Brizzy - Part 2

Monday, October 1

This was the day we had dedicated to exploring Brisbane and hitting all the tourist spots.  Unfortunately, the weather was not the best- overcast, windy, and actually kind of chilly, but that didn't stop us. One thing I loved about Brisbane is that it is situated on a river (The Brisbane River – imagine that), and they have some really great public transportation for the river – several different options for ferries, some even free.  So we started the day by taking the CityCat ferry across the river to Southbank Parklands.  This is a neat area of the city that has lots of parks (crazy, I KNOW!), restaurants, shopping, and even a man-made beach.  We spent most of our time walking around the parks underneath the beautiful bougainvillea-covered overhangs.  These flowers were so pretty, and we weren’t even there when they were in full bloom.   

 

As you can see in the picture above, I was clearly famished by this time- so it was time to eat.  Of course, I would find the one Spanish/Tapas restaurant Ole, and that is where we ate an amazing meal.  We even had a legit Spanish waiter, and after a couple glasses of sangria, I was even brave enough to speak some of my now broken Spanish with him. 

 

 

 

 

 Our next stop was the Wheel of Brisbane Wheel of Brisbane.  Ever since my trip to visit my sister in Seattle and my ride on the new Great Wheel of Seattle, I’ve been obsessed with Ferris Wheels.  So now, any place I travel that has one, you can bet I will be on it.  The neat thing about this Ferris Wheel is that there is a recorded “guide” while you ride around that points of interesting locations and information about the city.  Unfortunately, it was pretty cloudy, so the view was not the best. 

To end our day exploring Brisbane, we took a night Ferry on the river.  The views of the Story Bridge and the city at night were so pretty! 

 

Up next: The last installment of our Brisbane Trip- Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary!

Season Affective Confusion

Earlier this week I received a very exciting shipment in the mail.  I had placed an order from a website here in Australia called USA Foods that sells nothing but American foods that you can't get here in Oz. You don't even want to know how much the prices were marked up, but really, it's irrelevant.  These are necessities, people (especially the Hot Tamales). Here is my loot:

One of the things I was most excited about was the pumpkin puree.  Don't worry, they were only like $7 a can. But so worth it to just have that little bit of "normal" and comfort that makes a strange place feel more like home. In anticipation of the arrival of my 3 sacred cans of pumpkin puree, I have been pinning pumpkin recipes like crazy, so today I decided to make these pumpkin chocolate chip cookies, called Pillows of Pumpkin-y Love.  If I were Australian, I would say, "they turned out just lovely" or that "they are quite nice."

 

Now, I also have to admit that while making these cookies, I had my Pandora Christmas Music station blaring.  If you don't already know this about me, I LOVE Christmas music. Since college, I've always started listening to Christmas music right after Halloween. Shout out to my roommate, Hannah, who thought I was ridiculous, but still put up with it :-)  So I figured, hey, it's November, I'm actually a couple days overdue for some Christmas music. But I gotta admit, as much as I stand by my belief in early-Christmas-music-listening... It. Felt. WEIRD. I mean, we're just a few weeks away from summer here. I had the AC on. I was wearing a tank top and sandals. Heck, I even got a sunburn yesterday.  So hearing "Frost the Snowman" and "Jingle Bells" totally messed with me. Even though I have lived in warm climates most of my life (aside from Spokane, Washington) even the weather in those places- Phoenix, Los Angeles, and Houston would still cool down somewhat during this time of year. So this just felt so foreign, even for me.  Australia, you and your backwards seasons and really confusing me.   

Brizzy - Part I

Since nearly a month has passed since our trip to Brisbane, I figure it's probably time to recap our trip. How timely of me!

At any rate, this was David and my first little trip since our arrival in Australia. No offense to Gladstone, but I was definitely ready to get the heck out of here have a change of scenery. I've learned pretty quickly since being here that I am definitely a city girl. I just feel "off" here without any pollution, skyskrapers, traffic, or crowds. Oh and Target too. So this long weekend trip to "Brizzy" was just what I needed.


Saturday, September 29

After getting checked into our Hotel, which was in Brisbane's Central Business District (CBD), we decided to wander around for a while in hopes of finding a place to eat to tide us over until dinner.

