Back in Melbourne

You know that feeling after being on vacation that towards the end you are starting to look forward to heading back home and taking it easy? Yeah, that doesn't really apply when you spend a week in tropical paradise diving and snorkeling in the Great Barrier Reef. Not that Melbourne is a bad place but Port Douglas was a friggin' dream. The weather was perfect, the beach was 50 yards from our huge condo, and the troubles of the day were to decide whether to dive, snorkel, hike the rain forest, or just lay on the beach. Plus, the place where we stayed was 3 or 4 times the size of our current flat.
Speaking of those tough decisions, we spent Thursday driving far north and hiking at various stop-offs through the Daintree rain forest. We even stopped for a croc cruise, and saw a few of the scary buggers. There wasn't quite as many in this river as the one Nikki and I went on up in the Northern Territory, so I figure you could last a good 10 minutes instead of 5. But like the boat driver said. "I reckon you'd hev rocks in ye head" if you went swimming in this river.

Friday, Nikki and I went on another cruise to the Reef. This time we went to the Low Isles, and snorkeled. Here we swam around with sea turtles and saw a shark, squid, and of course thousands of tropical fish and coral aplenty. Cara and Nick decided to stay ashore and hang out on the beach. That night we had dinner at a nice restaurant by the water and watched the ships come in as the sun set.

I could ramble on and on about the sights but the best part of all was having great friends to experience this with. What a great 2 weeks we had with them. I knew Nick could handle me, but I thought Cara would get tired of me and use her superhero Dr. powers to talk me into swallowing my tongue. But it didn't work out that way at all. We all had such a good time. Even when Nick decided to drive us out on a 3 hour detour in the middle of the Daintree rain forest at dusk (which is peak animal road kill time), we all still got along. Speaking of that detour... we killed several cane toads but no animals big enough to leave a dent in the rental car(you are welcome Queensland).

The Rainforest

I’ll just pick up where my lovely bride left off. I’m actually glad Nichole was the one to write about the Great Barrier Reef, because to me the only thing I could think was how my mate Stuey described it: "same planet… different world". As for the golf she spoke of. It was quite nice, but we lost a few balls. The guy that dropped us off at the course was very explicit in saying that if the ball runs off in the trees just let it go. The golf courses up here are populated with crocs and 7 of the 10 deadliest snakes of the world. Although the course we played didn’t have any crocs the snakes are regularly seen. Aside from the animal life the plant life was pretty amazing. Imagine golfing through the rain forest. That evening Nichole and I took a stroll along the beach, and along a trail on a hill beside the beach.
Today we did the Kuranda rain forest tour. It was a bit of a dichotomy. We took an old train up the mountain that seemed to cut through a nightmare, sheer cliffs on one side and impenetrable jungle on the other. But it was a bit slow and there were a lot of tunnels (I think 14). Then we did some breathtaking strolls through the rainforest. It was like being in a discovery show special on the rainforest or maybe a rainforest theme park, just way too extreme to be real. This is where Nikki Marie stopped to take a picture of every mushroom along the way, and exclaiming: “this will be great for my biology II class!” Now at the top of the mountain there is a small town called Kuranda. I’m sure at one point in time this town had an actual purpose outside of fleecing tourists for their money, but that time has long passed. And Nick and I were trapped there for 5 long hours. I’ll say there were some cool shops, probably 30-45 minutes worth. Nikki and Cara loved it though, and since we were stuck there we endured. Certainly the highlight of the day was heading back down the mountain. Not just to get away from the endless rows of tourist shops, but because we took a huge sky rail down. This thing was built using helicopters if that gives you any idea of its location. You just floated along above the trees and all you could hear was the birds and all you could smell was the eucalyptus off the trees.

Up next is the Daintree rain forest, Mossman Gorge, and Cape Tribulation.

Diving Down Under...

Nikki wrote this on Tuesday, but internet access is hard to find when you are busy, busy, busy!



We’ve found another new and expensive addiction- scuba diving! We went scuba diving for the first time yesterday and it was awesome- so good that we actually paid to go out on a second dive (you know it must be good if a couple of cheap people like us are paying to do it again). It was a very surreal experience being completely submerged under water and swimming with the fish. We saw some really unusual creatures and even touched a sea cucumber, sea anemone, and giant clam. Did I mention it was awesome?! Oh yeah- did I also mention we were at the Great Barrier Reef?! I cannot believe that I’ve been to the Great Barrier Reef- I’ve snorkeled and scuba dived (I don’t think that’s a word- but scuba dove doesn’t sound right) the Great Barrier Reef- it’s a biologist’s dream!

