Australia - November 2007 Galleries

Nov 9-11: California and Sydney : Our trip to Sydney was a bit chaotic, with a 13.5-ish hour layover in LAX (not quite what we had planned) including all sorts of trouble with baggage and security - I will spare you the details. In any case, we finally got to check our bags with Qantas mid-afternoon, and the lady at the counter sent us to the beach to relax for a few hours (believe me, we needed it!) - we went to the Manly Beach Pier, and it was gooorgeous!!! After 36+ hours traveling, we made it to Sydney with enough time to shower and head over to the Opera House to see the Australian Chamber Orchestra... the concert was fantastic! After a nice dinner (or my favorite pizza in Circular Quay) it was time for us to get some sleep and try to shake the jet-lag.

Nov 9-11: California and Sydney

Our trip to Sydney was a bit chaotic, with a 13.5-ish hour layover in ...

Updated: Nov 29, 2007 6:46pm PST

Nov 12: Hangin out in Sydney : Our first day in Sydney! :) ... and we saw a TON! We spent the morning in Darling Harbour, had breakfast and rode the ferry to Circular Quay. From there we decided to hop on another ferry to Manly Beach, where we wandered around for a while and had lunch. Rode the ferry back, wandered around through Hyde Park and then it was time for our sunset bridge climb!! (I will probably have Adam scan those photos and we'll put them in their own folder). It was a fantastic first day!

Nov 12: Hangin out in Sydney

Our first day in Sydney! :) ... and we saw a TON! We spent the morn ...

Updated: Nov 27, 2007 7:45pm PST

Nov 12: Sydney Harbour Bridge Climb : We did a sunset bridge climb and it was absolutely amazing! We got to watch the sun set over Sydney, watch all the lights come on around Sydney, and even got to see the moon and stars in the southern cross as we came back down. It was spectacular!! :) we also had a really fun group - 2 couples on their honeymoon (all from Australia), 2 ladies from Scotland, and us. Jolly good time :)

Nov 12: Sydney Harbour Bridge Climb

We did a sunset bridge climb and it was absolutely amazing! We got to ...

Updated: Dec 01, 2007 1:24pm PST

Nov 13: Blue Mountains : As if we didn't have enough walking/climbing steps on Monday, we decided to go and hike around the Blue Mountains on Tuesday. :) Adam's summary of Australia after this day was "stairs, lots and lots of stairs." Between the Bridge Climb on Monday night and going down the giant staircase here, we calculated somewhere in the neighborhood of 3,000+ stairs in less than a 24 hour period. We had a great day though and it was absolutely gorgeous! :)

Nov 13: Blue Mountains

As if we didn't have enough walking/climbing steps on Monday, we decid ...

Updated: Nov 28, 2007 3:24pm PST

Nov 14: Sydney & the trip to Newcastle : We spent Wednesday morning hanging out in Sydney - took more pictures of the bridge and opera house, and wandered through the botanical gardens. It was the most relaxing day we had yet. :) At noon, we hopped on a train and headed to Newcastle where, unfortunately, our picture taking slowed down a ton. Renee and her parents picked us up from the train station, Renee drove us around to show Adam all of the sites (mainly our favorite beaches) :) and then we had a nice night with her and her parents - delicious Thai food for dinner and then to a coffee shop with Renee and her friend Lena.

Nov 14: Sydney & the trip to Newcastle

We spent Wednesday morning hanging out in Sydney - took more pictures ...

Updated: Nov 28, 2007 7:13pm PST

Nov 15: Newcastle : Renee had to be at the hospital so Adam and I spent the day seeing all there is to see in Newcastle - laid on Nobbies beach for a whopping 45 minutes, :) then ran around campus and went to Stockland mall for some Christmas shopping. The final pictures are the views from Renee's apartment - fantastic! :) Again, unfortunately, we failed to bring our camera with that night to take pictures of Rachel & Mark's fabulous new apartment (a converted warehouse that was incredible! I'm still kicking myself for not bringing a camera... what were we thinking?) so, you'll just have to imagine it. :)

Nov 15: Newcastle

Renee had to be at the hospital so Adam and I spent the day seeing all ...

Updated: Nov 28, 2007 7:22pm PST

Nov 16: Med Ball : Med Ball! :) How lucky were we!? :) This was my very first "ball" and what a great time we had!! Every year they hold a big ball for the graduating medical students - this year Renee and Rachelle were graduating so it was their ball, and (I think it was mainly because they helped organize it) Renee got tickets for Adam & I to go along as well! We got our hair done in the afternoon (sadly, I had to go to a different place than Renee so I didn't know what they were having done and had a girl, who was a bit confused, do mine.. it all worked out though), got ready and then went over for fabulous hors d'oeuvrs and champagne, followed by a deeelious dinner, a few speakers (we felt like such frauds as they kept addressing everyone as doctors, so we just had to pretend to be doctors for a night), and an incredibly fun dance (the band was phenomenal!) A wonderful time had by all. :)

Nov 16: Med Ball

Med Ball! :) How lucky were we!? :) This was my very first "ball" a ...