Royal on the Park

 

Our inner Mexican food compasses must have been on, because we found ourselves at an amazing Chipotle-like mexican food restaurant. After ordering "nachos" in Gladstone and getting chips with marinara sauce and cheese, I had resigned myself to the fact that Australia just must not have Mexican food. Thank God I was wrong! So of course we did what any good Southwesterner would do and ordered margaritas and one of everything on the menu. Yes, I came to Australia to eat Mexican food.

 

We also found a Starbucks, which I was strangely excited about even though I am not a coffee drinker.  Just nice to see something familiar and authentically American I suppose. 



It was a happy coincidence that the night we arrived in Brisbane also happened to be the last night of the month-long "Brisbane Festival." The month-long festival culminates each year with a huge fireworks show called Riverfire along the Brisbane River. Our hotel was right near Eagle Street Pier which just so happened to be have a great view for the show. Riverfire did not disappoint. It lasted for close to 30 minutes, and was very impressive and so pretty over the water with the Story Bridge in the background.

After the show, we had dinner reservations nearby. I tried to convince David that we should just go back and get more Mexican food, but I was unsuccessful. We ate at a restaurant called George's Paragon. The food was great, and the view was amazing. Oh, and the couple at the table next to us got engaged during dinner- it was so cute!

Our view from dinner

Sunday, September 30

The next day, we had planned to rent a car and drive an hour South to a cute little town called Tamborine Mountain, which is known for wineries and cute little restaurants and boutiques. But most of all, the views were amazing (even though most of the day was pretty overcast). Supposedly on a clear day, you can see all the way to the coast.



Oh, and of course I have to share a photo of this lovely friend that we made on the mountain:

But I digress. Sorry, snakes are distracting. As usual, our first order of business when we arrived was to eat. There seems to be a pattern here. We found the most adorable restaurant/bed and breakfast called the Polish Place. It had AMAZING views and incredible authentic Polish food.  Yes, I also came to Australia to eat Polish food apparently. The restaurant really felt like it was just somebody's kitchen and living room. There was even a cat snoozing on one of the chairs. You also had the option to eat outside at this bar-like table that faced directly out toward some amazing scenery.

Finally, we headed to some of the wineries in the area. I've always loved Australian wines, and even before I knew we were moving here I had always dreamed of visiting an Australian winery. Mission accomplished! We visited Au Winery, Cedar Creek Winery, Heritage Wines, and Tamborine Mountain Winery. I was so excited to learn that on domestic flights in Australia liquids aren't restricted- so we definitely brought home a couple of our favorite bottles.

  Congrats if you made it this far!  Stay tuned for recaps of our time exploring the city of Brisbane and our trip to Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary.  Oh, and sorry for the wonky spacing, formatting, etc... I'm still figuring Blogger out.  If anyone has any tips out there, PLEASE share!

Happy Halloween

Happy Halloween from David and I!  We hope everyone has a fun day!  I vampire-ified this photo with www.picmonkey.com.  Isn't it fun? 

Halloween for us has already passed. I've never been a big Halloween person as far as dressing up goes, but I love the candy, the decorations, trick-or-treaters, and everything else that goes with it.  Our little neighborhood is over run with Americans so we had a TON (or heaps, as the Aussie's would say) of trick-or-treaters.  It was so fun!  I thought for sure I bought way too much candy, but I actually ended up running out. 

I can't believe that October has passed already.  It is already November 1st here!  Crazy.  In honor of November, Thanksgiving, my love for Instagram, and in an attempt to adjust my bad attitude about not being in the US for Thanksgiving, I'm going to try this little "Thankful" project for the month of November that I saw on the blog eighteen25.  Here is the link: http://eighteen25.blogspot.com.au/2012/10/thankful-book.html

Basically, the project is to create a "Thankful Book" by taking an instagram photo each day in November of someone or something you are thankful for, and tag that photo on Instagram with the hashtag #Novemberthankful.  At the end of the month, you gather all your photos into a fun Instagram Photobook using the Blurb website (www.blurb.com).  Check out their website for a better explanation and for a cute cover for your book that you can download for free. 
http://eighteen25.blogspot.com.au/2012/10/thankful-book.html

If you're not already, you should follow me on Instagram - Meggers315

One last Happy Halloween to everyone, and welcome to November!

