Aussie Road Trip Day Five

April 12th Last of the Great Ocean Road and Drive Into Melbourne

As we got up early to say good bye to Apollo Bay and head out towards Melbourne, we stopped at the beach for a few last pictures of the gorgeous surf and sunshine. It was only a 2 1/2 hour drive and we had some options for getting into the city. We considered taking the suggestion of others and catching a ferry to cross a bay and come into the city from below, but we realized cost and timing were not on our side so we kept to the freeway, heading through Torquay, Geelong and Werribee. 

We stopped in Torquay in use the internet at McDonalds, but it wouldn't log on, so we searched for a library and were able to get our normal life stuff done aka check the bank and Facebook. 

Melbourne was our first big city and we had to find out hotel in the downtown of South Yarra. Little did we know this area was a major player in the traffic of Melbourne and we found ourselves in massive city traffic, thankful for Nancy the GPS to tell us when to turn and such. I couldn't imagine what it would have been like if all we had was print off Google Maps. 

As we were driving through the city keeping an eye out for the hotel, the car started to give us some trouble, not idling well and kinda coughing, making Siyani and I very nervous. We finally had to pull over, on a massively congested street in a no parking zone because the car died. Thankfully we were on the same street as the hotel, we just weren't sure how far from it we were. Siyani figured out that some cords had fallen on the fan which prevented it from cooling the engine and this is why the car died. So while he moved the cords and let the engine cool down, I walked up the street the find the hotel. Turns out we were only 3 blocks away. After checking in and finding out where the parking was, Siyani braved merging into the craziest traffic I have ever seen (even Vancouver has nothing on this place) and we finally got parked and into out hotel room. Due to the wonderfulness that was this adventure, there are sadly no pictures from this particular day, as the craziness was yet to continue. 

That evening we had reservations for drinks and appies at a club in the downtown. We got tickets for the train and I asked the lady at the booth which way we would need to go once we exited to get to our street for our reservations. Basically things did not go according to plan. We walked in the complete wrong direction, got turned around, ended up back at the train station at the time we should have been at the club, Siyani figured out which way  we needed to go and it was like 8 blocks down three blocks up, 30 minutes of more walking and when we finally got to the club they informed us that we should have received a call as the evenings entertainment that we had paid for was rescheduled to the next week and would we mind coming back then. This is where we finally caught a break. The manager for the night was a backpacker turned Melbourneite who understood everything we had just gone through and understood why we couldn't comeback (as in we would be in Brisbane by then) felt terrible for all the confusion and comped us 4 drinks and a full dinner. Turned out it wold be one of the best meals we would eat on our whole trip and one I would try and re create from time to time.  Creamy Pumpkin Risotto for me and a perfectly cooked steak for Siyani. After the days events we walked back to the train station, crawled to the hotel and got a well deserved nights sleep in preparation for the rest of Melbourne.

Aussie Road Trip Day Four

April 11th Driving the Great Ocean Road

The plan this beautiful morning was to get up early, drive to Warrnambool, enjoy breakfast and then head out towards Apollo Bay enjoying the sights as we drove. Unfroutunatly our morning got off to a rough start as Siyani realized we had lost the oil cap to the car. He spent the better part of an hour running the few streets we had driven to try and find it. What he did find was a mechanic shop with some helpful guys who called an auto wrecker for us who had one. With the mornings drama sorted we headed out of Stawell and off to Warrnambool.

This part of our trip was what I had been personally looking forward to more then anything. It has been a really big goal of mine to see the Twelve Apostles and to travel the Great Ocean Road. To make sure we didn't miss to much we stopped at the Warrnambool Visitors Center to get a more detailed map and the lady there told us we had to stop at Cheese World just outside of town.

Outside the Warrnambool Visitors Center

Are we ever so glad we heard about Cheese World. Of course with a place like this they make all the cheese in house and the flavors, who such yummy flavors. Siyani and I indulged and bought three different flavors, two mini bottles of champagne and strawberry schnapps, crackers and two of the worlds best milkshakes to go. Cheese world labeled their milkshakes this but we weren't to far off from disagreeing. 

