Revisiting old friends in Newcastle

In a normal day at home, one would wake up and stretch and flip over and stretch some more before sitting up in bed and hopping in the shower to get ready for the day. But we are not in Lethbridge and a normal morning goes more something like this....After a sleepless night of tossing and turning, we open our eyes reluctantly. Stretching our arms out we get about 1/2 a foot till we reach the roof and are stopped. Deciding to turn over results in cramping of the muscles and/or rolling into our bedmate. Crawling over each other as we try to not wake the other girls, which is impossible...but the attempt is still there. After weaving your way down from the top bed, through the maze of luggage, it is just opening the sliding door to reveal that we are amongst a bunch of semis parked at the rest stop.

It is fact that we tend to be on the cheaper side and not want to pay for things that are a necessity so last night after driving late, we pulled over at a gas station that had a truck stop in the back and decided here looked as good as any spot, better even because of the close proximity of the dingy bathroom. It was an early morning waking up at 0630 and finding a McDonalds for free WIFI due to the loudness of the trucks coming and going. Let's just say we will try to find a more inventive spot to park before using a truck stop again! You know that it was not a good night sleep when Valena is up and out of the campervan before you...that girl can you usually sleep so hard that a natural disaster could occur and she would only realize it by reading about it in the morning newspaper!

After spending a couple hours getting a coffee and on facebook, we were on the road again and heading south to Newcastle to see Carmen, Megan and Bree; friends from a Contiki trip in Europe a couple of years ago. It is funny that in a few hours time I would see girls from a different lifetime; girls that I hoped to see again but never thought it would happen due to geography...but coming to Australia eliminates that obstacle! We enter Newcastle not really knowing much about the place, only that we have friends and a shower awaiting for us so here are a few facts about Newcastle.

1. It is the 2nd largest city in New South Wales

2. It is the largest coal exporting harbor in the world, exporting 88,880,000 tonnes of coal in 2007/2008

3. In 1989 there was an earthquake measuring 5.6 on the Richter scale.

Getting to Carmen's place was easy thanks to Betsy (our handy GPS). It was fantastic to see sweet Carmen and to introduce the ladies to her. We parked our little campervan in her drive way and were once again treated amazing! Hospitality is alive and well in Australia. Carmen's house become our house for 14 hours and we plugged all our macs in, our camera batteries and each got to have a shower, which was such a delight and much needed since it had been awhile! I can not describe to you how amazing a warm shower in a real house feels to the traveler. It is almost as good as Christmas morning! But better than that was spending the night with old friends. It is amazing how years can go by but friendships remain. It was fabulous catching up with each other's lives and discovering who we still are and have become. Carmen took us for a driving tour of Newcastle and we were pleasantly surprised at how pretty the city was! We then went to Darby's pub for a fantastic and cheap meal!! I would highly recommend this pub for food and good atmosphere, although I was lucky to have such great company. Bree and Megan met us five there and it was lovely catching up! It still was a "pinch me" night being with these ladies! Valena saw her first LDS missionaries here and was ecstatic and of course had to take a picture, and the whole ride home Carmen was educated on the LDS religion and was astounded of the serving aspect! I could just see the wheels in her head turning thinking about the upcoming task of painting the floor and how eager these boys are to help...I wonder if she had them assist her already and what else she has them doing!! Following super was the marathon of showers and the just the delight to be in a house, not a heated, squishy campervan and having a clean bathroom! Valena and I stayed up late, since we are the night owls of the group, just journalling, playing music and enjoying the quiet of the night. We got up early with Carmen as she left for work and were so sad that our stay was so short. Carmen is an amazing hostess and we were blown away how sweet she was to us! I am positive we will be back to visit them again once we return to the east coast! Keep checking our travels out and thanks for all the thoughts and prayers! XOXO Luv B

Yamba Baby!