Updated: Nov 28, 2007 7:35pm PST

Nov 17/18: back around Sydney : Saturday was quite the adventure getting back to Sydney - the trains in Newcastle weren't running, so we had to take a bus (to the wrong location - whoops!), then another bus, then finally the train. Got to Sydney and go figure, the trains in central Sydney also weren't running. Another bus to the hotel. Finally got there, checked in, had them call a cab - 40 minutes later, the cab arrives and we race to Bondi beach for our surf lesson we were already almost 20 minutes late for. ugh. We did get to surf though (we both got up - woo hoo!) and even had some corn on the cob when we were done. Sunday morning we wandered around Sydney, did some more shopping, and then it was off to Brisbane where Alyssa & Ray picked us up at the airport and then we went to stay with Scott & Amy.

Nov 17/18: back around Sydney

Saturday was quite the adventure getting back to Sydney - the trains i ...

Updated: Nov 29, 2007 7:06pm PST

Nov 19: Australia Zoo & Mooloolaba : Woo Hoo! This was our first day on the Sunshine Coast with Alyssa and Ray, and what a great day we had! We spent the majority of the day at the Australia Zoo - petting kangaroos and koalas, watching them feed crocodiles (they have to be insane!), and checking out all of the other fun animals. When it was almost time for the zoo to close, we headed up to Mooloolaba to our hostel (Adam's very first). We wandered around the town (it was beautiful.. and is also the home of Underwater World where I did the shark dive for my 21st birthday - I didn't even realize it was the same city until we walked right by the place!) Ray made us a delicious spaghetti dinner and we finally had time to relax and hear about their travels.

Nov 19: Australia Zoo & Mooloolaba

Woo Hoo! This was our first day on the Sunshine Coast with Alyssa and ...

Updated: Nov 29, 2007 4:45pm PST

Nov 20-21: Fraser Island : Fraser Island is, without a doubt, the most beautiful place I have ever been!!! We decided to book a two day 4WD tour around the island, and what a great idea it was! They picked us up in Noosa on Tuesday morning, we had a very exciting (and bumpy!) ride to rainbow beach, across a ferry, and down Fraser Island. We were camping that night so we stopped to drop off our stuff and then it was off to walk through a rainforest and swim in Lake McKenzie, which was an absolutely gorgeous freshwater lake - the water was so clear, it was amazing! Wednesday we drove down the beach to the Maheno Ship wreck, Eli Creek (another crystal clear freshwater stream that you could walk up and float down - very cool!) and then walk across sand dunes to Lake Wabby - the most gorgeous place ever! It's like a mirage - you walk nearly 2 km across sand dunes and then come across this gorgeous green lake with the sand on one side and a beautiful forest on the other side. It's like swimming in a Bob Ross painting - absolutely incredible! After a swim, we hiked back through the forest and made the trip back across the beach to Rainbow Beach and eventually Noosa, where we got to the most fantastic apartment - we decided to stay for 2 nights! Ray made a wonderful stirfry dinner and we rented a laptop to post their pictures and get in touch with the world again. :) Definitely a trip I will never forget!

Nov 20-21: Fraser Island

Fraser Island is, without a doubt, the most beautiful place I have eve ...

Updated: Nov 29, 2007 8:03pm PST

Nov 22: Noosa & Thanksgiving!! : We decided to stay an extra day in Noosa at our fabulous apartment to celebrate Thanksgiving. This was the very first day we actually relaxed on our whole trip, it was such a strange feeling to not be in a hurry to run around and see things, but it was very nice! We had a nice lunch by the pool, called home, then it was off for Adam & I to get tattoos! :) (what a way to remember Thanksgiving in Australia huh?) Ironically enough, the lady that did our tattoos grew up in Minnesota. Go figure - we go all the way to Australia to get tattoos and they're done by a crazy Minnesotan. :) love it. We also had to make a trip to the beach to find a turkey (didn't have any luck at first) so decided to write Happy Turkey Day in the sand to send to everyone back home. :) Ray made us a huuuuge Thanksgiving feast, we ate until we were going to explode, and then spent the night playing skip-bo. Definitely a Thanksgiving to remember. :)

Nov 22: Noosa & Thanksgiving!!

We decided to stay an extra day in Noosa at our fabulous apartment to ...

Updated: Nov 29, 2007 6:14pm PST

Nov 23: Last day/night in Australia : Our last day/night in Australia. Tear. Alyssa & Ray dropped us off at the airport and then it was back to Sydney for us (Adam was excited, they were showing the NFL games on TV at the airport since it was actually Thanksgiving day back home). We got to Sydney and had a fabulous hotel room on Darling Harbour (my all time favorite place in Sydney). We went out for a nice dinner, sat down by the water for a while and got some fabulous pictures, and then tried to get some sleep before our trip home (which ended up being almost half the time we spent traveling to get there - can't beat that and getting on an early flight in LA - woo hoo!) What a great trip we had. We'll have to go back and see more in another few years. :) :)

Nov 23: Last day/night in Australia

Our last day/night in Australia. Tear. Alyssa & Ray dropped us off a ...

Updated: Nov 29, 2007 6:14pm PST