Next we plugged in the stops we wanted into Nancy (the GPS) and headed off on the Great Ocean Road. Words cannot describe the beauty of the rock masses and the surf and the smell of the ocean. We stopped off at quite a few places but one favorite was the Grotto. The tide was out, so Siyani jumped the retaining wall to build an Inukshuck out of rocks, a bit of Canada in Australia.  The twelve apostles was of course the busiest stop along the road, but so worth it. To finally be standing there, seeing them with Siyani was a wonderful moment. We also headed down to the beach to sit on the sand and dip our toes in the ocean. Good thing we are used to cold water, because being so far south it definitely wasn't a tropical surf.

With daylight running out we drove through the The Great Otway National Park. This is where the road goes inland, through dense green forest as far as the eye can see. We tried to take pictures but you just couldn't grasp the expanse or beauty of this place nor the transition of coastal road to inland forest. Take our word for it, the drive was breath taking. 

Once we got to Apollo Bay we found our hostel, grabbed a pizza and once again appreciated having a bed to sleep in. The next day we would see the final part of the Great Ocean Road and hit our first major city, Melbourne.

Morning in Apollo Bay, hitting up the visitors center and enjoying some awesome gelato at a local cafe.

Aussie Road Trip Day Three

April 10th Driving to Stawell,Victoria

After sleeping in the Griffith Info Center parking lot, we headed to Maccas for breakfast and internet. We also had to choose our route, as there were a few options for getting to Stawell. Gaye and Peter had suggested going to Echuca if we could fit it in, as it had some wonderful tourist things to do. As we were ahead of schedule and supposedly on more then just a driving trip we choose to take the tourist way and headed for Echuca. 

Our first stop of the day would be Deniliquin, famous for the 1999 Ute Muster. This was when 2,839 utes paraded through town and wrote the town into the Guinness Book of World Records. This yearly festival has become such a hit that in 2010 a new record was set with 10,152 utes participating. In honor of this the town erected a one of a kind "Ute on a Pole". 

We enjoyed a nice picnic lunch in one of the parks, choosing to Aussie it up. To us this meant packing a cooler bag with food and carrying hot water and instant chai so we could enjoy a nice cuppa when we stopped. At this time I was also thankful for being smart enough to have packed an emergency bag, as I cut my thumb with the knife while making sandwiches. In the park were some fun info stations with which to take pictures of CC the Bear and next to the info center was a mosaic ute. 

1. Siyani with CC at the Ute on a Pole 2. CC with a Cockatoo 3. CC on a large heritage wood cutter 4. CC and Siyani at the Mosaic Ute

We continued onto Echuca, where we were excited to find the Port of Echuca, a heritage icon. The port is set up like Barkerville, with the heritage buildings still in tact and the employees dressed in period costume and the paddle streamers still running up and down the Murray River. We bought our tickets and enjoyed a ride on the PS Pevensey. It was during this ride that we also learned we were pronouncing our destination wrong. While we had been saying it phonetically (Sta-Well) we were told it was pronounced Stall. It was very cool to learn of the heritage of Echuca, the formation of this river port opened up inland Australia to settlement and was Australia's largest inland port. Echuca was also the nations main ship building area for river transport and today with its restoration gives a beautiful glimpse into the past. Of course when we boarded the paddle steamer we had CC the bear with us and one of the attendants said we could get a picture of him at the helm and afterwards he was also given an honorary first mates certificate. 

After our paddle steamer ride we explored the town and to my absolute delight found out that Echuca also boasts a wonderful chocolate/candy heritage. We stopped in at the Echuca Chocolate Company, where we experienced chocolate liquors and walked away with a white chocolate port. Then we hit up the candy store where I got a tin to add to my collection and we picked up some road trip candy. There were so many amazing shops and looking at the visitors guide so many more attractions but we didn't have time to see them all. Echuca will definitely be on our list for next time. 