Welcome to Oz- First Aussie Update

(Originally Written: September 27, 2012)
*This post is actually a repeat of an email I sent about a month ago, before I had this blog. Sorry for a repeat for many of you- just want to get everything all in one place.

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Now that I’ve been in Australia almost 4 weeks, I figured it’s time (overdue even?) for an update. Now, if you’ve ever received a card, letter, text message, voicemail, etc. from me, you will know that I am nothing if not long-winded. SO- prepare for an overly-detailed description of a so far mostly un-eventful time in Australia. Yes- it is 9 pages, but HEY, there are lots of pictures! Don’t judge. But DO, consider yourself warned. However, if you want the short version, here you go:

High: Being reunited with David of course (a very close 2nd would be seeing a kangaroo)

Low: Bugs, Spiders, SNAKES!
 
Coming Soon: Me holding a koala in Brisbane.

**Oh and follow me on Instagram if you have it (Meggers315) to see more frequent pictures of day to day events!

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Ok, for those of you attempting the long version… where to begin… oh yes- back in Houston.
**Final days in Houston

My last few days in Houston (gosh that seems like so long ago) were CRAZY. It was a stressful, emotional time, but lucky for me, my mom was able to come and help. Thanks, mom! It was nice to have extra hands, but also so nice to have some company during the craziness of the move. We had some drama with the move/packing- like when the movers came to tell me after less than 2 hours of packing that I was at 837 of my 1000 allowed pounds that could be shipped to Australia. Instant panic mode, and a very quick lesson in want vs. need, but it all turned out fine in the end. Everything on the "to do" list got done eventually. It was definitely an unforgettable feeling when the cab came to pick me up from our (empty) house, and I had to lock the door and say goodbye (alone) to our first house for the last time. But at the same time, by that point, I was just so ready to be done with everything already and just be on my way.

  

                  Mom and I at lunch in Houston.                               Last photo with my first house.

           

                               My life in a truck.                Locking up the door to our casa for the last time. 

 **Relocation: Country, Continent, Hemisphere

The actual flight (all 18 or so hours of it) was something I had been dreading, but it was surprisingly painless. (No really, I swear- I’m not just saying that to encourage visitors.) After a short flight from Houston to Dallas, I had a couple hours to kill- so obviously I took that time to eat pizza and drink wine. Duh. Before I knew it, I was on the plane (around 10:30 PM). The flight attendants basically try to keep everyone up for the first 3-4 hours- they keep you busy with a meal (yes, I had just eaten, but I knew I was about to burn a ton of calories sitting on my booty for the next 18 hours, so I knew I better eat as much as possible), announcements, customs forms, distribution of a cute little "night time bag," etc.

Then they shut the lights off and encourage everyone to sleep. At this point I watched a movie, then popped a couple Advil PM and slept a good 8 hours or so! By the time I woke up, lights were on, breakfast was being served, and there were only about 3-4 hours left in the flight. Totally painless, right?! Ok good- I’ll see you here in Australia then!  The last step of the trip was a layover in Brisbane and then a short one hour flight to Gladstone. Here are some pictures from that flight:

The second picture shows how RED the soil is here. I liked the 3rd photo because you can see the shadow of the plane as I got close to landing in Gladstone.

A new stamp for my passport! Waiting in Brisbane for my short flight to Gladstone.

 

 

 

 

Getting ready to touch down in my new home.

 

 

My welcome gift from David: Flowers, Australian wine, chocolate, and my new car keys!

**1 st Days in My New Home:

David picked me up from the airport (!!!!!!) and took me on a brief tour of Gladstone. The goal that day was to stay up all day so I could hopefully get back on a normal schedule and avoid jet-lag. It worked. I was super tired the whole day, but so glad I did it. Here are some pictures of our house. These were all taken before David even moved in, but you get the idea.

 

*Glad STIN/"Aussie-isms"

 

Here are some things I learned about my new home/Australia/Aussies within my first few days here:

-It’s GladSTIN, not Gladstone (I still like to say GladSTONE just to get people all riled up)

-Shoes (and shirts) are optional- even in places like oh, you know, the grocery store or restaurants. Don’t even get my started on this. Barf.

-"How you going?" = "How are you?" Um, ok.

