Coming Soon....

We did so much on this trip that not everything could/or should have made it to the normal blog; but because there are still some great things to show you, we will soon be posting some bloopers and outtakes from our trip.

Things that didnt deserve a full post but are definitely worth seeing (and laughing at)

Cheers!

A Blonde Farewell to Sydney, last night out at the Ivy

Our last night in Sydney was a long one! Because our flight home would not be a red-eye like it was coming, we knew we couldn't sleep the night before to make sure we were able to sleep on the plane. What we didn't calculate is that it is good to be tired for your plane... not hungover and tired! Either way we hit the Ivy nightclub for a fun final night! This morning we were hurting at the airport but it was well worth it.

Should I get out of bed tomorrow?!

Jeri and I had a daily ritual in Australia. Everyday after taking the train we picked up our free copy of the MX which is a daily gossip newspaper and turn to our favorite article, "should I get out of bed tomorrow?" So of course it was fitting that we had to look at it the day before our flight home. We think that these are very telling....

Mine is Capricorn: I think it hit on my longing to stay in Australia very well.

Jeri's is Libra: No turning back aye? Perhaps on to our next trip?

WWF: More than Wrestling! Earth Hour 2009

Our trip to Australia wasn't just all about fun and games... we decided to make a contribution to Australian society (besides just being here) and volunteer! We spent a week volunteering at the WWF office which is not the World Wrestling Federation, it is the World Wildlife Fund (the one with the cute panda symbol).. We helped them prepare for Earth Hour which is something that was started in Australia to help raise awareness about environmental issues and work towards the restructuring the Kyoto protocol in order to prevent global warming.

All you have to do to support Earth Hour is go online and register to participate. It just means shutting your lights off for one hour! It is taking place on Saturday March 28 at 8:30PM!

This Year Vote Earth!
visit: http://www.earthhour.org/home/

"The Hunter": Hunter Valley Wine Country!

Wino! Jeri and I couldn't pass up visiting "The Hunter" Australia's equivalent to our Napa Valley. We spent the day drinking wine, eating cheese, and causing (a bit) of havoc at the wineries!

We started our day at McWilliam's award wining winery, where we spent...eh hum... 2 hours tasting wine and chatting with our new wine-making friends (As this was the start of the day, these are the only pictures we took.. the rest of the day was more of a blur!)

***As a side note, it is important for you to understand that "information center" in the Hunter Valley means an inlet on the shoulder of the road where there is a large map posted of the area--SUPER helpful*** So when we arrived at McWilliam's our wine tasting host Andy provided us with a proper map including his house which was artistically cut out and tapped to our map!

Matt was another amazing McWilliams host whom makes his own wine (keep your eyes out for him) He was kind enough to give us two bottles of his homemade (garage made) wine from his brand 14 Drops. Not knowing what they were getting themselves into...they let us run wild behind the bar and let us wear some amazing day-glow vests (these are worn out in the vineyards to keep track of people) which we rocked as indicators of awesomeness.

The GREAT Ocean Road (sorta)

We have realized how spoiled we are to live in California. The Great Ocean Road trip though was beautiful and scenic couldnt quite rival the coastal views of the California Coastline along CA1. Perhaps we are a bit biased... but there were a few things that definitely out-shadowed our ocean coast. A few of those being the rain forests that set slightly inland from the coast (with waterfall) as well as the 12 Apostles (formations that were formed from the crashing waves) which were stunning. And as with any scenic coastal drive there was the romantic Split lighthouse at Aireys Inlet where we sat on a wooden bench and slipped our warm coffee.

Penguin Parade: Phillip Island

"Ahh they are so cute"

"Jeri, quick, you distract the rangers, I will toss one in my purse!"

After waiting 2 hours on a beach in Phillip Island (2 hours away of Melbourne) Jeri and I witnessed the penguin parade! Every night at "dusk" which is really a way of saying, "whenever the penguins show up," the Fairy Penguins come out of the water and head into their burrows to rest for the night (and mate). 804 penguins came out for the penguin parade that night and they are so cute and tiny. Standing around 30cm tall, they are the smallest of the 17 types of penguins.

They were worth the wait! Since we could not use photography (it scares the little guys) here is a photo we borrowed from a website for your enjoyment!