 

We also did a bit of shopping at a sports outlet store, where Siyani got a complete re-stocking of Fox apparel, and once that was complete we headed out of town for a straight drive to Stawell. After two nights of sleeping in a car lets just say words can't describe the beauty and wonderfulness of a hot shower, some Chinese food and a big comfy bed. A wonder nights sleep in Stawell to get us rested for the next days adventure of the Great Ocean Road. 

The Sunset on our drive through Bendigo and into Stawell

Siyani really enjoying the bed.

Aussie Road Trip Day One and Two

April 8th and 9th Traveling from Mackay QLD to Griffith NSW

The day had finally arrived, the car was packed and we were ready to go. Thanks to Gaye and Peter we were also pretty sure we wouldn't get lost as they lent us their GPS which we of course had to name and in the end the name was Nancy. So we left Mackay and headed towards Rockhampton. This was a destination for two reasons. 1) It would be the first fuel stop and 2) it is where we would head inland instead of continuing down the coast. Let's just say its not a joke when people talk about how horrible the drive from Mackay to Rocky is. Nothing between the towns, so it was a relief when we finally hit Rocky and could take a much needed break. 

And so we kept driving, the first day was set aside for this, just putting a dent into the 2,500 km we would be driving until we got to our first hotel. The plan was to stop in Condamine and sleep in the car, but once we got there we realized we weren't very tired so we kept going until we hit the border of QLD and NSW, the town of Goondiwindi. There we pulled into a truck stop, pulled out our sleeping bags and caught some Z's. 

One of our coffee stops before Goondiwindi

One of the many shires we would drive through

The next day we were up and gone by 5 am with the goal in mind of getting to Griffith. 

The Sunrise as we crossed from QLD to NSW

Along the way we saw Coonabarabran.

Dubbo

And one of the many Australian Big Things, this one of course being the big racket and ball.

Finally we made it to Griffith and with it still being a bit early as we had gotten more driving done then expected we decided to hit a movie. It was perfect timing as we got there only 5 min before the movie started and it was awesome. We saw The Croods, which was a great movie and it felt like watching a movie at home with the exception of the big screen as there were only 4 other people in the whole theater, so we stretched out over the seats all comfy like and enjoyed the flick. 

That evening we again slept in our car, this time though was a bit more un-nerving as we couldn't find a truck stop to pull into. So we found the local Info Center and parked in the back corner hoping we wouldn't get in trouble from anyone. The night passed without a hitch and again we woke up early to get a move on towards Stawell. 

Here a few extra pics from those first two days of driving, driving, and more driving. 

Our awesome M&M car freshener

Driving along 

Practicing the good ol selfie, not easy with a bigger camera

Rain, Shoes and Yummy Stuff

Rain, Rain go away come again........once we leave!

So what happens In February/March in Australia? I can tell you it has nothing to do with hot sunny days at the beach, no it is the opposite in fact. RAIN!!! Lots of rain, so much rain the drainage system outside the house looks more like a geyser and the back retaining wall looks like a really cool fountain. The kids across the street seem to love it as they set up what appears to be a permanent slip and slide on their front lawn. To be honest I am a little jealous, as I have fond memories of large black plastic soaked in water and dish soap at Grandma Fricke's in Smithers.  Now we had real fun on that thing as the trick was to stop before the end for two reasons, a) if you were going to fast you got grass burned cause the plastic ended but you kept going and b) there was a barbed wire fence at the end, so after grass burns was a potential for a little more hurt. So the rain continues and we soldier on, yes it is a fight to enjoy being in a whole different country when all it does is rain for weeks on end. (As a side point, that last statement was drenched in sarcasm in my head).

Rain isn't such a bad thing, it makes stuff green and all that other positive stuff. What I really love about the rain is it gives me even more of a reason to be in the kitchen. Now I must apologize as I made one of the best tasting things ever but I did not take a picture of it. I have the recipe to share but alas nothing to actually show you. Mostly cause I forgot and also kinda because CC loved them so much he ate them before I could think to get a picture. So what is this awesomeness you ask? Cookie Dough Truffles. Now there are two recipes one for Chocolate Chip and one for Oreo. Personally I loved the Oreo ones the most and they are the easiest but the Chocolate Chip one is nice to have when you just feel like eating cooking dough. I found these on StumbleUpon, my favorite button to push. 