-Expect to pay about twice what you pay in the US for just about everything (see Dr. Pepper photo below)

-No tipping. While nice not to have to worry about it, it makes for some seriously sub-par service.

-"No worries, no dramas" is a common phrase used pretty much in any situation or after you ask anyone a question. David insists that this translates to "I have no idea what I’m doing or how to answer your question, but does this help you feel better about the situation?"

-Aussies like to call everyone "doll" or "love." This is fine with me because it makes me feel like a Kardashian.

-Aussies love them some abbreviations. Here are some of the ones I hear most: "Maccas" = McDonald’s; "brekky" = breakfast; "exy" = expensive; "avo" = avocado; "bizzo" = business, as in none of your bizzo; "polly" = politician

-People get offended when you say "excuse me" to get by them, etc. To them it is like saying "ExCUUUUSE me?!" They say either "sorry" or "excusemesorry" OR my personal favorite- nothing as they push past you.

-Any spider/bug/other pest you find in your house will be at least 5x the size you’re used to seeing. And probably furry and venomous.

Here are a few pictures to illustrate a few of the above items:

 

 

*Gladstone Region Tour

During my first full week here, I was able to go on a Bechtel-given tour (Bechtel is David’s company) of the Gladstone Region. Now let me backtrack briefly. Gladstone is the actual city we are in. It is a small (for me) town of about 30,000. This little city has grown quickly in the past few years due to the LNG projects they have going on here- Gladstone’s port is one of the few on this side of Australia that can accommodate the large ships needed to bring in all the materials, etc. needed for these big construction projects. Because of the quick growth in the city- the whole place is basically one big construction site, and you can definitely feel "growing pains" as major infrastructures have not been able to keep up with the growth. The Gladstone REGION includes a much larger area of Queensland (lakes, coastal areas, beaches, etc.).

At any rate, this tour started with a tour of the city itself and then moved on to some of the surrounding areas. In the city of Gladstone itself, we briefly drove past the following areas I want to see, but have yet to go back to yet: small winery, botanical gardens, Mt. Larcom, multiple parks/fitness trails. Here are some of the places/things I saw outside of the city itself (these areas are all within 15-30 minutes of Gladstone city)

 

 

 

 

 

This area is called Yeppoon Dam. It is one of the largest dams in Australia. It has beautiful park grounds and lake areas. This is also where I had my first wallaby siting! Yes, a wallaby is different than a kangaroo I learned. It mostly has to do with size and teeth, but if you’re interested, here is a link that explains it: http://science.howstuffworks.com/environmental/life/zoology/mammals/wallaby-vs-kangaroo.htm

We also toured Tanuum Sands. Tannum sands is a little beach town. It’s on my list of places to go to for a quick day or weekend trip, but I haven’t made it back there yet. When you come to visit me and David, this is probably a place you will want to see/stay. Unfortunately, I don’t have any pictures of it.

The last place where we stopped was Radar Hill. This is a hill in Gladstone that has a nice view of the city, the marina, and on a clear day, you can see the island where the construction sites for the LNG plants are. This is where I saw my first Kukaburra. I have seen a couple more since then, but I have HEARD tons! There is a big tree on our street where a ton of them live. Every morning you can hear them. Their bird call seriously sounds like monkeys laughing. It’s pretty hilarious.
 

 

*Our ‘hood

The weather here has been great (it’s Spring here now), and I’ve been taking walks around our neighborhood a few mornings a week. Here are some pictures from our neighborhood:

 

 Mt. Larcom in thebackground (that pointy area)

 

Cute little playground in our neighborhood (in case you were wondering, I DID ride that cricket, and yes it is as fun as it looks) 

 

 View looking back on our side of the neighborhood from the other side of the development.

Pretty Australian clouds on my walk.

*Curtis Island

Curtis Island is the island just off the coast of Gladstone where three LNG plants are being built. As of next week, this will be where David goes every day for work. Last week, I was able to go on a short tour of the area by ferry. Unfortunately, non-employees are not able to access the actual island, so this was as close as I will probably ever get. It was neat to see it though, even from afar. Once these projects are completed, they will (hopefully) be a huge source of revenue for the Australian government.

 

 

 

 

OK- I think that is enough from me.  For now. :-)  I also have some fun stories about snakes, but I will save those for another time.. or maybe just spare you.  Haven't decided yet.