Leah Down Under

a different west coast

leah — Mon, 3 Jan 2011 11:54:00 GMT

After more than a year of silence on this journal, I figured I should probably give it some closure. I now reside in San Francisco with Seb. Check out the bits and pieces of our California life here: sfbitsandpieces.blogspot.com.

from one winter to another...

leah — Sun, 4 Oct 2009 11:12:00 GMT

My time here is almost up, sadly, but Mother Nature, knowing I don't get a summer this year as I'm leaving Perth at the end of the winter and going back to the US during the fall, has blessed me with a few days of beautiful sunshine for my last weekend in Western Australia. Sun, fun and good times on the water were had. With a cloudless blue sky, the Indian Ocean at Cottesloe Beach was sparkling, and pale Perthians were out in full force to regain their tans. It was a truly gorgeous day at the beach and on the Swan River, where Seb convinced his friend, Rob, to take us for an afternoon river cruise on his boat. Summer days drifting away...but I'm looking forward to fall in Missouri. See you all soon!

There are a few new photos in the "springtime" gallery.

bali: where the land is lush, the beer is cheap and a one-hour massage costs five dollars

leah — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 15:51:00 GMT

The island paradise of Bali exceeded my already-high expectations, and considering it rained on us most of the time, that really says something about this small isle in the archipelago that makes up Indonesia. There was a lot of relaxing-on-the-beach time, laying under an umbrella on a wooden lounge chair, both rented from a local man for about four bucks. Unfortunately, the umbrella protected me from the rain more than it protected me from the sun. Apparently, it never rains in Bali in September. Then Seb and I showed up. I apologize to the rest of the vacationers for sharing our bad weather luck.

Inexpensive is the key word in Bali: food, beer, jewelry, handmade suits, hotel rooms and spa services. It's all quite cheap, which is why most of the other Australians we met there were on holiday for at least two weeks. And which is why we basically spent three days eating, drinking and shopping our way around Legian, the town where we stayed. The incredibly friendly Balinese people line the streets outside of their shops and day spas and do everything they can to get you to part with your money, but they do so with big smiles on their faces. I can't tell you how many times I heard, "Darling, you want a manicure?"

We did manage to fit in some culture with an afternoon trip to Ulu Watu, a cliff-side Hindu temple located on the western tip of the small peninsula that juts off the south side of the island. The temple is gorgeous, but overrun with tourists. The local monkeys make an interesting side show, though. If they're not snatching the sunglasses off your head, they're fighting with each other.

The highlight of our trip was our 40km cycling tour through quiet village back roads. We were driven north into the mountains to Kintamani, in the northeastern part of the island. On the way, we stopped at a coffee farm for a tasting and a look at a local luwak, a little critter that eats a red coffee cherry, digests it and then gets rid of it. The still-intact coffee bean is picked up by farmers and roasted, and it results in the most expensive coffee in the world. True story.

At this point we hadn't actually started biking yet. The weather, however, had begun to come down. We were whisked up to the crater rim to enjoy fried bananas and a view of Lake Batur and its volcano neighbor Mt. Batur. The fried bananas were great. The view was not. Unfortunately, the fog and mist had completely obliterated the view, but our guides did a nice job of pointing out to us where exactly the volcano and lake should be. Oh well. We donned trash bags and finally hopped on our mountain bikes. It was wet and cold, but still managed to be one of the most beautiful bike rides I've experienced. The ride was a slow descent from village to village, with rice paddies, peanut-plant fields and other stunning tropical flora in between. The beautiful Balinese children who were playing outside their family compounds practiced their English on us in every village we rode through by waving furiously and yelling, "Hello hello hello!" and "Welcome welcome!" It was pretty amazing.

Photos in the "bali" gallery.

Gallery: bali

leah — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 13:00:00 GMT

Gallery: byron bay & surfers paradise

leah — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 14:06:00 GMT

byron bay and surfers paradise

leah — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 12:53:00 GMT

After our two days in Sydney, Jess and I flew up the coast of New South Wales to the much-loved holiday spot of Byron Bay, in the northeastern corner of the state. All year I've been hearing and reading out how great Byron Bay is, and it did not disappoint. From foreign backpackers on tight budgets to affluent vacationers from around Australia, Byron Bay seems to be a favorite of everyone's, and for good reason. The beach is beautiful, of course, but that's true of most Aussie seaside locales -- Byron's laid-back surfer/hippie vibe meshes well with its high-end boutiques and restaurants, and the end result is an all-around good time.