Now I did remember to get a picture of the oh so yummy Apple Cinnamon Rolls I made. These were made on a whim due to having bought a bunch of apples then getting sick for two weeks that they weren't crunchy enough for me to just straight up eat but not bad enough to condone chucking.  Oh they were good, like really very awesomely good. So you have that recipe to, so easy for a base roll that you really can add any fruit combo you like. It comes with a cream cheese frosting, but this time around they were so sweet it just didn't need it. 

Finally to my new shoes. This is important, just saying everyone, a shoe update is always news. Especially when they are the cutest orange wedges. I'm not gonna talk to much about these, I will let the pictures do the talking, aren't they just the best though. 

To everyone I apologize once again for not having more regular updates, this time though is due to both Siyani and I being horribly ill with whatever disease all you jealous people sent our way. Ok we don't really blame you but it was curious that so many back home were sick right around the same time we were as well. Just saying, (Trina I know it was you) we forgive WHOEVER made us ill. Now that things are back to fairly normal, we should have more regular updates, that and some exciting stuff is coming up. Love you all. 

Meg and CC

Recipes

 

Apple Cinnamon Rolls

3 teaspoons dry yeast

1 cup warm milk

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup melted butter

1 teaspoon salt

2 eggs

4 cups flour

Mix all ingredients until a smooth ball forms. Leave in warm place until double in size then roll it out to 1/2 cm thick. Fill with cinnamon mixture

1 cup brown sugar

2 tablespoons cinnamon

1/2 cup melted butter

Once the filling is spread on place chopped and peeled apple in the center leaving space around the edges. Roll, cut and place in greased pan. Sprinkle leftover filling on top and place a small butter chunk on each roll. bake for 10 to 15 min. at 375. 

Original recipe found at bestrecipes.com.au

Home away from Home

A visit to Bowen & the Snake

First off we would like to apologize for it being a while since we posted anything. Truth be told, there hasn't been much to write home about as life has gotten into a nice routine. Siyani has continued to work at Avis which he is enjoying very much and we have been living at Emma & Andrews since we first began house sitting for them just before the holidays.The routine has been good but hasn't left much time for adventure or even just visits, especially when Siyani gets called in on his days off which resulted in a 12 day straight work period. We did however manage a quick trip up to Bowen to see my other family, the Williams. Funny enough that is moms maiden name so it really is like family. The video below is a snapshot of the 5000 acre farm and the Bruce Highway back to Mackay. It was also the start of some interesting rain, which is featured near the end of the video. 

Back at Emma & Andrews is something I like to forget lives in the garage. Andrews pet snake. I hate snakes, they freak me out and this other video I think is good reason why. Emma had to feed her and suggested we video it so everyone can see the snake feed. I stayed in the kitchen for most of it, seeing as how even writing this is giving me shivers, don't ask how I managed to edit the video. So enjoy the snake feed and we promise to update sooner rather then later next time around. 

Also, I was going to put music or something over top of all the talking, but hearing what everyone was saying is so more interesting, you can hear me nagging CC about it actually recording, Emma talking about the snake and the boys Cooper and Dexter asking questions. Snakes still freak me right out, but its a kinda cool video.

Movies, Tea & Bunk Beds

Movie Night 

While staying at Andrew and Emma's we had Taija and Rowan over. I made a couple of pizzas and we watched Wild Wild West on TV. Movie nights seemed to happen frequently with Taija and Rowan, on another occasion we watch the Bourne Legacy (still not sure how I feel about that one) after my attempt to have everyone watch Step Up Revolution failed. On this particular night Taija was feeling a bit girly which I love cause girly means painting nails and Taija always does a bang up job. I got purple with silver OPI shatter on top and a jewel on each ring finger. Even Rowan got in on the fun with some pink and black detailing on his nails. Siyani didn't get a chance, I think after the spa incident where he got a pedicure that included black polish he is a bit wary of my reactions to his polished nails. 