November 30,2009

We have 3 words for anyone currently in Australia, or planning a trip to Aus: GO TO YAMBA! And in addition to that, go to Yamba

YHA hostel/café/bar! Best hostel yet- brand new building, pool, flat screen TV’s, great bathrooms, and the best part- the kindest, most enthusiastic extended family run this place! W

e had one of our top days in this amazing seaside town yesterday. We invaded the YHA the previous evening upon arriving in Yamba, searching for some fun things to do for our short stay. Signed up for Shane’s tour…and although he likes to call it his ‘bullshit’ tour (legitimately so for all the pranks & lies he fed us i

n 3 hours)…we think he should charge way more for this great tour around Yamba. We only paid $10 to Longboard @ Turner’s point all morning (with Shane & his expert tips)…free ride there, all our gear, and one of the best beaches & waves for our skill level so far! Such a fantastic morning! Then, another $10 got us the infamous Shane tour. And yes, we all survived it! Whoop, whoop! We got to: see kangaroos for the first time (!!!), go cliff jumping into 2 separate freshwater pools, walk along gorgeous beaches, check out incredible viewpoints, checked out the Angourie Reserve (known for some of the top waves in all of Australia, but because it’s a nature reserve…no surf competitions allowed here!). What a great host, he even scaled the rock walls with us (making sure we didn’t end up in the local ER) before jumping off the cliffs. Phew…what a packed day! Shane had our

entire gullible group believing that he had a red belly snake waiting in a cave to show us. Brittany was nearly hyperventilating, and chose to walk down the path to avoid being near a snake. We screamed, and then nearly peed ourselves as one of the German guys in our group went running down the trail like he’d just seen a ghost! Shane got us good. He also had us believing we were hand feeding piranhas bread, and that if we went swimming off the dock they would nip us for sure! Turns out

they were just regular, really hungry, snapping & jumping fish. And avoiding the BS for a few minutes, he told us there were elels in the pools we had been swimming in, lucky for Britt he waited until we were already out to share this info. We sooooo appreciated Shane’s sense of humor, his witty ways, his warm & welcoming presence, and the enthusiasm that he held in this tour! Upon arriving back at the hostel (which we weren’t even staying at), he gave us the grand tour, we met his gorgeous blonde Aussi kids (while they were enjoying iceblocks), and the rest of the family. We told him we’ll be back in March, looking for jobs. He has us convinced that we’ll be on short boards after only a couple months boarding in Yamba with them. Sold! Oh yeah, and I forgot to mention the wicked restaurant at this hostel! They have a full menu of amazing seafood dishes to burgers, specialty coffees & desserts, etc…but highlight of my evening was getting lasagna for supper! I haven’t had any since leaving home, and I really miss my Mom’s lasagna... this stuff was so good, and only $5 with salad! Yamba has left us overwhelmingly impressed. We will be back. Peace. d.

Are we back in 1967???

Leaving Byron Bay we say goodbye to our favorite beach as of yet and the town that stole a little corner of all our hearts. This town will forever be a place of joy for us and we promise each other that we will be back to see the shores again and to properly surf the waves that beckon all new travelers to ride.

Onward a couple hours north to a little town hidden in the hills known as Nimbin. You would think that somewhere along the road to this town we entered a timewarp and were transferred back in time because once our campervan drove in we knew we "weren't in Kansas anymore". Into the colorful lan

d of freedom, love and peace; we had o

fficially entered the town of Nimbin...the most hippy town there ever could be in the 21st century.

I am not kidding when I say dreadlocks and the scent of marijuana was found on 9/10 of the habitants. We had arrived on the day of the market and behold were sheets of books about herbal remedies, an

ti-war, global warming and the free-spirit. Children were running naked and everywhere someone was sitting with their guitar singing

a tune. Everyone was "yeah man" and "hey" which were clear indicators that marijuana was alive and well used in this town.