Anyway, let me back up a couple days and talk about the other things we’ve done here in Port Douglas- besides scuba diving… which we did… at the Great Barrier Reef. We flew to Cairns Saturday morning- it was fun flying with Cara and Nick- and then caught a shuttle to Port Douglas. We thought that Saturday and Sunday were supposed to be rainy, but it was sunny and beautiful when we arrived. We checked into our apartment- it’s probably two to three times the size of our apartment in Melbourne with 3-bedrooms, 2-bathrooms, a full-size kitchen, a small balcony downstairs, and a wrap-around veranda upstairs. We’re surrounded by palm trees and are about a 5-minute walk to the beach. We spent most of the afternoon Saturday at the beach and then went out for dinner. On Sunday morning, we went to the Port Douglas markets. We saw some cool stuff, but the only things we bought were coffee and a small cooler bag to carry around to keep our water cold. After the market, Cara and I went shopping around the town and Mark and Nick went back to the beach. We ate in and then enjoyed some wine and Pain Killers (it’s some drink that they had in the Caribbean and Nick has perfected it here). Yesterday, of course, we went to the Great Barrier Reef!

On our way out to the Reef, there was a silver fish skidding across the water- it was pretty cool! Before reaching the first spot (we stopped at three spots), we watched a video about diving and then went over the basics with the guide. I have to say, Mark and I were a little nervous. Fortunately we were scheduled to snorkel at the first site and dive at the second- I think snorkeling first got us used to breathing while under water. We had a great time snorkeling! The reef was right below us so we saw tons of cool stuff. After awhile at the first site, we got back on the boat and headed to the second site. At the second site, we loaded up all of our gear, practiced breathing, and then got into the water. Mark and I went first, went over a couple skills with the guide, and then hung out and waited for Cara and Nick to come in and went over the skills. Then it was off to explore. We were out on our first dive for about 35 minutes, which I guess is good for beginners- it means we were calm and easy with our breathing. I found myself focusing on my breathing and on depressurizing my ears, so every once in awhile I’d have to remind myself that I was at the Great Barrier Reef with strange tropical creatures all around. It was much easier on the second dive and I was able to enjoy myself much more- plus we were on the second dive for about the same amount of time but we didn’t have to do all of the skills, so we were able to spend more time swimming around and exploring. It was an awesome experience and we can’t wait to show off our video- because, yes, we did the dorky first-time divers thing and bought the video :)

Today, Mark and Nick are golfing and Cara and I are just taking it easy. We might do a little shopping or treat ourselves to pedicures, but then again, we might just hang out at the beach. Tomorrow we’re going on a tour to the Kuranda Rainforest and Thursday we’ve rented a car and plan to go to the Mossman Gorge, the Daintree (another rainforest), and Cape Tribulation. Mark and I are going back out snorkeling on Friday and I think Cara and Nick are going to do a crocodile cruise. Saturday morning it’s goodbye to Cara and Nick and back to reality :(

Golfing with the Roos.

While Nichole worked and Cara hit the market. Nick and I went golfing with a Nick Stefenac (an American friend Nikki and I made out here), as well as some Aussie friends... the kangaroos! I whooped Nick in golf as usual. Turns out not everything is backward over here.
After a round of golf and a few rounds of beer, we headed back in to the city and had dinner with Tim and Carol again. Nick had the Aussie classic of a chicken parma. This is a bastardized chicken parmesan that the Australians have claimed as their own. Cara's knee is feeling a bit better so we strolled through the city and had dessert.
Today we have the zoo scheduled and then pack up for the Great Barrier Reef!

Nick and Cara in Melbourne part 2

The last post left off with us headed to dinner with our Aussie Nick and Cara (Tim and Carol). On the way we stopped at Pugg Mahones. That's right we have a Pugg Mahones in Melbourne. Turns out they don't have a pork chop sandwich like the world famous Pugg Mahon's of Billings, MT. A bit of a downer but they made up for it with some darn good beer. Nick agreees with my assessment of Aussie beer, that it is not very good. So, it was nice to have some good Irish beer. After a few, we hit the Abla's Lebanese restaurant. This is Tim and Carol's forte. They know good food. And good food it was. They were about 20 courses. They just keep bringing you strange and wonderful food, until you roll out satisfied, and 10 pounds heavier. As if that was enough gluttony, we walked on down to Brenetti's. This is a decadent heaven. You get a cavity just looking at the many sweets. Not quite my thing, but Cara described it as her version of heaven.
Speaking of Cara, she has been hobbling around Melbourne like a polio victim. Her knee has really been bothering her. This has forced our visitors into a true Melbourne experience. Endlessly waiting on trams.
We rolled the tram over to the Melbourne Museum. Cara and Nick thoroughly enjoyed it. Just to give a background on how good the Melbourne Museum is. Nikki and I spent about 2 hours in the Louvre in Paris and we spent about 4-5 hours in the Melbourne Museum. We also went to the State Library of Victoria. Where we saw Ned Kelly's armor and several really old books. Poetic for Nikki and Cara there was a book by Sigmund Freud and "On the Origin of Species" by Charles Darwin sitting right next to each other.
After the Library we went to St. Kilda to chuck some bangers on the Barby over at my mate Stuey's house. This is where Nick and Cara spent the better part of the evening assuring Stuey that I am not the total representation of an American. After dinner, we walked down to the beach to check out the penguins. They were cute little buggers. Today after a bit of time at the market, we are ditching Cara and hitting the links again!

Nick and Cara Arrive!