Afternoon Tea

For a while now I have been wanting to have the sisters from the West Congregation over. It is one of the best ways to get to know people, so I organized to have them over for a Sunday afternoon. This also gave me a great excuse to bake some more.It was a great afternoon filled with nice conversation and yummy food. I am really enjoying the congregation here, West is small, only about 50 people but they are being very warm and kind to Siyani and I. 

Bunk Beds

After the sisters left Taija stayed and we had Rowan come over cause there is no one more qualified to finish off goodies. Of course my efforts continue to get him "soooo fat" so it worked out well that he came over. Andrew also arrived home that evening and had the boys new bunk bed with him. As the house was full of "men" they put it together. Well Rowan and Andrew put it together, Siyani did dishes and Taija and I drank beer and sangria while playing with transformers. Also I made sure to have picture proof that a) men do read directions and b) they also do dishes. 

Andrew reading the instructions and Rowan helping while Taija and I drink and CC does dishes

Love to everyone and their should be a post very soon about our visit to the farm because I hope to very soon go visit Dale and Cheryl in Bowen. 

Baking Day

This is what happens when you leave me alone in a nice kitchen!

We have been house sitting for the last week and have until the 10th of January here. Andrew and Emma are friends of Rowan and in turn that is how I am friends with them. They have a house they just built and very graciously invited Siyani and I off our couch and into their home while they visit family in Brisbane. 

The nice thing about new houses is new kitchens and we all know how much I love kitchens. On Wednesday Siyani went to help the brothers dig trenches at the Kingdom Hall as they are laying power lines for lighting in the lower parking lot. This left me on our 2nd day in the house alone with the kitchen, and boy did I do some damage. 

Brownies

Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

Vanilla Cupcakes

Sticky Date Pudding

and Impossible Pie

Impossible pie is awesome, the easiest dessert and perfect for last minuet guests and get togethers. No method, no complicated ingredients and no real skill needed to make this mouthwatering yummyness. I first had Impossible Pie on my first visit to Australia and enjoy making it when I really get stuck into baking. So here it is, Impossible Pie, make some right now, it is so good. 

Impossible Pie

4 eggs

1/2 cup melted butter

1/2 cup flour

1 cup sugar

1 cup coconut

2 cups milk

2 tablespoons vanilla

Mix all this together in a bowl, put into a deep baking dish and bake for 1 hour at 330*. 

Impossible pie creates its own crunchy crust, soft custard inside and pie like bottom. 

Check the other yummies I made as well.

 

Finally A Video

YAY I Did It!!!! I made a video. 

I have been teaching myself to edit videos while we have been here. I don't have the most advanced program in the world, which is probably a good thing, seeing as how it took me this long on an easy program. This video is from when Siyani and I first arrived. It starts with us in Brisbane airport, shows the beach just down from Taija and Rowan's unit and gives you an idea of what we have been living in for the past 5 weeks. I know the song is corny but I needed something Aussie and I figured Waltzing Matilda didn't really fit. 

Enjoy the video. 

Aussie Delight-Vanilla Slice

Vanilla Slice

I enjoy making desserts as anyone who actually knows me can attest to. One of my favorite "Aussie" desserts is Vanilla Slice. I call it an Aussie dessert because Australia is where I first was introduced to this divine treat and Australia is where I make it most often. Enjoy the pictures and maybe take whack at making this yourself. The best part of making this in Australia is the passion fruit icing, because I can get passion fruit here. It is so delicious and very light. Creamy custard between flaky pastry topped with a tart fruit and sugar. 

