Australia

[i]Purple sky seems to mesmerize
As light fills my eyes
Just the beginning of another day
Just not in the same way
Don't think about what you could've done
Cause tommorow is gonna come
It'll hit ya, dare I near say
It feels like yesterday

Differently the same

Make a mark but don't make it deep
Just in case you climb too steep
Don't forget about what you said
Don't wait too long before tommorows dead
Something tells me theres more to see
I don't know maybe its just me
Could be you, could be me
I don't know I just let it be[/i]

Here I am back in Sydney again but this time is different from all the rest because tomorrow I depart from the land down under never to return again. As i sit here in front of my computer browsing through my thousand and some pictures my eyes began to fill up a bit. I look back at the past six months and try to remember all those little details that I say I'll never forget but at the end of the day its still one big blur. I will be sad to leave OZ tomorrow but I must remember that the time spent here has been some of the most amazing times of my life. Tomorrow however is more than just an arrival to New Zealand but I get to see my dear sister. It has been way too long and my heart fills with joy to think that in less than 24 hrs I will be sitting at dinner with one of my favorite people in the world. Miss you all!!

“I see my path, but I don't know where it leads. Not knowing where I'm going is what inspires me to travel it.”

Ok so for the past two weeks I have been travelling the Great Ocean Road. We made stops at pretty much every town along the way some worth the while and some not. There were definitely a few along the way that I believe should not even be considered real towns consisiting of a few houses(one of which was the town cafe), a farm, and a view lookout point. There isnt much to say about the two weeks that the pictures wont show you but I'll attempt anyways. Our first stop was Tourquay which is home to the famous Bells Beach (for those of you that Bells Beach doesnt ring a bell, try and remember the final scene in the movie Point Break). The first day we rented boards and my three students tried their luck at surfing. overall is was a successful experience, if you count out Kelly rolling her ankle in knee deep water, Christoph catching a man cold, and Per thinking he has become Kelly Slater(World's Greates Surfer) after one hour. AFter Tourquay we headed further west to a few different small towns. In Apollo Bay we parted ways with the boys as they began the Great Ocean Walk. This walk is a 91k walk that is recommended to be done in 8 Days with a tour guide. Our boys decided to attempt this great ocean walk in three days. Well...three days later and one night in a hostel we met back up them just about 20 kilometers short of the finish. After that we followed the basic tourist route and visited the 12 Apostles, London Bridge, Loch Ard Gorge. We even made our way to a folk music festival in a small town called Port Fairy. The next plan is to bum around Melbourne (if we can find accomodation) for a few days because Formula 1 comes to town. After that its back to sydney for another go around before heading off to New Zealand. Keep in touch all....miss everyone loadssss!!!!

Bells Beach

Bells Beach Cliff

Sunset Over the Mountains

Morning Sunrise...yes this is what I wake up to every morning, the luxuries of having what you could call a mobile home a.k.a. our campervan

12 Apostles

The London Bridge

Loch Ard Gorge

The Beginning of the 91K Great Ocean Walk.

Erskine Waterfall

Lunch Break for some of the hikers along the Great Ocean Walk. Nice View Huh!!

The Gables Lookout Point

Shipwreck anchor.

Home Sweet Home!!!

So after one week of being back on the road and back in civilization its like I never left. This past week I have spent in a small beach suburb of Melbourne called St. Kilda. Its a small little town with palm trees, dutch bakeries, and little coffee shops everywhere.

Melbourne harbor at sunset

Just another sunset picture

Oh yeah and I had the pleasure of hanging out with lizzie, rachel, and jess as they flew in from sydney for the weekend. It was so nice to have alittle bit of home but at the same time it makes me realize how much I miss some of you back home.

Great Picture with some of my fellow farm workers from Griffith!!

Tomorrow Kelly and I head off to see the Great Ocean Road. We hired a campervan and plan on spending the next two weeks stopping everywhere from melbourne to adelaide. I will update with pictures of everything as soon as possible.

Ok so after a long hard month of slave labor it is finally time to set off and let the adventures begin. In two days Kelly and I are leaving this dreadful little town of griffith and making our way back to civilization in the direction of melbourne.

Although this experience has been both mentally and physically tiring, I must say its been a real eye opener. It one of those things that seems so awful when its actually happening but looking back it gives me a good laugh. Slave labor really makes you appreciate every dollar earned. There is not much besides work and sleep in griffith but I must say I met some great people who I will never forget and will always be part of this bitter sweet experience.

I will update this page with some pictures of the housemates and some of my hair catastrophe. The mishap left me orange and my fix up has left me borderline brown and jet black (i still do a double take in the mirror everytime). Oh well as tom once said 'cie la vie'.

21 Kookora Street

Sunrise on the Fields

P.S. Happy Valentine's Day (even though I have never been a big fan of this hallmark money maker holiday)

Ok so week 1 is over and Kelly and I have managed to work a solid 8 days straight in the fields. No complaints though cause today we moved into a cute little house that will be known as a home for the next month. After spending our last dollars on a train ticket to this remote little town of pretty much nothing, we found ourselves falling on a pot of gold. A strange man we met at the bus stop is now our boss, his name is Cesar, and for some reason he really likes kelly and I so he basically runs his business around us two. He is even going to employ me as an illegal immigrant after my working visa expires at the beginning of february.

living room

kitchen

the new "Muff"...sorry boys you've been replaced, that what you get for selling the old girl.

As I have always been told a little hard work never killed anyone and for the first time ever I am beginning to realize this is true. As for everyone at home, I miss you all and will see you all soon enough.