We turned to walk on the main street and were amazed at the colors and shop signs (Bring-a-bong & Happy High Herbs) The most interesting place was the museum, which was adorned with sayings, quotes and a lovely tape showing how to make and smoke pot. It was a photographers delight in there and Dan took every opportunity to get as much of it on camera as possible! It was a crazy, beautiful display of artwork and creative genius. Valena's and my favorite part was watching the c

ops come in and search underneath items for pot and such! Too funny that they are trying so hard to crack down on the drugs and yet everyone around that place is high as a kite! Poor cops are fighting a losing battle but still the ever-eager tourists we are, tried to snap photos of them searching for the weed. Always the asian tourists we are with camera's ready for any opportunity to catch life on fil

m!

We spent two hours in Nimbin and couldn't wait to leave that time warp where the hippies were idealistic and radical. Not only was the town "interesting" but we were literally melting away in the 40 + degree weather, although according to Valena it was at least 49...her exaggeration gets worse the higher the temperature is!.

It was so warm you could breath in the heat and the relief of cold water bought from the local stores to quench your thirst evaporated quickly and turned into lukewarm water....mmmm! It was miserably hot and the best part was after finding our way

back to our campervan (no Volkswagen for us

unfortunately) Dan and I lost out and had to sit in the ba

ck in our swimsuits with no AC. Jodie and Valena were lucky to have it blasting on them in the front. But in the sauna in the back we were spread out but not touching cause any contact would just result in our skin sliding off each other's due to the extensive amount of sweat dripping off. In that kind of heat you don't eat, you can't sleep you are just dazed...kind of like those hippies!

I'm posting lo

ts of pictures because this place is worth the look! Love & Peace

B

Byron Bay and all the beauty that comes with it

As Britt previously mentioned, Byron Bay has definitely found a place in each of our hearts. It's the kind of place that you hear good things about and have these huge expectations, but in the back of your mind you are prepared to be let down a little. Fortunately, that was not the case. If anything, we were more impressed with Byron than we would've ever thought. We loved the laid-back, friendly attitude and made the most of our time there by enjoying the beaches and taking in all the beauty that was surrounding us.
We spent a couple of days surfing, first at Clarks beach, which they recommend for learning surfers, and then made our way over to Talos beach. The waves were pretty tame at Clarks, but Talos was another story. Luckily some nice Spanish boys came along and gave us some surfing lessons to prepare us, but still we were no match for the waves that we faced. After catching a few waves each, we spent just under an hour paddling back out to catch another. There seemed to be no break between the waves, quickly sucking all the energy from us as our arms turned into rubber. After realizing that we made it nowhere at all, we headed in and checked out another beach, the Pass and spent an afternoon sun-tanning and playing in the waves. It's amazing how strong the waves can be...you quickly realize that you are no competition against them!
We took a break from the beach one morning and went for the 8 km walk to the lighthouse which takes you along the many beaches in Byron to the top of a hill to the lighthouse, giving an amazing view of Byron Bay. We were all in awe with the views of the ocean, beaches and rocks along the way. I could've spent a whole afternoon just walking along and taking pictures, trying to capture the magnificence of it all. On the way back down from the lighthouse, I took a little detour and walked down to Watego Beach and the peninsula for another great view. The rest of the way back I walked along the beaches, partially aware that the tide was coming in, but still determined to get past the rocks and stay on the beach. At one point there was less than a meter of beach left for me to get by if I waited and timed it right...luckily I made it, with a couple scrapes from slipping down the rocks. Apparently flip flops are not the best for rock-climbing!
Our nights were usually filled with us walking around town, checking out live music either at The Great Northern or The Beach Hotel, hitting up the amazing bakery, or else staying entertained by the schoolies and their ridiculous antics. The people we met in Byron Bay were so friendly and it seemed that we weren't the only ones the fall in love at first glance. So many people working in Byron were just traveling through, but quickly changed their plans and haven't left since. After being there for only 5 days, it was easy to understand why.
If I were to recommend one thing to do in Byron during your stay, it would be to get up early to watch the sunrise. It is a perfect way to start of your day. Sitting on the beach, listening to the waves and watching the sun slowly creep it's way into the sky. Definitely worth giving up a couple hours of sleep for!
We were all sad to leave, but I have a feeling that we will return at some point in time before heading home. I'm sure that we will fall in love with many more places as our journey around Australia has only just begun. Stay tuned to find out our next destination with our campervan!
Miss you all at home, hope you are surviving the Alberta winter!
Jod

Commencement of Campervan Roadie!