• Ingredients

• 2 sheets (25cm x 25cm) ready rolled frozen puff pastry, thawed
• Melted butter, to grease
•  (3 cups) milk
•  (1 1/2 cups) thickened cream
• 8 egg yolks
•  (1 cup) caster sugar
•  (1/3 cup) plain flour
• (1/4 cup) cornflour
• 50g butter, chopped
• 2 tsp vanilla essence
•  (1 1/2 cups) pure icing sugar, sifted
• 2 tbs canned passionfruit in syrup
  
  
  
  
  Preheat oven to 220°C. Line 2 baking trays with non-stick baking paper. Place 1 pastry sheet onto each lined tray. Bake in preheated oven, swapping trays halfway through cooking, for 20 minutes or until pastry puffs and browns. Remove from the oven. Cover pastry with a clean tea towel and use your hands to gently push the pastry down to flatten. Set aside for 15 minutes to cool.
  Brush  square pan with butter to lightly grease. Line base and sides with foil. Place 1 pastry sheet, flat-side down, in base of prepared pan.
  Meanwhile, heat milk and cream in a heavy-based saucepan over medium heat until mixture just comes to the boil. Combine egg yolks, sugar, flour and cornflour in a heatproof bowl. Whisk until thick and pale. Gradually stir hot milk mixture into egg mixture. Place in a clean saucepan over low heat, stirring with a wooden spoon, for 5 minutes or until custard comes to the boil and thickens. Remove from heat. Stir in butter and vanilla essence until combined. Pour over pastry and place remaining pastry flat-side (unpressed side) up on top. Place in fridge for 1 hour or until custard sets.
  Place icing sugar and passion fruit in large bowl and stir until smooth and glossy. Turn slice out onto a large chopping board and remove the foil. Spread icing over the top of the slice with the back of a spoon. Set aside for 20 minutes or until icing is set. Use a serrated knife to cut the vanilla slice into 16 pieces.Recipe from http://www.taste.com.au/recipes/12569/vanilla+slice+with+passionfruit+icing 
  Enjoy, it really is so very yummy and as Rowan says every time he sees it in the fridge "I'm gonna get sooo fat" which translated means "Ohhhh Yummy" 
  

  

  Siyani enjoying his first taste of Vanilla Slice

  
  

Mmm.....Kangaroo

CC and the Kangaroo

Not long after being in Australia I was informed that I was about to enjoy a meal uniquely Australia, Kangaroo. It is a lean meat that has a hint of sweetness to it, because it is cooked for a shorter amount of time than beef it does not get tough at all. The bottle you see positioned behind the plate is Bundaberg Ginger Beer ( think a nice Ginger Ale ) so far since being here I have consumed a number of bottles. I myself quite enjoyed the taste of Kangaroo but I can see why some would find the taste hard to adjust to. 

The Wonderful World of Oz

Everyday Life in Australia

Megan's View:

Being here has brought a lot of changes, who knew it would actually be tough not working. Trying to figure out what to do with your days when you don't have a job or any real form of transportation other then your own two feet makes it a bit of a challenge. It's not that I don't like walking to where I need to be, it's that between the distance and the heat it isn't always a viable option. Thankfully, the sisters of the congregation we are apart of have been wonderful in making sure I have a ride to service on Mondays and Wednesdays and that has been a true blessing. I love Monday service because it is the day everyone "goes out country" and I usually end up spending most of the day away from the unit. Fridays have become my baking and cleaning day which is a good distraction from the biggest change of all. Siyani works 10 hour days and being apart from him for what seems like forever is really hard. Coming from a job where I saw him everyday throughout the day and where we had lunch together almost everyday to a situation where he is gone before I wake up and away for such long periods of time has been a real challenge for me. I have Taija 3 days a week to hang out with and that is great, but you don't realize how attached you are to a person until you don't have them around as often. I always knew CC and I were weird with how much we love spending all of our time together but I guess I never really realized just how real it was. It's not a change I love but one I am learning to live with (mostly cause there is no other option). One of the best changes this move has brought is our reliance on Jehovah and each other. We try harder here in every aspect, we try harder to pre-study, to get to the meetings and to make the most of the time we have with each other.  Change isn't always easy but right now it is really good. 

