we had to get out on the bay.
We headed down to The Zu Boardsports to try out a few before making any purchases. However, we arrived a bit early and they weren’t open yet. We hung around and helped them open, and then took off on three boards, each of different sizes, to get a feel. Adam had a 10’10″ as it was his first time, Yow-Yow had a 10′, and I had a 9’8″. During our hour paddling around and getting used to it I think we each tried all the boards.
We had so much fun, and honestly, we knew we would, that we then proceeded to each purchase our own gear. This will make is a lot easier as the bay seems to be the most calm before and after the shop is closed. With that, I give you the line-up.
They are things of beauty. At some point I want to get a better picture of it and make it a main-page image. However, for right now, this is what you get.
For all those that haven’t tried SUP yet, I highly recommend you get out there and try. It’s amazing how relaxing it can be, and when the water is clear you can see practically everything.
I can’t wait to take mine out again!
On the tram yesterday, I saw the new Australian Open brand signs signifying the new website and ticket availability. Thought some of you might be interested!
This is not the greatest show ever in America. In fact, it’s awful. Just saying.
It was our first full day in Australia, and the guys here had decided to go to an AFL game. It is getting into the finals, and so the game we watched didn’t really mean anything other than determining home field advantage. Both St Kilda and Carlton are in the final 8, so it was a great game to watch.
We were right near one of the goal posts and 27 rows back. It was a pretty awesome experience. The pace of the game was just incredible. These guys are running around a field much larger than an American football field, and they go non-stop. There are no timeouts, out of bounds, play clock, etc. They are just full out sprinting and smashing into themselves for 25 minute quarters.
I have no idea if it is as exciting while watching it on TV, but being there and experiencing it first hand for the first time was incredible.
Oh, and it was held at the MCG. The stadium holds over 100k people, and is one of the 10 largest in the world. Other cool things about the MCG is that there is a waiting list to get seats. From what I hear, when a child is born they are put on the waiting list, and then they usually get seats in their 30s or 40s. Just incredible.
Oh, and the whole thing is located a 20 minute walk from downtown (from where Yow-Yow and I are staying), and it is right across the street from where the Australian Open is played.
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Typical Champaign Urbana Person?
Accurate…? I love you guys!