Backdoor Braggin'

• The nerve of the Sydney Tower! We'd only circumnavigated two-thirds of the city in their revolving tower-top bar when we realized that the world was no longer spinner around us, or vice versa, or the opposite. This meant that my friends Yian Yian, Dan, Lindsay, Derek and I were forced to get up and move from table to table in order to finish the grand-scale game of I-Spy, as well as my James Squire Amber Ale. What a drag!

• Ugh, I look like Rudolph (no, not the former mayor). My single application of sunblock must not have been strong enough once the sun pressed through in the early afternoon yesterday, leaving me with a bright red nose. It was probably the extended picnic  lunch (pictured) on the cliff top of the South Head entrance to Sydney Harbour (Port Jackson). Though I suppose it could have been the hike out to New South Wales' second-oldest functioning lighthouse, or the reflections off the water on the fast-ferry ride out to Watson's Point.

• Isn't burning the roof of your mouth simply the worst? Dining at Sea Baby on yummy Chinese soup during my friend Pieta's lunch hour the delectable dumpling burst flavour, along with intense heat, leaving my tongue in heaven and my mouth's roof in purgatory.

• A decade's streak ruined by the Taronga Zoo. Having worked up an appetite just watching the acrobatics of the seal and bird shows, I was in need of refueling. Snagged a veggie wrap from the cafe to rejuvenate myself for the three baby tigers, lions, giraffes and platypus, but not until after tearing off a huge bite with my teeth and swallowing it did my friend Shaista, with whom I was sharing the wrap, point out that it looked mightily like chunks of chicken in the wrap. Sure enough the label confirmed it, but the damage had already been done to this vegetarian.

•  Suffering for choices - at the Local Taphouse I could only drink one night's worth of beer from the twenty on tap (and additional twenty-one bottles, including two from Brooklyn Brewery). Not only that but Dan legitimately complained that they did formerly have more. Ok this isn't backdoor at all, it's simply marvelous and I wanted to share.

To(o) Lax

With the prospect of over 20 hours cooped up in a flying vessel ahead of me I wasn't too anxious to strap in early. Waiting for the first call for last call before boarding at Pearson, I was near the end of what had been a lengthy queue for a full flight. Arriving at my window seat I tried to show penance for having climbed over the two people to get there by reassuring them that boarding was almost complete. The wording of what I blurted out did the opposite of reassure them, as I asserted to my fellow airline passengers "The end is near." The rest of the flight was spent trying not to worry them by not saying much. Luckily there were Hollywood distractions on board my flight to LA - Gosling, Pitt and Clooney. Like I said, it was a packed flight!

Australia, The Rematch/New Zealand (February 2012)

Welcome to this double feature. Grab your popcorn, or more appropriately some of Stefan's Pies, and prepare to follow the adventure through this foreign feature.

A mere fourteen months ago I was returning from the underside of the world with visions of starfish and tales of even grander times to be had in New Zealand.

Not to mention my new-found appreciation for organized tours, and the parties that run hand-in-hand. Doing the quick calculation I realized at a rate of one Contiki tour a year I only had ten more opportunities before being age-discriminated out of eligibility. All of this combined with a yearning to see everything in the whole wide world, and additionally take a break from the Canadian winter, culminated in the planning of this trip. I couldn't very well travel all that way and not pop in to say hello to my Aussie and transplanted-Aussie friends (see you soon Lee, Shai, Yian Yian, Dan and Tegan!) so I'm starting in the familiar home of the kangaroo before breaking new ground with the kiwis.

Equipped with my new everything-proof camera and a desperate desire for a break following some intense months of work I'm setting off shortly to view every vista and soak up every ray of my month away. That being said, I may take the occasional moment to fill you in on what I've seen and done. Feel free to peek here from time to time and read all about it.

Next post from the other side!

Australian Video Review!

Five weeks in Australia simply flew by. Luckily I had my camera at the ready - at least for much of it - and this is the fruit of those pictures, handily packaged up in this video. Watch simply for the darling penguins, koalas, glimpse of a dolphin and even a shark! I'm packing a lot into 8 minutes so don't blink.



Great Australian (and American) music to boot!
- Architecture in Helsinki (Aus)
- The Boat People (Aus)
- Wavves (USA)

Roboroom

Shhhhhhweep goes the door as the green button is pressed. Opening upon a fairly clean commode I find this 'heaps' nicer than the last public washroom I'd turned down. I enter and press the inner green button - Shhhhwoop, the door closes behind me. A friendly voice from everywhere begins instructing me on how to go to the bathroom. The nicest touch however is when I take a seat and a full-piano version of What the World Needs Now (is Love, Sweet Love) begins playing for my enjoyment (and perhaps to muffle sounds to the outside world?). The song does not make up for the automated TP dispenser whirring and whirring without producing anything but noise (luckily I'd realized this ahead of time and had come prepared - hopefully the next 'bloke' did too!). The lack of soap from the laser guided dispenser was disappointing, but would have been forgiven if on the way out the room had sighed "Ahh, What a relief!"

It's Oh-vah

Finished up my east coast tour today which was bittersweet. Saying goodbye to all my new 'mates' was pretty difficult with the reality of not seeing many of them again. The tour itself was much different and so much more than I'd really come to expect, in all the best ways. I think I pretended I was still 18 while taking a couple of months off my lifespan in the process, and am sure that it was worthwhile. Highlights were many and came quick but sailing in the Whitsunday's, scuba & snorkelling the reef and today's bungy jump were all up there. Back in Sydney now just for a day and a half before the day-long travels back home (where I leave and arrive at about the same time due to time change). Hopefully I remembered to take the odd picture or two, but Facebook is sure to turn up a couple in the weeks to come... I worry I won't be quick enough for all the untagging that will likely need to be done...

Tiki

I've been Contiki-ing for a week and it feels like a month for the amount that has been packed into that time. Hence the lack of free moment to write quirky and interesting blog posts to you all. I'm more alive than ever, embracing the "you can sleep on the bus" mentality and running with it. The weather hasn't quite been the dream I'd hoped for but that hasn't put much damper on the party. And now that it has turned - hot and sunny now - I'm going to spend the next two days in the ocean dragging along behind the sailboat I'm partying, er sleeping on. Beyond that it is GBReef diving and WWRafting then trying to say goodbye to all my new friends!

Will have photos and stories for you when I'm home December 13th!