A little ocean view from us to you

Siyani's View:

Australia has its differences I wont deny it, but other than the fact that the humidity in the air fuzzes my hair there is nothing I can really complain about. As Megan mentioned there are things that we are having to adjust to. I am now working ten hour days, which entails getting up at 6:00 in the morning and not getting home until 5:15. Choice of food while similar has its differences and even things like yogurt are slightly different. One of the biggest changes of all is driving on the opposite side of the road to what we are used to but when my job is cleaning cars that I at times then have to either drive to a storage lot or to the stalls we park the cars in at the Airport, it is a change I have had to adjust to fairly quickly. Even though we are approaching our third week in the country it feels as though we have barely been here a week. Working ( so far ) six day weeks and dealing with the process of buying a car along side day to day life has made things go fairly quickly. I have thankfully been adjusting to the heat fairly well although it is going to get 5-10 degrees warmer so we will see how I am doing once summer fully hits. I do however find that once you hit 30 Celsius anything over that doesn't feel that much worse and while everyone asks me how I am finding the humidity I don't even notice it. In fact I much prefer it to be hot and humid to the dry heat we often get in Canadian summers. That and living next to the Ocean means there is generally a mid day cool breeze that brings with it a pleasantly sweet aroma. Overall I am very happy to be here alongside Megan. I look forward to embracing the changes and taking in all the experiences and lessons that Australia has to offer us.

First Few Aussie Days

We Made It

Thursday, November 8th

So here we are, in Australia, in Mackay and it is wonderful. The flight from L.A. to Brisbane was 13 hours and turbulent. I got a bit of sleep and Siyani got even less. We were both very thankful for all the movie choices we had on the flight. It was a full plane, so the ability to snag an empty row to stretch out on was non existent. We arrived Tuesday, November 6th at 4:10 pm into Mackay after a 6 hour wait in Brisbane airport. As we got off the plane it was very clear we were tired as both Siyani and I walked right past Taija and Rowan. As we were collecting our bags, Rowan then informed us that not only was it meeting night, but it was also the CO visit, we had 3 hours to get home, eat, shower, find clothes and head out to the meeting. 

It was great though, even being so tired (Siyani was literally nodding off). The brothers welcomed us warmly ( this is a new congregation even for me) and I was so happy to see that the CO was Brother Kuvanst. He was serving the Bowen congregation when I was here back in 2010/2011 and it really goes to show just how hard these brothers work to get to know us because even though he didn't remember my name he did recognize me and was happy to see me again and to meet Siyani. It was also such a great thing to go to this CO visit for one very big reason. The first time I ever traveled on my own, my dad said to watch for how similar the meetings are because our unity is seen in even the finite details. Brother Twan came to visit the Summerland congregation before Siyani and I left and his talk was about sacrifices. Brother Kuvanst gave the exact same talk, same scriptures, as he spoke I could hear Brother Twan speaking at the same time. It was really special to experience that. 

Wednesday not much happened as both Siyani and I slept and we went to the mall with Taija to get containers so that the over taking of the living room could be contained. I also got sick but thanks to Rowan I got over it quickly. 

Now for the little bit of the blog post that I promise is not bragging (ok maybe a little bit, but not in a mean way) Check out the pics below to see a little snapshot of life in Australia. 

Just Chillin'

The view from the hammock

Breakfast: Fresh mango, water melon and golden honey dew enjoyed in the hammock outside.

Taija washing the Supra

Last Day in Canada

Good-bye Party & Flight

T-Minus 0 Days. Today we leave for Australia

So here we are. I am sitting in the hotel room at the Holiday Inn Express in Vancouver waiting to catch the shuttle to the airport where Siyani and I will fly to L.A. then to Brisbane and finally to Mackay where Taija and Rowan will be (hopefully) waiting for us. 

On Friday, Mom threw us a small going away party. Arlene from Edgy Petals brought us a beautiful going away bouquet with all my favorite colors, our awesome landlords Dana and Carey came by with a bottle of wine and we got to say goodbye to the kids Paige and Josh. My Uncle Jody drove from Grandforks to say good bye as well.  It was a really nice send off from wonderful people who really care for and love us. 

So here we go, off to Australia and new adventure. It's hard to believe the day is actually here, but what an exciting day it is.