Another milestone that occured the same day as my bday was our first full day in the campervan!!! Four girls, much too much luggage, one van and roughly 50 hours of driving ahead of us. We opted to get a GPS which we dubbed "Betsie" and if we were to have a MVP of the trip, Betsie would be first in line. She won our trust on our drive up the east coast from Sydney to Byron Bay when she took us around a highway detour... There were times when we were a little skeptical, especially when Brittany, who was driving, came to a tiny country road and a bridge that was barely big enough for us to fit over but she pulled through and got us to our destination and the scenery was absolutely beautiful! I can't believe Jodie and I ever wanted to save $90 and not get a GPS. Betsie has saved us from our own driving mistakes. Brittany and I make an especially bad team. When the two of us are in the front seat together we still manage to go off course, GPS and all... Imagine the wrong turns, fights, tears, and wasted gas if we were left to our own means.

There was a little trepidation when we were driving to pick up our home on wheels and my uncle actually ditched out before we saw it because he was so sure of our impending doom in regards of trying to fit all of our luggage and ourselves into one van. Luckily, it was bigger then the lil picture on the internet looked. In fact, after others had seen ours in comparison to other camper vans driving around, they dubbed her our 'Hilton on wheels'. Luckily we are all still in the laughing mode in regards to our little home for the next 30 days. We are being v. frugal (cheap) so we only plug in our camper in when absolutely necessary which has brought us much excitement trying to find a new place to settle for the night. Once in Byron Bay we infiltrated a local YHA hostel easier than we had thought. We lounged in their reading room, ate, showered and made friends with the staff there and within a couple days we had almost convinced ourselves that we were staying there. The only time we came close to getting caught was when our new staff friend (who rec'd free accommodation at the hostel) was remarking how expensive it must be to stay as long as we were (Byron Bay hostels are v. expensive in comparison to other cities) and asked how much we were paying each night.... Luckily, Jod is a quick thinker on her feet and stammered a deflective response and we remained under the radar. When it came to parking overnight, each night was somewhere different. One lesson learned; things always look completely different in the light of day. We would drive and think we found a great little parking space and then in the morning we would find ourselves a) right in front of a big "NO overnight parking" sign, b) 10 steps away from a campground, c) awoken by a cop and informed we were def. in a no-park zone.... Jodie (the early-riser that she is) wasn't there but the rest of us were passed out still when at 6 am when we heard a massive loud banging... We tried the whole "ignore it and maybe it'll go away" approach but the cop was not as dumb as we hoped cause he called out that he knew we were in there.... Danielle was the least stubborn of us and finally, she opened the door to get verbally reprimanded for camping overnight right in front of an elementary school... whoops.... Meanwhile, I was still blissfully passed out on the top bunk, the only movement I could muster was a lil hand wave when he asked if I was alive..

Everyday is an amazing adventure and i wouldn't change one part of it. Not one. Well, except maybe be home for Christmas. :) But we are so happy to have each other during this wonderful season and it's always good to try something new so we're all excited to experience our first Christmas on the beach and have a good ol' aussie barbie.

Cheers!

V

Byron Bay

This timeless surf town has been compared to by some as the "early days of San Diego". Beach bums, hippies, surfer boys and artists of all kinds roam the streets and make the unforgettable town the place to be for tourists and Aussies! We got completely taken with this town in a matter of moments of arriving and by the next day we all wanted to stay longer and were casually finding out what jobs could be found just in case we couldn't tear ourselves away from this place. We ended up sticking to our schedule and leaving in time....but with many backward glances as we drove away from this gorgeous place...thank goodness we didn't turn into pillars of salt!