We were very outdoorsy, from our 5:00 a.m. sunrise hike to the famous lighthouse and easternmost point in Australia to our kayaking and snorkeling adventures in the freezing Pacific. Our day-trip into the countryside took us to the alternative village of Nimbin, where they celebrate and advocate all things marijuana from the names of shops to the annual Mardigrass festival. Compared to the dry west coast, the lush green hinterland of New South Wales, with rolling hills, tall trees and secret swimming holes, is utterly gorgeous. Marine wildlife is also abundant in Byron Bay -- whales, dolphins and sea turtles were all spotted.

After three days in Byron, we hopped on a bus, headed north and crossed the state line into Queensland, where we spent one day on the Gold Coast in Surfers Paradise. Despite its name, an easy-going beach town it is most definitely not. Surfers is filled with high-rises (both new and glitzy and old and run-down), shopping malls and tourist attractions. Think Orlando meets Cancun. Not my favorite place in Australia, but it's popular with families, retirees and teenagers who are looking for nothing more from their vacation than a full-service hotel, a swimming pool, a beach and ridiculous amounts of mediocre restaurants and chain stores.

Photos in the "byron bay & surfers paradise" gallery.

Gallery: sydney

leah — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 12:33:00 GMT

Gallery: springtime

leah — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 11:34:00 GMT

sydney...finally!

leah — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 11:33:00 GMT

It took me nearly a year of being in Oz to finally make it to Sydney, home of the famous Opera House and Harbour Bridge, as well as many other beautiful pieces of architecture. It also boasts great parks, a waterfront botanical garden, ferries to take you to all points around the harbour, and a charming historical district called The Rocks, where we stayed in the small, but very cute, Russell Hotel. Jessica and I were there for two short days, but I think we made the most of the central area and, of course, the Koala Bear Sanctuary.

Photos and details in the "sydney" gallery.

a southern spring

leah — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 11:18:00 GMT

It's not quite warm in Perth, but spring has sprung for the wildflowers and the newborn birdlife. The sun has poked through a few times in the past couple weeks, bringing with it gorgeous pink wildflowers in King's Park and adorable ducklings and swan babies (swanlings?).

There are a few photos in the "springtime" gallery.

Gallery: south perth and the city

leah — Tue, 18 Aug 2009 20:29:00 GMT

the sweet life in south perth

leah — Tue, 18 Aug 2009 20:27:00 GMT

While Seb's parents are traveling, we have the good fortune to dog- and house-sit for them at their luxe condo in the cute enclave of South Perth, a neighborhood on the south side of the Swan River, directly across from downtown Perth. The pad, with its city and river views, couldn't be in a better location. Long walks in almost any direction take me past cute bungalows and modern townhouses or along the river with its many waterfront parks and water-loving bird species. Yesterday, between patches of rain, I managed to get out long enough to cross the bridge towards King's Park and enjoy views of the "Narrows" section of the river.

Photos in the "south perth and the city" gallery.

kookaburra on the loose

leah — Tue, 18 Aug 2009 20:01:00 GMT

I woke up in Margaret River a few weeks ago to this little creature gracing us with his presence on the deck. Luckily, he was silent during his time with us...kookaburras make the most annoying noise. The first time I heard it, I thought children were screaming next door. Up close, they don't look all that friendly, either.

A few more pics in the "down south" gallery.

coastal living

leah — Mon, 27 Jul 2009 19:08:00 GMT

We had a much-needed break Sunday in the cloudy skies that have overtaken Perth this winter, so I spent some time rediscovering the Perth coast. Or discovering new parts of it, I should say. Normally, I find myself on the wide sandy stretches of Cottesloe, Scarborough or City Beach, but north of Trigg, where I explored on Sunday, the patches of sand become smaller and more secluded in between rocks and bush.

Photos from my walk are in the "beach time" gallery.

winter mini-break

leah — Tue, 14 Jul 2009 13:56:00 GMT

Mother Nature was very kind to us this past weekend with glorious spring-like weather. After a lot of rain and storms, it was a welcome distraction, so Seb and I took advantage with a little winter mini-break. We headed north about 1.5 hours to the tiny seaside town of Lancelin. There's not much there but a pub and a pretty beach. Works for us. We stopped along the way at the northern Perth suburb of Mindarie. I hadn't been up there, but saw on the map that there was a marina, so we decided to check it out. Turned out to be a beautiful spot on the coast with a small marina, nice pub and several huge mansions with marina and ocean views. We basked in the sunshine with pints and chips (fries), and stared enviously at the mansions, each with their own tiny docks for their own not-so-tiny yachts.