These Dalbeys don't mess around. I am just now recovering from the bushwalk we took today. They were a bit fast for me. I'm sure it was a lovely walk, but I spent the bulk of it gasping for air and hoping I wouldn't black out. This is just the latest off our many adventures in the three days they have been here. They arrived Sunday morning and we kept them awake (jet lag) by walking around Melbourne. Nick is still getting used to being upside down. We went to the Sunday art market for Cara and Nikki where I felt like I was the one with jet lag. I have introduced Nick to the glory of meat pies. He digs'em. Good thing too because he might have been removed from the cool list had he not liked these glorious creations. Monday was a busy day. Nick and I went golfing (I won (by far)). Then from the golf to the footy game (Doggies won(by far)). We had few beers at the footy game. Nick likens it to a keg stand. Then we hit a comedy show. Today, while Nichole worked Cara, Nick, and I hit the Dandenong ranges to walk up the thousand steps... this is where I dying. Only one the way up though. I'm pretty good with the downhill. Tonight we hti a Lebanese restaurant with Tim and Carol... our Aussie Nick and Cara. We will keep up with the adventures of N,C,N, and M... So keep checking back.

Busy, busy, busy

I just realized it has been a fair bit of time since I last posted. I have been quite busy as of late. Not with work (let's not be silly). As much as I miss having a car, and as much as I complain about public transport, I love riding a bike around everywhere. It has made me a lot less chubby and is a great way to see the city. The other day, my British mate Stuey and I went on the Yarra valley trail. Which was essentially a nature trail all the way through the city. You wouldn't even believe your in the middle of a city of 4 million. It felt like I was biking through the woods. This city is great for a bike.
Also, last week I went fishing for the first time in Australia. Note, I went fishing not catching. The highlight was driving through the area of the fires. The state of Victoria is quite a change from the rest of this country. It is quite green and mountainous. Not quite Montana Mountainous but beautiful all the same. The path that the fires went through was incredibly depressing. I just couldn't grasp the destruction. There were entire towns that were destroyed. We went through Marysville and it was like a bomb went off. The whole city was gone. All burned down. Imagine Red Lodge was just wiped out. The forest however was already starting to grow back, which really showed Nature's resiliency.
I've also hit three comedy shows for the Melbourne International Comedy Festival.
These are the things I did last week. As for Nikki... she worked and went to school. I love being a kept man.

Spring Fever...

You'd think that after 9 months I'd be used to the opposite seasons, but I'm not. Although it's definitely cooling down here, the fresh crisp air (and the fact that it's April) makes me think that spring is here and summer is coming. However, the reality is that fall is here and winter is coming. Aside from that small detail, I guess you could say it's been a typical spring (of course in the sense that anything is typical this year). First, I'm sick, of course, as always happens when the seasons change. And second, both Mark and I are anticipating the end of the school year (which isn't really the end of the school year in Australia), but for very different reasons. For me, it's hard to think that by the middle of June I'll have written a 10,000-word essay. It's even harder to think this in light of the fact that I've only written 1,000 of those words so far. For Mark, well, anybody that reads can figure out why Mark is anticipating the end of the school year.

I guess what's different though is that the end of the school year also means the end of this experience. I remember when Serena lived with us and would say, "I can't believe I only have 3 months left," to which I'd reply that 3 months is still a long time. Now I understand where she was coming from and I'm the one saying, "I can't believe we only have 3 months left!" On one hand, it feels like we've been here a long time. We're definitely settled in and comfortable (or as comfortable as we can be in 400 square feet with Ikea furnishings). We have a handful of pretty good friends and another handful of good people to hang out with. We walk around the city like it's our city. And last week, I recommended and gave directions for places to shop to a couple of tourists that stopped into the cafe. But, on the other hand, it feels like we just got here. There's so much to see in do in Melbourne alone, that we've just barely scratched the surface. And then there's the rest of Australia with all it has to offer. We've definitely been lucky to see as much of it as we have, but there's still so much more to see... which reminds me, we're off to Port Douglas and the Great Barrier Reef in a couple of weeks :) so be sure to check back for pictures!

Da' BEARS!

One thing that I really haven't missed out on over here is following the off-season action of the Monster's of the Midway. I listen to the Waddle and Silvy show daily (Chicago ESPN show), as well as Mike and Mike in the morning. I check Chicago Bears.com, Chicago Tribune, and Profootballtalk.com every single day. So, I've been following the Cutler ordeal for a while now. Much to Nichole's chagrin, she is the only person around I can talk Gridiron with, she just throws in the occasional "mm-hmm" and ignores what I am saying. It really is a pleasent exchange and I also use the technique when she goes on about her classes a bit too long. Anyway, back to the subject. Jay Cutler has left the 2nd most disgusting team in the NFL for the league's most storied franchise. Not only that, but Da' Bears also signed on Orlando Pace. to help protect him Today was like Christmas for a fan that has seen 42 Bears QB's in my lifetime.

One more thing while I'm posting, before you feel too bad for my lovely bride and her full schedule, keep in mind, she works in a coffee shop while I work in an environment where the students routinely imagine my soul burning in eternal damnation.