Unfortunately we arrived at a time where schoolies were rampant. Schoolies is a term used by the Aussies for students graduating high school (ages 17-18). And we found ourselves in the midst of teenagers and youngins that were celebrating being done school and having the time of their life! It's kinda like Spring Break in Mexico for Americans/Canadians. We felt like old hens compared to the schoolies but it was entertaining when a 17-year old would try sweet talking to us only to be told how "ancient" we were. You have to give the kids credit for trying and they provided us with laughter at their efforts and amazing amount of charm. Were all seventeen year olds that witty when we were that young...I don't think Southern Alberta had that "degree of charm" in our boys or we would have been smitten at a young age and swept off our feet!

The main street was incredible; filled with enticing surfer stores, cafes and enough clubs to keep everyone out all night! I have to mention the 24 hours bakery because it entrapped all of us to spend money night after night on curry chicken pies and apple danishes! I kid you not, this is the best bakery by far and the pastries were so fresh that late in the night that is the only thing you crave! Jodie even splurged and got the caramel slice that we all were eyeing...she has good taste! We were hooked to this bakery because we met Mike and Mira. These sweet eastern Canadians not only shared the love for pastries with us but they also knew our friend. Long story short is that they in fact went to law school at the University of Toronto a year after our friend Khalid, a gem of a guy we met on Spring break in Cuba. Now if this isn't proof of how small this world is I don't know what else I can give you! Meeting these two Canadians was awesome and spending the next couple of days in Byron with them was so fun! We will never think of that bakery without thinking of you two!!

It is amazing the more places the go the more you feel like you belong and this can't keep happening because we already love too many places and see ourselves living in a few towns & cities already and our trip hasn't truly begun! But if there is anything to say about this town is it is a MUST to stop here. And plan to be here for more than a few days because you will end up falling for this town, the fellow travelers and the amazing beach!

We miss you all lots! Hope the snow comes soon to blanket the ground and trees with the glow of Christmas! Love you!

B

Birthday Week Fever- Nov 09

I am officially now longer 23 effective November 24, 2009... One more year till I hit a quarter of a century, until I am closer to 50 then being born... Oh dear! But I must say, if the first two days of being 24 is any indication, I think this is gonna be my best year yet. My family here in Oz and my three besties spoiled me absolute rotten, unfortunately alot of that spoiling involved amazing food which I will trying to burn off over the next few days with surfing... Win/win situation, no? For all you November birthday boys and girls out there, you'll appreciate my excitement to have my first birthday in 24 years with a guarantee of no snow, no coldness, no staying indoors! I felt like a little kid with all the possibilities of a summer birthday! But if that wasn't enough, we arrived in Byron Bay (aka Heaven On Earth) just in time for my birthday! Almost every single person we talk to states that, hands down, Byron Bay is their favorite slice of Australia. We arrived at 6 pm and by 6:05 pm we were in total agreement. The girls agreed that my birthday should last 48 hrs since I have to celebrate it both in the Oz time zone and my home time zone and who could disagree with my friends' great wisdom so I just went with it. Plus they gave me total vito power for the days activities... that kind of power is intimidating but I hope that I used my powers for the good of all.... Luckily this gave me more time to accomplish the birthday checklist that Brittany made me... Items from this list include (but are not limited to); surf, walk on the beach, eat choc chip banana pancakes, eat ice cream, hang with my besties, see a koala, dance, and get a kiss from an aussie bloke... We happened to stop at a Koala Hospital on my birthday and, as Danielle said, there's no worry about breaching patient confidentiality when your patient is a koala so there was a board with all the 'patients' diagnosis's and the interventions being implemented. Fittingly, there was a koala pt named "birthday girl"! Unfortunately, at the ripe old age of 22+ yrs she was labelled as 'ancient'... oh dear! All in all, I'd say I completed 99% of my tasks... My kiss was just a kiss on the cheek but that's all I was really after cause my heart is already occupied by the surf and the beach....

Luv V