We made it to Lancelin in time to set up our tent and hit the beach to watch the sunset. This was a budget getaway, so even though it is the middle of winter, we camped. It was freezing. I filled the entire back seat of the car with blankets in anticipation of a very chilly night. Luckily, I did not die of hypothermia and have lived to tell this tale.

The next day consisted of surfing and a beautiful drive into the Swan Valley, where we enjoyed the gorgeous, hilly scenery filled with farms and vineyards, stopped for a couple of wine tastings, and played a round of Supa Golf. What is Supa Golf, you ask? It is sort of a combo of mini golf and regular golf. You use oversized clubs and oversized, rubber-like balls. It's like regular golf in that there are no crazy features like there are in Putt Putt. But the course is much smaller than regular golf. We also had a bit of a history lesson along the Swan River. The Swan River in Perth is huge. Wide, that is. Like a lake. And it ends at the Indian Ocean. But it starts up in the hills, where it is very narrow. Back in the 1800s, Captain Stirling sailed up the Swan River from the ocean as far as he could. He got to the Swan Valley, where the oldest church in the Perth metro area still stands. Next to that is a very old graveyard and a gate with a plaque that celebrates his voyage.

Pics in the "weekends" gallery.

american spirit and christmas in july

leah — Tue, 14 Jul 2009 13:26:00 GMT

Trying to celebrate an American holiday anywhere other than America is, obviously, not quite the same. But I did my best. We couldn't find any American flags, but there happens to be one red wall in our house, which made a perfect base for some hastily taped together pieces of printer paper and blue streamers. I ran out of patience after cutting out about 20 stars, but I think it worked quite well. We even managed to find some Budweiser and MGD on sale.

As I brought one American tradition to friends in Perth, they returned the favor with a Christmas in July dinner. Apparently some Australians feel they get ripped off trying to eat typical hot Christmas dinners when it's nearly 100 degrees outside, and therefore deserve two Christmases. Snow it did not, but there was Secret Santa and lots of potato dishes.

taiwan?

leah — Wed, 1 Jul 2009 04:23:00 GMT

Riding the wave of success that Australia had with its Best Job in the World contest a few months ago (a job living in paradise on Hamilton Island in the Whitsundays), Taiwan has announced a Best Trip in the World contest to promote tourism in the country. Fifty teams of two or more will be picked to go to Taiwan for four days, write a blog, and video-document the trip, and then be in the running for a grand prize to go back to Taiwan for one month and win $30,000.

Seb and I have entered, and you can watch our homemade Flash video here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LTC2xr5xUzI. If you have a YouTube account, please rate it. You can also check out our entry on the Taiwan Best Trip website: http://www.taiwanbesttrip.net/group/leahandseb/intro/group-introduction-of-adventure-seekers?lang=en. The voting period is over, but hopefully we'll make it through the first round and there will be another chance to vote for us.

Gallery: bird life

leah — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 15:37:00 GMT

The wildlife around Lake Monger in West Leederville, Perth, Australia

a bird's life

leah — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 14:54:00 GMT

One of the easiest and most cost-effective ways I amuse myself these days is by observing the various species of bird and duck that live around my local watering hole--Lake Monger. My favorites are the cockatoos. While the black swans and the dozen or so other water-loving birds are at the lake on a daily basis, the cockatoos are a little more discerning. They flit in and out--checking out other areas around town, I guess, before deciding to head back to Lake Monger on any given morning. I often find swarms of nearly 100 of them, spreading across the grass and into the busy street. They seem perfectly oblivious to the honking cars that almost run them over. The most entertaining feature is the way they eat. Instead of directly picking up food with their beaks, they stand on one claw and use the other to pick food off the ground and feed themselves. It's hilarious.

More photos in the "bird life" gallery.

victorian melbourne

leah — Mon, 8 Jun 2009 17:51:00 GMT

As luck would have it, Melbourne, Victoria, notoriously rainy and chilly in the winter, where we were expecting clouds and drizzle, miraculously gave us a bright blue sky for our day of exploring. So we took it and wore ourselves out wandering around this delicious city on Port Phillip Bay on Australia's southeast coast. Gorgeous building after gorgeous building line the historic streets of the central business district, along the Yarra River, and the atmosphere and people struck me as very European compared to Perth (which I think is more "California"). The shopping is wonderful, and there are lots of neighborhoods and districts with cute shops and cafes.

We ventured south to St. Kilda, which was an upscale seaside suburb during the Victorian era and is now a trendy place to see and be seen, mainly on Acland Street, which is lined with boutiques and amazing cake shops whose front windows are filled floor-to-ceiling with colorful, sugary treats. Chapel Street is another chic shopping district, where I spent plenty of time popping into shops while Seb unbeknowstly continued walking down the street talking to himself.

There is a lot of green space in Melbourne, and the Royal Botanical Gardens are very spacious and lovely. They are inside a huge park that also includes the Queen Victoria Gardens and the Alexandria Gardens, which lead back up to the south bank of the Yarra River.

The architecture, the shopping, the food and the cafe culture are all fantastic, and my favorite features of the city are the little arcades and alleys that encompass all of the above. Block Arcade and Royal Arcade, which sit between major streets in the city, both date from the late 1800s. They are these gorgeous arched walkways with mosaic floors, beautiful moldings and colorful chocolate shops, bakeries and clothing stores. The pedestrian-only DeGraves Street is another favorite, where the umbrella-ed tables sit in the middle of the street and it's impossible to tell where one cafe stops and the other begins. I could not get enough of these heavenly little thoughfares, as Seb can attest to because I kept dragging him through the same ones. I highly recommend going to Melbourne for them alone.

I did not take many photos of Melbourne, as I was too busy simply taking it all in, but there are some in the "melbourne" gallery.

Gallery: melbourne

leah — Mon, 8 Jun 2009 17:22:00 GMT

Gallery: queensland

leah — Mon, 8 Jun 2009 16:35:00 GMT

tropical queensland

leah — Mon, 8 Jun 2009 15:31:00 GMT

Last week, I finally made it over to Australia's lovely east coast. After eight months of being in Western Australia, it was fantastic to see more of this expansive nation. Queensland, Oz's northeastern state, was our first stop. We started in the delightful harbor town of Airlie Beach (a major stop on the Australian backpackers' circuit and home to some amazing yachts), where we spent one night before jumping on our home for three days, the former racing sailboat "Freight Train." Eighteen passengers and three crew made for some cramped condtions below deck, but the views of the 74 Whitsunday islands were pretty amazing when we had a break from the clouds and rain. Unfortunately, Mother Nature did not smile down on us for most of the trip, but we had enough blue sky to see how amazingly beautiful the Whitsundays are. They sit between the Queensland coast and the outer reef in the Great Barrier Reef marine park. All but about eight of the islands are uninhabited (those eight have resorts on them), and the biggest of the isles, Whitsunday Island, boasts the famous Whitehaven Beach, a seven-kilometer stretch of incredibly white silica sand that has been a location of films, including "Fool's Gold" with Matthew McConaughey (bad movie, but if you've seen it you know there is some wonderful scenery). The snorkeling was great...lots of colorful fish and a big turtle enjoying a swim.

After the Whitsundays, we headed south to Brisbane, where we spent one night en route to Noosa, a resort town on the Sunshine Coast (the 70-mile stretch of Pacific Ocean beaches and holiday towns north of Brisbane). While Airlie Beach catered to backpackers and offered all kinds of inexpensive accommodation and drink deals, Noosa was the opposite. Both are gorgeous places with cute main streets and a laid-back beach vibe, but Noosa is more sophisticated. Lots of gourmet restaurants and upscale shopping to be found, as well as Noosa National Park, which is right on the coast and has great views along the coastal path (from what we could see through the clouds...again, we had rain). Noosa is a big surfing spot, and longboarders abound.

See the "queensland" gallery for pics and more details. And then, on to Melbourne...

Gallery: augusta

leah — Wed, 22 Apr 2009 20:01:00 GMT

no easter bunnies in augusta

leah — Wed, 22 Apr 2009 19:33:00 GMT

We traipsed down to the southwest tip of Australia on our long Easter weekend (that's right, Easter is a lovely four-day weekend here). Augusta is a cute small town that sits in a great spot near Cape Leeuwin where the Blackwood River turns into Flinders Bay, which then runs into the Southern Ocean. The house we stayed in was right on the water and could not have had a more perfect location. The wind was rockin' for Seb and his kite-surfing buddies, and I had days full of wine tours and relaxing by the water. While I did not receive a visit from the Easter bunny this year, I did find myself in a couple of interesting situations. First, some serious cave exploring. Giants Cave is not your average tourist attraction. There is no guide. There are no lights. You're given a helmet and a flashlight and sent on your way to climb through tiny tunnels and navigate the utter darkness. Second, more crabbing. This time I stayed in the boat and we managed to catch one. He was the appetizer.

Photos in the "augusta" gallery.